Causes and Effects of a Happy Life Essay Example

Causes and Effects of a Happy Life Essay How many people with truly happy life do you know? Are you even sure of these? All people dream about happy life. When we think of happy life, we imagine that happiness is an inevitable side effect. We may envision ourselves with the perfect job, the perfect children, the perfect mate, the perfect level of income, big house, expensive car and other things. Moreover, we believe that all of that stuff will make us happy. However, that view is skewed. Material objects cannot make us happy. These are three common causes that can effect on your happy life: good health, love and have enough money for a living. First of all, the most important part of a happy life is health. If you are healthy you are able to work and make money, and have the things you want. On the other hand, when you are not healthy, you can’t fulfill your dreams. Also, when your health does not permit to work anymore, you lost the earning potential and to make it worst, you became a liability to your family and to the society too. It becomes a suffering in your life. Moreover, our health is our everything. We will write a custom essay sample on Causes and Effects of a Happy Life specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Causes and Effects of a Happy Life specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Causes and Effects of a Happy Life specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Whether you are a toddler, a child, a teenager or an adult; good health enables you to perform the daily functions of life. For example, for students normal health allows them to able to go to school, to obtain knowledge and the building of character. For adults, good health means you can go to work everyday, to earn a living, to be able to achieve your goals in life. Good health enables you to enjoy a happy life. The second valuable factor of a happy life is love. When family members have a love to each other, their life can be easier and happier. For example, when family has a love to each other, they can have open communication. Also, they can share feelings, emotions, work place problem and ideas with each other. It is only if both the spouses are aware of the ideals and thoughts of each other are there a probability of having a happy life. Moreover, sometime trivial matters like household responsibilities and financial communication play a large part in a happy life. Children, when see parents love they, also can have open communication with them. People without a love can’t have a happy life because it’s impossible. Love it a gifts from God to us. Furthermore, you cannot buy love with money. Third important factor of a happy life is having enough money for a living. When people have enough money for living their life is happier. Moreover, people can’t have a happy life without money. Having money allows us to function more easily in the world, it buys food, clothes, provides comfort in our lives and in the lives of others. However, people who want have a happy life can’t think that money is everything. So, it cannot be said that money is essential for happiness. But, most people recognize that money is important in the 21st Century because it can give people comfort and freedoms. In conclusion, all people can build a happy life. Also, all humans have one thing in common. Every one wants to be happy. Furthermore, happy people live longer. They are healthier, more successful, enjoy more fulfilling relationships and respond more. I think when people have good health, love to other people and have enough money for living these people can have a happy life.

Releasing Protected Health Information Essay Example

Releasing Protected Health Information Essay Example Releasing Protected Health Information Essay Releasing Protected Health Information Essay Releasing Protected Health Information By Tracy 11/28/2010 The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability act of 1996 also known as HIPAA is a federal law that was put in place to protect private health care information. The HIPAA law also regulates how private health care information can be released and who it can be released too. Any violation of HIPAA can result in termination, fines and even jail time, this is why it is important for health care providers to understand and follow these regulations. In some cases protected health care information can be released to parties other than the patient, in this essay I will cover when patients consent is and is not required to release information to government agencies, legal agencies or representatives and research groups. Providers must obtain the patients authorization to disclose private health care information to government agencies, except when it is required according to HIPAA guidelines. Government agencies like the Department of Social Services and the Bureau of Disability Determinations must provide patients authorization to release their private health care information. In some cases information can be released without the patients consent if it is ordered by court, is required by law for public health officials and to insurers as necessary to pay for health care cost. I believe that these regulations protect private health care information adequately because the patient must consent to release information unless it is required by law or is needed for payment of the patients health care cost. Providers are able to release private health care information for research purposes as long as the information contains no identification such as name, address, numbers, and relatives and so on. I believe that these regulations protect private health care information adequately because the medical information can be used for research purposes but the patient can not be identified. Law enforcement purposes also do not require the patients consent to disclose private health care information. I believe that these regulations protect private health care information adequately because the information is only released on an as needed bases for law enforcement purposes, this can help law enforcement agencies catch criminals and solve cases. Protecting patient’s information is important to prevent health care fraud and abuse and to protect not only the patient but the provider. Releasing private health care information is punishable by law so it is important for health care providers to understand when it is acceptable to release information and when it is not.

Project management db5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Project management db5 - Essay Example The engineering team deals with product development and production processes and not product launch and this identifies poor audience visualization (Guffey and Almonte, 2009). Poor audience visualization is also evident from the fact that the audience lacked interest in the presentation and this led to conflict at the initial stages of the presentation. Terry could have better prepared for the presentation through audience profiling and through adequate response to the profiling (Guffey and Loewy, 2010). He could have identified appropriate message to the engineering team such as the team’s previous success in products’ development and possible need for improvement, and specific features that may be successful in the market. He should have also anticipated the team’s possible negative response and used communication skills to captivate the audience. Terry could have handled the questions by moderating them to respond to a question at a time, or by convincing the audience to wait until the end of the presentation (Krizan, Merrier and Logan, 2010). After Terry left the room, the project manager should assume the responsibility of bridging the created gap between the marketing team and the engineering team in order to foster future collectivity. In order to get the engineering group’s buy in, I would be sensitive to possible difference between the group and my marketing group and understand strategies for overcoming challenges from the differences (Karmakar, 2012). This would ensure an understanding and increase chances of getting the buy

Sustainable guidelines for Road , Education and Health infrastructure Research Paper

