What Happened During The Shadow - 1581 Words

LEADER SHADOWING HTM480 Yi Liu 2015/02/10 What Happened during the Shadow (who, what, where, when, etc.) While working in Yes!Pingo which is a Chinese restaurant in San Diego, the manager Nemo gave an opportunity to shadow him for a whole day shift with aim of evaluating and observing leadership quite closely. This was a unique chance to experience leadership at firsthand, which to date I remember besides having learnt much. The manager being a high performing staff in the restaurant asked me to pair him as part of a program whereby I was to trail him throughout the day. Hence, presenting me with an opportunity to get an up-close look for the day in the life and operations of the leader. The shadowing experience gave me†¦show more content†¦Linking each Step in the Cycle with Examples 1.Vision and Expectation The Vision and expectation of the manager concerning the restaurant were so positive and encouraging. He had a vision that concerned the future direction of the restaurant, its market, and products. He had expectations of the restaurant prospering through his well-prioritized strategies besides hoping in few years’ time it would have managed to have an aggressive edge in the market. This was evident when the manager was pushing the workers and encouraging them to have passion in what they do for this was their key to success. He also encouraged them to put the happiness of their customers, as each staff’s core priority for this was the only way to enable the restaurant prospers not only in the region but also in other areas. 2.Reinforcement of Service Standards The manager continuously reinforced service standards to keep the performance of his workers at peak levels. To enable a heighted performance from the restaurant staff, he engages them into constant training; practice as well as refresher exposures in order to enable them perform up to the restaurant’s standards. Before passing a training program workers undergo an orientation meant to instill a foundation for the overall training program. To determine the necessary training, they first ascertain gaps amid present skill and knowledge levels from the already devised ranks. From here,

The Handmaid’s Tale Free Essays

In her novel The Handmaid’s Tale, Margret Atwood uses symbolism to illustrate the handmaid’s role in the society of Gilead. The handmaids are the women who had broken law of Gilead, and were forced into the role of a surrogate mother for a higher ranking couple. The handmaids had no rights or free will. We will write a custom essay sample on The Handmaid’s Tale or any similar topic only for you Order Now They were under constant surveillance and this caused them to be very cautious. The author characterizes most handmaids as a tentative and distrustful, which is perhaps why Offred never puts in words the magnitude of her discontent with her new life, because it’s possible she doesn’t truly trust the reader. The author uses symbols such as the handmaid’s dress-code, a pigs ball, and even the handmaids names to give the reader a sense of the handmaid’s imprisonment. The handmaid’s dress-code was a very strict one; it was a dress-code that symbolized their one, sole duty; to bear a child. The handmaids were only needed for their reproductive services, so their dresses were red, to indicate their fertility. As Offred is dressing she describes her uniform; â€Å"Everything except the wings around my face is red: the color of blood, which defines us. The skirt is ankle-length, full, gathered to a flat yoke that extends over the breasts, the sleeves are full. The white wings too are prescribed issue; they are to keep us from seeing, but also from being seen,† (p. 9). The handmaid’s were not supposed to be viewed as sexual beings, (though many people thought of them as adulteresses). The main character Offred describes her and her fellow handmaid’s as two-legged wombs, and nothing more. Their only purpose in life was to conceive a child, which was represented openly by the color of their robes. The handmaids in the novel lead such a caged life that in one of Offred’s many deep reflections, Atwood compares Offreds life symbolically to the life of a prized show pig. The handmaid’s were not permitted to entertain themselves nor flex their intellectual abilities, even simple games such as Scrabble would get them sent away to become an Unwoman, the worst outcome imaginable. As Offred longs for something to distract her, she thinks; â€Å"there’s time to spare. This is one of the things I wasn’t prepared for – the amount of unfilled time, the long parentheses of nothing†¦I wait, washed, brushed, fed, like a prize pig. Sometime in the eighties they invented pig balls, for pigs who were being fattened in pens. Pig balls were large colored balls; the pigs rolled them around with their snouts†¦the pigs were curious, they liked to have something to think about†¦I wish I had a pig ball,† (p. 85). The pigs are permitted to have a ball to entertain themselves, while the handmaids are only left with their thoughts. The author creates