Thursday, October 31, 2019

Business Strategy College Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Strategy College - Case Study Example The OAG official airline guide data taken from the website www.oag.com shows a startling low cast data. Its study of low cost budget airline data released its report dated September 19, 2007 shows startling facts. The data indicates that that budget airline capacity has doubled in the last four years. The low cost growth of the same industry has increased by twenty percent. The study also shows that Europe, which includes the United Kingdom, is leading the world in the low cost /network balance scheme. Clearly, the OAG data shows a startling low cast data. The same OAG study covers a wide airline passenger seat sector. The study covers eleven million extra seats in over sixty six thousand more flights operated by the low cost sector. The industry shows a year on year increase of twenty four percent and twenty percent respectively. The financial data shows that the 2007 low cost flights comprise a higher sixteen percent of the total available airline seats in Europe for the prior accounting period. The prior period only generated a fourteen percent low cost comparative figure. In addition, the 2007 financial data also shows that twenty percent of the total worldwide airline covers is given to low cost flights. This is higher than the seventeen percent financial data of the prior year, 2006. Evidently, the OAG study covers a wide airline passenger seat sector. ... Three of the major forces in the European, Low -cost, budget airline sector are rivalry among competing sellers in the air travel industry, market attempts of companies in other industries to win customers and the potential entry of new air travel competitors.Rivalry among competing sellers in the air travel industry. There is s strong rivalry among the competing sellers in the low cost budget airline sectors. The air transportation industry is changing fundamentally. Low cost air passenger carriers are now slowly killing the competition. This long term trend has undermined the industry's prior structure, procedures, business models and these changes have consequences for airport access. Airlines and airports now have neither the money nor the appetite for grandiose projects. While massive airport buildings around the world planned many years ago are still being inaugurated. These inaugurated airports include Heathrow airport in London, Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, Barajas airpor t in Madrid, a Singapore airport and a Toronto airport. The current trend in the airline industry is to focus on low -cost airport buildings and facilities. Boston had built a $ 400 million passenger building to Delta air's specifications. It was opened shortly before the airline went bankrupt. As Delta air buckles under the pressure of shrinking its network and services, another competitor must be entertained to take over the leased airport spaces vacated by Delta Air. Low cost airline companies easily fit this description. Undoubtedly, there is strong rivalry among the competing sellers in the low cost budget airline sectors (De Neufville 2006).Market attempts of companies in other

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Pancreatic endocrine hormones Essay Example for Free

Pancreatic endocrine hormones Essay Energy, in the form of sugar, is transported in the blood. It is carried throughout the body and into all cells to produce ATP. ATP is needed for all cellular activity of the body. It is essential that the blood can maintain the bodys fuel at a constant level (homeostasis) regardless of how long it has been since the last meal. There are three main organs that regulate the control of blood sugar: the pancreas, the liver and the adrenal glands. The pancreas produces hormones called insulin and glucagon. These hormones work antagonistically to maintain blood sugar levels that are neither too low or too high. The adrenal gland plays a key function in making sure blood sugar levels are high enough. The liver helps with sugar metabolism by creating insulin receptor sites. After a meal, insulin directs the flow of nutrients. This promotes fuel storage in the liver, adipose tissue and in muscles. The flow of nutrients during fasting is influenced by glucagon. Once glycogen stores are depleted, muscle protein is degraded, and amino acids are used for gluconeogenesis in the liver. Triglycerides stored in adipose tissue are broken down under the fasting condition. The concentration of glucose in the blood rises rapidly after the ingestion of glucose ( in a high carbohydrate meal). Insulin carries out its function and starts to bring blood glucose concentrations back down to normal, then this removes the stimulus that tells the beta cells to secrete the insulin in the first place. As a result, the beta cells become less and less stimulated and so the rate of secretion of insulin declines in parallel to the rate of decline in blood glucose concentration. This mechanism is referred to as negative feedback.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

