Country Development Comparison: Sweden and Vietnam PESTEL

Country Development Comparison: Sweden and Vietnam PESTEL Table of Contents Vietnam background Political factor Economy Social Technology Legal Environment Sweden Background. Political factor Social factors Technological Factor Legal Factors Environmental factor Intra Analysis of Sweden and Vietnam Political Factors Economical Factor Conclusion References PESTEL ANALYSIS Initially known as PEST Analysis, this is a macro environmental structure used to recognise the impact of the external factors on the institution and is used as strategic analytical technique. PEST stands for Political, Economic, Social, and Technological† factors. Francis Aguilar is referred to as the originator of this tool. He talked about ETPS – Economic, Technological, Political, and Social– as the four important factors for Scanning the Business Environment. Later Legal and Environmental factors were also introduced by some analysts and thus evolved the term PESTLE Analysis. Vietnam background Vietnam is a country situated in the extreme east on the indo-China peninsula. It is the 13th most populated country in the world with 90.3 million people being estimated in 2012. It is one among the fastest emerging countries in Asia. It has a very fast growing economy as many first world countries are being attracted by its resources and Foreign Direct Investment showed an increasing trend for some years. Political factor 2011 Vietnam Communist Party held an eleventh congress in 2011 by which followed an election where the leading party was the Party Central Committee. Following the event, Prime Minister Mr Nyugen Tan Dung retains his former position. Mr Nguyen Phu Trong was elected as General Secretary and Mr Truong Tan Sang as Vietnam’s president. The new party brought about some amendments in the current 1992 Constitution. Companies which have a say to economic development were given certain facilities when the government took some extra tax actions. Also, concerning the conflict between Vietnam and China over the East Sea, some senior bureaucrat of the two countries had to visit each other in order to reduce the pressures. 2012 Following an issue of farmers and villager’s land being confiscated by governments’ officials, the police force used extreme force to combat the riot. Conferences session were held to deal with these problems but no actions was taken to improve human rights which was elaborated in 2011. Prime Minister Mr Nguyen proves his supremacy by restricting citizen from deriving their rights. Economy 2011 The year 2011 proved to be a dynamic year for the Vietnamese economy with the first year of establishment of the Socio-Economic Development Strategy. It aims to boost up the country’s labor force, creating high standards infrastructure and stabilizing the economy. However, the Vietnam Development Report of 2012 showed that in the recent years there was an agitating macroeconomic experience. Vietnam experiences a slow GDP growth of 5.8%, inflation being 11.75% in 2010 to 18% in 2011. Both imports and exports rose and FDI increased as investors were attracted by certain core business of the country. 2012 Following the slowing down of GDP in 2011, 2012 also depicted a slow pace with GDP growing by only 5%. However, inflation decreased as it change from a two-digit figure to one digit figure of 9.1%. FDI inflows witnessed a fall of 4.5% in 2012 and seeing a boost in exports of 18.3% and imports of 7.1%. Social 2011 In vietnam, education is considered to be the key of good moral values and that every person should have a desire for achieving it. Despite having a poor education system, the economy has a highly educated population. The National average population rose by 1.04% (87.84 million) with a working age of 46.48 million which is a rise of 0.12% and constituting an unemployment rate of 2.27%. 2012 Average population rose by 1.06% (88.78 million). Working age from 15 and above rose was 52.58 million in 2012 which Is a rise of 2.3%. Unemployment rate was 1.99% and people’s standard of living decrease by 27.6% to 2011. Technology 2011 Year 2011 illustrated a new implementation of a strategic plan for social and economic development. Vietnam’s government emphasize on the establishment of new infrastural building and thereby constructing new express ways to facilitate the task. This would help to ease the modenisation concept. Various training is being offered to have competent scientist and also the government promoted technological innovation. 2012 Being cost advantageous compared to other countries, Vietnam captured some big economies for investment including South Korea and US technology enterprises. This boosted up the export revenue. One of the major influences was the implementation of Samsung’s mobil-phone plant which totalized an investment of $700 million. Legal 2011 Vietnam was called upon in a conference on the Rule of law to restructure its legal system and bring it into line with the international Human Rights Laws. The Human Rights were only theoretically being used in Vietnam after the war. In 2011, Vuong family created havoc by wounding 6 civil servants. The Prime Minister had to step into the matter so as to solve the case and the Haiphony Government was proven wrong. 2012 The dominance of the ruling party persisted. Human Rights were only proposed in 2011 and it was not given legal force. It did not abide by the international standards even in 2012. Freedom of the population was deprived from them. The police force still do massacre to the general public. Foreign countries tried to step into the matter to reform the legal system but the supremacy of the government remains. Environment 2011 Recent report of the World Bank stipulated that due to rapid economic growth and technological advancement in Vietnam, the environment is being affected significantly. Many natural resources are being deployed. Moreover, 2011 was officially the year where Vietnam Rhino was declared extinct. Also, with the growing urbanization, environmental pollution has increased. Water pollution is the main one as lakes’ area is decreasing sharply while many are disappearing. 80% of lakes are polluted and this called upon environmentalist to take necessary measures to tackle the problem. Vietnam is a country with drastic damages concerning climate change with 257 people missing and dead, 1200 houses being damaged or carried away. The natural calamities caused a loss of approximately over 10 trillion VND. 2012 With the support of US, in 2012 at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Vietnam developed a strategy for sustainable development following the increase in industrial work. Agriculture as a percentage of total national income is declining. Sweden Background Sweden was army powered in the 17th century, but it was no present in any war for almost 200 years. It remained armed neutral in both World Wars. It is a capitalist country. In 2000-02 and 2009 by the global economic downturns it had to face unemployment to a great extent, but fiscal policies were planned and implemented in a way that has permitted the country to survive in economic difficulties. Sweden joined the EU in 1995, but the public disagree to the introduction of the euro in a 2003 referendum. It is located between Finland and Norway. The Population of Sweden is 9,074,055 (July 2010 EST.) Religion is Lutheran 87%, other 13 %( includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) Language of Sweden is Swedish (official), also Sami- and some Finnish talking minorities. About Literacy rate it is observed that age 15 and over can read and write Capital of Sweden is: Stockholm GDP growth rate is 4.5% inflation rate is said to be 1.4% Currency: Krona (SEK) Industries: iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles Sweden is retaining its place as the tenth most attractive country in the world that is the result of the 2012 year’s Anholt-GfK Nation Brands Index (NBI), this index measures the global likeness (image) of 50 countries in attractiveness and perceived qualities. Political factor Official