Sustainable guidelines for Road , Education and Health infrastructure developments in Mozambique on behalf of a foreign private - Research Paper Example Sustainable Development Guidelines In order to ensure sustainability for any project geared towards the development of above regions; it is of great importance to formulate and implement appropriate guidelines that would act as a direction for the project developers. The appropriate guidelines are inclusive of: (A) Development of Synergies For any successful and sustainable development project, the aspect of working in synergies plays a crucial role. Synergies can be conducted in various ways depending on the suitability or the type of development project to be conducted; this includes collaborations with different stakeholders as well as encouraging the participation of different stakeholder. The importance and of these forms of synergies are discussed below: (i) Encouraging Stakeholder Participation Development partners need to determine the roles played by local communities when undertaking massive development projects that will impact on their lives. ... Reduction of future conflicts that may affect sustainability of the development projects can also be achieved through promoting the participation of the local communities is such projects. During the planning process, the communities may assist in identification and elimination of any activity that may lead to future conflicts hence promoting the sustainability of the project. Cases of public participation have proved successful for most non-governmental organizations in Africa such as in: Tanzania and Kenya where the African Medical and Research Foundation has undertaken myriad community development projects through encouraging public participation hence leading to project sustainability. (ii) Application of a Collaborative Approach This is also another method of operating in synergy that has been used by most successful development organizations. There are various organs that may play important roles as collaborators this includes but is not limited to: The Mozambican Government, o ther organizations, donors and the local communities. The importance of such collaborations which each development partner encompasses: Access of adequate funds to undertake sustainable development processes; such funds may be provided by the Mozambican government, donors like the World Bank and in some case the development of some projects i.e. water resources, the local communities may act as collaborators by providing locally available construction materials. This is pertinent for the success and sustainability of the projects. An example of a successful collaboration occurred in the year 2011 between the World Bank and the Mozambican government through donation of funds geared towards promoting development of Water Resources. A

Organisational Behaviour case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Organisational Behaviour case study - Essay Example Chain of command includes authority and unity of command. Span of control in the number of subordinates a manager can efficiently and effectively directs. Centralization is the degree to which decision making is concentrated at a single point in the organization. Consistent with the recent management efforts to make organization more flexible and responsive, there has been a marked trend towards decentralizing decision making. In a decentralized organization, action can be taken more quickly to solve problems, more people provide input into decisions, and employees are less likely to feel alienated from those who make the decisions that affect their work lives. Finally formalization refers to the degree to which jobs within the organization are standardized. If a job is highly formalized, then the job incumbent has a minimum amount of discretion. . When formalization is low job behaviors are relatively non-programmed and employees have to freedom to exercise discretion in their work. In the County general hospital, reorganization of the structure of the administration teams within each department has to take place. To date, administrative staff within each department had reported solely to an administrative manager. ... Its major disadvantage is the difficulty to coordinating the task of diverse functional specialists so that their activities are completed on time and within budget. Service departmentalization on the other hand exactly the opposite benefits and advantages. It facilitates coordination among specialties to achieve on time completion and meet the budget targets. Furthermore, it provides clear responsibility for all activities related to a service, but with duplication of activities and costs. The matrix structure attempts to gain the strengths of each, while avoiding their weaknesses (Anderson, 1994). The strength of the matrix lies in its ability to facilitate coordination when the organization has a multiplicity of complex and interdependent activities. The direct and frequent contacts between the different specialists in the matrix can make for better communication and more flexibility. Information permeates the organization and more quickly reaches the people who need to take accou nt of it. It facilitates the efficient allocation of specialists. When individuals with highly specialized skills are lodged in one functional department or service group, their talents are monopolized and under used. The matrix achieves the advantages of economies of scale by providing the organization with both the best resources and the effective way of ensuring their efficient deployment. The major disadvantage of the matrix lies in the dual command chain. This results in confusion and ambiguity, role conflict and more stress to workers. But over the past decade, senior managers are working with new structural options that can better help their organizations to