a symbol with the ball to demonstrate how the handmaid’s emotional and intellectual needs were valued even less than a pig’s. The handmaid’s names were also a clear representation of their position in society. For example, Offred, or Of-Fred, is a clear statement that this woman belongs to Fred, and Ofwarren, belongs to Warren. The handmaids didn’t even have enough freedom to maintain their real names. They were forced to accept a new patronymic name that striped them from their former identity entirely. Of-fred is a direct indication that these women are being reduced to the value of an object that can be possessed or thrown away if it doesn’t function properly. Atwood uses symbolism to expand the readers understanding of Offreds and the other handmaids’ dire situations. The handmaids’ lead extremely cautious and guarded lives, because any sign of rebellion could get them killed. The author uses symbols such as the dresses that represents the handmaids fertility, a pig that had more privileges than the women, and the handmaids labels to expand the readers understanding of Offreds position and emotions, because as a handmaid, she could never express them fully. How to cite The Handmaid’s Tale, Papers

Strategy to Improve the Corporate Productivity

Question: Discuss about the strategy to improve the corporate productivity by introducing a right degree of employee engagement and the wage structure within the workforce. Answer: 1.0 Introduction: Meeting an organisational success has become a crucial challenge today due to the changing needs of the customers and the increased competition among the marketers. Several successful organisations are firmly committed to looking after greater employee engagement and compensation factors, due to the belief that fostering employee satisfaction could lead to the greater employee commitment. In this regards, Hirsh (2008) stated that compensation is a transition between the employee and the employer which drives significant outcomes of the employment contract. Additionally, Thau Mitchell (2010) also identified that the modern business organisations are experiencing higher turnover due to the greater dissatisfaction index of the educated employee as compared to the lesser trained staffs. This is due to the gap between the perceived value of the compensation and the received value of the firm (Greenbaum et al. 2014). As a consequence, the turnover rate increases, which, again reducing the overall output of the organisation. However, Simpson (2015) also mentioned that the globalisation has introduced cross-culturally diversified workforce within the MNEs which also affects the overall employee engagement a compensation strategy. Depending on the geographic location and other socioeconomic factors, the compensation benefits get altered. The cross-cultural dimensions such as power distance and uncertainty avoidance also impact on the employee engagement index in the decision making the process as well (theretailsolution.com.au, 2016). As a consequence, the overall operational attributes gets changed in the global operation, which directly impacts on the organisational performance. Past literature indicates that wage structure could introduce more than 45% motivation within the workforce while the employee engagement and flexibility generate more than 53% motivation across different industrial platforms (Deepa Kuppusamy, 2011). It has also drawn a proportional relationship between the wages and the employee engagement as well. The empirical study on the Australian retail industry indicates that compensation against the time spent in the organisation generates the path of work life balances and the job satisfaction index. In addition to that greater job satisfaction enhances employee commitment towards the organisation, thereby resulting improved organisational performance (Javed et al. 2014). Training and development are considered as a vital, influential antecedent of the employee engagement, as it generates dual importance to the ambitious employee. Supporting to this fact, Mikkelsen et al. (2015) stated that training and development activity is considered a s another imperative for the goal achievement and career growth opportunities for the workforce as well. Thus, the training and development business is the real driver of the improved work performance. Considering the fact, the present study attempts to identify the impact of the wages and the employee engagement in the decision making process on the overall work performance and the growth of the firm. The study has been divided into three sections. Section 1 comprised of evaluating the problem statement, objectives and the question of the research. Along with this, the research rationale has been discussed in the current study, followed by the expected outcome as well. Section 2 consists of the conceptual framework, methodology and the research hypothesis supported by the organisation of the study followed by the Gantt chart in section 3, to show the time span that would be needed to complete the study successfully. 