Friday, November 15, 2019
Value Action Gap Outcomes Management Essay
Value Action Gap Outcomes Management Essay The value-action gap is a term used to describe the gap that can occur when the values or attitudes of an individual do not correlate to their actions. More generally, it is the difference between what people say and what people do. This discrepancy is most associated within environmental geography, as usually attitudes affect behavior; however the opposite often seems to be the case with regard to environmental attitudes and behaviors. The outcome is that there is a gap between the high value people place on the natural environment and the relatively low level of action taken by individuals to counter environmental problems.( The outcome is that there is a disparity between the value placed on the natural environment and the level of action taken by individuals to counter environmental problems. )This disparity has been termed the value-action gap, or occasionally, it is referred to as the attitude-behavior gap (Kollmuss and Agyeman 2002). Therefore, it is not a change in attitudes that is required, but a fundamental shift in behavior towards the environment and individuals use of natural resources, to ensure sustainable development and conservation of the environment. Debates surrounding the issue of the value-action gap have mainly taken place within environmental and social psychology. Research is often based within cognitive theories of how attitudes are formed and how this affects individuals behavior (Blake 1999). The research suggests that there are many internal and external factors that affect behavior and the reasons behind consumer choices. Therefore, it can be difficult to identify the exact reasons for why this gap exists, as it can be due to a number of reasons. When purchasing a product for example, many attributes are assessed when making decisions. Dickson (2000) suggests that the most significant factors affecting the reasons behind buying behavior are; price, quality, convenience, and brand familiarity. Young et al (2010) argue point out that the gap can also be due to brand strength; culture, finance; habit; lack of information; lifestyles; personalities; or, trading off between different ethical factors (p22). Therefore, environmental or ethical considerations are often not taken into account, regardless of attitudes people have regarding the environment. Time or convenience is usually a major determinant of consumer behaviour, and therefore a gap between values and behavior is understandable. Moreover, Chatzidakis et al (2007) argue that consumers use neutralisation techniques to justify pursuing their more selfish goals instead of purchasing environmental friendly or ethical products. Therefore, environmental values are usually less dominant in the decision-making. Development of the idea: Summary: The usual theories of reasoned action argue that values and actions are related. The theory of reasoned action states that behavioral intention is dependent on attitudes surrounding that behavior and social norms (Fishbein and Ajzen 1975). This means that a person acts or behaves in a way that correlates to their attitudes towards that behavior. Therefore, a persons voluntary behavior can be predicted by his/her attitudes and values on that behavior (Kaiser et al 1999). Homer and Kahle (1988) argue that attitudes influence behaviors and therefore values can explain the reasons behind human behavior. However, the opposite appears to be the case for certain actions, especially those related to environmental or ethical actions. In recent decades, public support for environmental protection measures has grown and, according to Barr (2004), there has also been a growing interest in ethical consumption. This has been fuelled by pressure groups, consumer groups, and even businesses (Young et al 2010).Ã Furthermore, increased media coverage of environmental disasters and social problems has also resulted in a heightened concern of such issues. This was given a political boost by the publication of the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change (Stern 2006). Therefore, people are more aware of environmental issues, such as global warming or climate change. It is often reported that many people have a high concern for environmental issues and ethical consumption, for example, Dunlap (2002) states that 54% of Americans agreed environmental protection was a key priority, even if economic growth was restricted. Furthermore, Banerjee and Solomon (2003) also argue that the general support for Ecolabels and ethic al foods is high among the public. With these studies in mine, it is expected that there would be an increase in pro-environmental behavior, such as recycling, or limiting energy usage (Flynn et al 2010). However, these positive attitudes have not translated into a large increase these behviours and ethical consumption is still relatively low (Aguiar et al 2009). Thus, attitudes are not always a clear prediction of behavior, resulting in the value-action gap. For example, the the market share for ethical goods is low as according to Young et al (2010) the market share of ethical foods is only 5% of total food sales in the UK. Furthermore, as Dickson (2000) points out, ethical labelling