Business Interactions with Nations - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 17 Words: 4991 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? In order to do the international business, there are many dimensions that we need to concern to avoid the following risk; commercial, currency, country, and cross-culture. Each dimension has an impact on the business both direct and indirect way. Among these dimensions, the most importance thing is the culture especially for the insurance business like us, because the typical style of insurance is directly deal with people. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Business Interactions with Nations" essay for you Create order Each one might have their own personality which is different even inside one country. International business means that you need to deal with people from different countries, different nationalities, and different languages. This is the most challenging things for us, who never have any experiences abroad, to awareness. Culture relates to a system of shared assumptions, believes, and values that guide people. It appears in term of behaviors, statements, and material items. It can be transmitted from generation to generation which may adapt overtime. There are many people define the definitions of culture, for example Hofstede, the Dutch anthropologist, states culture as the collective mental programming of people. There is no right or wrong in culture, different nationalities have difference cultures. Some of them are normally do in this culture, but not in the other culture. For example in Thai, we always greeting by Wai, but the western always greeting by shaking hand. Cultur e is not about individual behavior. Only one person does, we do not call as culture. Culture is a groups, that people shared values and meaning as in the society, country, nationality. Furthermore culture cannot inherit; people realized from the social environment. We can be perceived the culture by recognize the behavior from our parents or family. We can also learn the rules and behavioral patterns in the society or adapt to a culture by our own experience. To learn the culture is not easy, there is a research compare culture as an iceberg. Above the surface, the certain characteristic are visible, we easily recognize them. Below the surface is massive base of assumptions, attitudes, and values that influence decision making, conflict, relationships, etc. We have to spend more time to recognize it because these things you need to perceived them by your own feeling. All of these dimensions have an impact on doing international business in every process. Firstly, when you decided to expand your business, you have to know your customer well, what they want and need, in order to serve them the right products and services. You have to communicate your objective to the foreign business partner. In this process is really importance, because if you miscommunication, it will be risk that you can lose your business partner. To start up the international business, the local partner is crucial, because we are not familiar with their culture. We need someone, who familiar to the market, help us to expand our business in that country. Next step is screening and selecting the business partners. Everyone want to do the business with the best partners, if conditions not agree by all, we need to negotiate. Challenging in doing the international business is to deal with the people from different countries and different cultures. We have to know and prepare ourselves before get into the international market. You have to keep in mind that even in the same country but diffe rent location, their culture or traditional might not similar. From the Edward T.Hall, a researcher, classified two classic dimensions of culture which are high- and low-context culture. The context refers to the situation, or environment that connected to an event, a situation, or an individual. A high-context culture stresses on the physical aspects, the closer relationship, and the more high-context communication. This is an indirect way of communication, maintaining of harmony, and careful not to embarrass or offend others. In the other hand the low-context is much stress on spoken words, open, direct, and base on the true feeling. Mostly European and North American are low-context culture, but the Eastern Asia has a high-context culture. High Context Cultures Japan Arab Countries Greece Spain Italy England France North America Scandinavian Countries German-speaking Countries Low Context Cultures Source: Hall, E. and M. Hall (1990) Understanding Cultural Differences Another famous natural cultural classification is the Hofstedes cultural classification. He explained about the national and regional cultural which has an impact on the behavior in societies. He classified characteristics into five dimensions; Individualism-collectivism, Power distance, Uncertainty avoidance, Masculinity-femininity, and Long-term and short-term orientation. In each type of culture dimension has an affect tour business so it is very importance for us to know and understand the people in each type very well. We can also classify our customers in each country and adapt our business to suit to the culture in that country. The first group is individualism and collectivism. Individualism is the characteristics of person that tends to focus on his/her own self-interest, in contrast with the collectivism. In collectivism, group is very importance. They normally compromise and conformity in ord er to maintain group harmony. Asian country mostly have high rate of collectivism, so doing the business with Asians need to consider in this point. For the insurance business, you need to notice that not only one person can desired to sign a contact with us. The insurance packages that cover in group or all family members may be a good choice in Asia, but you cannot use the same strategy in Europe or America. Because in Europe or America has very high individualism rate. The second group is power distance. Society with a high power distance has a wide gap between powerful and weak. There is relatively different in equalities. For example, in the high-power distance team, the leader has a strong influence over their members, which have a low level of autonomy. The low-power distance means minimal in gap. This kind of cultural, everyone in society seems to equal, not much differences between managers and employees. The United States scores relatively low on power distance. The third group is uncertainty avoidance. This group is directly affects to our business, insurance business. The high uncertainty avoidance, people are tried to minimize the risk and ensure the security. The insurance business created for transferring and reducing the risk of loss, which directly receive from one entity to the others, by exchanging for payment. Insurance is one form of a risk management. Every company must have to plan for risk, to prevent their company from loss or bankrupt. Also with the person, especially in the countries which has high uncertainty avoidance, the society cannot accept in something that risky. In order to minimize or reduce level of uncertainty, these countries have adopted and implemented strict rules, laws, regulations, and policies. So, these countries should be our target group. When the characteristic of society tend to avoid the risk, they absolutely find something to guarantee that they will not loss or reduce their risk of loss. The more unce rtainty avoidance, the more security they want. In the other hand, the low uncertainty avoidance, people in the societies can be accepted to uncertainty. They can make decisions quickly because they like to take a risk; the risky choice always comes up with the huge interests. The forth group is masculine and feminine culture. The masculine is the characteristics that have more competition, ambition, and accumulation of wealth. The masculinity express as self-confidence, and leadership in the business. The feminine is more concern and care for the poor people, nurturing roles, and interdependence among people. Doing the insurance business is partly dealing with the feminine culture. The fifth one is long-term and short-term orientation. The long-term orientation is the characteristic that people tends to take a long view of planning and living, which traditional of Asian culture. Moreover they also try to follow the plan for easily to solve the problem, if there is something w rong. When we have a plan, we will know the exactly way that we have to go and the possibility result. If the result is not good as we expected, we have to re-check the plan. The short-term is the opposite side to long-term, they always no plan or have a plan in very short period. Culture in my opinion it not just only the norms, believes, or behaviors, in addition I think that custom, religion, even the language also effect on the business. In the Islam societies, the religion is really importance. It is the root of laws, regulations, economics and politics. Religion has the most powerful influence on the society. Language is essential of communications. This is a great asset in international business because it facilitates cross-cultural understanding. If we missed in communication, the business goal might not be achieved. There are two types of language, which are the verbal and non-verbal language. The verbal language is the general speaking language. It is difference in each country. The same word in difference in language can represent the difference meaning. In the international business they normally use English as the middle language to avoid misunderstand. The non-verbal language or body-language is the language that represent via the behavior not wording, for example eye contact, movement. I think this is more difficult than verbal language, because it does not have in the lesson. They need to study by themselves from their past experiences. In my opinion, to get into the global market is not difficult, if we prepare ourselves well. These memo try to explain to you about how importance of the culture. I think that before expand the business into international market; our company has to study more about culture. It some countries, they believe or behave in the difference way. For example, if you point a finger to somebody, it means that you are very rude and they would not accept you. If we does not notice about this, our business might not be successes in that country. Hopefully this information might be useful for our company expanding our business into the international market. If you have any question or want some more information, please do not hesitate to tell me - Case 2 : What should be the principal features of improving methodology for picking countries? Answer: The screening and selecting countries is essential step for the firms to expand their business. According to the list of countries that the boss believes hold the greatest potential for international sales, he used the per capita income as an analysis indicators. In my opinion, I thought that it not always true that the high income country will buy the luxury car. I might be the possibility that the high income country will have more potential to support the very high price of luxury car, but it also has some possibility that these countries not interested in this kind of automobiles. Nowadays, there are many countries tend to concern more on the environmental because of the threated of green-house effect. They trend to use the eco automobiles, the save energy and environmental friendly automobiles. It has an impact directly to our company if we selected the wrong target, be cause we sell our product to the customers who do not want to buy. So the result is that no one will buy our products. Therefore, to successful expand the sell into foreign market company needs to concern on more than one dimension. However, the purchasing power still has to be concern because our products are the luxury automobiles. To sell luxury automobiles in the country that does not have enough money to support, it might be no one buys them too. The economics of the country is still being an important factor for our company. They are four main factors that company needs to focus on the international business; economics, culture, legal and political, and commercial. From the bosss list countries, it seems that boss concern on only economic side. I think that per capita income is the interesting indicators for our business as the boss did. But he forgot the crucial factor which is purchasing power parity. He should use the purchasing power parity exchange rates, rather tha n market exchange rate. The different thing is that purchasing power parity (PPP) provides a more realistic indictor of purchasing power of consumers. PPP states that exchange rate between two countrys currencies are balance when their purchasing power is the same in each country. For example, if the value of Baht falls by half when compared to Euro, the GDP measured in Euros also fall half. In fact, it does not mean that Thailand is poorer by a half. The PPP is the very useful in the countries which have a powerful government control over their economics because these countries, the government will hide the information that represent the bad image for their country and demonstrate only the good image or they might be some transaction that not recorded in the government list. We can call as informal economy, the unrecorded economic transaction and left out of government calculation. Moreover using GDP, a representation of income distribution does not accurately because of multiple w age earners. There is another interesting concept, which similar to PPP is the Big Mac Index, developed by Economist. This concept states that exchange rates should adjust to equal the price of basket of goods and services around the world. It comes from the hamburgers at McDonalds, which the price of Big Mac, kind of hamburger, is the same in all around the world. I think that this principle will be more efficiency methodology for our business, in order to measure the economics of the country. It might be more accurately and reasonably measurement. Investment type is one thing that need to concern. If the company selected countries for sourcing, the company would search for countries that have available materials. The exporting firm should selected countries with low tariff barrier, and steady demand. If the company searches for FDI, the company has to search for countries that have long-term growth and the potential for export. We can classify countries based on the economic de velopment into three types; Advanced economics, Developing economies, Emerging Market economies. The Advanced economies or Developed countries are described the post-industrial countries which has a high per capita income (GDP), high competitive in industries, high- developed commercial infrastructure, and high rating of Human Development Index (HDI). The last criterion is the most recently index, which combines an economic measure, national income, with other measures. This is an index that life expectancy and education. The Developing economics are low-income countries with limited or low levels of well-being, industrialization, and low developing rate. The Emerging market economies are partly of the former developing economies that achieved substantial industrialization, improved in standard of living, modernization, and growing in economic. These countries are improving to become an advance economic. The Emerging markets are interested by investors, because of fast growing econo mic. Among the three criteria the Emerging market countries is the most interesting and attractive countries as target markets, according to the growing of middle class, which represent demand for many industrials such as electronics, health care service, and automobiles. There is the report indicated that the largest emerging markets have