Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Immigrant Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Immigrant Experience - Essay Example ead it deals in a matured manner, and analyses the complex relationship between a mother and daughter, while exploring family relationships, female intuitions, and various other interrelated subjects, against the backdrop of sexual and political violence. At the end, the novel speaks of a possibility of emotional healing, even within the realms of death and destruction. The message that this book sends out, is that, for complete emotional healing one must go beyond all political reasoning, and allow the inner self to grow and metamorphose, while coming to terms with one’s traumatic past. Dandicat dedicates her first novel to all the â€Å"brave women of Haiti, grandmothers, mothers, aunts, sisters, cousins, daughters, and friends, on this and other shores† (Dandicat, 5). This novel that portrays the travails of the lead protagonist Sophie, forges a link between the four generations of women within a family, by finding a common thread of suffering and abuse. This story with its strong political and emotional dimensions, delves into the mother-daughter relationship, and seeks to find solace at the end through various processes of self examination and self expression. There is also the complex correlation of an individual with his mother land. This is evident in the story, when we learn that Sophie was conceived when her mother was raped by a member of the Tonton Macoute (political goons in Haiti) in a cane field, which allegorically also refers to the exploitation and abuse of Haiti, the motherland. The story also portrays a community that cherishes its heritage, which speaks of courage and survival, and a strong will to fight back oppression. This heritage is transmitted through their story telling, and we see this when Sophie’s grandma tells her â€Å"if you see a lot of trouble in your life, it is because you were chosen to carry a part of the sky on your head† (ibid, 25). This tradition of storytelling to pass on the heritage is also evident in mythical

Monday, October 28, 2019

Quantitative risk assessment Essay Example for Free

Quantitative risk assessment Essay Monte-Carlo simulation is carried out using a large number of computations, using a computer, with random inputs. This method is particularly useful when it comes to â€Å"predicting† the outcome a complex eventuality. Typically, the Monte-Carlo simulation is useful when predicting the outcome of a large number inter-related factors that are â€Å"uncertain†. Predictivity using Monte-Carlo simulation is far more accurate where variables under consideration are many, uncertain and random. For this particular reason, using Monte-Carlo simulation for this study is the best choice as there are many uncertain factors that need to be analyzed for computing a risk assessment. In this study, the first step begins with the production of meat and ends with health effects that meat can probably induce in consuming subjects. There is a large interplay of uncertain factors, and the entire food chain model proposed in the study has inherent variability across most levels. 2. What comment would you make about the source of data used for the concentration of E. coli in cattle feces? Prevalence and concentration of E. Coli in cattle fecal matter was used to assess the level of contamination of the meat. The level of contamination of the meat is a pointer to the probable exposure that a consuming subject could possibly have, to E. Coli. Concentration of E. Coli in cattle fecal matter is directly related to factors like seasonality, geographical properties, and feeding practices. However, the data related to concentration of E. Coli in the cattle fecal matter was constructed without consideration for these factors. Data used for concentration of E. Coli in fecal matter was obtained using enrichment methods. The results show a wide bipolar variation, from as low as undetectable E. Coli levels to as much as 5. 0 log10 CFU/g. The data for prevalence of E. Coli in cattle fecal matter was obtained from previously held studies. However, only data from those studies was used, that primarily aimed at detecting E. Coli prevalence rates in cattle fecal matter for beef that was supposedly slated for human consumption. 3. What comment would you make about the following: †¢ modeling the distribution of feces on carcass as Uniform? Slaughtering invariably causes the fecal matter to come in contact with the meat. Skinning a carcass will lead to contamination of exposed meat due to contact with the hide. Although, fecal matter is the main source of bacterial reservoir, the nature and number of agents that can directly or indirectly participate as contaminating agents is uncertain. However, the concentration of E. Coli in fecal matter is directly proportional to the extent of meat contamination. The distribution of fecal matter on carcass surface is uneven. A dilution factor was used as a model simplification. †¢ modeling fecal contamination only on the carcass surface? As a fact, E. Coli are present in the fecal matter but not inside red meat. Contamination of red meat, therefore, occurs only when fecal matter comes in contact with it. This will usually happen during slaughtering, and the following processes like packaging and trimming. For this reason fecal contamination has been modeled only on the carcass surface. 4. Briefly (less than 500 words), discuss the practicalities and likely success of implementing each of the proposed hypothetical mitigation strategies in the paper. The author has proposed three hypothetical risk mitigation strategies for risk reduction. However, the strategies have been proposed to reduce risk as per mentioned figures, assuming that the strategy is being implemented and the desired goal is being achieved. For instance, the first strategy of regulating storage temperature control norms shows a reduced risk to over 80%. Practically, this strategy can indeed cause a large risk reduction but a protocol will need to be developed that incorporates all the levels of the proposed beef-cold-chain, starting right from the farm to the retailer. Even with a concrete legislature to make sure this strategy works, it needs to be evaluated how far would this strategy prove to be practically enforceable. With definite legislature, a good compliance can be expected out of this strategy and apparently this strategy is far more practicable, and could prove successful. Pre-slaughter screening proposes to reduce risk by over 46%. However, more variables like feeding practices, geographical locations, and seasonal variation (that affect E. Coli fecal load) need to considered, before a definite â€Å"control† level can be instated to rule out slaughters for animals that have more than a certain level of bacterial fecal concentration. The consumer information program, although with a risk reduction of 16%, is certainly a very important level wherein proper intervention can dramatically decrease E. Coli related health morbidity. Even though anticipated risk reduction is only 16%, simple measures like adequate promotional tools, could significantly increase risk reduction through mass communication; the biggest limitation however, is that compliance in this case cannot be ascertained, nor enforceable. Keeping in mind the practical limitations of each of these strategies, a prudent approach would involve application of all the three strategies in conjunct, to ensure greater risk reduction. A good reason for this approach is that due to the uncertain nature of all the factors involved in E. Coli contamination and delivery to consuming host, it appears quite difficult to determine the individual potency of each of these factors, and they would easily remain relative values. ‘Evaluation of MRSA Select, a new chromogenic medium for the detection of nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus’ 1. What is the ‘gold standard’ used to assess the sensitivity and specificity etc. of the different diagnostic tests? The sensitivity and specificity of a particular diagnostic test needs to be estimated before the test under consideration can be employed for practical purposes, to ensure that the results obtained are accurate, and of consequence. A â€Å"gold standard†, hence, is an absolute, against which results from a particular diagnostic test are compared. The gold standard, also called as the standard frame of reference, is a perfect test for the given condition, and is 100% sensitive and specific as well. 2. Is the ‘gold standard’ the same for all of the tests? Within the context of this paper, the gold standard used is same for all the tests. The gold standard used is identification of methicillin resistant S. Aureus, from nasal swabs of patients, confirmed for the mecA gene using PCR. 3. Can the tests be compared in this way? Yes, the tests can be compared this way. The same samples (n) were subjected to different growth mediums, to ascertain the presence of MRSA. All these media were specifically designed to promote the growth of MRSA. Hence, depending on the growths shown by these different media, results can be drawn and compared. 4. Are the authors’ conclusions valid? I think that the author’s conclusions are valid. Although, PCR will remain the gold standard in ascertaining presence of MRSA, the application of this procedure, to remain practically enforceable, is quite limiting. For instance, considering the sheer number of samples that an urban community hospital has to handle on a daily basis, using PCR for all instances may not be feasible all the times. In this circumstance, using simple tissue culture techniques would definitely prove to be more desirable, especially with faster results and low costs; like using the MRSA Select that will give results within 24 hours with a sensitivity and specificity over 99%. Moreover, simplicity of the test requires no complex skill set, especially compared with handling PCR techniques. References 1. Fishman, G. S. (1995). Monte Carlo: Concepts, Algorithms, and Applications. New York: Springer 2. Bell, B. P. , Goldoft, M. , Griffin, P. M. , Davis, M. S. , Gordon, D. C. , Tarr, P. I. , Bartleson, C. A. , Lewis, J. H. , Barret, T. J. , Wells, J. G. , Baron, R. , Kobayashi, J. , (1994). A multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7-associated bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome from hamburgers: the Washington experience. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 3. Vose, D. , (1996). Quantitative risk analysis: A guide to Monte Carlo simulation modelling. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester England. 4. USDA:APHIS:VS. , 1994a. E. coliO157:H7 issues and ramifications. Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO. 5. Gehlbach SH. (1993) Interpretation: sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value. In: Gehlbach SH, ed. Interpreting the medical literature. New York: McGraw-Hill 6. Apfalter P, Assadian O, Kalczyk A, et al. (2002) Performance of a new chromogenic oxacillin resistance screen medium (Oxoid) in the detection and presumptive identification of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis;44:209–11. 7. Murakami K, Minamide W, Wada K, Nakamura E, Teraoka, H, Watanabe S. (1991) Identification of methicillin-resistant strains of staphylococci by polymerase chain reaction. J Clin Microbiol;29:2240–4. 8. Safdar N, Narans L, Gordon B, Maki DG. (2003) Comparison of culture screening methods for detection of nasal carriage of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a prospective study comparing 32 methods. J Clin Microbiol;41:3163–6.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Meaning of Life Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Meaning of Life My few years on this planet have been a bit confusing. I have learned of many aspects of life from which one can draw meaning, if indeed such meaning can be drawn. I have also learned that there can be no singular meaning of life to stand for us all, or even any one of us. What I have learned above all is that trying to put words to the meaning of life is a task of absolute absurdity. This is not to be confused with the idea that life has no meaning, for life certainly has meaning. However, there is no single meaning of life to be defined - life is different for us all. Therefore, rather than define life for an entire planet, I shall try to explain what life means as I perceive it, and why it means so. When I was a child I felt as though I owned the world. I lived my young life oblivious to the struggles and triumphs of society, simply happy for being in my place with my things. On one cool January evening, as I sat in my room playing with my favorite action figures, simply holding my contentment, my father interrupted my peace to take the family out for dinner. The meal was pleasant to my knowledge, but so ordinary in itself that the meal has long been forgotten, except dessert. I wanted ice cream, but I had no care for the waffle ice cream cones; I preferred my ice cream to be served in a bowl. As I extended for my spoon, it slipped between my fingers and tumbled to the floor. I was taught to never eat with a dirty utensil, but to leave it on the floor would be impolite, so I reached for it intending to place it on the table. As my fingers grasped the shiny object, my forehead nudged the bowl of ice cream that happened to be conveniently near the edge of the table. It was a health... ...to learn - it is a reciprocal relationship, and both aspects are required elements of life. What does this mean? Does this mean that life is merely a story written from the suffering and laughing over a few revolutions around a star, while learning what can be learned before the experience is over? I try not to confuse life with such confusing meanings, for there are far too many reasons to contradict such meanings and even more opinions. Simply put, the sole purpose of life is to just go with the flow. Whatever happens should happen naturally, and it cannot happen by any other method. Even supernatural interference, if present, can be viewed as natural, for who or what am I to decide that the hand of God is not natural? Who am I to say that I am even living outside of my own mind? In conclusion, I have narrowed life to one simple purpose: to live.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Marketing – Delta Faucets

Delta Faucets – Final Project One of the most luxurious and exquisite brands in the world of faucets and bathroom fittings is Delta Faucets. The branding of Delta has been a very remarkable process – it targets the highest niche of the market with its products that have the highest finish and technological innovation. It is compelling to think how technology could be introduced in bathroom fittings and faucets. Delta faucets are embedded with technologically innovative ideas and thus are distinctive in nature from all of its competitor products. Marketing Mix Analysis Overview Established in 1954 as a home improvement and building products, Delta Faucet Company is a subsidiary of Masco Corporation. This company is one of the largest manufacturers of home fittings and building products. The company has been very innovative in the faucets business and its business philosophy has made it adopt an innovative approach to the traditional business of manufacturing home fittings. The company manufactures a wide range of home fitting products but apart from that, it has a list of patented designs and products to its credit. This includes a variety of breakthrough technologies and innovative ideas that have led to faucets being more intelligent than just ordinary home fittings. Targeted distinctively for corporate offices and exquisite homes, Delta Faucet products are not for the ordinary people. The products marketing campaign is equally exquisite and yet simple. The website of the company shows the innovative ideas that have been the reason for its success in the business and a targeted marketing strategy for corporate offices has been the key to its distinguishment from other products in the marketplace. This paper will analyze the marketing mix of Delta Faucets and dissect the different elements of its marketing strategy that have been crucial to its success. Product Delta Faucet products are home fittings and building materials that simply defy the convention. The products of Delta Faucet are value-added in that they are the result of innovation and technological embedding – Delta Faucets enabling it to be the market leader in innovative faucets and fittings patent most of these designs. The product comes in lavish packaging however, since Delta Faucet hones the â€Å"green† paradigm, the packaging is biodegradable but manages to provide the buyer an exquisite image well. Pricing Bathroom fittings and kitchen fittings that cost as much as tyre cars are the norm for Delta Faucet products. It should be remembered that Delta does not target a large population – rather it skims the top most segment of the market. It would rather be that Delta Faucets are used for corporate bathrooms than for private home fittings (Etzel, Walker, Walker & Stanton, 2003). Delta Faucet prices well above its nearest competitors enabling it to reach the premiums of high pricing. Placement Delta Faucet is not short of outlets for placing its faucets. It operates in more than 53 countries using an efficient supply chain network with reduced lead-time. The company has an extensive network of distributors and retailers that sell Delta Faucets products throughout North America and Europe. The use of information systems in its supply chain network has been one of the strongest plus factors for Delta Faucet enabling it to strengthen its placement strategies (Pelyco, 2003). Promotional Mix Delta Faucet manages to market its products using a variety of strategies: in spite of being a luxury product, Delta Faucet has been able to stir its demand over the years using corporate magazine marketing as the primary tool (About Delta, 2009). A combination of viral marketing amongst the corporate world (through secretaries of executives) is the most relied upon form of promotion at Delta Faucets. It also houses exquisite showrooms and display centers for the people that are abounded by physical marketing and the â€Å"touch and feel† of things. It is perhaps this strategy that is the most consistent with Delta Faucets. Overall, Delta Faucet has been very pervasive in its marketing and promotional strategies. It has strived to make sure that it is chosen by the top-notch sector of the society by constantly dwelling on copyright technology and innovation. Delta Faucet projects itself as a brand that is for the elite; keeping this into view, it can be concluded that the price and promotional strategy of the product are well in tandem with the products image and nature (Pride & Ferrell, 2007). Delta Faucet needs no revision of its marketing strategy: it only needs to broaden its horizons. Turning from an exquisite product to a luxury product high in demand amongst wider elite would be a better strategy for the company – and this is what Delta Faucets should be eyeing for in the near future in order to stand out against its competitors in this fiery era of globalization and expand its profitability. References About Delta (2009). Delta Faucet Company: Who are We? Retrieved on December 15, 2009 from: http://www. deltafaucetcompany. com/company/whoweare. html Etzel, M. J. , Walker, B. J. , Walker, S. , & Stanton, W. J. (2000). Marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill Education. Pelyco (2003). Delta Faucet Company achieves continued success with Peyco Supply Chain visibility solution. Retrieved on December 15, 2009 from: http://www. pelyco. com/press_release_02_20_03. htm Pride, W. , Ferrell, O. C. (2007). Foundations of Marketing: Revised Second Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Bone Detectives

