The Breakdown in Relations between the Thirteen English Colonies in Essay

The Breakdown in Relations between the Thirteen English Colonies in North America and Great Britain - Essay Example While the colonists living in this region were originally British citizens, this century increasingly saw them identify themselves as residents of America. Contributing to their newfound sense of identification was a number of policies and incidents that weakened relations between America and Great Britain. This essay discusses and explains what caused the breakdown in relations between the thirteen English colonies in North America and Great Britain during the period of 1750 to 1776. One of the most prominent incidents that strained relations between America and Great Britain is what has come to be referred to as the Boston Massacre. Indeed, the Boston Massacre was a pivotal event in American history for the significant contributions it made to the eventual start of the American Revolutionary War. The actual events of the Boston Massacre are that on March 5, 1770 the British army shot and killed five men living in the American colonies. While this is the eventual occurrence, the Boston Massacre is perhaps more significant as the symbolic representation of nearly thirty years of perceived slights at the hand of Great Britain. For a number of years surrounding the Massacre the British government had increasingly taxed the colonies causing large amounts of strife within the colonial residents. One of the major incidents in these matters was the occurrence of the French and Indian War. The French and Indian War was a conflict that extended between 1754 and 1763 betwe en Great Britain and French/Indian forces. While ultimately this conflict proved successful for Great Britain, it came at great cost. As a means of counteracting the cost of this conflict, Britain began instituting a variety of taxes on their colonial empire. These taxes were met with considerable resistance among residents of the colonies. Perhaps the major tax in these regards was the 1765 Stamp Act, which resulted in the now seminal calls of, ‘no taxation without representation’ from the colonists. In terms of specific tax acts that contributed to the tensions surrounding the Boston Massacre, the Townshend Acts had recently been passed within colonial America. The Townshend Acts went beyond merely taxing the colonies, but were designed to ensure that the governors and judges ruling over the colonial empire were entirely under British control. This tactic was put in place to further solidify colonial compliance with British taxes and to better gain control of trade re gulations within the colonial empire. As one might imagine, such a tactic was met with great resistance in the colonies. Petitions were sent to King George asking that the Townshend Acts be repealed. In making no progress in direct petitions to King George, increasing amount of assemblies began to take place throughout Massachusetts. These assemblies began to threaten British officials residing within the colonies. Lord Hillsborough, who had recently been made the Colonial Secretary, became alarmed by the growing amount of resistance to the Townshend Acts. He began to instruct the colonies that they needed to cease resistance operations to the British laws. As the colonists continued their resistance to the Townshend Acts, the British government responded by sending military enforcement to the colonies to ensure they followed the new regulations. On June 10th the British troops acquisitioned the colonial ship Liberty because, they claimed, the ship had been involved in smuggling act ions. This prompted great outrage from the colonists and riots among the local sailors began to occur. These riots resulted in increasing tensions between British and colonials, with the British sending soldiers to Boston. The actual incident of the Boston Massacr

Female Dishonor in The Death of Woman Wang Essay

Female Dishonor in The Death of Woman Wang - Essay Example Woman Wang is an ill-fated personage who symbolizes the pervasive silence or constrained muffling of women. Spence unearths the judicial system in the Qing dynasty and demonstrates the odds which were against women. Woman Wang does not speak much and one observes that her husband and illicit lover are the ones who hold primary discourse. Because of the shameful circumstances surrounding her ignominious death, the law dictates that no one has the right to touch her. Only another old village woman can do a post-mortem examination to probe the cause of death. Woman Wang, as a result, attained an ‘untouchable’ and outcast position.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Throughout much of Chinese history, mortal-moral women have been held in highest esteem†¦the one central characteristic of their appeal was that they served as moral exemplars†¦ role models and as ideal cultural archetypes† (Peterson) Chinese historic annals applaud chaste women. On the other hand, the dishonored women w ould fade into oblivion, names forgotten or expunged from records. The survival of the mini-narratives through Spence’s account signifies that even the women with alleged marred reputations still deserved a place in history and their tales mentioned.   Illegitimate legal practices riddled the Chinese justice system, ensuring that women would be voiceless or unable to prosecute their abusers. Women were labeled as natural fornicators; therefore, cases of rape go unpunished. The prejudiced system comprised of Emperor, magistrates, diplomats, literati, and husbands. Also as a result of gross inequalities, men have unrestrained freedom to leave their wives and forsake their children to pursue another lover (Jurich 12). The dishonor of women is a reflection of the cheap worth put on their lives by society. In one scenario, Woman T’sai’s husband runs through her estate after marriage in dissipated living. He then plans to sell his wife as prostitute to continue drinking and gambling. This brief outline demonstrates a practice which was not only common, but also accepted (Hughes 16). Prostitution is one of the lowest ranks to which a woman in the moral-conscious society in China could sink. Ironically this ‘industry’ which exploited women thrived. The subject of prostitution is therefore a hypocritical contradiction, which allowed men unlimited latitude for sexual relations and imposing restraints on the woman. Spence unfolds a story of another notorious death of a woman – pushed by her forlornness to suicide. Nan San Fu agrees to marry a woman named Tou. Here, the reader observes the carefree, wayfaring man, the desertion of dishonored women by fiancà © and family, socioeconomic and emotional depression, a last petition and suicide.