Television Addicted Children

Television Addicted Children Television Addiction Children Children’s Television Addiction A lot of people do not realize the seriousness of television addiction. According to â€Å"Television Addiction Is No Mere Metaphor† written by Robert Kubey and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (2002), each person all over the world spends three hours a day watching television for half of their own leisure time. That means the total amount of the time for watching television is the same as 9 years to spend their time to watch TV if one lives up to 75. A more scary research is 40% of adult respondents and 70% of teenagers think that they watch television too much. Moreover, 10 percent of adults think themselves as TV addicts. Is this fact not surprising? Have you ever thought, â€Å"I think I am addicted to television?† When I was young, I did not consider myself as a television addict. If I did not have anything to do, I would have seen television for 6 through 7 hours in a day. At that time, I already knew I spent too much time watching television, but I did not care about it. However, as time went by, I entered high school, and I needed to study to pass the College Entrance Exam in Korea. Unfortunately, whenever I was studying, I could not take care of my desire to watch television. I tried to get away from the television and set time for viewing the TV. However, it was not that easy. The habit from the young age made me stick to this bad habit. That is why I am interested in television addiction, and why I want to know much about the television addiction. Like this, the impact from viewing television too much would affect not only children’s development in a variety of ways but also until they become adults. Above all, before getting started, we should make sure about the definition of addiction. Although there are a variety of definitions for â€Å"addiction,† all the meanings are the same. Of all, I chose the definition which is proposed by Lamai, â€Å"Addiction is a habitual repetition of excessive behavior that a person is unable or unwilling to stop, despite its harmful consequences† (2006). People can be addicted to drugs physically while people can be addicted to gambling psychologically. However, because the term â€Å"television addiction† is not precise and can be different in various situations, there are a variety of perspectives on television addiction. Nevertheless, the criteria of substance dependence, which are defined by psychologists and psychiatrists formally, decide as an addiction if someone spends their time using the substance too much, tries to use more than one’s intended amount, gives up to do social, family or occupational activities, more important thing than using it, and shows withdrawal symptoms when one stops using it (Kubey and Csikszentmihalyi, 2002). These phenomena are shown on television addicts as well. Because of the desire to watch TV, people who call themselves an addict appear to have all of these phenomena. Therefore, desire to watch television continuously can tell that it is obviously an â€Å"addiction.† Media has warned the impact of television, especially the impact of television to children. It is very unhealthy to children because children are in the progress of developing their brain and body. According to Dr. Young’s assertion, â€Å"All of the most crucial brain development of a child occurs before age 4.†(Morello, 2002, p.44). Hence, the effect from television addiction can lead children to become passive and try not to think creatively. Like this, it would affect in a variety of ways not only in childhood but also in the child’s entire life. First of all, the impact from television addiction is directly related to children’s attention span. A surprising fact is â€Å"Only 14 percent of teens who watch six or more hours of TV daily achieve reading proficiency by grade 12† (Daines, 2007). Somewhere you might hear that television is a strong stimulus clog. This is because television contains a great deal of â€Å"rapid-fire stimulation.† (Morello, 2002, p.44). Therefore, their brain would be trained by this level of stimulation. If they do not see enough of this level of stimulation, they are unable to be affected by the stimulation and they try to find more extreme stimulation for them. Finally, children cannot concentrate on something longer. In contrast, if children are interested in playing sports, games and crayons, they can improve cognitive abilities and develop crucial thinking (Daines, 2007). Secondly, the time for being with family and interacting with friends will be shortened. As society becomes modernized, all of family members become busy, so they can be together in only dinner time. However, television even makes this time shortened. When the TV is turned on, the family’s eyes would glue to the TV without expression, so that they will not chat with their story. Furthermore, studies show that the more TV preschoolers watch, the less well socialized they are in the first grade (Daines, 2007). This is because they spend their time watching instead of playing with friends. Thirdly, the biggest problem is the obesity. Children obesity is getting a bigger issue. Television addiction is a lot involved in this issue as well. Have you ever heard of â€Å"couch potatoes?† This word came from the expression of the person who always lies in the couch and watches TV. Likewise, think about the situation when you are watching television. What are you doing? You might be eating a snack. That is the key point of becoming obesity. There is the statistics related to this fact in TV and the Internet: Fattening for Teens? Dr, Susanna Kautiainen and colleagues at the University of Tampere, Finland surveyed a nationally representative sample of 721 teens 14 to 18 years of age to see if the time they spent on the Internet was tied to obesity or overweight. The result was that those who spent more time watching TV were more often overweight and obese than those who spent less time watching TV. The time without moving makes people obesity and overweight (2004). Fourthly, watching TV without caution can become children’s guideline how to grow. That means TV can ruin the childhood as a certain period in human development. If children constantly are exposed by TV’s harmful situations such as sex and violence, they take it granted that it is not a problem to live a fast life in youth and to kill people for justice. This is because children are not satisfying their knowledge to distinguish from this destructive aspect of television (Video Age International, 2001, pp. 2-3). If you unguardedly let children watch TV, it could lead children to fail in childhood. Then, why are we addicted to television? The origin of the addiction arises from â€Å"boredom,† and television can supply your demand. As soon as you turn on the TV, you can directly feel relaxed and cozy. However, according to electroencephalograph (EEG) studies which are laboratory experiments to monitor the brain waves, skin resistance or heart rate of people watching television, the result is astonishing. When participants turn off the TV, their feeling of relaxation and coziness suddenly disappears while the feeling of passiveness and lowered alertness continue. After participants turn off the TV, they somehow feel television makes their energy dry up and they are hard to concentrate compared to before. In contrast, participants can feel happy and improvement in mood after playing sport (Kubey and Csikszentimihalyi, 2002). Moreover, in â€Å"Television Anonymous† (2001), â€Å"Noise† and â€Å"Companionship† can be the reason why people are addicted as well. Then, what kinds of solution to get over television addiction? There are a lot of alternatives. However, above all, recognizing your habit and accepting is a top priority. After this, firstly set time limits. It should not watch more than two hours on qualified TV program. Also, under three year children should not be in front of TV because â€Å"the first two to three years of life are critical periods for the development of young children’s brains.†(Christakis, 2004) Secondly, this is the most important thing. Television should not be placed in children’s bedroom. Thirdly, put the TV and remote control which could not come into sight. Fourthly, do not use the TV to look after baby. Instead, do household chores with children and give them an opportunity to help. Fifthly, listen to favorite music or the radio as background noise. Lastly, set a good example. Because parents and guardians are usually a child’s most important role model, limiting your own TV viewing and choosing programs carefully through the lives of TV characters (Daines, 2007). In conclusion, the desire which wants to watch TV definitely should be seen as addiction. Nowadays, television addiction is becoming a big issue. The amount of time people viewing TV on average cannot say it is not the astonishing fact. I am sure that the number of television addicts is gradually increasing. Therefore, people should make an effort to diffuse the fact that the amount of television addict is increasing and it is really bad for children because television addiction have an opportunity to shorten children’s attention span, to narrow time with family and friends, to result in obesity, and to be a guideline during development. Therefore, keeping watching television incautiously should be reconsidered.

Romance - Fear Of Death Gives An Aphrodisic Like Effect :: essays research papers

There are many ideals related to romance, including such things as love, excitement, violence, fear and commonly war. This is presented in such texts such as the ‘Trojan war’ where men are fighting for the love of a woman. In Romeo and Juliet where Romeo is excited by fear of the Capulets, or in ‘My Sweet old Etcetera’ where the soldier is thinking of his lady rather than of the ensuing battle. Thus it is evident that romance is commonly related to violence, danger, and fear of death (particularly in the young) often giving the effect of a potent aphrodisiac. Love has existed in many forms throughout time. There is no better example than in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. In this tale, when love is most apparent, the most crucial events occur to develop this "tragedy." Juliet needed Romeo to get away from her overprotective parents who were planning her future. If Juliet were going to disobey her parents, they would have disowned her. Ironically, at the party that Lord Capulet held so that Juliet could meet her projected husband, Paris, she met her future husband, Romeo. They met by chance, looking into each other’s eyes and instantly being attracted. In the balcony scene Juliet warns Romeo of the danger to his life if her kinsmen find him there, "If they do see thee, they shall murder thee". This warning on Romeo’s life has an impression on him. However it does not make him take caution, it gives an influence making him even more excited, wanting to be with Juliet. Giving a similar effect to an a phrodisiac. The fear of death that has an effect of exhilarating Romeo is strongly reiterated in cummings "my sweet old etcetera". Where the young soldier is at war, writing to his lady. He is telling the story of how people at home had acted towards his enlistment, for instance his mother hoping he would die, and how they were hypocritical. Such as his father stating it was an honour to die for your country and that he would "if only†¦.". The soldier then shows us in his writing that with the excitement and violence of war along with the fear of his imminent death he is somewhat stimulated. To an extent that he is "dreaming" more of his woman and her body, predominantly her sexual organs, instead of the battle and fate that is soon to be upon him.