initiatives such as legally logged wood, and fair-trade products, often have market shares of less than 1%. Thus, consumers buying behaviour does not reflect their positive attitudes toward ethical products (De Pelsmacker et al 2006). This means that other factors are more significant that values relating to the environment. Factors that affect behavior: There are many factors that lead to an individuals behavior, and therefore it is not just personal values that affect behavior. There are many different theories regarding how consumers make decisions. These can be applied to try and explain why there is a value-action gap for some behaviors. For example, microeconomic theory (consumer, household theory) states that, humans make decisions that maximize their utility (Sammer and WÃ ¼stenhagen 2006:188). Therefore, if buying ethical or environmental products does not maximize their utility then they will not purchase them, regardless of their attitudes towards these issues. Making these decisions requires a comparison of the costs and benefits of alternative actions, rather than about certain values, within their budgetary constraint. This means other factors, such as price or quality, are still more important. Vermeir and Verbeke (2006) suggest that the three main determinants of behavioral intention with relevance to sustainable consumption are; values, needs, and motivations; information and knowledge; and behavioral control. They argue that consumers are passive when it comes to supporting environmental improvements within their budget. Behavior is often based on habit and therefore values concerning the environment are often not taken into consideration. Therefore, this can account for the low market share of sustainable products (Minteer et al 2004). These theories can explain the gap that appears between attitudes and actions. Application (Further explanation and examples): Even though many support ethical trade in principle, this is often not taken into consideration as a purchase criterion. Cohen and Murphy (2001) argue that for around 40% of consumers the environmental friendliness of a product will never be a factor in purchasing decisions regardless of positive attitudes towards ethical consumption. There are many studies which support the existence of a value-action gap. Mostly these can be found within the field of environmental geography. Lane and Potter (2007) found a discrepancy between attitudes and behavior regarding the adoption of cleaner vehicles. They reported that concern for the environmental impact of cars did not result in behavioral changes at the individual level. Thus, what consumers reported as their intended actions or concerns often did not translate into their actual behavior. Furthermore, Vermeir and Verbeke (2006) also found that positive consumer attitudes towards sustainability were not consistent with their behavioral patterns. They found that attitudes were positive whereas intentions to buy sustainable dairy products were low. They also found that peoples perceptions of the availability of sustainable dairy products was low, which might explain why attitudes were positive yet intentions to buy were low. Additionally, evidence of this gap has been found with organic food as illustrated by Hughner et al (2007) who show that despite 46-67% of the population expressing favorable attitudes for organic food, the actual purchase behavior is only 4-10% of different product ranges. Three/four main issues/debates described below: Information gap: One explanation for the discrepancy between attitudes buying behaviour is the perceived lack of availability of certain products and lack of information (Dickson 2000). Therefore, because there was a lack of information about environmentally friendly behavior this caused the gap between values and attitudes. Traditional thinking supported the idea that increased knowledge tended to encourage favorable attitudes which, in turn, lead to pro-environmental action. Burgess et al (1998) called this the information deficit model. Therefore, increasing knowledge and awareness surrounding environmental and ethical issues should result in behavioral changes. Burgess et al (1998) argue that filling the values-action gap with information would lead result in a change in public behaviors towards the environment. Furthermore, Owens (2000: 1142) argues that if people had more information about environmental risks, they would become more virtuous. Some are that to increase environmental action there needs to be educational marketing campaigns on the ethical and environmental issues Thus, the main motivations for actions are self-interest rather than altruistic. Therefore, to increase environmental action products must aim to change perceptions by using. McEachern and McClean (2002). However, so far no one has been able to confirm the validity of such a model (Kollmuss and Agyeman, 2002). As a result, the decision-making process could be considered as almost unpredictable: positive attitudes were not necessarily followed by positive intentions. Therefore, attitudes alone are a poor predictor of intentional behavior. As such, there seemed to be many more factors that influenced pro-environmental behavior. Barr and Gilg (2002) argue that just increasing information will not lead to behavior change that would close this gap. Due to the increased media attention surrounding environmental issues, and products such as Fairtrade having a high profile, it could be argued that there is already a lot of information on these issues, and many are aware of the issues. It is genuinely considered that many have a high regard for environmental issues. Sammer and WÃ ¼stenhagen (2006) point out that while people may be aware of ethical and environmental issues and products that attempts to solve these issues, this does not necessarily mean that it plays a major role in their buying decision. . 