1.1 Problem statement: The entrance of multinational enterprises and the variety of jobs are creating uncertainty with regards to the employee retention scenario. The statistical data has revealed the fact that organisational commitment (such as employee engagement and potential compensation benefit) and the worker productivity issues are increasing in the same proportions. It has now become one of the most critical challenges of the present and the future sustainability management of the market leaders, as it is mainly driven by the employee loyalty index. In this context, Haski-Leventhal (2012) assessed that the majority of the multinational enterprises is trying to retain employees by allowing the employee in the strategic decision making process and by regulating the compensation benefits as well. However, due to the rigidity of the organisational structure, a few SMEs fail to motivate employees to participate in the decision making process, thereby creating demotivation within the workforce. Eventuall y, the employee attrition rate increased which directly affects the overall organisational performance. Past surveys on the employee motivation revealed the fact that employees are motivated with regards to either intrinsic or extrinsic factor (Kuang Moser, 2011). The flexibility in the decision making process and active participation acts as the intrinsic motivation process, which is not followed by the majority of the business organisation. On the other hand, the monetary benefits are considered as the prime sources of motivating employees, which is only satisfying a lesser amount of employees to be retained in the organisation (Ã…Â ½aptorius, 2013). Thus, the research issue is to identify the impact of the wages and the worker engagement I the decision making process on the overall work performance and the growth of the organisation. Additionally, the study would also scrutinise the factors the drives the growth of the group by improving the overall motivation of the employees. 1.2 Research objectives: The overall aim of the current study is to investigate the effect of employee engagement and wage structure on the overall workforce performance of the modern day business organisations. The study aims to answer the research questions mentioned below: The objective of the present research study is as follows: RO1: To identify the significance of the wages and engagement on improving the workforce performance RO2: To assess the factors influencing the employee work performance on a larger scale RO3: To evaluate the relationship between the compensation and engagement on the overall job performance and the employee retention index of the organisation 1.3 Research questions: The question of the research is as follows: RQ1: What is the significance of the employee engagement and the compensation benefit with the overall workforce performance? RQ2: Which organisational factors could highly influence the overall employee work performance on a larger scale RQ3: How the compensation and the worker engagement parameter are interlinked with the overall growth and the employee retention of the firm? 1.4 Justification of the Project: The organisational sustainability is highly driven by the distinctive corporate culture aligned across all workstations. The great spirit of the work culture is driven by engaging the existing employees within the organisational decision making process. Supporting to this fact, Brajer-Marczak (2014) stated that the top performing MNEs allow optimum employee engagement and reduce the turnover of the high performing staff. The PWC report shows that the employee turnover cost in the Australia was estimated $3.8 billion in the productivity loss and $385 million in its avoidable recruitment costs (theretailsolution.com.au, 2016). Although this value has been found lesser than other developed economies, the survey report also shows that the entrance of new MNEs and SMEs are creating various job opportunities, which is gain becoming a significant threat to the existing local MNEs. Eventually, it is reducing the employee retention index. A great degree of employee engagement and alignment of the organisational value with the all hierarchical levels could build a culture of the mutual respect and greater engagement in the goal meetings purpose. Additionally, right wage structure and additional bonus, on the commitment towards the firm, executed by the workforce could positively motivate employees to enhance the overall performance. Thus, the firms could attain a sustainable brand positioning in the global market. Under the current circumstances below mentioned benefits could be accomplished, while conducting the research: The study could help the managers to frame the strategic decision regarding the employee engagement and wage structure that could be helpful in improving the employee commitment towards the project account. The report would also be useful to the business owners of the small medium enterprise, researchers and the policy makers as well. The proposal can also help to improve the perception regarding the interrelationship between the wages and employee engagement with the overall organisational productivity. 