Trustworthiness of Qualitative Writing and Research Methodology Essay - 12

Trustworthiness of Qualitative Writing and Research Methodology - Essay Example Richardson and Adams explore the topic of qualitative research by attempting to analyze key aspects of qualitative writing. Richardson notes that in the world of qualitative writing two sets namely, literary and scientific exist. She notes that even though there seems to be a blur between the two genres, the distinction between them lies in the nature of the claim made by the author in the article. However, Richardson observes that post-modern ideas have helped resolve this issue, as it has made it easier to tell between based on such concepts as post-structuralism, a concept, she notes, that allows us to link the language used, social organization, subjectivity, and power. She observes that this interconnection directs qualitative writers towards understanding themselves reflexively, and equally frees them from consolidating all information that targets a myriad of an audience in one piece, instead of developing different pieces for the different audience. Postmodernism also claims that regardless of the extent to which a writer tries to suppress his/her presence in a qualitative article, the writer is always present and that the partial and situational nature of writing is a testimony to this fact. This, therefore, implies that a qualitative paper must meet the following key criteria: the paper must contribute to a substantive understanding of social life and the analytical approaches used in the paper must give room for interpretive responses. In addition, there has to be adequate self-awareness and self-exposure that enables the reader to make a conclusive judgment about the opinion presented by the writer, and finally, the paper ought to have an impact that for instance, can motivate the need for further research on the same.

Globalisation on Service Economies in the Uk Essay Example for Free

Globalisation on Service Economies in the Uk Essay MacKinnon amp; Cumbers (2011) defined globalisation as †¦ the increased connections †¦ in flows of goods, services, money, information and people across national and continental borders. . The globalisation process may be decomposed into constituent processes in order to explain the impacts it has had, which will be discussed more later. In turn, a service economy is one, or part of one, that is based on trade in services. A service is characterised by its intangibility, inseparability (the simultaneous production and consumption of services), heterogeneity and perishability over time and space (Regan 1963; Rathmell 1966; Shostack 1977; Zeithaml et al 1985, cited in Wolak 1998). Alternatively, services are economic activities which have no direct involvement with agriculture, mining, or manufacturing (OECD 2000). Both macro and meso-scale impacts will be examined, starting with the macro; how the service sector as a whole has changed and how globalisation may have fundamentally changed the concept of what a service might be. Inequality as a result of globalisation will then be discussed with particular reference to the North-South divide, before examining market structure changes in terms of levels of competition in the service sector. Finally, meso-scale impacts will be considered, emphasising wage differences in the UKs service sector. Figure [ 1 ]: Percentage share of employment in the UK by sector, 1980-2008 Source: ONS 2009, cited in Faulconbridge 2010 The most profound impact has been the expansion of the service sector since the onset of globalisation in the mid-20th century. Figure 1 shows the increase in service employment from 1980 2008. Further to this, the %GDP generated by the service sector in this same period rose by approximately 20% (OECD 1996, cited in Julius ;amp; Butler 1998), closely mirroring the data in figure 1. Explanation for this can be found in the international division of labour (IDL) that has occurred, in which agriculture and manufacturing have moved abroad to areas that have a comparative advantage over the UK in these sectors. Bryson (2008) referred to this process as the first global shift. The result is, as Figure 1 shows, that as agriculture and manufacturing decline in the UK, services fill the gap that they have left behind. But what led to the first global shift? Offshoring, the act of transferring (predominantly lower-skilled) operations to least-cost locations abroad, is a relatively new concept which has occurred with globalisation (Coe et al 2007). In particular, the rise of Transnational Corporations (TNCs) that are involved with multiple economic sectors, has created a pronounced IDL with East Asia as a dominant choice of location for outsourcing and offshoring. An example of this is Primark Ltd, a subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc. Primarks