IntroductionWhen we think of bones, we most often think of the way in which these hard structures support the body, how they work with muscles to produce movement and how they protect our internal organs. But the 206 bones of the human skeleton can also tell a story. The specific structure of your bones reveals information about your gender, your height, your age and even your ethnicity. These biological clues are often the first pieces of evidence scientists look to in identifying the remains of a missing person.Specialists called forensic anthropologists are trained to analyze the secrets locked in a bone’s shape and structure and can use this information to help solve crimes, trace human origins, or identify those who have gone missing. In this project, you will assume the role of a forensic anthropologist and complete a detailed examination of skeletal remains.Forensic anthropologists use a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures to predict traits from bone. T hrough a series of metric measurements and direct observation, you will gather clues about the identity of the remains that have just been unearthed in a local park.Last week, a young couple was out for an early morning run. Stopping to catch a drink, they stumbled upon what appeared to be a human skull. The police arrived at the scene and went on to unearth two skeletons lying side by side. With a huge backlog of missing person cases, the police are looking to you for answers. Who are these people lying forgotten in the park? Can these bones tell their story and finally provide closure to grieving families?In this project, you and your team of forensic anthropologists have been called in to examine the skeletal remains. Through careful observation and measurement of the bones found at the scene, you will provide the local police department information that is vital to identifying these individuals.You will analyze features of bone to determine as much as you can about each personâ €™s gender, ethnic origin, age and height. Once you have completed your tasks, you will prepare your findings in a detailed report to the police department.Equipment Computer with Internet access Laboratory journal Career journal Ward’s Sherlock Bones: Identification of Skeletal Remains Kit (2) Protractor Metric ruler Calipers (large and small) Skeletal remains- skull, pelvis, humerus and femur or tibia Laminated instruction cards and photographs (one set per station plus extra copies of the nasal index photographs) Calculator Project 1.2.3: Student Data Sheet Anatomy in Clay ® Maniken ® Skeletal system graphic organizerProcedure1. Visit the website Visible Proofs: Forensic Views of the Body presented by the National Library of Medicine at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/visibleproofs/education/anthropological/index.html.2. In the section â€Å"Learning from Bones,† complete the visual comparison activities to determine the sex and the ethnic origin of the skulls. Take notes on the bone landmarks you used in your analysis in your laboratory journal.3. Notice that forensic anthropologists use a three-race model to categorize skeletal traits. While there are obvious drawbacks to this model, race determination is considered a vital part of the overall identification process. Notice that in the National Library of Medicine site, ethnic origins are described by the scientific terms Caucasoid, Mongoloid and Negroid. In this activity, these terms will be used interchangeably with White, Asian and Black.4. To learn more about the field of forensic anthropology and the duties of a forensic anthropologist, read the two interviews found at the bottom of the page (Barbian and Sledzick). Use the ideas presented in these two discussions to come up with your own definition of forensic anthropology. Write this definition in your career journal. You  will further explore this career area in the next lesson.5. Now that you have read about the role of a forensic a nthropologist in analyzing skeletal remains, work with a team to analyze the bones from one of the unearthed skeletons. You will analyze features of bone to determine as much as you can about each person’s gender, ethnic origin, age and height. One team will be assigned Skeleton A and one team will be assigned Skeleton B. Make sure that you are only working on the bones that belong to your assigned skeleton.6. Obtain a Student Data Sheet from your teacher. Write â€Å"Skeleton A† or â€Å"Skeleton B† on the top of your data sheet in the box provided.7. Divide your team into four groups. Each group will begin at one of the four bone stations.8. Bring your Maniken ® with you to each station.9. Rotate through the four bone identification stations for your skeleton and complete your analysis. At each station, you will be asked to complete both visual comparison exercises as well as metric measurements. Determine which bone you are analyzing and locate the appropri ate data tables on your Student Data Sheet. NOTE: As you are only looking at four bones, you will not use all of the data tables displayed on the Student Data Sheet.10. At each bone station, complete the following items. Along the way you will encounter many terms for bones or for markings on bones that you may not have heard before. Use the laminated photographs and your knowledge of directional terms to help decipher these clues and complete each step of the analysis. Use the laminated Ward’s instruction card, laminated photographs, and tools at each station to complete the observations or measurements listed for that bone, and determine as much as you can about the person’s gender, race and age. NOTE: Not all bones will be used for all three categories.Work with your group to come to consensus on each trait/measurement. Record your findings on the Student Data Sheet. NOTE: Forensic anthropologists use a scaled system when assessing features from bones. For example, when they look at the shape of the eye sockets to help determine gender, they use a 5 point assessment scale, with each gender at an end of the scale. The shape may fall somewhere in the middle. Therefore, looking at multiple features is necessary to make an informed assessment. Think about this process as you  evaluate the bones.For the following structures, mark the bone or bone landmark on your Maniken ® with a pencil. Use the skeletal remains and the laminated photographs to find and identify each structure. Continue the key you began in Activity 1.2.1 and 1.2.2 to link features on your Maniken ® to your skeletal system graphic organizer. NOTE: Some of these structures may already be labeled.1. Ischium 2. Illium 3. Coccyx 4. Sacrum 5. Pubis 6. Pubic Symphysis 7. Eye Orbit 8. Nasal Cavity 9. Zygomatic Bone 10. Mandible 11. Maxilla 12. Femur 13. Humerus 14. Tibia11. If you are waiting to view your next bone, take the measurements of the enlarged skull photos in order to dete rmine the nasal index for the three ethnic groups. The procedure is outlined in the instruction card found at the skull and additional copies of this protocol should be available from your teacher. This information will be a useful comparison when determining ancestry from the skull.12. When your group has made preliminary findings regarding the gender and ethnicity of the remains, use the equations listed in the data tables to estimate height.13. To determine the probable height range of the individual, refer to the height tables and record the minimum and maximum value of the calculated height ranges (looking at both bones). Convert the minimum and maximum value to feet and inches and estimate the height range of this individual.14. Meet with your entire team to discuss  results and come to consensus on the characteristics of your assigned skeleton. You may need to go back to specific bones if groups disagree. Work together to form a conclusion about gender, height, ethnicity an d age. 15. With your group, prepare a formal case report of your findings. This typed report should be written using terminology that you understand and should include the following headings: Introduction: Provide a brief case description.Summary of Findings: Provide evidence and support for your findings for each trait – sex, ethnic origin, age and height. NOTE: You do not need to list every measurement/observation as evidence. Think about your analysis as a whole and describe how combined data led you to a conclusion. Discuss any inconsistencies in the data and address the limitations of these methods in determining identity.Further Analysis: Read the FBI file on facial reconstruction at http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/lab/forensic-science-communications/fsc/jan2001/phillips.htm/.Discuss how this technique could be used in this case. Research and report on at least two other tests/types of analysis that can be completed using the bone samples. What can we learn from these tests ? How can this information be used to identify the missing?Conclusion: Sum up the case findings and your recommendations for the next steps of the investigation in 1-2 paragraphs.Conclusion1. How did your findings compare to the rest of your team and to the actual data provided by your teacher? What could account for any variation?2. Why do you think the pelvis is often the first bone forensic anthropologists look to in determining sex from skeletal remains?3. The developmental occurrences you used to determine age stopped at age 25. What are other clues a forensic anthropologist may be able to use to determine age if the bones belong to a person over age 25?4. What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative evidence? Explain how both types of measurements played a role in this activity.5. To analyze the long bones, the femur and the humerus, you looked at bone markings such as condyles, tuberosities and trochanters. Look back at the photographs and at the bone markings on your Maniken ®. How would you describe these markings in your own words? Which features do you think separate each class of markings from the others?6. In this activity, you were able to analyze skeletal remains in order to determine four particular traits of an individual. In a real life situation, scientists could provide a more detailed description of the individual based on additional information that can be acquired from the bones of this person. Describe at least two other pieces of information you could possibly learn from bone. Make sure to provide a specific example for each piece of information.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Aravind Eye Hospital Essays