1.5 Expected research outcome: The result of the current study could help the current business leaders developing a potential strategy to improve the corporate productivity by introducing a right degree of employee engagement and the wage structure within the workforce. In addition to that, the outcome of the study could also help to generate an analytical framework for evaluating the factors that influence the overall performance of the workforce. Although the study has been made considering a generalised scenario irrespective of the SMEs and MNEs, the overall outcome will help to understand regarding the relationship between the employee engagement and wage with the productivity. Additionally, it would also contribute to identifying other intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing the overall organisational performance as well. Moreover, the research outputs would be treated as the important academic work which could benefit the future researcher introducing the start-up business ventures in the diversified wor k environment. Finally, it could also guide the MNEs to improve their existing employee retention rate and the overall organisational performance in the global business context. References: Beltaos, S., Tang, P. Rowsell, R. (2012) Ice jam modelling and field data collection for flood forecasting in the Saint John River, Canada, Hydrological Processes, 26(17), pp. 25352545. Blay, N., Duffield, C. M., Gallagher, R., Roche, M. (2014). Methodological integrative review of the work sampling technique used in nursing workload research. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 70(11), 24342449. Brajer-Marczak, R. (2014) Employee engagement in continuous improvement of processes, Management, 18(2), pp. 21-25 Chowdhury, S., Schulz, E., Milner, M., Van De Voort, D. (2014). Core employee based human capital and revenue productivity in small firms: An empirical investigation. Journal of Business Research, 67(11), 24732479. Cooper, C. L., Liu, Y., Tarba, S. Y. (2014). Resilience, HRM practices and impact on organizational performance and employee well-being. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25(17), 24662471. Decramer, A., Smolders, C., Vanderstraeten, A. (2013). Employee performance management culture and system features in higher education: Relationship with employee performance management satisfaction. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24(2), 352371. Deepa, E. E. Kuppusamy, D. (2011). Impact of Performance.

What Is the Right Supply Chain

To What Extent, In Your Opinion, Is Shylock A Complete and Inhuman Villain Essay Example

To What Extent, In Your Opinion, Is Shylock A Complete and Inhuman Villain Essay Example To What Extent, In Your Opinion, Is Shylock A Complete and Inhuman Villain Essay To What Extent, In Your Opinion, Is Shylock A Complete and Inhuman Villain Essay Essay Topic: Opinion Play The way in which Shylock is played on stage has changed greatly since the play was first performed, when he was made out to be a villain and a clown. This altered in the nineteenth century when Shylock was portrayed as an intelligent man who had been victimised. Undoubtedly, Shakespeare did not write Shylock as a simple, one- sided part. To a modern audience, Shylock is sometimes a villain and sometimes a victim. However, in Shakespearian times, they would have had the much simpler view that Shylock was in the wrong and they (The Christians) were right. In Shakespearian England anti- Semitism was rife. Jews were widely regarded as evil and the entire community had been expelled from England in 1290. Jews were persecuted worldwide and forced to live their lives in ghettos. Audiences in the Elizabethan era who were predominately Christians would have delighted in Shylocks defeat, where as todays society is multicultural and diverse, hence we may have an entirely different view on this topic. Throughout the play we hear evidence that would justify Shylocks wickedness towards Christians, you call me misbeliever, cut- throat dog. Anyone who is called these names, spat upon and spurned is not going to behave in a polite way towards the source of rudeness. Depicted as a villain to many readers, Shylock shows his true feelings towards Antonio, aside to the audience, I hate him for he is a Christian. As well as proving his hatred of Christians, this does nothing for the sympathy towards him from the audience; A Shakespearian audience would immediately dislike Shylock. He also states that Antonio lends out money gratis. This shows that Shylocks reasons for hating Antonio are not only because he is a Christian and the way he treats Shylock and fellow Jews, but also the fact that he lends money to people without charging interest, hence which adversely affects Shylocks livelihood. This open display of greed and hatred makes Shylock even more an unsympathetic character. Furthermore, Shylocks hatred for Antonio can build up the dislike of himself to Christians, as they see Antonio as