retail stores -the service part of its operations- are predominantly in the UK, but it sources its products (manufacturing that would otherwise be done in the UK) from East Asia (Primark 2011). This split encapsulates one way in which services in the UK have grown; at the expense of other sectors. Another explanation for the expansion is the liberalisation of the UK economy. As globalisation took hold, the view that free trade was the most efficient way to trade became dominant, a philosophy termed neoliberalism (Peet et al 2011). The result was the formation of trade blocs and international organisations, for example the development of the European Union into what it is today. Flows of capital, labour and goods between constituents of the EU are uninhibited by tariffs and quotas, leading to a disproportionate increase of trade in services between the UK and Europe as the costs of trade fell. Evidence for how liberalism has worked is found in the Big Bang in London. In 1986 the UK government attempted the most rapid, and most comprehensive regulatory relaxation ever attempted by an exchange (Clemons amp; Weber 1990: 233). By abolishing trade restrictions such as the minimum scale for commissions and opening the exchange to outsiders, deregulation made the City more attractive as a marketplace, thus regaining its competitive advantage which it had lost to other cities such as New York (Clemons amp; Weber 1990). But as Londons capital-intensive sector grew in size and scale, so did the whole service sector. Wages were pushed upwards and created a mood of optimism (The Economist 2011), increasing the demand for lower-paid services such as cleaning, which are vital for a city to function (Sokol 2011). As well as this, knowledge-based services such as accountancy or stock broking also flourished due to the increased volume of trade. Globalisation, more specifically the spread of technology, has also changed the fundamentals of a service. The earlier definition of service comes from literature from the mid-to-late 20th century, but more recently services have begun to transcend the characteristics of being inseparable and perishable, allowed by technological advancements (OECD, 2000). An example of this can be found by examining the relatively new concept of internet search engines; it is a service produced at one point in time, yet it is available for use at almost any point in time and space, and by virtually unlimited amounts of people. Through technology, a whole host of different types of services have arisen, contributing to the expansion of the service sector. One particular new type of service is a business service (BS). Shown in figure 1, the increase in employment in BSs since 1980 is due to firms externalising and outsourcing work (Faulconbridge 2010), for example employing an accountant from a specialist accountancy firm rather than one in-house. Externalisation can be explained by the concept of the spatial division of expertise (Bryson amp; Rusten 2006, cited in Daniels et al 2008), which exploits the theory of comparative advantage for knowledge and expertise, at a meso-scale. As such, the demand for BSs has increased, pushing forward BSs prominence in the UK economy. Another impact is the widening of the North-South divide in England, observed at least as early as 1988 (Green 1988), during the Thatcher governments implementation of neoliberalistic policies. Evidence for this is found in much literature (Martin, 2010; French et al 2010; Mackinnon ;amp; Cumbers, 2011; Bryson, 2008), arguing that the spatial shift to services in the UK has been uneven; growth in knowledge and capital intensive services have been concentrated in the South-East and London, whilst labour-intensive (and therefore likely to be lower-paid) services developed in the rest of the UK, in particular the North. This spatial inequality of the UK service economy can be attributed to a number of globalisation factors, but one of importance was the already-established spatial division of expertise between London and the rest of the UK. London had been the capital of the workshop of the world, thus established as a centre of knowledge, so as global markets became more integrated, and with events such as the Big Bang, the size and scale at which Londons knowledge economy operated increased disproportionately relative to the rest of the UKs. Further to this, the divide is exacerbated by exposure to world market forces that results from liberalisation. The financial crisis of 2007 which started in the USA caused the collapse of Northern Rock, RBS, and HBOS, major banks whose headquarters were based in Newcastle and Edinburgh. French et al (2010) argued that their fates signalled the end of Edinburgh and Newcastle as regional financial centres, thus further eroding the spatial equality of types of services