doubled their share of world imports in the last few years. Moreover, in the emerging market countries, the governments and state enterprises are very big target for sale of infrastructure and related products, machinery, transportation equipment, high-technology products, etc., because of they are trying to improve and level up their countries. The high in return always come up with high risk, so the investments in emerging market is risky due to problems, such as political instability, limited equity opportunities, and currency volatility. In the culture dimension, some companies are selected country that has culture similar to their home country, such as language, religion, etc., in order to get into the market easily. If they selected these countries they do not have to spend more time to study and get used to this kind of culture. To be successful in business, the firms need to understand their target group. The basic step for starting the business in the countries which is not familiar is starting with the gate way countries or regional hubs which are the entry points to nearby markets. The political and legal in country are the conditions that investors cannot overlook. The stability of political system effects on company operations and profitability. In some countries, government has an influence on the economics of the country. So, the economics of that country depends on the government. The government can both incentive and protect their country from the foreign investment by law and regulation, tax barrier, etc. Our company has to study political system in the interested country before. The political syst em can be characterized into four types; Totalitarianism, Socialism, Democracy, and Mixed (strong private sector and strong public sector). All of these systems are directly related to economic, for example the totalitarianism is related with command economics, socialism with mixed economics, and the democracy links to freedom economic. Among of these economic systems the economic freedom is the most interesting, because of freedom and fair in right, our business will not intervene inequalities. They are many methodologies to analyze countries, but in this case I would like to suggest the PEST analysis. This tool is used for analyze the macro-environment of the external analysis. I think that this tool is the most suitable for our company in order to picking countries for investment because this tool will analyze in four dimensions, which are Political, Economic, Social, and Technology. All these four dimensions are related to the topic that I have already explained above. The po litical factor is about law and regulations. For the investors, it is importance to study about the law in that country before get into the country, be aware about violate the law. For the automobiles, it also has some restrictions or conditions for export the car into that country, for example in Thailand, the automobiles tax is 300%. The investors have to concern on this before set the price, if they set the price too high, no one cannot afford it. The economic factors have an impact on purchasing power of customer, which is directly related to the bosss listed. We should emphasize on the economic factors because of the luxury product. The next factor is social. It illustrates the demographic and culture, for example population growth rate, age distribute. These affect customer needs and size of potential market. Technology factors can reduce the entry barriers, minimum efficient production levels, and influence outsourcing decision. The last one is technology. It is importance fo r manufacturing. If we searching the country for manufacture, we should look at the technology potential, especially for the automobiles industry. This industry is directly related to the advanced in technology, research and development, and the changing in technology. In summary, I think that GDP can also be used to categories country but it would be better if we concern more on purchasing power priority (PPP). The result will be more accurately than using only GDP as the boss. If we would like to classify countries based on economic, I think that the emerging market economics is the most interesting market for investment, according to the growth in the middle age population which is the most powerful purchasing power, and the developing of the country. Investment in the international market is not easy, the company needs to aware of the risk in many dimension; economic, culture, country, and commercial. In order to select the country, concerning on only the economic side is not enough, we have to use others factor altogether. I think the most suitable methodology for piking countries is PEST analysis because this tool is using for the external and macro environment of countries. It also covers all of the risk factor that I mention above. Case 3: How relevant are the following factors in contributing to potential country risk: foreign investment laws, controls on operating forms and practices, laws regarding repatriation of income, environment and contracts. Answer The country risk includes political and legal risk. It indicates the potential of gain or loss of companys operations and profit in a country. The example of country risk is stability; riots, protests, wars, etc. Each country has different political and legal systems that challenges for company strategy and performance. In order to do the international business, for Aoki corporation, the country risk is one of many dimension that company need to consider because it will be the condition and barrier of company to get into and operate the business. If you did something violate the law, you will receive the punishment and cannot avoid it. Some countries are very welcome the foreign investors, they provided an incentive law and regulation for the foreigners to invest and operate in their countries. Some of them launch the law to prevent the profitability for their countries; set a high tariff barrier. The weak in enforcement of laws and regulation also challenged for company, because i t easily to violated and weak in punishments. The mostly problems for violating the trade laws is about the intellectual property. The country risk influence can be classify into two types; the systematic country risk, which affects all industries, all firms in a country, and unsystematic country risk, which affects only a subset of firms. Here is the country risk ranking from Euromoney country risk, March 2010. This racking include overall factor; political risk, economic performance, structural, debt indicators, credit rating, access to bank finance/capital markets. Country Risk Ranking Least risky countries, Score out of 100 Rank Previous Country Overall score 1 1 Norway 94.05 2 2 Luxembourg 92.35 3 3 Switzerland 90.65 4 4 Denmark 88.55 5 6 Finland 87.81 6 5 Sweden 86.81 7 7 Austria 86.50 8 11 Canada 86.09 9 8 Netherlands 84.86 10 9 Australia 84.16 36 43 China 72.6 Rank Previous Country Overall score 42 51 Brazil 69.58 43 50 Mexico 68.56 52 54 Russia 61.48 Source: Euromoney Country risk March 2010 This table illustrates the top 10 of the least-risky countries for investment and also the companys interested countries, which are China, Mexico, and Eastern Europe for manufacturing and Latin American and Europe for selling. You will see that mostly countries in Europe are in the top 10 of less-risky countries for investment. The companys interested countries are rating around middle. So these countries are not bad choice for investment. They are many relevant factors in contributing to potential risks that Aoki may encounter, which are foreign investment laws, controls on operating forms and practices, law regarding repatriation of income, environmental laws, and contracts laws. The foreign investment laws are the laws affect the type of firms entering strategy, their operations and performance. Each country has the difference reasons fo r restrictions, for example Canadas reason is to ensure net benefit to their own country, United Arab Emirates concern on economic and demographic, China are strictly controls over foreign direct investment and restricts foreign investment in some target industries. These are the examples of foreign investment laws in some countries from GAO summary and analysis of law and information. Selected Laws and Regulations Addressing Foreign Investment Restrictions Country Laws and regulations Reasons for review or restrictions China 2006 Regulations for Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, Catalog for the Guidance of Foreign Investment Industries National economic security, protection of critical industries, purchase of famous trademarks or traditional Chinese brands Germany 2004 Amendment to 1961 Foreign Trade and Payments Act Ensure essential security interests, prevent disturbance of peaceful international coexistence or foreign relations India Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 National security and domestic, cultural, and economic concerns Japan 1991 Amendment to the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act of 1949 National security, public order, public safety, or the economy Russia 1999 Federal Law on Foreign Investments Protection of foundations of the constitutional order, national defense and state security, anti-monopoly United Arab Emirates Agencies Law of 1981, Companies Law of 1984 Economic and demographic concerns United States Exon-Florio Amendment to the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended National security Source: https://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08320.pdf Controls on operating forms and practices by the Government, firms should perform and operate the production, marketing, and distribution activities follow the set of laws and regulations. For example, the federal Mexican government has a Foreign Investment Law dated December27, 1993. This law classified the economic activities limited list into seven categories. It has a difference restriction; such as petroleum, communication via satellite, etc. are reserved for the state. Some activities are required from the national commission on foreign investment, in order than foreign investment may exceed 49%, such as port service, legal service, insurance agencies. If we interested to manufacture in Mexico, we should study whether our business types are in the limited list, or not. Law regarding income repatriat ion related to the income and return on investment. This law has limited the amount of net income or dividends that firms can transfer back to their home-country. Some countries not allowed the foreign investor to transfer all of their income back to their home-country, they limited the amount that can transfer. So the investors have to reinvest in their host-country. This is the one method for control the money flow out. The exchange rate plays an important role in this transfer because it limits the ability of another country to transfer money. Environment laws in some countries are strictly. They issue laws to prevent and protect the natural resource affected, impacted, or endangered by human activities. Moreover this law also required to protect human health and safety. Nowadays many countries are aware of using natural resource, so they are a lot of laws, regulations, and agreement between countries concern on this problem. For example in Mexico, environmental standards enfo rced due to the fear of foreign investment reduce their resources; the Eastern and Central Europe have an organization worked as partner region to develop more effective environmental protection. The last factor is contract laws. The contract law is rule or regulation about the relationship of an agreement between two parties. There are five types of contracts; sales of goods or services, distribution of the firms products through foreign distributors, licensing and franchising, FDI (Foreign Direct Investment), and Joint ventures. The sale of goods or services is the conditions or restrictions for anyone who sells goods or services need to understand the implications and their responsibilities that they have under it. This law will states what you can sell, quality and quantity that can be reach. If it does not fit to the condition; low quality, the suppliers have to responsible for the problem. The distribution of the firms products through foreign distributors (export) is th e limitation of sending the products from home-country to sell in foreign. The limitation is depends on each county in order to protect their countrys benefited. For example China has been control the amount of rare earths element to export because this minerals are vital to the manufacture of high-tech products. If China exports more rare earth, it will be affected to the country as an alternative source for manufacturing high-tech products. Licensing is the term of contract law between two entities, one entity is called Licensor and another is called Licensee. The Licensor from one country will allow the Licensee in another country to use the same manufacturing, branding, intellectual property, knowhow, or any related thing in the business process. The licensee also has authority to operate business by itself. The franchising is also similar to licensing which is the corporation between two parties; one is called Franchisor, another one is called Franchisee. The franchisor is the owner of trade mark and the business process in foreigner and franchisee is the person who received the right in doing business in the country. The franchisee have to operate the business under control of franchisor, which difference from licensing. The example of successful franchising is McDonald. In Europe, they do not adopt a uniform franchise disclosure policy, unlike the USA. The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is an international strategy in which the firm invests and establishes abroad in order to acquire the resources or raw materials such as equipment, labor, technology, plant, and land. It also requires a business relationship between a parent company and its foreign subsidiary. The joint venture is a type of agreement that two or more parties joining together for the business purpose. Normally join between the foreign company and the local company which has capabilities and resources. All parties agree to share in the losses and profits together. The joint venture can ch aracterize in to two types; equity joint venture and contractual joint venture. According to the divided in profitabilities, makes them difference; contractual joint venture are divided according to negotiated contract term. But the equity joint ventures are divided in proportion to equity shares invested by the parties. In China, most joint ventures are the equity joint venture. In conclusion, the country risk is one of the factors that company need to concern. It is importance of company to deal with the country. Before we start to do international business, company has to study more in this risk. It is the challenged for company because in each country has the difference in policies, laws, and regulations. To be successful is not easy, but it also too difficult for us. The country risk factors include foreign investment laws, controls on operating forms and practices, laws regarding repatriation of income, environment and contracts. As I have already explained above, these poi nts can be our weapon to fight in the market if we use it in the right way. In contrast, it can make our company to loose, if we do not know it as well. If Aoki would like to invest for manufacture the products, the laws that we have to pay more attentions are the laws for manufacturing, the environmental laws, and the control and operation in those countries. If the company interested to expand only the sales, they need to study more about the income repatriation, and the contract law; FDI, licensing, export, joint venture, which is the most suitable for company and the condition in each countries.

