What We Dont Know About Campaign Finance Does Hurt Us. Essays

What We Don't Know About Campaign Finance Does Hurt Us. "No matter what your social issue, if you want to solve it get the money out of politics. Only then will lawmakers vote for their people rather than their pocketbooks." Jack E. Lohman. Money corrupts politics, and when contributions are being made to candidates it is not in the best interest of the American people. Campaign Finance is out of control in today's political races. Candidates are taking money from wherever and whoever they can get it. Soft money is flowing through elections without care or caution. People who make these contributions do not share the views of the average citizen, so politicians end up representing the wrong people. Money decides races, sometimes leaving the better man but lighter spender out of a position. Candidates make decisions based on what will help them financially that what is better for the people. Contributions by industry are made not in the interest of the people, sometimes hurting them in ways they don't even know. No matter what the oppositi on may say campaign finance reform is needed urgently to keep our democracy as our founders intended it. People and corporations that make the largest donations to campaigns do not share views with the general population. Politicians will listen to those who give them money so that they can depend on that money being there again when it is time for reelection. Yet individual donors making a $200 dollar or more contribution make up only .33% of the population. This extremely small percentage of mostly wealthy individuals gain the power to influence politicians to their liking. The idea that these people should have power to affect government more than those with less money goes against the concept of equality for all, which is what made this country great. People who make large donations do not share the same views on most issues as the general population. Robert L. Borosage and Ruy Teixeira report that while 53 percent of voters want stricter regulations on businesses and corporations, to give workers a fair salary and working conditions, 58 percent of campaign donors want to see less c ontrol over the businesses and corporations of America. Donors also want less government spending with lower taxes, while the majority of citizens want a larger, more powerful government. A very tiny part of our population is giving money to campaigns telling candidates what they have to do to continue getting campaign contributions, yet these people do not represent the ideology and sentiment of the people as a whole. There must be a change in the way that campaigns are financed if democracy is to survive. If we do not reform campaign finance we will have politicians working only for those who can afford to contribute. Money is the major factor in any political race. It can sway a decision very strongly depending on how well it is used. In the House, the candidate who spends the most money on his or her campaign wins 92% of the time. Things are no different in the Senate, here 88% of the time the bigger spender wins. Incumbents are usually the tip money spender, because they raise more money. Paul Starr, writer for The American Prospect , estimates that it would take $1,000,000 for a challenger to defeat the incumbent. The only way a challenger could get this kind of money would be to appeal to big business and the wealthy, who have radically different ideas about government than the general public. A challenger, to even have a chance, would have to turn to business and wealth to win. With this great difficulty to de-seat an incumbent, turnover in congress drops, and members become stagnant, winning on name alone. All the while, they are giving breaks to the corporations and wealthy people who got them there. With campaigns finance reform, we could get challengers and incumbents on a level playing field so that the candidate with the better ideas who will honestly help the majority will end up the victor. It would not matter much where candidates got the money from for their campaigns except that when elected, politicians act on in accordance to the wishes of those

Yellow Freight Merger Essays

Yellow Freight Merger Essays Yellow Freight Merger Essay Yellow Freight Merger Essay In the wake of recent industry consolidation, Yellow and Roadway Corporation were looking for ways to strengthen their businesses. In 2003, Yellow Corporation, the nation’s second largest trucking company, acquired the industry leader, Roadway Corporation, creating Yellow-Roadway Corporation. The combination strategy was to bring both the companies strengths together to capture significant synergies and growth opportunities. Management decided to keep both company brands operating separately, continuing them to compete against each other. In an effort to expand their geographic scope and operate regionally, Yellow-Roadway bought USF Corp in 2005; and continued to operate each brand separately. Unfortunately over the next couple years Yellow Corporation and Roadway Corporation were forced to merge operations together. In 2009, they changed their name to YRC Worldwide, Inc. to reflect their finalization of the merger. Due to the many different divisions of the company and the purchase of USF, in 2006 Yellow Roadway Corp changed its name to YRC Worldwide, Inc. n March 2009, Yellow Transportation and Roadway finally merged to create YRC. In 2003, Yellow paid $966 million for Roadway to create Yellow-Roadway Corporation. This acquisition gave them control of more than 15% of the less-than-truckload (LTL) market. The deal valued Roadway at $48 a share, a 60% premium, and required Yellow to assume $140 million in debt. After the announcement of the acquisition, Roadway shares rose 54%, while Yellow shares fell about 5%. The combined company represents only 1% of the $600 billion global freight