Multicultural Teams and Their Leadership

Introduction As a result of globalization, many organizations are employing people from different countries in order to pool resources and boost their operational efficiency. However, documented literature indicates that having a culturally diverse team presents numerous challenges based on language differences, communication issues, different working techniques and conflict resolution mechanisms (Gibson Vermeulen, 2003).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Multicultural Teams and Their Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More If not addressed efficiently, these challenges may lead to process and coordination inefficiencies. This paper shall provide solutions to five problems a multicultural team may face as it tries to open and run a shop in Zurich. Cultural Diversity: A Brief Overview Cultural diversity refers to a situation whereby members of given group have different beliefs, ethnicity, languages an d attitudes. Hankin (2005), states that there are negative and positive consequences that may arise from a culturally diverse team. For example, a multicultural team has different experience levels, skills and attitudes that may help organizations tackle numerous challenges in international business (Hankin, 2005). However, differences between members may lead to increased conflicts, miscommunications and confusions leading to low productivity due to process and coordination inadequacies. As such, understanding and acknowledging cultural diversity may help teams create a more efficient group process. Challenges in Multicultural Teams Early and Mosakowski (2004) assert that the cultural orientation of an individual affects the level of tolerance for uncertainty he/she can handle. For example, people from individualistic or low-context cultures prefer to confront conflicts directly, while those from collectivistic or high-context cultures adopt an indirect approach to conflict resolut ion. The high-context culture and low-context culture concepts shall be used to identify the problems a multicultural team might face while trying to run a business in Zurich.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Norms for problem solving and decision making US, Germany and Australia are considered as individualistic societies. As such, a majority of the people that belong to such societies focus their attention on individual goals rather than those of a team. On the other hand, Italians adopt a collectivist approach, in which the needs of the group have more weight than those of an individual. This difference in personality may cause a big problem when it comes to making quick decisions regarding the business. For example, individualistic people within the team will do what they think is best for the business while those from collectivistic cultures will prefer to discu ss and come up with a solution that is acceptable to all members. As such, decision making and conflict resolution within this team will be difficult because members apply different approaches when handling such issues. Communication challenges Efficient communication is very important in any business endeavor. However, different cultures use varied communication styles. As such, miscommunication in a culturally diverse group is likely to occur due to language barriers, accents and communication styles (direct or indirect communication). In this case, accents may be the main challenge faced by the members of the team. For example, English spoken by the Germans and Italians may not be clearly understood by the Americans and Swiss and vice versa. As such, it may be difficult to communicate effectively therefore leading to conflicts arising from such miscommunications and misunderstandings. Prejudice and stereotyping This challenge is very common in multicultural settings. In most case s, different cultures have varied opinions about other cultures. For example, Italians and Germans perceive Americans as disrespectful, talkative and egocentric. On the other hand, Americans and Australians may view the Italians and Germans as proud, lazy and less intelligent. With such stereotypes, fair delegation of duties and teamwork may be difficult because each member believes that his/her culture is more superior than that of fellow members.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Multicultural Teams and Their Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Time, urgency and pace orientation According to Hogan (2007), different cultures view time differently. For example, individualistic cultures like keeping time, working with schedules and deadlines, and tackling one task at a time. On the other hand, collectivistic cultures view time holistically. As such, they like taking their time and doing things as t hey come without restrictions. In this team, this will be challenging because the Italians may be viewed as slow workers. Attitude towards work In this regard, the challenge may arise from the different perspectives members have about acceptable work etiquette. According to Hankin (2005), nations have different work norms and behaviors. As such, members of a culturally diverse team may have different descriptions of personal time and work time. Individualistic cultures have the ability to separate personal time from work time. When at work, Americans, Germans and Australians tend to do what they are supposed to do and try as much as possible to minimizing personal or social disruptions. On the other hand, Italians tend to be social while working and may even sacrifice work time so that they can deal with personal matters. As such, this team may face a difficult task of determining and separating personal and work time. Management of multicultural challenges According to Hogan (2007) , challenges emanating from cultural diversity can only be solved if a culturally diverse workforce learns to tolerate each other and focus on attaining the set organizational goals. In this case, the members of this multicultural team should acknowledge their differences and come up with an organizational culture that fosters cooperation, effective communication and fairness among team members. Similarly, Hecht-El Minshawi and Berninghausen (2009) suggest that members of a culturally diverse team should understand the existing barriers that may affect the efficiency of the group process. With this in mind, this team should develop procedures for decision making, conflict resolution and work etiquette. Implementation of such procedures and policies play a pivotal role towards addressing the challenges arising from work attitudes, time orientation and communication barriers. Conclusion Cultural diversity in workplace settings presents numerous challenges for managers. If not addresse d these challenges may lead to the failure of businesses. As such, people should try to be multiculturally competent in order to facilitate teamwork and cooperation in a multicultural work environment.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More References Early, P., Mosakowski, E. (2004). Cultural intelligence. Harvard Business Review, 82(10): 151 – 157. Gibson, C., Vermeulen, F. (2003). A healthy divide: Subgroups as a stimulus for team learning behavior. Administrative Science Quarterly, 48(12): 202 – 239. Hankin, H. (2005). The new workforce: Five sweeping trends that will shape your company’s future. Chicago: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn Hecht-El Minshawi, B., Berninghausen, J. (2009). Intercultural Competence – Managing Cultural Diversity: Training Handbook. New York: Kellner Klaus. Hogan, M. (2007). The four skills of cultural diversity competence: a process for understanding and practice. Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole. This research paper on Multicultural Teams and Their Leadership was written and submitted by user Emmett Hewitt to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Definition Essay on Friendship