diversity in organizations

diversity in organizations Introduction This paper aims to show a deep examination of how diversity is interpreted and wrongfully applied in many organizations today. In this essay, I would explore and discuss the term â€Å"Diversity†, its definitions, merits, demerits, its varied applications and if there is a cause and effect relationship between diversity workforce and organizational effectiveness. This essay would also show why the term diversity is remotely satisfying and elaborate on the need for a new paradigm for understanding Diversity. My study supports the principles of the Diversity theory but not its varied applications which inhibit organizational effectiveness. Diversity The term â€Å"diversity† has found its place in almost all HRM literature; the front page. Jackson et al (1993), states that â€Å"the term diversity has little history within the behavioural sciences and is not (yet) a scientific construct. Instead, it is an everyday term that sprang to life rather recently, nourished by widespread media coverage of the â€Å"managing diversity† activities that organizations are adopting in response to changing work-force demographics. Nevertheless, the body of social science research relevant to understanding the dynamics of diversity in organizations is not large, although it is widely dispersed across sub disciplines that cross reference each other nor have a common terminology† (See Friedman, 1996:67). Another interesting definition is found in Ashkanasy et al (2002) which defines diversity as a concept that â€Å"encompasses acceptance and respect. It means the understanding that each individual is unique and recognizing our individual differences. They can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs and other ideologies and the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive and nurturing environment. Diversity is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual† Allen et al (2008) asserts that diversity is a challenge and that â€Å"organizations have struggled to embrace and manage it successfully. Researchers have struggled to conceptualize and study the term effectively. Theorists predict differing effects of Diversity: that they will spark integrative insights, creativity and innovation (e.g. Finkelstein and Hambrick, 1996; Hoffman and Maier, 1961) or that they will provoke conflict, division and dissolution (e.g. Chatman, 1991; Tajfel and Turner, 1979)†. Workforce Diversity (A Critical Analysis) Structural Diversity Vs Demographic Diversity â€Å"The demographics of the workforce are changing and will continue to change rapidly. Almost every organization looks different – both in terms of who’s employed and they positions they hold, than it did ten years ago† (Sonnenschien, 1999:2). Jackson et al (1995) also asserts that the â€Å"changing work-force demographics and new organizational forms are increasing the diversity of work teams in general and decision making teams in particular. Given these environmental changes, work teams that are diverse in terms of sex, race, and ethnicity, national origin, area of expertise, organizational affiliation and many other personal characteristics are increasingly common. The changing demographics of today’s labour force, account for the increasing gender diversity, cultural diversity (including cultural differences due to race and ethnicity) and age diversity (See Kling, Hyde, Showers and Buswell, 1999; Konrad, Ritchie, Lieb and Corrigall, 2000; Roberso n and Block, 2001)†. According to Ongari and Argolla (2007) â€Å"Workforce diversity is a complex phenomenon to manage in an organization. The management of workforce diversity as a tool to increase organizational effectiveness cannot be underscored, especially with current changes sweeping across the globe. It is argued that organizations that value diversity will definitely cultivate success and have a future in this dynamic global labour market (Jain and Verma, 1996). Workforce diversity management has become an important issue for both governments and private organizations. Its importance has mainly been brought about by the free movement of labour due to globalization and the fight for human rights by certain minority groups who feel excluded from the employment sector. The workforce diversity emerged mainly to further the availability of equal opportunities in the work place. This equal opportunity philosophy is aimed at ensuring that organizational make the most out of the difference from a dive rse workforce rather than losing talent which might assist the organization to be more efficient and effective. The increased mobility and interaction of people from diverse backgrounds as a result of improved economic and political systems and the recognition of human rights by all nations has put most organizations under pressure to embrace diversity at the work place. Diversity brings with it the heterogeneity that needs to be nurtured, cultivated and appreciated as means of increasing organizational effectiveness†. A more diverse workforce according to Thomas and Ely (1996) will increase organizational effectiveness. â€Å"It would lift morale, bring greater access to new segments of the market place and enhance productivity. Yet if this is true, what then are the positive impacts of diversity? Numerous and varied initiatives to increase diversity in corporate organizations have been under way for over a decade† (Sonnenschein, 1992:49). â€Å"Rarely, however, have those efforts spurred organizational effectiveness, Instead, many attempts to increase diversity in the workplace have backfired, sometimes even heightening and hindering a company’s performance† (Tsui and Gutek, 1999). As is commonly ascribed, Riodan (2000) asserts most people assume that workforce â€Å"diversity is about increasing racial, national, gender or class representation in other words, recruiting and retaining most people from traditionally underrepresented identity groups†. Taking this commonly held supposition as a starting point, Thomas and Ely (1996) set out to investigate the link between diversity and organizational effectiveness and they found that â€Å"thinking of diversity simply in terms of identifying group representations inhibited effectiveness†. They also found that organizations usually follow â€Å"two paths in managing diversity, In the name of empathy and fairness, the organizations encourage women and people of colour to blend in or they set them apart in jobs that relate specifically to their backgrounds, assigning them, for example to areas that require them to interface with clients and customers of the same identity group†. In this kind of c ase, companies are operating on the assumption that the main virtue identity groups have to offer is knowledge of their own people. â€Å"This assumption is limited and detrimental to diversity efforts† â€Å"(See Elsass Graves, 1997; Finkelstein Hambrick, 1996; Jackson, May and Whitney, 1995; Milliken Martins, 1996; Reskin, McBrier Kmec, 1999; Shaw Barrett Power, 1998)† A recent meta-analysis of the effects of task related (e.g. tenure) and non task related (e.g. ethnic and gender) diversity, by Weber Donahue (2001) â€Å"revealed no dependable effects on organizational effectiveness, performance or cohesiveness†. Williams and O’Reilly (1998) assert that â€Å"diversity goes beyond increasing the number of different identity groups’ affiliations† in a company but that diversity should be seen and â€Å"understood as the varied perspectives and approaches to work that members of different identity groups bring†. Another argument is by Cummings (2004) which says that â€Å"effective work groups engage in external knowledge sharing- the exchange of information, know-how and feedback with customers, organizational experts and others outside the group. This paper argues that the value of external knowledge sharing increases when work groups are structurally diverse†. â€Å"A structurally diverse work group is one in which the members, by virtue of their different organizational affiliations, roles or positions, can expose the group to unique sources of knowledge. It is hypothesized that if members of structurally diverse work groups engage in external knowledge sharing, their performance will improve because of this active exchange of knowledge through unique external sources†. Cummings (2004) also assert that â€Å"scholars examining diversity in work groups have primarily focused on the consequences of demographic diversity (e.g. member differences in sex, age, or tenure) for processes such as communication, conflict, or social integration† ( See also Jehn et al, 1999, Pelled et al, 1999 and O’Reilly et al, 1989). â€Å"The consistently negative effects of demographic diversity on group processes are likely the result of heightened member emphasis on social categories rather than project relevant information. Demographic diversity should not increase the value of intra-group knowledge sharing or external knowledge sharing unless it exposes members to unique sources of knowledge related to the work† (for a review see Williams and O’Reilly. 1998). Relatively, â€Å"little attention has been given to member differences in organizational affiliations, roles or positions. With the rise in labour costs, global expansion and corporate mergers, workgroups are often used as a means for connecting members who are dispersed across different geographic locations, who represent different functions and report to different managers or who work in different business units â€Å" (DeSanctis and Monge, 1999; Jarvenpaa and Leidner, 1999; Maznevski and Chudoba, 2000). This variation in features of the group structure is introduced here as â€Å"structural diversity because of its potential to expose members to different sources of task information, know-how and feedback. Four types of structural diversity in work groups† are mentioned below as: â€Å"Geographic locations† (See Van den Bulte Moenaert, 1998), â€Å"Functional assignments† (See Bunderson Sutcliffe, 2002), â€Å"Reporting managers† (e.g. Burns, 1989) and in â€Å"Business units† (See Hansen, 2002) Another research done by Siciliano (1996) on 240 YMCA organizations, found no significant relationship between diversity and organizational effectiveness. Middleton (1987) also asserted that â€Å"diversity in any form has no impact on the operating efficiencies of an organization and diversity does not appear to influence one way or another, an organization’s tendency to perform its control function. Merits of Managing Workforce Diversity â€Å"Managing diversity can create a competitive advantage. Potential benefits of diversity include better decision making, higher creativity and innovation, greater success in marketing to foreign and domestic ethnic minority communities and a better distribution of economic opportunity† (Cox, 1991; Cox Blake, 1991). According to one study (Watson et al, 1993) â€Å"culturally diverse groups relative to homogenous groups are more effective both in the interaction process and job performance; these benefits occur after a diverse group has been put together for a period of time†. Mueller (1998) states that â€Å"as all the segments of society have a stake in the development and prosperity of society as a whole, creating and managing a diverse workforce should be seen as a social and moral imperative†. â€Å"As globalisation is increasing, diversity will help organizations to enter the international arena† (Cascio, 1998). â€Å"Diversity enhances creativi ty and innovation (Adler, 1997; Jackson et al, 1992) and produces competitive advantages (Coleman, 2002; Jackson et al, 1992)†. â€Å"Diversity teams make it possible to enhance flexibility (Fleury, 1999) and rapid response and adaptation to change (Adler, 1997’ Jackson et al, 1992)†. Organizational Challenges â€Å"Companies can succeed at diversity if the initiative to create, manage and value the diverse workforce has the full support of the top management† (Hayes, 1999; Jackson et al, 1992). Fiske, 1993 states that â€Å"for increased effectiveness and adaptation of the diversity discourse, companies have to start thinking about diversity more holistically- â€Å"as providing fresh and meaningful approaches to work and stop assuming that diversity relates simply to how a person looks or where† they are from, only then would companies reap diversity’s full rewards† and â€Å"Organizations with a diverse workforce can provide superior services because they can better understand customers’ needs (Weitling Palma-Rivas, 2000). Hiring women, minorities, disabled, etc will help organizations to tap into these niche markets (Mueller, 1998) and diversified market segments† (Fleury, 1999). Jackson et al (1995) state that â€Å"the business economy has received much recent attention, with trade barriers are removed and competition intensifies, many companies are beginning to expand their operations in order to take advantage of foreign labour and consumer markets. For smaller companies, foreign activities may be limited to a single joint venture or to offshore production or distribution systems that involve one or two other countries. For larger corporations, foreign offices may be in over one hundred different countries (See Fulkerson Schuler, 1992). The presence of international affiliations, although not inevitable, is likely to lead eventually to the formation of teams of people with diverse cultural backgrounds, including management teams, design teams, operation teams and marketing teams (Adler Ghadar, 1991; Kanter, 1991; Von Glinow Mohrman, 1990) of which engage in decision making activities† â€Å"Theories and techniques of diversity management have been developed and enthusiastically supported by a growing number of chief executives, training specialists, diversity consultants and academics† (Saji, 2004)). Diversity can improve organizational effectiveness. â€Å"Organizations that develop experience in and reputations for managing diversity will likely attract the best personnel (Carrel et al, 2000). â€Å"Diversity requires a type of organizational culture in which each employee can pursue his or her career aspirations without being intimidated by gender, race, nationality, religion or other factors that are irrelevant to performance† (Bryan. 1999). Managing diversity means â€Å"enabling the diverse workforce to perform its full potential in an equitable work environment, where no one group has an advantage or disadvantage† (Torres Bruxelles, 1992). â€Å"Diversity in the workplace can be a competitive advantage because differing viewpoints can facilitate unique and creative approaches to problem-solving, thereby increasing creativity and innovation, which in turn leads to better organizational performance† (Allen et al, 2004). â€Å"For example, in Botswana, the society is becoming multicultural due to the increasing migrant population and their descendants. For organizations, this means that their market share, efficiency. â€Å"Human capital, international competitiveness and level of innovation will depend on their ability to effectively manage a diverse workforce both within and across organizational boundaries† (Barker Hartel, 2004; Dass Parker, 1996; Kandola et al, 1995; Strauss Mang, 1999)† Conclusions Jackson (2003) â€Å"In today’s business environment, work teams are becoming more common and more diverse, intensifying the importance of understanding the dynamics of work- team diversity. Of particular importance, is diversity within decision making teams. Organizations are rapidly restructuring to take advantage of the potential benefits of diverse decision making teams are worth the risk (or can be successfully avoided). Many of the specific assets and liabilities of work teams arise directly out of diversity†. Despite various intensive efforts to measure diversity and predict its outcomes, Jackson (2003) asserts â€Å"many literature offer few conclusive findings about the effects of diversity in the workplace. Lack of a common paradigm will make it difficult to accumulate comparable findings over time, while agreement around some issues could accelerate our ability to learn from previous accumulated evidence. One useful element that could be suggested could be a common paradigm; it would be for researchers to agree to a common theme or definition of diversity which would in turn lead to less confusion about this concept† (See also Carroll Harrison, 1998; Bedeian Mossholder, 2000). Jackson (2003) affirms that â€Å"Pettigrew (1998) used a very different approach to developing a blueprint for enabling organizational effectiveness. Based on a comprehensive review of a large body of research conducted in a variety of settings, Pettigrew identified the conditions needed to reduce intergroup bias and its negative consequence and described several processes that could be engaged to create these conditions. To the extent an origination’s diversity initiatives support these processes, they would encourage the development of positive intergroup relations, employee commitment, improved productivity and increased organizational effectiveness (See also Gaertner et al, 2000) and they are: Learning about the other group(s) was one key process identified by Pettigrew, Inaccurate stereotypes resist change for a variety of reasons but inaccurate stereotypes can be modified if people receive sufficient disconfirming evidence. Such learning is often the objective of diversity awareness training. Behavioural Change is the second key process that is needed to promote positive intergroup relations. Engaging repeatedly in positive behaviour with members of a work team can lead to long term attitudinal change towards members. Providing training in the behavioural competencies needed to work effectively in organizations characterized by diversity is one way to encourage people to engage in positive behaviour towards work group members Creating positive emotions associated with the work group is the third key process. For example, mentoring programs may encourage the development of intergroup friendships. The value of personal friendships may help explain the apparent success of informal mentoring programs†. In conclusion, it seems likely that active diversity management will be required in order for organizations to comprehend the potential benefits locked up within their diverse work forces and as such organizations must put in place strategies to enhance workforce diversity. â€Å"Research based principles for achieving these benefits and minimising potential losses have been offered. Some organizations are undoubtedly experimenting with practises that are consistent with these principles† Jackson et al (1995). By the end of this decade, perhaps another review of diversity will yield useable suggestions for how to create a sustainable and effective organizational condition called for by Pettigrew’s analysis. References Allen, R.S., Dawson, G., Wheatley, K and White, C.S. (2008) â€Å"Perceived Diversity and Organizational Performance† Employee Relations, Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 20-33. Ashkanasy, N.M., Hartel, C.E.J. and Dass, C.S (2002) â€Å"Diversity and Emotion: The New Frontiers in Organizational Behaviour Research† Journal of Management, Vol. 28, pp. 307-338. Barker, S. and Hartel C.E.J (2004) â€Å"Intercultural service encounter: An exploratory study of customer experiences† Journal of Cross Cultural Management, Vol. 11(1) pp. 3-14. Bedian, A.G and Mossholder, K.W (2000) â€Å"On the use of the coefficient of variations as a measure of diversity† Organizational research Methods, Vol. 3: 285-297. Bryan J.H (1999) â€Å"The diversity Imperative† Executive Excellence, pp6 Bunderson, J.S and Sutcliffe K.M (2002) â€Å"Comparing alternative conceptualizations of functional diversity in management teams: process and performance effects† Academy of Management Journal, 45:875-893 Carroll, G.R and Harrison, J.R (1998) â€Å"Organizational demography and culture: insights from a former model and simulation† Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 43:637-667 Cascio, W.F (1998) â€Å"Managing Human Resources Productivity, Quality of Work Life, Profits†, McGraw Hill, Boston, MA Cox T Blake S. (1991) â€Å"Managing Cultural Diversity: Implications for Organizational Competitiveness† The Academy of Management Executive, August. Cox T (1991) â€Å"The multicultural organization† the academy of management executive, May Cummings J (2004), Work groups, structural diversity, and knowledge sharing in a global organization, Management Science, Vol. 50 pp.352 364. Cummings, J. N. Cross, R. (2003) â€Å"Structural Properties of Work Groups and their Consequences for Performance† Social Networks, Vol. 25 (3), 197-210. Dass, P Parker B (1999) â€Å"Strategies for managing human resource diversity: from resistance to learning† Academy of Management Executive, vol. 13: 68-80 Elsass, P.M Graves L.M (1997) â€Å"Demographic diversity in decision making groups: The experiences of women and people of colour† Academy of Management review, Vol 22: 946-973 Ely R.J Thomas D.A (2001) â€Å"Cultural diversity at work: The effects of diversity perspectives on work group processes and outcomes† Administrative Science Quarterly, vol 46: 229-273. Fiske, S. (1993) â€Å"Social Cognition and Social Perception† in Rozenwig M.R L.W Porter (Eds) Annual Review of Psychology, Vol. 44:155-194. Pato Alto, CA: Annual Reviews Inc. Friedman, R.A (1996) â€Å"Defining the scope and logic of minority and female network groups: can separation enhance integration?† Research in Personnel and Human Resource Management, vol. 14: 307-349 Fleury, 1999 Gaertner S.L, Dovidio, J.F, Banker B.S, Houlette, M, Johnson K.M and Mc Glynn, E.A (2000) â€Å"Reducing intergroup conflict: From super ordinate goals to categorization, recategorization and mutual differentiation† Group dynamics: Theory, Research and practise, Vol 4: 98-114. Hayes, E. (1999) â€Å"Winning at Diversity† Executive Excellence pp.9 Klein, K. J. Harrison, D. A. (2007) â€Å"On the diversity of diversity: Tidy logic, messier realities† Academic of Management Perspectives, 21(4): 26-33. Jackson, B.W, La Fasto, F, Schultz, H.G, Kelly, D (1992) â€Å"Diversity† Human Resource Management, vol 31,pp.21-34 Jackson, S.E, Joshi, A and Erhardt, N.L (2003) â€Å"Recent Research in Team and Organizational Diversity: SWOT analysis and Implications† Journal of Management, vol. 29, No. 6, pp.801-830. Jackson, S.E, May, K.E Whitney, K. (1995) â€Å"Under the dynamics of diversity in decision making teams† in Guzzo, A Salas, E. (Eds) Team effectiveness and decision making in organizations, pp. 204-261. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Jackson, S.E, Stone, V.K Alvarez, E.B (1993) â€Å"Socialization amidst diversity: impact of demographics on work team old timers and newcomers† Research in Organizational Behaviour, Vol. 15: 45-111. Jehn, K.A, Northcraft, G.B Neale, M.A (1999) â€Å"Why differences make a difference: a field study in diversity, conflict and performance in workgroups† Administrative Science Quarterly, vol.44, pp. 741-763. Kandola, R, Fullerton, J and Ahmed, Y (1995) â€Å"Managing diversity: succeeding where equal opportunities have failed† Equal Opportunities Review, 59:31-36. Kling, K.C, Hyde J.S, Showers, C.J Buswell, B.N (1999) â€Å"Gender differences in self esteem: A Meta-analysis† Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 125:470-500 Konrad, A.M, Ritchie, J.E, Lieb, J.R Corrigall, E (2000) â€Å"Sex differences and similarities in job attribute preferences: A Meta-analysis† Psychological bulletin, 126:593-641 Milliken, F.J Martins, L.L (1996) â€Å"Searching for common threads: understanding the multitude effects of diversity in organizational groups† Academy of management review, 21: 402-433 Ongori, H and Argolla, J.E (2007) â€Å"Critical review of literature on Workforce Diversity† African journal of Business Management, pp. 72-76 Pelled, L.H, Eisenhardt, K .M Xin, K.R (1999) â€Å"Exploring the black box: An analysis of work group diversity, conflict and performance† Administrative Science Quarterly, 44:1-28. Pettigrew, T.F (1998) â€Å"Intergroup Contact Theory† Annual Review of Psychology, 49:65-85 Reskin B.F, McBrier, M Kmec, J.A (1999) â€Å"The determinants and consequences of workplace sex and race composition† Annual Review of sociology, Vol 25:335-362 Riordan, C.M (2000) â€Å"Relational demography within groups: past developments, contradictions and new directions† Research in Personnel and Human Resource Management, Vol 19:131-174 Roberson, L, Kulik, C.T and Pepper, M.B (2001) â€Å"Designing effective diversity training: influence of group composition and trainee experience† Journal of Organizational Behaviour , vol. 22: 871-885 Shaw, J.B Barrett-Power, E (1998) â€Å"The effects of diversity on small work group processes and performance† Human Relations, Vol 51: 1307-1325. Strauss, P, Mang, J (1999) â€Å"Culture shocks in inter-cultural service encounter?† Journal of Services Marketing, vol 4, no 5 pp.329-346 Sonnenschein, W. (1992) â€Å"The diversity toolkit: how you can build and benefit from a diverse workforce† Contemporary Publishing Company, USA. Thomas, D.A Ely, R.D (1996) â€Å"Making differences matter: A new paradigm for managing diversity† Harvard Business Review. Sep/Oct: 79-90 Torres, C, Bruxelles, M (1992) â€Å"capitalizing on global diversity† HM Magazine, pp.30-33 Tsui, A.S Gutek, B.A (1999) â€Å"Demographic differences in organizations† Lanham, MD: Lexington Books Watson, W.E, Kumar, K, Michaelsen, L (1993) â€Å"Cultural diversity’s impact on interaction process and performance: comparing homogenous diverse task groups† Academy of Management Journal, 36(3) pp.590-602. Webber, S.S Donahue L.M (2001) â€Å"Impact of highly and less job-related diversity on work group cohesion and performance: A Meta-analysis† Journal of management, vol 27: 141-162. Wentling, R.M, Palma-Rivas, N (2000) â€Å"Current status of diversity initiatives in selected multinational cooperations† human resource Development Quarterly, 11(1) pp.35-60 Willaims, K.Y O’Reilly, C.A (1998) â€Å"Demography and Diversity in organizations: A review of 40 years of research† in BM Staw Cummings LL (Eds), Research in Organizational Behaviour, Vol. 20: 77-140, www.springerlink.com/content/h2j1304710738k50/ [accessed on 10.4.09] www.adc-assoc.com/the%20Business%20Case%20for%20Diversity [accessed on 30.04.09] www.sns.se/forskning/valfard/migration/occpap86.pdf [accessed on 24.04.09]

