Public sector reform in China

Introduction The public sector or rather known as the state sector is that part of the government that deals with provision of services to the public. Though the administration and type of services provided differs from country to country, the most common services provided through the public sector include; health care facilities, roads, street lighting, military and police just to mention but a few. In other words, the public sector is responsible for providing the public goods and services which all have access to despite whether they have paid tax or not.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Public sector reform in China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The public sector of any nation has an important role to play in the political, social and economic sectors. Thus most countries are yearning to establish a sizeable public sector and China is no exception. It is for this reason that China has been seeking to make reforms in its public sector for effective government of the national resources as well as other reasons. However, the process of making public reforms in the public sector of China has not been an easy one as it has been faced with many challenges and difficulties during implementation. This paper is therefore an analysis of the process of reforming China’s public sector while looking at the challenges and difficulties faced during the implementation process. The historical narrative of public sector reforms of China For a long time now, China’s government has ventured into the process making important reforms to the public sector in a bid to achieving good governance as well as improving the performance of services of the civil society. The process of China’s public sector reforms began as early as during the Second World War. During this time, Chine was dominated by capitalist who wanted everything for themselves. There came the Neo-liberals whose ide as were to blend in the liberal political views with the sole aim of improving the economic growth. This is therefore what initiated the beginning of making reforms in the public sector so as to ensure that resources were equally distributed to the nationalities. At the same time China was undergoing severe fiscal crisis which in turn affected the economy of the country thus the economic crisis. This came about due to the great Asian crises which were more serious than the current global crisis. This is because they had a great impact on the economies of Asian countries by for example increasing the unemployment levels in that continent among other factors. The crises also had a great impact on the education and health sectors of the Asian countries, China inclusive. Since government intervention was difficult, the crises affected the poor people in the society. As a result, the government of China saw the need of making reforms in its public sector so as to ensure some of the essen tial facilities were available to the society and especially to the poor people.Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition to this, China has been trying to quench its thirst for effective and efficient public sector. The government has been yearning to improve the performance of civil services as well as improving the services to the public through accountability. Despite the fact that in the recent past improvements has been made, serious changes are yet to be made on the key sectors and systems of the public sector (McMillan and Naughton 132). Another thing that influenced the need to make reforms in the public sector of China is the influence of neo-liberal ideas and consequential criticism of the Weberian based public administration. This emphasised on economic growth of china which could be effectively improved by the efficiency in the public sector. This was a two w ay, in that citizens who are happy with the government will be willing to work hard thus improving the economy growth. At the same time, reforms on the public sector would lead to cost benefit to the government thus contributing to the productivity hence economic growth of the country. Public reforms made in China Beyond the historical background of the public sector they are seen to have a very high degree of heterogeneity characterised by the following pre-reform regime (Burns 104). The public sector was neither a government department nor a state owned enterprise. It was fully owned and managed by the central government. This sector got its funds from the national budget which it used to finance all its projects. The activities of the public sector were to be conducted in accordance with the state plan The staffs of the public sector were to be controlled by the civil service personnel. The operations of the public sector were barred from the market operations. From the aforeme ntioned points, it is clearly seen that there was need for the reforms to be made on the public sector of China. Some of these reforms include; Decentralisation from central to local government This was among the initial reforms made to the public sector whereby the local government was bestowed the duty of managing and providing public services. This was meant to ensure efficiency in terms of transparency of the provision of the public goods and services unlike when under the management of central government. The breakdown of duties from the busy central government to the less occupied local government was a good move since the society benefited from the services provided equally while the government reduced the amount of resources that initially went to waste due to inefficiency.