99% of respondents in both surveys reported that they had heard the terms global warming and climate change, and most respondents said they knew a fair amount about these terms (Thornton, 2009) Yet, because the market share of these products and level of environmental action is quite low, there is exits a gap between attitudes and behaviors. Therefore, the key issue is why our attitudes often fail to materialize into concrete actions (Barr 2004). Blake (1999) many national policies are based on this idea of an information deficit model of participation. For example, Going for Green (GFG). It is considered the most effective means to overcome the value-action gap is by translating environmental concern into pro-environmental behavior. This can be done through increasing information. The core assumption is that the main barrier between environmental concern and action is the lack of appropriate information. The GFG argue that the most effective way to encourage people to act is to give locally relevant information and highlight a few facts. Environmental concern and basic environmental action (such as recycling), are now becoming widespread throughout the population. However, few people take environmental actions which involve changes to their lifestyle. This may mean that environmental actions people take may be unrelated to the particular concerns that they express about the environment. This environmental value-action gap is clearly of key importance to environmental policy, not least because it is repeated at other scales, involving different actors: thus local or national government, business and even international organizations have policies whose effects fail to match up to the environmental concerns people are expressing. the attitude-behavior relationship is moderated by two primary sets of variables: the structure of personal attitudes themselves; and external or situational constraints. . Attitudes are likely to be better predictors of behavior if the attitudes in question are strong relative to other (possibly conflicting) attitudes, and based on direct experience. Situational constraints mainly refer to whether the behavior is in line with the individuals favored social norms, which in turn are influenced by different social, economic, demographic and political contexts. . Research has shown that people do not have a fixed, rational and ready-made set of values that will be activated by parti cular calls to action; rather peoples values are negotiated, transitory and sometimes contradictory. these findings suggest that the value-action gap cannot be overcome simply by using an information deficit model of individual participation, as empowerment of individuals to act does not of itself guarantee action without an appropriate institutional location within which action is located, policy turns from raising environmental awareness to promoting pro-environmental behavior, possibly involving lifestyle change, Blake 1999 As Eden (1996) has argued: policy still fails to appreciate the huge gulf between information and action, between understanding as awareness and understanding as the cause of behavior. Policy-makers seem to assume that environmental education, drawing from scientific work, will lead to people making the link between policy and action and acting in order to meet policy objectives, (p. 197) Barriers to behavior: Ajzen Fishbein have developed an additional theory of reasoned action and planned behavior. they argue that individual attitudes must include an intention to carry out a specific action that reflects a reasoned evaluation of the likely consequences of that action. Ajzen, I. Fishbein, M. (1980) Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behavior Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice-Hall). other researchers have pointed out that these intentions are related to more general values, worldviews and beliefs (e.g. Stern et al, This theoretical approach has also been the dominant influence on public and policy research into public attitudes, Different people will interpret and respond to the same environmental information in unpredictable and often highly variable ways, at times producing a quite opposite interpretation to the one expected by those (often in the policy community) who promulgate the information (Myers Macnaghten, 1998). Thus individuals must accept responsibility for the future, but conditions, institutions and their own day-to-day responsibilities constrain their actions (Myers Macnaghten, 1998, p. 346). Myers, G. Macnaghten, P. (1998) Rhetorics of environmental sustainability: commonplaces and places, Environment and Planning A, 30(2), pp. 333-353. The