Friday, October 25, 2019

Privatization: Metropolitan Boston Transit Authority (MBTA) and the Cal

Privatization: Metropolitan Boston Transit Authority (MBTA) and the California State Compensation Insurance Fund According to Robert B. Denhardt, Public Administration an Action Orientation, privatization "is the use of non governmental agencies to provide goods or services previously provided by government." (P.95). Privatization comes in various degrees, from the outright selling or transfer of government ownership of assets (for example public utilities), to, as is more common in the United States - the contracting of goods or services to private firms. Contracting is not something new in government. For example the Defense Department procures new weapons systems from the private sector all the time and the Pentagon oversees contracts totaling more than $150 billion a year. From the outset, it must be made clear that privatization is an enormously complex issue for which there is no simple solution. However, it is an idea that has grown tremendously popular among politicians (and by natural extension Administrators who must carry out policy issues once policy decisions are made by the politicians) in recent years. The idea of privatization will likely not diminish as cash starved governments from the federal to the local levels seek to reduce costs while promoting efficiency. It is this idea of reducing costs that will be the focus of this paper. We will see as the debate unfolds that when it comes to government, costs alone is not always the determining factor in the delivery of goods and services. There are many arguments that cost reduction does not necessarily improve efficiency nor does it guarantee equal delivery in the delivery of goods and services (equality being a fundamental constitutional value). Fin... ...bility of Public-Private Competition As A Long - Term Service Delivery Strategy." Public Productivity & Management Review 19, Number 1 (September 1995): 12-24. Newslibrary.krmediastream.com/cgi-bin/doc../nl_auth?DBLIST=1b96&DOCNUM=1392 Cohen, Steven, Eimicke, William The New Effective Public Manager - Achieving Success in a Changing Government. 2nd ed. Jossey-Bass San Francisco 1995. Wallin, Bruce A., "The Need for a Privatization Process: Lessons from Development and Implementation. Public Administration Review 57 Number 1 (January/February 1997): 11-20. http://fpac.fsu.edu/parbaby/pdf/1997/janfeb/wallin.pdf Dilger, Robert J., Moffett, Randolph R., Struyk, Linda, "Privatization of Municipal Services in America's Largest Cities" Public Administration Review 57 Number 1 (January/February 1997): 21-26. http://fpac.fsu.edu/parbaby/pdf/1997/janfeb/dilger.pdf