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Public sector reform in China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reduction of public services provided by the state As mentioned above, public goods and services are usually provided to the entire society and accessed by all despite whether they have paid taxes or not. The funds to provide these services are usually from the taxpayers’ money. Thus reducing the amount of public services to be provided by the state was a good move by China’s government as the money could be channelled towards other developmental projects. A good example was the withdrawal of free education while still providing essential services such as military and roads among others. Increasing the practise of local government of charging fees for basic services’ These services were initially free thus the government had to fund their provision. Therefore the decision to charging little fee on these services enabled the government to save while at the same time earning from the fee charged. This would therefore upgrade the economy of the country. Market sector implementation in EPZs Th e Export Processing Zones have the benefit of earning foreign exchange for the country as well as providing employment. Since provision of employment to the public is among the core functions of any public sector, China’s government plan to implement the export processing zones was one of the important reforms which benefited the society. De-collectivisation of the rural commune system The rural areas of any nation form part of the great contributors to the country’s economy. As part of its reforms in the public sector, China decided to de-collectivise the rural commune system such that it would control it towards efficiency of the whole system. These are just some of the reforms made on the public sector, however, the process is continuous with reforms being made each time there is a need for one. This is due to the rapid rate of globalization which calls for each and every government to be on the lookout before being beaten up by the global competition. Challenges Fa cing Public Sector Reforms The process of making reforms on the public sector has not been a bed of roses for the Chinese government as it has been forced to meet and overcome many challenges in the process line (Jincheng 5). To begin with is the problem of introducing the new public management service in the country. The new public management is among China’s reforms on the public sector which entails the transformation of the mode of governance in public departments.Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It therefore requires them to be market and enterprise oriented such that the process of administration is modernised in the country. The implementation of the new public management is a big challenge to the government of China given its difficulty in administration which is only best suited to the private products and the service demanded products that can be provided by the market. The other challenge that the Chinese government is facing as a result of the public reforms is that of protecting the civil servants from arbitrary removal. For a long time in China, the civil servants have been faced with arbitrary removal from their positions given the high rate of corruption. This is something very difficult to overcome despite the fact that the public sector reforms have catered for it. Therefore, for the public sector under the local government to protect the civil servants is a big challenge. The third challenge facing the government of China as a result of public sector reforms i s protecting their political neutrality. After the public sector reforms, the political environment in China is deemed to be neutral. This is a new development whose chances of achievement and survival are very minimal given the fact that the political environment was heterogeneous from time immemorial. This abrupt change is therefore bound to pose a great challenge to the public sector once the reforms are effectively implemented (Schiere 78). In addition to the above challenges, there is also the challenge of policing the set rules by an independent body from the government. Since the public sector is not able to pollicise all the rules on its own, it has to subcontract some of them to an independent body to help in the implementation and policing. This is a challenge as it will require financial resources from the government as well as some formal training on the processes. In some cases acquiring the right independent body is a challenge as well getting one that will efficiently pollicise the rules. Last but not least is the greatest challenge of the merit reforms of the public sector of China. The merit reform of China encompasses the merit pay systems of the public sector such as the health facilities, teachers in schools just to mention but a few. The aim of the merit system is to stimulate the enthusiasm of the workers in the public sector so that they can work efficiently and effectively. The government will face a big challenge in implementing the merit reforms as it will require supplementary funds which may not be available in the government. Therefore, the government will face the challenge of sourcing the additional funds which could be from the taxpayers or donors among others. How does it harm or benefit the Chinese citizens and government The process of reforming the public sector has both positive and negative impacts on the citizens and the government. The same case applies to China, whose reforms have resulted to benefits to the government and its citizens while at the same time causing draw-backs. If the objectives of the China reforms of the public sector are attained, then the citizens will enjoy many benefits among them being; Improved performance of the public sector- The public sector is enacted by the government to take care of the public needs. Therefore, if reforms are made regarding its governance, then it means that the Chinese citizens will have access to the essential public services such as the military at all times without instances of failure (Chen et al, 217). Accountability- This means that the funds allocated to the public sector will be well spent since the responsible officials are obliged to give an account of how the funds are spent. This will therefore reduce the cases fraudsters thus ensuring that the public services are available at all times in adequate levels. Improved Service Delivery- This was among the objectives of China’s reforms on public sector such that when achieved, the pub lic services and goods will be provided in the right way. That is to mean that the service delivery will be upgraded so that the citizens have access to them and in the correct form and quality. For example, the military will be well equipped with good ammunition to safeguard the citizens. Increased user satisfaction- After the reforms, the citizens will be satisfied with public services in accordance to their provision and efficiency of the system. This satisfaction will therefore increase the zeal of the citizens to pay taxes since they can effectively determine where their money goes to. For instance, if citizens lack services like street lighting, good infrastructure and poor military and police forces, they will not be motivated to pay taxes since their money is just being consumed by the government officials without serving the right purpose it is supposed