Market Research proposal report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Market Research proposal report - Essay Example The industry gives transport services for freight and also passengers. Businesses within the industry aim at making it very interesting to woo customers to desire to use services provided by the industry. The study of the industry reveals that there are political, economic, socio-cultural and legal factors that affect it. The Pest analysis should be used to analyze the environment in which the industry operates in. This simple analysis involves understanding the industry's political, economic, social, and technological environment with references to the various companies within the industry. (Massingham, et al. 1988) Political factors have a direct and indirect effect on the performance of the various companies within the airline industry. There are some decisions which have been made by the federal government of the United Kingdom which has really had a negative effect on the performance of the industry. For instance, in 2001, the federal government brought legal suits and made decisions to minimize the production and marketing of high performance to countries believed to be a threat to the security of U.K. This move impacted negatively to the general operations of companies within the industry. (Michael, 1985) The industry has also been affected by economic factors. These include: Currency exchange rate, interest rate policy, consumer factors, and fiscal policy rates. The industry has to adhere to the fluctuations in the market depending with how a consumer perceives the offered products. In the times of economic recession, less people use air transport because of the low affordability of this kind of transport. Hence the industry has continually suffered for lack of customers. Therefore, the industry makes minimal profits because of the few customers it is able to acquire at such times. (Jan, 2002) The market has also been affected by social factors. Forces within the society such as media, family and friends have affected the operations of companies within the industry. The media has played a role in influencing customers to believe that the services offered by the industry are of high quality. Social factors have affected the opinions, interests, and attitudes of the industry's potential customers. The industry's success can be greatly attributed to social factors. (Scholes, 1993) Technological factors have also played a role in affecting the industry's performance. The internet for example has assisted the industry to extend its global out reach. Most of the marketing mix strategies which the airline has used have kept in touch with changing technology and modernization in the ever changing world. E-commerce and Radio Frequency identification-RFID are some of the modern technological aspects embraced by the industry. The industry has tried to always keep abreast with technology. The modern technology present in the industry has given it a competitive edge over other related industries. The technology has also greatly increased the effectiveness of the services offered by the industry. (Schlesinger, 1991) Some of the services that can be introduced in to the industry include postal services. Here, letters and mails will be transported via planes to where they are needed. This enhances the speed of postal services in the world as a whole. The targeted customers will include rich business people who need to deliver mail to business people based in other parts of the world urgently. The cost of this service will

Seeking creative talents for visual design Essay

Seeking creative talents for visual design - Essay Example Aside from genuine enthusiasm to decorate one’s home, I also love to travel and to immerse myself in varied forms and styles of art in diverse genres. Upon remuneration, I am realized the determination to pursue a career in fashion, interior design and visual communication which brought me to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM). A quick glimpse of what FIDM offers immediately enticed my appeal. I chose FIDM for various reasons such as the commitment for the development of creative, innovative and leadership skills in the fields of Fashion, Visual Arts, Interior Design, and Entertainment. The varied options and alternatives of creative majors to choose from give me ample leeway to determine the career paths and the degree programs to pursue. Further, the expanse of industry contacts that FIDM is affiliated with would assist in defining employment opportunities that would help in the achievement of personal and professional goals. Actually, I plan to major i n visual communications due to the diversity in career paths and more varied opportunities open for graduates. As indicated, there are eight possible career options from majoring in visual communications, to wit: fashion public relations specialist, fashion stylist, promotions and events coordinator, retail visual and merchandise coordinator, set decorator, store visual manager, visual design director and visual stylist. I envision continuing to path that I have already. Further, the expanse of industry contacts that FIDM.