name of the country is Kingdom of Sweden Legal system Based on the constitution of 1974 Head of state Sweden has King Carl XVI Gustaf as head of state. The nations legislature is the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag), with 349 participants. Elections are heald on a four year basis but it should be pointed out that the king plays no role in government. In the 2006 election, the Riksdag set a new world record as 47 percent of its elected members were women.The Cabinet is headed by the prime minister. There has not been any major change in the political factor in Sweden between 2011 and 2012. Economic Factor It is going forward to maintain a sound fiscal support, improving greater labour force participation and efficiently increasing the public expenditure would help handling future undesirable events. The industrial as well as the agricultural sectors both play an important role in contributing to the GDP. The estimate of investments in research and development is about 4 percent of its gross domestic product. In 2011 in order to prevent long-term unemployment The efficiency of labour market policies could be elevated by increasing the training, specially those who need it most and getting strength in cooperation between institutions. Reforms in the social benefit and tax systems to provide the right incentives for increasing hours worked. In 2012, Efficient Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment Credit is made available to foreign investors in an unbiased way. The private sector have been given access to a variety of credit instruments. The central bank focuses on increasing the international co-operation. Combined with a well-educated labor force, excellent telecommunications network, and a stable political environment, Sweden has become more competitive as a choice for foreign companies forming a presence in the Nordic region. In the World Economic Forum’s 2011-2012 report, Sweden ranked third out of 140 countries in overall competiveness and productivity Sweden’s economy has strong potential to benefit from growing, technology-driven global competition. Sweden already hosts one of the most globally integrated economies in the world. Sweden’s effectiveness is manifested by large flows of trade, capital, and foreign investment. It is seen as a leader in adopting new technologies and setting new consumer trends. Products can be tested in a market with demanding customers and high levels of technical sophistication. Social factors Sweden’s people in general are very on time. They do not smoke in general public places. It is a custom to remove shoes if a person is invited by a friend or anyone to his/her house. Swedes students are informal but they are always willing to help. It is not a practice to exchange business cards in Sweden. Swedes don’t take generosity for granted they will surely give thanks. Fault to say thank you for something is perceived negatively in Sweden. Competition is not encouraged Maintaining eye contact along with a firm handshake, shake hands with all attendees on both arrival and departure. Call first names when you meet Swedes. These social factors have not change in one year i.e from 2011 to 2012 Technological Factor The image is adapted from The Global Information Technology report of 2010-2011 Hennigan (2011) states that Sweden stands 1st in rankings of The Global Information Technology report of 2010-2011, by the World Economic Forum. The report emphasizes the role of ICT (information and communication technologies) as a facilitator of a more economically, environmentally and socially sustainable world. According to new ranking report published by the UN ITU, Sweden holds the first rank in the ICT Development Index (IDI). Legal Factors Swedish laws provide a variety of types under which a business can be established. The Swedish Law, Act (1992:160) applies to overseas companies functioning some type of business The foreign branch’s president must be living within the European Economic Area (EEA). Each and every business enterprise in Sweden are required to register at the Swedish Companies Registration Office. Trademark must be registered in Sweden so that legal protection can be obtained. The president if, not from EEA country, needs special permission from the Financial Supervision Authority to set up a branch in Sweden Taxes: Swedens taxation structure is straightforward and corporate tax levels are low. Sweden has a corporate tax of 28% in nominal terms. Individual’s income taxes are one of the highest in the world. Since it spends a lot in public finances to reduce deficits. One particular area has been tax reductions to encourage employers to hire long-term unemployed people. There are further deductions for personal income taxes by the government. Profits earned by a Swedish branch of any foreign enterprise may be sent abroad without implication of any tax other than the regular corporate income tax. Incentives: The government also offers specific incentives to set up a business. Loans are also given by the National Board for Industrial and Technical Development (NUTEK) and from regional development funds. The variety of regional support programs are in Sweden like location and employment grants, low rent industrial parks, and economic free zones. There are also several European funds that offer subsidies for starting enterprises and the Swedish Government provides collection of incentives for research and development Environmental factor Sweden was an early adopter of sustainable thinking. Back in the 1960s, it acknowledged that the rapid loss of natural resources had to be deal with, and took a lead in setting up the first UN conference on the environment, held in Stockholm in 1972. Since then it has continued to work actively with environmental issues, both nationally and internationally. In 2011, Sweden had the highest percentage of renewable energy in the EU (over 47 per cent). By 2020, at least half of the country’s energy should be renewable, a target the Government says is within reach. Sweden has implemented a water management program in 2012. Tap water is drinkable, and in the summer you can swim in central parts of the capital, Stockholm.Although Sweden is a frontrunner in environmental policy, the Government recognises that there is plenty of room for improvement. For 2013-2016, Sweden will allocate approximately SEK 22 billion to environmental measures. Intra Analysis of Sweden and Vietnam Political Factors Unlike Sweden with a sound and stable political state, that of Vietnam is quite unstable. Vietnam’s political party shows its supremacy upon its citizen by depriving them of their human rights. Sweden can be said a country where its political factor would be less risky that Vietnam. Following the comparison of year 2011 and 2012 of the two countries, Sweden proved to be consistent where as to correct the Vietnamese political stability various countries had to step forward. Economical Factor Economic stability is of great concern to countries. Vietnam encounters a very fluctuating macroeconomic state with drastic changes. Sweden has a stable economic state as its figures do not change by a quite large amount. Vietnam with such agitation could be vulnerable to crises. This makes the economy poor and may lose investors’ confidence. Sweden on the other hand has a good economy and can boost up investors’ confidence. Being among the top competitive and productive countries in the world, investors are easily attracted. Social Factor In comparison with Vietnam, Sweden can be said to be more socially stable. Swedes are well repute for their moral values. It has a highly educated population with high prospect of flourishing as the people are back up by their government. Vietnam on the other hand also has a highly educated population but do not have the means available to ameliorate their living standard as year 2012 showed a decline. Sweden with its determination and perseverance became the third out of 140 countries for being competitive and productive. Technological Factor Sweden being a country of high level of technology has a