Definition Essay on Friendship Friendship is a word we are all familiar with, and most of us assume we have friends. But do we? Webster’s Dictionary defines it as, the state of being friends: the relationship between friends: a friendly feeling or attitude. To most people friendship assumes certain rights and privileges. To me a friend is not only a person who has rights in my life. Friends are those who take seriously the duties, obligations and responsibilities of friendship. Everyone knows that when you are friends with someone they assume certain rights and privileges. For example, my friends can drop in without an appointment, phone me late at night, ask for some cash until payday, and expect to be invited to my celebratory parties. They assume I will give them a lift when their car is broken, babysit their kids, and listen to the updates of their love life or lack of it. They can open my fridge and make a snack and offer me a cup of coffee in my own kitchen. When they are sad or guilty and share their secrets with me. To the degree, I allow this so I am considered a good friend. But these privileges carry with them reciprocal obligations. You, as my friend, must return the favors. When I arrive with my kids you need to welcome me and them, not hide under the bed, or a flood of excuses. You are obliged to give me a lift to fetch my car, fill up my empty wallet, and drink coffee that I make you in your kitchen. And do not hide your left overs when I rummage in your kitchen for a snack. Then we need to look at the two words that make up the word friendship. It has been said that it is two men in one boat. Now that is where duty comes in. Two men in a boat does not mean one rows the boat, while the other lies in the sun tanning and sipping Coke, Pepsi or Buds. They both need to row the boat. This means they have equal responsibility to make time in busy schedules to get together. When the one is repeating again how his wife left him and took his dog for the hundredth time you have to show sympathy, even if you are glad the dog no longer visits and chews your new couch. It is duty that undergirds the rights and privileges. Friendship comes with responsibilities too. When he is pouring out his heart to you then you must listen. What he tells you in confidence must remain with you. You are responsible to give him advice rebuke and correction. And above all, when he does not heed it and falls, you have the responsibility to stand with him, in his failure, disgrace, and shame. To identify with him, comfort and encourage him, and help him get up. And in the end to simply forgive and love him. Webster’s refers to friendship as a friendly feeling or attitude. I have a friendly feeling and attitude towards my dog, but we aren’t friends. Likewise, I have the same friendly feeling towards the waitress at the local restaurant, but I do not even know her surname. I know I have nine friends, and consider myself rich because of them. Each one is a rare treasure. Tips for writing this definition essay: In your intro, give a dictionary definition of the word. Then give your definition, which should be the basis of your thesis statement. Now elaborate on your own definition. You can separate your different parts into separate paragraphs. In each paragraph, make a different point. You can use a variety of means to round out your definition. When you have finished make a summary of your points. Here you can tell what your definition has meant to you, and how it has affected your life. Ensure this supports your essay. Feel free to buy an essay online from our professional writing service. We will provide you with a 100% non-plagiarized custom definition essay on any topic.

How to Write Natural Dialogue for Narratives

How to Write Natural Dialogue for Narratives Writing verbal conversations or dialogue is often one of the trickiest parts of creative writing. Crafting effective dialogue within the context of a narrative requires much more than following one quote with another. With practice, though, you can learn how to write natural-sounding dialogue that is creative and compelling. The Purpose of Dialogue Put simply, dialogue is narrative conveyed through speech by two or more characters. Effective dialogue should do many things at once, not simply convey information. It should set the scene, advance action, give insight into each character, and foreshadow future dramatic action. Dialogue doesnt have to be grammatically correct; it should read like actual speech. However, there must be a balance between realistic speech and readability. Dialogue is also a tool for character development. Word choice tells a reader a lot about a person: their appearance, ethnicity, sexuality, background, even morality. It can also tell the reader how the writer feels about a certain character. How to Write Direct Dialogue Speech, also known as direct dialogue, can be an effective means of conveying information quickly. But most real-life conversations are boring to read. An exchange between two friends may go something like this: Hi, Tony, said Katy. Hey, Tony answered. Whats wrong? Katy asked. Nothing, Tony said. Really? Youre not acting like nothings wrong. Pretty tiresome dialogue, right? By including nonverbal details in your dialogue, you can articulate emotion through action. This adds dramatic tension and is more engaging to read. Consider this revision: Hi, Tony. Tony looked down at his shoe, dug in his toe and pushed around a pile of dust. Hey, he replied. Katy could tell something was wrong. Sometimes saying nothing or saying the opposite of what we know a character  feels is the best way to create dramatic tension. If a character wants to say I love you, but his actions or words say I dont care, the reader will cringe at the missed opportunity. How to Write Indirect Dialogue Indirect dialogue doesnt rely on speech. Instead, it uses thoughts, memories, or recollections of past conversations to reveal important narrative details. Often, a writer will combine direct and indirect dialogue to increase dramatic tension, as in this example: Hi, Tony. Tony looked down at his shoe, dug in his toe and pushed around a pile of dust. Hey, he replied. Katy braced herself. Something was wrong. Formatting and Style To write dialogue that is effective, you must also pay attention to formatting and style. Correct use of tags, punctuation, and paragraphs can be as important as the words themselves. Remember that punctuation goes inside quotations. This keeps the dialogue clear and separate from the rest of the narrative. For example: I cant believe you just did that! Start a new paragraph each time the speaker changes. If there is action involved with a speaking character, keep the description of the action within the same paragraph as the characters dialogue. Dialogue tags other than said are best used sparingly, if at all. Often a writer uses them to try to convey a certain emotion. For example: But I dont want to go to sleep yet, he whined. Instead of telling the reader that the boy whined, a good writer will describe the scene in a way that conjures the image of a whining little boy: He stood in the doorway with his hands balled into little fists at his sides. His red, tear-rimmed eyes glared up at his mother. But I dont want to go to sleep yet. Practice Makes Perfect Writing dialogue is like any other skill. It requires constant practice if you want to improve as a writer. Here are a few tips to help you tune your ear. Start a dialogue diary. Practice speech patterns and vocabulary that may be foreign to you. This will give you the opportunity to really get to know your characters.Eavesdrop. Carry a small notebook with you and write down phrases, words, or whole conversations verbatim to help develop your ear.Read. Reading will hone your creative abilities. It will help familiarize you with the form and flow of narration and dialogue until it becomes more natural in your own writing.

Competitive Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Competitive Strategies - Essay Example Coca- Cola and Pepsi-Cola are two leading soft drinks in the USA. Both are represented by values cherished by the state including democracy, independence, fun and free. The color, taste and amount of carbon dioxide in both drinks are nearly the same. Coca cola is the leading brand across the globe with a leading brand value of $ 67,000 million. Its competitor Pepsi Cola has a brand of $ 12,690 million. Coca-Cola is the best recognized brand in the world and is known for owning top five soft drinks in the world that is, Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite and Fanta (Bodden 2009). Coca- Cola strong brand value has positively impacted in its penetration to new markets as it consolidates the existing market. Coca-Cola was designed in 1885 by John Stith Pemberton who was a pharmacist (Bodden 2009). The name Coke was derived from the presence of cocaine in coke, this cocaine was claimed to reduce depression and made coke drinkers addicted to the drink. The Food and Drug Administration later abolished the presence of cocaine in the drink hence making the industry remove the ingredient cocaine in the drink. Although the company maintained the beverage’s name, its demand started to reduce. The company therefore resulted in aggressive advertising to promote the beverage. Pepsi on the other hand was also designed by a pharmacist, Caleb Bradham in 1898 and was named after its creator as ‘Brad drink’ (Bodden 2008). It also placed emphasis on advertising. Its advertisement challenged that of Coca-Cola since PepsiCo used celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Jackie Chan and Britney Spears among others to advertise its drinks making it popular among sports fans and the young as w ell as promoting the image of non-conformity and confidence (Doole and Lowe 2008). A Pepsi advertisement featuring Britney Spears indicated Pepsi as a drink for all,