Guwahati Two or Three Heavy Rainfalls in Day Wreck Havoc Essay Example for Free

Guwahati Two or Three Heavy Rainfalls in Day Wreck Havoc Essay In Guwahati two or three heavy rainfalls in day wreck havoc in most of the areas of the city, creating water logging and traffic snarls. Common people however, have no other option but to vent their ire against the government and the authorities concerned, and are learning to live with the streets flooded for hours and spending considerable time in the traffic congestion. Commuters have a harrowing time in the artificial flood water in the Chandmari Colony area in Guwahati. Jawans of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescue children from the submerged houses, following the disaster in the Nabin Nagar area in Guwahati. Local people using rubber boats are seen helping in the rescue efforts. Several people get killed and injured in the devastating thunderstorm. Homes and agriculture are also the victims of the destructive process. The busy GNB Road at Chandmari is one of the most affected areas today, where traffic congestion start since early morning despite the fact that it is a holiday. The lanes and by-lanes in the surrounding areas are also waterlogged for several hours creating problem for the residents. â€Å"We started our day with the roads water-logged, which has become the most predictable situation after every rainfall. Water entered the campuses of many of our neighbouring houses, creating chaotic situation,† said Juri choudhry a resident of the Rajgarh area. GS Road, another arterial street of the city, was water-logged during the morning for several hours. Christian Basti and Bora Service areas were the worst hit due to artificial flood. With no effective solution in sight, people of Guwahati are now afraid of even the slightest of rainfall. The indifference of government authorities towards the biggest civic problem of the city is strongly condemnable,† a local of the Bora Service area mentioned. This monsoon season has wrecked havoc some of the by-lanes of our locality, where constant water-logging is leading to health related problems. Foul smell due to flood water and strewn garbage is also giving a horrible time to the residents of the locality,†Chandrani Das, an office Assistant and a local of Tarun Nagar mentioned. â€Å"Lack of co-ordination between various government departments and agencies is another reason behind the failure of government authorities to find a permanent solution of this problem,† she added. Water-logging lasted till evening in Rajgarh by-lane 1, Gandhibasti, RG Baruah Road and many other parts of the city. Panbazar, Athgaon, Shantipur, Ganeshguri, Bhutnath, Lakhra were also among the worst-hit areas. The main causes of artificial flood in Guwahati, are encroachment by certain people upon wetlands and hills in the city, dumping of garbage in drains, earth-cutting in the hillocks in and around the city and blocking of natural drains by people for building houses. The GDD Minister said drains on both sides of the main roads from Last Gate to Khanapara and from Chandmari to Noonmati were being constructed and added that the Hatigaon-Dispur drain and drains in other places were under construction. Sarma also said the Guwahati Water bodies (Preservation and Conservation) Act, 2008 was being implemented. Referring to the JNNURM, the GDD Minister said a survey of the drains in the city was being done and special schemes prepared. He said that the Centre had sanctioned Rs 90 crore for the State under the JNNURM. Earlier, Deka had sought to know the reasons behind artificial flood in Guwahati and the schemes, including the ones under the JNNURM, being taken by the State Government to solve the problem. The recurring phenomenon of artificial flood in the capital city is getting worse with the passage of time due to the lack of a proper scientific scheme to deal with the menace. In 1950, the natural drainage system along with the wet spaces were sufficient enough for carrying the surface run off the present catchments area of Guwahati to the outfall at Bharalumukh. As the low lying places are filled up and sewage added to run off, flood occurred. To decrease the quantity of surface run off, flowing to the natural drainage system, it is necessary to catch the run off and divert it on gravity flow. The level of Brahmaputra at Palasbari is 6 m below the level of Guwahati. The storm water coming down the hills of Meghalaya, enter Guwahati through the bridges on NH37 via Bahini and Basistha rivers near Khanapara and flowing via Bharalu river in the city exit Guwahati through the bridge on NH 37 near Jalukbari. A modern sewage treatment plant and solid disposal system is the immediate necessity of the city but let us ensure that: (i) there shall be no house in the city without a septic tank; (ii) no septic tank should be permitted without a covered soak pit; (iii) households disposing effluent from septictanks directly to roadside drains may be fined and sealed; (iv) usage of imported porous soil for the soak pit for proper soaking maybe made statutory; (v) disposal of silage (water from bathrooms, kitchens and laundry) to roadside drains maybe immediately banned. Owners must arrange soak pits for silage soaking within their own compounds; (vi) bulky household waste and solid waste must also be incinerated inside compounds only. Throwing of such wastes to roads, rivers, drains, should be severely punished by law; (vii) every citizen must keep his compound and the road and the roadside drain in front of his house clean: otherwise he should be fined in thousands of rupees daily; (viii) all hotels in Paltan Bazaar area and other places dispose the sullage into roadside drains. Hotels, apartments, commercial places disposing sullage into roadside drains should be immediately sealed; (ix) roadside drains, streams, rivers in the city should carry storm water only; (x) implementation of the above civic rules will have added benefit of mosquito control with empowered existing organizational structure of the authorities. A cleaner city will draw out its surface water: We should keep removable big plastic buckets; garbage bins with polythene carry bags inside, in large numbers in all public places, commercial place, markets, roadsides etc. ike in Singapore and keep one watchman for regular removal and replacing of the carry bags and arrange for their immediate disposal. Unemployed youths can take up this business and collect fees from the shops and residents. The State Government has entrusted the water resources, PHE and PWD departments with the task of cleaning the Bharalu, Bahini and Morabharalu rivers and the drains in Guwahati in order to check artificial fl ood in the city. Rs 370 lakhs have been allotted for cleaning the drains and three rivers.