major advantage over Vietnam. The latter is now on the path of major technological advancement. Many efforts have been done to flourish its technological innovation. It is in 2011 and 2012 that the government is opening itself to new technologies and is constructing the required infrastructure whereas the case of Sweden is very different. Sweden is rank number one in information, communication and technology. Its telecommunication services is among the best due to high technology. Legal Factor Both Sweden and Vietnam encourages companies and individuals to prospect via tax cuts. Sweden is considered a country which is well known due to its high individual taxes and its large public sector. It encourages companies to hire persons by reducing corporate tax thereby reducing unemployment rate. Its government also helps to promote small and medium enterprises. Environmental Factor Sweden is the first country to adopt the sustainable development approach. It organises various conferences on environmental issues, the first one held in Stockholm. It has a clean environment where tap water is drinkable and it has the highest level of renewable energy in EU. Vietnam is on the other pole where pollution affects its water resources badly. Tap water is not consumable as its lakes are over 70% polluted due to industrial operations. Conclusion Sweden is a developed country and this can clearly be seen from the PESTLE analysis. Swedish society has developed an exclusive culture with a robust work code and strong ethical attitudes regarding the appealing of welfare benefits. There is also a great level of trust and social consistency. At present Sweden is now putting emphasis on its tertiary sector, more precisely on its financial sector. Vietnam on the other hand is a developing country still trying to struggle with its primary and secondary sector, its main goals are to establish a continuous trend in its macroeconomic factors such as GDP and inflation. The difference between these two countries is eye catching and there is technically no way that in the near future they will be on the same level even if Vietnam development is at a more than average pace.

Junk Food in Schools Essay

Junk Food in Schools Essay Ahmed ALfaraj Schools, it seems, always need more money. One way many of them found funding for things they needed was through corporate sponsorship. While there have been stories about school gymnasiums named after Pepsi, there was a much less noticeable way that corporations sponsored schools and that was through the food that schools provide for the children. The law that says schools must provide children with breakfast and lunches if the kids’ parents cannot afford to pay for them, made it so that schools had to come up with a lot of food for poor kids and that is expensive. Food corporations stepped in and offered their products to schools and schools accepted even if they were not the healthiest of foods. Now, because of things like Pizza Hut pizza, and Smucker’s Uncrustables, without meaning to, schools are contributing to the childhood obesity epidemic by including junk foods in lunches and vending machines. However, thanks to people like Michelle Obama, the unhealthy food h as started to be replaced in many schools through some innovative programs and new government rules about what kind of food can be included in school lunches have helped to keep kids healthy. Most people would agree that offering unhealthy meals to kids at school does not seem like the right thing to do. It is bad enough that many children do not get adequate nutrition at home, but to have the same type of food offered to them at school also seems like a hypocritical thing to do especially when schools are responsible for also teaching healthy life behavior such as eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise. The reason a law was made that required schools to serve healthy lunches and breakfast is that lower-income children may not get enough to eat at home. Not only that with many single-parent households and working families, there may not be anyone to fix meals for children. The law was made so that children would not go hungry. It is a shame that schools then would feed children unhealthy food and allow vending machines that sell junk food. Another reason schools offer meals to children is that children who have eaten breakfast and lunch do much better in school. That has recently been proven by many studies, but that is not the only reason school lunches have been given to children. Nick Confessore of the New York Times says, â€Å"It was the U.S. military that first advanced the national-security implications of a healthful lunch. . . . Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, a former school principal . . . told the lawmakers that as many as 40 percent of rejected draftees had been turned away owing to poor diets† (Confessore). That is how the original National School Lunch program came about. During the 1980s, it was cut along with most other social services by the Reagan administration. Schools began to rely on food from corporations who were competing for the attention of schoolchildren. Of course, there were those federal laws that schools had to comply with, but one way they got around the federal law was to offer unhealth y vending machine products. â€Å"Some districts even struck deals with McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A and other fast-food chains to sell versions of their commercial products directly to school kitchens† (Confessore). That was how Pizza Hut pizza ended up on school lunch trays across the country. Some corporations even drastically reduce the cost of their products for schools. It makes healthy food like fresh fruits and vegetables difficult to serve because they cost so much more than what the corporations provide for free. To compete, the USDA subsidizes school lunch programs. In the Journal of Public Policy Marketing Bree Dority, Mary McGarvey, and Patricia Kennedy explain that the USDA compensates those schools who serve lunches through the National School Lunch Program that meet the 1995 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (205). If a school relies too heavily on corporate sponsorship, they may not get the government money and the breakfast and lunches they serve to children will not be as healthy as those that do receive the government subsidy, but they may actually spend less on food per student. The cost is that those students have a greater risk of becoming overweight or obese and of being not as healthy as children who attend schools where the lunch program is governme nt supported. Most people do not even know that some schools opt for the corporate sponsorship over government sponsorship. Most parents do not look into whether or not their children are served lunches at their school subsidized by government or corporate money. Most probably assume that if there is a free or reduced-cost lunch program that it is through the government. If a person were to ask a group of parents what they thought about the different ways that school lunch programs are funded, those parents would not know that one of the ways is through allowing corporations to provide processed, high in calorie foods for lunches and junk foods in vending machines to schools. Some if not most of those people would say that it is wrong to give children junk food and they would probably find it especially wrong that junk food should be available in schools. Even parents who prepare a lunch at home for their children are having their efforts challenged by the presence of vending machines that offer junk food to children. The presumably healthy food that children bring from home can easily be tossed out and the child can fill up his/her stomach o the empty calorie food found in vending machines. Some people like Phebe Gibson and Lily Swartz are calling for updating the policies concerning junk food at the federal level. Not every school has them because states often oversee school policy and not all states show as great as concern over the health of their children as