a fellow being. Shylock is portrayed as narrow- minded, a characteristic associated with archetypical villains. Shylock displays elements of belligerence in his refusal to forgive Christians. When Bassanio invites Shylock to dinner, he refuses at first, I will not eat with you, nor drink with you. This shows his stubborn belief in the prodigal Christian and also the strong divide between religions. Eventually he goes in hate. During the play, we learn of Shylocks intent in taking Antonios life, if I can catch him once upon the hip, I will feed fat that ancient grudge I bear him. This adds to the audiences dislike of him as well as attaining a reverence of a true villain, as the audience are under the belief that Shylock will go to great lengths to take Antonios life. Shylock is uncaring and rough as a father towards his only daughter. When we first witness an interaction between them, Shylock orders her about as if she were a servant, hear you me, Jessica, lock up my doors and mentions nothing about her well- being, only the well- being of the house, let not the sound of shallow foppery enter my sober house. These comments made by Shylock show how his relationship with his daughter is very weak, harsh and strict. The audience then shows sympathy for Jessica and in turn have an aversion to Shylock. Moreover, Shylock never notices his daughters strange behaviour on the night she is due to elope- showing that Shylock is not a very attentive father. Perhaps he is too preoccupied with generating yet more wealth to concern himself with his only daughter. This view of him as self- serving and avaricious is compounded by his reaction to Jessica running away with a Christian. He is outraged that she has left and has stolen some of his money, I would my daughter were dead at my foot. It seems like he cares more for the money than Jessica, because we hear, oh my ducats more than my daughter. Again Shylock portrays himself in an unsympathetic way, as vindictive and villainous. He wishes for the death of his own daughter as the price for her treachery and even goes as far as to wish she were hearsed at my foot and the ducats in her coffin. This shows Shylock to be a cold, heartless man, devoid of parental feeling, who is focused purely on revenge and money. Another example of Shylocks villainy is in the courtroom. Here, he has the chance to show that he is far superior to the Christians. If Shylock were to show mercy to Antonio, then he would come out of the proceedings very well indeed. However, he presses on ruthlessly with his attempt to kill Antonio which, when he fails turns the audience against him. He is described, even by the Duke as a stony adversary, an inhuman wretch. As various people beg him to show mercy he only replies coldly, I will have my bond. Even when Bassanio offers him six times the original fee, he still refuses, I would not draw them, I would have my bond. All this installs hatred of him in the courtroom, as he sits sharpening his knife stating that there is no power in the tongue of man to alter me. Conversely, Shylock could be seen as the victim in this play. It could be argued that he has suffered a lot of racial abuse, maybe more often than an average Jew in the Venetian society. Shylock has been called names such as evil soul and devil incarnation, which portrays dislike towards him, probably due to his money lending occupation. However is it right to torment some just because they are of a different religion? Shylock is preyed upon by many Christians, but it seems by Antonio, more than any. Indeed Antonio seems to be the source of much of Shylocks abuse. He has disgraced me, laughed at my losses, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains and heated mine enemies and his reason, I am a Jew. Antonio also shows that that he has no remorse for what he has said and done to Shylock, he openly states he would call thee so again, spit on thee again . Here we can see how Shylock can have extra vengeance for Antonio and how no-one could blame him for being angry at this deliberate racism. When they first meet in the play, Shylock says, many a time and oft in the Rialto you have rated me. This shows how readily Shylock accepts being abused and installs our sympathy in him. It also displays how much Shylock has endured from haters. During the play it becomes obvious that the mistreatment of Shylock comes from Christians, therefore it is understandable that he has a certain loathing for them. In Venice, if a Jew wrong a Christian the Christian will seek revenge. So it seems only fair that if a Christian wrong a Jew, then the Jew will take lead and, by Christian example seek revenge too. Shylock also states that, the villainy you teach me I will execute. This implies that Shylock is not the villain, but only acting as he is treated himself. In addition Antonio lends money to people with no added interest. This limits Shylocks business as people would rather go to Antonio than Shylock. This can affect the livelihood of Shylock and make us feel sorry for him. Another aspect of how Shylock is victimised is the