Failed Anticorruption Mechanisms In The Philippines

Failed Anticorruption Mechanisms In The Philippines Corruption has been universally characterized as the misuse or the abuse of public office for private gain. Its manifestations come in different forms such as illegal enticements and pay-offs, extortion, fraud, nepotism, graft, speed money, pilferage, theft, and embezzlement, falsification of records, kickbacks, influence peddling and campaign contributions. Although corruption is known to be an attribute of the public sector, it also exists in other facets of governance, like political parties, private business sector and NGOs (USAID, 2005; World Bank, 2001). Combating corruption is, evidently, important in its own right because when it is left unimpeded, it will have an acerbic effect on a democracy and in the general well being of a nation. Similarly, fighting corruption can serve as a switch or a tool resulting in wide-ranging economic reforms that can create a level playing field on which businesses operate. These supplementary gains can become significant components in the effort to marshal support for anti-corruption initiatives. Basically, corruption is predominantly an issue of governance; it manifests a breakdown of institutions, a dearth of competence and a lack of capability to direct society and manage its people through a framework of social, judicial, political and economic checks and balances. When formal structures and informal systems go kaput, it becomes tougher and more difficult to put into practice and put into effect laws and policies that guarantee accountability and transparency. From an institutional perspective, corruption crops up when public officials have extensive influence and ubiquitous power, little accountability and vicious inducements, or when their accountability responds to informal rather than formal forms of regulation (UNDP, 2004, p. 2). Attempts to assail corruption have grown exponentially in the last decades. High-profile cases of corruption in developing countries and emerging economies, within international organizations, and in the advanced industrial democracies have resulted to a growing public demand to attack the problem forcefully and with conviction. Addressing the Issue One could never get to the bottom of corruption by simply digging over and dig out corrupt individuals, whether they are government officials, politicians, or business people. As it is, corruption prospers in environments where legal structures are vague, the rule of law is not deeply entrenched within cultural standards and where laws and the judiciary allow employees chances to exercise or wield unrestricted authority and unlimited power throughout various levels of government. As economies embark on liberalization, corruption can surface within the very process of change. Example, privatization is a major strategy constituent in the conversion of a government-dominated economy into one driven by private initiative. However, this changeover process can alter public officials when it is merged with a blend of low government wages and economic stagnation. Clearly, it is futile to get rid of leaders for governing a corrupt system if there are no changes made into that system; simply e ducating government leaders would not be sufficient (Sullivan, 2000, pp. 3-9). In the Philippines, extensive corruption continues rage. According to the international corruption perception index, the Philippines is one of the most dishonest countries in the Asia-Pacific Region; it ranked number 126 from a list of 163 countries (Transparency International, 2006). Distribution of resources does not have transparency and many civil groups are kept out from taking part in the process of drafting and consolidating the national budget. Corruption devours a substantial proportion of government projects, with pay-offs and bureaucratic red tape being unconcealed predicament. Similarly, there still exist countless problems in the bidding processes for government projects. As it is, frail mechanisms for transparency and answerability promote bureaucratic corruption and as can be observed, institutions given the task to investigate and resolve corruption-related cases, like the Office of the Ombudsman and the Special Graft and Corruption Court or the Sandiganbayan, have sh own to lack efficiency and transparency. There have also been a number of scandals involving top government officials, a good example of which is the bribery case involving a China-based telecommunication firm (ZTE Corporation) and high-ranking government officials which further stained government integrity (BTI, 2009, p. 21). Institutions to Abolish Corruption The creation and maintenance of institutions purposely dedicated to the eradication of corruption is essential for the preservation of the rule of law as well as democratic institutions within countries. In Asia, institutions that are distinctively committed to the abolition of corruption are found in most countries of the region; however, the framework for which they base their operations has not been designed to attain their apparent purpose. Majority of the agencies have extremely restricted powers and work on diminutive budgetary allotments. These agencies frequently produce the idea of the existence of initiatives for the purging of corruption but in reality these are only shallow schemes as evidenced by the lack, and most of the times, total absence of genuine political will to produce effectual institutions that would eradicate corruption. In effect, with the absence of political will, only allegorical pronouncements are made about the purging of corruption while ruling regime s in fact want to continue with the corrupt practices intrinsic within the system. Basically, the desire of people and the will to effect change (who are the victims of corrupt practices) is strong, but unless people who have this so-called will to change can articulate such will in a vigorous manner and are prepared to topple