others. Eliminating junk foods from school cafeterias makes children healthier though. Gibson and Swartz explain that many people all over the country want to remove junk foods from schools. â€Å"A recent poll in California indicates  96% of voters  support serving healthier foods and beverages in schools, and a study conducted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln found that banning junk food from a la carte lines would result in an18% reductionin overweight or obese students† (Gibson and Swartz). Not only will children be healthier if junk foods are removed from school cafeterias and vending machines, but the childhood obesity problem may be stopped. The argument against the federal government setting guidelines about the types of food that are served in school lunches comes from people who believe the government should not intervene in the lives of people to the extent that they tell them what to eat at school or otherwise. Some say that people should be free to eat what they want even if it is unhealthy. They say that it violates a person’s freedom when the government tells people what they can and cannot eat. Parents should be the ones who decide what their kids eat. Lindsey Tanner of the Huffington Post cites many obesity experts who worry that legislating what people eat may backfire especially where schools are particularly dependent upon food corporation dollars for survival (Tanner). Yet studies show that schools that do ban junk food have fewer overweight and obese students. The same people who want government out of their food are often the ones who say that the presence of junk food in school lunches and vending machines is not the cause of the obesity epidemic. Not every child who eats junk food will become obese. Even those children whose parents are obese may not become obese from eating junk food, even if it is more of a risk for them. The school lunch funding programs that exist help to fund other activities at schools that will help to prevent overweight and obese children such as after-school sports, dance and cheerleading. Linda Gorman also notes that when things like soda are banned, then products like fruit juice, which frequently has just as much sugar as soda, is allowed. Parents and students alike think they are getting healthier foods, but they are not. Gorman says that many feel that banning junk foods will not stop the obesity epidemic (Gorman). For those who believe this, education about the dangers of junk foods is a better policy. Another argument they use is the cost of food. Jan Christensen of CNN says that schools in the more expensive districts such as San Francisco spend, on average, $2.74 per child per lunch. To serve a child a healthy lunch, most experts agree that it costs about $5 per child per lunch (Christensen). Many parents cannot afford to spend that kind of money on their kids’ lunches and many legislators do not want to give that kind of money to schools. Without the corporate sponsorship, it costs too much to provide healthy food in schools. Unfortunately, companies do not give fresh fruits and vegetables to schools. Even if they did, critics of government involvement in school lunch programs point out that the fresh food does not have a long shelf life. Fresh fruits and vegetables become inedible in just a few days. When they go bad, they must be thrown out and that wastes money. The processed food that corporations provide never goes bad, or at least not for a very long time, so there is little waste. Perhaps the real problem is the cost of healthy food and the presence of junk food everywhere in the American culture. Perhaps the regulations should be placed on corporations advertising practices instead of banning them from schools. If kids and their parents saw more promotion of healthier foods, they may be more likely to buy and consume them. Children who eat healthy at home would not develop a taste for empty-calorie food. Then kids would go to school looking for healthy foods and not junk foods and schools would have the opposite problem on their hands: that of turning down sponsorship from companies who want to promote junk foods to children. Either way, school lunches are subsidized by government dollars, and if they are, those dollars should not be adding to the obesity problem that will cost more money down the road to battle. Even if it costs more to put healthy foods in school lunches and in vending machines in schools, it is the right thing to do for the health of child ren. Works Cited Christensen, Jan. Obama Admin Bans Junk Food In Schools. 29 September 2010. CNN. Web. 11 January 2015. http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/09/29/school.food.investigation/>. Confessore, Nicholas. How School Lunch Became the Latest Political Battleground. 7 October 2014. New York Times. Web. 11 January 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/12/magazine/how-school-lunch-became-the-latest-political-battleground.html?_r=0>. Dority, Bree L., Mary G. McGarvey and Patricia F. Kennedy. Marketing Foods And Beverages In Schools: The Effect Of School Food Policy On Students’ Overweight Measures. Journal Of Public Policy Marketing 29.2 (2010): 204-218. PsycINFO. Web. 11 Jan. 2015. Gibson, Phebe and Lily Swartz. Setting a New Academic Standard: Getting Junk Food Out of Schools. 2015. Prevention Institue. Web. 11 January 2015. http://www.preventioninstitute.org/about-us/lp/851-setting-a-new-academic-standard-getting-junk-food-out-of-schools.html>. Gorman, Linda. Junk Food Availability in Schools Raises Obesity. 2015. The National Bureau of Economic Research. Web. 11 January 2015. http://www.nber.org/digest/sep05/w11177.html>. Tanner, Lindsay. Do Junk Food Laws Actually Work To Fight Kids Obesity? 13 August 2012. Huffington Post. Web. 11 January 2015. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/13/study-junk-food-laws-may-_n_1771352.html>.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

As readers, we saw Scout mature and grow as our narrator and as a person. She learned many things, but also lost many things. As she grew up and changed, she began to see how things really were, and gained the knowledge of the pure hate that one man can show another. Scout lost her innocence when she found this out. She began to see how cruel the world could be to someone who is a little different or strange. She saw this in the prejudice that was shown to Tom Robinson, Walter Cunningham, Miss Maudie and even herself. She gained the wisdom of the world outside her back door and began to see how society works, (it is very cruel and cynical). Although this may not have been a good thing, she could now see how unimportant it was. Atticus taught Jem and Scout to be polite, caring kids. He instilled in them a great sense of love for their neighbor and told them things that would help them get on in life. Scout was very lucky to have someone to guide her along the way. Although she was faced with â€Å"the real world†, she had lots of people who would willingly explain to her and guide her. Scout really matured during the course of this book. She went from a six-year-old child with no knowledge of the real world to a ten year old who had a lot of life’s most important lessons shown to her at a very young age. She had to learn, very quickly, that life would not always be easy and fun. She learned of the horrible ways men can treat other men and of the ugliness of station, poverty and hate. The author, Harper Lee, picked an interesting person to narrate the story. This had some advantages and disadvantages as the story progressed. This writing technique is a very versatile one. When the author uses Scout as the first person, she opens the reader’s eyes to the way children think and act. She also offers a fair opinion of the affairs of Maycomb, and doesn’t dwell on adult matters and make it boring. Some disadvantages of picking Scout for the first person viewpoint were that even though she was smart, she didn’t really understand what all the fuss was about. She was too innocent and young to really grasp the point sometimes and tell the reader, about it.