in the UK. Indeed, Newcastle is increasingly being known as being a location of choice for outsourcing call centres (Richardson et al 2000). Exposure to world markets was mentioned when discussing spatial inequality caused by globalisation. But exposure has also meant an increased level of competition in the service sector as TNCs expand their operations. An example of this has been the inward foreign investment in the supermarket industry by firms such as Aldi since 1989, creating competition and adversely changing the market structure from the view of domestic firms. Aldi hoped to create 1500 new jobs from 2008-2013 (Wallop 2008), implying that inward foreign investment has brought positive impacts for service sector employment. On the other hand there are some service industries for which increased competition has had very few positive impacts, notably the coastal tourism industry. Blackpools local economy is based heavily upon services related to tourism, but with the advancement of travel technology exposing this market to international competition, the tourism sector has declined considerably in recent years (Singleton 2009) along with its related industries. Figure [ 2 ]: Index of rise in Gross Weekly Real Earnings for full-time males 1978 2008 Source: Lansley (2009) Inequality can also be found at a meso-scale, in particular, the increase in the difference between the highest paid and lowest paid workers. Figure 2 shows that the rate of increase at the 90th percentile in the male wage distribution has been far higher than that at the 10th percentile. Although figure 2 does not isolate service wages from other wages, this rising inequality is still significant as services made up almost 90% of the UK economy in 2008 (figure 1). Van Reenen amp; Bell (2010) showed that the increase in the top end of the wage distribution has been mostly in financial services. Much recent media coverage has indeed focussed on high bankers bonuses. The causes of this may be partially explained with by theories which do not fit in the context of globalisation, for example the decline of trade unions being responsible for lowering wages at the bottom of the wage distribution (Van Reenen ;amp; Bell 2010). However, in a globalisation context, offshoring plays a major role. Offshoring, as explained before, moves lower-skilled jobs to least-cost locations. This means that domestic labour supply is now competing with labour supply abroad. If labour can be supplied abroad for cheaper, the domestic price of labour (i. . UK wages) is depressed, thus explaining the low rate at which low-skilled wages are rising in the context of higher-skilled wages. Alternatively, domestic demand for unskilled labour has fallen, resulting in the lowering of unskilled wages (Slaughter ;amp; Swagel 1997) Furthermore, influxes of migrants, particularly from the EU, have contributed to t he impacts on the labour market. Whilst skilled migrants help to tackle the UK skills shortage, unskilled migrants provide excess labour market supply; lowering unskilled wages and raising unemployment figures. An alternative explanation is the migrant division of labour (Wills et al 2010), where foreign-born workers are more likely to take lower-paid jobs in the UK because the wage is still higher than what they might get paid in their home country, so driving down wages of lower-paid jobs in general. At the other end of the scale, the highest-skilled wages are being pushed upwards disproportionately because as global markets become more integrated, the rate of increase in global demand for skilled labour outstrips that of the global supply of skilled labour. Evidence for the concept of demand outstripping supply comes from Richardson (2009, p. 326): †¦ even in times of relatively high unemployment, employers frequently cite skills shortages as one of the business difficulties that they face. In conclusion, explanations of impacts of globalisation on UK services tend to be constituent processes of globalisation which are inextricably linked: the exposure to world markets due to trade liberalisation, offshoring, technology, and migration, but the impacts they cause vary greatly. Explanations may also rely on economic theory, for example, the impacts on the labour market. Exposure to world market forces, such as the current Eurozone crisis, may mean Londons position within the UK is compromised like Newcastles and Edinburghs was. Additionally, as shown by the contrast between supermarkets and tourism in the UK, impacts and their explanations are industry-specific. However, it must be realised that globalisation offers only partial explanation of the impacts discussed.  Politics, economics, sociology as well as wider geography play a fundamental role in particular, UK governments have played a vastly important role in shaping outcomes of globalisation.