transportation market. The fact that 70% of Yellows business was from manufacturing and 70% of Roadways business was from retail supported the decision to remain as separate operations. The chairmen from both companies emphasized that their combination was strictly a merger, not a buy-out, since both companies were effectively operating on their own. The near term strategy for the combination was to reduce back-office costs, not to compress the delivery network by closing terminals and laying off truckers. Since both brands were so powerful in the marketplace, the decision to operate separately and compete with each other seemed like a good decision to continually reach new markets and gain more customers. Yellows chairman, William Zollars estimated that by combining back office operations, the newly formed company could save about $45 million in the first year. The result was a 13% increase in revenue and a 43% increase in income from continuing operations from the previous quarter. Upon the realization of these additional cost reductions, this strategy appeared to have paid off. During 2005, Yellow Roadway Corp. paid $1. 5 billion for USF Corporation. This acquisition gave them entry into the regional, overnight freight market all over the country. This new market was growing faster than the long haul market that Yellow Roadway currently served so it was an important strategic step for them. Ultimately, the deal would fortify the largest LTL carrier’s stronghold in regional and next-day services. The addition of USF will also expand Yellow’s national and international transportation services. According to Zollars, â€Å"USF represents an excellent opportunity to leverage the successful strategy that was employed with Roadway. † Basically this means maintaining the strong separate brand identities, customer interfaces and distinct operations of each business unit. This acquisition also enhanced Yellow Roadways current logistics and truckload capabilities. USF shareholders received $29. 25 in cash and $0. 32 of Yellow Roadway shares for each USF share owned. At the time, they were criticized for overpaying (by 16%) for USF stock, but since the past acquisitions proved to be successful, management’s decision had some credibility. (or held promising) with roadway acquisition, analysts said the industry has too many terminals, trucks and too much capacity. They have to look at overlapping operations and cut capacity. Greg burns, transportation analyst at jp morgan. With the acquisitions of Roadway and USF, Yellow created a combined enterprise that expected to have annual revenue of $9 billion, with more than 70,000 employees and 1,00 service locations. In 2007, company had operations in 70 countries and provided logistics as well as global, national and regional transportation services. Operates as the largets ltl provider in the US and is one of the largest transportation service providers in the world. Companys two largest subsidiaries, Yellow and Roadway Express cater to over 300,000 clients in the retail, wholesale, manufacturing and government sectors in North America. Offers supply chain solutions for heavyweight shipments and serves customers who ship industrial, commercial and retail goods.

Should You Take AP English Literature or AP English Language

Should You Take AP English Literature or AP English Language SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you considering taking an AP English class at some point during high school? You might have noticed that AP offers two English courses – AP English Literature and Composition and AP English Language and Composition. (Those titles are a mouthful, so we’ll just refer to them as AP Literature and AP Language in this post.) So what are some of the differences between the two classes? Is one class harder than the other? Should you take both or just choose one? In this guide, we'll explain the similarities and differences between the two courses to help you decide which option is best for you. AP Literature vs. AP Language Overview Some schools offer AP Literature and AP English Language as a sequence, with AP Language and Composition as a sophomore or junior course, and AP Literature as a junior or senior course. But some schools only offer the courses during senior year, and students have to choose between them. Or your school might not have strict requirements at all, and you might be wondering if you should take both, one, or none. First we will reveal which course is more difficult. Then we'll discuss the similarities between the two courses as well as the differences. Finally, we will ask you some guiding questions to help you decide between the two classes. Which Is Harder: AP Literature or AP Language? You’re probably wondering...out of the two AP English courses, which one is harder? Well, it turns out both AP Literature and AP Language are not super easy to pass, and quite difficult to get a 5 (the highest score) on. (For more on AP test scoring, see our post.) Both exams have low pass rates and very low 5 rates. AP Literature has a pass rate of about 52%, while AP Language's pass rate is about 55%. This makes them the making them the 7th and 10th lowest-passed AP exams in 2017(out of the 38 total exams). Their 5 rates are also low. AP Language has a 9.1% 5 rate. AP Literature has just a 6.8% 5 rate. To put that in context, on other AP exams, it’s typical for between 10% and 20% of students to earn a 5. There are a few factors that could explain why both AP English exams have low pass rates and low 5 rates. The first is the fact that they are both very popular exams. AP Language is the number one most popular AP exam – nearly 580,000 students took the test in 2017 alone! AP Literature is the third most-popular AP exam, withover400,000 exams taken in 2017. This means that both tests have a very wide pool of exam-takers, which suggests there might be more students who take the