Biblical Allusions and Imagery in Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath :: Grapes Wrath essays

Biblical Allusions and Imagery in Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck always makes it a point to know about his subjects first hand. His stories always have some factual basis behind them. Otherwise, he does not believe that they will be of any value beyond artistic impression. Therefore, most of his novels take place in California, the site of his birth and young life. In preparation for writing his novels, Steinbeck would often travel with people about whom he was going to write. The Grapes of Wrath was no exception to his other works. To prepare for it, he joined migrants in Oklahoma and rode with them to California. When he got to California, he lived with them, joining them in their quest for work. By publishing these experiences and trials of the migrants he achieved an effect that won him the Nobel Prize for literature in 1962. The writing of The Grapes of Wrath coincided with the Great Depression. This time of hardship and struggle for the rest of America gave Steinbeck inspiration for his work. Other peoples' stories of everyday life became issues for Steinbeck. His writings spoke out against those who kept the oppressed in poverty and therefore was branded as a Communist because of his "voice." Although, it did become a bestseller and receive countless awards, his book was banned in many schools and libraries. However, critics never attacked The Grapes of Wrath on the artistic level and they still consider it a beautifully mastered work of art. More than any other American novel, it successfully embodies a contemporary social problem of national scope in an artistically viable expression.1 In The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck utilizes Biblical imagery and allusions to illustrate the struggle of the Joad family as a direct parallel with that of the Hebrew people. Steinbeck bolsters the strength of structure and character development in the book through Biblical allusions and imagery. Peter Lisca has noted that the novel reflects the three-part division of the Old Testament exodus account which includes captivity, journey, and the promised land.2 The Joads' story is a direct parallel with that of the Hebrews. Just as the Hebrews were captives of the Pharaoh, the Joads' are captives of their farm. Both make long and arduous journeys until they reach their promised land. Israel is the final destination for the Hebrews and California plays the same role for the Joads. Hunter mentions several of the parallels in the novel. When the Joads embark on their journey, there are twelve members which corresponds to the twelve tribes of Israel who are leaving the old order behind.

Mexican Immigrant Life and Americanization in the 1920’s

In his book, Major Problems in Mexican American History, Zaragosa Vargas describes the Mexican Immigrant experience from 1917-1928. He begins by assessing the Protestant religious experience for a Mexican in the early 1920’s, and then describes Mexican life in both Colorado in 1924 and Chicago in 1928. After defending Mexican Immigrants in 1929, he includes an outline of an Americanization program, followed by an anecdote of a Mexican immigrant in the 1920’s. Vargas uses these documents to show the evolvement of Americanization of Mexicans from a community goal to a societal demand. Vargas begins with the Mexican Immigrant experience in the early 1920’s, and describes it mostly as a community project spearheaded by the Church and called for the aid of volunteers. The children learned and studied English in school, so the programs focused mostly on courses in English for the wives and mothers of the community. These English courses consisted mostly of vocabulary for familiar and most frequently seen objects. Sunday schools resulted from this process, and in turn made way for the development of night schools, clinics, an employment bureau, and a boys and girl’s club. In Colorado in 1924, Mexicans played a respectable role in society as not only a decent part of the population, but also the labor force. Spanish-Americans took a notable part in politics, and were involved in many occupations that included mostly agriculture, mining, and steel works. The recreation was also important to Spanish-American life in Colorado; the somewhat newly developed buildings were a source of community for many. Mexicans in Chicago in 1928, Vargas argues, lived a very different lifestyle and endured different hardships than the Mexicans in the Southwest. They were a much smaller part of the community, consisting of small, well-defined neighborhoods and several smaller less defined colonies. These Mexicans lived in the poorest houses in these neighborhoods, and most buildings guaranteed poor living conditions for these families. Employment only came certain times during the year when demand for labor was high, and it was the Mexicans who suffered most when certain industries reduced labor. In the words of Anita Edgar Jones, â€Å"They are the last to arrive and the first to be laid off† (Vargas). Mexican Life in Chicago during this time period served as a temporary solution for many families as they moved from recent arrivals to a more desirable place with better opportunity as they became more established and stabilized. Some neighborhoods were poorly organized for recreation, and even lacked Spanish-speaking employees at their community or recreation centers. Communities also lacked a Spanish-speaking priest, which is evidently different from early Americanization programs implemented in the Southwest in the early 1920’s. After addressing and defending most of the problems of Mexican Immigration in 1929, Vargas moves on to an outline of a typical Americanization program in 1931, where the Mexican Immigrant experience evolved from a community project that supported and encouraged Mexican assimilation, to a list of demands and requirements for Mexican and Spanish Americans to be acceptable members of society. Vargas uses these documents to show the progression of assimilation of Spanish Americans and Mexican immigrants into American society in the 1920’s. The life of a Mexican Immigrant during this time was very taxing, and these Americanization programs were used as a tool to attempt to create a society that operated under certain ideologies and values. As a result, this created an even stronger division between cultures, and prevented assimilation of the two groups.