causes of this gap between attitude and behavior can be explained in terms of personal, social and structural barriers to action. Different barriers often overlap or work in conjunction to limit behavioral change. However, these barriers can be tackled, It is considered that there are numerous barriers of motivations for individual action. microeconomic theory (consumer, household theory), which says that humans make decisions that maximize their utility (Sammer and WÃ ¼stenhagen 2006:188). Furthermore, many people act impulsively and in ways that do not correspond to their declared evaluations and goals (Boulstridge and Carrigan, (2000). Attitudes often derive from social norms. For example, Schwartz (1977, cited in Jackson, 2005) has suggested in his Norm Activation Theory that the intention to perform a proenvironmental or pro-social behaviour is based on the acceptance of personal responsibility for ones actions and an awareness of their consequences. (p166) Blake (1999)- three different categories of obstacles that exist between the sphere of concern and that of action: individuality; responsibility and practicality. that both psychological and institutional factors affect individual action. Which factors are important in any one case will vary for different individuals, environmental actions, and social or institutional constraints. individual barriers refers to what social psychologists would call personal attitudes or cognitive structure. Environmental concerns are outweighed by other conflicting attitudes. wrong type of person to do certain types of environmental actions, such as campaigning. peoples perceptions of institutions and responsibility. At present, despite general environmental concern, that evaluation is often negative. Even if individual factors would support environmental action, people may still not act because they do not feel that they (as individuals) should take the responsibility for helping to solve environmenta l problems. practical social or institutional constraints that may prevent people from adopting pro-environmental action, regardless of their attitudes or intentions. These include lack of time, lack of money and lack of physical storage space (in the case of recycling), as well as lack of information, encouragement and pro-environmental facilities such as recycling and adequate public transport provision. Some people may also be physically unable to carry out some environmental actions. Clearly, there will be overlaps between the three sets of obstacles, and the reasons why people do not engage in pro-environmental action will not always fall into such neat categories. classification shows is that at a particular moment, and in a particular place, distinctions can be made between different types of barriers that may prevent individual environmental action, and that policy will need to respond in differentiated ways. policies need to also tackle other individual, social and institut ional barriers. Not just provide more information or recycling facilities. organizations that are trusted more by the public, such as environmental NGOs, are likely to be most successful. The factors involved in making people willing to reduce environmental damage are fundamentally different from the factors involved in making people take active steps to reduce damage and to improve the environment. The gap dilemma: Market-based mechanisms. Solutions: Criticism: 4 See also Attitudes, behavior, cognitive psychology, social psychology, theory of planned behavior
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Essay --
The Ku Klux Klan has existed since the mid nineteenth century. The Klan has had periods membership numbered in the millions, whereas nowadays they do not have as much influence as in the past.What has ceased to change is the media depicting the Ku Klux Klan as a hateful group of bigots wanting to solely wipe out any non-white race. However, the media has not only surfaced many misconception but they fail to realize that the Klan is actually within US Constitutional rights. Because the Bill of Rights guarantees American citizens the freedom of speech and to peacefully assemble, the Ku Klux Klan has the right to continue their practices. With that being said, excluding some violent outburst conducted by Klan subgroups, no one has the right to stop the KKK from protesting, speaking their beliefs, or celebrating their heritage. BACKGROUND INFORMATION The Ku Klux Klan was founded in May of 1866, in Pulaski, Tennessee by six veterans of the Confederate Army. The early years of the Klan's existence were focused mainly on restoring white power in the government. The Klan often spoke against Radical Republicans, the political party that most supported the rights of former slaves. At first the Klan seemed relatively harmless. But as time went on, the so called white supremacists showed how far they were willing to go to fulfill their craving for America to go back to its former ways. According to the Klan members, the only requirement for being a part of the organization is to be Christian. As they see it, America is under attack by immigrants and foreign groups. To them it seems that it isn't right for races to mix because we would all melt into one race of "brown". The highest ranked members