exam who are unprepared. However, the fact that their 5 rates are so low suggests that both exams are more difficult than average to do well on. Given that the difference in pass rates is so small between the two tests, it’s unlikely one AP English class is dramatically harder than the other. Which test is harder for you will depend on your strengths and weaknesses, as both AP English classes have different readings and goals. Instead, to figure out which exam is best for you, we'll compare the two classes and the content they cover. First, we will note how the classes are similar, and then we will explain what makes each AP English class unique. What’s the Same for AP Language and AP Literature? So what are the similarities between AP Literature and AP Language? We will compare both the AP tests and the classes. The Exam The exam format is very similar for both AP English classes. The first part of AP Literature has 55 multiple-choice questions, and the first part of AP Language has 52-55 multiple choice questions. On both tests section I is worth 45% of your total score. These questions mainly have you read passages and analyze them. The AP English Literature questions focus on literary devices, character, and theme while the AP English Language questions focus on rhetorical strategies and tone. However, both tests include comprehension questions and require you to be able to read complex passages quickly and understand them. The second part the exam is worth 55% and has three essay questions. This means that both exams also require very fast writing skills. You need to plan, outline, write, and edit three essays in two hours, or in about 40 minutes per essay. Both exams also require you to be able to very quickly read and analyze a text by writing an essay, since the essay questions often ask you to analyze a piece of writing. The only major difference in exam format is that the AP Language exam has a 15-minute reading period before the free-response section, while AP Literature does not. This is to give you time to prepare for the synthesis question, which is unique to the AP Language test. The synthesis question has you incorporate several different sources into a coherent argument. To sum up, the format of the two AP English exams is very similar. You can expect the AP exam for either class to be quite challenging. The Class Both AP English classes are English courses and thus will mainly consist of reading and writing assignments. In particular, both emphasize writing clear, analytical essays. This is very different than just summarizing a book or writing your own stories like you might have in done previous English classes. Since both classes are meant to teach the same skills as an introductory college English class, the emphasis is on analyzing and writing about texts, rather than just reading, summarizing, and creating your own work. However, even though the exam and class formats are quite similar, the subject matter they tackle is very different. Next we will explore which makes each AP English course unique. What Sets the Two Classes Apart? There are some key differences between AP Language and AP Literature. This means that one AP English class might be more useful for you than the other. In this section we'll explain five of the main differences between the two classes. Looking at examples of actual prompts for both classes can also help you get a sense of how they differ. For AP Language, you can readall of the recent past free-response topics here, and you canread all the recent past AP Literature free response questions here. Difference 1: AP Language Is Broader Than AP Literature The main difference between the two courses is thatAP Literature focuses mostly on analyzing literature and poetry, while AP Language has a much broader scope. APEnglishLanguage and Composition teaches you to deconstruct arguments and rhetorical strategies in mostly non-fiction works.Non-fiction is a broad term, and can include journalism, memoirs, essays, satire, comics, and even photography.In other words, you will read (and watch!) material that is likely much more far-reaching than your past English classes. For AP Lang, you will also do lots of writing, learning to maximize your argument and/or effectiveness across different forms, from persuasive essays to memoir writing. As an example, in my AP Language course,our writing assignments included persuasive essays, reports on current events, memoir writing, and keeping a nature journal,a la Henry David Thoreau inWalden. (If you don’t know who that is, you probably will after taking AP Language!) For AP Literature, the works you read will be much less broad. They will be primarily literature, although the class will also include some poetry. You'll primarily be reading novels and plays, and the texts you read will be less broad compared to what you read in AP Language. Difference 2: AP Literature Is More In-Depth Than AP Language APEnglishLiterature teaches you to read and analyze works of literature and poetry with different lenses - for example, characterization, tone, or description. In that sense,it has less breadth but more depth than AP Language. You will work to discover a work’s theme or intent via use of literary devices, as opposed to analyzing its argument or effectiveness. Your essays for AP Literature will be mainly analytical. For example, you will explain how a novel achieves a certain tone by closely analyzing quotations. In most cases, you won’t be arguing for a point or saying how good or bad something is. You will simply read literature closely and try to figure out what makes it tick. For AP Language, you typically won't be diving so deep into one source; you'll instead be making broader comparisons and arguments for a variety of texts. You won't be referring to specific quotes as often as you would in AP Lit because you're taking more of a high-level look at the texts. Difference 3: AP Language Is More Applicable for Other Subjects Than AP Literature The skills you learn in AP Language are broadly applicable to not only the humanities, but to the social sciences as well.If you’re interested in political science, sociology, or economics, the skills you learn in AP Language will be directly applicable to your college coursework. AP Language is also a good choice if you are interested in natural science or engineering, since learning to break down arguments and read non-fiction texts will likely be more helpful in your chosen field than analyzing poetry and literature. In any field, having strong writing skills is very helpful. The essays on the AP Language exam are designed to â€Å"test your skill in composition and require close reading, thoughtful rhetorical analysis, andpurposeful argumentation.