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures an Essay on the Rise of Adolf Hitler Essay

When Adolf Hitler and his party of National Socialists were elected into power, Germany was in quite a rut. The stock market had crashed, it was the middle of the great depression, and Germany was still in uproar over the Treaty of Versailles. The public was desperate to find someone to take them out of this terrible place, and because they were willing to listen to the outlandish ideas that Nazis had, what they got was far from that. Adolf Hitler was a phenomenal public speaker and he was very firm in his own beliefs. He managed to pin every German fault on someone else, creating a sense of power in the German public, and thus why he was elected. The times were so desperate, Germans turned to a mentally unstable man for help. Hitler became leader because the living conditions were so bad in Germany that he was the only guy it made sense to turn to, which is a problem in itself. The Treaty of Versailles is a big reason why Germany was having such bad troubles. The main terms of the Treaty stated that : â€Å"- Germany to give up Alsace-Lorraine to france – The Rhineland to be demilitarized and placed under Allied occupation – Germany to lose West Prussia and Posen to Poland – Danzig to be made an international city – Germany to surrender all its overseas colonies – Germany to be deprived of its warships and aircraft and to have its army limited to 100 000 † (Lynch 2004: 4) The German Public felt that the terms of the treaty were unfair and were humiliated by it. The Nazi party felt the same, and when Germans discovered this they felt more comfortable siding with them. It was because of these people and the overwhelming sense of humiliation in Germany that the Nazi government (when elected) violated the treaty in many different ways, and ultimately caused WW2. The times that these people lived in would have been difficult for any country to handle, not just Hitler and the Nazis and Germany. The economy in Germany was terrible after the first war. Not only were they already in debt for the money they used to finance the failure of a war that they had, but now because of the war guilt clause they had another $5 billion debt to pay off. Instead of paying out of their own pocket, they decided to begin printing more money until they could wax off their debts. However this did not help the economy, but hindered it instead. The more money Germany printed out, the less it became worth as a currency, creating mass inflation. This put Germany in an even worse economic situation, and the worse that situation got, the more popular the Nazi party became. The party took advantage of the economic struggles in germany, and the better the situation got, the less people felt the need to side with the Nazis. In May of 1924 the Nazi party had 32 seats and 6.6 percent of the vote in Germany. In December of 1924, these numbers dropped to 14 seats and 3 percent of the vote, and worsened in Ma y of 1928, at 12 seats and 2.6 percent of the vote. However, in the beginning of the 1930’s (Lynch 2004: 10), the economy steadily got worse and worse, and the Nazi party gained more recognition and was finally elected. The times had become so rough that the mentally unstable Hitler became a beacon of hope. At the end of the day, Hitler became leader of Germany because of economic instability, and because the public hated the Treaty of Versailles. The times were extremely difficult and due to the Nazi’s extreme views on how to fix Germany’s problems (and the fact that they only had 2 opposing parties), they were elected into the Reichstag. So what does this mean? It means that the times were what made the people turn to Hitler, not Hitler just flat out being an awesome guy.

Unit Two: Principles of Providing Administrative Services

Unit two: Principles of providing administrative services Assessment You should use this file to complete your Assessment. †¢ The first thing you need to do is save a copy of this document, either onto your computer or a disk †¢ Then work through your Assessment, remembering to save your work regularly †¢ When you’ve finished, print out a copy to keep for reference †¢ Then, go to www. vision2learn. com and send your completed Assessment to your tutor via your My Study area – make sure it is clearly marked with your name, the course title and the Unit and Assessment number.Please note that this Assessment document has 9 pages and is made up of 9 Sections. Name: Section 1 – Understand how to make and receive telephone calls 1. Complete the table below with descriptions of at least two different features of a telephone system and how / when they would be used. |Feature |How / when used | |1.Answer Phone |By pressing a number on telephone we ca n listen messages left by | | |others | |2. Conference Call |This allow us to speak with more than one person simultaneously | | | | . Prepare a brief report advising people on: †¢ How to follow organisational procedures when making and receiving telephone calls †¢ The purpose of giving a positive image of yourself and your organisation when making and receiving telephone calls. If possible, use specific information from procedures in your own organisation (or one that you are familiar with). Within an organization while receiving calls one should follow the organizational procedure i. e. nswer the phone within certain number of rings, use standard greeting, read script as advised, identify the personal when transferring the call or passing on the information and finally be ready to take colleagues calls when they are not on their desk. When you are making a call to a client ensure that you build a rapport with them and make them feel at ease. Ensure you are aware of th e purpose of call and make a check list of the points that you will be asking.The main purpose behind while receiving or making calls is to portray a good and professional image of an organization is to retain the existence customers and attract new ones and fulfil customer satisfactions Section 2 – Understand how to handle mail 1. Explain the purpose of correctly receiving, checking and sorting mail and packages (both incoming and outgoing). It is very important and responsibility of everyone within an organization to follow the correct procedures while receiving, checking and sorting outgoing and incoming mails.In case if a mistake is made then may be some body is waiting for an important mail and because of negligence it may go to a wrong person or even go missing. Once a mail is received we need to ensure the security and confidentaility aspect of it while delivering it to the recpients. If the mail requires urgent delivery then we need to ensure that mail is delivered or dispatched quickly and securly. It can apply to both incoming and outgoing mail as if the mail is urgent it should be treated as urgent and delivered or dispacted soon. 2. Complete the table below with the following information: At least two examples of internal mail services that are available to organisations †¢ At least two examples of external mail services that are available to organisations |Internal mail services |External mail services | |1. using internal envelopes so that mail can be circulated internally|1. Recorded delivery | | | | |2. ransfer mail between different offices of an organization |2. Special delivery | | | | Internal mail services Normally between offices we do have internal transport service that operates. We can use that service to deliver mails betweeen offices. We can also use services of individuals if they are travelling between offices.Also if we are working in a headoffice and it has several buildings then we can also use the internal ser vice that deliver or trasnport between different buildings. External mail services For external mail services we can use local mail service like Royal Mail, post office or parcel office. We can either call them and book the item so that they can pick and deliver or we can go to the nearest post office and post the item there. 