of the KKK are said to be led by divine provide... ...portunity, and rightfully so. The KKK has given more than enough validation for why they believe that they are simply making an attempt to save the white race. Our forefathers were of the white race, and if the Klan makes the point that by not mixing races in terms of marriage would preserve American culture, it is actually a justified statement from that standpoint. Although many people, including myself, would not agree with their opinions, the Klan has the right to hold their own beliefs. The Bill of Rights will always be relevant. They were written with our citizensââ¬â¢ best interests in mind. It was our forefathers' responsibility to ensure that our country would always be free, even centuries after the amendments were written. The Klan, although their beliefs may not be those of the general public, have and will always have the right to preach their own opinions.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Mice and Men Essay
There are a number of characters in Of Mice and Men who have dreams of a better life. These characters include George, Lennie and Candy, who dream of a farm of their own, and Curleyââ¬â¢s wife, who dreams of becoming a glamorous Hollywood actress. In this essay I will discuss their dreams and the effects on the novelââ¬â¢s characters when their dreams are unfulfilled. The central characters in Of Mice and Men are George and Lennie. Their dream is introduced to the reader in the first chapter, ââ¬ËOK. Someday weââ¬â¢re gonna get the jack together and weââ¬â¢re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres anââ¬â¢ a cow and some pigs and ââ¬â ââ¬ËAnââ¬â¢ live off the fatta the lanââ¬â¢,ââ¬â¢ Lennie shouted. ââ¬ËAnââ¬â¢ have rabbits. ââ¬Ë George and Lennieââ¬â¢s dream is to leave behind their lives as travelling workers and have a place of their own where they can settle down. For Lennie the dream of living on their own farm is closely connected to looking after rabbits. Perhaps this is because the only way that Lennie can actually relate to the dream is through the idea of something practical and touchable which relates to his tactile qualities. Clearly, the material aspect of owning his own land means very little to Lennie. At the start of the novel we learn that Lennie likes to pet soft things, like mice and rabbits. It is this trait that eventually leads to Lennieââ¬â¢s downfall when he tries to smooth Curleyââ¬â¢s wifeââ¬â¢s soft hair. However, for George the dream of the farm has other benefits. Firstly, George can see the practical, economic advantage of owning their own place. ââ¬ËIf I was bright, if I was even a little bit smart, Iââ¬â¢d have my own little place, anââ¬â¢ Iââ¬â¢d be bringinââ¬â¢ in my own crops, ââ¬Ëstead of doinââ¬â¢ all the work and not getting what comes up outta the ground. ââ¬Ë Yet it is not just the practical benefits of owning a farm that attract George to this dream. We learn that George has no family ââ¬â ââ¬ËI ainââ¬â¢t got no peopleââ¬â¢, and it seems as though the dream of a farm also represents the notion of ââ¬Ëhomeââ¬â¢ to George. ââ¬ËAnââ¬â¢ weââ¬â¢d keep a few pigeons to go flyinââ¬â¢ around the winââ¬â¢mill like they done when I was a kidââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ ¦ ââ¬ËWeââ¬â¢d jusââ¬â¢ live there. Weââ¬â¢d belong there. ââ¬Ë So, for George, the dream of a farm offers a psychological antidote to his rootless, travelling life and gives him a sense of belonging. Another attraction of the farm dream is that it gives George the promise of some sense of control and autonomy in his life. In his conversation with Candy about owning a farm, George says: ââ¬ËSââ¬â¢pose they was a carnival or a circus come to town, or a ball game, or any damn thing. ââ¬Ë Old Candy nodded in appreciation of the idea. ââ¬ËWeââ¬â¢d just go to her,ââ¬â¢ George said. ââ¬ËWe wouldnââ¬â¢t ask nobody if we could. Jusââ¬â¢ say ââ¬ËWeââ¬â¢ll go to herââ¬â¢, anââ¬â¢ we wouldââ¬â¢. This shows how powerless George feels in his life and how much power employers exercised over their workers at that time. Another example of George and Lennieââ¬â¢s powerlessness is shown after Lennieââ¬â¢s fight with Curley, the bossââ¬â¢s son; when Georgeââ¬â¢s immediate concern is that they will be ââ¬Ëcannedââ¬â¢ or dismissed. However, in this situation, they retain their jobs because Slim steps in and persuades Curley to say he got his hand caught in a machine. In Chapter 2 when George and Lennie discuss their dream they are overheard by Candy, the old swamper. Candy is immediately swept up with the idea of owning their own farm and offers his savings to them to make the dream come true. At this point in the novel it seems as if the dream could actually become a reality. They fell into silence. They looked at one another, amazed. This thing they had never really believed in was coming true. George said reverently, ââ¬ËJesus Christ! I bet we could swing her. ââ¬Ë His eyes were full of wonder. What is interesting is that at this point in the novel the dream of the farm actually moves from being a pipe dream which will probably never happen, to an achievable goal which is actually within their grasp. It is Candyââ¬â¢s involvement that makes this change take place. Although Candy shares Georgeââ¬â¢s reasons for