to. The Chinese government will also benefit from the public sector reforms by first gaining trust from the citizens. Afte r the reforms, public services will be efficiently provided thus making the citizens gain a lot of trust in the responsible government since it will have efficiently managed their funds in addition to caring about the welfare of its citizens (Copenhagen 1). Other than this, the government will have an easier way of managing the public services since it will now be the duty of the local government and not the central government unlike before. This is due to the fact that the central government has a lot of operations to carry out as compared to the local government which additionally is closer to the citizens. Negative impacts of the public sector reforms It can be born witness that the reforms on the public sector have more benefits than harm on both the government and Chinese citizens. Nevertheless, the process of making the reforms is very costly to the government consuming a lot of financial and time resources. Other than this, the reforms require that the government be very effe ctive and efficient in the provision and management of the public services while taking care of the resources. This obligation poses a threat to the officials since they are accountable of any procedure and activity they carry out. As for the case of the Chinese citizens, the tax evaders will be disadvantaged as the government will be on the lookout for them so as to ensure uniformity of all citizens without oppressing other. Another demerit on the citizens is that some of the services that were initially free for them will be withdrawn making them pay for them. In other instances, they will be required to pay higher taxes so that the government can efficiently provide the public utilities to the citizens. The difficulties faced in implementation of new public sector and the possible solutions Just like most countries, China has the dream of being an all-round well off society by the year 2020. This vision is to be achieved only if the political and economical sectors of the country are up to date. This is to mean that the government should broaden their vision to think of sustainable human development instead of only concentrating on political issues. The government should also be prepared to overcoming disparities in the service delivery sector thus ensure transparency, efficiency as well as integrity. The process of achieving all these is not an easy one as there are very many difficulties that have to be overcome in order to ensure proper implementation of reforms in the public sector. The biggest difficulty that China is facing is how to ensure that the public services are adequately provided to the society. This is because the public good s and services are available to all regardless to whether they have paid taxes or not. It is therefore unfair for the tax evaders to enjoy services which they have not paid for yet their counterparts the tax payers have struggled to pay for them. This is what brings about the free-riding problem which is very difficult to overcome. Hence, the public sector has at times faced inadequate funds to cater for the provision of these essential services, thus posing a great threat for them. In other instances, the funds to provide the public service have landed in the wrong hands of fraudsters who embezzle the funds thus no services to the public (Broadman 852). Secondly is the problem on how to develop an efficient public sector one that will be characterised as a modern market economy as well as a â€Å"well-off† society. A modern economy is characterised by transparency in its dealings and effectiveness in service provision. This is difficult to achieve given the bureaucracy required in the provision of the public goods and services as well as the presence of tax defaulters. Therefore, to overcome these implementation difficulties and the many minor ones, the public sector reform should be enacted to begin with a vision which the sector should be entitled to look at and achieve. Thereafter a str ategy with implementation plans should be put in place so as to ensure efficiency in the public sector is achieved. Conclusion Given the above discussion on the public sector reform of China, it is evidenced that the decision by the Chinese government to make reforms on its public sector was a worth making decision. The historical factors that facilitated the need for reforms such as the economic and fiscal crisis, quest for efficiency and effectiveness in the public services, the post world war two neo-liberals as well as the influence of neo-liberal ideas and consequential criticism of the Weberian based public administration all have much contribution to China’ s current position. However, the road to achieving the reforms has not been an easy one for the Chinese government which has been faced with many challenges together the difficulties during implementation of the new public sector to the country. On the other hand, it has been seen that the new public sector after th e reforms has had both benefits and negative impacts on the citizens as well as the government. All in all the public reforms have changed the face of Chinese public sector thus contributing greatly to its economic growth. The question then remains, Are the reforms in the public sector permanent or prone to change? It can be argued that reforms are prone to change given the changes in globalisation and technology. Works Cited Broadman, H. The Business (es) of the Chinese State. 2001- World Economy. 24 (7). Pp.849-875. Burns, John. Public Sector reform and the state: The case of China. 2001. McGraw Hill publications. Chen, K, Jefferson, G, and Singh, I. â€Å"Lessons from China’s Economic Reform.† 1992- Journal of Comparative Economics, 16 (2). pp. 201-225. Copenhagen. â€Å"Globalization and Public Sector Reforms in India and China.† 2011. Web. Jincheng, Li. China’s Human Resources Development and Public Sector Reform  Facing Economic Globalization. 200 1. Web. McMillan, J. and Naughton, B. â€Å"How to Reform a Planned Economy: Lessons from China?†- 1992, Oxford Review of Economic Policy. 8 (1). Pp.130-143. Schiere, Richard. China’s Development Challenges. – 2009. Routledge Print. This research paper on Public sector reform in China was written and submitted by user Naomi Woodard to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy Essays (2933 words) - Kennedy Family