Individual Report on Econometric Models

Context This report pertains to the selection of an academic paper (Caporale et al., 2009) which is examined based on its aims and results, citing new insights offered by its analysis. It also involves another paper (Oshio et al., 2011) that cited that of Caporale et al. (2009), explaining the kind of data being used for the analysis. The report also includes a description of the economic model adopted by the authors to analyse the issues, as well as a critical reflection of the issues that are likely to arise with the use of these specific econometric models. a.Summary of the selected paper The selected paper in this report is that of Caporale et al. (2009), which was centred on income and happiness across Western and Eastern Europe. The authors utilised data from the European Social Survey (ESS) for 19 European countries, whereby they examined the association between income and subjective well-being. The aim of their study was to find out whether income can buy happiness. Happiness and life satisfaction served as the dependent variables in the study, which were likewise contained in the ESS data. These variables were tested for whether social comparisons and reference groups wielded a relevant influence on the subjective well-being of individuals in the countries involved, which likewise served as the sample. The findings revealed that for all these countries – despite the positive correlation between income on one hand and happiness and life satisfaction on the other – a negative effect was being exerted by reference income on individual well-being, a result that harmonised with the relative utility hypothesis. A separate analysis was conducted by the authors for some countries in Eastern Europe in which they were able to discover some evidence that supported a so-called ‘tunnel effect’, which was suggestive of a positive impact caused by reference income on subjective well-being. The findings maintained that situations characterising stable income and employment have income serving as the basis for social comparisons. In social comparisons, the authors posited that reference income served as the informant for future status expectations. Further, empirical findings revealed a tendency for males to report lower satisfaction than their female counterparts. The authors also cited that the literature holds robust pattern that mirrors the life-cycle areas of people’s social, economic, and family situations. The findings also suggested that happiness perception was positively related to being married, whilst a negative relationship was suggested for divorce. Moreover, the presence of children had a negative effect on happiness perception whilst good health fostered a significant positive association. There was shaky evidence on the likelihood of university qualifications to cause a negative impact on happiness. In addition, a positive effect was indicated by previous employment occurrence on the perception of happiness, which was more deep-seated for more recent unemployment occurrence. The distress accompanying a recent unemployment occurrence may diminish the aspiration value of the presently employed individua l. As the study’s sample was dominated by countries with liberal social welfarism, the influence of the welfare systems on individual’s happiness may also be indicated by the positive impact of unemployment on life satisfaction during the time of joblessness. The new insights offered by the analysis include an apparent wedge between countries in Western Europe and Eastern Europe, which clearly showed that the pursuit of life satisfaction has become embodied in countries’ political framework, serving as a source of valuable insights in policy development concerning welfare reforms. b. A paper citing the selected paper A paper that cites the selected paper here is that of Oshio et al. (2011) whose aim was to examine the effects of relative income on well-being in China, Japan, and Korea based on nationwide surveys in these countries and comparing them with that of the United States. The various factors for which control was undertaken at the individual level were age, gender, and marital status, to name a few. The results were parallel to past researches the same topic involving Western countries. The study exhibited a significant relationship between a person’s income and that of the reference group on one hand, and perceived life satisfaction on the other. In China, individual income showed stronger relationships between relative income and life satisfaction compared to family income, whilst the opposite was demonstrated for Japan and Korea. The comparisons of income within the reference group were necessary for evaluating life satisfaction, particularly when family income was used. Additi onally, Yitzhaki index was used to determine the relative deficiency within the reference group, which was found to have a negative relationship with life satisfaction. Oshio et al. (2011) used Caporale et al. (2009) as a cited paper in their study in that the former utilised it in its claim that apart from the absolute income levels, the happiness of a person is reliant to comparisons with those of others, particularly those with similar socio-economic distinctiveness. Oshio and colleagues also used Caporale and colleagues’ findings on relative income proposition, whereby both found a positive effect fostered by absolute income on both happiness and life satisfaction. Further, both Caporale et al. (2009) and Oshio et al. (2011) used regression analysis to analyse the findings on income and perceived happiness. The apparent difference that could be cited in their studies was the nature of the countries on which their studies were emphasised – Western and Eastern European countries for Caporale et al. (2009), and Asian countries and the United States for Oshio et al. (2011). The former was also more extensive as it used 19 countries f or a generalisation of income-happiness hypothesis, whilst the latter involved only four. The comparison in Caporale and colleagues’ study was between Western European and Eastern European countries, whilst that of Oshio and colleagues was between three Asian countries and the United States. If the cross-country findings in Caporale and colleagues demonstrated a political agenda (i.e. social welfarism), those of Oshio and colleagues were focused on the level of the individual, such as people’s precautious outlook on individual income than family income in China and the United States, leading to the influence of culture for income perception (e.g. individual-orientedness vs. family-orientedness).Whilst Caporale et al. (2009) asserted a positive relationship between income and happiness, Oshio et al. (2011) declared stronger correlations between individual income (rather than family income) and life satisfaction in China, which was not true in Japan and Korea. c.Data used, structure of the data set, and manner of data collection The ESS data in Caporale and colleagues’ (2009) study contained information about a set of demographic and employment characteristics, which the authors utilised as controls in their regressions. Some of these controls were education, income, and position in the labour force, to name a few. The data set also involved information on previous unemployment encounter, which was used in assessing whether a person’s perception of present economic situation was influenced by previous income shocks, commonly due to unemployment. The structure of the data set included all individuals possessing similar levels of education, age brackets, and current countries of residence. The sample was also limited to employees earning full-time salaries. Alternatively, in Oshio and colleagues’ (2011) study, the data were collected from the countries’ (Japan, China, Korea) General Social Survey (GSS), from which data were downloaded. The GSS of these countries were originally gathered by a research office at the University of Chicago. The basis of their empirical analysis was the GSS of these countries which were recorded in 2006, with widely similar survey questionnaires. The results were compared with those of the United States. All income data were converted into logarithms to enable comparing the results across models and countries. In addition, the authors used sampling weights from GSS and made a computation of standard errors to provide correction for any possibility of heteroscedasticity. It may be inferred that even though both studies aimed at determining happiness and life satisfaction vis-a-vis income, their methodologies and approaches were however different but were appropriate to the nature of their hypoth eses. d. Econometric models used by the authors In this section, the econometric models used by the authors are described to analyse the issue. Caporale et al. (2009) used ordered probit model, which they deemed appropriate for their study, given the ordinal nature of the happiness variables. This model enabled a close correlation between happiness and life satisfaction, in which the authors were able to indicate a high level of happiness or satisfaction amongst the research participants. A clear skewness towards the high end was exhibited by the distribution on happiness. Some variations began emerging with the investigation of the level of happiness across the countries involved, with Denmark achieving the highest score, and Portugal, amongst others, recording the lowest scores. Reference income was used as an explanatory variable in the regressions. The estimated coefficients also showed a general consistency with those of previous studies. On the other hand, Oshio et al. (2011) used the ordered logit model to explain perceived happiness across the three countries involved in their study. The model contained an assumption of care amongst individuals in relation to their individual (or family) income when making a comparison of their income with those of others. Family income was included in both specifications, with an assumption that it represents material living standards. It was expected that the coefficient ? was significantly positive in each specification, given the relative income hypothesis. e. Critical reflection of the issues relating to the econometric models The econometric models used in each of the study of Caporale et al. (2009) and Oshio et al. (2011) were appropriately justified and carried out to suit the aim and expected results of each. The use of the ordered probit model in Caporale and colleagues’ study was suitable as this model was able to deal with the variables in ordered categories, which were present in the dataset. According to Jones (2007) and Gailmard (2014), ordered probit model is utilised in the modelling of a discrete dependent variable with ordered multinomial results. Similarly, Caporale and colleagues also noted fixing some of the threshold values, which Jones also pointed out as a characteristic of the model. The study was able to generate the specific results with the utilisation of this model, which is likewise used in a range of the social and behavioural sciences, as emphasised by Aldrich et al. (2007) and Gill (2008). Using other econometric model for the study of Caporale et al. (2009) might not ge nerate similar results, since the study involved an analysis of more than two outcomes of an ordinal dependent variable (i.e. happiness and life satisfaction). In the same manner, Oshio and colleagues’ (2011) use of the ordered logit model was suitable as the study involved a survey that aimed to find out how well responses to questions can predict a response to one question, to which the model was appropriate. In the study, the model was used for dichotomous dependent variables (happiness and life satisfaction), in which more than two response categories were enabled.Apparently, the study adopted proportional odds assumption, to which the model was applicable, as Sadler (2008) and Allegrezza and Dubrocard (2012) also pointed out. Moreover, the model clearly pursued an estimate for multiple equations in the study, whereby the number of these equations were tantamount to the number of categories minus 1. The study also showed that each equation modelled the odds of being in a category, which is consistent with the ordered logit model (Sadler, 2008; Allegrezza and Dubrocard, 2012). It is important to note that the use of the aforementioned models for the two studies was consistent with their intention to quantify or measure variables in order to come up with objective and systematic results for the relationship between income and happiness. Both studies opted to use data from established data sets (ESS and GSS) to apparently facilitate generalisation of findings, with which they were successful. It may be pointed out that Oshio and colleagues’ (2011) results were congruent with Caporale and colleagues’ (2009), reflecting the validity of the latter’s findings. References Aldrich, J. H.m Alt, J. E., and Lupia, A. (2007) Positive Changes in Political Science: The Legacy of Richard D. McKelvey’s Most Influential Writings. Michigan: University of Michigan. Allegrezza and Dubrocard (2012) Internet Econometrics. Hampshire: Palgrave MacMillan. Caporale, G. M., Georgellis, Y., Tsitsianis, N., & Yin, Y. P. (2009) Income and happiness across Europe: Do reference values matterJournal of Economic Psychology, 30(1), 42-51. Gailmard, S. (2014) Statistical Modeling and Inference for Social Science. NY: Cambridge University Press. Gill (2008) Bayesian Methods: A Social and Behavioral Sciences Approach, Second Edition. NW: Chapman & Hall/CRC. Jones, A. (2007) Applied Econometrics for Health Economists: A Practical Guide. Second Edition. Oxon: Radcliffe Publishing Ltd. Oshio, T., Nozak, K., and Kobayashi, M. (2011) Relative income and happiness in Asia: Evidence from nationwide surveys in China, Japan, and Korea. Social Indicators Research, 104 (3), 351-367. Sadler, A. M. (2008) Determinants of Entrepreneurial Behavior among Immigrant and Non-Immigrant University Scientists in the US: The Impact of Cultural Predispositions and Learning. MI: ProQuest LLC.