Modelling a Database for a Garment Manufacturing Company Essay Example for Free

Modelling a Database for a Garment Manufacturing Company Essay This project will contain information on the processing involved in modelling a database for a Garment Manufacturing company. It will also document how to create letter and fax templates that make the work more efficient. The database will hold details about the suppliers, customers and stock etc. The garment style, size, how many ordered and deadline dates for the garments to be finished will also be data which is stored in the table. The end-user Mr Jordan will be able to recall information on any of his suppliers or customers. He will be able to link what the customer orders to what he has to order from his suppliers or if the customers provides their own supplies he will see the amount needed. Mr Jordan will be able to send letters automatically to his customers and suppliers about work and orders. The database will be developed using Microsoft Access, the supplier and customer letters will be created in Microsoft Word and merged with data from Microsoft Access. Background to Organisation The Garment Manufacturing Company is called Air Ltd, it is located in Stratford and is owned by Mr Jordan. There are nine workers, which Mr Jordan is in charge of. He takes care of every aspect of the business himself apart from parts of the accounts. All of the other nine workers are arrange in a production line around the work place. Mr Jordan deals with the customer enquiries, orders and suppliers etc. At the moment letters are created from scratch in Microsoft Word. Information Technology is not used much as it could be at the present time. Current procedures Customers get into contact with the company and talk about their order and the type of work required to meet their needs. This would include the design styles, materials and number of garments etc. Either the customer provide their own materials or they set out their order to Mr Jordan so he can go to his supplier. The company then makes a sample garment which is shown to the customer if they are pleased with it then production starts, if not then amendments are made. At the moment if letters need to be sent out to customers or suppliers they are created individually instead of making a template and using mail-merge. From customer orders Mr Jordan notes down how many garments to be made, style of garment and size on paper, all of this documentation is kept in a folder. Image of Mr Jordans customers order detail sheet. [image002.jpg] The customer detail sheet is in tabular form where records are filled in about each of the individual garments. For example data such as size, colour and style etc. would be held on the sheet. Mr Jordan takes care of all of these sheets in a folder. When they are out dated and are no, longer of any use they are disposed of. Strengths of the current system The strengths of the following system are: All of the workers are used to the current system this means that nobody has to be trained to use any new equipment. For example none of the workers have to be trained on how to use computers. Most work is carried out by hand , this is a strength because if machines were used and any one of them broke down the production of the garments would have to be stopped. Weaknesses of the current system The weaknesses of the current system are: All documentation is carried out on paper. All letter to customers are created individually. The business does not use e-mail to communicate with its customers or suppliers. The business does not have a web site advertising its service and goods. If vital business documents are lost, there is no backup. There is no form of a factory outlet. Objectives for the new system Store details about the customers permanently. Store details about the suppliers permanently. Easily be able to input data concerning the ordering of materials. For example, style, material, size, colour etc. Be able to print out order details for the worker to use. Check his status with the suppliers. For example, material ordered etc. Send out letters to customers using mail merge for better efficiency. Print out an update of all deadlines to be met. End-user and functional requirements Store details about the customers permanently The database will need to store details of the name of the company, its address and the telephone number. The user will sometimes want to display details of all the customers. It will be useful if the customer company names are in alphabetical order. The user might want to send the customers letters which means that the postcode will have to be stored in a separate field. Store details about the suppliers permanently The database will store details about the suppliers. For example the user will sometimes want to list the names in alphabetical order this means that the first name will have to be stored in a separate field to the middle and last name. If the user wants to send the customers letters to inform them about orders etc he will need to store the post code part of the address in a different field. Store details about the suppliers permanently The database will store details about the suppliers name and address. The suppliers table will be similar to the customer table. But the user will send letters to the suppliers concerning the orderinf of raw materials etc. Easily be able to input data concerning the ordering of materials. For example, style, material, size, colour etc. The user will easily be able to in put the data u sing Microsoft access instead of inputting the data on paper using a hand made table where he could be creating a more efficient table using access. Be able to print out order details for the worker to use. The user will be able to print out details of the customers