Aravind Eye Hospital Essays Aravind Eye Hospital Essay Aravind Eye Hospital Essay In the present scenario achieving effective and efficient health care services is an acute issue that needs an immediate attention. In developing countries this problem is mostly common as the government alone is not fully capable in undertaking different challenges to meet the heath needs of fast growing populations. There was a need to develop an alternate or parallel heath care system which will support the government efforts, but is self –supporting. This need was realised by Dr. GOVINDAPPA VENKATASWAMY who founded the ARVIND EYE CARE HOSPITAL  in 1976(based on the concept of McDONALDIZTION) because of his passionate concern to eradicate the problem of needless blindness in the India. This essay will analyse the impact of applying these principles of McDONALDIZATION to Arvind eye care hospital and will discuss the journey and achievements of this world largest eye care provider of the world while referring to its great positive impact on the poorer sections of the society. Firstly we will talk about the problem of needless blindness in India which led to the evolution of aravind eye care hospitals. Then we discuss about the concept of McDONALDIZATION and its  impact on aravind eye care hospitals and the leadership qualities of Dr. Venkataswamy that lead to increase the efficiency of the hospitals from two to seven times and finally conclude the global impact, advantages and contribution of this great health care system. INFINITE VISION Over 80% of blindness in India is needless and can be prevented; with this mission of eradicating needless blindness Dr. VENKATASWAMY founded aravind eye hospital in 1976 with the help of his family members. The Aravind Eye Care System is now the largest and most productive eye care facility in the world with its main  operational office in Madurai, India. Starting with modest 11 bed clinic now they have extended their operations over 5 hospitals remarkably all are self sustaining, situated in different states of southern India. A doctor at aravind perform on an average of 2000 surgeries per year(where on contrary the national average is just 220 each year) and with such experience due to increased number of patients they have developed art techniques and have become fully trained to match the excellent facilities. Each year over 1. 4 million patients our treated in these hospitals and 60%  of patients are treated free, still the business is highly profitable due to large no. of patients revenue from fee paying customers (40%) not only covers the average cost per operation (across free and paying patients) but also generates surplus funds that covers the growth and expansion cost. The key building blocks for developing Aravind Eye care system was transferring the ideas and techniques used by a well established chain of fast food restaurants McDonalds, this wide ranging process is called Mcdonaldization, that is, the process by which the principles of fast-food  restaurants are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as rest of the world (THE McDONALDIZATION OF SOCIETY by George Ritzer, 1996) , but not only restaurants business its affects can also be seen in various sectors of the society like education, health care, church services and many more. Aravind hospitals under the leadership of Dr. Venkataswamy managed to reach at peak and have turned out to be a role model business structure for other enterprises that can examine and adopt its features to establish their own successful business. Leadership a process of influencing activities of organised group in its efforts towards goal-setting and goal achievement (Buchanan Huczynski, 2010:596) Dr. G. Venkataswamy had all the leadership qualities and he perfectly adapted all the aspects and principles of McDONALDIZATION in the medical field and have been able to develop an enormous and successful business model. In 1976 on his retirement from the Government Medical College organised rural eye camps within the country and gathered their patients to the nearest hospitals base for minor treatments or surgeries (if required). Patients not only receive free medical services but are also provided foods, lodging and even return transport completely free of charge. He applied the principles of McDONALDIZATION which is a simple process that aims to train people all around the globe irrespective of their religions, cultures to produce a product in the same way and deliver it in the same manner all around the world. The founder members of aravind were interested in making a franchise of delivering eye care services with the effectiveness and efficiency of MaCDONALDS, the priority  was for the human welfare for this reason they established the aravind system (not for profit-organisation) to provide free eye care services to poorer people of society and rest can use these services at a very low price (market price). Even if they lay more emphasis on providing quantity of services but they have been able to maintain the standard quality for their products and services. The young and motivated paramedical team at aravind is the backbone of this system and are annually recruited from the nearby villages are provided with proper training like counselling, theatre duty, housekeeping etc. Being productive to meet the needs and demands of their patients they have pioneered a system that enables them to do high volume work with the help of application of principles of the McDONALDS. Aravind were the first in India who realised the need for manufacturing lenses within the country for the purpose of making these lenses available and affordable for the patients. Prior to this the lenses were imported from the western countries reason being that there was no production in the home country. Each lens would cost around $200 that was expensive and not affordable in  most of the developing countries. So the founders at aravind eye hospital decided to device their own method for manufacturing lenses with the help of Macdonaldization to cope up with the international standards and sell their production at just $5 a piece. Currently aravind are manufacturing and exporting their lenses to around 85 countries across the world to achieve global welfare prospects. He has been able to devise a system, which not only tend to delivers high quality and quantity but is also reproducible. The model is now diffused widely and there are  currently five hospitals only in Tamil Nadu that are contributing towards their primary objectives by offering nearly 4000 beds, the majority of which are free. It has moved its operations beyond cataract surgery to providing education, lens manufacturing, research and development and other linked activities around their motive of improving sight and easy access to treatment and affordability which enabled them to reach more and more sectors of the society. The principles of McDONALDS that have been applied to the aravind hospitals are the stepping stones which led to its enormous success. The principle of efficiency was achieved by aravind hospitals via evaluating the best route to achieve the targeted goals of the organisation some of them included waste reduction, elimination non-value generating activities, achieving excellence in operations, commitment for superior customer services. The MaCDONALDS principle of predictability was applied in aravind model by providing people with same products and services from one time to another or one place to another people are more likely to be treated in the same manner, no matter what their race, gender, or social class. Thus bringing consistency in their work and which led to strict optimization on the costs inquired. The application of the principle of calculability was imposed to lay more emphasis on quantity rather than quality with the aim to meet the needs of increased population of patients not only from India but including the demands from rest of the world. The most important principle of MaCDONALDS the use non human technology was well established in the aravind organisational structure that lays more emphasis on carrying out their operations with the help of machines rather than using human technology. This enabled them to do more operations and indulge in more surgeries in a year thus healing large number of patients. Dr. Venkataswamy a legendary surgeon has devoted his life’s 50years to his mission to restore sight to the blind and his work has resulted in one of the world’s most extraordinary models of service delivery. His inspiring life journey of a visionary dedicated to serving humanity outlines the evolution of the aravind model and glimpses into the spirituality that has guided both for over 50 years in service for sight. Conclusion From this case study it can be concluded that with efficient use of the principles of  Mcdonaldization aravind eye hospitals have reached their glory by accomplishing all their objectives of providing quality services to its patients at affordable prices. The principles of efficiency, predictability, calculability are aptly used in the model structure of aravind hospital that provided them with necessary boost that led to increased number of operations and lead to welfare of the society globally. All these principles enabled the organisation to reach high level of quality and helped them to become the largest provider of eye surgeries. This business model has proved that  the principles of mcdonaldization can be applied to various fields in the society with some amount of practical knowledge can lead to enormous success and with business running in the hands of Dr. Venkataswamy who has proved himself by applying his all qualities and extraordinary skills they he has gained over a long 50 years of journey enabled him to achieve all his goals to serve the society. He also quoted that â€Å"Intelligence and capability are not enough there must be the joy of doing something beautiful â€Å" Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy Aravinds unique human resource policies and well organised in-house training  activities has enabled them to recognise the best medical talent and have created a spirit of accountability and managed to create a high rate of involvement and increased their success rate. Referencing 1. BOOKS GEORGE RITZER (1996)†THE MCDONALDIZATION OF SOCIETY† CALIFORNIA PINE FORGE PRESS. 2. WEBSITES WWW. ARAVIND. ORG/ABOUTUS WWW. MROOMS. AC. CO. UK IN MAKING THIS VISION COME ALIVE DR G. VENKATASWAMY HAS NOT ONLY DEMONSTRATED CONSIDERABLE ENTREPRENEURIAL FLAIR –HE HAS CREATED A TEMPLATE WHICH OTHERS, INCLUDING HEALTH PROVIDERS IN THE ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL ECONOMIES, ARE NOW LOOKING AT VERY CLOSELY.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Krogers Grocery Store †Marketing Strategy

Krogers Grocery Store – Marketing Strategy Free Online Research Papers MKT 501 KROGER’S MARKETING STRATEGY INTRODUCTION The purpose of this report is to offer my suggestions on Kroger’s marketing strategy. In this report I will include comments on how the company should target cost-conscious consumers with products such as: discount/generic drugs, private label brands, and organic food line. I will conclude this report with a brief summary of the entire analysis, highlighting some of the more significant parts that the report contains. MARKETING STRATEGY â€Å"Kroger’s competitive strategy is that of a low cost operator that is able to sell at relatively low prices and still generate good financial return based on their cost structure. Supporting this marketing strategy of focusing on the customer.† They call this as their â€Å"Customer 1st† strategy. This marketing strategy has driven sales upward and has helped the company to offer lower prices without negatively affecting financial returns. The main key ingredient of low cost and low selling prices is the fact that Kroger offers the most extensive variety of private brand products offered by any of the traditional grocers. â€Å"In the most recent quarter private label represented almost 27% of the company’s grocery sales.† (Duff) This strategy has worked extremely well for Kroger. According, to Terry Schumacher, for the last several years identical stores tend to be in the mid-single digit range which are notably better than rival Safewa y and SUPERVALU. MY OPINION A good marketing strategy for any company to adopt, in an effort to be successful, is to understand who your customers are and what needs they would be looking to gratify. In other words you must determine who your target audiences are. Then you must create your strategy to match the strengths of your company to compliment the needs of your customer clientele. Identify the consequences, is this something that the company can accomplish without a big negative change. Take the time to research and develop a marketing plan that would boost profits for its company, as well as ensure you have the most competitive products and services in the market. The whole purpose for change in a company is to improve profitability. Some other good keys to remember when creating your marketing strategy to improve profit could be to remember your goal is to acquire more customers and persuade those customers to buy more products. These are all suggestions that I believe Kroger really took into consideration. They took a step back and looked at what their consumer wanted. Customers wanted a quality product at a reasonable price and were willing to switch brands and Kroger took advantage of that fact. Furthermore, Kroger offers a â€Å"Kroger plus Savings Card that allows members to receive special discounts on most products without having to clip coupons. In addition, Kroger is the fifth-largest pharmacy operator in the United States in number of locations, operating retail pharmacies in over 1,900 of our food stores. â€Å"During fiscal 2008, Kroger pharmacists filled over 121 million prescriptions at a retail value of approximately $6.5 billion, an increase of approximately 9% from the previous year.† (Kroger.com) Kroger also is offering a 30-day supply on hundreds of prescriptions for only $4, or get a 90-day supply for only $10. That means you can save on generic drugs used to treat a tremendo us range of medical conditions. â€Å"Health wellness and sustainability concerns are leading many of today’s customers to look for more organic choices on their grocers’ shelves, and Kroger is responding in a very big way to deliver â€Å"organics for everyone†. In August 2007, we expanded the organic product offering sold under our exclusive Private Selection ® brand. Our stores offer more than 60 Private Selection (PS) Organicâ„ ¢ items ranging from everyday staples like milk, ketchup, butter and eggs to new items like cereal, salads, and snacks. Every PS Organicâ„ ¢ product contains at least 95% organic ingredients and is USDA certified, assuring our customers that these products are grown and processed without preservatives, artificial colors or flavors. We continue to add new items to this proprietary line-up.† (Kroger.com) CONCLUSION The ideal to come up with a marketing strategy that targets specific customer needs is an outstanding idea. You want to sell products and services that customers can identify with. This ideal has become a benchmark for others to follow. Competitors are now finding themselves adapting to Kroger’s change. The key to maintaining profits into the future will be to optimize cost awareness and attract new customers and existing customers to their isles and improve the whole shopping experience. They’ve got to continue to focus on the customer. WORKS CITED 1. http://Kroger.com retrieved 16 Oct 2009 2. â€Å"Marketing Basics for the Small Business† by Laura Lake, Retrieved 12 April 2007 from http://marketing.about.com/cs/sbmarketing/l/aa060103a.htm 4. â€Å"The Capabilities of Market-Driven Organizations.† By George S. Day, Retrieved from Market Driven Strategy, New York: The Free Press.1994. Journal of Marketing, 58 (4): 37-52 on 10 Oct 2009 5. Dillon Says Kroger Strategy Delivers in Recession, Will Keep Paying By Mike Duff | Jun 7, 2009 http://industry.bnet.com/retail/10002611/dillon-says-kroger-strategy-delivers-in-recession-will-keep-paying/ 6. Terry Schumacher Major Grocery Chains: Competitive strategy Matters Retrieved 8 Oct 2009 from Http:// seekingalpha.com/article/112305-major-grocery-chains-competitive-strategy Research Papers on Kroger's Grocery Store - Marketing StrategyAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanDefinition of Export QuotasOpen Architechture a white paperThe Project Managment Office SystemTwilight of the UAWNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New Employees

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Inciting Incident 101 Definition and Expert Tips (With Real Examples!)

Inciting Incident 101 Definition and Expert Tips (With Real Examples!) What Is An Inciting Incident? Definition, Mythbusting, and Examples The inciting incident: a vitally important yet wickedly confusing element of any story. Time after time, readers and writers alike have wondered: What does it do? When does it occur? And how do you know if you’ve written a good one†¦ or if you have one at all?There’s a great deal of uncertainty surrounding inciting incidents - specifically, how they work within the context of a full narrative arc. So without further ado, here’s your all-inclusive guide to the elusive inciting incident: what it is, how it’s used, and tips on constructing your own. Inciting incidents: what they are, where to put them, and how to create your own What Is An Inciting Incident?The inciting incident is the narrative event that launches the main action. It typically occurs within the first act of the story and means something significant for the main character, most likely impacting their entire life. It should also fully engage the reader with the story, serving as an indicator of what’s to come.That being said, there are a few very common misconceptions surrounding inciting incidents - so let’s do a bit of mythbusting.Myth #1: The inciting incident is always the first thing to happen.You’ll recognize the inciting incident as the event that triggers the primary action, rather than simply the first event to occur. There may be some backstory or buildup before this, such as a conversation or scene leading up to it - but that doesn’t change its role in the story!Myth #2: The inciting incident is exactly the same as the â€Å"hook.† The hook is a dramatic description or scene that first catches t he reader’s attention. The inciting incident catalyzes the plot and solidifies that attention. Sometimes they overlap, but the incident tends to require more exposition than a hook - so don’t start thinking they’re synonymous.Myth #3: The inciting incident raises more questions than it answers.As a matter of fact, the inciting incident usually involves some kind of newfound clarity or realization for the main character. It does create some questions, but its main purpose is to give the main character a distinctive path to follow, rather than muddling it.Some of these ambiguities can definitely be confusing. Fortunately, we have plenty of examples on hand to show what we’re talking about. Here are five famous inciting incidents to illustrate how they function in a story. Reedsy mythbusting: 3 common misconceptions about inciting incidents #getthefacts Inciting Incident Examples1. Hagrid telling Harry he’s a wizard"Harry - yer a wizard." "A what?" gasped Harry. "A wizard, o' course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' a thumpin' good'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit.†- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,  p. 39One of the most famed catalysts (and indeed best moments) in all of literature is Hagrid revealing to Harry Potter that he’s a wizard. Suddenly, all the strange occurrences leading up to this scene make sense: Harry somehow getting up onto his school roof, making the glass disappear at the zoo, and of course, his uncle’s refusal to let him read any of his letters.This incident perfectly exemplifies the features outlined above: it completely absorbs the reader, sets the main plot in motion, and involves a pretty major revelation for Harry. While some might argue that elements of the buildup - such as Harry receiving his fir st letter - could be called â€Å"inciting incidents,† this is the scene where Harry truly begins his journey.What's the inciting incident in your story? Share it with us in the comments!

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Case Study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Case Study - Research Paper Example County, Western Walsh County, Grand Forks, Pembina, Cass County and Williams among the counties and areas that have already received flood warnings from National Weather Service in 2010 (NWS Report, 2010). Indeed, the â€Å"heavy winter snowstorms in 1997 led to massive spring flooding along the Red River thereby resulting in migration and displacement of more than ten per cent (10%) citizens† in North Dakota. This not only hampered the economic growth because of a sudden seize in business activities but also disrupted the society at large. It is worthwhile to mention that the financial burden had to be absorbed by US government, which initiated the move to ensure settlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in North Dakota with the assistance of International welfare agencies, Non-governmental and Inter governmental organizations. Some of the examples of flood related agencies include Red Cross, The Salvation Army, FEMA, North Dakota Department of Emergency Services, National Weather Service and others etc (Edward, 2000). It must be highlighted that North Dakota has already observed severe storms and flooding in March 2009 followed by recent flooding in March and April 2010 that in turn have increased vulnerability of residents of this state. In fact, residents of affected counties and areas are left with no other option but to migrate to safer places. This paper is an attempt to highlight the impact of natural disasters specifically on Cass County of North Dakota state. The paper will then throw light over the argument that vulnerability seems to be decreasing in Cass County because the experts have measured risk of only 1.4 out 10 in this particular area. In addition, the paper will also discuss any possible economic effects of flooding on Cass County and draw conclusions after analyzing the latest available information and facts. Finally, the paper will end up with a prediction about Cass County’s vulnerability and its future that will be supported by

Friday, October 18, 2019

Crimes Against Persons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Crimes Against Persons - Essay Example Kidnapping is when you take someone without their permission by force. Sometimes this crime is done using some sort of scam or another way to lure the victim away from their comfort zone. According to the article (Bakhtiari, 2011) the police were still looking for a motive for the crime. Many things could have caused this such as the boyfriend getting mad at the girlfriend because she was trying to break up with him. Another reason could be that they had to live in the hotel because they lost their home. Also one of them could have lost their job thereby leading to problems. The boyfriend could also have some sort of mental disease that would cause him to get angry and violent in a matter of minutes. The brutality of the crime could show anger and that the crime was personal. There could be so many factors that led to this and prevention of this crime would be based on what caused it. One way to see if someone has a violent tendency is to check their background. The FBI offers this s ervice and so do some other websites. By checking the background of individuals you date or have relationships with, you can determine if they are safe to be around. Considering that Florida is not known for many murders, the location of the crime does not seem to be a factor.