† As we mentioned above,AP Language has a synthesis prompt that requires you to pull together several different sources and write a cohesive argumentative essay.The synthesis prompt is similar to the Document-Based Question you’ll find on AP history exams. For AP Literature, you'll gain writing skills useful in any field, but this class has a very specific humanities/fine arts focus.You'll be studying primarily fiction texts, including poetry and literature. You'll spend more time studying how literary pieces are composed and how literary devices are used. Even if you rarely read newspapers anymore, you might encounter them in AP Language! Difference 4: You'll Likely Do More Reading in AP Literature You'll have to do a fair amount of reading for both classes, but AP Literature is generally a more reading-intensive course. For AP Literature,you need to read several books just to prepare for the AP exam, so expect regular reading assignments.For example, my class read several novels, including very long ones likeCrime and Punishment, as well as plays, short stories, and poetry. We also had to read six full-length books the summer before the class even started. You'll also be doing reading for AP Language, but the readings will often be shorter, and many won't be full-length novels or plays. If you're worried about having enough time to complete the required reading, it's an important factor to consider when deciding between the two classes. Difference 5: The Final AP Literature Prompt Is Especially Difficult Many students find the final prompt on the AP Literature exam to be especially challenging. For the last prompt, the AP Literature test does not give you relevant quotes or summaries of the works you can write about. This means you have to be familiar with at least a few books and be able to write about them without having the books with you when you take the exam. As an example, here is the 2014 open response prompt: The prompt gives you a wide variety of books and plays that you could write about, but also allows you to analyze any work of â€Å"comparable literary merit.† (Twilight isn’t going to cut it.) But the prompt doesn’t give you any more info than the work’s title – you need to be able to supply the evidence from that particular work based on memory. Some students memorize important quotes and page numbers to be prepared for this question, but this isn't essential if you have a strong grasp of the plot, characters, tone, themes, motifs, and so on.Furthermore, to write these essays well, you need to know literary devices, like allegory and hyperbole, to name a couple, and be able to use them as evidence. In contrast, the AP Language exam provides most of the sources for you to analyze. Just one essay asks you to consider outside sources, but it doesn’t require specific books, and in fact allows you to draw from your own experience. Again, this shows that you'll have to do a lot more reading for AP Literature so that you have a wide pool of books you can potentially use for the final essay prompt. How Do You Decide Which AP English Class to Take? Both AP English classes have key similarities – like exam structure – and differences, like the type of reading you’ll do. So how will you pick which one to take? Consider each of the following factors before making your decision. What Are You Planning on Majoring In? As a general rule, AP Language has a broader focus and will be more directly applicable to your work in various college majors, while AP Literature is a great choice if you are interested in the arts or humanities. For example, if you know for sure you want to pursue engineering in college, then AP Language is probably the best choice. You’ll pick up some writing skills but not be overloaded with tons of reading – saving you time for other challenging courses in math and science. But if you know you want to study the humanities – including philosophy, history, English or World Literature – the depth of reading you’ll do in AP Literature will give you a solid base of knowledge to build on in college. But what if you have no clue what you want to study in college? Keep reading! What Do You Like To Read? AP Literature and AP Language have very different focuses and reading lists. So think about what you tend to enjoy reading! If you like the reading for a class, you are much more likely to complete it all and be interested in the assignments – meaning you’ll get a better grade. For example, if you follow the news, read lots of blogs or magazines, and enjoy non-fiction books, you’ll probably enjoy the AP Language reading. If you read fiction books for fun and enjoy writing your own stories, you might prefer AP Literature. Sure, you won’t be doing lots of creative writing, but studying what makes literature great will help you be a better writer. Who Teaches These Classes at Your School? Preferences and future major aside, your experience in the class will really depend on how it’s taught at your school and how good the teacher is. If you can, get a syllabus from both of this year’s classes. There isn’t required