orders. For example, the number of garments, style, material etc. Check his status with the suppliers. For example, material ordered etc. The user should be able to access details about what he has ordered and what there is to pay at the touch of button Send out letters to customers using mail merge for better efficiency. The user will be able to send out letters to the customers and suppliers quickly and efficiently using mail merge with Microsoft Access and Microsoft Word Print out an update of all deadlines to be met. The user will be able to print out a list of all deadlines to be met of all of the customers so the workers can work efficiently. Working Constraints End-user skill level The end-user(s) have used modern computers before based upon Windows 95. The user has used a modern computer to create letters and do calculations on Microsoft Excel. The user can only do simple calculations and nothing too complicated. The user can create letters for suppliers and customers by using a word processor. Mr Jordan is new to Microsoft Word but is getting the hang of it. He does not know much about the advanced features of the software. Mr Jordan will need some form of support in using the advanced features. Mr Jordan can use any simple software, but will have to apply himself slightly to be able to get the hang of the advanced features. His experience with IT is very limited. The new system must be easy to understand so that the vital functions can be successfully carried out. No errors should occur, everything should be clear. Availability of hardware and software The previous software that Mr Jordan was using is called Lotus Word Pro96 but has recently purchased a new PC with Microsoft Office 2000 on it. This new computer is manufactured by Compaq and has the following specification: 900Mhz processor 64Mb RAM 13Gigabytes HDD 17 inch VDU Cannon Bubble Jet printer BJC4200 Microsoft Office 2000 Mr Jordan has an ideal specification if not too good for the functional requirements. The software in the school will easily correspond with Mr Jordans PC since in school Microsoft Office 97 is available. Time constraints The deadline for the project is to be completed for the 30^th March. This gives approximately nine weeks for development, testing and documentation. Documentation will take up a great deal of the time this means that time will be a major constraint upon the completed system. Initial time plan Consideration of solutions Data such as company names and addresss will need to be stored along with ordering details etc. this means that a database must be used. A word processor will also be needed because letters have to be created for the customers. Mail merge could be used. There are two choices for the type of database: relational or Flat-file. Flat-file A Flat-file database will not be suitable because it would mean that all of the field would have to be stored in one table. For example, supplier, customer and order fields will all be in the same table. This would then lead to there being data in the table that is not needed. For example, each time a customer made an order their name and address will have to be recorder in that record. If this type were to be used then it would take up a lot of space and hold useless data. It would also make it hard to search in the basic ways that you do. It will be hard to develop it so that the end-user will be able searc h for a certain supplier or customer without all of the other irrelevant details coming up. It would also make it increasingly difficult to use the mail merge facility. Concluding this we now know that a spreadsheet is not suitable for our purpose because it is just like a Flat-file if not nearly enough the same thing. Relational database This form of storage is much more flexible than Flat-file because it allows the data to be split up into separate tables. This is more efficient because each table contains information about a single entity. Now that information is in its individual tables, data redundancy is avoided. By linking all of the tables the whole structure will be able to be searched in a variety of ways. There are a great amount of relational database options in the market but the two main ones are Microsoft Access and Lotus Approach. These are both very suitable choices. Out of the two I will use Microsoft Access because it is more common compared with Lotus Approach and also because I am more familiar with the Microsoft environment. Overall I feel that Microsoft Access is easier to understand the instructions are clearer which makes it easier to follow. The terminology used in Access is better than that used in Lotus Approach. The form will be used to enter record of orders, suppliers and customers etc. This will make the business more organised and thus more efficient. The queries will be used to see who is ordering what and how much is owed to suppliers or owed by customers. To produce the templates for the letter I have chosen Microsoft word because it can easily be linked to Microsoft Access. It will also enable the letter to look professional as you can set any of your own preferences. For example, margin width, header and footer etc. Functions in Microsoft word such as MacroButtons, Date fields can make the end-user develop the letter template for his suitability. Other functions like AutoCorrect and AutoText will give the user an option for creating many types of customised letters for different kinds clients. My other options for word processors were Lotus WordPro, WordPad, Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Paint and Word Perfe ct. These were not as suitable as Microsoft Word because some of them do not allow me carry out the advanced features that I wish to and also because most of them will not be able to link with Microsoft Access.