Considering your lifetime goals, discuss how your current and future Essay - 1

Considering your lifetime goals, discuss how your current and future academic and extra-curricular activities might help you achieve your goals - Essay Example r, the main motivators for me to choose computer engineering over mechanical engineering were the following: first and foremost, computer engineering is such a relevant course at this point in time. It is a well known fact that computers are part and parcel of our every day activity. This is one field that is a key driver of innovation in several fields such as education, communication, business as well as entertainment. I am a very curious person and naturally would like to be part of this tremendous change. Secondly computer engineering is a challenging as well as creative field. There are various applications of computer engineering that makes for extremely challenging and creative projects. This is therefore to mean that working as a computer specialist exposes one to such activities as provision of security for extremely sensitive information, development of systems capable of processing scientific data, creation of web-based applications, developing software for innovative mobi le devices as well as many more. This makes the work interesting and leaves one yearning and curious for his/her next venture. Thirdly, computer engineering is one of the most lucrative fields in the world. Computer engineers are some of the highly paid professionals since they are forever in high demand. Thus computer engineering is a dynamic field and is amongst the top fields for exciting and fresh job growth all through the remaining better part of this century. The future, without any doubt, is full of promises and there is no doubt at all that computers are permeating every part of our culture. With technology changing every day, no one can tell for sure what exciting possibilities one’s career may take. This therefore makes me want the more, to be in a strategic position where I can contribute in this great transformation of our society, unlike mechanical engineering which lacks that (Garner, 2003). In addition, I am very particular about my future plans and for this reason I

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Employment LAw Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employment LAw - Case Study Example Additionally, there is direct discrimination. The UK company law requires that all employees should undergo rigorous training before undertaking any sought of job. Louise ignores this fact and fails to equip Paul with relevant skills pertaining to his cashier job. In fact, she does not even intend to make arrangements of training the newly employed worker. According to Delaney and Huselid (2010, p. 956), any inconvenience in service delivery is attributed to the lack of training. In this regard, the bank manager takes advantage of his lack of experience and directly mistreats him before the bank clients. The harassment of Paul is humiliating given that the boss victimized him while the bank clients were watching. The Employment Act, 1996, classifies any abuse and disparaging remarks as harassment. The UK equality Act 2010 stipulates that every citizen has a right to fair and non-discriminative treatment (Hofstede, 2008, p. 67). The Act covers discrimination based on sex, disability a nd belief. This situation notwithstanding, the common law includes discriminatory treatment of employees, in the prohibition. The UK legislation also allows all workers to be members of trade unions. The unions serve as a shield for the workers. Besides the common law legislation, the trade union protects the welfare of all employees who have subscribed into trade union membership (Schuler, Randal and Susan, 2008, p. 34). The move of Paul was inappropriate because leaving the job was not a solution to his problem. He should seek the indulgence of the trade union in the matter and invoke the relevant legislation to his favor. There are many options open to Paul. He can seek constructive dismissal from the job, which will call for a comprehensive compensation of service delivery. Paul also has the option of being reemployed by the assistance of the employment tribunal. The UK transfer of the Undertaking Regulation Act

Managing Construction Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing Construction Project Management - Essay Example Managing Construction Project Management It is clearly stated in the Standard Forms of Contract in UK that the building contractors are not made responsible for the building construction delays due to â€Å"exceptionally inclement weather†. However, the act of protecting the building contractors from project delays due to â€Å"exceptionally adverse weather conditions† is commonly used by almost all architects and building construction companies as a legal excuse for not completing a building project on a timely basis. Extreme changes in weather does not only cause delay on project deadline but also leads to the increase in mitigation costs, changes in the building technicalities, delayed completion of project payments, changes in the building design, and possible problems related to labour management. In line with this, Eggleston revealed that â€Å"an adverse weather should never be considered as a legal ground for contractors’ failure to perform their contractual obligations†. Building projects are usually defined by its scope, the available budget, and scheduling. Aiming to minimize the risk of future construction delays caused by adverse weather, this report will focus on discussing the significance of weather when making assumptions for the bidding and scheduling phases of the new construction project. Aside from discussing the partial and/or total ownership of risks associated with extreme weather events, the long-term extreme weather condition will be assumed based on the current scientific information that will be gathered and thoroughly discussed in this report.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Employment LAw Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employment LAw - Case Study Example Additionally, there is direct discrimination. The UK company law requires that all employees should undergo rigorous training before undertaking any sought of job. Louise ignores this fact and fails to equip Paul with relevant skills pertaining to his cashier job. In fact, she does not even intend to make arrangements of training the newly employed worker. According to Delaney and Huselid (2010, p. 956), any inconvenience in service delivery is attributed to the lack of training. In this regard, the bank manager takes advantage of his lack of experience and directly mistreats him before the bank clients. The harassment of Paul is humiliating given that the boss victimized him while the bank clients were watching. The Employment Act, 1996, classifies any abuse and disparaging remarks as harassment. The UK equality Act 2010 stipulates that every citizen has a right to fair and non-discriminative treatment (Hofstede, 2008, p. 67). The Act covers discrimination based on sex, disability a nd belief. This situation notwithstanding, the common law includes discriminatory treatment of employees, in the prohibition. The UK legislation also allows all workers to be members of trade unions. The unions serve as a shield for the workers. Besides the common law legislation, the trade union protects the welfare of all employees who have subscribed into trade union membership (Schuler, Randal and Susan, 2008, p. 34). The move of Paul was inappropriate because leaving the job was not a solution to his problem. He should seek the indulgence of the trade union in the matter and invoke the relevant legislation to his favor. There are many options open to Paul. He can seek constructive dismissal from the job, which will call for a comprehensive compensation of service delivery. Paul also has the option of being reemployed by the assistance of the employment tribunal. The UK transfer of the Undertaking Regulation Act

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Locally Abundant' - Sustainable Food Documentary Essay

Locally Abundant' - Sustainable Food Documentary - Essay Example Agriculture is one current field wich require changing for the purpose of meeting the increase in demand. It is possible to terminate poverty, hunger and sustain food security without damaging the environment. To ensure that such an elaborate level becomes viable, there is need to utilize the water, energy, fertilizers, chemicals and lands (Steel, 2013). Organic farming is increasing and gaining popularity and is practiced in many countries in the world. Farmers who accept to use renewable resources and conserve the soil and water to prevent environmental pollution for the coming generation produce certified organic food. Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from an animal, which are given growth hormones and antibiotics (Francis, 2012). These foods are produced without using artificial preservatives, synthetic pesticides, and fertilizers. Removing agrichemicals is not enough to turn conventional farming to organic farming. Organic farming is an active labor-intensive process. For instance, organic farmers use compost manure and practice crop rotation to nourish soil naturally and allow the soil to regenerate. Plants grow well in healthy soil and avoid being contaminated with pesticides (Steel, 2013). Organic farmers are careful about how they store and dispose of their animal waste in order not to pollute water and air. They crops that are suitable to the soil and climate. Organic farming promotes biodiversity since it allows the growth of more than one crop. Therefore preventing soil erosion and conserves energy (Francis, 2012). Moreover, it assists in reducing greenhouse gasses, which leads to global warming. Practicing organic farming is important since it is a humane treatment of animals especially poultry and cattle. They are fed by certified organic diet rather than depending on antibiotics to reduce diseases. They prevent diseases by ensuring the live a healthy lifestyle and

Monday, October 14, 2019

Miracles provide great hope for a hurting world Essay Example for Free

Miracles provide great hope for a hurting world Essay Miracles can provide great hope for a hurting world because they can be a last resort when all else fails. If someone has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and doctors have given up on them, the hope for a miracle can be the only thing that keeps them from total despair. When nature seems insufferably cruel, believing that God can overcome nature is infinitely reassuring. Miracles also reaffirm the believer’s faith, thus providing hope. Miracles by their very nature are sign that reveal God’s great nature. For example, the Bible records that when Jesus was crucified a great darkness covered the land. This miracle has been historically verified by contemporary middle-Eastern historians Thallus and Africanus. Miracles such as this can be used to convert people to God and give them a sense that he cares for them, thus providing hope. Theologians such as Dr Michael Brown assert that miracles are proof of God’s continued presence in this world through the Holy Spirit, and if we pray earnestly we may be able to experience a miracle. Jesus himself said, â€Å"ask and it shall be given unto you. † Finally, miracles point to an eternal hope beyond this world. They suggest that this world is not all there is; there is another much greater world that we catch glimpses of through miracles. The miracle central to Christianity – Christ’s resurrection – can give a hurting person hope. Christ said that, â€Å"In my father’s house there are many rooms, I will go to prepare a place for you. † Even if they are not healed in this world, the miracle of the crucifixion gives them the hope that they can experience heaven. On the other hand, miracles may not provide hope and happiness because they are so sporadic and seemingly random. Wiles said that miracles were the work of, â€Å"a capricious and arbitrary God. † By this he was referring to the fact that God heals some and not others. Why doesn’t God heal all sick children, instead of a select few? This calls God’s traits into question. If he was omnibenevolent he would want to heal everyone, and if he was omnipotent he would have the power to do so. But he doesn’t, so this calls his very existence into question. Therefore miracles do not provide hope. Dawkins also disagrees with the premise that miracles could provide hope. He claimed that miracles were simply events that fell towards the end of the probability spectrum, and if they do occur they are immense luck. He believes that there is no point in raising people’s hopes for an event that statistically will never occur to them. Many believers, particularly more conservative ones, would believe that miracles and wonders have mostly ceased in our time and what the hurting world really needs for hope is faith. Scholars such as Dr James White believe that modern churches that place far too much emphasis on needing miracles for hope are pushing people away from true, saving faith in Christ. Jesus himself chastised the people for only wanting to see signs and wonders rather than having true faith. Furthermore, miracles are not what is needed to provide hope for a hurting world. Science is. Instead of wasting time praying for individual healings, we should pour out time and energy into discovering cures and vaccines instead. Atheists such as Hawking use smallpox as an example. The human race was able to eradicate this disease through effort, intelligence and science. There was no need for divine intervention to cause hope. Overall, even if miracles are not real, what is wrong with giving desperate people a bit of hope? Nearly all nations have their own accounts of miracles which bring their people hope, it is unlikely they are all wrong.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Effect of Globalization on Market Processes