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

History about the war Essay

It is very true that the United States overthrew Guatemala, Chile and Iran. There are some motivations behind the overthrows. One of the motivations behind the overthrows is nationalism. This is because United Nations just like all other nations opposes nationalism. Other main motivations behind the United States overthrow to these countries include the urge to impose its ideology, gaining control of some of the valuable resources and the increase of its power. The United States also carries out coups, invasions and revolutions so that it can topple it feared or mistrusted. It also uses a variety of methods in persuading g other countries into assisting them with the coups revolutions and invasions. The methods used include the offering of booties to states that support its interests, time-honored strategies of diplomacy and retaliation threats to those countries that refuse to support them. In Chile United States launched its coup with the aim of propagating the spirit of good humanitarian ground. This is because Pinochet was highly involved in human rights violations because his security forces were perceived to be accountable for more than 3,197 murders of the Chilean citizens. 1,100 of the murdered citizens â€Å"disappeared† for they were abused to their death, thrown by the military from the helicopters into Pacific Ocean or buried into secret graves. The other reason as to why united states carried out the coup was to ensure that it prevented its consolidation and also limited the governments ability to implement some of the policies which were contrary to itself (U.  S) and also hemispheric interests. U. S also committed some coups with the aim of fostering its accessibility to some of the economically rich regions. For instance in 1953 Dulles ordered a coup on Iran which was intended to make Middle East very safe for American oil companies. United sates committed a coup in Guatemala because it disliked the communist policies which were set by Arbenz. He was perceived to be a communist because h e sought to give the landless some land or in other words he advocated for equal land distribution by giving peasants the idle lands which belonged to the upper class. Dulles had ordered the coup in Guatemala because he had disliked the way the nationalist government had confronted the power of the United Fruit Company which was represented by his old law firm (Npr. org, 01). United States of America was involved in what was called â€Å"people’s war† against fascism. All the American were in agreement with capitalists, democrats, republicans, communists, rich, poor and the middle class and this is why the war was referred to as the people’s war. This war was the trendiest in United States that the country had ever fought. This is because around 18 million people participated in the war. And over 25 million workers contributed financially to the war. The power of the nation, church, press and also chief radical organizations called for all-out war. The war was in opposition to an enemy of appalling evil. for instance Hitler’s Germany was widening totalitarianism, , militarism and overt aggressive, and racism warfare outside what an already contemptuous world had gone through yet, the governments(the United States, England, the Soviet Union) accomplishing this represented something considerably different, so that their success would be a bluster to imperialism, totalitarianism, racism, militarism, in the world. America stepped up as the defender of vulnerable countries matching its image in American history textbooks for high school. For instance it opposed Haitian revolution for independence from France at the beginning of 19C. America just pursued its imperialist interests in the name of assisting the helpless countries for it instigated conflicts with Mexico taking half of the country. It also pretended to rescue Cuba from Spain at the same time it stagnated there with military base, rights of interventions and investments. It also grabbed Hawaii Guam and Puerto Rico it also took the con troll of panama by revolutionizing against Columbia. The main reason as to why US entered the WW II was to defend the principle referred to as the non-intervention of other country’s or states affairs but many questions arose about its credibility. United States was one of the victors in WW II thus coming into a position to dominate many areas in the world and also creating conditions for efficient and effective control at home. The war brought about higher prices for all farmers, enough prosperity, higher wages, higher prosperity unlike thirties which was accompanied by a lot of unemployment and economic distress. The war was pressing people at home because the budget was mainly to the advantage of military operations abroad without considering the needs of people at home. For example people were affected by the test of the nuclear weapons but the leaders argued that it was not harmful (libcom. org/history 1). The presence of the country in permanent war kind of economy proved to be very big pockets for poverty. The distribution of health also remained unequal with the highest family getting 45 % of all the income and the lowest family getting 5% there was unequal distribution of wealth, tax advantages and income. Many American citizens were afraid of communism and this was oppressing those who believed in it. Many people were against the war. This is because they felt that the war was only seeking to dominate other countries. They said that it was commercial, ruthless and imperialistic. Socialist parties opposed the war arguing that it was a crime against the people of United States many opponent claim that the war was a human violence because it was a murderous kind of business. Again the opponents argued that a lot of nation’s money is not well utilized when it is used in wars for there are many ways of cheap mediations which do not involve conflicts. Opponents felt that the war is inhuman to both countries because some of the devices used are harmful to innocent citizens (Zinn 355). Bernay’s ideas on social control can be used to think about Friedman’s book secret histories because they both assume that propaganda can be a very effective tool for manipulating and shaping public opinion in the current society. Friedman has quoted how America used propaganda into fostering war against other countries. For example it lied that it was going to assist helpless countries only for the American to star dominating investing in those countries. Edwards’s propaganda disagrees with skeptics who argue about low levels of illiteracy. He says that printed word played a very crucial role during the early reformation. This is because it enabled Luther in broadcasting his attack towards the traditional authorities with greater rapidity and also made it possible to co-ordinate some of the activities of scattered followers. The printed medium embodied the subversive messages it conveyed. Numerous duplicates of cheap agitatory pamphlets reinforced the message of lay involvement much to the disadvantage and distress of catholic publicist. Edward uses the character of early Lutheran teachings to stress the difference between the limited vernacular literatures to lay readers before 1512 and what is currently known to the historian familiar with lathers works. Luther’s views were highly publicized by catholic rebuttals. In the hidden sides of Vietnam War Friedman is trying to identify some of the truth. Friedman argues that during the Vietnam War the United States was only seeking to undermine Hanoi’s subversion of the Saigon regime by sending Vietnamese operatives behind the enemy’s line. The secret to most of the Americans was that this covert operation was far from secret in Hanoi because all the commandos were either killed or captured and thereafter turned into communists to report false information. Using Bernay’s propaganda we can say that the U. S propaganda did its job incorrectly. This is because the educated section of the population accepted the government Vietnam War propaganda without questions. The United States was the one attacking southern Vietnam but it claimed that it was not the one because most of the American population was against those attacks. Book Review. The book â€Å"voices of a people’s history of united states† by Howard Zinn talks about gives the history of the fight for human dignity. He highlights some of the most significance political acts which were perceived to be the sound of the real human voice. This book assist me in understanding the modern American history for it highlights the idea that the minimization of resistance can only be achieved through the propagation of the idea that power remains with people who have guns, who posses wealth, own newspapers and also those who own television stations. The book assists me in understanding the reason as to why there are movements to fight the lack of voice brought about by lack of power.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Oxford Comma Explained