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buy custom The Healthcare Reform essay While the debate on health care reform ranges on, Democrats and Republicans are taking opposing sides. Democrats want a government-run health care while Republicans are for state-moderated health care policies. In between these two stances, we have one overdue reform that must be addressed if at all the founding American spirit is still alive. This singular reform requires no sides, no political will or economic back up. It only needs us to be human. Americans with pre-existing conditions, especially of terminal diseases like cancer, diabetes, Aids, heart complications etc, have been bared from accessing medical coverage in the last three decades (George, 2007). The few insurance covers available for them are so expensive that, when coupled with their ever-rising and perpetual medical bills accrued when managing the conditions, the covers are impractical and exploitative. The very citizens, whose love for the nation endures, the ones we walk alongside on the streets, are being denied medical cover just because they were unlucky enough to get terminal diseases. This are our fathers, mothers, brother, sisters, sons and daughters. It is time thatCongress revoked the spirit of individualism, the spirit of the dead burying their dead, and revives the very spirit of unity that was the foundation on which our nation took shape. America is defined by unity, by nationalism and by virtues of equality. Congress should, as urgently as yesterday, concur in ending the barriers that deny coverage to terminally sick Americans who are in need of medical assistance. This is not about costs of healthcare, it is not even about state control of a vibrant industry, it is not about doctors and health plans security, it is not about jobs and investments, it is about being human. A window surviving on a cent-worth salary to bring up her four children may never access medical coverage in her youthful life. However, when the children grow up, they may decide to reward her love and devotion with a medical cover, only that by that time she has already been diagnosed with cancer. Today, such a woman, a hero to the American economy, one who shares in the responsibility of building the nation, paying taxes and modeling the lives of American youths, is left by the sidelines because she was foolish enough not to get medical cover before developing cancerous cells. Is that Ameericanism? She represents a million and one patriots of this nation who cannot access medical cover because of preexisting conditions at the time when they can afford such a cover (George, 2007). Congress can formulate genius policies to correct this injustice and inhuman situation. For instance one such policy can be formulated as, The law shall deem any denial of medical cover to an interested party as discrimination. To cater for additional risks in covering persons with preexisting conditions, the premiums must not also be increased beyond those of persons without pre-existing conditions. It shall however be legal to reduce the amounts payable to claims made by persons with preexisting conditions. Teddy Roosevelt called for reforms because there was something innate in being American. Something brotherly, something borne of consciousness to do good, something that makes us the single greatest nation on earth. Almost all facets of US health care reform cannot wait, but this one must not wait. Abolishing the barriers that discriminate our sick loved ones from medical coverage is something American, irrespective of our Democrat or Republican orientation. Buy custom The Healthcare Reform essay