fact that Antonio accepted the offer with a lawyer present and therefore understood the consequences in place if he could not repay the bond. He should have never signed it if he was not prepared to accept the forfeit. Antonios stubbornness caused himself to be in such a position. He wanted to gain the upper hand over Shylock when his ships return with thrice three times the value of this bond. However when all did not go to plan, Antonio was stuck in a very difficult position. By law Shylock had the power to fulfil the bond and kill Antonio. In Shylocks attempts to retrieve his debt by going to court, he is humiliated even more. He endures many more anti- Semitic comments; devil here he comes in the likeness of a Jew. Here it shows his dehumanisation even in court where there is to be justice. They call an outcast of society and criminals who have committed unthinkable acts, devils. Subsequently, this shows that Shylock walked into a courtroom full of biased Christians ready to tear him apart, because of his religion. This gives us the idea that they may not know Shylock, but because of his religion they are, at first glance, classing him an outcast. The Christians also seek to torment Shylock even when he is most vulnerable, such as when Jessica elopes with Lorenzo. Christians invite Shylock out to dinner the night his daughter is stolen from him, so this betrays his trust in them even further. When he speaks to Salerio he mocks him about the disappearance of his daughter, thats certain: I, for my part, knew the tailor that made the wings she flew withal. This proves how much Shylock is mocked in his life, even after the people closest to him have deserted him. He was a protective father and just wants the best for Jessica. When the carnival is going on outside he wants to keep Jessica away from the Christians, clamber not you up to the casements then, nor thrust your head into the public street. He quite rightly says this considering the way he is treated by Christians. He loves his daughter and does not want her to get hurt. In addition, the fact that Jessica stole some of his money and valuable Jews makes us feel sorry for Shylock even more. All his life he has worked hard to earn his money and it has been snatched away from him. We also learn that Jessica has stolen and then given away the ring of Shylocks wife for a monkey. Shylock cries out and says, I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys. This shows how mush Jessica has hurt him and we are deeply sympathetic. Shylock is nai ve in the way that he believes he can take on the Christians when the foundation of Venetian law is designed to serve the best interests of the Christians. Shylocks punishment is harsh- he has to give up all of his wealth to his enemies and become a Christian, he is left with nothing. Here we see Shylock, an utterly broken man and our heart goes out to him. Then, at the end of the play, in the last act, we learn that everyone is happy, everyone apart from Shylock, who does not feature. This leaves us speculating what happened to him and we feel for him, wondering what he is doing while everyone else is happy and peaceful. Stereotypically, it seems that the villain is punished and the treat is over. However, although Shylock pursues his revenge fervently, he still has the audiences sympathy because of the unfair and callous punishment he receives. It strikes a modern day audience as unjust that the severity of his punishment reflects not his crime, but his race. He is a victim of the Christians intolerance of other races and ideas. In all, I believe that Shylock is merely a victim in this story. He has the right to have vengeance for all he has suffered and to act as the Christians act towards him. He has been humiliated in a racist society where the Christians have no conscience in dehumanising and destroying a Jew. Furthermore, his only daughter runs away with one of his persecutors. She steals his money and the ring his wife gave him. It seems justified that he should feel betrayed and hurt. Shylock only demanded a bond that Antonio had accepted to. It could be argued that if Antonio was not willing to die, then why did he consent to Shylocks contract in the first place. We can only guess at how Shakespeare intended Shylock to be played. He becomes throughout the play, an increasingly lone figure and is portrayed by Shakespeare to be in some ways very human. Shakespeare could have decided to show Shylock completely defeated at the end of the play, not even to have his religion to hold on to, which would indicate that he was intended to be a villain. On the other hand, I think Shylock was intended to be a victim and was created to challenge the pre- conceptions and ideologies of the Elizabethan era. Also I think that he is not a villain because he inspires too much empathy in an audience. Having said all this, I believe that it is no useful for us to simply categorise Shylock as either victim or villain. Through Shylock, Shakespeare explores the way in which the line between the oppressed and the oppressor can become vague.