Regulations and policies for domestic flights in Canada (airline Research Paper

Regulations and policies for domestic flights in Canada (airline industry in Canada) - Research Paper Example vernment could decide to regulate the Domestic Airlines’ operations: the commonest ones include the need for transparency in airlines’ activities. The airlines are expected to be open and frank about their records, information systems and quality of services. This would assist the appropriate governmental agency to periodically investigate the level of conformity with Canada’s Air Transport Laws, in a bid to make the industry to be responsible towards the customers and the public in general (Reschenthaler et al 45). Another significant purpose for regulating the domestic airlines is the possibility of reducing the administrative burdens of the carriers: this means that cumbersome bureaucratic processes could increase the overhead cost of operations of the carriers, and this may lead to inefficiency and poor performance that could affect the activities of the airlines and make the customers discontented. If the Canadian government has failed to regulate the Domestic Airlines, the two important factors highlighted above may have caused unprecedented market failure and eventual collapse of Canada’s airline industry. Complaints have been mounting about some laxities in the operations of the Canada’s domestic carriers: and a close investigation of the complaints revealed that most problems are not unconnected to the inability to create transparency in operation of the carriers and cumbersome bureaucratic processes in the industry. The official agency saddled with the responsibility of regulating the activities of the domestic airlines in Canada is Canadian Transportation Agency, CTA. The agency primary responsibilities include handling and resolving all disputes connected with air transportation; improving the air transportation activities and, as a regulator, making helpful decisions about the operations in the air, rail and marine transportation (CTA 2009a). Canadian Transportation Agency got its legal regulatory powers from Canada’s Air Transportation

Dualism and idealistic monism Essay Example for Free

Dualism and idealistic monism Essay In philosophy and more specifically metaphysics, dualism has been defined as the belief that two fundamental and incompatible types of things that make up the universe; idealistic monism argues instead that the universe is made up of just one thing, and that is the realm of ideas or the mind. Hence, if one were to very simplistically state the difference between dualism and idealistic monism, one may argue that dualism stands for the concept of body versus mind whereas idealistic monism stands for just the mind as being the sole component of everything. Monism in general implies the belief that the Universe is not made up of diametrically opposite concepts or entities, but just one thing that can have many manifestations but in its essential nature, remains the same. While idealistic monism argues that all is made up the mind or ideas, materialistic monism states that only the physical realm makes up everything, and the mental can be ultimately reduced to the physical as well. Plato argued that there exists a realm of ideas where there are forms of ideas that the Universe commonly reflects, and that these immutable ideas are superior and immortal as opposed to the transient objects themselves. Thus, he argued the idea of something is more real than the thing itself. He also said that the mind is identical with the soul, but that the soul pre-exists and survives the body. Later, Berkeley and Kant added to the discourse of idealism by agreeing that all the manifestations of all that happens in the physical world have its root in the mind and in the realm of ideas. The dualists’ argument of all reality being divided between matter and mind seems perhaps the most natural, at least at first glance, because in the physical world the distinctions between the mind and matter are so clearly distinguishable. Human beings tend to see the two as separate entities and see how one might function even as the other is unable to, in case of illness or injuries. Also, through the ages, folklore and religion have always made a clear distinction between two forces that govern the workings of the universe: good and evil, benevolent and malevolent, mortal and eternal. Thus, it is easy to understand why these arguments may be considered legitimate. However, dualism talks about a very extreme universe where there don’t seem to be any grey areas that merge these extreme concepts of benevolence and malevolence or body and mind. Monism attributes oneness in the entire Universe. The proponents of monism have included Parmenides, Melissus, and Spinoza and more recently, Horgan and Potrc. They hold that there really is just one thing that makes everything up, and that it is extremely complex in the number of variations it can take. Idealistic monism stands for the concept that this â€Å"one thing† is the consciousness or the realm of the mind, from where everything else is conceived and thus given physical shape. If the mind had not thought up something, it would not exist in either the mental or the physical plane. Thus, whatever is physical can be brought fundamentally to the mental realm and said to have originated from there. At the most basic level, therefore, all reality for the idealist monist originates in the mind in the form of an idea, and this idea is more real than any physical structures that it might give birth to, because it is eternal and cannot ever die or cease to be. In this way, ideas form the entire universe and will continue to do so as generations of humans live and die. I think that idealism is more plausible than dualism. Firstly, I do not agree with the dualist extremes that are always incompatible and as a sum of opposites that make up the universe. I do not think the universe can be explained as simply as that, because at many points these two extremes do seem to converge and coexist in a way so as not to seem wholly incompatible. It does seem more plausible to me that the realm of the mind is more â€Å"real† than anything else because ideas are eternal and make up the world. Thus, I tend to agree with the monist viewpoint – about a world that is complex but is made up of the realm of ideas that are immutable. Monistic philosophy seems to embrace the existence of seemingly contradictory things in a way that is much more accepting and broader than the dualistic view.

Free College Admissions Essays: My Mother had Faith in Me :: College Admissions Essays

My Mother had Faith in Me    As a child, I never thought I would be the one who would graduate from high school. In grade school, I learned that I could do well, but I was afraid of going to a higher level. As a freshman in high school, I made a decision not to be a fool and drop out. Even though it crossed my mind to drop out, I stood tall and looked up to God. Now I have an overall of 3.567.    However, each goal that I strived for, I achieved because my mother always had faith in me. She believed I could do anything that I put my mind to . For eleven years, my mother was a single parent who raised me. My biological father died before I was born. She basically raised me all alone. My mother always bought me books as a child. Every night we read books like, 'Who am I,' and my favorite, 'Wacky Wednesday,' from beginning to end. Her dedication inspired me to be the person that I am striving for today. She always had a way of showing me her love and care by pushing me towards a successful life. Regardless of the circumstances, she was the one who helped me get to where I am today. This is why I'm determined to go even further in life.    In fact, today my career goals are not a problem I know that I can get the job done to the best of my ability by furthering my education. In the year 2005, I will be a junior high school math teacher. I will teach at a school that I attended as a child to help students learn. I will teach my students not only math, but values that will help them to be successful in life. As a teacher, or an accountant, I will also be an entrepreneur. I will help the people in the community where I grew up in and that's a promise. I know that I will achieve these goals. When I get my Bachelor and Master's degree, I will make sure that I will have something to show for it. Therefore, my career goals on my agenda will be accomplished through my success.    I have participated in various extra-curricular activities. I remember back in the 9th grade, when I tried out for the pom-pom team.