wanting a farm, there is also an extra dimension for Candy wanting to live on their own place. We get the sense that Candy feels redundant, useless and vulnerable because he is old and has lost his hand. Candy feels uneasy about his future: ââ¬Ë ââ¬Å"Theyââ¬â¢ll can me purty soon. Jusââ¬â¢ as soon as I canââ¬â¢t swamp out no bunk houses theyââ¬â¢ll put me on the county. ââ¬Å"ââ¬Ë So for Candy the dream of the farm means independence ââ¬â ââ¬Ënobody could can usââ¬â¢, because in his present situation he is entirely dependent on the bossââ¬â¢s tolerance and charity. In the novel, this is partially demonstrated by Carlson shooting Candyââ¬â¢s dog earlier that evening. In an echo of Candyââ¬â¢s own situation of the ranch, Carlson, without much pity or concern, shoots Candyââ¬â¢s dog because he is old and it is inconvenient to keep him because of the smell. It is not hard to imagine that Candy feels there is a parallel between his own situation and his dogââ¬â¢s. Candyââ¬â¢s attachment to the dream of their own farm is demonstrated in Chapter 5 when he realises that all hopes of the dream have come crashing down when he discovers Curleyââ¬â¢s wifeââ¬â¢s dead body: ââ¬ËYou God damn trampââ¬â¢, he said viciously. ââ¬ËYou done it, diââ¬â¢nââ¬â¢t you? I sââ¬â¢pose youââ¬â¢re glad. Everââ¬â¢body knowed youââ¬â¢d mess things upâ⬠¦ ââ¬ËIf they was a circus or a baseball game â⬠¦ we would of went to her â⬠¦ Never ast nobodyââ¬â¢s say so. ââ¬Ë
Friday, November 8, 2019
Essay on Capitalism, Crisis, and Class The United States Economy after the 2008Essay Writing Service
Essay on Capitalism, Crisis, and Class The United States Economy after the 2008Essay Writing Service Essay on Capitalism, Crisis, and Class: The United States Economy after the 2008 Essay on Capitalism, Crisis, and Class: The United States Economy after the 2008Theory confirmed by practice says that in a healthy economy prices must rise ââ¬â thus, consumers will have a permanent incentive not to postpone the purchase of durable goods, and manufacturers ââ¬â the investments in hardware upgrades. Experience has shown that the optimal inflation rate is less than 2 percent a year. So there is nothing surprising in the fact that in a situation when inflation in Germany, Europeââ¬â¢s largest economy, dropped to 0.8%, the average figure in the eurozone fell to 0.3%, and in Spain the price growth made minus 0.5%, the ECB rang the alarm.However, it is not only the eurozone countries that are facing the fall in the general price level. Moreover, the situation that has emerged in the European market could trigger house of cards effect in all partner countries. We believe that today we should mark the growing danger of further reduction of inflation or deflation rise worldwide in the next two tears.Analyzing the risk of emerging deflationDescribing current economic variables, it should be marked that the greatest concern is the fact that the growth of consumer prices in the euro area fell to 0.3% in September from 0.4% in August and July, from 0.5% in June and May and 0.7% in April. In September, in Italy there was a decline in prices of 0.2% for the second month in a row, while the Spanish economy in recent months has already slipped into deflation (National Institute Economic Review, 2014; Figure 1). Many other factors are also showing a decrease in economic growth in the world, in particular (basing on studies by National Institute Economic Review, 2014; Dufour Orhangazi, 2014; Pesek, 2014):Export from Germany, Europeââ¬â¢s largest economy, in August 2014 fell sharply against the falling demand in the world, which has caused concern that the euro zone economy may slip into recession for the third time in the last six years.In China, the high level of corporate debt, unstable real estate market and excessive production capacity indicate that Beijing may not achieve the target growth rate of 7.5%.Japanââ¬â¢s economy in recent years has not managed to come out of stagnation with the government raising sales tax this year, and the growth of consumption and industrial production declining.Developing countries, such as South Africa and Brazil, have also begun to experience economic difficulties, mainly related to the decrease in the purchasing power of partners.Inflation in India and Iran has declined sharply.The situation is complicated by the fact that in the face of the falling inflation, consumers postpone major purchases and manufacturers investments, based on the expectations that the required goods will eventually fall in price even more. The drop in demand leads to the reduction of production of these goods, and the extra workers are laid off. Rising unemployment in turn leads to a further drop in demand and prices, which reinforces the restraint of consumers and investors (Krugman, 2009). It is extremely difficult to get out of this spiral, much more difficult than to get out of an inflationary spiral. After all, the verified means of combating inflation is increasing the interest rates by the central bank. The more expensive the loans and the higher the rates on bank deposits, the less money is thrown into the economy: manufacturers postpone investments, and consumers prefer to increase savings rather than spend them in stores. And theoretically, the central bank can raise the