Analysis Of The Poem Ozymandias By Percy Bysshe Shelley

Week One In the first week of scholarship we began with an introduction to the module. I understood that the module focuses on helping us to develop various skills, such as study skills, research skills, and how to work at a degree level in general. This will be helpful because I can learn new skills and develop my current skills, which will be beneficial for my improvement as I progress through my degree. We also looked at the poem ‘Ozymandias’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley. What I took from the poem, and what we agreed on, was that the overall theme of the poem was destruction and how things change over time. What I found fascinating was the variety of opinions that my classmates had; some of the ideas presented were intriguing and though-provoking, such as the fact that there could be more than one voice in the poem. This has inspired me to look deeper when analysing a piece of literature in order to discover meanings which are not as obvious at a first glance. Week Two The topic of this week was writing skills. One quote especially stood out to me from the class PowerPoint from Enrique Jardiel Poncela, â€Å"When writing can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing.† (Class Presentation). To me, this shows that writing is not as easy as it seems; it takes a large amount of effort to produce a written piece that is both good and enjoyable, and unfortunately I do not often appreciate this when reading. After discussing what good writing skills consist of, IShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Poem Ozymandias By Percy Bysshe Shelley1373 Words   |  6 Pagesand the destruction of the Persian Empire by Alexander the Great are all vivid examples of opulence being crushed by fate. In the poem â€Å"Ozymandias†, by Percy Bysshe Shelley, through the use of symbols, several alliterations, repetitive end rhyme and iambic pentameter the vanity found in human works and the futility of opulence and power is displayed. All throughout the poem is this vanity present as a traveler describes the destroyed stone figure, which at some point represented magnificence and powerRead MoreHow the Poem Ozymandias Highlights the Fundamental Issue in the Film Watchmen1255 Words   |  6 Pages Percy Shelley, â€Å"Ozymandias† This is a profound statement ascribed to one of the most powerful pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Yet, as Percy Shelly writes, the â€Å"works,† due to the sands of time, have vanished – â€Å"of that colossal wreck†¦ the long and level sands stretch far away† (13-14). At his zenith, Ozymandias believed his empire was timeless and would inspire â€Å"despair† in all those who labored to match his accomplishments. But the monuments, his self-praising idols, and, in sum, his empire have allRead MoreOzymandias Analysis1261 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of â€Å"Ozymandias† The poem â€Å"Ozymandias† is considered one of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s best sonnets. 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For this reason, the afterlife has always been a topic which artists have chosen to explore in their works. Throughout the chronology of British literature, artists have used societys views as a basis to examine the afterlife, and look at it in new ways. The afterlife has been a theme in British Literature from the Anglo-Saxon period of Beowulf Analysis Of The Poem Ozymandias By Percy Bysshe Shelley All is vain The vanity found in all demonstrations of human power and acquisition of riches has always been exposed by the constant passing of time. The mighty statues built by the pharaohs in Egypt, the Hanging Gardens of Mesopotamia, the fall of the Roman Empire, and the destruction of the Persian Empire by Alexander the Great are all vivid examples of opulence being crushed by fate. In the poem â€Å"Ozymandias†, by Percy Bysshe Shelley, through the use of symbols, several alliterations, repetitive end rhyme and iambic pentameter the vanity found in human works and the futility of opulence and power is displayed. All throughout the poem is this vanity present as a traveler describes the destroyed stone figure, which at some point represented magnificence and power. All the elements stated above contribute directly to the discovery of such mischievous vanity. The first example that reveals the inevitable tragedy of oblivion that overcomes every human work is a symbol found i n the second line of the poem. A decaying statue of a pharaoh is compared to the vanity that consumes all human desire for longevity, power, and opulence that showcases greatness. In line 2, the â€Å"two vast and trunkless legs of stone† carry a profound significance in order to establish a link between human desires and their fragile nature. The connotation of this phrase bestows a tangible sense of futility upon every magnificent deed and human work. The vastness of the two legs does not impede theirShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Poem Ozymandias By Percy Bysshe Shelley1371 Words   |  6 Pagesas I progress through my degree. We also looked at the poem ‘Ozymandias’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley. What I took from the poem, and what we agreed on, was that the overall theme of the poem was destruction and how things change over time. What I found fascinating was the variety of opinions that my classmates had; some of the ideas presented were intriguing and though-provoking, such as the fact that there could be more than one voice in the poem. This has inspired me to look deeper when analysing aRead MoreHow the Poem Ozymandias Highlights the Fundamental Issue in the Film Watchmen1255 Words   |  6 Pages Percy Shelley, â€Å"Ozymandias† This is a profound statement ascribed to one of the most powerful pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Yet, as Percy Shelly writes, the â€Å"works,† due to the sands of time, have vanished – â€Å"of that colossal wreck†¦ the long and level sands stretch far away† (13-14). At his zenith, Ozymandias believed his empire was timeless and would inspire â€Å"despair† in all those who labored to match his accomplishments. But the monuments, his self-praising idols, and, in sum, his empire have allRead MoreOzymandias Analysis1261 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of â€Å"Ozymandias† The poem â€Å"Ozymandias† is considered one of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s best sonnets. It was written in 1817 and is still recognized today as its meaning still holds true. â€Å"Ozymandias† illustrates the fall of power and mortality through a once powerful king. This is shown through the pride of the king, the tyranny that the king ruled by, and the transience of his ruling and empire. The king Ozymandias has a great amount of pride for what he has accomplished during his timeRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Ozymandias 1512 Words   |  7 PagesIn 1818, Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote Ozymandias, which is a highly complex yet compact poem. The historical context of the poem is important to consider when analyzing the poem for underlying perspectives. Johnstone Parr, an author that contributed to Keats-Shelley Journal, analyzed the poem for historical influences, and learned the following: â€Å"The ultimate source of information concerning Ozymandias is the account in Diodorus Siculus’ Biliotheca Historica (first century B.C.). Diodurus remarks thatRead MoreEssay on The Politics of Percy Shelley2323 Words   |  10 PagesThe Politics of Percy Shelley      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Following the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars, Europe was left torn by economic decline, political turmoil, and uncertainty. Out of these events sprang writers who saw it as their duty to ease the social and political dilemmas through their inspirational writings. One of these Nineteenth century writers was Percy Shelley, who is known for the revolutionary and defiant ideas he expressed in his works. Many of his writings such as A Song: MenRead MoreAnalysis of I wondered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth1309 Words   |  6 PagesIn vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my hearth with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. Analysis: Wordsworth had nature as his religion, and that was the main theme of his work and also a characteristic of romanticism. And it’s also very clear on this poem. As literary devices, we have Alliteration on the second line of the first stanza, alliteration and assonance on the fifth line of the first stanza and personificationRead MoreThe Road Not Taken By Robert Frost1221 Words   |  5 Pagesis a dynamic and deep poem orchestrated to perfection. However, equal to its acclaim, is the misunderstanding of the poem. A piece of literature of this stature deserves to be under the microscope of our classes critical discussions. I believe that the time would be beneficial to everyone. Giving a breath of fresh air to a poem that has been abused by Hallmark cards for decades. Room should be made for the inclusion of this outstanding literature. In the opinion of this poem having literary meritRead More An Analysis Of British Literature Essay2728 Words   |  11 Pages An Analysis of British Literature nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Death is inevitable and what happens after death will always be a mystery to the living. For this reason, the afterlife has always been a topic which artists have chosen to explore in their works. Throughout the chronology of British literature, artists have used societys views as a basis to examine the afterlife, and look at it in new ways. The afterlife has been a theme in British Literature from the Anglo-Saxon period of Beowulf