How does CSR affect competitive advantage Essay Example

How does CSR affect competitive advantage Essay Example How does CSR affect competitive advantage Essay How does CSR affect competitive advantage Essay Introduction For many decades, corporate social responsibility (CARS) has been viewed as a waste of resources money, labor, time, etc. which conflicts with the firms responsibility to make profits in order to compensate its shareholders (Friedman, 1970; Henderson, 2001 ; Jensen, 2002; Levity, 1 958; Summary Ninepin, 2004). On the contrary, especially during the last years, many supporters of CARS came up with the argument that CARS provides a company with a series of specific benefits that very often will outweigh the expenditures. Some are even of the opinion that CARS is necessary for equines, both from an economic and a social point of view (Brown Fraser, 2006; Trucker, 1984; Kettle Lee, 2005; Meltzer, 1983; Porter Kramer, 2006). Screech (201 1 ) concludes by writing that the following two related conflicts could be solved by proving that CARS and profit-maximizing interests can go hand in hand: On the one hand, the argument that CARS is Just a waste of resources would be invalidated and on the other hand, CARS expenses could be Justified to the shareholders as compatible with the firms obligations and, thus, legitimate and economically beneficial. Although great amount of literature is being published about the connection of CARS and the financial performance of firms, it still lacks empirical support and is therefore vulnerable to the criticism that this relation is not a grounded fact, but rather wishful thinking by Its proponents (Rollover, Schmidt Runes, 2003; Screech, 2011). Therefore, this article aims at throwing light on the link between CARS and firm performance by assessing how CARS might influence a firms competitive advantage. Specifically, as many companies realize how important it is to attract highly skilled employees as a main component of their competitive advantage (Prefer, 1994; Tech, 1998; Turban Greening, 1997), the focus will be on the link between CARS and human resources. This article will start with a review of previous studies and research in this area, followed by an in depth analysis of relevant and underlying theories that describe how CARS affects competitive advantage via a firms human resources. Ultimately, this article will give Implications for Important future research and the mall findings will be concluded. Previous Research and Studies Although CARS has emerged as an Inescapable priority for business leaders in every entry (Porter Kramer. 2006), there Is no general agreement about whether CARS does contribute to the financial performance of firms or not. A lot of research has been conducted in order to prove the positive relationship between corporate financial performance (COP) and corporate social performance (SSP). Wood (1991 : 693) defines SSP as a business organizations configuration of principles of social responsibility, processes of social responsiveness, and policies, programs, and observable outcomes as they relate to the firms societal relationships. However, the exults of these studies have been inconclusive at best (Donaldson, 1999; Jones Wicks, 1999; McMillan Siegel, 2001; Roman, Hybrid Eagle, 1999). Other studies tried to find conceptual explanations for the lack or the existence of a relationship between SSP and COP, but could not provide answers (McMillan Siegel, 2001 ; society and business need each other now more than ever before. Companies depend on a healthy society, including health care, education, and equal opportunity, but also good government and property rights. These requirements are essential for productive workforce and will furthermore create an expanding demand for business. Simultaneously, this healthy society is also in the need of successful firms. Apart from creating Jobs and wealth, they are the main innovators that improve the standards and quality of living (Porter Kramer, 2006). Hence, it should be in the interest of every firm to conduct CARS, regardless of the possible relationship between SSP and COP. Firms behaving in a socially responsible manner benefit through the subsequent reputation, another topic with a huge body of literature. The reputation f a firm that is built on its social consciousness will not Just temper criticism by the public in case of a crisis (Porter Kramer, 2006), but will also help building a positive relationship to stakeholders, such as investors, suppliers, bankers, and customers (Bombers Channel, 1990). Again, from a financial perspective, reputation plays an extremely important role. Not only will it facilitate access to capital through the emanating positive relationship to investors, but with respect to SSP, reputation also has a higher correlation with COP than any other variable even corporate environmental performance (Brown Perry, 1994; Rollicks et al. , 2003). The return from reputation is, thus, the key to reaping benefits from SSP (Roberts Dowling, 2002). One way of reaping benefits from corporate reputation is by attracting a high quality workforce (Greening Turban, 2000; Turban Greening, 1997). However, the attraction of good employees is not the only channel through which good reputation through CARS affects a firms human resources, possibly leading to a competitive advantage. Research suggests that it also increases the goodwill of current employees towards their employer, which in turn can improve the companys financial outcomes (Davis, 1973; McGuire, Sundered Schneider, 1988; Haddock Graves, 1997). Furthermore, firms can turn instruments such as sponsoring of sports or cultural events into a competitive advantage by improving the morale of their employees and boosting productivity (Porter Kramer, 2002). Supplementary, it has been proved that scandals in regards to CARS will negatively influence employee morale and, thus, the firms performance (Screech, 2011). During the last decades, undress and thousands of articles about CARS have been published, many of them with a strong focus on financial aspects such as the relationship of SSP and COP. Surprisingly few dealt with the influence of CARS on human resources. Greening Turban (2000: 276) analyzed and confirmed that Job applicants will attempt to interview with firms, and will have a higher probability of accepting a Job offer from firms with positive SSP reputation. However, their study is based on a survey of only 39 students and did not focus on what exactly attracts employees and how these causes can be used to create a competitive advantage. Furthermore, a lot has changed during the last years, not only the importance of but also the ways companies pursue CARS. Therefore, these will be the main aspects in the remainder of this article. Theory and Implications for Future Research This section will introduce the most important theories that are relevant for an analysis of the relationship between CARS and competitive advantage. As this article section will start with an explanation of the importance of a quality workforce. Afterwards, theories will be presented which focus on how CARS can influence prospective (via firms attractiveness) or current employees. Quality Employees as a Source of Competitive Advantage There is a reason why statements like our employees are our strength can be found on the homepages and on promoting materials of many companies nowadays. The attraction of superior human resources and retaining them in the firm can provide firms with a sustained competitive advantage (Load Wilson, 1994; Prefer, 1994; Wright, Ferris, Hillier Karol, 1995). Additionally, especially in fields with labor shortage, such as IT or engineering, the attraction of quality applicants is becoming more and more important for the success of companies Jackson Schuler, 1990; Freeman Gowning, 1990). Those organizations that are able to attract the greater applicant pool of top-quality applicants can better utilize their selection system which results in a potential competitive advantage (Load Wilson, 1994; Turban Greening, 1997). As research suggests that employee attraction to a large extent is based on perceptions of the corporate image, which in turn is influenced by the firms SSP (Bombers Channel, 1990), the explanation is given of why many firms promote e. G. Their environmental or philanthropic programs in brochures for prospective applicants (Poe Courier, 1995). They want to demonstrate how socially responsible they act. That this can be successful is confirmed by the finding of Bauer and Amman- Smith (1996) that firms with a stance towards the natural environment are seen as more attractive firms than those without such a stance. The reason why companies should focus more on their employees is that researchers agree that a quality workforce has become more important than other sources of competitive advantage (Greening Turban, 2000). Previously, the success of firms was often attributed to their access to financial markets, product and process technology, patents, the placement of learning curves and economies of scale, etc. However, scholars have noted that the importance of those sources of success has decreased over time, while the selection and management of high quality employees has become a critical factor to success (Prefer, 1994; Snell, Wounds Wright, 1996). Knowledge-Based Theory Similarly, another body of literature suggests that a firms ability to create, manage and transfer knowledge is the key to its success (Feline Westerly, 2007; Grant, 1996), which also points out the importance of a quality workforce as one key to a nominative advantage. Authors suggest that intelligence, motivation, vision, experience, creativity, analytical