Modern and traditional architecture

Modern and traditional architecture The architecture of a country acts like a mirror for understanding the way of living and also the developments of the place that have led to the creation of the country as it looks today. The architecture of a country gives an insight into a countrys developments over the years. Many times architecture also helps us predict what type of traditions have been followed in the country over a large span of time. The thesis mainly deals with analyzing whether the direction of development of architecture taken by UAE after seeing an oil boom is justified or not with an aim to understand the role of oil boom in the development of UAEs architecture. The thesis also deals with analyzing whether the country has lost its traditional heritage by building highly modernized buildings. The thesis deals with the important topic of deciding whether a country should go with its traditional methods or would go towards highly modernized architecture in order to attract larger number of tourists and earn higher revenues or should it maintain its traditional architecture which is unique to a country. In my view for a country it is important to plan its architecture in a way that it promotes revenues and also keeps some uniqueness for the country this could be achieved only when the countrys planners decide to develop their architecture keeping in mind the traditions of the country. Islamic architecture mainly deals with the architectural designs that are influenced by Islam Mosques, tombs, palaces and forts form an important part of the Islamic culture (Islamic architecture definition) .Traditional architecture mainly means architectural designs that are common to a place. These buildings might not form part of the highly modernized buildings of the same time and might implement simpler technologies in their construction. Traditional architecture is commonly known as vernacular architecture and is mainly used to define methods of construction which use the resources and traditions of the place to which they belong (Vernacular Architecture). These mainly constitute the common buildings that have been developed over time and usually reflect the cultural environmental and historical contexts of the place in which they evolve. The designs formed by architects usually involve many physical and geometrical calculations in order to develop a design and make it a physical entity but the vernacular architecture is mostly transported by traditions and is base on knowledge that is gained by the trial and error methods and are then passed on to generations. They usually do not involve complex engineering. The vernacular architecture of UAE has characteristics similar to various other gulf countries. The vernacular architecture of UAE shows evidences of its dependence on the natural environment of UAE. The impact of economic, social and cultural factors is also easily visible in the traditional architecture of UAE. The traditional architecture was mainly a result of concentration of people in a location as the population was very unevenly distributed and was concentrated more in areas where water was available. The concentration of population in ancient times in the Abu Dhabi due to the presence of water and palm trees in the village of Al Ain is quite evident and also Dubai was a home for a large no. of people because of its location at the entrance of a curving creek also known as khoor which promoted trade. The construction of forts and citadels also formed an important part of the vernacular architecture of UAE. Al Hisn fort at Abu Dhabi is a good example of architecture. (Vernacul ar architecture in UAE) Islamic architecture comprises of a wide range of secular and religious designs and buildings that have been created from the day when Islam was found to the present day. The mosque, the tomb, the fort and the palace are the four main types of Islamic architecture (Islamic architecture definition). The Islamic architecture is commonly characterized by domes and ceilings, walls and vaults, large interior spaces and Arches and columns. (Characteristics of Islamic architecture). Some of the famous tourist sites like the Burj Dubai are also affected by the Islamic architectural styles and techniques. Modern Architecture is a type of architecture that has led to the simplification of form. It has also led to the usage of the theme and structure of a building to form highly attractive structures. The first variants of the modern architecture were seen very early in the 20th century but they have become popular only after the Second World War and today have also become a representative of modern structures. The discovery of oil led to an increase in prosperity for UAE. As a result of this increase in the revenues and identifying the need to build new buildings the countries managing authorities established planning departments in order to plan the development of cities and villages in the country. The community of UAE started modernizing as a result of increased income to spend on such items and this modernization was also seen in the field of architecture. In the 1970s and 1980s after witnessing an oil boom which resulted in external income for the government the government of UAE took the initiative to build public houses for its citizens. (Architectural styles in Dubai) In the era of seventies and eighties most of the buildings built were based on modern architectural styles which were imported from other parts of the world. This era saw an important role of architects from western countries in the development of Dubai. The buildings built used highly sophisticated and modern technologies for building various forms of architecture (Architectural styles in