Saudi Arabia's Trade Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Saudi Arabia's Trade Policy - Essay Example Saudi Arabia has embarked upon ambitious industrialization schemes, but, apart from possessing a few large modern plants in aluminum, steel and petrochemicals, their industrial structures are essentially simple. They are dominated by food processing and the production of an array of construction materials, though a wide variety of light industry is being promoted both by local demand and government encouragement (Saudi Arabia and WTO 2008). The improvement in the situation of Saudi Arabia with respect to food imports since 1990s is partly a reflection of changed prices for food, partly the result of quite minor shifts in the composition of trade and partly the result of successful, if "pensive, food security policies. It also arises from the importance of all primary products in exports and the leading roles of industrial supplies and machinery in imports. The export trade of Saudi Arabia is dominated by petroleum for which the major markets are outside the region, and most of their import needs cannot be met from within the Middle East. Political isolation, of course, has not helped its intraregional trade (Bradley 54). The trade information allows to say that commerce is connected with total financial flows between trading partners, whilst investment capital is essential to programs of industrial and infrastructural development (Bradley 87; appendix 1). This lead to the expansion of development programs in Arabia and to the formulation of massive investment plans, but it also raised the problem of how to use the large surpluses whilst the absorptive capacity of the economies was growing. Financial services had to be improved in the oil rich states, not only to assist investment and development, but also to recycle funds abroad. New commercial banks were established, national banking systems were expanded and foreign finance houses were allowed to trade, especially in the states on the Arab side of the Gulf. "The Kingdom's balance of trade has improved noticeably since 1986, when it had a surplus of only SR3.6 billion (U.S.$0.96 billion). During the Gulf Crisis, the Kingdom's balance of trade recor ded a surplus of SR76.2 billion (U.S.$20.3 billion) in 1990 and SR 70.1 billion (U.S.$18.7 billion) in 1991" (Saudi Arabia Trade.2008). Small towns, however, play a more basic role in the internal trading patterns of Middle Eastern states. Agricultural goods flow into them for distribution up the urban hierarchy or export abroad, while the small towns distribute nationally manufactured goods and foreign imports to the countryside (Al-Rasheed 33). Further away from the centre are shops specializing in cloth and clothing, but mixed in with them are often traders in perishable goods. Its physical characteristics are narrow alleyways, old property, small open-fronted shops and workshops and a degree of spatial con- centration in the various types of activity. A fourth shopping zone lies outside the tradition bazaar, along modern streets and at major intersections (Cordesman 43). According to statistical results, Trade per capita is (US$, 2004-2006)and Trade to GDP ratio (2003-2005) is 75.0 (appendix 1). These results allow to say that Saudi Arabia succeeds in its trade policy in spite economic changes and crises occurred in the region. During 2000-2004 it was Saudi Arabia which came to dominate the Middle Eastern scene with an oil production which approached 500 million tonnes in

Developmental Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Developmental Psychology - Essay Example High-risk sexual behaviour may result from these and a combination of other factors. Unprotected sex, for instance, may lead to HIV/AIDs and other sexually transmitted diseases. An absence of any of the contraceptive methods may also lead to pregnancy for teen girls, It is estimated that one of every six sexually active teen girls becomes pregnant (Kail, 2008, p. 336). The book lists four factors that contribute to high-risk sexual behaviour. These are ignorance, illusion of invulnerability (when the adolescent feels that the sexually transmitted disease or pregnancy could not happen to her), lack of motivation (desiring to become pregnant for the wrong reasons), and lack of access (inability to secure contraceptives). Schools should be mandated to hold sexual education classes for their adolescent students. Students who get sexually promiscuous do so not solely because they have learned sex in school, but because of influences in mass media and other elements they are exposed to. In other words, sexual activity will occur with or without sex education classes. However, without knowing the biological reasons and ways of dealing with what they feel, students will be more at a loss as to how to protect themselves. What needs to be emphasized is that they should be responsible for their actions, and they have the choice to refuse to have sex even in the face of peer pressure. For sex education to be withheld from adolescents is not only irresponsible, but potentially dangerous for them. Drawing on material from the text, respond to the following questions. The text discusses the "myth" that adolescence is a time of storm and stress. This has been the popular view for many years. Discuss the authors conclusions. Do you agree with their view? What have been your own experiences regarding this issue, either yourself or as a parent? According to the authors, Kail & Cavanaugh, the rebellious teen is