abilities and commitment are some of the characteristics of quality employees (Tech, 1998). A firms success in the future depends largely on how well it can capture value from those knowledge assets (Tech, 1998). Hence, in order to succeed, a firm must take advantage of its workforce and be able to manage its knowledge. Although high quality employees can be viewed as a necessary condition for success in a modern knowledge economy, it is not a sufficient one (Greening Turban, 2000). The firm has to be able to develop the knowledge and talent into skills and competencies which are valuable, rare, inimitable by competitors, and unsustainable in order to develop a competitive The role of human resources in developing a firms competitive advantage is consistent with the resource-based theory of the firm. This theory suggests that every organization is simply a collection of unique capabilities and resources providing the foundation for the strategy of the organization and being the primary source of its competitive advantage and profitability (Barney, 1991/ 2011; Grant, 1991; Meyer, 1991). It assumes that firms acquire and develop these unique resources and capabilities over time and emphasizes that resources may not be mobile across companies, or easily imitable by other companies (Grant, 1991). As mentioned above, apart from physical resources, also human resources, such as talented managers or high quality employees, are highly important resources for firms (Barney, 1991; Meyer, 1991) and in a global economy, the skills of an organizations workforce are increasingly critical to the development of sustained competitive advantages (Throw, 1992). Additionally, SSP can be viewed as an organizational resource. Investments in SSP may assist firms in developing new capabilities, resources and competencies that are manifested in a firms structure, culture, technology and human resources (Barney, 1991; Russo Bouts, 1997; Heartfelt, 1984). For instance, SSP can help management to develop better processes, scanning skills, or information systems which will better prepare an organization for turbulences, external changes, or crises (Russo Bouts, 1997). The channels through which a companies SSP can affect these resources, especially the human resources, will be subject of discussion later in this article. Signaling Theory Another theory that may be relevant for understanding how a firms SSP may influence human resources, especially the attraction of quality employees, is the signaling theory. There exists a classical information asymmetry between the applicants and the employer. The applicant does not really know how working conditions, corporate culture, etc. Look like in the companies he or she is applying for. Signaling theory suggests that, due to the incomplete information about the company, applicants interpret all the information they receive as signals about e. G. The working conditions in the organization (Greening Turban, 2000). Organizational attributes, for example, provide prospective employees with information about how it would be like to be part of this organization. For instance, a firms formal social programs or policies towards stakeholders or developing political and social issues may attract applicants by serving as signals of the firms goals and commitment. Likewise, the policy to provide day care facilities or to manage diversity has an influence on organizational attractiveness as an employer, because it signals willingness to attract women and minorities and to treat them in a fair manner Greening Turban, 2000; Williams Bauer, 1994). Potential employees might interpret a companys SSP as a signal about its organizational values and norms. These values and norms affect the applicants perceptions of the working conditions and therefore also the companys attractiveness as an employer. Additionally, according to the person-organization fit theory (Kristin, 1996), it is expected that the prospective Job applicants specific values will influence the extent to which a firms SSP influences that attraction (Greening Turban, 2000: 259). Social Identity Theory influences human resources as well. This theory emphasizes that people classify themselves into specific social categories on the basis of different factors, as for example the organization they work for, and that the fact of being a member in those social categories influences peoples individual self-concept (Dutton, Dickered Hairball, 1994; Turban Greening, 1997). Hence, the self-image of employees is influenced by the reputation and the image of the employer. As mentioned earlier, a firms reputation is affected to a large extent by its corporate social performance. Consequently, social identity theory suggests that employees working for a firm with strong SSP will experience positive outcomes, such as an enhanced self-concept, just by being employed in this socially responsible firm (Greening Turban, 2000). Furthermore, as potential employees might expect to experience this enhanced self- concept, the attractiveness of firms that put a strong focus on acting socially responsible is positively affected as well. Definition of Research Gaps After having presented theories that suggest that the right employees can lead to a sustained competitive advantage and that there is relationship between CARS activities of an organization and its human resources, this article will now focus on issues where more research is needed in order to fully understand these relationships. Generally, there exists an almost inexhaustible amount of literature that analyzes the relationship of a firms SSP and its COP. A far smaller body of literature focuses on the link between SSP and human resources. Most of these articles build up theories and make suggestions, but not that much empirical research has been conducted yet to actually prove these theories or to contradict them. Research suggests that potential applicants are very aware of a companys SSP and that companies with a good CARS rating have a competitive advantage, because hey attract a larger amount of applicants and applicants that are of high quality. However, these studies by Greening and Turban (2000) and Turban and Greening (1997) are based on a survey of 39 students or even Just 34, respectively. Also, it can be assumed that those students were aware of the purpose of the study and, thus, were biased in regards to their answers. A study on a large scale needs to be conducted in order to get valuable results. Additionally, it needs to be conducted in different geographical regions of the world, as CARS plays completely different roles in the various societies. While it, for instance, is of great importance in most Western European or the Nordic countries, this is not necessarily the case in many South American or Asian countries. Furthermore, the ways how organizations pursue CARS has changed or at least become broader during the last years. Partnerships of business firms with non-governmental organizations (Nags) had been unthinkable a few decades ago, but have become an important issue nowadays. Many firms grant their employees a certain amount of days off, so that they can engage in Nags they support. Microsoft, for example, allows its employees to take three days off for this repose every year (Thomson, 2012). How do those CARS activities affect the attractiveness of firms? Which CARS activities affect a firms attractiveness the most? Since scholars argue that a quality workforce is becoming an increasingly important source for competitive advantage, these questions need to be addressed by future research. However, CARS does not Just affect a firms human resources via the employers SSP as well. In the framework of Mitchell, Eagle and Wood (1997), employees are seen as a crucial component to success and as a scarce resource. Therefore, they have power, legitimacy and some urgency, and are thus salient takeovers of the firm. It is a logical consequence that they are affected as well, when a firm aims at multiple stakeholders by pursuing CARS. According to Screech (201 1), the idea is that employees will be much more satisfied, if they feel that the beneficiaries of SSP are they, rather than some other external recipients of charitable contributions. Employee satisfaction, in turn, will help retain the employees and reduce turnover (Labeling Freeman, 2000), or positively influence the organizations operational efficiency (Branch Rodriguez, 2006), which can be the source of a competitive advantage. Future research might analyze how and which SSP strategies affect employee satisfaction or investigate if there are moderators that influence this relationship. Conclusion This article suggests that CARS and a firms human resources are interlinked with each other in many different ways. The analysis indicates that a quality workforce is becoming a crucial factor for gaining a competitive advantage and that quality employees can be attracted by a firms SSP. Furthermore, SSP positively influences the employee satisfaction which in turn might lead to a competitive advantage by boosting productivity and efficiency. However, this article aims at showing up areas in which more research has to be conducted in order to fully grasp the influence of corporate social responsibility on the human resources of firms. Especially, empirical research is needed to confirm the theories that have been proposed until now. But also in regards to the constantly changing ways of how companies pursue CARS, it is important to investigate which of them have the greatest impact on employees and their morale. Only then will it be possible for firms to capture the largest benefit of their CARS activities: the creation of a sustained competitive advantage.