Development of Youth Culture Essay

There is no single reason for the development of culture; rather, it came about as a result of the number of different social changes occurring at the same time. These developments included the increasing economic power of young people, the influence of the USA and globalisation, social changes at the end of World War 2, development of the media, demographic change in the numbers of young people and the transition to adulthood. Defining youth culture can be difficult because different cultures and interruptions in employment status’s can affect the perspective of what â€Å"youth† is. Culture is the way we live within our culture and youth culture is the way youth lives within it but because of the difficulties youth culture could mean different things to different cultures. Youth culture developed in the early 1950’s, although the idea of youth as a phase in life has a longer history. Youth culture was first developed in America after World War 2, which then Britain decided to follow due to media and other influences from America. In my opinion the most important factor that developed youth culture was the economic changes in society. Due to the demand in workers after the Second World War there was an economic growth. The first person to realise the impact this was having on young people was Abram’s (1959) who analysed the increased economic power of the ‘teenage consumer’. There was a noticeable pattern in what was getting most money spent on, because young people were the age group spending the highest proportion of their income on leisure activities and music, clothes and cosmetics. This increase in economic power created the conditions for the emerging youth culture to develop. For the first time, young people had significant amounts of money to spend. Another extremely important factor for the development was the social change at the end of World War 2. There was much more opportunities for young people and possibilities at this time. Before the war, Britain was characterized by a class structure. By the time it came to the 1950s, we started to see a change in the economy and this opened up oppurtunities and individual expression. Judging on conventional standards, opportunities were becoming bigger. Cinema, art, literature and theatre began to explore new ideas. Amongst many new ideas was that young people were a distinctive group with new values and ideas about their place in society. The next important development for youth culture in my opinion was the influence of the USA and globalisation. With the changing culture and the growth in affluence of the 1950s, there was a ready market for American goods and culture, which included rock and roll music and other products aimed at the new ‘teenage market’. A quote from Leech (’76) saying ‘youthquake’ explained how a change in the new youth was such a sudden change it was like an earthquake. Globalisation recognised what young people wanted and advertised it more. I think the next development of the youth culture which was important was the growth and specialization of media. Media was becoming a lot more popular and so was advertisement. The media started to advertise the products that young people during that time wanted and this was a massive boost for the economics and spread quickly across the world. The 1950’s saw an explosion of different sorts of media. This was only possible because of the growth in social diversity and an increase in spending power that persuaded companies to spend large amounts of money advertising the new media. As a high-spending and newly discovered group, young people became the target for advertisers and hence the commercial media competed to attract this market. Another social condition that made the development of youth culture possible was transition to adulthood. Transition refers to the movement from being economically and socially dependent on parents, towards independence. The length of transition increased over the 20th century as the average period in education. Due to the longer age of being in education, it meant that typical adult responsibilities were taken on increasingly later in life, leaving young people with a number of years where they were physically mature but without the responsibilities of adulthood. This caused young people to want their own place in society. The last social condition that helped youth culture become possible was the demographic change in numbers of young people. After the war because couple had been split for so long because of hundreds of men being sent abroad, many sexual experiences had been delayed for years. The result was that when the men were released from the armed forces in 1945/46, there was a huge increase in birth rate. Although many of the children born at this time were not ‘teenagers’ until the end of 1950’s, they did ensure that youth culture continued and grew as a cultural form. Around 50 to 60 years ago, for the first time, a youth culture appeared to be emerging – young people appeared to be developing their own values, customs, tastes, clothes, music and language. After studying and discussing all the different social conditions that developed youth culture I have discovered that youth culture wasn’t made overnight. It took all these 6 main factors to create this culture and carry it on until this day. Economics was the most important condition in my opinion due to the fact that it all started because of the economic boost after World War 2. America was the country that started this youth culture and Britain followed it after the war ended. Abercrombie et al. (2000) has suggested that youth culture has three distinguishing features: leisure, style and peer group.