basic rate endlessly, but it cannot reduce the basic rate below zero (Meltzer, 2009). By now, the central banks have lowered interest rates to a record low level making nominal 0.15%, as well as offered commercial banks the target long-term refinancing operations (TLTRO) and confirmed their intention of large-scale purchases of government bonds to recover from the financial crisis of 2008-2009 (Dufour Orhan gazi, 2014). As a result, the politicians now have less tools to stimulate sustainable growth of the world economy.In addition, low inflation cannot be fully explained by temporary factors such as the Ukrainian crisis, sanctions against Russia, and the Middle East events. On the contrary, it reflects the profound weakness of the economy with low demand, significant decline in production, high unemployment and debt burden, as well as weak economic growth prospects. Here, we should agree with Pesek (2014) that the declined banksââ¬â¢ balance sheets, falling asset prices, unfavorable demographic situation and the lack of decisive action by the regulator in many developed economies today also allow comparing this situation with Japan of 1991.Thus, assuming that deflation eventually comes and continues for some time, this could lead to its further deepening. This, in turn, will complicate getting out of the price decline due to the dynamics of real interest rates, growth in the real d ebt burden, expectations of further fall in prices for businesses and consumers, deferred expenses, new fall in asset prices and increase in the number of loan defaults (Meltzer, 2009). Following this ââ¬Å"shockingâ⬠scenario, inflation rate in the euro area could fall to -1% in 2015 and 2016, and then be able to rise to 0% (consumer price inflation in Japan has been 0% since 1995 (Pesek, 2014)). GDP growth will drop to 0% in 2015 and 2016, and later grow to around 1% (in Japan, it averaged 0.9% over the 1995-2013 period (Pesek, 2014)). Unemployment will rise to 12%. Interest rates will remain unchanged and record low, and the yield on 10-year bonds will be at the level of 1%. We can also expect a fall in asset prices and collateral values.ConclusionThe recent volatility in financial markets, slow rates of world economic growth, decline in consumer prices and other factors only increase the concern that the risk of deflation in the global economy rises. If the prices drop low enough and hold at this level long enough, the economy could slip into recession around the world following the crisis already covering the strongest economies in the Eurozone (Krugman, 2009).In general, over the next year the economy of the entire planet will likely be determined by external factors, and if the ECB starts to pour in liquidity, we will see positive changes on the horizon of 6-12 months. If everything narrows to half-measures, the timing of economic recovery will delay, inflation rates in the euro area may fall to -1% in 2015 and 2016, and provoke setting of threshold values in a number of partner countries (National Institute Economic Review, 2014). The todayââ¬â¢s risk of deflation is a risk of a significant slowdown in the business activity with a consequent reduction in GDP growth down to zero marks or even lower.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Ditchdigger daughter essays
Ditchdigger daughter essays à ¡Ã °Along the young peopleà ¡Ã ¯s pathà ¡ In The Ditchdiggerà ¡Ã ¯s Daughters by Yvonne S. Thornton, Thornton portrays the factors in life that young people take through writing about her family. Mr. Thornton, who starts out his family with nothing, raises a total of six children successfully. He works two full-time jobs both day and night to support his family. Though possessing an unusual manner of teaching and guiding his daughters, Thornton nevertheless succeeds. Yvonne, Thorntonà ¡Ã ¯s third daughter, becomes a doctor. After establishing her career, Yvonne writes the book The Ditchdiggerà ¡Ã ¯s Daughters. According to Mr. Thornton, à ¡Ã °When youà ¡Ã ¯re grown, this society is gonna look at you as an ugly black female...But you are not light, so studyinà ¡Ã ¯ is the only way I can see you gettinà ¡Ã ¯ ahead of thisà ¡(34). The conversation between Mr. Thornton and his daughters takes place in this quote. As a result of his daughters being black females, Thornton believes that the daughters have to study in order to reach their goals. Mr. Thornton aids in Yvonne becoming a doctor. From The Ditchdiggerà ¡Ã ¯s Daughters, the reader learns that there are three factors that affect the path to which young people take in life. One of the factors is that there was prejudice in the 1950à ¡Ã ¯s. The Thornton family is black, which causes them to experience prejudice. Mr. Thornton has one job as a ditchdigger for a day and one more job for the night. Yet he has six children including one child that he adopts. From this background of the family, his daughters receive pressure that they have to be successful when they grow up. Their grades from school proves that they worked hard by receiving all Aà ¡Ã ¯s. Because they spend most of their time on doing homework and studying, the daughters find playing musical instruments as hobbies. By taking lessons from professionals, they show talent through music. Further on in the novel, the daughters c...