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Globalization - Essay Example We can share our ideas not in one region or to people of one region but to different people of different regions. The internet has enhanced communication networking due to which, Morris and Ogan (2002) regard internet as a new communication technology and a new media in terms of globalization. Internet plays a crucial role in our day to day lives. Nobody can negate the effectiveness of internet in our lives. Internet is employed in business sectors, educational sectors, commercial sectors, governmental sectors, scientific discovery sectors and many others. The concept of globalization is also attached with the concept of internet. It is only because of internet that people are able to communicate through long distances. It will not be incorrect to say that internet has converted the world into a global village (Steger 34). The future of internet is quite bright because of its so much effectuality in our lives. It appears that in the future the role of internet will be increased. The old media or traditional media or mainstream media includes radio broadcasting, newspapers, magazine press, film industry and television broadcasting (Gorman 230). According to Gorman (2009), the transition started in 1970 with the development of technologies after which, a concept with the name of new media came to the forefront. With internet and telecommunication, people started looking towards internet as a new media as it offered many new ways to communicate in a much faster and timely manner. The internet mode of communication is much faster as compared to other traditional media. The internet technology boost was not felt with its development as media persons regarded it something related to academics and freebies (Morris and Ogan 1). However, with the passage of time, the efficacy of internet as new media is accepted all over the world. The concept of globalization also gained ground with the expansion of internet as a global media.

Anti competitive behaviour amongst oligopoly firms and government Essay

Anti competitive behaviour amongst oligopoly firms and government regulations - Essay Example For this study, a brief concept of competition law will be provided followed by discussing some economic factors that enables oligopolistic firms to violate the competition law in the markets. Upon discussing the negative economic consequences of forming oligopoly firms, the role of government regulations on how to control and minimize the negative impact of collusion within the oligopolistic market will be thoroughly discussed. Competition law promotes free trade and healthy competition among the local and international businesses in order to protect the economic welfare of the consumers from businesses that will abuse its market power within a particular industry. (Vedder, 2004; Opi, 2001) As part of promoting free trade in the market, competition law is very much focused on eliminating and reducing the cases of monopolistic competition. Basically, the promotion of a free trade competition enables the consumers to enjoy the privilege of With the purpose of dominating the market, product characteristics dictate the ability of oligopoly firms to enter into collusion. Using the Nash benchmark, the study conducted by Engel (2007) reveals that there is a higher possibility for companies that sell heterogeneous products with few substitutes to collude as compared to businesses that sell homogenous products. It means that businesses that offer heterogeneous products have more competitive advantage or niche as compared to other businesses. The size of the market and the number of manufacturers that produces the same product also affects the ability of oligopolistic firms to enter into collusion. Basically, the bigger the market size in terms of the total number of people within a population would mean that there is a bigger demand for the product. On the other hand, the lesser the number of manufacturers that produces the same type of goods would mean that the supply for the product would be lesser as compared a situation