reading for either course, although AP Literature has many suggested authors, so teachers have a lot of freedom in designing their reading lists. You might be much more interested in one class’s reading than another, and that will help you decide. You can also ask upperclassman and your guidance counselor about the reputation and pass rate of the different classes at your school. Chances are, both AP English teachers will be pretty good, if not excellent. But if, for example, everyone raves about the AP Literature class and say that they learned a ton and loved the teacher, consider taking it even if you’re leaning towards AP Language. Never underestimate the effect of an amazing teacher! Is It Possible to Take Both AP Language and AP Literature? If you really can’t decide, see if it’s possible to take both classes. Colleges want to see that you are taking a challenging course load based on what’s available at your school. That could mean fitting in both AP English courses, but if that causes you to have to sacrifice other AP classes or an extracurricular, taking one is plenty. Again, this will also depend on your intended major. For example if you’re a future engineer, taking both AP English classes won’t vastly strengthen your college applications,while fitting in both AP Calculus and AP Physics will. But if you are interested in the humanities, it would make sense to take both. Personally, I took both AP English classes: AP Language in 10th grade, and AP Literature in 11th grade. They were both challenging, but I liked taking them in that order, since Language was broader and gave me an introduction to writing AP essays. I was able to use the skills I developed in Language to do well in Literature. For me, Literature was more challenging, mainly because I had to know a few books and plays inside and out to be ready for the free-response section of the AP test. I found both test’s multiple-choice sections equally challenging. I found the skills I built in both classes to be incredibly useful to me across a range of college classes – from economics to political science to English. Don't choose just one path! Bottom Line: AP Lang vs AP Lit Both AP English classes will improve your writing skills. Both AP English classes have challenging exams. The main difference between the two is what types of reading they focus on. Hopefully reading about the two classes gave you an idea about which one you are leaning towards. If not, make an appointment to talk to your guidance counselor to discuss which class is best for you. What’s Next? Whether you decide to take AP Literature, AP Language, or both, you might also be wondering how many AP classes total you should take in high school. See our guide to choosing the right number of AP classes. Also studying for the SAT or ACT? Learn which reading section is harder, and get tips for an 800 SAT Reading score from our full-scorer. Still deciding between the SAT or ACT? Find out for sure which you will do the best on. Also read a detailed comparison between the two tests. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Trifles by Susan Glaspell. NO SOURCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Trifles by Susan Glaspell. NO SOURCE - Essay Example This scene stresses on how delicate can be the line between finding out something and staying unknowing. By this time the audience (or the reader) already figures out the motive of the murder, so feels cleverer than heroes of the play. It happens, because we’re shown both worlds: an emotional world of woman’s intuition and a reasonable world of man’s deduction. Men are trying to investigate the murder using logic, looking for evidence like most detective stories teaches us to do. And yet, they’re missing a part of the puzzle – the most important detail. Ladies also do their own investigation, though unconscientiously while helping men. They look at the puzzle from the emotional side, thinking about Mrs. Wright’s live with Mr. Wright (the murdered man), considering if she was happy in this house and if Mr. Wright was a good husband. It feels like they’re lead by some kind of sensual stream, rather than by thinking reasonable thoughts. The decision they make to hide the dead bird is also an emotional decision: it’s against the law to hide evidence, but women sense that will be a right decision. And they come to it together. Both of them are lying in the same way to protect the other woman, again without previous agreement. Just as they instinctively lie about a cat has eaten the

Evolution of the relationship between the EU and China Research Paper

Evolution of the relationship between the EU and China - Research Paper Example Sino-European relations, during the era of the Cold War, were generally derivative of the imperatives of the cold war as well as the broader associations with the superpowers. Because of the ideological and political constraints of this era, the development of commercial and economic relations took the precedence (UN 7). On April 3, 1978, a trade agreement was signed between China and the European Community (EC). This agreement was extended in 1985 to a wider Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). China got the status of Most Favored Nation (MFN) from the EC and embraced Beijing in the GSP (Generalized System of Preferences) provisions from 1980 (Stepan & Ostermann 20). These European Union-China relations, in the past few years, have been growing gradually. Since 2004, the People’s Republic of China has become EU’s second largest trading partner, with the Chinese customs claiming that EU is the biggest trading partner of China. An annual summit between the EU and China’s state/government heads is held, since 1998, to discuss the bilateral and global issues. Moreover, since October 2003, China and EU have recognized each other as effective ‘strategic partners’. The idea that the relations between China and EU have