The Oxford Comma Explained Theres not a subject more divisive to grammarians, writers, and editors than the usage of the Oxford (or serial) comma. The Oxford comma is the last comma used in a list of three or more items and is stylistic in its usage, which essentially means that you use it depending on what kind of writing youre doing. Proponents of the Oxford comma say that this last comma provides clarity and helps the reader. However, those anti-Oxford comma writers out there say that this last comma clutters up the page and that the use of it may even contribute to more confusion.So, how do you know if you should use it in your writing? Why should you use it (or why should you not)? Here is a guide to all things Oxford comma to help you determine which side of the argument you fall on.What is the Oxford comma?The Oxford Dictionarys website defines the Oxford comma as, an optional comma before the word and at the end of a list†¦ its known as the Oxford comma because it was traditionally used by printer s, readers, and editors at Oxford University Press. Not all writers and publishers use it, but it can clarify the meaning of a sentence when the items in a list are not single words.The history of the Oxford comma is a bit murky, but according to an article on Business Insider, the first person to write down this powerful little punctuation mark as rule was a man named Frederick Howard Collins who was a British indexer and writer. He featured commentary on the serial comma in his 1912 book published by Oxford University Press entitled, Authors Printers Dictionary: A Guide for Authors.In his reasoning for using the serial comma, Collins wrote:The late Herbert Spencer [the Victorian philosopher and scientist] allowed me to quote from his letter:- whether to write black, white, and green, with the comma after white, or to leave out the comma and write black, white and green- I very positively decide in favour of the first. To me the comma is of value as marking out the component eleme nts of a thought, and where any set of components of a thought are of equal value, they should be punctuated in printing and in speech equally. Evidently therefore in this case, inasmuch as when enumerating these colours black, white, and green, the white is just as much to be emphasized as the other two, it needs the pause after it just as much as the black does.Frederick Howard CollinsSo essentially what Collins was saying (through Spencer) is that just because something is last in a list doesnt mean that it shouldnt get the same pause and treatment as the first two or more items in a list. For the last century, Oxford University Press and other institutions of style and grammar have insisted on the usage of this last comma.When should you use the Oxford comma?Now that we know a little bit about the history of the Oxford comma and that its used to clarify sentences with two or more items in a list, how do we know when to use it in our writing? Because it is stylistic in its usage- meaning that its just the preferred style of the way a sentence looks and not a rule per se- you arent always going to be using the serial comma.Here is a list of some of the most common style guides you will be using while writing, and whether or not they use the Oxford comma:Associated Press Style (AP) does not use the Oxford comma.American Psychological Association Style (APA) does use the Oxford comma.Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) does use the Oxford comma.The Modern Languages Association (MLA) does use the Oxford comma.The Oxford University Press (OUP) does use the Oxford comma.You may have noticed that the only common style guide we have listed here that does not use the Oxford comma is the Associated Press (or AP) style guide. This guide is the stylebook for journalists, public relations, and advertising professionals. There are several reasons why AP does not use the Oxford comma, but its mostly not used as a way to use space efficiently within their paragraphs.So now that we know when we are supposed to use it, lets look at some examples to show us how its done. Here are some sentences that could be clarified using the Oxford comma:Example 1I love my parents, Russell Westbrook and Ariana Grande.Why this should be corrected:Though it would certainly be cool to have Russell Westbrook and Ariana Grande as parents, its unlikely that this is what the writer of this sentence intended. Its very easy to pick out that this sentence is incorrect because we know for sure that Ariana Grande and Russell Westbrook dont have a child together, but in other sentences it might not be so easy. Putting the last comma in will clarify that the author actually meant that they liked all of those people separately.Example 2Jamie sat on the plane next to Will Ferrell, the famous comedian, former SNL star and a large German shepherd.Why this should be corrected:Clearly Will Ferrell isnt a famous comedian and also a large German shepherd at the same time. This sentence could ea sily be clarified with a serial comma, which would separate the words and let us know that Will Ferrell is indeed a human and not a dog. Opponents of the Oxford comma would likely say that the sentence doesnt need to add a comma but instead needs to be revised to indicate that Jamie is sitting next to both Will Ferrell and a dog.Example 3I will be enjoying cereal, eggs and coffee this morning for breakfast.Why this should be corrected:This breakfast is starting to sound appetizing until you get to the word and. Is the author putting eggs in her coffee? Is she pouring coffee over her eggs? In either case, we have to decline the invitation to brunch at her house. In all seriousness, adding that one little comma at the end clarifies that the writer intended to say she is having coffee alongside of her eggs and not on top of them.Arguments against using the Oxford commaFor every devotee to the Oxford comma, there is another person who is staunchly against its usage. Why wouldnt someone want to use this tool of language if it makes things easier to understand? An anti-Oxford comma person would argue that it could sometimes lead to more ambiguity in a sentence.Another anti-Oxford comma argument is that commas can litter up a page. Many writers and editors want the most important things to shine through in the text: the words. They argue that spilling commas and dashes and other punctuation marks throughout the text can distract the reader from what is most important and detract from the main idea.Lastly, anti-Oxford comma arguers say that most ambiguity in sentences with lists can be fixed by simply rewriting them. They argue that the sentences need to be restructured instead of merely adding some punctuation and then claiming that its no longer ambiguous.So now that we know some arguments on why we may not want to use it, here are some examples to show us what that might look like. Heres how to fix sentences without the Oxford comma:Example 1I love my parents, Russ ell Westbrook and Ariana Grande.How this could be corrected without the Oxford comma:I love my parents, but I also love Russell Westbrook and Ariana Grande.Instead of adding the last comma, we have added in words that can specifically tell us that Russell Westbrook and Ariana Grande are not the authors parents. We could even take it a step further and query the author to ask why these two thoughts would be connected in the first place. We could also ask her if they could feasibly be separated because they seem to be two completely different thoughts.Example 2Jamie sat on the plane next to Will Ferrell, the famous comedian, former SNL star and a large German shepherd.How this could be corrected without the Oxford comma:Jamie sat on the plane next to Will Ferrell, the famous comedian and former SNL star, as well as a large German shepherd.We have corrected the ambiguity of whether or not Will Ferrell was a dog comedian (or a comedian who had possibly turned into a dog) by adding in a few words. Now we know that the author was sitting next to Will Ferrell and a large German shepherd on the plane. We could also take this one step further by asking the author for more detail here. Was this Will Ferrells dog or did the author just get really lucky to sit by both on her plane ride? Was the dog just allowed to sit without being on a leash? If we simply fixed it with a comma then we still might not have all the information that we need.Example 3I will be enjoying cereal, eggs and coffee this morning for breakfast.How this could be corrected without the Oxford comma:For breakfast this morning, I will be enjoying cereal and eggs while drinking coffee.In this sentence we completely rearranged the order of the clauses so that it was less ambiguous what the author was doing. Theres no question now if she is putting eggs in her coffee or pouring coffee in her eggs because we know now that she is drinking coffee while eating those breakfast items.Do I have to use the Oxford c omma if Im not using a style guide?If you are not using a style guide and are writing something for personal usage, then its not necessary to use the Oxford comma. The main thing about punctuation is that no matter how you use it, just be consistent. For example, if you are writing something that does not have to adhere to a style guide, you can choose to spell out numerals over 10 if it makes sense for the audience- but just be consistent with your rules. The reason why we have style guides is to maintain a sense of consistency throughout documents so that its easier for the audience to read. If you are writing something besides a research paper or a piece of news, then just be sure to apply good writing style consistently and ask an editor if you are questioning something.Pay attention to your style guideThough you may have your personal opinions about the Oxford comma, its important to set those aside when you are working with a specific style guide that dictates whether or not i ts used. Its also crucial to make sure that youre not just following a style guide blindly and that you are making good writing decisions with every sentence. Confused on whether or not the Oxford comma is making your sentences unclear? Ask a teacher or an editor who can help you sort it out and make your writing clear.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Evaluate the Impact of China’s Accession to the WTO on the world economy The WritePass Journal