Effect of Globalization on Market Processes This is the concept is well established in the current market process, Globalization is the international process and activities. Generally globalization means countries interrelated and integrated each and other. But academics and professionals provide different definition to globalization as follows, (Suny Levin institute) Globalization is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven byinternational tradeandinvestmentand aided byinformation technology. This process has effects on theenvironment, onculture, on political systems, oneconomic developmentand prosperity, and onhuman physical well-beingin societies around the world Ambassador Gà ©rard Stoudmann Globalization is a process that encompasses the causes, course, and consequences of transnational and Trans cultural integration of human and non-human activities.† Anthony McGrew’s Globalization [is] a process which generates flows and connections, not simply across nation-states and national territorial boundaries, but between global regions, continents and civilizations. This invites a definition of globalization as: ‘an historical process which engenders a significant shift in the spatial reach of networks and systems of social relations to transcontinental or interregional patterns of human organization, activity and the exercise of power. Sociologist Cesare Poppi â€Å"The literature stemming from the debate on globalization has grown in the last decade beyond any individual’s capability of extracting a workable definition of the concept. In a sense, the meaning of the concept is self-evident, in another, it is vague and obscure as its reaches are wide and constantly shifting. Perhaps, more than any other concept, globalization is the debate about it Generally, globalization has affected many nations in various ways; economically, politically, and socially. It is a term that refers to the fast integration and interdependence of various nations, which shapes the world affairs on a global level. Globalization has affected the products people consume, the environment, culture, security, and idea exchange between different countries. There are many factors that lead to the speedy globalization trends. Factors drive the globalization Globalization is the current strength of business and organization globalization is occurred for the following drivers otherwise globalization cannot achieve the better position in the market. Specially globalization emphasis drivers or factors illustrate under three category that are Market drivers Cost drivers Competition drivers Environmental drivers Market drivers Customer needs and wants is the main concern in the globalization, today market moves to updated service and process, but the organization consider the customer wants and need and they move to purchase the product and service from different area, then geographically every country they haven’t an entire resources, then the organization need a international support to achieve the market position. Global customers are other important factors who determine the international business and globalization, earlier the customers are requires the local product, and their requirement was limited to local but today international organization and multinational organization makes the customer limit into global, then the organization makes the international business and covers global customers as well International channeling and communication is another factor that drive the globalization today, telecommunication services are developed in many factors that makes the globalization into more effective and efficient, basically telecommunication development makes the globalization into effective and efficient. Technology There are many powerful factors of demand changes but the preference factor is technology. Today world is technology world. Technology affects and makes the changes in entire sectors. When the technology will change or update then the less period the organization can evaluate the sign of demand changes. Day to day technology development makes the organization survival into more difficult, but the organization also includes the innovation and create new concept into the business Strengths of market drivers Today a market driver makes the globalization into more effective and efficiency, there are many global areas, and business sector makes the process and business into standard. Specially banking industries, Soft drink industries, automobile industries, computer, aircraft industries are makes the market strength, and many industries uses the globalization to achieve the better position in the market as well. Traditionally and Separate different national markets are merging into one huge global marketplace where the preferences tastes and purchasing behavior of consumers in different nations are starting to converge to some global model. Cost drivers Second major important sector that determine the globalization is cost drivers, basically organization provide more importance for two activities, which are income level and cost, organization used the globalization to increase the income level and reduces the cost. Global scale economics, production different, changing technology, production development cost are the major factors that affect the globalization. Competitive advantages, absolute advantages are mostly consider under the cost drivers. Organization cost and scale of cost determines the globalization, firstly every organization consider the cost, and compare the cost, then the organization moves to less cost product and service, then the organization can increase the profit and income. Cost drivers are makes the activities and process into more better. Being lowers its overall costs by sourcing, manufacturing, and selling aircraft worldwide. Government and environmental factors Government and environmental factors that directly drive the globalization, trade policy is the main concern in the government sectors, every country that have a special government policies, and procedures, then the organization cannot freely provide the service to the market, then the organization must adopt to the government. government policies, and there economy policy decide the globalization activities as well. Government is another factors influence in the demand. Mostly government makes some changes and update in the country ongoing g process. Sometime country government directly influence in demand. Introduce new tariff, Tax holidays, newly product imports, increase or decrease Tax Government awareness programs, provide market ideas to citizen, political inflexible, Government budget deficit and etc. The above government intervention makes the changes in the demand and Government can make every changes so this is the more risky and powerful factors in demand changes Government system and procedures changes are another impact of the globalization. System and procedures changes inform that culture of the organization is different from the others. When government every small changes will makes the system also to be change. Simply government system and procedures are depending in country policy and economy scale., changes in government procedures, include new system, reporting power change, authority structure change, new people arrivals and economy interest rate, inflation rate are the major changes occurs after influence government drivers of globalization. Competitive drivers Every sector face the problem of competition, many academic people argued that the competition is the best sign for the healthy marketing. Today business is customer based business and the customers are king. Organization avoid the customer needs mean that is the major risk to the company. Globalization strategy is the better strategy to faced the competition challenges, Organization faced many problems in the internal and external factors, every organization provide the close competition to the product and service, then the organization need to up-date the product and service, makes the innovation services are more important to the organization, then the organization expand its service and range by day to day and that makes the globalization into more effective and essentials. Advantages and disadvantages of globalization Many years and decades that the above concept under the debates, because the organization and country were received the mixed results on globalization. Many development countries received the positive result from globalizations and developing countries failed to receive the positive result. There are many impacts that occurred from the globalization as follows, Globalization has positive side and negative side to both country and business as well. Specially economy that describes that income level increase, GDP and GNP level increase, market expansion, technology development, innovation and creativity activities, market trend increase, global standard products, quality of the product and service, and etc. But other side of the globalization that describes that country loss their own nature, and cultural impact, increase the poverty, market and resources are highly consumed, environmental impacts, social and individual attitude changes, and etc Advantages of globalization International Trade Today international trade and achieve the better market position are the main concern of international trade. International trade has become wider its possibility with the help of business process outsourcing, purchase and sale of product and service are not the only two transactions involved in international trade. International trade reduce the border of nation to nation and that makes the economy into more strength, specially international business process as well import and export are became huge growth, that impact to income per person and process. GDP and GNP increase is the another milestone advantage to the country and net profit increase, gross profit and profit margin increases are another favourable aspects in the globalization, when international market reduce the tariff, release the tax and other government intervention, then many investors interest to increase the investment in the market. Higher Sales Once product, service or company gets on the radar screen of scenario, it increases chances that consumers will make a purchase. As knowledge becomes a truth, it is also the point where new customers start to extend the word, telling friends and family about this remarkable new product they exposed. Sales will steadily increase as spreads. Without employing marketing strategies, these sales may not have ever happened Healthy Competition Marketing also foster an environment in the marketplace for strong completion. Marketing hard work get the word out on pricing of products and services, this not only reaches the future consumers, but also reaches other companies competing for the consumers’ business. As opposed to companies that have a control on products and services that can blame almost any price, marketing helps keep pricing competitive for a business to try to win over consumers before its competition does. Without competition, well known companies would continue to sell while lesser known companies or new companies would situate little possibility of ever becoming successful. Marketing facilitates the healthy competition that allows small businesses and new businesses to be successful enter and grow in the marketplace Innovation and Intellectual Property The strength of enterprise is able to be seen across the victory stories that characterize many of businesses. The will to be successful even with the chances is what drive to grow businesses from position up, globalization makes the business into more effective and makes the human resource into more effective, that makes the creativity thoughts and innovation. Other favourable advantages of globalization as follows, Channel Execution system and implementation of recognized social media channels (Face book, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Foursquare, YouTube, LinkedIn, Interest and more). Strategy Implementation put into practice and personalizes your social marketing tactic including designing, building and executing social media tactics. Campaign activities generate designs and a satisfied marketing strategy that correspond with a specific campaign or promotional materials. Online Reputation Management make the most of proactive discussion monitoring to assist brands to listen, understand and connect in conversations in social media. Blogger Relations Conduct blogger outreach campaigns to influence the influencers and boost the reach of your messaging. Event Integration integrate social media into events, shows, and conference to increase alertness, word of mouth marketing and contribution Communication Communication and telecommunication development makes the organization process into effective. Today globalization makes the process and procedures into effective. Information technology has played a vital role in bringing the countries closer in terms of communication every single information is easily accessible from almost every corner of the world. The Internet has significantly affected the global economy, thereby providing direct access to information and products. Disadvantages of globalization Loss of Culture Every nation they have separate culture, and that recognize the country, After the globalization not impact on economy but also impact on culture, then that makes negative impact, and another economy cultures that directly influence on local country culture, and economy.. With large number of people migrate into and out of a country. They tend to follow the foreign culture more, forgetting their own roots. This can give rise to cultural conflicts. Monopoly Monopoly is a situation where in only one seller has a say in a particular product or products. It is possible that when a product is the leader in its field, the company may begin to exploit the consumers; the leader takes full advantage of the sale of its product, which may later lead to illegal and unethical practices being followed. Monopoly is disastrous as it widens the gap between the developed and developing countries. Environmental issues Every organization that entered to another economy and operate the business in different countries, then the globalization moves the capital into one place to another place then the organization starts the large investment, then the country or organization mislead the resources, that makes the process into defective. Monopoly Monopoly is a situation where in only one seller has a say in a particular product or products. It is possible that when a product is the leader in its field, the company may begin to exploit the consumers. As there exists no close competitors, the leader takes full advantage of the sale of its product, which may later lead to illegal and unethical practices being followed. Monopoly is disastrous as it widens the gap between the developed and developing countries. Developed countries can suppress development of undeveloped and under-developed countries, then the development countries uses the developing countries for only resource requirement, then the organization or developing countries are not interest in the globalization Economic depression in one country can trigger adverse reaction across the globe. It can increase spread of communicable diseases. Companies face much greater competition. This can put smaller companies, at a disadvantage as they do not have resources to compete at global scale.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Half Brothers By Elizabeth Gaskell and My Oedipus Complex By Frank

The Half Brothers By Elizabeth Gaskell and My Oedipus Complex By Frank O'Connor These two stories are very different upon first glance. For example one is about a pair of half brothers set in Victorian times and the other is about a small child named Larry who thinks he's a lot wiser then he is. However, if you look deeper you can start to find similarities between the two. They have similar themes, and links can be made between them. A big difference between them is the titles. For example 'The Half Brothers' is a very self evident title but 'My Oedipus Complex' is a little more obscure. 'My Oedipus Complex' is ironic because although Larry does have a strong attachment to his mother it is an exaggeration to call it an Oedipus Complex. The title is almost as if the narrator is mocking himself. 'The Half Brothers' is indeed about two half brothers. Another difference between the titles is that they make they reader react in different ways. For example 'My Oedipus Complex' is an intriguing title whereas 'The Half Brothers' is simple and obvious. The reader would be more drawn towards 'My Oedipus Complex' because the word 'Oedipus' is unknown and the word 'complex' makes the story seem interesting and almost mysterious. The title of "The Half Brothers" wouldn't catch the reader's eye because it is boring and the words are all familiar. When looking at the general themes of the two stories it becomes clear that they are very similar. For example both have the theme of jealousy. In 'The Half Brothers' it is William Preston's jealousy of Gregory and in 'My Oedipus Complex' it is Larry and his father's jealousy of each other first and then of Sonny. In both stories it is jealousy of a mother's love, ... ...the ending of 'The Half Brothers' makes the reader think, because of it's regretful conclusion whereas the ending of 'My Oedipus Complex' doesn't give the reader a lot to ponder on as it is a simple happy ending. This makes the stories suitable for different types of reader. If they want a light-hearted book 'My Oedipus Complex' is more suitable but if they want a book that teaches them a lesson then they should choose 'The Half Brothers'. Overall I preferred 'My Oedipus Complex' to 'The Half Brothers'. This is because it is set more recently and the language is easier to understand, I found it easier to relate to. Also it was humorous. 'The Half Brothers' also had good points such as it made me think and gave me a greater understanding of Victorian language. 'The Half Brothers' is a more educational story whereas 'My Oedipus Complex' is light reading.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Research Problem Essay

1 WHAT IS A RESEARCH PROBLEM? A research problem is the situation that causes the researcher to feel apprehensive, confused and ill at ease. It is the demarcation of a problem area within a certain context involving the WHO or WHAT, the WHERE, the WHEN and the WHY of the problem situation. There are many problem situations that may give rise to research. Three sources usually contribute to problem identification. Own experience or the experience of others may be a source of problem supply. A second source could be scientific literature. You may read about certain findings and notice that a certain field was not covered. This could lead to a research problem. Theories could be a third source. Shortcomings in theories could be researched. Research can thus be aimed at clarifying or substantiating an existing theory, at clarifying contradictory findings, at correcting a faulty methodology, at correcting the inadequate or unsuitable use of statistical techniques, at reconciling conflicting opinions, or at solving existing practical problems. 2 IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM The prospective researcher should think on what caused the need to do the research (problem identification). The question that he/she should ask is: Are there questions about this problem to which answers have not been found up to the present? Research originates from a need that arises. A clear distinction between the PROBLEM and the PURPOSE should be made. The problem is the aspect the researcher worries about, think about, wants to find a solution for. The purpose is to solve the problem, ie find answers to the question(s). If there is no clear problem formulation, the purpose and methods are meaningless. Keep the following in mind: †¢ Outline the general context of the problem area. †¢ Highlight key theories, concepts and ideas current in this area. †¢ What appear to be some of the underlying assumptions of this area? †¢ Why are these issues identified important? †¢ What needs to be solved? †¢ Read round the area (subject) to get to know the background and to identify unanswered questions or controversies, and/or to identify the the most significant issues for further exploration. The research problem should  be stated in such a way that it would lead to analytical thinking on the part of the researcher with the aim of possible concluding solutions to the stated problem. Research problems can be stated in the form of either questions or statements. †¢ The research problem should always be formulated grammatically correct and as completely as possible. You should bear in mind the wording (expressions) you use. Avoid meaningless words. There should be no doubt in the mind of the reader what your intentions are. †¢ Demarcating the research field into manageable parts by dividing the main problem into subproblems is of the utmost importance. 3 SUBPROBLEM(S) Subproblems are problems related to the main problem identified. Subproblems flow from the main problem and make up the main problem. It is the means to reach the set goal in a manageable way and contribute to solving the problem. 4 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The statement of the problem involves the demarcation and formulation of the problem, ie the WHO/WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY. It usually includes the statement of the hypothesis. 5 CHECKLIST FOR TESTING THE FEASIBILITY OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM | | |YES |NO | |1 |Is the problem of current interest? Will the research results have social, educational or scientific value? | | | |2 |Will it be possible to apply the results in practice? | | | |3 |Does the research contribute to the science of education? | | | |4 |Will the research opt new problems and lead to further research? | | | |5 |Is the research problem important? Will you be proud of the result? | | | |6 |Is there enough scope left within the area of reseach (field of research)? | | | |7 |Can you find an answer to the problem through research? Will you be able to handle the research problem? | | | |8 |Will it be pratically possible to undertake the research? | | | |9 |Will it be possible for another researcher to repeat the research? | | | |10 |Is the research free of any ethical problems and limitations? | | | |11 |Will it have any value? | | | |12 |Do you have the necessary knowledge and skills to do the research? Are you qualified to undertake the | | | | |research? | | | |13 |Is the problem important to you and are you motivated to undertake the research? | | | |14 |Is the research viable in your situation? Do you have enough time and energy to complete the project? | | | |15 |Do you have the necessary funds for the research? | | | |16 |Will you be able to complete the project within the time available? | | | |17 |Do you have access to the administrative, statistic and computer facilities the research necessitates? | | | | |TOTAL: | | |