acquired a fresh strategic significance and gained momentum remains fundamental to their strategic partnership (Pastor & Gosset 1). According to the European Union External Service Action, the two sides commenced their relationship in 1975 and the 1985’s Trade and Cooperation Agreement came into force to govern their relationship (Para 1). EU remains the largest trading partner of China, while Chin a is its leading supplier of imports and the second biggest 2-way trading partner (European Union External Service Action Para 2). Therefore, EU and China have had bilateral relationship since 1975. The purpose of this paper is to examine the evolution of the relations between them with the main objective being examining the development of their relationship since 1975 by looking at various aspects of their association. The two sides hold annual summits as well as frequent trade, economic, and political dialogues, including more that 50 sectoral agreements and dialogues, which range from industrial policy to environmental protection, culture or education. Human rights are regularly discussed as a part of the regular political dialogue and during specific dialogues on human rights, held twice a year since 1995. This paper will also clarify that EU and China are allies but not competitors. Events (Economic and Political) Dictating their Relationship and the Key EU Policies The relatio ns between China and the EU have faced some hardships since 2005 with some scholars expressing their deep

Theories in group work

Theories in group work Reflection on group task This essay is going to reflect on learning gained from a group task carried out in the unit lectures. I will explore the theories which inform group work, inter-disciplinary and collaborative working and the application of these theories in relation to the group work. I will also identify how I will develop my practice in relation to my current skills and areas for development. Finally, I will also reflect on how I have developed my self-awareness, professional values and professional development, in relation to group work task and how this will inform my future professional practice. Toseland and Rivas (2008) define group work as a goal directed activity aimed at accomplishing tasks. Members of the group have the opportunity to share ideas, feelings, thoughts, beliefs, engage in interactions and also share experiences. The group members develop feelings of mutual interdependence and a sense of belonging. Martin and Rogers (2004) define inter-disciplinary working as a team of individuals with different professionals working collaboratively with a shared understanding of goals, tasks and responsibilities. This collaborative working is needed when the problems are complex, a consensus decision is required and also when different competencies are needed. According to Cheminais (2009), the approach to the collaborative working requires clarity on roles, power, accountability and strategic planning. Salas et al. (2012) states that, group work was developed from a philosophy of people working together for mutual gain and theories later emerged to provide clarity regarding the dynamics of groups and to provide an understanding of human behaviour. A group or team can be understood by looking at Tuckman and Jensen’s (1977) model of group formation which comprise of forming, storming, norming, performing and later adjourning. According to Tuchman and Jensen (1977), the forming stage of a group involves clarifying common interests and roles to be played. Martin and Rogers (2004) states that, in an inter-disciplinary team this is the stage where membership is established, team purpose is clarified, roles and boundaries are decided and interpersonal relationships begin. According to Tuchman and Jensen (1977), the storming stage may involve the problem-solving processes and this is usually where conflict emerges. If the conflict is unresolved, it can inhibit the team’s prog ress. The norming stage usually involves the clarification of the task and establishing the agenda. This stage involves belonging, growth and control. The performing stage involves the allocation, implementation, and evaluation of the task. Finally, the adjourning stage can include the celebration of task completion. Reflecting on the unit group task, I think my group went through Tuckman and Jensen’s (1977) model group formation which included the â€Å"forming†stage in which the group purpose was clarified. The group went through the â€Å"stormimg† stage and at that point, there were disagreements on what should be included and how the task will be presented. One of the group members suggested that a role play was ideal for the presentation and I was not comfortable with the idea, as I thought that all of the information was not going to be included in the role play. I was anxious, as I had not get the general picture of exactly what the role play was about. I alsofeltanxious as other members elected me to take the lead role as I had experience in working with psychiatrists. At that time I felt that the team wanted me to do most of the task and I rejected their ideas they were putting forward. I think I did this unconsciously because I realised my actions later on when my group members gave feedback. The group also decided that we give ourselves time to research on the topic given (norming stage) and then meet the following week. I was very frustrated to find the following week that some of the group members did not bring the material they had researched. As I have worked with psychiatrist before and had researched I took on the lead role and shared the information I had. Belbin’s (2010) work identified roles in teams which each offer positive contributions to team working. The roles include innovator, implementer, completer, evaluator, investigator, shaper, team maintainer, co-ordinator and expert. Reflecting on Belbin’s (2010) group