Algal Biomass Free Essays

In addition to that, access to carbon dioxide and water areessential. Even though microalgae can produce in the presence of saline water,fresh water is needed in a raceway pond system to compensate for the evaporativeloss depending on the wind velocity, air temperature, and humidity level of thelocation. Temperature is an important element in biomass cultivation. We will write a custom essay sample on Algal Biomass or any similar topic only for you Order Now Most algaegrow better in warmer climates ranging from 25-40?. Tropical locations with auniformly warm temperature throughout the year (Chisti, 2016), can act as perfectlocations for algaculture as the temperature doesn’t have to be monitored at alltimes, and the algae can adapt to local conditions.There are however some drawbacks while using raceway pond systems, thatrender them sometimes ineffective. Since, carbon dioxide is required to acceleratethe production of microalgae, an accumulation of oxygen can act as a hindrance tothe process. There is no known mechanism in a raceway pond, that helps curb thisaccumulation of oxygen. Peak sunlight hours during the day can hamper with thephotosynthesis, as the level of oxygen may increase to up to three times of the levelin saturated water. For this reason, smaller raceway ponds achieve better resultsthan larger ponds with respect to oxygen removal, and in turn better productivity. Another issue with raceways is the contamination due to exposure to rain, dust andother debris. Smaller ponds may be placed inside, but that can’t be said for largerponds. Filtration can help inhibit infestations and contamination of the ponds, but thatis an expensive process.The production cost of biomass with raceways is considered to be the leastexpensive option. The cost of a pond depends on the type of facility it is built in,plastic lined earthen raceways are the least expensive alternatives with their totalcost of construction amounting to be approximately $70,000 per hectare, whereasponds enclosed in greenhouses or covered facilities are more expensive as theyprotect from contamination. Raceways require least amount of capital investmentand therefore remain the system of choice, despite their low productivity anddrawbacks. Photo-bioreactors (PBRs) A photo-bioreactor is a closed equipment which provides a controlledenvironment and enables high productivity of algae. PBRs curb all the problems thatare faced in raceways ponds, like carbon dioxide supply, temperature, optimaloxygen levels, pH levels etc. There are two types of photo-bioreactors- flat-plate andand tubular. Both PBRs are made of transparent materials for maximum solar lightenergy absorption. Flat-plate PBRs are suitable for mass cultivation of algae,because high photosynthetic efficiencies can be achieved. Tubular PBRs aresuitable for outdoor cultivation, and are constructed with either glass or plastic tubes. Systems covering large areas outdoors, consist of tubes exposed to sunlight and canbe operated either in batches or continuously. Photo-bioreactors usually have a4water pool as a temperature control system in order to prevent the tubes fromoverheating as they act as solar receptors. They also have built in cleaning systemfor the tubes without stopping production. Fundamentally, using photo-bioreactorsare more advantageous than using raceways for many reasons, like cultivation ofalgae under controlled environments resulting in higher productivity, protection fromcontamination, space-saving and larger surface to volume ratio. However there aresome limitations attached to PBRs; the capital cost is very high which is impedingthe progress of microalgae biofuel production, in spite of larger production levels. Also, data from the past two decades has shown that the productivity in an enclosePBR is not much higher than that achieved in open-pond cultures.3. Environmental Limitations of Microalgae CultivationAs with all large scale productions, wide scale microalgae biofuel productioncould have diverse environmental impacts. Water is a critical element of the biofuelproduction processes, in both raceway-ponds and PBRs. With the current globalwater crisis, using large amounts of fresh water to compensate for evaporation inopen ponds or to cool PBRs, renders the system economically unviable. Seawater orbrackish water may be used in these functions, but have to be filtered in order toprevent infestation of bacteria, and contamination. Recirculating water is onealternative to curb the usage of water, but that has risks of virus infestations, and theresidues of previously destroyed algae cells. Filtration systems are expensive, andfactor in with the lack of cost effectiveness of these systems.Most microalgae production farms have to be located close to the equator inorder to ensure high levels of production due to the uniformity of the climate, andadequate amount of solar radiation. Another factor is the type of land and terrain thefarm is located in, for instance to install a large raceway pond, a relatively flat land isrequired. The addition of nutrients and fertilisers like nitrogen and phosphorus is alsoessential for algaculture. The amount of nutrients and fertilisers to be usedadditionally depends on the soil porosity and permeability of the land. Algalcultivation requires a lot of fertilisers to make up for the compensation for fossil fuels.Researching and budgeting nutrients and fertilisers is a key concern in research anddevelopment of microalgae cultivation. Algal cultivation requires usage of fossil fuels continuously in a plethora ofways, ranging from electricity consumption during cultivation and natural gas used todry the algae for production. In PBRs, the temperature control for cooling the pipesfrom overheating increases the use of fossil fuels. This use of fossil fuels in algaebiofuel production is paradoxical to the cause and a dire need to optimise the systemto minimise the energy usage is established. That being said, microalgae cultivationfaces a variety of environmental challenges, coming from the location to the type of5algae. Energy conservation and water management are two of the main challengesto be conquered to make the system sustainable in the future.4. Cost EffectivenessThe cost of algae biofuel production is essential to establish to know howsustainable this system can be in the future. The cost of biofuel production dependson a variety of factors, such as the the yield of the biomass, geographical location, oilcontent, scale of production systems etc. Presently, microalgae biofuel production isstill more expensive than normal diesel fuels because of the ongoing RD, and theambiguity of current knowledge. Chisti in 2007 approximated the cost of productionof algal-oils from a PBR with an annual production capacity of 10,000 tons per yearand estimated the cost of $2.80 per litre, considering the oil content to be 30% in thealgae used. This estimation is exclusive of the algal oil to biodiesel conversion costs,logistics, marketing costs and taxes. Due to these high costs of algal-fuel, the utmostimportance during research should be given to cost-saving itself, in an attempt tomake biofuel from microalgae affordable enough to be commercialised in the nearfuture.Open pond systems would ideally be the most economically viable way tocultivate microalgae biofuel, but not without it’s set of intrinsic disadvantagesdiscussed earlier in this research paper. As the technology gets increasinglyadvanced, the cost factor multiplies as well making the entire process a lot lesseconomical than what was started with first hand. Improved yield of biomass andnutrient oils (or lipids) would make the production costs drop rapidly.Moreover, to reduce the production costs alternative ways to manage energy andwater consumption have to be devised, a simplified design for PBRs is necessary.Substitutes for fresh water like wastewater and flue gases can contribute to lowercosts of production. Biofuel Production The rapid growth of environmental pollution by the usage of conventionalfossil fuels has sparked a lot of concern globally. The research and development foralternative fuels is one of the principal focuses for every country in an attempt for asustainable and promising future on this planet for all generations. Various optionsare available to us to help us make this shift, however to find a sustainable methodwhich is as promising as it is economically viable is a global challenge. Currently,biomass derived fuels seem to be the most optimistic path.Various ways of harvesting algae have been discussed in this paper, the next step istypically to process the algae in a series of steps which differ from species to6species. One of the most important approaches in biomass production isHydrothermal Liquefaction or HTL.5.1 Hydrothermal LiquefactionHydrothermal Liquefaction employes â€Å"a continuous process that subjectsharvested wet algae to high temperatures and pressures† (Elliot, 2013). Convertingsolid biomass to liquid fuels is not a spontaneous process. The liquid fuels derivedfrom fossil fuels on a large scale took thousands of years to convert biomass tocrude oil and gas. In present day, there are many modern conversion technologies toobtain liquefied fuels from various biomasses, these conversion technologies canfundamentally be classified into biochemical and thermochemical conversion.Biochemical mass usually has low energy density, high moisture content and doesnot have a very viscous physical form. Thermochemical conversions in comparisonare much more viscous as they are converted at very high temperatures in highpressures in the presence of catalysts that make the conversions much more rapid.Simply, Hydrothermal Liquefaction is â€Å"the thermochemical conversion of biomassinto liquid fuels by processing in a hot, pressurized environment for sufficient time tobreak down into solid bio polymeric structure to mainly liquid components†(Gollakota, 2017). Microalgae is, amongst all possible biomass sources, the most efficientand reliable source of wet biomass due to its high photosynthetic efficiency,maximum production levels, and its rapid growth in almost all environments. Overthe years, many thermochemical conversions have made their way, and while eachhas their pros and cons, HTL has come a long way as one of the most appropriateprocesses to tackle thermochemical conversion of wet biomass. Many scientists overthe years have done extensive research pertaining to the development ofhydrothermal liquefaction, such as Beckmann and Elliott who studied the propertiesof oil obtained from HTL of biomass, and gave crucial inputs with respect to the kindof catalysts and other parameters are pertinent to the HTL process to ensuresignificant productivity.5.2 Process MechanismCurrently, the knowledge about HTL process mechanisms is qualitative andneeds a lot more space for research. The mechanism comprises of three majorsteps: depolymerisation, decomposition and recombination. The chemistry behind allthese processes is very complex as the biomass is a complex mixture ofcarbohydrates, proteins, oils etc. Each working mechanism of hydrothermalliquefaction is discussed below.5.2.1 Depolymerisation7In this process the macromolecules of the biomass are dissolves through theirphysical and chemical properties. Depolymerisation makes it easier for the biomassto overcome it’s natural qualities and start behaving like fossil fuels. It mimics thegeological processes, that are involved in the production of conventional fossil fuels.The process first grounds the feedstock material into small chunks and mixes it withwater, if the feedstock is fry. This mixture is then put into a pressure vessel reactionchamber where it is heated at a constant volume at a temperature of 250?, themixture is held in these conditions for approximately 15 minutes at the end of whichthe pressure is released and most of the water is boiled off. The resultant concoctionconsists of crude hydrocarbons and solid minerals. The minerals are removed andthe hydrocarbons are sent to the second stage.The disadvantage of this process is that it only breaks down long molecularchains into shorter ones, this implies that smaller molecules like carbon dioxide ormethane cannot be broken down further by depolymerisation. Decomposition or Dehydration The second stage of hydrothermal liquefaction involves the loss of the watermolecule, the carbon dioxide molecule and the acid content. Water at high pressuresand temperatures breaks down the hydrogen bonded structure of celluloses and inturn forms glucose monomers. This is how HTL provides an alternative processroute from microalgae biofuels to hydrocarbon liquid fuels.5.2.3 RecombinationThis is the last step in HTL which is reverse of the two previous processesbecause of the absence of the hydrogen compound. The free radicals are largelyavailable which in turn recombine or repolymerise to form high molecular weight charcompounds.5.3 Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Microalgae:The main advantage of using HTL for microalgae is that it doesn’trequire the predrying of feedstock, yet ensuring a relatively high production. Theprocess of HTL applied to microalgae is similar to treating cellulose but with a fewdifferences, the major one being treating wed feedstock as opposed to dryfeedstock. One of the principally researched issues that will ensure high productivityis a high lipid yield, which is necessary to convert microalgae into biodiesel. Theeffect of significant variables, such as temperature, pressure, volume, biomassconcentration and compositions of algae, catalysts et al. is still under research.During hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae, a rational heat management system8must be put in place that ensures energy efficiency and separation of the endproduct. Current Situation ; Future Viability:In present day, pertaining to all the advantages and disadvantages of HTL,there is sufficient proof that HTL has potential to become a commercialisedtechnology in the future.Biofuels produced using hydrothermal liquefaction are absent of carbon, thisimplies that there are no carbon emissions produced when the biofuel is burnt.Materials like algae use photosynthesis to grow, and therefore use the carbondioxide already present in the atmosphere. The carbon imprint produced by biofuelsis exponentially lower than what is already being experienced by conventional fossilfuels. Hydrothermal Liquefaction is a clean process, which doesn’t harm theenvironment by producing harmful gases like ammonia or sulphur. If the technologyis mastered, HTL can pave the way for clean algal biofuels globally, although thereare still a number of challenges to be overcome. Conclusion The cultivation and production of microalgae biofuels is swiftly developing andis receiving attention and funding from global leaders. The rapid increase in worldpopulation, and hence the energy demand is a siren call to devise an alternativeenergy source. Microalgae’s versatile qualities make it a promising path to tread onwhen it comes to biofuels. There are various ways to derive biofuels from algae aswe saw in this paper, and also many challenges attached with them. Bio-oil obtainedfrom various processes suffers from various drawbacks such as a high oxygencontent, instability etc, therefore an optimal technique to efficiently convert biomassto biofuel should be researched in order to be able to commercialise the use ofbiofuels in the near future. Making biofuels economically viable in the future is a bigchallenge in itself. Even though, photo-bioreactors promise a bright future in terms ofbiofuel cultivation, the overhead costs attached from cultivating the biofuel to makingit market ready and selling it are still quite high. These high costs of biofuels ascompared to conventional fossil fuels are what render them unready forcommercialisation. However, even with theoretical development and research, abright future for microalgae fossil fuels presents itself. How to cite Algal Biomass, Papers