Dubai). Example of public housing project The era of 1970s and 1980s was an era of modern architecture in UAE. The planning of modern architecture was a result of increased revenues after the oil boom which resulted in large amount of revenues for the government, in the same era the government decided to build structures to fulfill needs and also to increase revenues for the country by developing new tourist destinations which could attract visitors from all around the world and lead to a new source of earning gains for the citizens of the country and would also lead to a decrement in its dependence on oil as a source of income. As a result during this period the government served as the main planner through various planning departments and the architects from different parts of the world were called to develop these projects as the projects involved modern technologies which were new to UAE. hence these planners served as the developers of modern UAE. In the nineties the country saw a new trend in architectural developments the developments of this period include a mix of modern and traditional architecture of UAE. This period also saw replacements in the buildings built during seventies to be more related to the region. This trend is continuing even today and even today the buildings are built keeping in mind the traditions and modernization aspects of architecture At last I would like to conclude that although UAE was developing only on the basis of modernization in the seventies but after a short interval of time the developers and planners understood the cultural and traditional wealth of UAE and the current architectural design is a mix of both modern and traditional styles of architecture. References Islamic Architecture(n.d.), Retrieved on April 12, 2010 fromhttp://www.ebook3000.com/Dictionary-of-Islamic-Architecture_36109.html (Islamic architecture) Traditional Architecture (n.d.), Retrieved on April 12, 2010 from http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Traditional+architecture (traditional architecture) Islamic Architecture(n.d.), Retrieved on May 1, 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_architecture (Islamic architecture definition) Vernacular Architecture(n.d.), Retrieved on April 12, 2010 from http://www.vernaculararchitecture.com/ (Vernacular Architecture) Vernacular architecture in UAE(n.d.), Retrieved in May 1,2010 from http://victorian.fortunecity.com/dali/428/uaearch/uaearch6.htm (Vernacular architecture in UAE) Characteristics of Islamic Architecture(n.d.), Retrieved on May 1, 2010 from http://www.scribd.com/doc/8647136/islamic-architecture-gains-its-origins-By-Doris-Kemp- (Characteristics of Islamic architecture) Architectural styles of Dubai in different time periods(n.d.), Retrieved on May 1, 2010 from http://victorian.fortunecity.com/dali/428/uaearch/uaearch7.htm (Architectural styles in Dubai)

The Road Essay -- Literary Analysis, McCarthy

In Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Road â€Å"the man† and â€Å"the boy† refer to themselves as â€Å"the good guys† compared to â€Å"the bad guys†. While reading this book I was lead to believe that â€Å"the boy† is truly the only â€Å"good guy† left, because â€Å"the man† and every other character that I encountered in this book share some of the same qualities as â€Å"the bad guys†. The boy constantly begs his father to be sympathetic and charitable to the drifters that they encounter on the road, but the father usually refuses or either puts up an argument before finally giving into the boy, and handing over one or two cans of food to the stranger. Although â€Å"the man† is in survival mode, he expresses no compassion for humanity and therefore represents â€Å"the bad guys†. â€Å"They came upon him shuffling along the road before them, dragging one leg slightly and stopping from time to time to stand stooped and uncertain before setting out again.†(McCarthy 49). â€Å"They followed him a good ways but at his pace they were losing the day and finally he just sat down in the road and did not get up again.†(McCarthy 49). â€Å"He was burntlooking as the country, his clothing scorched and black.† â€Å"One of his eyes was burnt shut and his hair was but a nitty wig of ash upon his blackened skull.†(McCarthy 49, 50) . â€Å"What is wrong with the man?† â€Å"He’s been struck by lightning.† â€Å"Can’t we help him?† â€Å"Papa?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"We cant help him.† â€Å"The boy kept pulling at his coat.† â€Å"Papa?† â€Å"Stop it.† â€Å"Cant we help him Papa?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"We can’t help him.† â€Å"There’s nothing to be done for him.† â€Å"They went on. â€Å"The boy was crying† â€Å"He kept looking back.† (McCarthy 50). I was agitated with â€Å"the man† during this part of the novel, because I feel that he should have at least stopped and checked on the fee... ...he thought it was beauty or about goodness.† Things that he’d no longer any way to think about at all.† (McCarthy 129,130). â€Å"The man† still shows acts of kindness towards strangers here and there in hopes that the boy will not follow in his footsteps and give up fate as well; he wants â€Å"the boy,† as McCarthy states it, to continue â€Å"to carry the fire.† This book was very interesting and pleasurable to read, I found myself intimately connecting with the characters. In some ways I found myself walking in â€Å"the man’s† shoes, not caring about humanity, and only protecting the one most precious to him (me). In some instances I also sided with â€Å"the boy† clinging to the hopes of a brighter world where there is still some purity in civilization. This novel The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a true masterpiece and I recommend it to anyone looking for a phenomenal read.