Thursday, October 10, 2019

A Cross-Country Analysis

THE IMPACT OF REGULATION ON ECONOMIC GROWTH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: A CROSS-COUNTRY ANALYSIS 1 ABSTRACT The role of an effective regulatory regime in promoting economic growth and development has generated considerable interest among researchers and practitioners in recent years. In particular, building effective regulatory structures in developing countries is not simply an issue of the technical design of the most appropriate regulatory instruments, it is also concerned with the quality of supporting regulatory institutions and capacity.This paper explores the role of state regulation using an econometric model of the impact of regulation on growth. The results based on two different techniques of estimation suggest a strong causal link between regulatory quality and economic performance. Key words – economic growth; regulation; governance; developing countries; institutions. JEL classification: C23,I18, L33, L51, L98, O38, O50 2 Acknowledgement We would like to thank three referees for their perceptive comments on an earlier draft of this paper. The usual disclaimer applies. 3 1. INTRODUCTIONThe role of an effective regulatory regime in promoting economic growth and development has generated considerable interest among researchers and practitioners in recent years (e. g. World Bank, 2004). Regulation can take many forms and the form of regulation policy adopted in developing countries has shifted over time (Minogue, 2005). From the 1960s to the 1980s, market failure was used to legitimise direct government involvement in productive activities in developing countries, by promoting industrialisation through import substitution, investing directly in industry and agriculture, and by extending public ownership of enterprises.However, following the apparent success of market liberalisation programmes in some developed countries, and the evidence of the failure of state-led economic planning in developing ones (World Bank, 1995), the role of state regulati on was redefined and narrowed to that of ensuring an undistorted policy environment in which efficient markets could operate. Deregulation was widely adopted, often as part of structural adjustment programmes, with the aim of reducing the â€Å"regulatory burden† on the market economy.Privatisation and the more general process of economic liberalisation in developing countries have produced their own problems and failures and have resulted in the current focus on the regulatory state (Majone, 1994, 1997). The regulatory state model implies leaving production to the private sector where competitive markets work well and using government regulation where significant market failure exists (World Bank, 2001: 1).Arguably, however, the performance of the new regulatory state remains under researched, especially in the context of developing countries with their own peculiar economic and social problems and institutional characteristics. Building effective regulatory structures in de veloping countries is not simply an issue of the technical design of the regulatory instruments, it is also concerned 4 with the quality of supporting regulatory institutions and capacity (WorldBank, 2002: 152). Many of the institutions that support markets are publicly provided, and the effectiveness of these regulatory institutions will be an important determinant of how well markets function. The quality of regulatory governance will affect regulatory outcomes, which in turn can be expected to impact on economic growth. This paper explores the role of regulation in economic growth using an econometric model.More precisely, it assesses through econometric modelling the impact of variations in the quality of regulation on economic performance. Although earlier studies have looked at governance as a cause of cross-country productivity or income differences (Olson, et al. , 1998; Kauffman and Kraay, 2002), this paper differs in concentrating on regulation rather than wider governance issues. The results confirm that â€Å"good† regulation is associated with higher economic growth. The rest of the paper is organised as follows.Section 2 reviews issues in the literature pertinent to the debate on the role of regulation in economic growth, before turning to regulatory measures and proxies for the quality of regulation. In section 3 the models used are presented. Section 4 deals with a descriptive analysis of the data and reports the regression results. The results confirm that the quality of state regulation impacts positively on economic growth. development policy. Finally, section 5 provides conclusions and the implications for 5 2. LITERATURE REVIEW (a) Regulation TheoryThe theory of economic regulation developed from the nineteenth century and the literature is now vast (for recent reviews, see Laffont and Tirole, 1993, 2000; Levy and Spiller, 1994; Newbery, 1999). The case for economic regulation is premised on the existence of significant market failu re resulting from economies of scale and scope in production, from information imperfections in market transactions, from the existence of incomplete markets and externalities, and from resulting income and wealth distribution effects.It has been suggested that market failures may be more pronounced, and therefore the case for public regulation is stronger, in developing countries (Stiglitz 1998). More recent theoretical contributions to the regulation literature have provided a model of regulation for network industries that recognises the particular structural and institutional characteristics of developing countries and have highlighted the role of effective regulation in achieving equitable and sustainable expansion of infrastructure services in the poorer countries of the world (Laffont, 1999a; 2005).However, regulation of markets may not result in a welfare improvement as compared to the economic outcome under imperfect market conditions. In particular, information asymmetries can contribute to imperfect regulation. The regulator and the regulated can be expected to have different levels of information about such matters as costs, revenues and demand. The regulated agent holds the information that the regulator needs to regulate optimally and the regulator must establish rules and incentive mechanisms to coax this information from the private sector.Given that it is highly unlikely that the regulator will receive all of the information required to regulate optimally to maximise social welfare, the 6 results of regulation, in terms of outputs and prices remain â€Å"second best† to those of a competitive market, which centres attention on barriers to entry (Djankov et al. , 2002). Shapiro and Willig (1990) argue that state ownership provides more information to regulators than private ownership, so contracting should be less problematic when the state both owns and regulates.However, state ownership is associated with inadequate incentives to gathe r and use this information to maximise economic welfare (Hayek, 1945). In other words, there tends to be a trade off between state ownership reducing the information asymmetries and hence transaction costs of regulation and the relative incentives under state control and private ownership for agents to maximise economic efficiency (Grossman and Hart, 1986; Sappington and Stiglitz, 1987; Shapiro and Willig, 1990; Yarrow, 1999).Welfare-improving regulation assumes that the regulatory authority’s actions are motivated by the public interest. This has been criticised by public choice theorists who argue that individuals are essentially self-interested in or out of the public arena and it is necessary, therefore, to analyse the regulatory process as the product of relationships between different groups (Buchanan, 1972). This has been refined in the concept of â€Å"regulatory capture†, which involves the regulatory process becoming biased in favour of particular interests.I n the extreme case, the regulatory capture literature concludes that regulation always leads to socially sub-optimal outcomes because of â€Å"inefficient bargaining between interest groups over potential utility rents† (Newbery, 1999: 134; also, Laffont, 1999b). In the Chicago tradition of regulatory capture (Stigler, 1971; Peltzman, 1976), regulators are presumed to favour producer interests because of the concentration of regulatory benefits and diffusion of regulatory costs, which enhances the power of lobbying groups as rent seekers (Reagan, 1987). 7Regulation is also subject to â€Å"political capture†; indeed, political capture may be a much greater threat than capture by producer groups outside of the political system. Where political capture occurs, the regulatory goals are distorted to pursue political ends. Under political capture, regulation becomes a tool of self-interest within government or the ruling elite (Stiglitz, 1998). More generally, it is to be e xpected that both the process and outcomes of a regulatory regime will be determined by the specific institutional context of an economy, as reflected in its formal and informal rules of economic ransacting (North, 1990). By setting the â€Å"rules of the game†, institutions impact on economic development (World Bank, 2002; Rodrik et. al. , 2004). Economic development is seen not simply as a matter of amassing economic resources in the form of physical and human capital, but as a matter of â€Å"institution building† so as to reduce information imperfections, maximise economic incentives and reduce transaction costs. Included in this institution building are the laws and political and social rules and conventions that are the basis for successful market production and exchange.In particular, relevant modes of conduct in the context of the regulatory state might include probity in public administration, independence of the courts, low corruption and cronyism, and tradit ions of civic responsibility. â€Å"Institution building† including building a â€Å"good† regulatory regime is one of the most difficult problems facing developing countries and the transition economies at the present time (Kirkpatrick and Parker, 2004). (b) Regulatory Quality and Development OutcomesThe outcome of a regulatory system can be assessed against the yardsticks of effectiveness and efficiency. Effective regulation achieves the social welfare goals set down by the government for the regulatory authority. In developing countries, the social welfare objectives of regulation are likely to be not simply concerned with the pursuit of economic 8 efficiency but with wider goals to promote sustainable development and poverty reduction. Efficient regulation achieves the social welfare goals at minimum economic costs.The economic costs of regulation can take two broad forms: (1) the costs of directly administering the regulatory system, which are internalised within government and reflected in the budget appropriations of the regulatory bodies; and (2) the compliance costs of regulation, which are external to the regulatory agency and fall on consumers and producers in terms of the economic costs of conforming with the regulations and of avoiding and evading them (Guasch and Hahn, 1999). Regulatory quality can also be assessed in terms of the criteria for good governance. Parker (1999: 224) argues that a well-functioning regulatory system is one that balances accountability, transparency and consistency. Accountability requires the regulatory agencies to be accountable for the consequences of their actions, to operate within their legal powers, and to observe the rules of due process when arriving at their decisions (e. g. to ensure that proper consultation occurs). Transparency relates to regulatory decisions being reached in a way that is revealed to the interested parties.The third process which provides regulatory legitimacy is consistency. Inconsistent regulatory decisions undermine public confidence in a regulatory system. Inconsistency leads to uncertainty for investors, which raises the cost of capital and may seriously damage the willingness to invest. Since political intervention tends to undermine regulatory consistency, and politicians may be prone to alter the regulatory rules of the game for short-term political advantage, consistency is a primary argument for some kind of â€Å"independent† regulator.This discussion suggests that the capacity of the state to provide strong regulatory institutions will be an important determinant of how well markets perform. An economy with a 9 developed institutional capacity is more likely to be able to design and implement effective regulation, which should contribute to improved economic growth. Weaknesses in institutional capacity to deliver ‘good’ regulation may be predicted to affect adversely economic development (World Bank, 2002). Evidence on th e quality of regulation in developing countries is limited though growing.But where research has occurred, the evidence suggests that the results of state regulation have been disappointing. A recent study of 13 Asian countries found that 80% of regulators had no access to training and regulatory offices were usually understaffed. The report concludes: â€Å"Asia’s governments rely too much on under-equipped and unsupported independent regulators to carry out tasks that are beyond their capabilities† (Jacobs, 2004: 4). In Latin America there is often a lack of political support for independent regulation and a lack of commitment to maintaining regulatory independence (Ugaz, 2003).In the context of Africa, it was found that â€Å"regulation is being examined as part of individual sector initiatives, but these efforts are uncoordinated, and implementation is being left to follow privatization instead of being put in place concurrently† (Campbell-White and Bhatia, 1998: 5). A similar pattern of regulatory weaknesses can be discerned in the evidence for individual countries. In India, regulatory structures are associated with acute failures in institution building and with a bureaucratic approach that curtails enterprise (Lanyi, 2000).South Africa’s proliferation of regulatory bodies is associated with a lack of clarity about roles and responsibilities and with the adoption of policy-making roles independent of government (Schwella, 2002: 3). In Malawi, the electricity industry regulator remains closely connected to the state electricity industry, compromising any notion of real regulatory independence and encouraging capture. 2 In Sri Lanka, the policies governing the regulatory process are judged to have been ad hoc and based on short-term political interests, with deficiencies apparent at each stage of 10 the process (Knight-John, 2002).Experiences in the transitional economies also demonstrate much variability in the performance of the newly established regulatory institutions (Cave and Stern, 1998). In recognition that not all is well, the World Bank (2001: v) has stressed the importance of â€Å"improving regulatory regimes and building institutions and capacity effectively to supervise the private sector†. The Asian Development Bank (2000: 18) has also emphasised the need for improved regulation. Several papers have identified the causal effects of better governance on higher per capita incomes in the long run, using regressions with nstrumental variables on a cross-section of countries (Barro, 1997; Hall and Jones, 1999; Kauffman and Kraay, 2002). The causal chain between governance and economic outcome has also been examined. Some studies find that the quality of governance and institutions is important in explaining rates of investment, suggesting that one way in which better governance can improve economic performance is by improving the climate for capital creation (World Bank, 2003; Kirkpatrick , Parker and Zhang, forthcoming,). Olson et al. 1998) find that productivity growth is higher in countries with better institutions and quality of governance. Kauffman and Kraay (2002) reinforce these findings, relating the quality of governance to economic outcomes using a data set covering 175 countries for the period 2000-01. (c) Measures of Regulatory Governance The literature suggests, therefore, that the ability of the state to provide effective regulatory institutions will be an important determinant of how an economy performs. The major variable of interest is the quality of regulation.Other researchers have operationalised the 11 broader concept of governance using two different groups of variables. The International Country Risk Guide (ICRG) data set is produced annually and covers three aspects of government – bureaucratic quality, law and order and corruption (Political Risk Services, 2002). Each variable is measured on a points scale with higher points denoting b etter performance with respect to the variable concerned. The assessment is based on expert analysis from an international network and is subject to peer review.The ICRG variables have been used as proxies for the quality of governance in research (Neumayer, 2002; Olson et al. , 1998). The second set of governance variables comprises a set of six aggregate indicators developed by the World Bank and drawn from 194 different measures (Kauffman, Kraay and Mastruzzi 2005). These indicators are based on several different sources (including international organisations, political and business risk rating agencies, think tanks and non-governmental bodies) and a linear unobserved components model is used to aggregate these various sources into one aggregate indicator. The indicators are normalised with higher values denoting better governance. The six indicators provide a subjective assessment of the following aspects of a country’s quality of governance: Voice and accountability: res pect for political rights and civil liberties, public participation in the process of electing policy makers, independence of media, accountability and transparency of government decisions. Political instability: political and social tension and unrest, instability of government.Government effectiveness: perceptions of the quality of public provision, quality of bureaucracy, competence of civil servants and their independence from political pressure, and the credibility of government decisions. 