roles, each team member brought strength and perspectives grounded in their discipline and experience. During the group work task, I had the experience and knowledge in relation to the task and I found myself leading the group on sourcing information. I got positive feedback from my group colleagues such as, â€Å"goal oriented, researched well on the topic, contributed well and very good ideas on the role play†, however I was criticised for being inflexible with ideas of others. I think I took the role of an implementer who turns ideas and decisions into tasks and actions but inflexible and reluctant to change plans. However from my previous placement I think I took the role of an investigator in a proposed group project of working with young mothers to enable them to gain independent skills. The project failed because I lost interest as a result of constraint in obtaining the resources. In Belbin’s (2010) model, an investigator explores opportunities and resources from many sources however can jump from one task to another and lose interest. Looking back at it, I think this was because I tend to do things in a structured way and task oriented. The resources in the organisations did not allow me to do the task in time and I end up losing interest. I later understood the situation of working in an organisation team by looking at the group system theory. According to Connors and Caple (2005), group systems theory provides an understanding and working with teams or groups in an organisation as it goes beyond a focus on the individual or interpersonal exchanges. They suggested that, a group systems theory is influenced by the interactions within the group and by the external environment. All the group members influence group dynamics however, the organisation in which the group work may impacts the group work with its boundaries, power structures that make decisions and the resources it allocates for group work. The environment impacts the group and the group can impact the larger social environment. I abandoned a project which was going to benefit the young mothers and in a way the community as well. In group systems theory, a change in any part of a system creates change in that system and in the other systems in which it is embedded. Another form of group theory emerged from Bion (1989) who viewed the group working as a collective entity and was concerned with overt and covert aspects. Bion (1989) suggested that overt aspects are the task and purpose of the group. The covert aspects are the unconscious emotions and the basic assumptions of group functioning. Bion (1989) also proposed three basic assumptions in group working. He suggested that there is the dependency group, which assumes that security and protection can be obtained from the group leader. Members expect the leader to have all the answers. As a result, individuals may act helpless and incompetent in the hopes that the group leader will carry the responsibilities. This was evident in my group as they assumed that as I am a mental health nurse and had worked with psychiatrist before, I will have all the information at hand. When this did not occur, group members become angry or expressed their disappointment by acting incompetent and not doing enough research. Bion’s (1989) other basic assumption is the fight-flight group. Examples of flight include absences and fight is demonstrated by resisting reflection and self-examination. In inter-disciplinary working, flight is demonstrated by blaming management for the failure of team work. The final basic assumption identified by Bion (1989) is the pairing group where two group members form a bond. The rest of the group may become inactive as the pair rely on each other and exclude other group members. Salas et a.l (2012) state that, it is necessary to develop a theoretical framework to guide group practice and to support my techniques and interventions. I am responsible for formulating my own theoretical framework that is derived from the synthesis of theories and that is aligned with my natural views and inclinations. To achieve this it is imperative that I be self-aware and grounded in theories of small group work, including the strengths and limitations of the theories. Only then I can select theories and interventions that are advantageous and appropriate fit for the client. The Health and Care Professions Council (HPCP) (2012) also states that, I should understand the key concepts of the knowledge base relevant to social work so as to achieve change and development. Gilley et al. (2010) suggested that the purpose of a group is to accomplish the task and for the practitioner to develop problem-solving skills. As a social work student, in order to work collaboratively, I need to develop skills, knowledge, and attitudes in conflict resolution, problem solving, communication, organisational understanding, decision making, and task coordination. This is imperative as I will be working in teams with other professionals or agencies. From the unit group work, I have learnt that co-operation is vital for effective teamwork. Acknowledging and respecting other opinions and viewpoints while maintaining the willingness to examine and change personal beliefs and perspectives are some of the skills I have learnt. I also now have an understanding of the importance of accepting and sharing responsibilities, participating in group decision-making and effective communication. I have also developed skills in exchanging of ideas and discussion and also how to relay and support my own viewpoint with confidence. As a future social worker, specific leadership skills are required to manage an inter-disciplinary team, so I need to develop skills in the ability to recognise the challenges inherent not only in group dynamics, but in trying to blend the different professional cultures represented in the team. According to Crawford (2012), to work effectively and