John Fitzgerald Kennedy Essays (2933 words) - Kennedy Family John Fitzgerald Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy 35th president of the United States, the youngest person ever to be elected president. He was also the first Roman Catholic president and the first president to be born in the 20th century. Kennedy was assassinated before he completed his third year as president. Therefore his achievements were limited. Nevertheless, his influence was worldwide, and his handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis may have prevented war. Young people especially liked him. No other president was so popular. He brought to the presidency an awareness of the cultural and historical traditions of the United States. Because Kennedy expressed the values of 20th-century America, his presidency was important beyond its political achievements. John Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was the second of nine children. Kennedy announced his candidacy early in 1960. By the time the Democratic National Convention opened in July, he had won seven primary victories. His most important had been in West Virginia, where he proved that a Roman Catholic could win in a predominantly Proteezt state. When the convention opened, it appeared that Kennedy's only serious challenge for the nomination would come from the Senate majority leader, Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas. However, Johnson was strong only among Southern delegates. Kennedy won the nomination on the first ballot and then persuaded Johnson to become his running mate. Two weeks later the Republicans nominated Vice President Richard Nixon for president and Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., who was ambassador to the United Nations and whom Kennedy had defeated for the Senate in 1952, for vice president. In the fast-paced campaign that followed, Kennedy made stops in 46 states and 273 cities and towns, while Nixon visited every state and 170 urban areas. Another important element of the campaign was the support Kennedy received from blacks in important Northern states, especially Illinois and Pennsylvania. They supported him in part because he and Robert Kennedy had tried to get the release of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. King, who had been jailed for taking part in a civil rights demonstration in Georgia, was released soon afterward. The election drew a record 69 million voters to the polls, but Kennedy won by only 113,000 votes. Kennedy was inaugurated on January 20, 1961. In his inaugural address he emphasized America's revolutionary heritage. 2"The same ? beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe," Kennedy said. 3"Let the word go forth from this time and place to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans?born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage?and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed and to which we are committed today at home and around the world." Kennedy challenged Americans to assume the burden of "defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger." The words of his address were, 4"Ask not what your country can do for you?ask what you can do for your country." Kennedy sought with considerable success to attract brilliant young people to government service. His hope was to bring new ideas and new methods into the executive branch. As a result many of his advisers were teachers and scholars. Among them were McGeorge Bundy and Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., both graduates of Harvard. Kennedy's most influential adviser was Theodore C. Sorenson, a member of Kennedy's staff since his days in the Senate. Sorenson wrote many of Kennedy's speeches and exerted a strong influence on Kennedy's development as a political liberal, 5 a person who believes that the government should directly help people to overcome poverty or social discrimination. The president and Mrs. Kennedy attempted to make the White House the cultural center of the nation. Writers, artists, poets, scientists, and musicians were frequent dinner guests. On one occasion the Kennedy's held a reception for all the American winners of the Nobel Prize, people who made outezding contributions to their field during the past year. At the party the president suggested that more talent and genius was at the White House that night than

Court Reporting. Write up two court reports, from the given material Essay

Court Reporting. Write up two court reports, from the given material each with a commentary - Essay Example While presenting the case, the prosecution reiterated that the girl had been found murdered in a field near Seaburn Metro Station over the weekend. She had five stubs in the stomach and medical reports presented in the court showed that she died from shock and internal bleeding. Before the body was discovered, the 14 year old girl had gone missing since Friday when she failed to return from school. A dog walker discovered the body of the girl lifeless in the field the following morning as police was already conducting a search. According to witnesses, the accused boy had squabbles with the dead girlfriend days before the incident. Detectives are still awaiting the test results of DNA samples collected from a knife used in the murder. The defendant’s lawyer, Doug Richardson asked the court to bail him out, citing the defendant had no previous criminal records. The court denied request for the bail given the weight of a murder charge. The defendant remains in police custody awai ting the next court hearing as the victim awaits burial next month. Commentary Whereas journalists have the responsibility to provide the community with accurate information of the happenings going on around them, there are legal responsibilities they have to consider when reporting events (Banks 2012, 02). Court proceedings are sensitive. While reporting the murder case involving the teenager, Paul Ross, the law requires that the name of the defendant be withheld. Whereas there is never any problem mentioning the name of the victim unless in a sexual assault or rape case, I chose to withhold the name of Monica Smith to protect identity of the accused. Additionally, the report does not detail the names of the parents of the accused and the victim for the same reason of protection of identity. This is particularly imperative given the fact that a defendant remains innocent until proved guilty in a legal procedure. In addition, the report fails to mention remarks reported in the court as having transpired before and after the incident. Before the murder, the defendant is reported to have states, â€Å"If I can’t have her, no one can.