Printing Press Essay Example For Students

Printing Press Essay I believe that everyone has heard the phrase, The pen is mightier than the sword. This statement I cannot argue, but the point I want to make is that the printing press is the mightiest of them all. The origin of printing itself was only the first stage in the development of books as we know them. To understand the modern book, one should know of its history and realize the gradual process it came from since the pre-written manuscript. THERE WERE FOUR DISTINCT PHASES IN THIS METAMORPHOSIS (Butler xi). 1. In the beginning, this was just a means for performing a writers work more quickly, neatly, and cheaply than was possible by hand labor (Butler xi). 2. Only gradually did the early printers and their clients understand to accept the technical limitations of typography and to exploit its peculiarities (Butler xii). 3. The discovery of true publication (Butler xiii). 4. The printed book entered into the fourth phase of its metamorphosis it became a major factor in history (Butler xiii). The origin of the mechanical process was the first step in books as we know them today (Butler xi). The earliest scribe, like the public, had learned to read in pen-written volumes and was unaware of anything else (Butler xi). The printers problem was to invent a method for producing mass quantities of a standardized product (Butler xi). The printer was not free to produce a new product which might serve the same purpose as the old one (Butler xi). His goal was simply to copy the manuscript but to do this mechanically (Butler xii). The printers task was far more difficult than we imagine (Butler xii). Many parts of the manuscript, which were time-saving and labor-saving tools for the scribe, were only additional hindrances for the printer (Butler xii). As printers and their customers learned to accept the technical limitations, the book they produced took on new forms and developed new cultural potentials (Butler xii). Calligraphic ornaments were replaced by those of typographic style, and all sorts of new facilities were provided for the reader title pages, illustrations, maps, tables, indexes, etc. (Butler xii). The discovery of true publication was different than the manuscript economy. Under the manuscript economy, a writer responded to current demands. He copied books to order, or, if he built up a stock in anticipation of sales, it was of the volumes most frequently asked for school and university textbooks and standard works in theology, law, or medicine, constantly used by professional students and practitioners (Butler xiii). The printer, however, soon went beyond this and realized the potential of publication (Butler xiii). To expand his business, he undertook to create new demands (Butler xiii). The printer searched through old libraries for whatever books he thought the people might buy, if they were made available (Butler xiii). He also provided new works brought to him by living authors, and, finally, he came to order on his own, undertaking journalistic accounts of recent happenings (Butler xiii). In response to his initiative, the world learned to read books and not merely to study them (Butler xiii). The publishers made people read for its own sake (Butler xiii). This became the habit of educated men a practice forgotten since the collapse of Roman civilization (Butler xiii). Books became a major factor in History. Publishers made known that the book could not only inform and entertain the masses but also affect their thoughts and actions (Butler xiv). It was used to spread new beliefs, to sway mens opinions, to win their support, and to arouse their passions (Butler xiv). During the first century of printing, the press became a potent weapon of public appeal and propaganda (Butler xiv). Modern man makes constant use of printed materials (Butler 1). People accept their presence in their lives as a matter of course -almost like the air we breathe and the ground we walk on (Butler 1). Unless our attention is drawn to it, we never notice the extent of our obligations to the printer (Butler 1). Yet, there is hardly a thing that we do or a source of delight that we enjoy that does not involve somehow, directly or indirectly, the use of typography (Butler 1). Our familiarity with the work of the printer has thus rendered us almost unconscious of their presence, very few of us have much curiosity about the processes which are used to make them (Butler 4). The Plant Cell Essay Thesis The sad part is that not one of these printers has told us when and how he began to print on his own account (De Vinne 492). What is known about the introduction of printing in many of the large cities has been collected from dates of books and the indirect references of early chronicles (De Vinne 492). The activity of the early printers is remarkable. The huge task of preserving the literature of the world was adequately done at a very early date (De Vinne 511). There were not many books that appeared to be salable and profitable, and some were hard to get, and copies were obtained with much hardship but almost every important book was found and printed (De Vinne 511). The attention of the literary world was taken by storm, not by the possibilities of future usefulness in printing, but by the growing inexpensiveness of books (De Vinne 511). The early printers offered their books at lower than the market prices of manuscripts, but in a few years they were compelled to cut prices lower (De Vinne 511). The market was quickly glutted, and the prices fell sharply and irretrievably (De Vinne 511). At the close of the 15th century the price of many books had been reduced by 80% (De Vinne 511). Many early printers failed to make their business profitable. The failure was caused by the printers selection of bulky theological writings which cost a great amount of money, and were salable to a small class (De Vinne 512). It was mistakenly thought that printing would receive its great support from clergymen (De Vinne 512). The first printers printed almost exclusively in Latin, and the books could be read only by the learned, and purchased only by the wealthy (De Vinne 512). It was soon realized that printing could not be supported by the clergy (De Vinne 511). Nearly all books were printed in Latin (De Vinne 512). In Italy the revival of classical literature opened a new door for the publisher, but the demand for Latin authors was limited (De Vinne 513). In this country and in others, eagerness for books in the native language was made clear; for books that plain people could read; books that represented the life and thoughts of the living and not of the dead (De Vinne 513). The world was getting prepared for new teachers and for a new literature for Luther and Bacon, for Galileo and Shakespeare (De Vinne 513). Modern Technology As inaccurate as early printed books may have been, they were more correct than those of the copyists. The mistakes of a faulty first edition were soon made known and the faulty editions were made perfect (De Vinne 541). One of the benefits of printing is that it has prevented the accidental or intentional debasement of texts (De Vinne 541). The inferiority of the tools of the early printing office is glaring when comparing them with those of our time. The improvements that have been made are ones that have been mostly made in this century (De Vinne 541). There has been no change in the theory, and there have been but few changes in the elementary processes of printing (De Vinne 541). Printing is done quicker, cheaper, with more neatness and accuracy, with more consideration for the convenience of the reader, with new features of artistic merit, and in varieties and quantities so great that there is no comparison between early and modern productions but the fact remains that this is the same kind of work it was in the beginning (De Vinne 541). It has not been made obsolete by lithography, or other inventions of our era (De Vinne 541). The method still keeps its place in history at the head of the graphic arts (De Vinne 541). From buying concert tickets to paying a couple of hundred dollars each semester for books, printing impacts our lives greatly. It is hard to name an activity in which we do not use some item that is printed. BIBLIOGRAPHY Butler, Pierce. The Origin of Printing in Europe. Chicago London: The University of Chicago Press. De Vinne, Theo. L. The Invention of Printing. New York: Francis Hart Co. , 1876. Republished by Gale Research Company Book Tower, Detroit, 1969.