Comparison of Gender Wage Gap in Japan and Germany

Comparison of Gender Wage Gap in Japan and Germany In all of the advanced capitalist nations women were experiencing the contradictions of an education which seemed to promise self-fulfilment, and a labour market based on inequalities of class and gender (Brinton, 1993, as cited in Threlfall, 1996, p. 270). This statement has been made more than fifteen years ago and indicated that women were not treated equally regarding work and pay. However, have circumstances changed since then? If yes, did they improve or worsen and to which extend? The aim of this paper is to analyse the existence of a gender wage gap in Japan and Germany and to evaluate possible reasons for it. Furthermore, an outlook for the future will be given at the end. 2. Gender Wage Gap in Japan The Japanese law system is regulated by the Japanese Standards Labour Law which was enacted after World War II in 1947. This Japanese Standards Labour Law contained a clause which should protect working women. In reality, this clause prevented women from working excessive overtime and during nights (Sama and Papamarcos, 2000). This is why women could not climb up the greasy pole. Furthermore, this law prohibited that women were treated differently on the basis of sex (Threlfall, 1996). On top of this, as stated by Threlfall (1996), the Standards Labour Law covered only equal wages but not promotion or retirement. During this time, employers could be sued for discrimination, but this was an expensive and time-consuming act as each case had to be dealt with separately. Additionally, many companies circumvented the danger of lawsuits by new grading of job titles (Threlfall, 1996). This changed in 1986 when the Equal Employment Opportunity Law (EEOL) was passed (Sama and Papamarcos, 2000 ). This law encouraged companies in Japan to treat employees equally in all aspects like wages, promotion, recruitment and hiring (Threlfall, 1996). Unfortunately, the EEOL contained no penalties for continuing discrimination and also its amendment, which was enacted in 1999, did not really improve the inequalities regarding wage and promotion between men and women (Sama and Papamarcos, 2000). Figure 1 clarifies these important labour laws in Japan. Japanese Labour Standards Law of 1947 Contained protective clause for working women. Came under scrutiny in 1970s as a possible deterrent to womens career advancement. Equal Employment Opportunity Law (EEOL) of 1986 Enacted in 1987, the EEOL called for equal pay for equal work. No penalties for violators. Employers asked only to make a good effort. June 1997 Amendment to the EEOL Enacted in 1999, the amendment lifted restrictions on midnight, holiday, and overtime work by women in effect since the 1947 Labor Standards Law. Further stiffened warnings against companies found in violation of the EEOL. No penalties attached. According to Selmer (2001), the Japanese wage system is based on seniority (pp. 236-237). This indicates that promotion and pay rise are automatic and no subject to job duties or merit (Selmer, 2001). That means that employees get promotion and pay rise when they reach certain age levels. The gender wage gap is measured as the median wage of men minus the median wage of women, expressed as a proportion of the median wage of men (Evans, 2002, p. 191). As stated by the World Economic Forum (2005), no country has yet managed to eliminate the gender gap (p. 1). According to OECD (2007), the womens medium wage in Japan is two thirds of that received by men. This represents twice the OECD average. Figure 2 displays the gender wage gap of several countries. Blau and Kahn (2003) stated that the gender wage gap in Japan is up to 85% (as cited in Johnes and Tanaka, 2006). This means that women earn up to 85% less than men. Recent sources indicated a gender wage gap of 65.9% for 2007 (Japanese Institute for Labour Policy and Training, 2008). The differences in the gender wage gap are subject to different data used for analysis. Some calculations include part-time workers, which are mainly female and others base their calculations on full-time employees only. As already stated above, Japanese firms discriminate on the grounds of gender when paying employees. This chapter evaluates several reasons for the gender wage gap in Japan. First of all, many workers in Japan get a lifetime employment contract (Ishii, 2000). Japanese firms make huge investments in employee training and that is why they want their employees to stay as long with the company as possible. Therefore, the duration of attachment to a firm plays an important role when negotiating wages. As it is most often foreseeable that women will not stay with one company for their whole life, because they want to start a family one day, they pretty much never get a lifetime contract (Ishii, 2000). Therefore, as stated by Ihsii (2000), companies make no investment in human capital when they employ women as they think they will not benefit in the future from this investment as women sooner or later leave the company. The second reason for the gender wage gap is based on different experiences. Miyoshi (2007) argued that there is no gender pay gap when people are employed directly after school, college or university. But when employees accumulate work experience, the wage gap enlarges. Miyoshi (2007) explains this fact by referring to the full-time work experience and seniority. The more full-time work experience an employee has, the more valuable he is. As women often have less work experience because of child-raising obligations and only part-time jobs, the get less money and less promotion than their male counterpart. Different characteristics of workers represent the third reason for the gender wage gap in Japan. Johnes and Tanaka (2006) explained that different characteristics like age, work experience, education and duration of work are one reason for the gender pay gap in Japan. They agree with Miyoshi when stating that differences in work experience are the reason for pay inequalities, but they extend the argument by adding other characteristics like age and education. The greater part of the gender wage gap in Japan can be explained by referring to the reasons stated above. However, there is also a smaller part of the earnings gap that can not be explained. According to Kawaguchi (2006), this part can be attributed to sex discrimination. 