† Additionally, Ross is recorded to have broken down and confessed killing his girlfriend during police interrogation. He said, â€Å"I didn’t mean to kill her, just frighten her with the knife.† This report dodges these comments primarily to prevent a scenario that may show prejudice and bias. The journalist report fails to mention these statements as that would seem as though the journalist already has a formed opinion that Ross is guilty. It leaves the legal responsibility of determining innocence or guilt to the judiciary. Second Court Case The Newcastle Magistrates Court on Monday bailed out a revered Newcastle barrister after an awry â€Å"blind date† led to a lawsuit. The 33-year-old resident was charged with attempted rape of 19 year old Sunderland University Law student. The two were strang ers to each other until Friday night when they met at a popular nightclub in town. The young woman claimed that they did not know each other until that evening when the defendant bought her drinks and asked her out to smoke cigarette. She says it was at that moment that the defendant tries raping her, raised an alarm and escaped before calling the police. In his defense, the 33-year old Newcastle resident reiterated that they had mutual consent to spend the night in a hotel room next to the

Sentencing of People with Mental Disorders Essay

Sentencing of People with Mental Disorders - Essay Example It can also be defined as the authoritative decree of the punishment of a convicted person (Birmingham, 2002). Under this context, criminals or people who are found guilty of committing some crime have to face the consequences of their actions and the decision making is in the hands of an authoritative power which decides the penalties for the offenders. These decisions are made on the basis of a set of rules which are operating in the area where the crime has been committed. The rules and punishments are same for everyone irrespective of their color, caste or creed, but there are some special circumstances where these rules have to be tweaked. Same is the case with the people who are not mentally fit; their sentencing differs from criminals of normal medical conditions. Mental Disorders: A disorder can be termed as functional abnormality. Mental disorders comprise of a wide range of derangements in behavioral or psychological functions. These are mainly a combination of abnormal tho ughts, emotions, and relationships with others. This psychological instability and disruption in the equilibrium of motions is often reflected in the behavior of the affected individual. The set of laws and the law enforcement agencies work in different ways all over the world; the decision and punishment of mentally disabled criminals basically depends on the local area where they have been convicted. The Effect of the Selected Sentencing Policy on All Involved Stakeholders: No matter what laws regarding mentally disordered convicts is operational in certain areas, the decisions taken and the results of the sentence always affect the stakeholders one way or the other. Stakeholders: A stakeholder can be an individual or a group of people as well. A stakeholder is a party that is affected by or can affect the actions of the project at hand. In law enforcement, the stakeholders can be: Judiciary Probation and parole services Social service organizations Mental hospitals and treatment facilities Community etc. Even though according to The Task Force, created by the American Bar Association a person should not be sentenced to death or executed if at the time of the offense he/she was suffering from a mental disorder or was mentally challenged in a such a serious way that reflects in his/her behavioral and social adaptive skills. Even after these rules have been set, they are not applicable to all circumstances and some counties and their legal systems do not implement upon them. Furthermore the second rule of The Task Force states that offenders should not be executed or sentenced to death of at the time of the offense they had no awareness of the nature of the crime and the consequences associated with it. If they are mentally impaired and cannot exercise rational judgment or do not have any idea about the lawful actions that might be taken as a result of the crime, then in all these cases the guilty person should not be executed or sentenced to death as s/he is mentally challenged (Tabak, 2006). Criminals with mental disorders are released after a small period of incarceration. The period of incarceration depends upon the severity of the mental disorder and the nature of the crime. After that period, such people are often shifted to community centers, mental hospitals, or other treatment facilit

Importance Of Sociology As A Field Of Study Essay Example for Free

Importance Of Sociology As A Field Of Study Essay Sociology as a field of study attempts to explain the relationship between an individual and society. Sociological theories are a tool used to explain sociological problems and social structures. (Blumer, 1969) Societies can be viewed as organic structures. This was first explained by Parsons and Durkheim as they developed structural theories. These theories can be applied in education i. e. how students view education. Societies can also be viewed as economic structures. Under this concept, falls the conflict theory developed by Carl Marx. Marx looked at a number of theories that attempt to explain how people’s lives are shaped by social structures. Other theories that share a similar perspective are the functionalist theories. Societies can also be looked as social action. This implies that society shapes how people view themselves. In line with this perspective, sociologists came up with the idea of symbolic interactionism. There are also other ideas that go hand in hand with this idea i. e. GH mead. Lastly, one must apply all the sociological theories stated above and many others that have not been mentioned. For example one can consider Medicalisation of society’s problems. This can be explained by a number of sociological theories like: Marx’s theories, interactionist theories and Durkheiman’ theories. Importance of sociology as a field of study Conflict theory Sociology assists in explaining social change. It helps us to understand what the role of the individual is in changing society. This is best explained by the Conflict theory. This theory does not have only one name connoted to it although the founder of the theory was