3. Describe two methods that you can use to calculate postage charges for mail and / or packages.We can weight and measure mail to calculate postage charges. We can weight the mail with the help of weighting machine and measure the mail with the help of measuring deivce provided by Royail mail. Once we calculate the weight and measurement we stamp a stamp accordingly. For example if we want to sent a a first class mail we need to cataegorize the mail do we need one standard 1st class stamp or a larger one depending upon post. We should also consider the timing as first class can take upto 3 working days so if mail is urgent we need to use other services that ar e quicker.We can also use service provider like Royal mail and use their website to check out the charges. We can take the mail to any local post office and weight the items and pay the charges accordingly, we need to ensure a signed for or special delivery that if mail is important and needs to be delivered soon. In case if the contents of the mail are important we can also insure the mail. Section 3 – Understand how to use different types of office equipment 1. Describe the main types of equipment found in offices and how they are used. Include examples of at least three different types of office equipment.Shredding machines are used to shred important confidential documents. The main purpose of the shredding machines is to destroy your important documents that are not useful anymore but that can be important for someone else and that can be misused by anyone. Computers and its accessories such as Printer, scanner etc. used to prepare documents and print them if required. W e can use computer programs such as microsoft applications word, access and excel etc. to create letters, records, electronic worksheets, database management, presentation, graphics, Internet use and financial documents.For communication we can use fax machine and telephone. We can send the documents quickly to customers either by fax or use emails and for verbal communication we use phone. The disadvantage of faxmachine is that it require electricity, requires paper for receiving and sending faxes and it should be always on to receive faxes. The advantage of fax machine is that they are relatively inexpensive and some are part of all in one printers and you may need to occasionally pay for the toner, and a dedicated phone line and paper.Another advantage is that it doesn’t cost you more than the normal phone costs per minute. 2. Explain the purpose of following manufacturer’s instructions when using equipment. The main purpose behind the manufacturer’s instruct ions manual is to operate the equipment correctly and safely. This can reduce the maintenance cost and increase the equipment life. By following the basic guidance provided by the manufacturer the equipment will last longer, safer for others to use it and will work efficiently. 3. Explain the purpose of keeping equipment clean, hygienic and ready for the next user.We need to keep the equipment clean and hygienic so that the next person who will be using it will be safe. He can safely use the equipment and hygienically safe from any disease. While working in an organization once should tidy stuff, store equipment safely and clean it regularly with appropriate products. As an example one should use wipes to clean computer screen that will be beneficial for other as well. In working environment where there is a shared workspace it is good if we leave the area clean and organized that can also leave a good impression for the next person.Section 4 – Understand how to keep waste to a minimum in a business environment 1. Explain why waste should be kept to a minimum in a business environment. One of the main reasons that waste should be kept to minimum in a business environment is financial reason i. e. it can reduce the cost and spending and environmental reasons. Company can waste a lot of money to either recycle or dispose of that extra waste. One should think twice while using company resources that do they really need that or they can use any alternative to save some money for the company. . Identify at least two main causes of waste in a business environment. Because of heating, lightning and powering equipment we waste energy Another example is the resources such as ink cartridges, papers and toners of printers etc. Another source is use of paper in printing, before printing one should ask them self that do they need to print this out and if so can they use both side of paper for printing to save papers. 3. How can you keep waste to a minimum in a busin ess environment? Describe at least two ways of doing this.For paper waste we can use a recycling service for paper waste. For other waste like plastic bottles, plastic bags and others we can use recycling bins Recycling is a cost effective method of dealing with your waste es[ecially using different bins for different things simply because it is often cheaper when compared with general  waste management  and disposal. Recycling often reduces clutter and improves the working environment. Less clutter also means increased safety around your workplace. We can use emails instead of using posts where email can work.Emails are fast and can be delivered  at once around the world. No other form of written communication is as fast as an email. We can advertise products in the email that can reach to a lot of people and we can save a lot of money on resouses like paper, printer etc. we can send the email to hundred of recepients without expanding any money on visible resourses and save a lot of money and making business environment eco friendly. We can turn off the lights and all power switches when it’s not required to save the energy. Section 5 – Know how to make arrangements for meetings 1.Complete the table below listing at least two different types of meetings and describing the main features of each type of meeting. |Type of meeting |Main features | |Team meeting |The main feature of such meeting is to follow any agenda, track the progress of the team on the | | |current project, sort out issues related to team peformance, update on the upcoming projects and | | |discuss any outstanding issues.It also allows individuals to generate  number of ideas which can | | |prove to be quite effective in solving any organizational issue | |Training meetings |The main feature of such meeting is to keep the staff up to date, upgrade their skills and help them| | |in grooming. It also increases the staff productivity thus customers are served and satisfie d more | | |quickly.This improves efficiency, reduces costs and leads to higher profitability. With the aide of| | |training meeting we can raise morale of individuals which leads to a more motivated team. If | | |colleagues are motivated here are many opportunities open to them. | |Appraisal meeting |The main objective of such meetings are to recognise the individuals effort and praise them and give| | |them reward.Because of that Individuals take personal responsibility for improving both the | | |business processes and their own abilities. Such meetings also reflects the performance | | |expectations, establish goals for the coming year and discuss the success in the past year. | 2. When arranging a meeting: †¢ What sources and types of information are typically needed? †¢ How should meetings be arranged? We need to know the individuals requesting the meeting and they are aware of organizational procedure to arrange the meetingWe should be aware of the reason of the mee ting, the attendees list, duration of meeting and any resources like any projector or wall board required for presentation. Firstly confirm the attendees list, date and time, place and any resources required. If required circulate a brief message around about the agenda of the meeting and if meeting is long and refreshments are required also confirm the arrangement. Finally ensure that all attendees receive a confirmation of date, time, venue and a small brief description about the meeting. Section 6 – Understand procedures for organising travel and accommodation arrangements . Explain the purpose of confirming instructions and requirements for business travel and accommodation. The main purpose, behind confirmation of instructions and requirements for business travel and accommodation, is to ensures that all individual arrives on time for the appointment and all attendees are well aware of time and date of the event, accommodation and travel details, parking facilities, loca tion of the event, in case they need special arrangement person’s details who will be responsible for that and finally the main agenda and ist of things they need to bring in with them. 2. Complete the table below with an outline of the main types of business travel and accommodation arrangements that may need to be made and the procedures that should be followed when doing this. Travel and accommodation arrangements |Procedures | |Travel by Car and staying over night |If people are travelling by car we need to ensure that accommodation have enough | | |parking space if not then the alternate parking arrangements should be informed to the | | |people. We can select from bed and breakfast to hotels in terms of overnight | | |accommodation.We need to know how many nights they will be staying and book | | |accordingly. In case they need evening meals we need to make them