Management Study Guide Essay

Commanding Heights: Episode 3 (Chapters 11-14); available at online at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/lo/story/index.html – With communism discredited, more and more nations harness their fortunes to the global free-market. China, Southeast Asia, India, Eastern Europe and Latin America all compete to attract the developed world’s investment capital, and tariff barriers fall. In the United States Republican and Democratic administrations both embrace unfettered globalization over the objections of organized labor. But as new technology and ideas drive profound economic change, unforeseen events unfold. A Mexican economic meltdown sends the Clinton administration scrambling. Internet-linked financial markets, unrestricted capital flows, and floating currencies drive levels of speculative investment that dwarf trade in actual goods and services. Fueled by electronic capital and a global workforce ready to adapt, entrepreneurs create multinational corporations wi th valuations greater than entire national economies. When huge pension funds go hunting higher returns in emerging markets, enterprise flourishes where poverty once ruled, but risk grows, too. In Thailand the huge reservoir of available capital proves first a blessing, then a curse. Soon all Asia is engulfed in an economic crisis, and financial contagion spreads throughout the world, until Wall Street itself is threatened. A single global market is now the central economic reality. As the force of its effects is felt, popular unease grows. Is the system just too complex to be controlled, or is it an insiders’ game played at outsiders’ expense? New centers of opposition to globalization form and the debate turns violent over who will rewrite the rules. Yet prosperity continues to spread with the expansion of trade, even as the gulf widens further between rich and poor. Imbalances too dangerous for the system to ignore now drive its stakeholders to devise new means to include the dispossessed lest, once again, terrorism and war destroy the stability of a deeply interconnected world. The Bush Bailout Plan (Rounds 1 and 2) Round 1: Allow the Treasury to borrow up to $700 billion to buy mortgage-related assets from US financial institutions over the next 2 years. –May stabilize the capital markets ( could protect investment and retirement funds) – MAY stabilize housing prices. Consequences of doing nothing: -Small businesses will fail. -Companies may not be able to make payroll -People, even those with good credit records, may not be able to get credit for mortgages, car loans, student loans, or credit cards. -People will lose jobs. Round 2: Same deal: with same possible benefits. House version of the bill: $350 billion upfront; $350 billion later unless congress holds it back. -NO new golden parachutes if the institution sells more than $300 million in assets -Must try to â€Å"claw back† past bonuses if based on misleading financial statements -No golden parachutes when the treasury has ownership stake in the firm (.ie., it is failing). Defined Contribution Retirement Plans – A defined contribution plan provides an individual account for each participant. The benefits are based on the amount contributed into the plan and are also affected by income, expenses, gains and loses. There are no promises of a set monthly benefit at retirement. Some examples of defined contribution plans include 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, employee stock ownership plans and profit sharing plans. Contagion – The tendency to spread, as of a doctrine, influence, or emotional state. When one nation’s economy is negatively affected because of changes in the asset PRICES of another country’s financial market Foreign Direct Investment – Is when a firm invests resources in facilities to produce and/or market a product in a foreign country. Horizontal FDI versus Vertical FDI – Horizontal FDI: investment in the same industry in which a firm operates at home. Vertical FDI: investment in an industry that provides inputs for a firm’s domestic operations or that sells the outputs of the firm’s domestic operations. Backward Vertical FDI versus Forward Vertical FDI- Backward vertical FDI: an investment in an industry abroad that provides inputs for a firm’s domestic production processes. Forward Vertical FDI: an investment in an industry abroad that sells the outputs of a firm’s domestic production processes. BACKWARD vertical means that there are more places to help build the product. Stock versus Flow of FDI – Stock flow is the total accumulated value. Flow of FDI is the value over time. Gross Fixed Capital Formation – GFCF is a flow value. It is usually defined as the total value of additions to fixed assets by resident producer enterprises, less disposals of fixed assets during the quarter or year, plus additions to the value of non-produced assets (such as discoveries of mineral deposits, or land improvements). Greenfield Investment – Establishing a new operation Acquisition – When one firm buys an interest in another firm Merger – When two firms agree to integrate their operations on a relatively co-equal basis. Exporting – The sale of products produced in one country to residents of another country Licensing – when one firm (the licensor) grants the right to produce its product, use its production processes, or use its brand name or trademark to another firm (the licensee) Tacit versus Codified Knowledge – Tacit knowledge: information that is intuitive and difficult to articulate or codify in writing. (Can be gained through personal experience or interaction. Shared knowledge might be dispersed throughout the company.) Theoretical Explanations for FDI: Transportation Costs, Market Imperfections, Strategic Behavior, Product Life Cycle, and Location-Specific Advantages – Impediments to the Sale of Know-How – Impediments to the sale of know-how explain why firms prefer horizontal FDI to licensing. These impediments arise when: (a) a firm has valuable know-how that cannot be adequately protected by a licensing contract, (b) a firm needs tight control over a foreign entity to maximize its market share and earnings in that country, and (c) a firm’s skills and know-how are not amenable to licensing. Multi-Point Competition – Arises when two or more enterprises encounter each other in different regional markets, national markets, or industries. The Radical, Free Market and Pragmatic Nationalism Views of FDI Benefits and Costs of FDI for a Host Country – Resource transfer effects, employment effects, balance of payments effects, effect on competition and economic growth. Host country benefits from initial capital inflow when MNC establishes business—FINANCIAL CREDIT Host country benefits if FDI substitutes for imports of goods and services—CURRENT ACCOUNTCREDIT Host country benefits when MNC uses its foreign subsidiary to export to other countries—Credit on CURRENT ACCOUNT Resource-Transfer Effects: Capital, Technology and Management Employment Effects: Direct, Indirect, Substitution, and Acquisition Restructuring – -Mergers and acquisitions are quicker to execute. -Foreign firms have valuable strategic assets that would be risky and time consuming to develop. -Acquiring firm believes it can use its core competencies to increase the efficiency of the acquired firm. Balance-of-Payments Effects of FDI for the Home and Host Countries – Home country – The balance of payments account is improved by the inward flow of repatriated earnings. The balance of payments account is improved if the foreign subsidiary needs home country equipment, component parts, etc. National Sovereignty – Sovereignty is the exclusive right to control a government, a country, a people, or oneself. A sovereign is the supreme lawmaking authority. Benefits and Costs of FDI for a Home Country – Balance of payments effects, employment effects. Home Country Policies to Encourage and Restrict Outward FDI – Restrict: Limits on capital outflows, tax incentives to invest at home, Nation-specific prohibitions Encourage: Foreign Risk Insurance, Capital Assistance, Tax Incentives to Invest Abroad, Political Pressure. Host Country Policies to Encourage and Restrict Inward FDI – Restrict: Ownership Restraints Encourage: To gain from the resource-transfer and employment effects of FDI, to capture FDI away from other potential host locations. Performance Requirements – An expectation placed on a foreign direct thingy requiring them to do certain things like having some local employees. Basically, this puts restrictions on them like local production requirements. Regional Economic Integration –refers to agreements among countries in a geographic region to reduce and ultimately remove, tariff and non-tariff barriers to the free flow of goods, services, and factors of production between each other. Levels of Economic Integration: Free Trade Area: Remove internal Barriers Customs Union: Common External Barriers Common Market: Free Movement of Factors Economic Union: Common Economic Policy Political Union: Political Integration The Case for and the Case against Regional