down political leaders who wish to carry on with fraudulent practices, change for the better can never take place. Institutions purposely intended to eliminate corruption should have the following attributes (ALRC, 2010, pp. 10-11): Autonomy of mandate, powers and appointments- not solely for people who are at the helm but also for all workers giving administrative support; personnel must be given security of tenure if their independence in implementing constitutional functions is to be a reality, by creating stipulation in significant legislation that they are not likely to be removed from office other than for transgression and lack of decorum. In addition, constitutional safeguards are needed to make sure of the trustworthiness of the individuals signed up to hold public positions in these institutions, as well as to check their morality is intact. Sufficient budgetary allocations to perform researches and inquiries, hearings, deterrence efforts, education and trainings and all other related tasks necessary to attain effectiveness. A competent law enforcement component to fight corruption must incorporate an investigation wing with adequate training and resources. Accessibility for people to air out grievances through diverse methods and must have other divisions throughout the country. Accountability to parliament and responsibility through appropriate methods that have been crafted to thwart intrusions by the executive or any other branch of government. Designed within the scaffold of the rule of law and the UN Convention against Corruption Vigorous and credible programs and mechanisms are vital to combat corruption in the Philippines for three reasons: Through the media, business surveys and anti-corruption agencies, the Philippines is cited with increasing regularity as a nation where foreign and domestic investments are hampered because of corruption and whose competitive position is eroded because of its continued existence. Corruption incontrovertibly depletes existing resources for development, obstructs the right of entry to services for poor communities and destabilizes public confidence in the governments resolve and capability to serve the underprivileged. Corruption has surfaced as a critical global measure for allocating scarce development aid reserves. Strategies and Mechanisms Against Corruption The Philippines fight against corruption has lingered for decades. In this country, corruption is the offshoot of a culture of personalism in politics, a Presidential structure which gives the President an extensive range of powers and a fragile party-system incompetent in securing support through programmatic politics. Such arrangement places public policy-making in the hands of specific factions or elite circles that promote horse trading and spin fraudulent transaction within the system. It has led to institutionalization of corruption as it filters through all of the political system including official procedures and individual agencies (Balboa and Medalla, 2006, p. 12; Rocamora, 1997). A good number of self-regulating entities and activist groups have embarked on investigations and inquiries on Philippine corruption, with a common objective of upholding good governance, accountability and to aid in anti-corruption efforts (Pacoy, 2008, p. 55). However, several studies have revealed that it is not by chance why most government initiatives have been proven to be unsatisfactory and even fail in its attempts to fight corruption (Larmour and Wolanin, 2001). Quite a lot of factors pave the way and enable the culture of corruption to pervade which include the governance environment and lack of political within frail institutions (Varela, 1996). Among the most intense end results of corruption are: a) societal displacement triggered by warped economic growth, poverty and income inequity; b) crushed political trustworthiness and reliability and deflated bureaucracy; and c) jeopardized public order and safety (Larmour and Wolanin, 2001). Figure 1 Number of Anti-Corruption Programs Source: Hills Governance Center. TI-Philippines (2001), Directory of Institutions, Organizations Agencies Involved in Combating Corruption in the Philippines. Diverse initiatives have been carried out to combat corruption in the country. On the government side, these intercessions have been in the form of legal scaffolds, presidential pronouncements, proclamations and other regulations, anti-graft and corruption bodies like presidential committees, commissions, task forces and other committees and units created since the 1950s. In the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the legal framework against corruption has been provided in Article XI Section 1 which stipulates that, Public office is a public trust. Public officers and employees, must at all times, be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency; act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives. The abovementioned article equally affords an anti-graft court and an Ombudsman (Section 5). The anti-graft court is called the Sandiganbayan and the Office of the Ombdusman is also known as the Tanodbayan. The latter has the rank equivalent to that of a Constitutional Commission. Almost each regime has a flagship committee created to respond to corruption issues and address corruption-related cases in the country (Appendix-1). However, many of them, except for the Presidential Commission against Graft and Corruption (PCAGC) that was instituted in 1994, were short lived and were substituted by a new office or task force when the term of office of the Presidents end. Fundamentally, the Philippines is not lacking in efforts in curtailing corruption. Anti-corruption policies and measures have been put in place to tackle diverse types of corrupt activities and conduct in the government. In truth, observation has been made that there are just too many laws and regulatory mechanisms and they ended up overlapping with each other. However, if just a few of them