Karl Marx. There are various regions in the world where sociologists elaborated on this theory. Some of these sociologists are; †¢ Ralf Dahrendorf – Germany †¢ Ludwig Gumpolvicz – Germany †¢ Lewis Coser and Collins – USA †¢ Max Gluchman and Rex – UK (Garfinkel, 1967) The conflict theory’s main idea is that there exists a constant struggle in society and every entity in society is trying to make the most of their reimbursement consequently bringing about social change. This change can come in form of revolutions or it may be political. It focuses on coercion by groups and individuals to alter or control others’ actions. The theory helps us to understand why ideologies like socialism and capitalism. There is a constant struggle within society for paybacks. This theory can be viewed from two angles. The first angle is a radical one; society will forever in conflict while the second angle is that conflict combines with struggle to make up society. This moderate angle is best explained by the functionalism. The latter mentioned theory postulates that every member of society has a specific role to play. Conflict theory can best be perceived as a pyramid. Influential people are at the top and they impose their will upon less powerful people who happen to be the majority. This implies that people in power are taken to be superior and they are the ones responsible for modern day laws, institutions and traditions. This theory can be stretched to explain how morality or deviance is defined. The powerful individuals in society label deeds or actions as immoral if those actions challenge their influence and power. Conflict theory also attempts to explain stratification in society but from an individualistic point of view. It looks at individuals needs instead of society’s needs as a whole. Every individual tries to struggle for respect, goods and services as well as power; these e all very scarce. In this light therefore, individuals belong to organisations that represent their own interests. The theory views organisations as entities that are mostly influenced by external rather than internal factors. (Goffman, 1958) In the theory, there are a number of conflicts that fall under. These include; †¢ Class †¢ Race and ethnicity †¢ Gender †¢ Religion Marx believed that class conflict was caused by differential ownership of property. However, this theory was later challenged by other sociologists who believed that there is more to class than property ownership. These sociologists believe that this is only one aspect. Racial conflict has its root cause in differential power. According to the theory, superior races are those one who are well endowed with power, prestige and education. There are four basic assumptions in this theory. The first is that there is inequality in society’s structures, secondly there is revolution as a result of struggle between a numbers of social classes, thirdly there is competition for resources and lastly war exists to unify or divide society. Conflict can take the form of a strike where workers struggle to gain back control after it has been taken from them by their employers. Another form of a conflict could be through wars. Wars usually represent clashes between social classes. Taking the case of military coups, this is an example of a conflict between the main population and the military. (Durkheim, 1915) Ethnomethodology Ethnomethodology is the study of how people interpret their social world. This theory has its history back in the mid twentieth century and was founded by Garfinkel who was an American sociologist. The theory is quite different form other well known theories. This theory is founded on the fact that there is no order in society; society is chaotic or has the potential to be chaotic. According to the theory, any semblance of order is created by the minds of actors within society it simply does not exist. This is in sharp contrast to other well known theories. Social order may be defined as the systematic pattern of behaviour within society. It opposes the fact that actions are not thought out and are simply haphazard. Ethnomethodologists believe that individuals encounter several experiences in their lives. These individuals try to make sense of these encounters by placing them into a form of organised system. They believe in a documentary method. Here, individuals simply pick out certain events within a social situation and try to make sense of them. After they have organised those events into a pattern, then they use that pattern as a template to explain other situations that may arise. Garnfinkel used an experiment to demonstrate this theory. He got a number of students and instructed them to ask a supervisor about a number of issues on their mind. The students could not see the advisor but could talk to him. They asked him a number of questions and this advisor could only say yes or no. What the students did not know was the advisor was reading out a list of responses that did not match their questions in any way. It was found that most of the responses did not make logical sense but most of the students tried to interpret them nonetheless. They did not question the integrity of the advisor but they tried to compare past responses with present ones in order to come up with an orderly pattern. For example one of the students thought that he should quit school and asked the advisor this. The advisor told him ‘no’ and out of disbelief the student repeated this same question after which the advisor said ‘yes’. It was found that this particular student did not dismiss the advisor but tried to make sense of the situation. According to the theory, the students were trying to form sense out of senselessness. They were trying to turn chaos into order. Garfinkel introduces the idea of indexicality. This means that human beings have a tendency to index things that occur to them i. e. they always try to put things within a certain social context. They must relate it to other things that have occurred to them before or during a particular scene. For example, the interaction that took place between the students and the advisor followed a certain path because the students held the advisor in high esteem. This implies that if the student could see what was happening with the advisor behind the screen that had covered him, or if their classmates asked answered their questions, then their reactions would have been totally different. This is because the students would simply have formed another documentary. People who adhere to this theory