Integration â €“ For: Increases world production, stimulates growth, regional economic integration can provide additional gains from free trade beyond the international agreements such as GATT and TWO. Against: a regional trade agreement is beneficial only if it creates more trade than it diverts. Impediments to Regional Integration – Nation as a whole may benefit but certain groups within countries may be hurt. Concerns about loss of national sovereignty and control over the nation’s sovereignty and control over the nations monetary, fiscal and trade policies. Trade Creation versus Trade Diversion – When an inefficient non member nation replaces an efficient member nation (NAFTA). Like Mexico replacing China in the textile business. Creation: occurs when free trade leads to the substitution of inefficient domestic production for efficient production in another member country. Diversion: Occurs when efficient non-member production is replaced by inefficient production by a member nation as a result of high trade barriers for non-members. The European Union (EU) – is composed of 27 member countries, covers an area of 4 million square kilometers and has approximately 460 million inhabitants. The EU’s member states combined represent the world’s largest economy by GDP, the seventh largest territory in the world by area and the third largest by population. Political Structure of the European Union: European Commission, Council of the European Union, European Parliament and Court of Justice Optimal Currency Area – In economics, an optimum currency area (OCA), also known as an optimal currency region (OCR), is a geographical region in which it would maximize economic efficiency to have the entire region share a single currency. It describes the optimal characteristics for the merger of currencies or the creation of a new currency. Cop enhagen Criteria – are the rules that define whether a nation is eligible to join the European Union. The criteria require that a nation have the institutions to preserve democratic governance and human rights, a functioning market economy, and that the nation accept the obligations and intent of the EU. The Lisbon Treaty – The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU) with amendments to the Treaty on European Union (TEU, Maastricht) and the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC, Rome), the latter being renamed Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) in the process. The stated aim of the treaty is â€Å"to complete the process started by the Treaty of Amsterdam and by the Treaty of Nice with a view to enhancing the efficiency and democratic legitimacy of the Union and to improving the coherence of its action.† The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): Pros and Cons of NAFTA – Pros: Labor intensive industries move to Mexico, resulting in better resource allocation, Mexico gets investment and employment, increased Mexican income to buy US/Canadian goods, demand for goods increases jobs, consumers get lower prices. Cons: Loss of jobs to Mexico for people who don’t have other employment options, Mexican firms have to compete against efficient US/Canadian firms, environmental degradation, loss of national sovereignty. The Andean Community – The Andean Community is mainly a trade block formerly called the Andean Group (Grupo Andino, in Spanish) which saw light after the Andean Pact (Pacto Andino) or more formally the Cartagena Agreement (Acuerdo de Cartagena) was signed in 1969, in Cartagena (Colombia). Mercado Comà ºn del Sur (MERCOSUR) – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuala. Was originally envisioned as a common market but has yet to reach that goal. Critics contend the agreement results in more trade diversion than trade creation as a result of the high external tariffs. Free Trade Area of the Americas –was a proposal to expand NAFTA to include all countries in the Western Hemisphere, except Cuba. This region has 850 million people and a $13.5 trillion economy. Talks are stalled and stronger support would be needed by the USA and Brazil for this agreement to become a reality. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) / ASEAN Free Trade Area – Ind onesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Total population of 500 million, GDP of US $740 billion, and a total trade of US $720 billion A free trade area among some of the nations exists, but several nations are refusing to lower all tariffs. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) – Founded in 1990 to promote open trade and economic cooperation. Currently has 21 members including the United States, Japan and China. Members account for 57% of the world’s GNP and 46% of global trade. Despite little progress, it could potentially become the world’s largest free trade area. Fiscal versus Monetary Policy – Market economies have regular fluctuations in the level of economic activity which we call the business cycle. It is convenient to think of the business cycle as having three phases. The first phase is expansion when the economy is growing along its long term trends in employment, output, and income. But at some point the economy will overheat, and suffer rising prices and interest rates, until it reaches a turning point — a peak — and turn downward into a recession (the second phase). Recessions are usually brief (six to nine months) and are marked by falling employment, output, income, prices, and interest rates. Most significantly, recessions are marked by rising unemployment. The economy will hit a bottom point — a trough — and rebound into a strong recovery (the third phase). The recovery will enjoy rising employment, output, and income while unemployment will fall. The recovery will gradually slow down as the economy once again assumes its long term growth trends, and the recovery will transform into an expansion. Foreign Exchange Market –a market for converting the currency of one country into the currency of another. Exchange Rate – the rate at which one currency is converted into another. Foreign Exchange Risk – the risk of an investment’s value changing due to changes in the currency exchange rates. Arbitrage – the purchase of a product in one market for immediate resale in a second market in order to profi t from a price discrepancy. Currency Speculation – short-term movement of funds from one currency to another in hopes of profiting from shifts in exchange rates. Spot Exchanges –the exchange rate at which a foreign exchange dealer would convert one currency to into another currency on that day. Forward Exchanges – the exchange rate at which a foreign exchange dealer will agree to convert one currency into another currency on a specific date in the future. Hedging: Forward Contracts versus Options Selling on a Discount versus Selling at a Premium Currency Swaps – A currency swap (or cross currency swap) is a foreign exchange agreement between two parties to exchange a given amount of one currency for another and, after a specified period of time, to give back the original amounts swapped. Economic Theories of Exchange Rate Determination – Law of One Price – The law of one price is an economic law stated as: â€Å"In an efficient market all identical goods must have only one price.† The intuition for this law is that all sellers will flock to the highest prevailing price, and all buyers to the lowest current market price. In an efficient market the convergence on one price is instant. Purchasing Power Parity – The purchasing power parity (PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their purchasing power. Developed by Gustav Cassel in 1920, it is based on the law of one price: the theory states that, in an ideally efficient market, identical goods should have only one price. Big Mac Index – The Big Mac Index is an informal way of measuring the purchasing power parity (PPP) between two currencies and provides a test of the extent to which market exchange rates result in goods costing the same in different countries. As stated in The Economist, it â€Å"seeks to make exchange-rate theory a bit more digestible† In 120 nations the big mac is the same. How Increasing the Money Supply Impacts Exchange Rates Price Discrimination – Price discrimination or yield management occurs when a firm charges a different price to different groups of consumers for an identical good or service, for reasons not associated with costs. Fisher Effect / International Fischer Effect Real versus Nominal Interest Rates 8% interest + 2%inflation = 10% nominal interest. $100 on $1000 loan. Investor Psychology and Bandwagon Effects The Efficient Market School versus the Inefficient Market School – Efficient: Those who believe the foreign exchange market actually predicts things accurately. Fundamental versus Technical Analysis Currency Convertibility: Freely, Externally, and Nonconvertible Currencies Capital Flight – Capital flight, in economics, occurs when assets and/or money rapidly flow out of a country, due to an economic event that disturbs investors and causes them to lower their valuation of the assets in that country, or otherwi se