Issues †politics Essay

Boeing is one of the world’s best known manufactures of aircrafts and so is Northrop Grumman who are the manufacturers of the airbus (Online News Hour, 2008). These are two top brands who are obviously competing in other areas of business and therefore any decision that involve them is bound to raise considerable heat. It should b noted that both are American companies though Northrop Grumman is partly owned by a French company. The nature of the contract which involves the security of America as a nation is a matter of national concern as it involves the development of structures that could ensure the growth of security systems. Boeing and Grumman being business structures, such a big contract will obviously attract the interest of stakeholders from both sides. There are a number of key issues that have been brought out by the airforce contracts which include: Military contracts are a matter of public concern since it is in place to protect the public, the resources used in the military contracts are derived from taxpayers and therefore the failure of such projects will be a waste of taxpayers money (Meyer, 2007). When McCain questioned the cost effectiveness in leasing planes that would otherwise have no values when their lease period was over his motive as the senator of Alabama was to ensure that the taxpayers money is channeled to useful projects. Furthermore, it is quite clear that the politicians have the ability to shoot down potentially useful deals due to what Northrop Grumman executives refer to as expensive lobbying. Politics is not always objective for there are situations where the stakes involved are shielded from the public and though the politics and viewpoints will be developed to suit the public, the real reasons are often personal (Meyer, 2007). The inclusion of politics in such cases therefore has both advantages and disadvantages and should be weighed carefully. Military procurement just like any other public procurement scheme is prone to corruption, this was the case in the original contract that was brought to an end by Rumsfeld in 2006. Moreover, the big money involved in military procurement processes act as a natural catalysts for corruption, therefore there is need to come up with a robust self regulated systems that will ensure that such unethical practices are not in anyway included in the procurement process, the congress thus comes into the picture (Meyer, 2007). However, the political system is not known for its objectivity. In the cases, some of the reasons brought out against Northrop Grumman are flimsy and lack in objectivity. The fact that there will be lobbying is a clear sign that there will be loss in objectivity thus the decision will tend to favor groups that are be able to garner enough political support in the congress. Furthermore, the political system is one of the most corrupt system there is and the rationale in placing such a system to guard against corruption is questionable. i.Security Military procurement is a security critical matter (Meyer, 2007). The military is in place to ensure that the US is protected against its external enemies (Meyer, 2007). The seriousness with which the equipment tendering process is treated and the keen eye that the media watches the unfolding of such events relay the importance placed on the military by the American people. The US is traditionally a ‘fighting nation’ and the effectiveness of its military and equipments is one of the factors that has cemented its place as a world power. Military activities require high levels of secrecy (Meyer, 2007). There is need to come up with effective equipments that can be used in varied situations. It should be noted that the arguments brought forward by the executives from both sides are centered around the superiority of their products or the weaknesses of their opposite. The need for accuracy and well developed products that have the required reputation are some of the considerations that led to the two big companies making it to the final stage. The two companies are multinationals that have developed their brands all over the globe. It is noteworthy that when the US defense secretary cancels Boeing’s leases other nations still seek their products and are continues seeking the products that have been labeled cost ineffective due to the reputation associated with their brand name. The importance of the security system is seen in the number of avenues and legislative systems that have been put in place to ensure that the process is done in a just manner (Krishnan, 2008). When the airforce declares that Northrop Grumman had won the bid for the airforce tankers, Boeing seeks redress through a different avenue: Public accountability office. The office looks at their complaints and decides to freeze the process. It should be noted that it was the same office that had early in the decades frozen a billion dollar Boeing contract due to corruption charges. Even though there are systems put in place to ensure proper procedures in procurement of services and services, they can be outdone easily (Krishnan, 2008). The corruption allegations made in the initial Boeing contracts are a clear case where the protocols were overridden and it only came to realization a couple of months after the contracts had been signed. Furthermore, the fact that is was later found out that a different design could meet the specifications made by the airforce with reduced costs clearly show that even though the guidelines are put in place they are rarely followed thus the need for a system or authority that will follow up on the recommendations and processes to ensure that they conform to the laid out guidelines. Some politicians have argued that the French affiliation of the airbus manufacturer is in itself a security risk and therefore a purely American company should be contracted. However, such a contracting systems will obviously lock out other capable companies and therefore bring about questions on the integrity of the bidding process. America has prided itself as being a liberalized nation, putting up measures that will lock out other qualified members on the basis of the compositions of its investors is contrary to the spirit of liberalization. Furthermore, being involved with a company that has partnered with a success story in Europe shields the tanker project from American economic downtimes though it effectively ensures that the project is