believe that all human beings have preconceived notions about their daily lives. This means that if a sudden change was brought into someone’s life their reactions are quite different. This is justified by the fact that it would be very chaotic if we looked at things differently at all times. We must become familiar with some aspects of our lives so as to be able to Symbolic interactionism This theory has its history in the late nineteenth century. It was pioneered by a sociologist from Germany called Marx Weber. The theory is best known for its subjectivity rather than its objectivity. Interactionists focus on individuals rather than on society as a whole. They perceive human beings as creatures whose behaviours are reactive or subject to the approval of others. This is because all actions, according to them, are like symbolic actions which are interpreted differently according to one’s perspective. This theory also looks at human beings as symbolic objects who can think and react to situations. This means that individuals within a society are active participants of their society. They determine what happens to them. Sociologists adhering to this theory believe that we are not passive entities who must mould themselves to society’s rules and standards. This theory focuses on external issues and simple interactions. It cannot be used to interpret deeper social settings like capitalism. It is also quite crucial to note that this theory perceives society’s norms as transient and constantly changing. Stability and order in society is determined by negotiations. The systems themselves are not stable but the means by which these systems in society are created is stable. (Merton, 1968) The theory therefore points one on the direction of roles played by people in society. The theory places importance in role making and role taking. This means that individuals must put themselves in a certain perspective in order to understand another person’s point of view. Studies on interactionism are therefore done through active role taking. This is because they believe that one must interact thoroughly with another party in order to understand the reason why they made their decision. However critics have claimed that the theory is too narrow and cannot be applied to macro situations. It has also been criticised for its impressionism during research methods. (George, 1964) Functionalism The theory was pioneered by a French sociologist called Emile Durkheim back in the mid to late nineteenth century. This theory compares the individual with his/her society and also scientific method of analysing society. This implies that one can be able to study the social world using observation and analysis. It also assumes that studies of society can be done freely and without any bias. Another crucial aspect of the theory is the organic aspect of society. It compares society to an organism. That there are various parts of the body that each has their own function. This is analogous to society and its members. It is also important to note the homeostatic nature of interactions. This theory looks at society as a system that must remain in equilibrium. Any deviation from this is corrected by a number of mechanisms like gossip or even imprisonment depending on the scenario. Conclusion Interactionists believe that social order is continuously remade as people interact. Social order is not static and changes with time. Functionalists believe that order within society exists as a result of an agreement between members of society. That is collective behavioural patterns that are regarded as the norm in society. Again, the theory strongly affirms that social order does exist. Marxists believe that social order is created from a struggle to gain control of limited resources while ethnomethodologists mould situations to fit into a certain behavioural pattern. All these theories attempt to explain why human beings behave the way the do either as individuals or as a group on a macro scale. This is the essence of sociology.

Using Caffeine is a Sin Against God :: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Using Caffeine is a Sin Against God One of the most widely misunderstood commandments in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Word of Wisdom.   The question that seems to trouble many members of the church is whether or not caffeine is part of the Word of Wisdom.   In this paper, we will find that as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we cannot drink caffeinated beverages and say that we keep the Word of Wisdom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   President Hinckley asked and answered a question in General Conference on October 4th of 1997. "Are we moving to mainstream America as some observers believe? In this, I fear we are." The comment came due to the increasing amount of shopping that is being done on sundays in LDS communities, and the increasing amount of disobedience to the Word of Wisdom. His tone was one of concern and love.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We have a great responsibility to be an example of virtuous thought and deed. We have been blessed exceedingly with knowledge, that combined with wisdom will give us understanding. Why then, as a whole, do we seem to be regressing and becoming more like the world, as our Prophet has stated, instead of like the savior of all mankind, even Jesus Christ.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We have been counseled heretofore by prophets of old, "to seek learning, even by study, and by faith". We have an obligation to search the scriptures and to learn what the Lord is teaching us and warning us of. We must go forward with faith, and not backward. We must come unto the Lord, and not expect the Lord to come unto us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Of   the many dangers in this world, the greatest danger that we have is an uninformed citizenry. Being informed is an obligation that each of us has to ourselves. Brigham Young said that "Education is the ability to think clearly, to act well in the days work, and to appreciate life".   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By this definition, and after knowing the effects of caffeine upon the human body, I have come to the conclusion that drinking caffeine is a sign of a lack of respect for oneself, and of an unappreciative attitude toward the life that each of us has been blessed with. Furthermore, it shows of either our inability, or unwillingness to learn to think clearly.