Aristotle And Politics Essays - Ancient Greek Philosophers

Aristotle And Politics annon Aristotle (b. 384 - d. 322 BC), was a Greek philosopher, logician, and scientist. Along with his teacher Plato, Aristotle is generally regarded as one of the most influential ancient thinkers in a number of philosophical fields, including political theory. Aristotle was born in Stagira in northern Greece, and his father was a court physician to the king of Macedon. As a young man he studied in Plato's Academy in Athens. After Plato's death he left Athens to conduct philosophical and biological research in Asia Minor and Lesbos, and he was then invited by King Philip II of Macedon to tutor his young son, Alexander the Great. Soon after Alexander succeeded his father, consolidated the conquest of the Greek city-states, and launched the invasion of the Persian Empire. It was in this environment that Aristotle's' views and ideas of politics developed. As Alexander's teacher, Aristotle had a close tie to the political powers of Athens. Because of this tie Aristotle wrote Politics as a guide to rulers as to how to govern a country. In Politics Aristotle lays out his ideal form of Government. It contains thought provoking discussions on the role of human nature in politics, the relation of the individual to the state, the place of morality in politics, the theory of political justice, the rule of law, the analysis and evaluation of constitutions, the relevance of ideals to practical politics, the causes and cures of political change and revolution, and the importance of a morally educated citizenry. He stressed that the ideal citizen and ruler must possess certain virtues, such as wisdom, temperance and courage. And the work as a whole echoes Aristotle's dominant theme of moderation. Politics is an excellent historical source because of the close tie Aristotle had to the everyday business of government in Athens. It reflects the idealized values of the people and the influence of Aristotle's teacher Plato. The importance of wisdom and justice also directly parallel the classical Greek ideology. Aristotle believed that nature formed politics and the need for city-states (government) formed out of nature. Aristotle lays the foundations for his political theory in Politics by arguing that the city-state and political rule are natural. The argument begins with a historical account of the development of the city-state out of simpler communities. First, individual human beings combined in pairs because they could not exist apart. The male and female joined in order to reproduce, and the master and slave came together for self-preservation. The master uses his intellect to rule, and the natural slave uses his body to labor. Second, the household arose naturally from these primitive communities in order to serve everyday needs. Third, when several households combined for other needs a village emerged also according to nature. Finally, the complete community, formed from several villages, is a city-state, which can attain the limit of self-sufficiency. It comes to be for the sake of life, and exists for the sake of the good life. (I.2.1252b27-30). Aristotle backs up four claims about the city-state: First, the city-state exists by nature, because it comes to be out of the more primitive natural associations and it serves as their end, because only it attains self-sufficiency (1252b30-1253a1). Second, human beings are by nature political animals, because nature, which does nothing in vain, has equipped them with speech, which enables them to communicate moral concepts such as justice, which are formative of the household and city-state (1253a1-18). Third, the city-state is naturally prior to the individuals, because individuals cannot perform their natural functions apart from the city-state, since they are not self-sufficient (1253a18-29). However, these three claims are immediately followed by a fourth: the city-state is a creation of human intelligence. Therefore, everyone naturally has the impulse for such a [political] community, but the person who first established [it] is the cause of very great benefits. This great benefit may be the laws of the city-state. Aristotle points out that the legal system alone saves them from their own savagery. It's interesting to see that Aristotle's view of nature transcends in his view of the human character and what the humans should be. In Aristotle's Ethics he points out the popular view of what happiness was (and maybe still is). Honor, pleasure and

The Emotional and Cultural Conflict at the Personal Level essays

The Emotional and Cultural Conflict at the Personal Level essays Conflict can be defined as a disagreement through which the parties involved perceived a threat to their needs, interests and concerns. It occurs when people perceive that consequence of a disagreement. Emotional are the feeling experienced in conflict, ranging from anger and fear to despair and confusion. (Academic Leadership Support) When emotional and cultural conflicts occur at the personal level, it can give a great impact of inconsistency at the political, cultural and social levels in the country. In referring to this statement, this paper is going to discuss about the disintegration of individualism, are there any conflict in the characters and are they portrayed as inconsistence, restless and unsettle? And how is this kind of portrayal can suggest to the inconsistencies at the political, cultural and social levels in the country? This writing will not be able to achieve its objective in discussing the issues mentioned without any evidence taken from any short stories or poems. Therefore, in a way to provide clear examples to the analysis, two short stories are selected. The first one is The Tamarind Tree, written by Saffura Chinniah and the other is Ibrahim Something by Lee Kok Liang. Both these short stories have been identified to have emotional and cultural conflicts and it will be discussed further. The concern or the issue that is relevance for discussion is the issue of is there a conflict in the characters and are they portrayed as inconsistence, restless and unsettled? In the first short story, The Tamarind Tree, the major concern of discussion is about the main character, Uncle Das. He lives in a housing area, Is he portrayed as inconsistence, restless and unsettle? From his neighbours perspective, he is like other man. He has a wife, a child, a paid-up three bedroom house and on a decent pension. (pg. 38) He does not seem to have a c...

Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Strategy - Essay Example earch engine today is its ability to be â€Å"integrated into a third party’s website or intranet† (The Economist, 182) that also allows corporate intranets to search company documents. Its search engine also offers services to advertisers to run large campaigns through its search engine, which contributes tremendously to its bottom line. Google’s Adsense and the ability of its search engine appliance to be integrated into a company’s intranet for a charge, synergizes with its basic search engine facility, thus, enhancing the revenue potential of the engine. Its acquisition of YouTube in 2006 also allowed it to receive advertising revenues for ads displayed during internet videos, while its 2008 acquisition of DoubleClick allowed the company to generate advertising revenues through banner ads. Its other business segments such as Gmail, GoogleMaps, Google scholar and several other products and services add to its search engine with each segment complementing the other services. Google’s introduction of the Android operating system also allowed the company to penetrate the growing market of the mobile internet industry. All these capabilities of Google products and services, which work in synergy and complement each other in terms of increased traffic and market reach, illuminate its success. While Google’s basic services, such as its search engine and mail, are free, it is able to derive revenue from other revenue generating services attached to the free ones such as Adsense. The synergy of Google’s product and services increases the traffic and usage of its services, which allows it to reach and penetrate the market deeper. Google’s deeper market reach and penetration translates to its wider market base, which ultimately redounds to enhanced revenue for the company. All these innovative products and services were a product of Google’s talented workforce and its unorthodox corporate set-up. To maintain its innovativeness, Google always

Why All New Buildings Should Be Eco-Friendly Essay

Why All New Buildings Should Be Eco-Friendly - Essay Example Besides, there is a general perception that developing eco-friendly building means disregard for aesthetic values. As a result, eco-friendly buildings are still not so widespread. The costs of developing an eco-friendly building vary from building to building; most of them are more costly than conventional buildings. For instance, in order to minimise the effects on environment, the risk mitigation fee of eco-friendly buildings is near three times higher than it is of conventional ones, as well as the overheads during construction are up to four times more (Newell 2008). Beside these costly inputs, the chief obstacle which causes investors are costly home and commercial property integration of energy efficient technologies which do not offer returns to the investors. Obviously, the owners will save their energy fee from these technologies but the builders can only balance these inputs by selling in higher prices which may cause losing the potential customers consequently. Another problem related to cost efficiency is that the market perceives the cost of capital and construction of eco-friendly building increase significantly as standards are established. Bef ore a new eco-friendly building could be put on the market, it has to be scrutinized by rigid criterion to be qualified as eco-friendly; this entails more money spending on building maintenance. For example, in Australia, it takes more than one year to be certified as â€Å"Green Star† which is a standard launched by Green Building Council Australia (GBCA), and about 8 percent of total financial investment have to be paid for advertising, management and equipments maintaining during this period (Newell 2008). However, in the long run, the return of eco-friendly buildings will out performs the cost invested (Kozlowski 2003 in Miller and Buys 2008).

Around the World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Around the World - Essay Example Channel Access: Access of the alliance company to the various channels required for the business. Local Laws: Local laws with respect to formation of alliances need to be considered. Competency and Value of the Alliance Company: Competency of the alliance company and the value that it adds to the alliance is key to a successful alliance. The alliance must take the form of an international joint venture. International joint venture is an economically and legally separate organizational entity that has been created by 2 or more parent organizations with the objective to achieve strategic objectives. Parent companies invest both financial and other resources at disposal into the alliance (Schuler et al., 2004). A joint venture alliance has various advantages and is best suited in the current case. The major challenges for Around the World in establishing an international joint venture is shareholdings, human resource management, skills sharing and knowledge transfers. These challenges c an be overcome by effective and early planning. Share holdings and control structures of the partners need to be established and agreed upon before the alliance materializes. There are various ways to effectively manage the HR issues and, the knowledge and skill management issues. A four stage model of formation, development, implementation and advancement can be used to effectively to handle the challenges (Schuler & Tarique, 2004). Case Study 2 Following are the discussion points for the three questions at the end of the case study: 1. Aditya Birla Group adopted a growth strategy that made great business sense. The group exited from any business that did not offer them greater presence in the global market or the business which had registered losses. The group diversified and adopted businesses whose operations gave the group global presence and lead to acquiring of competencies in the market. The company built a business portfolio which is not limited to a single industry. The po rtfolio demonstrates the group’s ability to run different businesses efficiently and also has contributed to various revenue generating sources which has made the group immune to economic downturn in certain market or industries. 2. Various initiatives were taken by the group under the leadership of Kumar Mangalam Birla which has contributed to the group’s success. Gyanodaya was a great initiative which helped in the transfer of best practices. Appointment of new managers gave rise to a new dimension in the group’s leadership. Continuous learning and developing of human resources was one of main motive behind many of the initiatives. 3. Aditya Birla Group has addressed its second part of the mission – â€Å"Indian Values† by actively involving and contributing to the development of the country. It is presently working in 3700 villages. It is concentrating on health care, sustainable livelihood, infrastructure, education, social causes, etc through its Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development. It is running around 18 hospitals and 14 schools. Case Study 3 In order for Aston Restaurant to extend their business to China, they have to consider various factors and the two important factors are the market and the localization. Market No two markets are same and there are numerous differences that have to be looked into. The following various issues/factors have to be addressed or considered for Aston to successfully expand to China: Language: Language is a primary barrier here and Aston has to ensure that language i.e., communication must not hinder the business. Chinese is the primary language used in China. Customs and Practices: The customs and practices in China are different from those in other countries. In