Monday, November 4, 2019
Case Study on Swindodn plc Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Case Study on Swindodn plc - Research Paper Example Thus, fundamentals of accounting tells us that the cost of an assets includes cash paid outright when the assets is bought plus the amounts that will be paid in the future. Such future amounts also includes interest expenses paid for the use of borrowed money(Brigham, 1985) For there are two ways to get an asset, through investment of cash and through creation of loans or long term debts or bonds. In addition, the cost of the assets includes all other cash outlay that will put such assets into operation. Meaning, the additional cost includes trial runs, hauling or delivery expenses to deliver the drills from the supplier's warehouse to the purchaser's factory or place of business(Ross, 1996). For, the cost of capital here includes the drill and platform cost of 14,000,000 and the 1,000,000 additional costs. Evidently, the cost of amount that the company will have to pay in order to put the long term investment into operation. The prior accelerated cost recovery system had been the product of the economic recovery tax act of 1981. Also, the MACRS was a complete going away from the prior tax depreciation procedures instituted by fundamentals of financial accounting. Meaning, the prior depreciation methods took cognizance of including the salvage value or scrap value of the assets(Ross, 1996). The prior depreciation methods include the straight line method, the sum of the years digits, the double declining method, the 150 percent declining method, the units of production method, the hours of production used method and tools expense methods among others. This prior system that had been closely similar to the financial accounting depreciation methods has now been changed to mechanical computation called MACRS. Distinctly, the MACRS c) The project's Operating Cash Flows (inflows) (15 marks) Cash inflows Year Cash inflows 1 3,500,0000.88503,097,500 2 4,000,000 0.7831 3,132,400 3 6,000,000 0.6931 4,158,600 4 8,000,000 0.6133 4,906,400 5 12,000,000 0.5428 6,513,600 Total for 5 yrs 33,500,00021,808,500 Less depreciation 5 yrs 14,130,000 Cash inflows before tax 7,678,500 Tax 40% 3,071,400 Cash inflows after tax 4,607,100 Add back depreciation14,130,000 Cash inflows 18,737,100The cash inflow for the first year is 3,500,000 multiplied by the present value factor of 1 of .8850 results to cash inflow of 3,097,500. on the second year, the 4,000,000 multiplied by the present value factor of 1 of .78831 results to cash inflow of 3,132,400. on the third year, 6,000,000 multiplied by the present value factor of 1 of .6931 results to cash
Friday, November 1, 2019
Social policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1
Social policy - Essay Example Social policy in United Kingdom is inclined towards conservatism policies. According to Spicker (1991: 9), the concept of ââ¬Ësubsidiarityââ¬â¢ can be a dominant influence on the European community. It upholds the responsibilities resulting from the closeness of the traditional society inside smaller social units. Therefore, intervention in the United Kingdom impersonates subsidiarity and establishes solidarity. Social insurance plan mostly dates back to the Elizabethan period when the society approved poor taxation policies (Www2.rgu.ac.uk, n.d.). The conservatives operate inside the limitations involving xenophobia in the immigration policies. At the same time, the people reviewed the immigration policies in reaction to the 2001 riots where immigrant criminal offenses were prominent in the Northern English cities (Young, 2003, p. 452). Following the adoption of social policy, the generation of immigration staff has received economic prosperity, legal equality, as well as discrimination inside the borders of the country. According to Spicker (1991, p.10), the government features policies in coping with the success of the economy. This involves outdated manufacturing industry. This is because the manufacturing efforts of the government were ignored in the workforce (Www2.rgu.ac.uk,
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