confidently with other professionals, I need to understand my own professional identity as a social worker. The HCPC (2012) states that, I need to be able to engage in inter-professional and inter-agency communication and work in partnership with other agencies as part of a multi-disciplinary team. It is also vital that I develop self awareness of my behaviour and values. According to Hall (2005), values are internalised, therefore they can create obstacles that may actually be invisible to different team members. Therefore the professional values must be made apparent to all professionals involved. Through experiences in group work feedback received from other group members and self observation, I have learnt about my maladaptive style of interacting with others and perceptual distortions. I have also learnt that I need to acknowledge and appreciate the differences and adjust, adapt, and mirror interpersonal interactions when interacting with others. If faced with the same situation again I would try to take into consideration other people’s ideas and also take into consideration that, as people we are different and we have different approaches to tasks. References Belbin, R. M. (2010) Management teams. 3rd edn. Oxford: Elsevier Limited Bion, W. R. (1989) Experiences in groups and other papers. New edition. London: Routledge Cheminais, R. (2009) Effective multi-agency partnerships : putting every child matters into practice. Dawsonera [Online]. Available at: https://www.dawsonera.com/readonline/9781446203514/startPage/38 (Accessed: 13 January 2014) Connors, J. and Caple, R. (2005) â€Å"Review of group systems theory†,Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 30(2), pp. 93-110, SocINDEX [Online]. Available at: http://0-ehis.ebscohost.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5sid=a5e06866-f590-4862-bcbb-3dea9991c6f0%40sessionmgr4005hid=4108 (Accessed: 30 December 2013) Crawford, K. (2012) Interprofessional Collaboration in Social Work Practice. London: sage Publications Limited Gilley, J.W., Waite, A.M., Coates, T., Veliquette, A. and Morris, M.L. (2010) Integrated theoretical model for building effective teams,Advances In Developing Human Resources12(1) pp. 7-28.SCOPUS [Online]. Available at: http://0-ehis.ebscohost.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/eds/detail?sid=a5e06866-f590-4862-bcbb-3dea9991c6f0%40sessionmgr4005vid=10hid=4108 (Accessed: 30 December 2013) Hall, P. (2005) â€Å"Interprofessional teamwork: professional cultures as barriers†,Journal of Interprofessional Care19 pp. 188-196. CINAHL [Online]. Available at: http://0-ehis.ebscohost.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=13sid=a5e06866-f590-4862-bcbb-3dea9991c6f0%40sessionmgr4005hid=4108 (Accessed: 12 January 2014) Health and Care Professions Council (2012) Standards of proficiency. Available at: http://www.hpc-uk.org/assets/documents/10003B08Standardsofproficiency-SocialworkersinEngland.pdf (Accessed: 20 January 2014) Martin, V. and Rogers, A. M. ( 2004) Leading interprofessional teams in health and social care. Dawsonera [Online]. Available at: https://www.dawsonera.com/readonline/9780203505359/startPage/139 (Accessed: 10 January 2014) Salas, L. M., Roe-Sepowitz, D. and Le Croy, C. W. (2012) â€Å"Small group theory†, in Thyer, B. A., Dulmus, C. N. and Sowers, K. M. (eds) Human behavior in the social environment: theories for social work practice. Dawsonera [Online]. Available at: https://www.dawsonera.com/readonline/9781118227251/startPage/363 (Accessed: 15 January 2014) Toseland, R. W. and Rivas, R. F. (2008) An introduction to groupwork practice. 6th edn. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Tuckman, B. W. and Jensen, M. A. (1977). â€Å"Stages of small group development revisited†, Group and Organizational Studies, 2(4) pp. 419- 427. Available at: http://www.freewebs.com/group-management/BruceTuckman(1).pdf (Accessed: 30 December 2013)

Challenges Doing Business in India Essay

Trade barriers are created to encourage domestic players by making it more difficult for foreign firms to compete. Traditionally, India has had several types of trade hurdles for foreign exporters, such as, Import Quotas, Subsidies, Trade Samples and Tariff/Duty. The most critical barrier to trade is tariffs or the tax imposed on imports. High tariffs in several sectors continue to bar foreign businesses from increased market access. Red-tapism and Corruption Traditionally, Indian bureaucracy has been mired in red tape which proved to be a frustrating experience for foreign investors. These include limited access to Government offices, cumbersome and multitude paperwork, lack of coordination between various departments processing the documentation, long waiting period for approvals, and above all ambiguous rules. However, with the economic reforms of early 1990s, the level of bureaucratic hurdles which the MNCs had to overcome, gradually reduced making it easier to do business. Corruption is another big hurdle when doing business in India. Areas like electricity supply, judiciary (particularly lower courts), Police, land administration are counted in the most corrupt category. Since all these are essential in building up a business, corruption proves to be a major hurdle for starting business in India. Inadequate Infrastructure It has long been felt that roads and communication in India need substantial investment in order to make them world class. Problems with the country’s education and power situation are also counted amongst the toughest obstacles for doing business. Today, there is an increased private participation in ports, roads and other key sectors. Infrastructure development has emerged as a niche market for foreign investors in India with several states looking to build world class infrastructure. The problem area is the absence of a clear-cut policy framework, which has hampered private investment in the infrastructure sector.