affected by the happening in Europe. It is unrealistic to lobby for Boeing on the basis of confidentiality; a company that has already shown traces of corruption cannot be trusted and neither can a company that is yet to prove its worth in the military sector. Therefore, system should be put in place to ensure that the projects are monitored and compared to some given standards if either is to be awarded the contract. ii. Stability The US is the father of capitalism and is therefore a country that is characterized by intense competition between industry players who will always be on the look for additional finances that will ensure their development into the future (Verkuil, 2007). On the day it was reported that Northrop Grumman had won the military contracts its share prices rose by over 20 cents and Boeing’s shares fell by a couple of cents (CBS News, 2008). Note, the development in the contract procurement were being watched by investors who will then make their decisions on which company to invest in. Even though the large money involved in the transactions may be enough to lure investors into channeling their resources to a particular company, the reputation involved in being a company contracted with one of the world’s best airforce to develop its aircraft tankers is enough to cause significant changes in the company’s share index. Being a capitalistic economy where entities gain at the expense of others, Boeing is bound to feel the pinch. The situation is made worse by the consideration that Boeing has a well developed reputation and therefore failure to win a contract from a partner that it has associated with for a long time may be taken by the investors and its consumers in the wrong light. It may imply that the partner does not trust its capacity to develop superiors products or has doubts on its potential to remain productive. To bring the idea of reputation into perspective, many are of the notion that the corruptions charges brought against Boeing may have affected its chances of successfully bidding for the contract (Verkuil, 2007). This holds considerable weight in that the military is not all about facilities but also reputation. The American people and its enemies will always keep a keen eye on the military and any transactions conducted with a partner who is proved to be corrupt will dent on its integrity thus its reputation. Conclusion Awarding a contract to a company to deliver services that are of public interest is a complex process and will always involve the media and many other systems that have been put in place to ensure the safety of the public. Individual good and interest will always be central in the arguments brought forward by most people, this is more pronounced if the contract will significantly affect many people. It is therefore upon the government and the social systems to ensure that the systems put in place to ensure effectiveness of the bidding process are functioning properly and are robust enough to deal with the dynamism associated with such processes. If need be, changes must be instituted to ensure that the system are functioning. The products delivered must measure up to some predetermined standards to ensure quality and accountability. These measures and other quality management measures if well integrated into the bidding and implementation of contracts that are of public interest will ensure that the public benefits in the best possible way. Word Count: 3271 ,Reference List CBS News (2008). Boeing Spurned On Huge Air Force Contract. Retrieved 13 October 2008 from Krishnan, A. (2008). War as Business: Technological Change and Military Service Contracting. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Meyer, J. (2007). Working in a War Zone: Military Contractors. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group. Online News Hour (2008). Boeing, Northrop Grumman Clash Over Tanker Contract. Retrieved 13 October 2008 from United States Government Accountability Office (2008). Statement Regarding the Bid Protest Decision Resolving the Aerial Refueling Tanker Protest by The Boeing Company. Retrieved 13 October 2008 from Verkuil, R. (2007). Outsourcing Sovereignty: Why Privatization of Government Functions Threatens Democracy and what We Can Do about it. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Audience, Anaylsis and Reception

Knowing the audience that you are presenting in front of is as important to knowing what you will be talking about. Most individuals are prepared with notes and other Items to help them stay on topic and well informed on the subject they are presenting on. Knowing the audience will let you know how detailed of a report you will have to write, if it is for the boss, they might except information on the topic, how the topic can be improve business, how Is this different from other organizations, the finances on how much it will take to get down.Yet If It Is for your fellow employees, they might Just want to know more Information on the topic and how It will Improve the business. Having an Idea of the audience that will be reading your report as an example like corporate executives or special guests that might be Glenn feedback on the report Is Important also. These Individuals might have specific knowledge on the topic and their research and analysis might be expected In the report and management might except feedback from them about the report.They might also except acknowledgment in the report on the Information you gotten from their research and/ or previous analysis. These potential understanding can help make a smoother report on the presenters part because they will know more of what to except after the report is read. And if these needs are not might more than likely management will look for a revised report with more specifics, management might want to let you go based on a bad report.If I had to write a report at my workplace I old know that my boss and her husband are difficult individuals to satisfy, I would have to make sure to provide as much details as possible on the subject, where I obtained the information, how credible are those resources and how will this improve their business with the finance numbers on how much will it take to get done. If the needs were not might with my report, management will except from me to improve upon what I already wrote; taking the feedback given to me or they will let me go based on a poor report on a topic that is in my Job description.