aware of the | | |arrangements. | | | | |Travel by train and staying for few hours in the |If people are tr avelling by train we should ensure that they are aware of the ways to | |meeting place |reach to their desired location.We can arrange taxis for them to avoid hassle. | | |Sometimes we have foreign national who can’t speak English well, in that case we need | | |to ensure that interpreter is there to fulfil their needs. If they are attending the | | |meeting for few hours we must ensue that the refreshments are pre ordered. |Facility for disable peoples |If we know anyone who needs special arrangements such as wheel chair, we need to ensure| | |that all required facilities are in place to facilitate them. | | | | |Interpreter presence |Sometimes we have foreign national who can’t speak English well, in that case we need | | |to ensure that interpreter is there to fulfil their needs | . Explain the purpose of keeping records of travel / accommodation arrangements in a business environment. It is very important to keep a record (accommodation and travel expenditures) of an event once it’s over, as we can use that evaluation next time. This evaluation can help us next time in decision making i. e. we can improve the accommodation next time, find a cheaper suppler and get early discounts by booking in advance. Evaluation itself is a god process that can highlight any flaws in planning and identify that how we faired accommodation and travel.It also helps in identifying any issues such as parking arrangement of any particular accommodation. Section 7 – Understand diary management procedures 1. Briefly explain the purpose of using a diary system to plan activities at work. Give at least two reasons. One of the essential planning aids used within an organization is diaries and depending upon the nature of the business its use varied from person to person. It does help individuals to plan their activities and tasks as in some organization follow strict deadlines for their project.Information that can be logged in a diary contains timing, da te, location and people who are involved. Another advantage of keeping up the diaries is that individuals know the whereabouts of other colleagues. For instance if we someone wants to speak with one of your colleague by checking his or her status in staff diary we can deal with the caller accordingly. 2. Identify the information needed to maintain a diary system in the workplace.Nowadays computerized or electronic diary is used in organization and most widely used diary program is Microsoft outlook. It includes information of employees such as their name, contact information, email address, location etc. In some companies it also shows their availability and show their current status i. e. if they are on annual leave or absent due to sickness. Section 8 – Understand the purpose of delivering effective customer service and how to do so 1. What are the differences between internal and external customers in a business environment?Internal customers are the one who either work fo r an organization or serve the people who are not employed by that organization while the external customers who do not work for the organization but either buy the product or services to fulfil their need. In other words staff working for a particular organization purchases a particular good or service then he will be classified as internal customer, while an external customer is the one who come to the company to buy a service or good require to him and by no means employed by the company. 2.Explain why customer service should meet or exceed customer expectations. Include at least three reasons in your answer. Customer service should be met or sometime exceed customer expectations as it can: †¢ Gain customer loyalty and that means customer will always turn to us when that particular good or service is required †¢ Get good recommendations form customer that can provide us good publicity and allow an organization to expand its business †¢ Increase the business growth and that can create a sense of job security within the organization.Once an organization is getting extra customers it can expand its business and can create more jobs and extra bonuses for existing staff. 3. Explain the importance of building positive relationships with customers. Outline two ways in which this can be achieved. Every member of an organization has a duty to be efficient as he may be a first point of contact for the organization and that can create a long lasting impression on customer. Employee should show professionalism as failure to do so will not give customer any confidence while dealing with his organization.It is of vital importance to gain customer’s trust, meet or sometimes exceeds customer’s expectations as it can bring in new business opportunities. We can gain customer’s trust by actively listening to them which enables us to identify their needs and satisfy them accordingly. By keeping communication channel open both parties can gro w their business in a healthy and friendly environment. Both parties should trust each other and pay respect to each other ideas because that can contribute to a belter resolution of a problem if one does occur. 4.How do customers demonstrate their own needs and expectations? When a customer places an order or requested a service then they expect that service or goods to be not only delivered on time but also up to agreed standard. Customer normally expects that promise should be kept. In this competitive world customer also want bargain in prices as if someone is offering the same services at a very low cost they can turn to them as well. Customers’ need can also be gathered by collecting the feedback from them on the good or service offered and that be used for future to improve their experience.Customer can also raise their concerns directly with the company and by effective communication they can sit together, listening to each other and come to a resolution that can be a ccepted by both. Section 9 – Understand the purpose of reception services and how to follow reception procedures 1. What is the purpose of the receptionist role as the first point of contact in a business environment? Receptionists have many roles to perform such as give direction and sometime escort the key people to different part of the building. Generally visitors used them for general information or to solve any issues.Receptionist should have god communications skills and are aware of making good rapport with the visitors so that they feel they are at ease as some times visitors get confused. Now days most organization use sign in procedure and receptionist ensures that this is done properly and visitors are issued identification badges. In special cases receptionist also inform visitor about the standard health and safety information. 2. Describe how a receptionist can present a positive image of themselves and the organisation and explain why this is important.Recepti onist job is of vital importance as they are the first point of contact for every visitor, they should greet all visitors with smile regardless of their importance or arrival (if they are expected or not). Some receptionists commonly do mistakes and expect that key people are well and best dressed and in that they annoyed some key peoples. The general principal for all is to treat everyone fairly, with courtesy and make them feel that you have time for them. As they are the first point of contact in most organization, they can leave a positive image and long lasting impression of an organization.If they act or behave unprofessionally the visitor may lose confidence while dealing with the organization. 3. In relation to your own organisation (or one that you are familiar with), explain what must be done when carrying out entry, departure, security and confidentiality procedures in a reception area. When a visitor enters into a building and approach the reception, they should be greet ed first and offered help. If they want to visit someone with in an organization, take their details inform the desired person about their arrival.Advise them about the unrestricted visitor access area of recreation and make them feel at ease until the desired person come down and accompany them. Upon arrival of the desired person make them an identification pass and note down their time of arrival, their contact details and vehicle registration number if they have parked their vehicle. Once they have finished their meeting note down the timing and ensure that they have returned the pass and issue them any parking exit pass if required. Once you have completed all 9 Sections of this Assessment, go to www. vision2learn. com and send your work to your tutor for marking.