will be implemented thoroughly, these laws are adequate and wide-ranging enough to put off fraudulent practices. Almost all government administrations designed anti-corruption efforts its catchphrases and in the same way created new offices to perform these undertakings in order to produce the impression that the new administration is strict and uncompromising in its anti-corruption initiatives. However, creation of such bodies only led to superfluous functions and depletion of government resources. While the Philippines has adequately fashioned the legal scaffold to respond to the issue and address its concomitant problems and correspondingly created the institutions tasked to combat corruption, perceptibly, effective implementation of these initiatives has been truly lacking. Absence of a steadfast leadership and political will has made vulnerable these efforts to curtail corruption. It appears that crooked politicians and government officials seemed to be very creative in their methods of circumventing the safeguards that have been in place and get away with it. Hence, it becomes imperative that policies targeted at thwarting acts of corruption and curtailing opportunities for corrupt activities must be at the core of every reform initiative. Weaknesses Failure Current initiatives/mechanisms to combat corruption practices and catch fraudulent officials have several limitations that eventually lead to their failure. Among these weaknesses are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ineffectual and sluggish implementation of anti-corruption laws à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Incapability and poor coordination between anti-corruption agencies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The low social awareness of and high tolerance for corruption à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lack of institutionalization of government-business-civil society collaboration à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lack of integrity and accountability in government-business transactions. In addition, most anti-corruption campaigns are hampered by logistical problems. The Office of the Ombudsman, the lead government body directed by the Philippine Constitution to combat corruption, only gets 0.065% of the total national budget. These logistical problems avert the hiring of competent staff to help guarantee the prompt and successful prosecution of corrupt public officials. On top of this issue on logistics, prosecution of public officials in the Philippines has not been very effective in putting off corruption because court procedures are so sluggish and wearisome. Currently, the prosecution of corrupt public officials is exemplified by a very low conviction rate, in fact, according to a former Ombudsman official, a high-ranking government official accused of graft and corruption has 94% chances of walking away (Marcelo, 2006, p. 37). In theory, the governments high-status lifestyle check is an excellent anti-corruption program, in practice, however, it has not been very efficient in unearthing irregularities and unlawful activities committed by many top-level officials. To this point, it has not been able to push many organizational insiders to report and provide evidence on the dubious standards of living and questionable sources of wealth of many public bureaucrats. The most important weaknesses of existing anti-corruption initiatives can be traced to derisory systems of putting into effect the code of transparency and accountability of those who hold public power. As it is, government dealings are still veiled in mystery, which increases the probability of abuse or misuse of power for personal gain. These anti-corruption initiatives also depend greatly on mechanisms or instruments external to the agencies being observed. To address these weaknesses in existing anti-corruption strategies, organizational insiders or people with reliable information must be persuaded to report shady practices that principally transpire in organizational settings. Prompting the silent majority to report corrupt practices will generate alternative cultures or behavior that will in due course eliminate individual and societal leniency for corruption. Strengthening Anti-Corruption Initiatives In the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (NEDA, 2004), the national government comes clean with the fact that corruption is a key obstruction to continued growth and development of the country and acknowledges that existing anti-corruption initiatives that include legislative actions and administrative measures to improve transparency and effectiveness of sanctions against corrupt behavior, have fallen short of expectations. The Office of the Ombudsman, the constitutional body tasked to curtail, if not totally eliminate, corruption, principally applies punitive and retributive procedures to in its anti-corruption approach. It also supports the employment of forceful imposition of administrative sanctions, swift investigations and prosecution of graft cases and responsive public assistance as instruments to fight corruption. Concentrated graft watch over the system of government, values formation, collaboration with other government agencies, and enhancements in systems and procedures are the other constituents of its anti-corruption strategy. However, taken as a whole, the existing anti-corruption initiatives, which include the then high-profile lifestyle checks of public officials and employees, continue to perform below expectations (MTPDP, 2004). Conclusion Corruption is actually a governance issue because it involves efficient implementation of institutions and the well-organized and competent management of society via its political, economic, social and judicial mechanisms. With the collapse or failure of these formal and informal institutions, laws and policies that guarantee accountability and transparency of the government become harder to put into operation. It can be