to lose confidence in its economic strength. This leads to a disappearance of wealth and is usually accompanied by a sharp drop in the exchange rate of the affected country (depreciation in a variable exchange rate regime, or a forced devaluation in a fixed exchange rate regime). Transaction versus Translation versus Economic Exposure – Economic exposure: the extent to which a firm’s future international earning power is affected by changes in exchange rates. Lead versus Lag Strategies – Lead: an attempt to collect foreign currency receivables when a foreign currency is expected to depreciate. Lag: An attempt to delay the collection of foreign currency receivables if that currency is expected to appreciate. Delay paying foreign currency payables if the foreign currency is expected to depreciate. International Monetary System – are institutional arrangements countries adopt to govern exchange rates. Exchange Rate Regimes: Formal Dollarization, Fixed, Currency Boards, Pegged, Dirty/Managed Floats and Independently Floating – The Gold Standard – Pegging currencies to gold and guaranteeing convertibility is known as the gold standard. Gold Par Value – The amount of a currency in an ounce, one ounce of gold was referred to as the gold par value. The Bretton Woods Exchange Rate System – Created a fixed exchange rate system where the countries agreed to peg their currencies to the US dollar which was convertible to gold at $35 an ounce. Countries agreed to defend the value of their currencies to within 1% of par value. Currency, Banking and Foreign Debt Crises – Currency speculators believed that the devaluation of the dollar was inevitable. President Nixon dropped the gold standard conversion and the dollar was devalued. Following a second round of speculative attacks, the US dollar was allowed to float against other world currencies. Concerns about the IMF’s Policy Prescriptions – The system of adjustable parities allowed for the devaluation of a country’s currency by more than 10 percent if the IMF agreed that a country’s balance of payments was in â€Å"fundamental disequilibrium.† Moral Hazard – arises when people behave recklessly because they know they will be sav ed if things go wrong. Capital Market – The capital market is the market for securities, where companies and governments can raise longterm funds. The capital market includes the stock market and the bond market. Financial regulators, such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, oversee the capital markets in their designated countries to ensure that investors are protected against fraud. The capital markets consist of the primary market, where new issues are distributed to investors, and the secondary market, where existing securities are traded. Cost of Capital – The cost of capital is an expected return that the provider of capital plans to earn on their investment. Initial Public Offering – Initial public offering (IPO), also referred to simply as a â€Å"public offering†, is when a company issues common stock or shares to the public for the first time. They are often issued by smaller, younger companies seeking capital to expand, but can also be done by large privately-owned companies looking to become publicly traded. Commercial Banks versus Investment Banks Equity Loan: An equity loan is a mo rtgage placed on real estate in exchange for cash to the borrower. For example, if a person owns a home worth $100,000, but does not currently have a lien on it, they may take an equity loan at 80% loan to value (LTV) or $80,000 in cash in exchange for a lien on title placed by the lender of the equity loan. Debt Loans: A loan is a type of debt. This article focuses exclusively on monetary loans, although, in practice, any material object might be lent. Like all debt instruments, a loan entails the redistribution of financial assets over time, between the lender and the borrower. Corporate Bonds – A Corporate Bond is a bond issued by a corporation. The term is usually applied to longer-term debt instruments, generally with a maturity date falling at least a year after their issue date. Systematic Risk – In finance, Systemic Risk is that risk which is common to an entire market and not to any individual entity or component thereof. It can be defined as â€Å"financial system instability, potentially catastrophic, caused or exacerbated by idiosyncratic events or conditions in financial intermediaries†[1]. It refers to the movements of the whole economy and has wide ranging effects. It is also sometimes erroneously referred to as â€Å"systematic risk†. Portfolio Diversification – By using the global capital market, investors have a much wider range of investment opportunities than in a purely domestic capital market. The most significant consequence of this choice is that investors can diversify their portfolios internationally, thereby reducing their risk to below what could be achieved in a purely domestic capital market. Drivers of the Global Capital Market: Information Technology: Financial services is an information-intensive industry. It draws on large volumes of information about markets, risks, exchange rates, interest rates, creditworthiness, and so on. It uses this information to make decisions about what to invest where, how much to change borrowers, how much interest to pay to depositors, and the value and riskiness of a range of financial assets including corporate bonds, stocks, government securities, and currencies. Deregulation: Many restrictions have been crumbling in the US since the early 80s. In this part, this has been a response to the development of the Eurocurrency market, which from the beginning was outside of national control. Hot Money: In economics, hot money refers to funds which flow into a country to take advantage of a favorable interest rate, and therefore obtain higher returns. They influence the balance of payments and strengthen the exchange rate of the recipient country while weakening the currency of the country losing the money. These funds are held in currency markets by speculators as opposed to national banks or domestic investors. As such, they are highly volatile in Mexico and East Asian financial crisis. Patient Money: Selling land in large blocks under frontier conditions is to sell at a time before it begins yielding much if any rent. It is bid in by those few who have large discretionary funds of patient money. Eurocurrency – Eurocurrency is the term used to describe deposits residing in banks that are located outside the borders of the country that issues the currency the deposit is denominated in. For example a deposit denominated in US dollars residing in a Japanese bank is a Eurocurrency deposit, or more specifically a Eurodollar deposit. Attractions and Drawbacks of the Eurocurrency Market Attractions: Lack of government regulation. Drawbacks: When depositors use a regulated banking system they know that the probability of a bank failure that would cause them to lose their deposits is very low. Secondly, borrowing funds internationally can expose a company to foreign exchange risk. Reserve Requirements – The reserve requirement (or required reserve ratio) is a bank regulation that sets the minimum reserves each bank must hold to customer deposits and notes. These reserves are designed to satisfy withdrawal demands, and would normally be in the form of fiat currency stored in a bank vault (vault cash), or with a central bank. Foreign Bonds vs. Eurobonds: A Eurobond is an international bond that is denominated in a currency not native to the country where it is issued. It can be categorised according to the currency in which it is issued. London is one of the centers of the Eurobond market, but Eurobonds may be traded throughout the world – for example in Singapore or Tokyo. Attractions of the Eurobond Market – Absence of regulatory interference. Less stringent disclosure requirements than in most domestic bond markets. A favorable tax status. The Impact of Exchange Rate Risk on the Cost of Capital Benefits and Costs of Financial Globalization Inter-Temporal Trade – Consumption smoothing usually between advanced economies and developing economies. Developing economies need money NOW. Capital Mobility – The ability of money to cross national borders. The free flow of money in and out of a country. Impossible Trinity – The Impossible Trinity (also known as the Inconsistent Trinity, Triangle of Impossibility or Unholy Trinity) is the hypothesis in international economics that it is impossible to have all three of the following at the same time: Exchange Rate Stability, Independent Monetary Policy, and Capital Mobility. You can only have 2 of these 3 things at the same time ever. The Exchange Rate is simply the relative price of currencies. For example: It tells you how many Euros you can get for a dollar. A government has to main monetary policies it can use: The Fiscal Policy, or the Monetary Policy The Fiscal Policy concerns government expenditures and tax collection The Monetary Policy concerns the interest rate in the economy. The interest rates are established to help stabilize the economy.