4. Gender Wage Gap in Germany Regarding German law, article 3 paragraph 2 of the German Constitution of 1949 states that men and women have equal rights (Maier, 2007). Furthermore, paragraph 3 states that no one should be discriminated on the grounds of gender. This right for equal treatment and payment was not practiced in reality as special wage groups for women were allowed in collective agreements until 1955 (Maier, 2007). Furthermore, Maier (2007) stated that most employees in Germany are paid according to these collective agreements, although the coverage is declining (p. 11). In 1980, a new paragraph was added to the German Constitution which demanded equal pay for work of equal value (Winter, 1998). But this amendment brought no chance. Later, in 2006, the General Equal Treatment Act was passed and paragraph 7 prohibited unequal treatment within any employment relationship (Maier, 2007, p. 18). This law stated that lower wages for women are not justified if they are based on gender. Unfortunately, German law still lacks legal measures to control the implementation of equal wage principles. Furthermore, Maier (2007) stated that it is not easy for women to claim their right for equal pay. Class actions are not allowed and thus, all women must bring their individual claim to court. As this is often an expensive and time-consuming process, many plaintiffs refrain from filing a suit (Maier, 2007). That is why Germany has a significant high gender wage gap, although the German government has a female chancellor (Plass, 2008). In reality, as stated by Plass (2008), Germany has one of the highest gender pay gaps on the European continent. Furthermore, more than 90 percent of all working women are discriminated and earn between 80 and 210 cents less per hour (Gradà ­n, del Rà ­o and Cantà ³, 2006). Legal norms for equal pay in Germany are displayed in figure 3. According to the German government statistics bureau, Destatis, working women in Germany earned 24 percent less than men in 2006 (as cited in Plass, 2008). As stated by Maier (2007), this number has been reduced to 22 percent in 2007. Whereas the average difference in pay is 15 percent in the European Union (Spiegel Online International, 2008). 5. Reasons for the Gender Wage Gap in Germany Several reasons contribute to the large gender wage gap in Germany. First of all, as mentioned by Lauer (n.d.), women often do not possess the same education and skills as men do. Employers who place value on these exact skills are likely to pay women less in order to compensate the lack of skills and knowledge. Furthermore, Lauer (n.d.) also mentioned that skills and knowledge may be rewarded differently between men and women. Meaning that women with the same educational background and knowledge will earn less because these identical skills are not rewarded the same way by the employer. In addition, Maier (2007) identified the lack of legal barriers against low wages as a reason for the gender pay differences in Germany. As there exists no general minimum wage in Germany, and as the country has almost three million unemployed persons (Bundesagentur fà ¼r Arbeit, 2008), it is easy for employers to fill a low-paid vacancy. Furthermore, Lauer (n.d.) identified occupational crowding of women in low paid occupations as another source for earning inequalities between men and women in Germany. There is also the fact that there is a low proportion of working women in highly paid positions (Maier, 2007). Concluding, Maier (2007) stated that factors like age, education and work experience present only a very unimportant reason for wage discrimination. Again, the unexplained part of the gender wage gap can be attributed to discrimination based on gender (Lauer, n.d.). 6. Similarities and Differences between Japan and Germany After analyzing the gender wage gap in Japan and Germany and its reasons, several similarities as well as differences can be pointed out. First of all, there is a significant high gender wage gap in both countries, although the difference in earnings is higher in Japan with around 35 percent compared to Germany with about 22 percent (Maier, 2007). Nevertheless, the German earnings gap is 7 percent higher than the European Union average (Spiegel Online International, 2008). Both countries put emphasis on the characteristics of employees. Age, work experience and education are important when negotiating wages. As women often have less education or work experience than men (Lauer, n.d.), they get paid less than their male counterpart. Furthermore, part of the gender wage gap in both countries is an unexplained part which can be attributed to gender discrimination (Kawaguchi, 2006; Lauer, n.d.). Differences between the two countries can be found in the fact that Japanese employers discriminate when investing in human capital. Due to the Japanese lifetime employment, many employers consider rather carefully whether to employ women or not. As it is obvious to them that women will leave the company some day for child-raising duties, they will thereby take away the human capital in which the company invested. 7. Conclusion Even if both countries enacted laws in the 80ies which should ensure equal pay for work of equal value, there is still a significant gender wage gap observable. Japan as well as Germany managed during the last to decades to narrow this gap, but this happened probably just because of the new laws which were enforced. When looking ahead, both countries will probably have a different future. Japan will stick to its lifetime employment system (Kato, 2001) and thereby will keep the earnings gap between men and women stable. The fact that more and more Japanese women decide to pursue their careers can possibly help in narrowing the gender pay gap (Fackler, 2007). Germany is likely to increase the gender pay gap as the coverage of collective agreements, which set equal wages for men and women, is declining (Maier, 2007). Furthermore, as long as there is no support from the government to implement the right for equal money for work of equal value, the gender wage gap will not be narrowed. 