12 Regulatory quality: burden on business via quantitative regulations, price controls and other interventions in the economy. Rule of law: respect for law and order, predictability and effectiveness of the judiciary system, enforceability of contracts. Control of corruption: perceptions of the exercise of public power for private gain.The focus of this study is on regulation rather than governance. We therefore use the two variables in the World Bank data set that come closest to capturing t he quality of the outcome and process dimensions of regulation, namely the regulatory quality and government effectiveness indices. The regulatory quality index measures the regulatory burden on business associated with inefficient quantitative controls and can be taken as a proxy for the quality of the outcomes of applying regulatory instruments. The government effectiveness index measures the quality of ublic provision, competence of civil servants and the credibility of government decisions, and can therefore act as a proxy for the process dimensions (consistency, accountability, transparency) of regulatory governance. The objective of the empirical analysis reported below, in section 3, is to test for a causal link between regulation quality and economic performance. The approach is to adopt a growth accounting framework, where economic growth is used as the measure of economic performance and regulation is entered as an input in the production function.Neoclassical growth model ling began with the work of Solow (1956), who employed a neoclassical production function to explain economic growth in the USA during the first half of the twentieth century. Important assumptions of this approach are constant returns to scale and diminishing returns to investment, which imply that for a given rate of saving and 13 population growth economies move towards their steady-state growth path. This can be extended to differences in income levels between countries, to argue that in the long run income per capita levels will converge.A lack of empirical support for convergence and the presence of a large, unexplained â€Å"residual† factor in the function estimates have presented a major challenge to these models. The endogenous growth theory put forward by Romer (1986) and Lucas (1988) led to renewed interest in economic growth analysis. An important advantage of endogenous over traditional growth models is that, through the assumption of constant or increasing retu rns to a factor input, in particular human capital, it is possible to explain a lack of growth and income convergence between countries and to account more fully for the residual factor in Solow-type analyses.The â€Å"growth accounting† exercises, popularised by Barro and others (Barro, 1991, 2000; Barro and Sala-i-Martin, 1992), fall within the generalised Solow-type growth model. An important characteristic of this Most empirical approach is the inclusion of various indicators of economic structure. research using this approach has found evidence of â€Å"conditional† convergence, where convergence is conditional on the level or availability of complementary forms of investment, including human capital and a supportive policy environment.This suggests that the failure of developing countries to converge on the income levels of developed countries may be attributed, at least in part, to institutional factors. 4 The importance of institutional capacity for the design and implementation of effective economic policy has been demonstrated in various empirical studies of cross-country growth, for example Sachs and Warner (1995) and Barro (2000). A similar approach is adopted in this study to examine the role of regulatory institutional capacity in accounting for cross-country variations in economic growth.An issue that needed to be addressed at the outset is causality. It could be argued that instead of regulatory quality determining economic growth, regulatory quality could be determined 14 by the economy’s growth rate. Economies that grow faster are able to generate higher levels of income and are therefore able to support the development of better institutions. Or, alternatively, there may be a level of simultaneity, in the sense that institutional quality generates more sustained economic growth, which in turn supports more and better regulatory institutions.The Granger causality test is commonly used in empirical work to establish the di rection of causation. However, this test is sensitive to the length of lags of the variables used and therefore requires a relatively long time series dimension to be able to select the right length of lag and to be relatively confident about the conclusion drawn. Since the time dimension of our regulation data is limited, we are unable to apply the Granger causality test.Fortunately, there is a substantial literature that indicates that better governance leads to higher income rather than causation being in the opposite direction (Olson et al 1998; Acemoglu et al 2000; Rodrik et al 2004). Kauffman et al (2005: 38) implement an empirical procedure for testing for causation, which leads to the identification of strong positive causal effects running from better governance to higher per capita incomes and suggest that a one standard deviation improvement in governance leads to a two- to three-fold difference in income levels in the long run. The authors state, ‘Some observers ha ve argued that †¦.. here is a strong causal impact of income on governance. However, we argue that the existing evidence does not support a strong causal channel operating in this direction – most of the correlation between governance and per capita income reflects causation from the former to the latter’ (Kauffman et al 2005, p3). They conclude: â€Å"available evidence suggests that the causal impact of incomes on governance is small. Rather, the observed correlation between governance and per capita incomes primarily reflects causation in the other direction: better governance raises per capita incomes†.However, we accept that because we are unable to rigorously demonstrate causation in our modelling, the results should be read with this caveat. 15 Endogeneity is another issue that should be addressed. To cope with the possible problem of endogeneity, a 2SLS or IV technique can be used. But to to do this effectively requires good sets of instruments for the variables that potentially could suffer from this problem, including lags of the variables concerned. Once again, data availability, particularly relating to the regulatory proxies, does not permit an effective test for endogeneity.We accept that this remains a weakness. 3. THE MODELLING The approach used in the modelling is to assume that each country’s production possibility set, in common with most literature in this area, is described by a Cobb-Douglas production function: Yit Ait K it Lit (1) where Y is the output level; A, level of productivity; K, stock of capital; and L, stock of labour – ‘i’ and ‘t’ stand for country and time respectively. Assuming that the production function exhibits constant return to scale with respect to physical inputs, (2) can be written in per capita terms as: yitAit k it (2) where lower case letters refer to per capita units. Assume a simple Keynesian capital accumulation rule according to the following s pecification: 16 dk / dt sy (n )k (3) where dk/dt is the rate of change of the per capita capital stock, which is assumed to be equal to the flow of saving (equal to investment) minus capital depreciation and the growth of the labour force. In this equation s is the share of gross saving in output per capita, is the depreciation of capital and n the rate of growth of population as a proxy for the growth of the labour force.Setting (3) equal to zero gives us the steady state solution for the stock of per capita capital; k=sy/(n+ ). Taking the logarithm of both sides of equation (2) and replacing the steady state solution for k from above into (2) gives the steady state solution for output per capita, which is as follows: * ln ( yit ) [1/(1 )][ln Ait ln ( sit /(nit it )] (4) Where (*) above the variable signifies the steady state solution. We adopt the Mankiw et al. (1992) assumption that economies move towards their steady state solution according to the following approximation: n yi t lnyi 0 * (lnyit lnyi 0 ) (5) where y0 stands for the initial level of per capita income, and (1 e t ) is the adjustment dynamic towards steady state, where ‘ ‘ is the speed of convergence. From (5) we can solve for the growth of per capita output, which is as follows: 17 git * ( / t ) (lnyit lnyi 0 ) (6) * Replacing ( lnyit ) by its equivalent from (4), gives us a relationship for actual growth of per capita output: git ( / t (1 ))[ln Ait ln( sit /( nit it )] ( / t )lnyi 0 (7) Total factor productivity plays an important role in growth. We assume that ts dynamic takes the following form: Ait Ai 0 e it (8) Where Ai0 specifies the initial level of productivity and ‘ ’ its rate of efficiency growth per period. Substituting for A from (8) into (7), per capita growth of output (g) is represented by the following relationship: g 1 ln Ai 0 2 i 3 ln( sit /(nit it )) 4 lnyi 0 (9) where 1 / t (1 ), 2 /(1 ), 3 / t (1 ), and 4 / t. Adding some control and qualitative variables as well as a stochastic term to (9) provides the model which we use to assess the role that regulatory quality plays in economic growth. 18Variables added to equation (9) broadly follow the growth empirics literature, such as Barro (1991, 2000), Mankiw et al. (1992) and Islam (1995). Amongst the control variables included in most empirical research are initial conditions, both in terms of the level of development (as proxied by GDP per capita) as well as human capital and institutions. Most also include proxies for the macroeconomic environment such as inflation, trade openness and the government’s involvement in economic activities. Qualitative variables can also be added to account for specific events in a country, as well as data heterogeneity when panel data are used.In our analysis, depending on the nature of data set constructed, we make use of all or some of these variables with the aim of ensuring that our regressions are appropriately specified. In the cont ext of our specification in (9), similar to Temple and Johnson (1995), we make the additional assumption, drawing on the literature relating to regulation in developing countries reviewed earlier, that the rate of efficiency growth ’ ’ directly varies with the quality of regulatory institutions in the country.Those countries with good institutions in place can design and implement policies that allow them to continue with their future growth. If instead the country in question lacks or has a weak institutional structure, its growth potential is likely to be diminished because the design and implementation of appropriate policies are then adversely affected. In the case of developing countries, in particular, to be able to benefit from being a latecomer in terms of industrialisation and grow at a high speed to â€Å"catch up†, it is important that institutional supports are present to realise the potential for income convergence.One of the control variables that is likely to be important in this context, is initial institutional quality. In the absence of better information about the initial institutional quality, we adopted 19 educational attainment as a proxy variable. At first reading this may seem an unusual choice, but our proxy, secondary school enrolment, is correlated with the regulatory governance variables we are using (see Table 1 below) and it has been successfully used as a proxy in other studies. 5 The finding that education is highly correlated with our regulatory variables is an nteresting finding in itself and one worthy of exploration in future research. We apply two methods of estimation to the model specified by equation (9). One is based on cross-section analysis, in which we attempt to measure directly any possible impact that regulation has on economic growth. The second is based on panel data, in which we indirectly estimate the growth contribution of regulation. The reason for applying different estimation procedure s is due to our data on the indexes of regulation; we have a few observations per country.Therefore, for the cross-section regression we average the relevant data over the period 1980-1999 and combine the result with the regulation data. 6 This allows a direct measure of the possible role that regulation plays in growth, using equation (9) as a base to estimate 2 . In the second method we adopt a variant of the one applied by Olson et al. (1998) and apply the fixed effects technique7 to the panel data constructed. This data set combines cross-section and time-series data for the countries included in the first data set.This procedure, which essentially involves including a dummy for every country in the estimated equation, produces consistent estimates even where data are not available for some time-invariant factors that affect growth. The fixed effects estimator does require, however, that each included variable varies significantly within countries. Clearly, even if available, th e regulatory variables may not satisfy this requirement since institutions usually change slowly. The estimation procedure, therefore, involves two stages. We first regress GDP per capita growth in each country per period, git on ln ( sit /(nit it it ) plus a set of country dummies. The coefficient on the country dummies reflects the effect on growth of all the 20 time-invariant variables, including regulatory institutions. In the second stage we use the coefficients of the country dummies as the dependent variable and regress them on the measures of regulatory quality and control variables. The coefficients on the measures of regulatory quality in the second stage regression reflect the impact of regulation on GDP per capita growth after controlling for capital accumulation and certain other variables. 4. THE DATA AND THE REGRESSION RESULTSData for the regulatory quality measures were set out in Kauffman et al (2005) and are available for downloading from the World Bank web site. 8 As discussed earlier, the two regulation indicators used from this study are regulatory quality and government effectiveness measures. Other data required for the regression analysis were taken from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators. The data set used in the analysis covers 117 countries for the cross-section regression and 96 for the panel version of the regression (for a full list of the countries see the Appendix).Although the main focus of the study is the impact of regulation on economic performance in developing countries, a heterogeneous data set was used including some transitional and advanced countries as well as developing ones. The reason for including some nondeveloping countries was to improve the statistical reliability of the results by including more countries, with regional dummies used to capture the differing levels of economic development. However, as a cross-check on our results we repeated our analysis removing the developed countries from the data base. The results were substantially unaffected (these results can e obtained from the authors). As information on regulatory governance is only 21 based on one year, in the cross-section model, all other variables were converted into one period by averaging for 1980-2000. Initial effect variables relate to 1980. For the panel version, the data cover the period 1980-2000 (in common with most empirical research in this area, and in order to remove short-term disturbances as well as business cycle effects from the data, we have converted the time series data for the variables into 5-year period averages covering 1980-84, 1985-89, 1990-94 and 1995-99).However, the time series dimension is not complete for a number of the countries in the data set and therefore the panel data are unbalanced, containing 432 observations. Table 1 provides the correlation coefficient matrix for the key variables used in the study. (Table 1) The first data column in Table 1 shows the simple correla tion coefficients between the dependent variable, GDP growth per capita, and possible explanatory variables. The correlation coefficients have the expected signs.The correlation coefficients between the indicators of regulatory governance, namely government effectiveness and regulatory quality, and GDP per capita growth have the expected positive sign. The bivariate correlations between inflation and the regulatory proxies used are negative, supporting the proposition that economies with better regulatory governance are also better able to design macroeconomic policies that stabilise the economy and control inflation.There is also a high correlation between the logarithm of initial GDP per capita and initial secondary school education, both of which are in turn correlated with the various proxies for regulatory governance. 