gleaned then that ruling groups, at their will, can lessen accountability, either by lack of transparency or by affirming particular spheres of decision making off limits to inspection and intercession. Therefore, it is imperative that mechanisms aiming to reduce and curtain opportunities to dominate power are in place so that actions and activities that could undercut accountability are instantaneously forestalled and obstructed. Ex-ante or preventive strategies should also be the core element of reform. Furthermore, since this issue is associated with the quality of leaders the country has, it is important that the anti-corruption endeavor is focused on political reform and democratization. In the Philippines, one of the root causes of corruption is tremendous personalism in Philippine politics and the winner takes all system of elections. Policies that will neutralize this structure must be endorsed. Likewise, the anti-corruption approach must be highlighted by a committed leadership and proficient management to enable the execution of programs and make these programs and initiatives sustainable in the long run. Additionally, continued reengineering of the bureaucracy is also a great necessity, with reforms centered not only on attaining effectiveness and value, but also inculcating a culture of rules in the system. Lesson can be learned from Thai anti-corruption activist Pasuk Phongpaichit in curbing corruption. According to this activist, the control of corruption demands three strategies first, the formal machinery of monitoring officials and politicians needs to be drastically improved. There is a need for political will to implement this; second, this will can be generated by popular pressure. We cannot expect the bureaucrats and politicians who benefit from the political system to reform themselves; and third, the public must be educated to exert moral and political pressure to outlaw corruption. The mobilization of such public pressure depends on a clearer understanding of the modern concepts of public office and public service and a more widespread awareness of the social costs and political risks which corruption entails. Six years (after 2001) since Transparency International accentuated the principal role of government in anti-corruption initiatives and governance reforms, the same call for action is perceived by civil servants today and is slowly but surely pervading the consciousness of Filipino constituents leading to the implacable demand for civil service reforms, financial competence and authentic civil society participation. Since fighting corruption is everyones concern, forceful and potent crusades are needed aside from passionate advocacy. The initiatives to diminish hoaxes and corruption in the government service no longer sound as idealistic or impossible as they were decades ago as the Filipino youth and the masses are fully conscious to the bleak reality that as long as corruption is left uncheck, integrity in politics and in the civil service will remain tainted and while politics is tarnished with issues on procurement and fiscal integrity, the civil service is perceived to have been constrained with public service delivery. Moral profligacy is extensive because even those with the highest righteous objectives are influenced to part with their morals into the politics of corruption. The fight against corruption should be more focused on state capture instead of defining it as an agency problem. Right now the battleground should be shifted from small wars (principal-agent problem) to a grand war (grand corruption, state capture). The challenge lies in the evolution of strategies that are more creative and rigorous and because the challenges are greater the more energy is needed. Due to the fact that the Philippines are a soft state, the country only has few resources to do the battle. Therefore it makes sense to concentrate resources on strategies that would make a big difference and provide the impetus for changes along a broad front. Said in other words this would mean to do a lot for little instead of doing a little for a lot. Also, a shift should take place from personal (patronage) to impersonal exchange (rules that are enforced impartially). The country should come up with mechanism to develop constructs in which there are favorable incentives to impersonal transactions. Concluding one could argue that a good starting point is to devolve the power of discretion related through state capture, and to effectively reduce it by ensuring that big ticket items are out of reach of the few big payers who hold concentrated authority. The danger of course lies in the fact that this could lead to a decentralization of corruption. However, this would at least deal with a greater numbers of rent seekers which would restrict any one faction to a limited domain and prevents it from capturing regulations (Gonzalez et al., 2006, pp.41-42). Another matter of significance is that an enabling environment should must be created with incentives and disincentives for change because this is a critical factor in the choice and stepwise implementation of reform initiatives. And so as to obtain more insight into the problem of state capture, the political culture must be explored well to see how it works. Undertakings that are executed must be made sustainable because standalone endeavors are prone to be susceptible to state capture. Likewise, in order to prevent that new initiatives are blocked by inefficiencies at other levels, it is important that they transform into more comprehensive programs. Therefore, it is imperative that while helpful windows of opportunity may crop up, there is a need to focus on the long-term character of reform and to deal with existing expectations. To do this, actions that need to be embarked upon must be commenced with the necessary budget resources as well as capable and skillful manager to impl ement the targeted and programmatic anti-corruption campaign. This is the part where civil