Evaluate the Impact of China’s Accession to the WTO on the world economy Introduction Evaluate the Impact of China’s Accession to the WTO on the world economy IntroductionBackground Why did China join the WTO? China’s initiatives prior and since joining the WTO commitments it has given to the WTOAffect of China’s membership on the WTO as an institutionAffect of WTO Membership on China’s Internal Reform ProgrammeAffect on Exports and ImportsGlobal ImpactAsia The EU and the United States Impact on the BRICSAffect on Comparative Advantage Impact of China’s Foreign Currency ReservesImpact of China’s Exchange RateCommentary on Recent DevelopmentsConcluding RemarksBibliographyRelated Introduction Background In 1978, when a series of reforms aimed at economic development and opening to world trade were made, China used these to become one of the largest economies in the world by the time of their accession to the WTO in 2001. Just prior to these major reforms, China was the world’s thirty-second ranked exporter country. By 1989 it was the world’s thirteenth largest trading nation.[1] During this time China had joined the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Prior to this, in the period 1949-1978, China was fully committed to Communist economic policies and pursued a Socialist heavy industry development strategy. Consumption was not at an optimal level, much of the economy was under state control and spare resources were used for the building of new factories.   There were numerous trade barriers, with tariffs on most goods, tight import controls and import quotas. China therefore had a very closed economy, until the Chinese leadership decided to take a more pragmatic approach by introducing elements of capitalism to promote economic growth. The 1978 reforms led to an enormous increase in China’s total value of trade, with average annual percentage growth rates in the mid-teens, leading to huge inflows of foreign direct and portfolio investment. The significant export-led strategy was a key factor in the impressive rates of growth and lifted millions of people above the poverty line. The nature of China’s trade preferences also changed dramatically, with a (fast-track) industrialisation not too dissimilar to the one seen by the developed world in the 18th and 19th Century. In 1978 over half of China’s exports were primary commodities- a figure that later fell to 5 per cent. Exports of manufactured goods, just 46 per cent of the total in 1978, more than doubled to 95 per cent, with over 30 per cent of that being new and high-tech products.[2] Why did China join the WTO? China formally became a member of the WTO on December 11, 2001. Its accession is particularly note-worthy because although China was a part of the General Agreement on Tariffs (GATT) its readmission to the multi-lateral trading system took 15 years from its submission in 1986 to its accession in 2001. Of course, this had much to do with the legacy of the Communist revolution in China in 1949. A significant motive for China joining the WTO was the negative effects were it not to join. Whilst the economy may have benefited from protection in the short run, it would have been a hindrance in the long run because of the trade and structural advantages that the economy would be closed off from. Also, with the UK and the United States having such a powerful influence in the WTO and other world organisations, China could see itself suffering sanctions because of political issues (eg human rights) if they refused to join. Furthermore, if China excluded itself from world trade and stayed in its Communist ‘bubble’ it would not be possible for it to influence a world centred mainly on Capitalism. So, in order to have a major influence in policy-making, China needed to join the key organisations. This would help protect its interests and prevent economic policies being forced upon it without it having any input, such as agricultural trade issues. Thirdly, prominent Chinese leaders believed that without an external disciplinary organisation, the economic progress that China had seen for the past few decades may start to plateau because of vested interests and corruption. The WTO would provide pressure to implement new reforms and maintain economic advancement. Then, if the economy subsequently deteriorated, the Chinese government would be able to blame outside influences, such as the WTO. The WTO would also lead to significant economic benefits, specifically through world trade. WTO entry would allow China to gain greater market access for its exports to Europe, Japan and the United States, especially in the clothing and textile industries. Also, as the economy was experiencing a slowdown in the late 1990s, joining the WTO would provide a positive injection, with some economists forecasting additional growth of 2% pa, creating 10 to 15 million jobs. During the period prior to WTO membership, foreign direct investment (FDI) decreased year-on-year, which helps explain China’s eagerness to join the WTO. There was a need for new investment from Europe and the US that China could direct into improving its service sector to supplement manufacturing exports into Asian markets. Finally, China may also have had an ulterior motive in joining the WTO in order to strengthen its economic and political ties with Taiwan. WTO membership for both countries would increase trade and could have potentially initiated new talks about political integration. In any event, if relations between the two countries deteriorated, the WTO could act as a mediator. China’s initiatives prior and since joining the WTO commitments it has given to the WTO Once China opened its economy to world trade in 1979, it has centrally managed its trade policies, starting with complex import and export controls and trade barriers in the 1980s, and subsequently relaxing these with significant tariff reductions on the majority of goods to facilitate joining the WTO. This, along with domestic price liberalisation, ensured that domestic prices of most traded good were consistent with world prices by the mid-1990s. Provided China implements its WTO commitments in accordance with the agreed timetable, China will become ever more integrated into the world economy and the resultant growth in global trade will benefit other WTO countries as well. The above table of average tariff rates since 1997 demonstrates how China has opened up to trade from worldwide markets. In all sectors, apart from a couple of agricultural-based ones feed grains and plant fibres average tariff rates have fallen, with the greatest rates of decline occurring since Chinas WTO accession in 2001. For example, the sugar tariff fell by just 2%, to 40%, until 2001, but has subsequently halved from 40% to 20% in 2007-2010. Beverages and tobacco have also seen a huge reduction in their protection, which can only be positive for net exporting developing economies worldwide. China’s willingness to lower its trade barriers and open its markets will result in higher inward direct investment capital flows. The extent of China’s protectionism mostly extends to tariffs now. This is because as part of preparing for WTO accession, its leaders agreed to eradicate the use of import quotas, licences, designated trading practices and other non-tariff barriers. Unlike the continual tariff reductions on traded goods over a number of years, China’s service sector, which has previously experienced virtually no foreign competition, will see a large increase in transparency with the rest of the world. Liberalisation of licensing in these sectors will, in the long run, ensure full access to foreign businesses, such as in the telecommunications industry which is currently run by state-owned enterprises. Other than market-access commitments, the WTO conditions for accession included the national treatment and non discrimination principles, which are included in the Trade-Related Investment Measures and (TRIMs) and Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs). While most trade commitments mainly affect foreign trade, compliance with these commitments are more likely to impact on the domestic market with greater foreign investment through the removal of inter-border barriers and a more stable business environment, including clearly defined intellectual property rights. China’s implementation of its WTO commitments has caused very little contention within the WTO since its accession. The Transitional Review Mechanism (TRM) was set up to review China’s compliance with its commitments. Although issues have been raised by China’s trading partners in certain areas, no official complaint has been made against China and any problems that have arisen have been the result of teething problems rather than outright non-compliance. Affect of China’s membership on the WTO as an institution When China joined the WTO, it was assumed that it would not be content with being a normal member because of its growing size and that China would act accordingly by taking an aggressive stance in policy-making. Furthermore, at the time of accession, the Doha Round of trade negotiations were about to take place and China was expected to have a substantial influence on the outcome of these talks. In reality, although China and other developing countries have had issues with developed nations, the failure of the Doha Round can be attributed to a number of issues, most notably contention between the US and the EU over the use of export subsidies in agriculture. In general terms, most trading partners within the WTO have looked favourably on the impact of China, with one Japanese spokesman saying that China’s accession to the WTO was the most important trade event of the century.[4] Despite this, Japan, along with the EU and the US, had concerns over trade regimes in the automotive industry and the lack of transparency of rules and regulations in the Chinese domestic market. However, after five years of membership, most WTO members seemed to accept that China was still committed to implementing its WTO commitments and that China was no more a ‘special’ member than anyone else. This was shown by the Trade Policy Review (TPR) in April 2006, where China was recognised as a member that had benefited greatly from the accession and was fully committed to the stalling Doha Round Trade Negotiations. A major trading power such as China, with a huge export capacity and domestic market is bound to find some frictions within the WTO. When disputes have arisen, China has made a substantial effort to resolve them before a formal complaint has needed to be made. Also, China has not instigated many disputes against other members, which can only help to build positive relationships within the WTO. Where China has acted disappointingly is in the Doha Round, where it was anticipated that it would have taken a more significant role but, instead, it initially left Brazil and India to take a leading role in representing developing countries. Finally, in July 2008, during the WTO mini-ministerial in Geneva, China stood up and joined a core group of 6 countries that was attempting to remove restrictions on trade in agriculture and industrial goods. Its first success, together with India, was to retain an important â€Å"special safeguard mechanism† that protects both countries from agricultural imports and resisted efforts for them to lower their cotton tariffs on imports from the US. China has therefore finally come to the table to play a major role in the Doha Round, but its approach has been more defensive, particularly for service industries, rather than pragmatic.[5] In view of its dominant position in world trade, it is important that China now steps up and joins with the other two large developing economies, Brazil and India, and the US and EU, to make key decisions regarding market access rights and to tighten the rules of the WTO. Affect of WTO Membership on China’s Internal Reform Programme Chinas mixed record in the WTO should be seen, above all, in the context of market reforms at home post-WTO accession. The overriding advantage of WTO accession to China is that it has sustained the earlier sweeping unilateral reforms, made Chinas trade-and-investment regulations more transparent and predictable, and given China a long-term stake in multilateral rules[6]. But with its home in Geneva, the WTO cannot direct the reforms in Beijing. In recent years, the national reform engine has decreased and industrial-policy interventions have increased because of this. At the same time, China has increasingly used Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) to its advantage, especially with other countries in East Asia. Affect on Exports and Imports Global Impact There has been a remarkable shift in China’s share of global trade since WTO accession. On imports, the US still has the highest share, but this is declining and stood at 14.2% in 2007. Conversely, China’s share rose from 3.6% in 2000 to 6.7% in 2007, and they are projected to take second place from Germany. This trend is expected to continue while China continues to globalize, as more than half of imports to China are raw materials used to produce goods for domestic consumption and exports. On exports, the situation is even more dramatic, as China moved into top position by the end of 2009 (see following chart[7]) having lagged considerably behind the major developed nations in 2001. The chart below illustrates how far China’s contribution to world trade has advanced compared with other â€Å"second division† countries from 1985 to 2009, measured by each country’s share of total global imports and exports.[8] Asia China’s accession to the WTO will have a considerable affect on the economies of Asia and will present both challenges and opportunities for them. Over the coming years, China will continue to improve its business environment and lower tariffs, which will lead to increased access to China’s domestic markets, both for foreign trade and direct investment. This should lower transaction and input costs, while the increase in exports from China should lower the price of imports for the rest of Asia, particularly its trading partners. The table above shows the restrictive effect that China’s tariff policy had on its global imports following the opening of trade in 1979 until its WTO accession in 2001 and then the subsequent increases in the immediate period thereafter. Post-2001, Asian countries had the largest share of their exports going to China and the highest growth rate of exports to China since 1980. This is especially true of South Korea, whose exports to China grew from 0% in 1990 to 16.2% in 2003. Going forward, China’s reduction in protection measures will lower its input costs and result in lower export prices that will increase its competitiveness as an efficient supplier of goods. The benefits of this for Asian countries will be increased output and welfare because they can source cheaper Chinese imports and use them for intermediate inputs in their own secondary and tertiary industries. There have, however, been some negative effects on the trade position of countries in South Asia associated with China’s accession to the WTO. This is because developing countries such as Thailand are in direct competition with China for exports of certain goods, especially the clothing and textile industry. China’s higher comparative advantage in these labour intensive industries (due to lower wages and other input costs) will mean that products from other Asian countries will become less attractive to developed nations such as the EU and the United States.   Therefore, whilst China can expect to see its export growth continue, other developing countries in Asia and elsewhere are likely to see a reduction in their exports as a result of China’s improved competitiveness. The EU and the United States The main effects that China’s accession will have on the EU and the United States are in their agricultural export industries. At the time of accession, the US had a 27% market share, while the EU only accounted for 4% of China’s agri-food imports. However this is a massively growing industry for the EU and this figure has been rising ever since as a result of the sharp tariff reductions, making EU food more competitive. Another reason for China’s growth in demand for imports is that, as a result of sustained economic growth, the Chinese public have more disposable income to spend on exotic foreign foods. It is the growing Chinese domestic market that provides ample opportunity for the US to increase its exports however. Many of these goods may be made in China, because distance and lead times mean companies cannot serve every customer in China from a US base but these product and service sales require design or service support, or component supply, from US facil ities, which will strengthen US companies core operations and employment. However, China will generally choose to source imports on the basis of price. This means that the US and the EU need to keep their respective exports cheap in order to stay competitive otherwise they won’t see the benefits of China’s accession. The US also has the problem of high transportation costs. Because of the need to keep prices as low as possible, the strength of the dollar, the Euro and the Pound will also become increasingly important to stay competitive. This is because of foreign competitors such as Canada, Australia and the rest of Asia, as well as competition amongst themselves. The opportunity for the EU and the United States to benefit from rising trade with China and the subsequent fall in trade barriers meant that both were very receptive to China’s membership of the WTO. China’s motivation to join the WTO also meant that the EU and the United States, as powerful members, could ensure that the terms for China’s accession were made favourable to their imports and exports. This was shown by the EU-China Trade Agreement in 2000 and the US-China Trade Agreement in 1999. Is the emergence of China onto the global stage a threat to the US economy’s dominance? Yes, but only far into the future. The US economy is over twice the size of Chinas and, on a per capita basis, nearly twelve times bigger. From mid-2007, the European Commission has adopted a more confrontational tone in EU-China trade discussions. A major source of tension is the EU’s widening trade deficit with China, which Commissioner Mandelson referred to as a â€Å"policy time bomb†. It rose from roughly EUR 50 billion in 2001 to around EUR 170 billion in 2006, a more than threefold increase. [10] Thus, the gap between the EU and US’s trade deficits with China (USD 256 billion in 2007) is narrowing. However, there is an important difference between the US and EU current-account deficits: the EU’sdeficit is not a concern in terms of GDP (around 0.5 per cent of EU-27 GDP), whereas the US deficit is much higher at 5-6 per cent of GDP. However, the focus on the EU-China trade deficit is perhaps overstated, as Germany’s trade surplus, for example, is higher than China’s. Furthermore, while the EU-China trade deficit has been increasing, the EU’s trade deficit with the rest of the world has decreased– from EUR 93 billion in 2000 to EUR 66 billion in 2006.