9 This suggests that, included in the same regression, parameter estimates for these variables may not be individually reliable, due to multicolinearity. This is also the case with the two regulatory proxies that we intend to use in the analysis, namely government 22 effectiveness (GE) and regulatory quality (RQ). These two are highly correlated and herefore cannot be included in the same regression in order to estimate each variable's contribution. For this reason we considered first the contribution of each of these proxies to growth in separate regressions, and then combined them by addition to form a composite regulation variable (RQGE). Before formal analysis of the model specified in (9), we checked for the possibility of convergence in our data. In general, the literature does not support unconditional convergence (Barro, 2000; Mankiw et al. , 1992; Islam, 1995) but instead finds evidence of conditional convergence. We investigated this issue using regulatory governance as a ossible pre-condition for convergence. Table 2 presents the results. There is no indication of unconditional convergence (Reg. 1 and 2), the sign on the initial G DP per capita variable (LIGDPPC) is positive. However, once an indicator of governance is included (RQ, GE and RQGE), as in Reg. 3 to 5, there is an indication of conditional convergence in the form of a negative sign. Differences between growth experiences of countries are partly explained by their state of regulatory quality. There is no indication that there is any significant regional difference in this context (cf. reg. -8, which include regional variables for Africa, Asia and Latin America). (Table 2 here) In addition to combining the two regulatory proxies (RQ and GE), and in the light of high correlation between the two, the first principal component of these two was generated (PCRQGE) and this composite index was used as a regulatory proxy. Results generated based on this proxy, as indicated by Reg 5a in table 2, are the same as those reported using 23 RQ, GE and RQGE10. We repeated this process taking into account the other four indicators of governance identified by Kauff man et al (2005) and detailed earlier.The first principal component of all the six indicators of governance (termed PC All) was generated, as well as one based on the four, excluding RQ and GE – termed PC Others. Reg 5b and Reg 5c in Table 2 include the results based on these composite indexes. Inclusion of the four indicators of governance alongside or instead of the two regulatory proxies combined (RQGE) and its principal component (PCRQGE) has a marginal effect on the parameter estimates for the other variables in the regression, but the signs remain the same. The coefficient values for PC All and PC Others are, however, lower than for the other regulation variables.We interpret this result as being an indication of the differential influence of different governance proxies on growth. In other words, a possible criticism of our findings that various measures on institutional quality could be highly correlated and that it is institutional quality rather than the quality of regulation in particular that matters is not borne out. More precisely, the regulation proxies we have used (RQ, GE, RQGE and PCRQGE) seem to have a higher impact on growth than the other four indicators of governance identified by Kauffman et al (2005) reflecting wider institutional factors.Therefore, regulation rather than governance issues more generally seems to have the larger impact on growth. 11 Having considered the issue of convergence and considered the possible relative effects of regulation and governance issues more generally on growth, Tables 3 and 4 report results based on the formal analysis of the data. The results address the main focus of the research, the impact of regulation on the growth in GDP per capita. The results reported in Table 3 are based on the model specified in equation (9) using OLS and cross-country data, as detailed above.Table 3 reports ten regressions, each containing different combinations of the independent variables in our data set. The econ omic variables in the full set of regressions 24 tested included the variables derived from the model itself, as specified in equation (9), and measures for general inflation, trade, government expenditure, as well as the regional dummies. However, with the exception of inflation these other variables proved to be statistically insignificant at the 10% level or better and therefore, to economise on space, the results are not reported.The inflation variable was found to be statistically significant and negative, suggesting that unstable macroeconomic conditions have a negative effect on economic growth. (Table 3 here) The regional dummies were used to test the hypothesis that different regions may have characteristics that affect growth differently. This is validated with respect to Asia, confirming that this region had, on average, performed better with respect to economic growth than other regions in the period studied. A dummy for Africa and Latin America were found to be statisti cally insignificant. We also included the initial level of human apital, as measured be secondary school enrolments, as a proxy for the initial level of â€Å"institutions†. As indicated in Table 1 this variable is highly correlated with initial GDP per capita, and the results in Table 3 confirmed that it has a negative sign and is statistically significant. This result supports the conditional convergence hypothesis. The regulatory variables are correctly signed and statistically significant in all cases. The sign and level of significance of the parameter estimates for these regulatory proxies indicate that they have a statistically significant and positive effect on economic growth.Based on the estimates for the combined regulatory variable (RQGE), a unit change in the quality and effectiveness of regulation is, on average, associated with approximately an 0. 6% to 0. 9% 25 increase in economic growth, everything else remaining equal. As with the other results reported, th e regulatory proxies used here seem to have a larger impact on growth than do the other governance proxies, namely the variables PC All and PC Others. One objection to our analysis so far is that we have used regulatory data for 2000 only. Perhaps the regulatory environment has changed substantially during the period 1980-2000.Unfortunately, World Bank regulatory data do not exist prior to 1996. But as a cross-check on the stability of the results if regulatory data for other years from 1996 are used, we first considered the correlation between the World Bank regulatory indicators between 1996 and 2000. The results gave correlation coefficients of 0. 92 to 0. 99 confirming a high degree of stability. Nevertheless, we then re-ran our regression reported in Table 3 using regulatory indicators (constructed as before) but for 1996, 1998 and 2000 separately. The results were almost identical.As discussed earlier, the stability in the governance variables plus the very limited observation s on governance (a maximum of two for each country) caused us to rule out the use of regressions based on panel data. (Table 4 here) Table 4 reports results based on the second method of estimation, which, as discussed earlier, involves two stages. In the first stage, by applying a fixed effect technique to the panel data, we arrive at the following regression results: GDP per capita = 0. 133 Log net12 gross capital formation – 0. 148 Log initial GDPPC (6. 41)* (6. 57)* 26 +0. 4 Log net schooling + Country Dummies (1. 84)** Adjusted R2 =0. 21; number of observations=432 The figure in brackets is the t-ratio; * (**) indicates significance level at 5% (10%). From the above, the regression parameter estimate associated with the country dummies is saved and used as the dependent variable in the regressions reported in Table 4. For reasons of space we report only a sub-set of the full results. We exclude reporting regressions including the full set of independent variables used, a s detailed in Table 1, because a number of them proved to be statistically insignificant.Our main interest in the regression results reported in Table 4 is with the role that the regulatory proxies are playing in explaining the variation in the country dummies. The results are consistent with those reported in Table 3. Even though the parameter estimates for the regulatory variable are lower, regulatory governance still affects the growth performance of an economy. The regional dummies in this case are all negative and statistically significant, relative to the control group which is advanced countries13.These changes in the results were investigated and seem to reflect the differences in the modelling methods adopted, suggesting that in this type of research the modelling can affect the results. Nevertheless, the overall picture that emerges is that the quality and effectiveness of regulation has a positive effect on growth using both models. 27 5. CONCLUSIONS The provision of a re gulatory regime that promotes rather than constrains economic growth is an important part of good governance. The ability of the state to provide effective regulatory institutions can be expected to be a determinant of how well markets and the economy perform.The impact of regulatory institutions on economic growth will depend on both the efficiency of the regulatory policies and instruments that are used and the quality of the governance processes that are practised by the regulatory authorities, as discussed in the early part of the paper. This paper has tested the hypothesis that the efficiency and quality of regulation affects the economic performance of an economy. Two proxies for regulatory effectiveness were included separately and then combined as determinants of economic growth performance, using both cross-sectional and panel data methods.The results from both sets of modelling suggest a strong causal link between regulatory quality and economic growth and confirm that the standard of regulation matters for economic performance. The results are consistent with those of Olson et al. (1998) who found that productivity growth is strongly correlated with the quality of governance, and Kauffman et al (2005) who found that the quality of governance has a positive effect on incomes. As we highlighted earlier, the proxies we use for regulatory governance are correlated with a number of other institutional proxies.One could argue, therefore, that what we have established could equally hold for the link between institutional capacity in general and economic performance. However, the literature reviewed earlier in the paper is consistent with institutional capacity playing a strong and complementary role to regulatory governance 28 and the principal component analysis undertaken is supportive of this view. Nevertheless, the ability to model separately institutions in general and regulatory institutions or governance in particular remains problematic because of their potential complementarity.Hence, our results are perhaps most safely interpreted as demonstrating the importance of regulatory quality for economic growth in the context of wider institutional capacity building. Also, we acknowledge that in our analysis there is no control for the different regulated industrial sectors including privatised industries. Hence, the results need to be interpreted with care because of the heterogeneity of the sectors covered. The possibility that regulatory quality inputs differently across different industrial sectors cannot be ruled out.Unfortunately, data limitations prevented us from pursuing this issue. Finally, we acknowledge that the direction of causation between economic growth and regulatory quality deserves further investigation, Nevertheless, despite these caveats, we believe that there are good a priori grounds for assuming that better regulation leads to more rapid economic growth and that our empirical results are consistent with the view that â€Å"good† regulation is associated with higher economic growth in lower-income economies. 29 APPENDIX (a) List of countries included in the dataset14:Angola; Albania; Argentina; Australia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belgium; Benin; Burkina Faso; Bangladesh; Bulgaria; Belarus; Bolivia; Brazil; Botswana; Canada; Switzerland; Chile; China; Cote d'Ivoire; Cameroon; Congo, Rep. ; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Dominican Republic; Algeria; Ecuador; Egypt, Arab Rep. ; Spain; Estonia; Ethiopia; Finland; France; Gabon; United Kingdom; Georgia; Ghana; Guinea; Gambia; Greece; Guatemala; Guyana; Hong Kong (China); Honduras; Croatia; Haiti; Hungary; Indonesia; India; Ireland; Iran, Islamic Rep. Iceland; Israel; Italy; Jamaica; Jordan; Japan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kyrgyz Republic; Korea, Rep. ; Lebanon; Sri Lanka; Lesotho; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Latvia; Morocco; Moldova; Mexico; Macedonia; Mali; Malta; Mozambique; Mauritius; Malawi; Malaysia; Niger; Nigeria; Nic aragua; Netherlands; Norway; New Zealand; Pakistan; Panama; Peru; Philippines; Papua New Guinea; Poland; Portugal; Paraguay; Romania; Russian Federation; Senegal; Singapore; Sierra Leone; El Salvador; Sweden; Syrian Arab Republic; Togo; Thailand; Trinidad and Tobago; Tunisia; Turkey; Tanzania; Uganda; Ukraine; Uruguay; United States; Venezuela; Vietnam; Congo, Dem.Rep. ; Zambia; Zimbabwe. 30 NOTES 1. The World Bank defines good governance as â€Å"epitomized by predictable, open and enlightened policy making; a bureaucracy imbued with a professional ethos; an executive arm of government accountable for its actions; a strong civil society participating in public affairs, and all behaving under the rule of law† (World Bank, 1997). 2. 3. One of the authors of this paper has been involved in the design of regulatory institutions for Malawi.This expresses the observed data in each cluster as a linear function of the unobserved common component of governance, plus a disturbance ter m to capture perception errors and sampling variation in each indicator. 4. However, neither neoclassical nor endogenous growth theory gave regulation an explicit role. By assuming that output is at the limit provided by the available factor inputs and technology, neoclassical growth theory implicitly assumed no regulatory distortions. 5. Benhabib and Spiegel (1994) argue that the initial level of human capital can affect the growth path of productivity.Olson et al (1998) also use secondary school enrolment as a proxy explanatory variable in their growth study. 6. The most recent data set provided by Kauffman et al (2005) provides bi-annual data on indicators of governance over the period 1996-2004. In common with most empirical research in this area, we have converted time series data on the variables we have used in this study into 5-year averages for the period 1980-2000. However, if we were to do the same with the regulatory indices available it would give us only one observatio n for each country. If we were to extend our data to 2004, we would get two observations on these indices.Time dimensions of data on regulatory governance in either case would be too few to be able to apply panel data. In addition, given that these indicators change very slowly over time, as also acknowledged by Kauffman et al. , and that they only relate to the most recent periods, we do not find it informative to try to use them in a panel data analysis. We were able to confirm the stability of the regulation variables by replacing the data for 2000 with data for 1996 and 1998. The effect on our results was negligible (the results can be obtained from the authors). 7.There are two estimation procedures for panel data, fixed and random effects. In our case, the fixed effect method is the more appropriate one to use for the following reasons: (a) a priori we expect that 31 regulatory governance proxies to be correlated with the intercept term for each country; those with a poor or w eak regulatory governance are also expected to perform relatively badly in terms of economic performance; (b) we are interested in measuring differences between countries included in our data set; the parameter estimate for country dummies (the intercept term for each country) is a proxy for these differences.Intercepts in turn are used as a dependent variable in the second stage regression to establish the link between regulatory governance and country characteristics captured by the intercept term. The fixed effects method allows us to do this; (c) in small samples, similar to the one we are using here, there may be practical problems preventing parameter estimation when the random effect model is applied; this is not the case with the fixed effect model. For a more detailed discussion of these issues, see Verbeek (2000).Also, we applied the Hausman specification test and this confirmed that the fixed effect model is the more appropriate technique for our data. 8. http://www. worl dbank. org/wbi/governance/pubs/govmatters4. html The series constructed are composite indexes, which are based on a number of variables generated at different points in time. Information for each country on these proxies, therefore, generally relates to a period rather than a specific year. Kauffman and Kraay (2005) highlight certain issues relating to the quality of the data used, particularly when it is utilised for making comparisons across countries.However, we are not aware of better regulatory quality data, while conceding that better quality data could reveal different results to those reported here. Nevertheless, based on the significance level of the relevant variables in our regressions, we are fairly confident that any differences in the results would relate to the magnitude of these effects rather than their sign. 9. A number of the explanatory variables were logged. In the literature the basic growth accounting model is generally exponential (e. g. Cobb-Douglas).Once lo gged, it becomes a linear relationship which can then be estimated. For the other explanatory variables in our model, logging helped to solve problems of serial correlation and heteroscedasticity. 10. The difference in parameter estimates for the regulatory index is due to the scale effect generated by the weight used in calculating the first principal component of the two indicators. 11. However, we would not wish to over-emphasise the importance of this result given the data limitations as pointed out in Kauffman et al (2005).One could also argue that different proxies may have different dynamic effects on growth and that broader indicators of governance may require a longer period of time to produce their full effect on economic growth. 32 12. Net in this case applies to the log difference of different investment shares in GDP (physical and human in this case) and (d+n+g), where d is the rate of depreciation of capital per annum; n is the rate of population growth and g is a prox y for rate of technical change. As is the practice in the literature, (d+g) is assumed to be 5%. The specification is based on a Solow/Augmented Solow model. 3. 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