Revenue Leakages, Prevention and Internal Controls in MMDAs

Revenue Leakages, Prevention and Internal Controls in MMDAs APPLICATION OF THEORIES TO REAL LIFE SITUATION 3.0 Introduction This chapter is organized into four parts, with the first part dealing with explanation of the nature of problem in LEKMA, the second part is on the solutions provided by the researchers to the problem, the third part talks about the contributions of the students to LEKMA revenue mobilization and prevention with the last part drawing conclusion on the chapter. 3.1 Explanation of the Nature of Problem in Organization There had been an increasing demand for fiscal decentralization in both developed and developing countries due to the inherent benefits in terms of infrastructural development and quality service delivery. The pertinent question here is, has this been properly implemented at LEKMA? What are the challenges and the way forward with regards to fiscal decentralization in LEKMA? In view of the strategic location of the Assembly in the country, thus, its exact position between Tema an industrial hub of the country, and Accra, the capital city of Ghana, LEKMA is well placed to generate enough internal Revenue to meet its recurrent expenditure and local infrastructural development needs. However, the situation in the Municipal Assembly (LEKMA) regarding Internally Generated Funds (IGF) performance showed huge gaps between projected revenues and reported actuals. Initial projected figures had to be revised downwards through mid- year budget review process in order to meet Functional Organizational Assessment Tool (FOAT) benchmarks as a result of massive revenue leakages from the system. This reflection does not depict the full potentials of the Assembly and the analysis below give evidence to back the statements made above using 2014 and 2015 composite budgets of LEKMA. The 2014 composite budget of LEKMA projected GHÈÂ » 5,710, 975.00as initial revenue target to be collected internally (IGF). However, only 54.13% of the projected figure was realized representing GHÈÂ » 3,091, 081.06by the end of the fiscal year. The trend in 2015 fiscal year was not anything different from the previous years achievement. Out of the budgeted revenue of GHÈÂ » 6,889, 512.00t o be collected internally, only 62.51% was realized, representing GHÈÂ » 4,306, 966.40in nominal figures. The worse performance which threw the whole Municipal Assembly into disarray was recorded in 2013 fiscal year. The Municipal Assembly had in its Composite budget GHÈÂ » 4,907, 779.40 as the amount to be mobilized internally. Only 44.87% of the projected amount was achieved, representing GHÈÂ » 2,202, 178.08in absolute terms. The Internal auditors report (2013) of the Municipal Assembly revealed that, revenue collectors were indulging in under carboning. This is just one of the numerous revenue mobilization malpractices confronting LEKMA. Sixteen revenue officers of the Municipal Assembly were interdicted in connection with the above mention financial fraud. The report of the auditors also showed a lot of revenue leakages in the system due to weak internal controls and prevention mechanisms. The gravity of the situation also stems from the fact that, the units who are responsible for these internal controls are also handicap in terms of financial and non-financial resources. This prevented them from executing their constitutionally mandated duties and hence the massive leakages of IGF revenue. This worrying situation calls for an empirical researched that prescribes concrete solutions to the problems. To resolve this problem, a study design which gives the broad objective framework of the researchers enquiry (Brown, 2006) provided a basis for collecting and analyzing the data to inform policy direction. In order to put the nature of the problem in the right perspective and better analyze for solutions, a descriptive study was employed. The main purpose of the study was to describe the already existing strategies, challenges and the causes. In view of this, descriptive approach is best suited for the study. According to Miller and Brewer (2003), qualitative technique aids the investigator to explore further potentials and challenges to achieve the desire objectives of the study. The researchers wanted to explore other strategies that could be used to improve revenue mobilization and reduce leakages in the system. According to Neuman (2007), the subjects or concerns in the research design includes the purpose of the study, the type of investigation, the type of the sample which will be used, the methods by which the required data will be collected, as well as the process that will be followed for the analysis. The study used the exploratory and descriptive approach to evaluate revenue mobilization challenges in LEKMA. The research technique provided an opportunity for the researcher to interact with respondents in the field of study, which enabled the researcher to generate valid data and information using multiple sources of evidence. According to Stake (1995), interviews techniques enables the researcher to achieve reality by drawing closer and getting involve in the phenomenon under study in order to understand the environment and its participants. Robinson (2002, p.178) defines case study as a strategy for doing research which involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context using multiple sources of evidence. The topic under study is a case study because it is impossible to study all MMDAs in Ghana c oncerning their revenue mobilization. The research also aim at putting the theory into empirical test and unearth the challenges confronting LEKMA in terms of their revenue and expenditure. 3.1.1 Data Sources Data used for analyses by the researchers came from both primary and secondary sources. The interview schedule was used to collect primary data. In using this instrument, the researcher considered all laid down ethical procedure in research (Stake, 1995). Primary data included interviews conducted by the researchers. Core management staff of the assembly as well revenue collectors and rate payers were interviewed to allow for more in-depth evaluation. The researchers conducted 34 interviews comprising key personnel in revenue mobilization across all the responsible departments of the Assembly, revenue collectors and rate payers. These are stakeholders play vital role in the efficient mobilization of revenue for the Assembly. In addition to this, key officers interviewed have the capacity to formulate and implement policies concerning IGF mobilization of the Assembly. The documentary analysis was done because documentary information is relevant in a case study research (Yin 2003). See king answers to the research questions required an examination of the organizations annual budgets and financial statements. 3.1.2 Target population and sampling technique The target population for the study was core management staff of the assembly, revenue collectors and rate payers. Purposive and convenient sampling technique was employed to select the respondents who could provide relevant required information and who were available to participate in the study. A small sample size was chosen because of the constraints; time and money. Furthermore, the small sample was used as the study did not set out to test hypotheses but to gather expert opinions necessary in answering the research questions. Interviews were conducted with these persons. Excerpts of interview have been replicated as evidence in this report. A level of measured but subjective interpretation, in line with the subjective view and interpretive position taken by the researcher, was applied in analyzing respondents responses. 3.2 Solution Provided for the Problem Upon our review and analysis of both primary and secondary data gathered, the following are the proposed solutions to the challenges. LEKMA should adopt and implement software that will generate and assign a Unique Tax Identification Number to every tax payer in the database. This becomes a permanent code that identifies the business and the rate payer in case of none payment. Rates should be collected electronically through mobile money and other banking system. LEKMA should partner with the Banks which will provide an opportunity for tax payers to use their Unique Tax Code to pay at the bank and obtain receipt. This will prevent fraud through physical cash handling as reported in the challenges. LEKMA should employ the use of Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify old and new business and properties within the municipality. Through this computerized system, a comprehensive database will be built which will then improve the revenue collection. LEKMA should adopt one community one stakeholder meeting project in addition to the town hall meetings for every fiscal year. This will promote awareness creation, transparency and accountability. Through this, rate payers and other stakeholders will get to know what their taxes are used for. Challenges such as lack of education, sensitization, transparency and accountability will be minimised. Refresher training for revenue collectors and contractors should be done on a regular basis in areas such as communications skills, customer relation ethics, revenue mobilization strategies, local governance Act, Assembly by-laws and other control mechanisms to ensure efficiency. LEKMA should advocate for the printing of General Counterfoil Receipt (GCR) with adequate security features so as to avoid duplication of the receipt by revenue collectors and contractors. Revenue targets should be set for collectors and contractors which should be closely monitored and supervised to ensure that the overall target of the Assembly is achieved. LEKMA should intensify the prosecution of rate defaulters in accordance with the bye laws of the Assembly to ensure that rate payers meet their civic obligations as well as serve as a deterrent for future defaulters. Regular field monitoring and supervision should be carried out by the superintendents to ensure that revenue collectors and contractors are deterred from engaging in fraudulent activities. All revenue collectors should be bond and stiffer punishment meted out to those found in financial fraud. 3.3 Contribution of Students to Organization The contributions of the students to Ledzorkuku Krowor Municipal Assembly in terms revenue mobilization, leakages and prevention techniques cannot be over emphasized. Students professional and personal skills, experiences and capability are being leverage on to augment the expertise of the Assembly staff handling revenue mobilization and expenditure portfolios. The students also contributed immensely to the organizations revenue and expenditure policy decisions by collecting detailed information on revenue mobilization leakages and prevention to enable top management design and implement strategies with high level of efficiency. This has become very crucial given that LEKMA hardly meet their IGF revenue projections. Students also contributed to the deepening of fiscal decentralization in Ghana, Africa and the world at large through the findings and the recommendation from this study. The prime objective of decentralization is to take governance closer to the people, improve on qualit y service and infrastructural provision and to promote transparency and accountability in the expenditure of public funds. Students prescribed solutions in this regard which will increase revenue of the Assembly and subsequently leads to quality service delivery. 3.4 Conclusion This chapter has discussed the application of theories to real life. The researchers discussed in detail the research design, approach, strategy, time horizon, methods and procedures employed in data analysis. The descriptive research design guided the researchers evaluation of revenue mobilization leakages, prevention and internal controls in Ledzorkuku Krowor Municipal Assembly. In order to collect more detailed and evidence based data, a multi-method data collection technique involving both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques were employed. Students employed convenient and purposive sampling approaches to select respondents who could provide relevant required information and who were more available to participate in the study. CHAPTER FOUR LESSONS LEARNT AND CHALLENGES 4.0 Introduction This chapter discusses the lessons learnt from undertaking this project and challenges the researchers confronted and how they were resolved. Analyses and interpretations of data collected had also been covered in this chapter. Excerpts from the interviews are integrated as confirmation of respondents perspectives which is accepted in social research theory (Yin, 2009). To ensure ethical requirement in this kind of research namely; assuring anonymity of identity and confidentiality of respondents, generic terms like officer, rate payer, among others are used in place of personal names (Yin, 2009). 