8. Bibliography , Blau, F. and Kahn, L. (2003). Understanding international differences in the gender pay gap. Journal of Labor Economics. Vol. 21, pp. 106-144. Brinton, M. (1993). Women and the economic miracle: gender and work in post-war Japan. Berkeley: Calif. Bundesagentur fà ¼r Arbeit (2008). Der Arbeits- und Ausbildungsmarkt in Deutschland (The work and education market in Germany) [online]. Available at: URL: http://www.pub. arbeitsamt.de/hst/services/statistik/000000/html/start/monat/ aktuell.pdf [Accessed 6 January 2009]. Evans, J. (2002). work/family reconciliation, gender wage equity and occupational segregation: the role of rims and public policy [online]. Available at: URL: http://economics.ca/cgi/jab?journal= cppview=v28s1/CPPv28s1p187.pdf [Accessed 16 December 2008]. Fackler, M. (2007). Career women in Japan find a blocked path. The New York Times, [online]. Available at: URL: http://www. nytimes.com/2007/08/06/world/asia/06equal.html [Accessed 6 January 2009]. Gradà ­n, C., del Rà ­o, C. and Cantà ³, O. (2006). Poverty and womens labor market activity: the role of gender wage discrimination in the EU [online]. Available at: URL: http://www.ecineq.org/milano/ WP/ECINEQ2006-40.pdf [Accessed 6 January 2009]. Ishii, H. (2000). Occupational segregation and the gender wage gap in Japan [online]. Available at: URL: http://www.kli.re.kr/ iira2004/pro/papers/HisakoISHII.pdf [Accessed 05 January 2009]. Japanese Institute for Labour Policy and Training (2008). Wages and labour costs [online]. Available at: URL: http://www.jil.go. jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/05.htm [Accessed 05 January 2009]. Johnes, G. and Tanaka, Y. (2006). Changes in gender wage discrimination in the 1990s: a tale of three different economies. Japan and the World Economy. Vol. 20, pp. 97-113. Kato, T. (2001). The end of lifetime employment in Japan?: evidence from national surveys and field research. Journal of the Japanese and International Economies. Vol. 15, pp. 489-514. Kawaguchi, D. (2006). A market test for sex discrimination: evidence from Japanese firm-level panel data. International Journal of Industrial Organization. Vol. 25, pp. 441-460. Lauer, C. (n.d.). Gender wage gap in West Germany: how far do gender differences in human capital matter? [online]. Available at: URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=217651 [Accessed 6 January 2009]. Maier, F. (2007). The persistence of the gender wage gap in Germany [online]. Available at: URL: http://www.harriet-taylor-mill.de/pdfs/discuss/Discussion%20Paper%2001%202007.pdf [Accessed 29 December 2008]. Miyoshi, K. (2007). Male-female wage differentials in Japan. Japan and the World Economy. Vol. 20, pp. 479-496. OECD (2007). Highlights Japan [online]. Available at: URL: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/20/20/39696303.pdf [Accessed 29 December 2008]. Plass, S. (2008). German women struggle with gender wage gap. International Herald Tribune, [online]. Available at: URL: http:// www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/28/business/women.php?page=1 [Accessed 31 December 2008]. Sama, L. and Papamarcos, S. (2000). Cultures consequences for working women in corporate America and Japan, Ind.. Cross Cultural Management An International Journal. Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 18-29. Selmer, J. (2001). Human resource management in Japan. International Journal of Manpower. Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 235-243. Spiegel Online International (2008). German women earn a fifth less than men. Spiegel Online International, [online]. Available at: URL: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518, 558526,00.html [Accessed 31 December 2008]. Threlfall, M. (1996). Mapping the womens movement. London: Verso. Winter, R. (1998). Gleiches Entgelt fà ¼r gleichwertige Arbeit: Ein Prinzip ohne Praxis (Equal pay for work of equal value: a principle without practice.). Baden-Baden. World Economic Forum (2005). Womens empowerment: measuring the global gender gap [online]. Available at: URL: http://www.weforum.org/pdf/Global_Competitiveness_Reports/Reports/gender_gap.pdf [Accessed 30 December 2008].

Indonesian Demographic Transition Essay -- Population Control

Introduction The effects of population control programs on demographic change were not instant, and it takes long serious effort to encourage the improvement of economic development in a country. According to Paul J. Gertler (1994, p. 33), â€Å"Population control is a key element in a country’s ability to maintain and improve its economic and social welfare†. Furthermore, this paper intends to explain why the change of population structure has an effect on the society’s economic condition in Indonesia with examining the demographic variables. This short paper is aimed to support the hypothesis that the demographic variables are important influential factors on the economic development and significantly affect on the social welfare in Indonesia. Therefore, the paper proceed with examining the demographic transition from 1970 to 2000 in the change of population structure, and also considering the population control program which enhances the economic development. In order to understand the relationship between population control program and the improvement of the social welfare, this paper will focus on how its relationship with the age structure, population density and the life expectancy. Background The population control program in Indonesia has come a long way since it was established by the Indonesian government in the late 1960s. The Indonesian family planning (FP) program which is held by the National Family Planning Coordinating Board (BKKBN) has implemented the concept of how to form happy and prosperous families as a means to improve family welfare. However, the concept was not separated from the main purpose of the population control program, which basically focuses on the contraceptives’ use in order to reduce the fe... ...e can understand the reason why the change of population structure has an effect on the society’s economic condition. The changes in age structure in Indonesia shows the significant increase in the productive age which leads to the increase of the labor force, and also shows the increase in women participation in labor force. The life expectancy can be used for evaluating the government performance (family planning program) in improving family resilience and institutionalizing quality of small family. Lastly, the population density is an important factor to evaluate the society's quality of live. Finally, this paper has shown that the society's welfare has generally placed on the role of demographic variables in economic growth and there is a significant relationship between population control program and the improvement of the society’s welfare in Indonesia.