[11] Many imports into the EU now come via China, rather than directly from their home countries. This is particularly the case for nine large trading partners with the EU: the USA, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand[12]. Since 1999, Europe has increased its imports from China, but taken relatively less from the USA and the rest of Asia. So, the major difference between today and the 1990s is that the EU global trade deficit is concentrated mostly on China rather than being spread over the whole of Asia. The EU-China trade deficit is a manifestation of the development of trade flows and production locations, with China becoming a base where primary inputs from other countries are manufactured and re-exported. That includes the intra-firm tr ade and global supply chains of EU-based companies. China has gained a comparative advantage in low-tech, labour-intensive industries such as clothing and toys. But its final-assembly exports of products made during the assembly of primary inputs have been growing even faster (Athukorala and Hill, 2008). Conventional trade theory suggests the EU-China trade deficit is essentially nothing to worry about. China is simply utilising its comparative advantage in unskilled, labour-intensive manufacturing. Impact on the BRICS China’s progress within the global economy can be measured in comparison with the other countries in the BRICS. Although China ranked only 83rd in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index for 2007, this represented a significant improvement over the previous few years and clearly ahead of Russia, India, Brazil and Indonesia. For â€Å"trading across borders† it is way ahead of South Africa, Russia and India[13]. China also occupies 48th position in the World Economic Forum’s new Enabling Trade Index (which uses commercial infrastructure, market access and the business environment to measure a country’s encouragement of trade), higher than South Africa (59th), India (71st), Brazil (80th) and Russia (103rd). China increased its position in the world rankings for trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) very quickly, moving above Japan, to become the world’s third largest trading nation, with 7% of world trade by 2006 (7.7% of goods trade and 3.5% of services trade). China’s trade-to-GDP ratio had reached 70%, considerably above Brazil and India, and for such a populous country to have this kind of ratio is extremely rare. China has a 2.4% share of global inward FDI, which is again higher than the other BRIICS and has been the second largest recipient of FDI in the world since 2000, with China’s outward FDI also growing at an increasing rate.[14] Thus, China has moved ahead of most developing countries and the other BRICs in generating economic growth, and perhaps more importantly, large amounts of employment, poverty reduction and improvements in human welfare, especially in urban areas. High investment and saving rates have been the cause of this, but trade and FDI have also been very important during the expansion of labour-intensive manufactured exports. Having said that, China still has high regulatory barriers that waste resources, restrict internal trade and generally stifle domestic sources of growth. The onus is now on China to reduce these barriers in order to maintain their high economic performance levels. Affect on Comparative Advantage China, like other South Asian countries, gained a comparative advantage in many consumption goods by having an abundant supply of labour which drove down wage prices. This led developed countries to become concerned with their own comparative advantages disappearing when exporting, as Paul Samuelson wrote: Growth in the rest of the world can hurt you if it takes place in sectors that compete with your exports[15]. So, to protect against this, the United States in particular has imposed import quotas in order to limit the amount of Chinese imports coming into the US. However, there seems to be substantial evidence to the contrary for the past 25 years, with advanced countries slightly increasing their annual % change in terms of trade and developing countries’ falling. The diagram above shows the effect of what would happen if China flooded the international markets with goods that they have a comparative advantage in. The world supply curve would shift outwards from S to S’ giving a higher quantity (Q’) and a lower price (P’). This would have a positive effect on the countries importing these types of goods but would negatively affect the comparative advantage of export-competing countries in Asia. The assumption that China would shift huge amounts of resources into this export industry as a result of trade liberalisation would depend on how long the gestation period of investment lasts. As is usually the case, product development, retraining and improved market position take time, so in the short run the other developing countries should not be markedly adversely affected. Furthermore, it is generally assumed in the literature that the clothing and textile sectors produce homogeneous products that give China an immediate advantage in world trade. This is not strictly the case because there can be variants in different types of clothing for both men and women. This would suggest that countries could specialise in one type, which would mean that China does not need to have the same effect on other countries that it might if all the products were homogeneous. Impact of China’s Foreign Currency Reserves The differences in growth and consumption between the countries that borrowed and consumed too much during the years before the latest financial crisis (the US, UK and most countries in southern and central Europe) and those that generated excess savings and output (including China, Germany, Japan and the oil exporters) have created global imbalances and present major challenges. China powered its economy by increasing exports to US consumers, whilst manipulating the global currency markets to limit market forces that would normally have restricted its export growth. The Chinese government forced companies to sell their dollar and euro export earnings into Yuan at artificially low exchange rates. So, the central bank accumulated a large part of the country’s export earnings rather than allowing them to be recycled and spent on foreign consumer goods and investments. China’s foreign reserves have grown from $500 billion in 2000 to more than $4 trillion now. This money has been used to buy US treasuries, issued to fund US budget deficits which financed further consumption on Chinese exports. There were hopes that a by-product of the 2007-9 financial crisis would be a gradual reduction in these global imbalances. The credit crunch should clearly lead to lower consumption in the high-debt economies but for the global imbalances to be re-balance din a lasting way, it will be necessary for producing countries to make equal changes to their output. To date, the evidence is that consumption has weakened but the export dependent economies, especially Germany and China, are not taking action to lower their trade surpluses through lower exports or to significantly increase their own consumption leading to higher import levels. Chinese officials are talking of the need to rebalance the economy in favour of domestic growth, particularly of household consumption, but all that appears to mean currently is that China will not seek to increase its trade surplus any further from the level of $300-$400 billion in 2008-9, compared with only $70 billion 4 years earlier. Other countries appear to have accepted that China’s policy of maximising exports and accumulating foreign reserves is a fact of life. The IMF is forecasting that China’s trade surplus will narrow only marginally from 10% of GDP to 9.4% in 2014. Given that the Chinese economy is almost certain to grow during this period; this implies that the trade surplus will continue to expand. If the indebted countries do decide to curb consumption and reduce their national debt levels, the trade surpluses will have to shrink. The immediate post-crisis consensus was that the US would return to its role as the world’s largest consumer and borrower, but politically the US government and public are likely to prevent this. Instead, government policies and business strategies are likely to be redirected towards promoting export-led growth. A good example is GE, which became the world’s largest non-bank financial institution, but is now reinventing itself as a global produce r of high-value investment goods. The result should be that growth in the US and UK will be stronger than expected and they will start to capture market share from export-dependent economies, assisted by a depreciating currencies. However, tensions will then emerge as China and Germany will do their utmost to maintain their trade surpluses which will then put pressure on other trading nations, especially developing countries that naturally compete with China and the weaker members of the Eurozone, to protect their export share. So, either way, the world economy faces problems due to China’s success in growing its share of global trade, which accelerated following China’s WTO membership. If the imbalances widen, concerns will intensify about the international debt of debtor nations and trade protectionist measures that would weaken global trade growth will become increasingly likely. Or, in the more realistic scenario of lower deficits in these countries, China will be forced to accept lower trade surpluses or take market share from smaller economies. In the absence of action by China, the major deficit countries will have to seriously consider deliberate currency depreciation or tariff protection to reduce their trade deficit. Protectionist measures by the US could result in a ruinous international trade war or even in threats by the Chinese government to sell some of its massive holdings of US treasury bonds, which would risk destabilising financial market. To avoid this, there would need to be a coordinated approach by many governments to change macroeconomic policies. It wouldn’t be necessary that all trade deficits are eliminated but western governments would need to accept that market forces by themselves are insufficient and that trade and currency management policies are acceptable tools to redress the situation. China, Japan and the other planned economies, for their part, would have to accept a bigger role for market forces in economic management. This has started changing already – the broader G20 group of nations has emerged as a more credible forum for international negotiations than the G7 group of industrialised countries, and the IMF is looking into how inconsistencies in national economic policies and trade objectives should be tackled. Impact of China’s Exchange Rate Unlike most large manufacturing-based economies, China, instead of making use of a floating exchange rate system, has historically either pegged its currency, the Yuan, to the US dollar or at least managed it to generally mirror movements in the US dollar. This had led to accusations that the Yuan is consistently undervalued on the world market, as the normal market reaction to China’s enormous trade balance would be for its currency to appreciate. The undervalued Yuan has had a significant positive effect on China’s manufacturing exports because foreign companies have been able to obtain products which benefit not only from lower labour costs but also the undervalued currency; both of which create more employment opportunities. This has allowed China to build up a trade surplus and a substantial amount of international reserves. Having been through the 1997 Asian Crisis, China like other Asian economies welcomes the security of a trade surplus rather than a trade deficit. Also, the exchange rate encourages large foreign direct investment inflows into the Chinese economy, which further stimulates economic growth. The implications this has for the WTO is that while Chinese exports become cheaper, this may result in anti-dumping claims from other countries. In addition, as imports into China become more expensive, this could act as a form of import control, limiting imports; which would somewhat offset the effects of China’s tariff commitments to the WTO. This is an accusation that has been levelled at China by the US and EU in the past few years. The presence of this â€Å"import control† would curtail the effectiveness of the EU and US expanding export trade policy that I mentioned earlier, that should be the natural consequence of China’s WTO accession. On the other hand, there are some positives for the rest of the world as a result of a lower value of the Yuan, especially cheap manufactured goods to the US and EU. This is because, if the Yuan rose in value, more money as a proportion of income would have to be spent on manufactured goods, leaving less available for other goods and services. The most likely effect is that the US and EU economies would contract by more than the rise in their manufacturing output due to improved comparative advantage. So the overall welfare, at least in the manufacturing sector, is likely to be higher with a managed lower valued Yuan than a higher valued floating Yuan. Commentary on Recent Developments In December 2010, the WTO ruled that the 35% duties imposed by the US on Chinese tyre imports in 2009 were justified. This is a rare example of a formal WTO ruling involving China. It was evident at the third annual BRICS leaders meeting held in China in April 2011 that it is fast becoming a China-denominated forum, with the potential for China to drive its global agenda outside of interference from the US. China is the BRICS natural leader, as each country has c12% of its trade with China but only c3% with the other BRICS members.[16] China championed the inclusion of South Africa as the newest member, even though it lags other emerging economies, as a representative of the African continent, with which China now has a large and rapidly expanding interest. Although China experienced a surprise trade deficit of US$1bn in the first quarter of 2011, it recovered with a strong monthly surplus of US$111.4bn in April, with Chinese exports increasing by 35% compared with April 2010 and imports up 12%.[17] This demonstrates that China is still benefiting from a weak exchange rate and could tolerate a stronger currency, and international pressure to allow this is sure to intensify. Chinese officials have regularly stated a greater willingness for this to happen, which will help tackle rising inflation levels. Concluding Remarks The accession to the WTO of a country such as China, which is set to become the world’s largest economy, can only be seen as a positive move for global trade developments in the long run. The main distracting issues, such as trade deflection with other, smaller developing countries, should decline over time. This is because China seems to be making a conscious effort to conform to the rules and institutions of the WTO, which is in the interests of both itself and all the other members within the WTO. Also, the current global imbalances, thought by many alarmist economists to be a threat to global financial stability, are not actually a major cause of the current financial crisis and could correct themselves as a result of inter-temporal preferences. Therefore, provided China continues to make concessions on its import barriers and restrictions on access to its internal market, the positive effects should be far reaching, especially within the EU and the United States. Bibliography Books Growth and Development, Eighth Edition, Palgrave Macmillan A.P. Thirlwall International Economics, 8th Edition, Pearson International Krugman and Obstfield Capitalism 4.0 The Birth of a New Economy, Bloomsbury 2010 Anatole Kaletsky. Journals China’s Role in the World Trade Organisation and the Doha Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations Andrew L. Stoler, former Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization (1999-2002) Foreign Trade and Economic Reform in China, 1978-1990, Cambridge University Press Nichols R. Lardy Elements of a sustainable trade strategy for China, Long Q Mark Halle Impact of China’s WTO Accession on East Asia Elena Ianchovichina1 and Terrie Walmsley IMF Working Paper, China: International Trade and WTO Accession March 2004 Thomas Rumbaugh and Nicolas Blancher China’s Trade Policy Post-WTO Accession: Focus on China-EU Relations, European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE) September 2010. Fredrik Erixon, Patrick Messerlin and Razeen Sally China and the Doha Development Agenda: Working paper prepared for the 2009 WTO Forum, Geneva September 2009 Chin Leng Lim. Financial Times: Various reports and articles [1] Nichols R. Lardy, Foreign Trade and Economic Reform in China, 1978-1990, Cambridge University Press [2] Mark Halle, Elements of a sustainable trade strategy for China, Long Q [3] Impact of China’s WTO Accession on East Asia, Elena Ianchovichina1 and Terrie Walmsley, April 2003 [4] Andrew L. Stoler, China’s Role in the World Trade Organisation and the Doha Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, pg. 4 [5] Fredrik Erixon, Patrick Messerlin and Razeen Sally, China’s Trade Policy Post-WTO Accession: Focus on China-EU Relations, pg.10 [6] Fredrik Erixon, Patrick Messerlin and Razeen Sally, China’s Trade Policy Post-WTO Accession: Focus on China-EU Relations, pg.10 [7] â€Å"Chinas export prospects: Fear of the dragon†. The Economist 7th January, 2010 [8] Starmass International (Chinese market research company) starmass.com/china_review/global_economy/major_countries_imports.htm [9] IMF Working Paper, China: International Trade and WTO Accession pg16, T Rumbaugh and N Blancher March 2004 [10] Fredrik Erixon, Patrick Messerlin and Razeen Sally, China’s Trade Policy Post-WTO Accession: Focus on China-EU Relations, pg.20 [11] Fredrik Erixon, Patrick Messerlin and Razeen Sally, China’s Trade Policy Post-WTO Accession: Focus on China-EU Relations, pg.21 [12] Fredrik Erixon, Patrick Messerlin and Razeen Sally, China’s Trade Policy Post-WTO Accession: Focus on China-EU Relations, pg.21 [13] Fredrik Erixon, Patrick Messerlin and Razeen Sally, China’s Trade Policy Post-WTO Accession: Focus on China-EU Relations, pg.3 [14] Fredrik Erixon, Patrick Messerlin and Razeen Sally, China’s Trade Policy Post-WTO Accession: Focus on China-EU Relations, pg.3 [15] Krugman and Obstfield, International Economics,8th Edition, pg. 98 [16] Jamil Anderlini, Financial Times 14 April, 2011 [17] Jamil Anderlini, Financial Times 10 May, 2011