Free Essays on Urie Bronfrenbrenner

Urie Bronfenbrenner received his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in 1938, where he completed a double major in Psychology and in Music. He then went on to graduate work in Developmental Psychology, completing his Masters Degree at Harvard followed by his Doctorate from the University of Michigan in 1942. From the beginning of his scholarly work, Bronfenbrenner has pursued three themes: 1) Developing theory and corresponding research designs at the frontiers of developmental science; 2) Laying out the implications and applications of developmental theory and research for policy and practice 3) Communicating - through articles, lectures, and discussions - the findings of developmental research to undergraduate students, the general public, and to decision-makers both in the private and public sector. Bronfenbrenner has also played an active role in the design of developmental programs in the United States and abroad, including being one of the founders of Head Start. In the immediate future, he will be focusing on four main themes, looking at each to evolving theory and research to suggestion and applications for programs and policies. I. Growing Chaos in the Lives of America's Children, Youth, and Families: Consequences and Countermeasures. accumulated research evidence indicates that mounting disruptive trends taking place in our society over the past four decades have been undermining the competence and character of our America's children, youth and families to the point that continuation of our present policies and practices threatens the future of the nation. At the same time, recent advances in delopmental theory and research point not only to the intervening processes that produce this disarray but also to conditions and mechanisms that might be invoked to counteract the prevailing trends. II. Proximal Processes as Engines of Development. Proximal processes are one such mechanism. They involve "pattern... Free Essays on Urie Bronfrenbrenner Free Essays on Urie Bronfrenbrenner Urie Bronfenbrenner received his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in 1938, where he completed a double major in Psychology and in Music. He then went on to graduate work in Developmental Psychology, completing his Masters Degree at Harvard followed by his Doctorate from the University of Michigan in 1942. From the beginning of his scholarly work, Bronfenbrenner has pursued three themes: 1) Developing theory and corresponding research designs at the frontiers of developmental science; 2) Laying out the implications and applications of developmental theory and research for policy and practice 3) Communicating - through articles, lectures, and discussions - the findings of developmental research to undergraduate students, the general public, and to decision-makers both in the private and public sector. Bronfenbrenner has also played an active role in the design of developmental programs in the United States and abroad, including being one of the founders of Head Start. In the immediate future, he will be focusing on four main themes, looking at each to evolving theory and research to suggestion and applications for programs and policies. I. Growing Chaos in the Lives of America's Children, Youth, and Families: Consequences and Countermeasures. accumulated research evidence indicates that mounting disruptive trends taking place in our society over the past four decades have been undermining the competence and character of our America's children, youth and families to the point that continuation of our present policies and practices threatens the future of the nation. At the same time, recent advances in delopmental theory and research point not only to the intervening processes that produce this disarray but also to conditions and mechanisms that might be invoked to counteract the prevailing trends. II. Proximal Processes as Engines of Development. Proximal processes are one such mechanism. They involve "pattern...