Is the World Developing a Homogenous Culture? Essay -- Globalization

Introduction In response to globalization, many critics have become concerned with its effects on other cultures. Globalization is not merely the sharing of goods and people, but also the spread of ideology and values. So, what happens when the ideologies of different nations conflict? For those who support the cultural imperialism theory, the answer is simple? The more powerful countries’ ideas prevail, forcing the people of the less powerful country to quickly abandon their former ideas and adapt to the new ones. The result is that authentic cultures are ruined which will lead to a global homogeneous culture. However, those who oppose this theory contend that cultures are not ruined but expanded and enhanced to create more complex and diverse societies. In my paper I examined both arguments as well as the way in which American popular culture is spread. In particular, I will focus on the impact of American influence in Japan and Korea, both of which have been receptive to Americ an culture, and France. Most often, scholars cite media and business as the main form of cultural imperialism, but what is the true effect of watching American television and movies, listening to music, or eating a Big Mac? I don’t believe that there is a significant impact because while people from other cultures may emulate common American images and ideas, they also find different ways to adapt these new ideas into their traditional culture. These different methods of adaptation will lead to an even more complex global culture instead of a homogeneous one, while concepts of ethnocentrism will maintain diversity. Theories First, what is culture? Furthermore, is it destructible? Marvin Harris and Orna Johnson, the authors of Cultural A... ...cohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=16&hid=107&sid=c517a5a1-cad3-4e0a- 8850-8b75290ad3cc@sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ== Rauth, R. (1988). The myth of cultural imperialism. The Freeman, 38(11), Retrieved from http://www.thefreemanonline.org/columns/the-myth-of-cultural-imperialism/ Rinaman, K. (n.d.). French film quotas and cultural protectionism . Retrieved from http://www1.american.edu/ted/frenchtv.htm Rothkopf, D. (1997). In praise of cultural imperialism?. Foreign Policy, (107), Retrieved from http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/protected/rothkopf.html Top 10 ways kfc in japan is different from kfc in the us . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.facingtherisingsun.com/japan-travel-tips-eating/japan-kfc-different U.S. Department of State. (2012, March 5). U.s. department of state. Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/4142.htm Is the World Developing a Homogenous Culture? Essay -- Globalization Introduction In response to globalization, many critics have become concerned with its effects on other cultures. Globalization is not merely the sharing of goods and people, but also the spread of ideology and values. So, what happens when the ideologies of different nations conflict? For those who support the cultural imperialism theory, the answer is simple? The more powerful countries’ ideas prevail, forcing the people of the less powerful country to quickly abandon their former ideas and adapt to the new ones. The result is that authentic cultures are ruined which will lead to a global homogeneous culture. However, those who oppose this theory contend that cultures are not ruined but expanded and enhanced to create more complex and diverse societies. In my paper I examined both arguments as well as the way in which American popular culture is spread. In particular, I will focus on the impact of American influence in Japan and Korea, both of which have been receptive to Americ an culture, and France. Most often, scholars cite media and business as the main form of cultural imperialism, but what is the true effect of watching American television and movies, listening to music, or eating a Big Mac? I don’t believe that there is a significant impact because while people from other cultures may emulate common American images and ideas, they also find different ways to adapt these new ideas into their traditional culture. These different methods of adaptation will lead to an even more complex global culture instead of a homogeneous one, while concepts of ethnocentrism will maintain diversity. Theories First, what is culture? Furthermore, is it destructible? Marvin Harris and Orna Johnson, the authors of Cultural A... ...cohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=16&hid=107&sid=c517a5a1-cad3-4e0a- 8850-8b75290ad3cc@sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ== Rauth, R. (1988). The myth of cultural imperialism. The Freeman, 38(11), Retrieved from http://www.thefreemanonline.org/columns/the-myth-of-cultural-imperialism/ Rinaman, K. (n.d.). French film quotas and cultural protectionism . Retrieved from http://www1.american.edu/ted/frenchtv.htm Rothkopf, D. (1997). In praise of cultural imperialism?. Foreign Policy, (107), Retrieved from http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/protected/rothkopf.html Top 10 ways kfc in japan is different from kfc in the us . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.facingtherisingsun.com/japan-travel-tips-eating/japan-kfc-different U.S. Department of State. (2012, March 5). U.s. department of state. Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/4142.htm

Analysis †Aqualisa Quartz: Simply a Better Shower Essay