Definition Essay Sample on Mexican Drug Cartels

Definition Essay Sample on Mexican Drug Cartels Defining a Drug Cartel and Organized Crime There is no widely accepted definition of what a drug cartel is or the characteristics that define a drug cartel. To further complicate matters, there is no widely accepted definition of what characteristics define an organized crime group.   Law enforcement agencies and academics all utilize their own definitions.   To simplify matters, definitions of organized crime were chosen for comparison and defining purposes.   Specifically, the definitions I am referring to are those offered by Carter (1994) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (1994). In order to define a drug cartel, I have formed a definition of a drug cartel from pieces of other definitions.   These definitions are from the United Kingdoms Office of Fair Trading (2006), Joseph Finckenauer (2005), and David Carter (1994).   The definition used for a cartel is from the United Kingdom’s Office of Fair Trading, which defines a cartel as an agreement between businesses not to compete with each other (2006). Finckenauer (2005) argues that organized crime can be defined by crime of choice or organization or behavior.   This means that certain crimes such as drug trafficking require an organized structure, compared to homicide which can be conducted by a single person. David Carter gives a summary of characteristics of organized crime, which are Profit accumulation. Longevity. An organizational structure, which facilitates criminal activity. The use of violence. Efforts to corrupt government officials, police, and corporate officials (1994). Employing Carters definition combined with the definition of a cartel and taking Finckenauers argument into consideration, a description of a drug cartel begins to form.   However, these definitions do not clearly differentiate how a drug cartel is different from any other organized crime group.   Therefore, for the purpose of this thesis I have formed a definition of a drug cartel   from the above definitions and the research conducted into drug trafficking organizations.   The definition used for this thesis of a drug cartel is a structured group, which exists for an extended period of time.   A drug cartel is large in number of members, covers a large amount of territory, and has extensive connections with foreign and native criminal groups.   The group uses violence and corruption to continue its criminal activity, and its main source of profit is from drug trafficking. A drug cartel differs from a drug trafficking organization, because it is an amalgamation of independent organizations that agree to work together under the direction of specific leaders and a main boss.   A drug trafficking organization can be considered the single unit that when combined with other drug trafficking organizations form a drug cartel.   Not every Mexican drug trafficking organization is part of a cartel. The Beginnings of Drug Trafficking in El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Jurez El Paso, Texas is located at the farthest western point of Texas.   Northern and western routes lead into New Mexico.   Las Cruces, New Mexico is only a thirty to forty minute drive.   Jurez, Mexico is to the south, and can be accessed by any one of El Paso’s four international ports of entry.   El Paso and Jurez form the largest international metropolitan area in the world (Draper 1995).   Several major highways also pass through El Paso, which gives drug traffickers options for transportation and convenient access to the rest of the United States.   El Paso’s proximity to the border, major highways, and a major airport make it highly desirable to drug traffickers who need to move their goods quickly. Drug smuggling in Mexico was a substantial business several decades before Colombian drug cartels began to gain power.   In the nineteenth century, the opium trade between Mexico and the United States was a growing business due to an influx of Chinese immigrants into the Southwest United States (Lupsha and Schlegal 1980).   During World War II, the United States supply of illegal narcotics and various goods, such as rope, medicines, and tires became scarce in the United States.   Mexican smugglers were able to utilize the porous 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border to bring anything from hemp to heroin to U.S. citizens (Lupsha and Schlegal 1980).   Mexican smugglers simply added drugs to the various goods they transported into the United States (Poppa 1998).   Finckenauer, Fuentes, and Ward (2001) describe these smuggling groups as mom and pop distribution franchises.   These smaller groups utilized family connections to store and transport goods throughout the United States.   Mexico became a frontrunner in poppy and marijuana production, and these mom and pop smuggling groups began to grow into major crime families and informal criminal organizations (Lupsha and Schlegal 1980). During the 1970s, American law enforcement began to focus on the growing cocaine usage in the United States and specifically on Colombian drug cartels.   Slowly, American authorities learned that the Colombians were fond of using Caribbean routes to transport cocaine into the United States.   They used Florida heavily, especially Miami as a port of entry.   In the 1980s, American authorities began to tighten control over the drug flow through the Caribbean, and Colombian cartels had to find another route to get their product to the customers (Constantine Testimony 1995).   They began to utilize Mexican smugglers who had been penetrating the U.S.-Mexican borders for generations.   Chepesiuk (2003) argues that the Colombian use of the Mexican smuggling group was unavoidable.   The earliest reports of a Colombian presence in the El Paso/Jurez area are from 1983, when an operative arrived in Jurez to begin making contacts there.   The unknown operative belonged to the Medel lin cartel from Colombia, a notoriously violent cocaine trafficking organization (Draper 1995).   He arranged for the Medellin cartel to use the El Paso/Jurez port of entry as a crossing point.   The cartel would fly the cocaine into the interior of Mexico, and utilize the various Mexican smuggling families to transport the cocaine to the border and across into the United States, where a Medellin employee would meet the load and take it to its designated city (Draper 1995).   From this business arrangement, the Jurez cartel began to grow and establish itself as a major drug trafficking organization.

50 Cause and Effect Journal Prompts

50 Cause and Effect Journal Prompts When we ask the question Why? about a subject, we usually begin to explore its causes. When we ask So what? we consider the effects. Cause-and-effect writing involves drawing connections between events, actions, or conditions so as to achieve a clearer understanding of the subject. Whether we choose to focus on causes (the reasons for something) or on effects (the consequences of something) depends on our subject and our purpose for writing. In practice, however, the relation of cause to effect is often so close that one cant be considered independently of the other.Youll find that some of the following topic suggestions emphasize causes while others focus on effects, but keep in mind that these two approaches are closely related and not always easy to tell apart. 50 Writing Prompts: Causes and Effects The effect of a parent, teacher, or friend on your lifeWhy you selected your majorThe effects of cramming for an examinationThe effects of peer pressureWhy some students cheatThe effects on children of a broken marriageThe effects of poverty on an individualWhy one college course is more rewarding than anotherWhy many people dont bother to vote in local electionsWhy more and more students are taking online classesThe effects of racial, sexual, or religious discriminationWhy people exerciseWhy people keep petsThe effects of computers on our everyday livesThe downside of smartphonesThe environmental effects of bottled waterWhy reality shows are so popularThe effects of pressures on students to get good gradesThe effects of a coach or teammate on your lifeThe effects of not keeping a personal budgetThe causes of noise (or air or water) pollutionThe effects of noise (or air or water) pollutionWhy so few students read newspapersWhy many Americans prefer foreign-built carsWhy many adults e njoy animated movies Why baseball is no longer the national pastimeThe effects of stress on students in high school or collegeThe effects of moving to a new town or cityWhy sales of DVDs are decliningWhy growing numbers of people shop onlineThe effects of the rapid increase in the cost of going to collegeWhy students drop out of high school or collegeWhy college mathematics (or any other subject) is so difficultWhy some roommates dont get alongWhy adults have more fun than children on HalloweenWhy so many people eat junk foodWhy many children run away from homeThe long-term effects of unemployment on a personThe influence of a book or a movie on your lifeThe effects of music downloading on the music industryWhy texting has become such a popular means of communicationThe effects of working while attending school or collegeWhy workers in  fast food restaurants often have low moraleThe effects of not getting enough sleepWhy increasing numbers of children are overweightWhy TV shows and movies about zombies are so popular Why bicycles are the best form of transportationThe effects of video games on young childrenThe causes of homelessness in your communityThe causes of eating disorders among young people

Opposing Electronic Medical Records Research Paper

Opposing Electronic Medical Records - Research Paper Example The costs of procuring EMRs are relatively high when compared to the cost for using the paper health records. The startup cost of procuring the EMRs is rather high and this means that organizations with low budgets would have to pay through their noses in order to make it their primary source of keeping medical records. Instead of procuring these rather expensive EHRs, these organizations would definitely prefer the option of using the paper health records and would have more money to use for other projects. The ease of entering the data in the paper health records when compared with the difficulties faced by health personnel in making entries on the EHRs has made the use of EHRs to be unpopular in the area of medical records. â€Å"Technology has continued to move forward at a rapid pace, but many organizational and human issues have slowed the pace of implementation of automated systems for an electronic documentation record† (Young, 2000, p. 106). Different organizations and health personnel have issues with the use of the EMRs in keeping medical records and would rather prefer the use of paper health records considering the ease of use. The technicalities involved in the use of the EHRs have also made physicians to opt for the use of paper health records. One of the problems with the EMR technology is the â€Å"physician resistance to emerging and often unfamiliar technology.† (Iyer, Levin, & Shea, 2006, p.314). It is necessary for the users of the EHRs to have some form of technical knowledge as this would guarantee that they would not make errors that would hamper the documentation process. The fear of errors and the other technical problems that are associated with the use of the EHRs is a problem that is making physicians to prefer the paper health records. Most EHRs are not user-friendly and these would definitely affect the implementation of the information system (Young,