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Transitions words and phrases for essays †Pro-Academic-Writers.com

Transitions words and phrases for essays Academic and professional writing is immensely important component of college curriculum. Students are assigned to write extraordinary essays, good papers, conduct researches, analysis. Results should be presented in clear academic language. To convey ideas and points clearly, the experienced writer applies transition words and phrases. Transition words and phrases are important elements. They display relationships between different parts of one sentence or abstracts within one text. They help introduce idea, result, contrast, creating coherent text. Most students know that transition words and phrases are like bridges between long sentences. Numerous articles have been dedicated to this topic on trustworthy resources. It is the fact - not every student understands the difference. They tend to misuse words used to express different purposes or make connections between sentences. Following article will give you a better understanding of classification and usage of linking words. You will find how to write texts that are easy to read. HELP WITH MY PAPER Transition Words and Phrases Classification Correct usage of linking phrases depends on how well you understand their meaning. The better you know how to write paragraphs using them, the more effective it is. Each transition phrase has its purpose, idea and influence upon the reader; words can be split into four main categories with subcategories. In each category, the words are classified depending on what you (writer) want to show. Additive Transitions At large, category includes words and phrases that add idea, introduce or show similarity with something that has been mentioned in abstract or sentence before. The category is divided into six subcategories with various purpose and reason: addition introduction reference similarity identification clarification Sometimes students experience difficulties with words giving reference – speaking about (this), considering (this), with regards to (this), etc., which is basically the tool to return back to a specific idea, go forward, or emphasize the connection. Examples: Speaking about wedding, I loved the dress of the bride! John has never been to England before. Let alone, London. Doctor James spent three years working on his report; moreover, he did not ask anyone to help him. He did everything on his own. To tell the truth, I was reluctant that I was not invited to the dinner; I did not want to see his family. Merry was not a movie lover; for instance, last time we went to see a movie, she was complaining about neighbours eating popcorn. The contract covers force majeure cases, including fire, storm, heavy rains, and earthquakes. Adversative Transitions Adversative transitional words are used waiting for-and-against essays. To make the text coherent presenting contradictory points or facts, the writer uses adversative transitions. He/she introduces traditional view. He/she gives the reader a reasonable argument supporting another idea. Reading text, you can feel smooth transition from one sentence to another. This category lists words and phrases to make emphasis, present contrary arguments, make concession, dismissal, and, finally, replacement. Examples: Products grown without any biochemical are healthier. Yet, it is difficult to protect them from insects. It is difficult to find a good lawyer these days, but, once, you have found one, you will get a decent legal support regarding any matter. We have not received response form the commission yet. In any case, we will continue working on this project. The candidate must have a good command of Italian, or at least, upper-intermediate level to prepare and submit reports. GET YOUR A-GRADE Causal Transitions This category is subdivided into different subcategories to put emphasize and show cause, reason, effect, result, and purpose. These linking words present consequence and condition and create coherent relationships. Causal transitional phrases create smooth transition from one sentence to another; they make it understandable and logical to read. Examples: As a result of bad weather, numerous flights have been delayed. For the purpose of gathering technical staff members of the board, human resources department is obliged to reschedule our meeting. On condition that the results are positive, we will have a small party to celebrate. In order to get the parcel by the deadline, I called the agency twice but nobody answered. Sequential transitions The last important category left is sequential transitional words. The category includes subcategories, mainly, numerical, continuation, conclusion, digression, resumption, and summation categories. This group shows chronological sequence, summarizes what has been stated before, or help add logical sequence. Examples: First of all, I would like to express gratitude to everyone, who participated in this exhibition. To summarize, I would like to say that finally, we have made a great discovery that will help cure this disease. To get back to the point, please look at the second slide again. If you still in doubt and do not know how to use transitional elements properly - find professional writer's help! List of transition words and phrases Usage of Transitions Effectiveness of the text depends on correct usage of transition words. To present ideas clearly, writer should feel where to use specific word that will create a link. Excessive usage of transitions makes the text â€Å"cluttered†. Before you start working on your essay or paper, consider which ideas and the order in which you want to present them. Think of links you can use to make connection between ideas. Transitional words and phrases will help you create corresponding relationships. Do not forget about logical summary; it is important to remember - the same transition should not be used many times. Use words from the same category and subcategory, if you need to make a similar link. Instead of using the word â€Å"finally† twice, you can use â€Å"in summary† or â€Å"in conclusion†. HELP ME WRITE MY ESSAY The right usage of linking phrases will improve your academic writing skills and increase scores that your papers and essays get. Write texts that are efficient, easy to read and logical.