Aqualisa is a U.K. based shower manufacturing Company. The Company has been very reputed in the U.K. market for its top quality showers, reliability and great service. It had launched its premium brand Quartz in May 2001. The basic purpose behind launching this brand was to address the concerns of the consumers and the plumbers which perhaps were not satisfied with the existing products in the market. Aqualisa has three products in shower market segments. This product addresses the issues of lower water pressure and allowing for proper temperature control for water. Generally speaking, due to legacy building designs, shower has low pressure and variable temperatures. Electric Showers commands around 60% of the market (Aqua has 20% or so of electric shower market) and easier to install but are positioned awkwardly in bathrooms and does not solve the pressure problem. On flip side, they do not need separate heat water supply, rather heats the water by itself. Also they are by far the cheapest among the three products with price difference in the range of 200- 400 dollars. Mixer Shower – Has two products one with pump one without. Priced at 400- 700.It takes 2 days to install. They have Great reputation in the market. Power Share – Awkwardly installed. they in 480 to 700 price range. It has average quality reputation. The quartz shower solves the awkward installation and long installation time problems. It can be installed in half a day, has easily configurable buttons to set temperature, and the installed box can be tucked away in a closed space. However, it costs 850 -1100 which is higher than the cost of other showers in the market and hence it is perceived as a premium segment product. Because of this and also the reluctance of the plumbers to learn about the new product, Quartz has not been able to achieve its expected sales. It was able to achieve the sales of only 15 units a day. Going with the current sales of Quartz shower of 15 units a day, the Company could probably recover the amount spent on its research and development with a time period of 3-4 years. If the Company could promote the sales of the product to at least 50 units a day it will be able to achieve a break even within the next two years. Analysis Porter’s five forces: 1)Supplier power: As seen in the case of Aqualisa, the supplier has almost no say. The market is completely customer driven. 2)Buyer power: In case of the shower industry, there are three customers. They are the plumbers, the property developers and the consumers. The plumbers here had the maximum bargaining power as they were involved in 73% of times in selecting a suitable shower. Only 17% of the times the consumers selected the shower alone without the consultation of the plumber. Hence the plumbers were the key customers. 3)Threat of new entry: The shower industry has been a growing industry. Only 60% of the U.K homes had showers and hence there were a lot of chances that new companies can come in the market to tap the huge market. This would reduce the market share of Aqualisa. 4)Threat Of substitution: Only 60 % of UK homes have a shower in spite of a bathtub being present in all homes. People are reluctant to buy showers because of the problems of fluctuations in water pressure and temperature. The aqualisa showers overcomes these problems however, if the perception about the showers are not changed in the minds of the people, the may still be reluctant and not use showers 5)Competitive rivalry: There are more than 9 rival brands to Aqualisa in the UK market. The market has been captured by Triton which captures about 30% of the UK shower market. However, Aqualisa has a superior technology which in still not available with any of the rival companies. Strengths: 1)Aqualisa was perceived as a high quality shower manufacturing company in UK.This was due to the superior products which Aqualisa used to sell. 2)They had very high innovation in technology. The Quartz was an example of high technological innovation of Aqualisa which was not present in any other shower making company. 3)The brand image of Aqualisa was very good because of its high quality and innovations. 4)The market share of Aqualisa was also quite high in the UK market. It captured 18% of the total market share and was third largest selling brand in UK. Weakness: 1)Aqualisa was perceived as an expensive brand. As a result of which the sales were less in the lower segments of the market. 2)The service of Aqualisa though perceived as high quality was actually degrading and about 10% of the products had defects in them. 3)Because of the high R&D cost involved in bringing innovative product in the market, the products were highly priced. Opportunities: 1)With a strong R&D already present in Aqualisa, the company could innovate further and bring out technologically advanced low cost, low weight and a highly reliable product. 2)With its shower having very less fluctuations in water pressure and temperature, the products could have very high demand in the UK market if marketed properly. Threats: 1)The main customers for the showers were the plumbers as the end consumer were very heavily dependent on the plumbers. Most of the times, the choice of the consumer was influenced by the plumber. However, the plumbers were usually reluctant to use a new product as they were used to working with the existing product and did not want to learn anything new. This could lead to very low sales of the newly launched Aqualisa Quartz showers. 2)Aqualisa was clear differentiator from the market because of its superior technology and innovations. But the rival companies were also soon catching up and within two years’ time could match up with Aqualisa’s superior products. The 4 P’s of marketing: Product: The current quartz products of Aqualisa ,quartz Standard and Quartz Pumped can be produced to capture the Premium end market . In addition to that a we propose to produce a cut down quartz product named say ShowerMax Lite that could be marketed under the ShowerMax brand to cater to the need from the developers. Similarly a slightly differentiate quartz shower product Say Quartz Easy and Quartz Easy pumped could be introduced under the brand name Gainborough to fulfill the needs of the DO-IT-Yourself Customer group Place: The Aqualisa quartz products such as Quartz Standard and Quartz Pumped should be marketed should be marketed only through Showroom and Trade shops to maintain its status as premium brand. The quartz product under the Shower Max Brand (ShowerMax lite) should be sold only through Specialist Contract oulets to supply developers. Quartz Easy marketed under the brand Gainborough should be sold through DIY sheds. Price: The Aqualisa is a premium brand so we keep the price as Planned but we have to sell Shower Max quartz product at much lower price since the developers are price sensitive and we have to slightly decrease to promote it among DYI group.