society can play a vital role in the process because business associations and NGOs can help identify and classify priorities and monitor outcomes. However, they cannot deploy the political will and resources of the state that are needed in the end to create transparent and accountable institutions. Serious anti-corruption campaigns cannot only be commanded from the outside but also need committed leadership from within, more specifically from the topmost levels of the state. While the initial pressure for reform can come from below, any effective program should be supported from the top. However, the downside is that any strategy that relies solely on high-level leadership will be vulnerable to the many uncertainties related to the political process. A convergence of strong players would make for a breakthrough performance against corruption. If leadership is broadly-based, this can make the difference in devising means for sustaining ends. Broadening the number of stakeholders in various sectors and support their partaking in decision-making can end policy biases while the decisions are made in all transparency, open to the scrutiny of the public. There is Hope If corruption is assumed to arise from greed and the discretionary powers of public officials, there is still fresh and enough hope for offering a vision of leadership and a strategic reform of the political and bureaucratic system; and that of the peoples mind-set concerning public office and public service. Let this be the battle cry of every Filipino. References ALRC. (2010). A consultation on corruption and counter-corruption across Asia. Article 2, 9, 1, pp. 1-80 Balboa, J. and Medalla, E.M. (2006). Anti-corruption and governance: the Philippine experience. Philippine Institute for Development Studies; Philippines APEC Study Center Network Bertelsmann Stiftung. (2009). BTI 2010 Philippines country report. Gutersloh: Bertelsmann Stiftung Gonzalez, T. et al., (2006). Anti-corruption in the Philippines: creating virtuous circles of integrity and accountability. The Development Academy of the Philippines, Centre for Governance Larmour, P. and Wolanin, N. (2001). Corruption and anti-corruption. Asia Pacific Press. Asia Pacific School of Economics and Management Australian Institute of Criminology Marcelo, S. (2006). Combating Corruption in the Philippines. ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific. Available:http://www.adb.org/Documents/Books/Controlling Corruption/chapter1.pdf 18 NEDA. (2004). Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (2004-2010). Manila: National Economic Development Authority Pacoy, E. P. (2008). Tracking anti-corruption initiatives: perceptions and experiences in the Philippines, JOAAG, 3, 1, p. 55 Sullivan, J.D. (2000). Anti-Corruption Initiatives from a Business View Point. Center for International Private Enterprise, US Chamber of Commerce USAID. (2005 March 17). Fighting corruption. Retrieved November 25, 2010 from www.usaid.gov/our_work/democracy_and_governance/technical_areas/anti-corruption/ Varela, A. (1996). Administrative culture and political change. College of Public Administration, University of the Philippines World Bank. (2001).Combating corruption in the Philippines: an update. Pasig City: World Bank Fighting Corruption to Improve Governance http://www.undp.org/governance/docsaccount/fighting_corruption_to_improve_governance.pdf UNDP/OECD Integrity Improvement Initiatives in Developing Countries http://magnet.undp.org/Docs/efa/corruption/Corrupti.htm

The Dark Side of Social Networking Essay -- facebook, twitter, sexting

There are many social networks that have created broad connections between people in the past years. Since the creation of Social Media, countless numbers of people have begun joining them due to their rising popularity and free cost of a download. These networks help create a virtual realm for users to be themselves or whoever they want to be at their discretion. Escaping all the troubles and heartaches that the real world has in store for you is only temporary until the next time you log on. The most common issue that is up for debate that you must continually ask yourself is â€Å"Is Social Networking a good or bad thing?† I think social networking is a negative influence on people. . I believe taking caution is necessary for people using social networks due to the negative ramifications that follow after long term usage of them. You can access Twitter, Facebook, and other social Medias at the touch of a finger. There are some positive influences that social networking has to offer; people can develop â€Å"life-long relationships† as well as becoming more cyber social which could possibly break the fear barrier for introverted individuals (Taylor). For others, it seems we have made social networking have higher importance in our everyday lives. We wake up in the morning and the first thing we do is check our Twitter or Facebook. Relying on these social networks to keep our lives balanced has become more of a nuisance than a solution to our social problems. The more we use these social media every day, the more we continue to render ourselves helpless to facing the harsh reality of the real world that we live in. Favored networks such as Facebook, allow you to build an easy web of friends and acquaintances, and share with them your pho... ...en-suicides-cyberbullying-102212/>. Capeless , David F. "Sexting." Berkshire District Attorney. N.p., 1 16 2014. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. . Borreli, Lizette. "Why Couples Engage In Unwanted Sexting: Half Of Men And Women 'Requisext' Because Of Abandonment Anxiety." Medical Daily. N.p., 1 2 2014. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. . Ngak, Chenda. "Facebook may cause stress, study says." CBS News. N.p., 11 27 2012. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. . Smith, Aaron. "Social Networks and Depression." Chicago Tribune. N.p., n. d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. .