Barilla Spa (A) Case Study Essay

Executive Summary Sales representatives at the Barilla SpA, world’s largest pasta producer, are seeing customers changing due to long re-order lead-time and frequent stock-outs. Even with a high inventory levels, Barilla is still not able to cope with the fluctuating demand. The fluctuation in demand is seen as the bullwhip effect that is caused by sales strategies that have been put into place that is very product focused. This causes excessive demand from week to week depending on the product that the promotion or incentive is been aimed towards. There is also a lack of data sharing and poor communication throughout the whole supply chain which does not bring visibility for production forecast. With the Just-in-Time Distribution (JITD) that was brought in from the logistics manager, neither internally nor externally is supporting the new system. With the lack of understanding of the new system and the positive results it will bring, it will be hard to convince buy-ins from different angles. The initiative should be tested first from Barilla’s own facilities and prove out the methods and be able to visualize the improvements to the rest of its supply chain. During the implementation and test phase, there should be dedicated teams which monitor the data and metrics coming from the new system. Daily meetings should be held to discuss issues and resolve them as quickly as possible. As inventory levels drop, issues with the distribution system will arise which provides a priority of issues to resolve. Once the system has been proven, the results will be the biggest selling points to have the implementation through the whole supply chain and for everyone to understand its benefits. Issues Identification Barilla is experiencing issues to meet their fluctuating demand from the distribution centers even when carrying additional inventory throughout the supply chain. Brando Vitali has came with a proposal of a Just-in-time Distribution (JITD) but neither the sales team in Barilla or the buyers at the distribution centers are agreeing with the approach. At the same time, these teams are already noticing that our customers are leaving due to the lack of servicing we are able to provide. Distribution centers were asked to carry more inventories to prevent occurrences of stock outs but the suggestion was not accepted. In return, they issued a complaint regarding the number of SKUs Barilla has which makes it impossible to manage and the long manufacturing lead-time due to the tight heat and humidity specifications. Environmental and Root Cause Analysis Fluctuating Demand: The fluctuation in demand is caused by a combination of reasons. The trade promotions and volume discounts that Barilla uses as sales strategies are one of the biggest influences. There were also no limits to the quantities that the distributors are allowed to order per each â€Å"canvass† period. The incentive program for Barilla’s sales representatives is also causing inconsistency to the demand; they would be pushing for the SKU’s that would bring them a higher incentive. Barilla is also experience a growth in their export market; it was expected to reach 20-25% per year. With this increasing growth, Barilla does not have any sophisticated forecasting technique that would prepare them to meet the demand. There is a minimal visibility for Barilla to see where the volatility is in the demand is coming from. This is creating the Bullwhip Effect throughout their whole supply chain. The poor communication and cooperation between retailers, distribution centers and manufacturer is the reason that they all are maintaining higher inventory than required. Resistance to Changes: There were many resistances to this new initiative when it was being brought up internally and externally. When there is a lack of understanding of the results that a new initiative will bring, there will always be resistance to change. Sales team fears that that they would see a reduction of responsibilities and distribution centers were defensive when they misinterpret the approach as saying they don’t know what they are doing. Alternative and/or Options Alternative #1 – Continue to promote the Just-in-time Distribution (JITD) initiative To be able to eliminate the Bullwhip Effect, there must be an increase in visibility through the whole supply chain. With better communication and an understanding and trust between vendors, it will eliminate the volatility in demand. This will improve the service levels from distributors to retailers and at the same time reduce the inventory carrying cost. With the visibility, it will better Barilla to forecast their demand and improve their production planning process. While achieving this, it will reduce their manufacturing cost and their inventory cycle. Alternative #2 – Eliminate product focus sales strategies Instead of promoting particular products in each canvass period that will cause excessive demand, Barilla should maintain a constant competitive pricing through the year. Barilla should also eliminate their product-focus incentive policy for their sales representative and create incentive programs that will not allow them to focus on a particular SKU. Recommendations and Implementation Barilla should continue to promote the Just-in-Time Distribution initiative. As this is a new concept for the distributors and retailers, Barilla should prove out this initiative at their own facility. With the results, they can then have bigger bargaining power to promote this idea to its whole supply chain. As for anything else to be successful in a company, it is important for top management to be actively involved. Employees need to be aware of the importance of this project in order for it to be successful and for them to understand positive results it will bring to the company. During the implementation, there would be decrease in inventory levels. Before, the inventory levels were used as a buffer to hide the problems that prevents us from working with a lower inventory level. As we decrease the inventory levels, the problems will arise and it will identify for us what issues we need to resolve as a priority. If the problem requires a longer time to resolve, then the inventory levels can be raise to prevent affecting customers from stock-outs. Then the focus would be to resolve the issue and the inventory levels can be lowered again. With this approach, it will help prioritize the issues that need to be address and which ones will help lower our inventory levels. Monitor and Control To monitor the affects of this initiative, there are a few key performance indicators that need to be set-up. Stock Out Rate – This will immediately show the trend with the current system and be able to visualize that JITD will increase service levels. Inventory Levels – Visualize inventory levels at all firms to demonstrate the win-win scenario that this initiative will bring. Re-order Lead-time – To show with the increase communication, it helps for manufacturers to respond faster There should be daily meetings held with the key departments to ensure that the information is communicated in an effective manner. The meeting should be held at the same time in the same form to create a drum-beat system that will create a habit for the stakeholders to inform of any issues that they have encounter and to gather as a group to resolve.