Henry Cisneros :: essays research papers

Henry G. Cisneros was born on July 11, 1947 in San Antonio. He graduated from Texas A&M with a bachelors of arts and a masters of arts degree in Urban and Regional Planning. He also earned a Masters degree in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from George Washington University.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After serving two years in the United States army in 1968, he began his career in public service by working as an administrative assistant in the San Antonio City Manager’s office, working as an assistant to the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. Beginning in 1974, he taught public policy at the University of Texas-San Antonio. In 1975, Henry was elected to the San Antonio City Council. As a council member, he emphasized the economic development and cooperation between the city’s Hispanic and White residents.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He served on the City council until 1981, when he was elected to be the Mayor of San Antonio, which is the nations 10th largest city, thus, becoming the first Hispanic mayor of a major U.S. city. During the time Cisneros was Mayor from 1981 until 1989, he rebuilt the city’s economic stability by increasing tourism and creating jobs in downtown San Antonio, recruiting convention business, attracting high tech industries, and expanding housing opportunities. In 1985, he was elected president of the National League of Cities. And, in 1989, he became chairman of his newly organized â€Å"Cisneros Asset Management Company,† which was a financial management firm for tax-exempt institutions. During this time, he received two awards: the first was in 1982, when he was selected as one of the â€Å"Ten Outstanding Young Men of America.† The second was four years later in 1986, when City and State Magazine named him Outstanding Mayor. In addition to thes e two awards, he was awarded with Vista Magazine’s Hispanic Man of the Year Honor in 1991.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For three years after leaving his job as Mayor, Henry hosted â€Å"Texans,† which is a one hour television show that is produced quarterly in Texas, and â€Å"Adelante,† which is a national daily Spanish-language radio commentary.

Language and Literacy Essay

Language and Literacy what are they? How do they relate? How do we learn them? These are just a few questions one might ask them self when they contemplate the effect language and literacy have on learning. â€Å"Forms of language and literacy develop supportively and interactively. Children build on oral language knowledge and practices as they learn to read and write’ they develop key understandings about reading through writing, and they extend their writing range through reading† (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). This illustrates how at even the most basic level, language and literacy are interconnected from the very beginning. Therefore, in order to dissect each to see how children learn each, one needs to have a full understanding of both language and literacy apart from each other before one can fully understand how they work together. Language is first and foremost functional. It can be divided into two parts; written language and oral language. â€Å"Language is essential to learning, and ready, as a specialized form of language, is not only a basic skill, it is an indispensible tool for critical and creative thinking† (Braunger & Lewis 2005). There are many similarities between written and oral language, â€Å"Reading, writing, speaking and listening, at the deep levels of production and comprehension, are parallel manifestations of the same vital human function – the mind’s effort to create meaning’(Cambourne, 1988)† (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). For both written and oral language development, children go through a similar learning process; seeing/hearing, recognizing, awareness of the differences in what they are seeing/hearing, participation in speaking/writing (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). While there are many similarities, the two modes of language are different in many complex and interesting ways. These differences are due to such â€Å"pragmatic factors as psychological and physical distance from audience, function, amount of time people have to produce language, and degree of permanence (Chafe & Danielwicz, 1987; Olson 1977; Rubin, 1978; Tannen, 1982). The most salient difference is that the two require different kinds of knowledge that learners must acquire in order to operate with and on them† (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). Additional differences are that each mode requires specific knowledge that cannot be transferred to the other and also that â€Å"written language is doubly symbolic; readers and writers must become at least somewhat conscious of their knowledge of oral language, which isn’t necessary in speaking† (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). Another major difference between written and oral language is its accessibility. Oral language is very readily available through conversations, recordings, music, etc. whereas written language is much harder to come by since it has to be created and then made accessible for others (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). Aside from their similarities and differences listed above written and oral language make up the building blocks of literacy. â€Å"Literacy allows us to make connections between our own and others’ experiences; to inquire systematically into important matters; and to access, analyze and evaluate information and arguments. In short, literacy is key to success in school and beyond for effective participation in the workforce, the community, and the body politic† (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). Literacy occurs in stages with the primary development taking place during childhood and adolescents. During adolescents is when our literacy knowledgebase grows and deepens the most. Some of the key features in helping develop an adolescents literacy are; reading a wide variety of texts and genres, teacher modeling, cognitive collaboration, and assessment of strengths. However parents play the most important role in a child’s language and literacy development. It has been shown that the more involved families are in the literacy development of children, the more success the student will achieve (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). It has also been proven that children who have more language experiences such as, opportunities to talk, experiences with stories both oral and written, verbal interaction between adult and child during story readings, and opportunities to draw and write, fare better once they reach a school learning environment since they have had more exposure to the things they are learning in the classroom. This early preparation and learning is vital for building a student’s confidence which will affect all aspects of their schooling. (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). â€Å"The diversity of public schools today does not support a ‘one size fits all’ program of reading instruction† (Braunger & Lewis, 2005). In other words, we as educators need to ensure that the literacy programs we use are tailored to fit the needs and interests of our individual students if we want to ensure they develop their language and literacy skills to the fullest. ? References Jane Braunger & Jan Patricia Lewis, (2005). Building a Knowledge Base in Reading (2nd ed. )