4.1 Lessons Learnt In both empirical and theoretical literature, designing and implementing policies, programmes and strategies aimed at ensuring effective and efficient revenue mobilization are not without limitations. In our interview with the officials of the Assembly, it came out evidently that the Municipal Assembly has some revenue mobilization strategies in place. This was what the Municipal Finance Officer (MFO) said with regards to revenue mobilization strategies of the assembly. We have revenue mobilization strategies in place and they include; Building the capacity of revenue collectors, frequent sensitization and education of rate payers, involvement of rate payers in the budgeting process, holding stakeholders meetings with rate payers to determine their ability to pay, involving revenue collectors in annual revenue projections, enforcement of revenue, establish a data base of all economic activities in the municipality, mobilization laws, using Assembly members in the hard to collect areas, etc. Upon further investigation and evaluation of the revenue mobilization challenges, we realized there were implementation issues. Revenue collectors were not involved in coming out with annual IGF targets, they were not frequently trained, no up to date data base on economic activities within the municipality and enforcement of revenue by-laws were poorly handled. Another key management staff has this to say on why they are not able to enforce the by-laws to the later as an assembly. The limitation we have in this area has to do with political interference. Especially when we are getting closer to an electioneering period, for fear of losing the election they do not allow to punish those who flout the laws to deter others. We are constrained but all cannot be attributed to politicians, we are also to be blamed for our inefficiencies. The researchers learned further that, logistics constraint, especially on the part of revenue collectors, contributed to the poor implementation of the strategies as well as the enforcement of the by-laws. The next objective of the study was to evaluate the existing internal controls in the Municipal Assembly. Selected officers were interviewed which included the internal auditor of the organization. In this section, the researchers wanted to know the exact internal controls the Assembly has and how they are implemented and the challenges faced. This is what the Municipal Internal Auditor had to say on internal control issues during our interview. This is a legal and a well-established institution and therefore have internal controls in place ranging from revenue mobilization to expenditure. The LI 1961 outlined the functions of each unit and department at the local level. However, ensuring effective internal controls is a shared responsibility. Let me give you internal controls we have as an Assembly; Daily checks of their general counterfoil receipt and verifying the daily banking of cash into the Assemblys account, Field audit and periodic inspection of value books, Regular monitoring of revenue activities, revenue collectors are to submit their returns daily for verification, Weekly auditing of revenue collectors cash books, we do periodic field audits, monitoring of reports by rate payers, Weekly performance of field audit, tracking of the value books to ensure that the value books used are from the Assemblys stock and duly registered in the stock register of the Assembly, that the revenue collected paid to the Assemblys account within the 24hrs. With regards to the challenges they faced by the Assembly in their implementation of revenue strategies, the following were the major concerns raised; revenue collectors attitudes towards revenue collection, rate payers connivance with collectors to under pay the required rate bill and logistic constraints. These three concerns surfaced in our interviews with the key management staffs as being the major causes of revenue leakages from the system. However, a lot of progress had been made in these areas to remove barriers and bad nuts from the system to improve IGF performance. This was evident via the interviews and our personal verification from the 2016 fiscal year revenue performance. Key revenue items such as business operating permit (BOP) and property rates showed an upward trend. Another key objective of the study was to identify the channels of revenue leakages from the system and what causes it. In view of this we had interviews with some rate payers and revenue collectors. It was very interesting during our interview with one of the rate payers and commenting on the channels, of leakages this is what she has to say; People who come for the taxes sometimes come at the wrong time when we does not have any money with huge bills, so they take bribe from us and go. Sometimes they come back to take again and others do not come again. We also realized they have their own receipts different from assemblys receipt which they issue sometimes when they take the bribe. Our taxes collected goes into individual pocket, so at the end the Assembly do not receive the supposed revenue and that is why we sometimes do not pay. I will not give my money to someone to spend. We did not limit our interviews to only individual rate payers, institutions were also added since they pay both BOP and property rates and more especially we needed varied opinions from different perspectives. During our interview with one of the executives of a bank, this was what he had to say concerning the causes of revenue leakages. They do not give us enough education on what the taxes are used for and moreover, they failed to use an electronic system to mobilize the revenue. Taxes paid in cash to revenue collectors or task force causes corruption and mistrust. For the purpose of obtaining a comprehensive view of the situation on the ground, the researchers had interviews with some key revenue collectors of the Assembly. Two major concerns runs throughout our interviews with them namely; inadequate motivation and lack of frequent trainings on the job. In summary the lessons leant through this project work include; Educating rate payers that it is their civic responsibility to pay taxes and also on the uses of their taxes are vital in local government revenue mobilization processes. Training revenue collectors on the new revenue mobilization tools, techniques and the revenue mobilization strategies of the Assembly is essential. Stakeholder consultative meetings which involve rate payers in fee-fixing and rate imposition of the Assembly is very important in facilitating effective and efficient revenue mobilization within the local government system. Another important lesson is the issue of transparency and accountability. Local authorities or duty bearers within the sub-national governments, ability to account to the citizens or local constituents builds trust between rate payers and the Assemblies. Proper accountability promotes effective revenue mobilization and increase the willingness to pay. Electronic technique of revenue mobilization cannot be disregarded. Automation of the tax collection system discourages corruption, temptation to steal and increase efficiency in the revenue mobilization drive. The responsibility to secure electronic equipment to migrate local authorities to this stage is a collective effort. 4.2 Challenges encountered Executing this project work was not all that smooth. We were confronted with a lot of challenges ranging from research design to its execution. The first challenge we faced had to do with the research instrument and the interviews thereafter. As mentioned earlier in this work, we wanted to explore a lot of areas within the local government revenue mobilization scheme so as to prescribe solutions which will greater impact on the revenue mobilization of the Assembly. There are laid down ethical considerations that must be adhered to in social science research namely; anonymity and confidentiality. Our major challenge was how to get interpretations for our respondents who were not literate in order to preserve anonymity and confidentiality. In view of this we have to make several trips to them which was a herculean task. Added to this, designing an instrument to cover a lot of areas on the topic was not that easy considering the complicated nature of fiscal decentralization and the various stakeholders involved. Furthermore, our analysis of the situation employed both secondary and primary data. Retrieving or getting access to annual composite budgets and financial statements of the previous years for the necessary reviews was a big challenge. Several calls and personal visits were made before those documents were made available. Reviewing and analyzing the data therein was also challenging and exciting. One key issue was the incorrect postings (2015 fiscal year) and some revenue items which had no unique codes. This inconsistency post a big challenge to us in the analysis and the Key Officers had to come in to rectify the situation. We were told that, this problem occurred on the field as revenue collectors were not able to describe the business well. CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.0 Introduction This last chapter of the study gives the conclusion and recommendations. In this chapter, the researchers give the conclusions and recommendations of the study. 5.1Â  Conclusion Findings from the project work supports both theoretical and empirical literature which says that, sensitization and education of rate payers on their tax obligation and the uses of their monies have a positive impact on revenue mobilization. Transparency and accountability as well as the provision of efficient service and developmental projects to the local residents increases their willingness to pay and decreases if the reverse is applied. This suggests that citizens are now more concern about accountability and cannot be taken for granted. Fiscal decentralization is very crucial in the decentralization process and demands central government commitment to ensure its success. Linking fiscal federalism theory to the findings from this study, revealed that some core components or elements in the theory has not been applied. Components such as effective revenue mobilization scheme, efficient service delivery, and efficient internal controls to prevent revenue leakages have not been fully executed. This was clearly shown when local constituents were demanding physical projects to showcase for the taxes they pay. Notwithstanding that, the findings also support theory from the public commodities with a different geographical pattern of consumption. The results showed that residents were asking for projects and services that suit their consumption pattern. 5.2 Recommendations The main objective of this study was to assess revenue leakages, internal controls and prevention in local authorities. The study did found that there exist revenue mobilization leakages and thus has few dynamic policy recommendations for LEKMA, policymakers, and stakeholders in local governance system. Transparency and accountability from local authorities or duty bearers must be enforced. LEKMA must therefore design and implement policies which gives enough punishment to corrupt local government official and those who fail to properly account to their local constituents. Furthermore, involving ratepayers in fee-fixing and rate imposition through stakeholders meeting is very crucial in revenue mobilization within the local government system. This calls for a policy direction to make their involvement mandatory. Assembly members at LEKMA should pass a resolution to this effect. Capacity building should not be limited to top management of Assembly but must be extended to lower ranks as well. Building the capacity of revenue collectors is vital in local government revenue mobilization and the promotion fiscal decentralization. Management of LEKMA should direct policy to make their training a priority. They are implementers of revenue mobilization strategies formulated by LEKMA and therefore need to be equipped with the latest techniques in revenue mobilization. Automation of revenue collection process is another important way of achieving efficient revenue mobilization and prevention of fraud. LEKMA should adopt and implement policies that mandates it to migrate onto automated system of rate paying REFERENCES Aryee, J.R.A. (2003). Towards Effective and Accountable Local Government in Ghana. Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), Accra. Arowolo, D. (2011). Fiscal Federalism in Nigeria: Theory and Dimensions. Afro Asian Journal of Social Science, 2 (2.2), 1-21. Badu, R., A. (2007) Mobilization of Internally Generated Funds in District Assemblies in Ghana: A Case Study of the Shama Ahanta East District Assembly. Unpublished Document Submitted to the Department of Planning, KNUST, Kumasi. Bird, R.M. (2009). Fiscal Federalism. University of Toronto, Canada. Ernest Adu-Gyamfi (2014) Effective Revenue Mobilization by District Assemblies: A Case Study of Upper Denkyira East Municipal Assembly of Ghana: Public Policy and Administration Review, American Research Institute for Policy Development. Joseph, K. N., John, P. T. and Job Asante (2013). The Relationship Between Financial Control Systems and Public Sector Efficiency in Ghana: International Journal of Advanced Research in Management and Social Sciences, Vol.2|No. 7 Korten, D. and Klaus R. (1984). People-Central Development, Connecticut: Kumarian Press. Kesner-Skreb, M. (2009). Fiscal Federalism: Financial Theory and Practice. 33 (2), 235-237 Oates, W.E. (1999). An Eassy on Fiscal Federalism. Journal of Economic Literature, 1120-1149 Oates, W.E (1972). Fiscal Federalism. New York, Harcourt Brace, Jovanovich, Olson, M. (1996). The Theory of Regulatory Federalism: The Case of Environmental Management. In The Economics of Environmental Regulation, pp319-31. Ozo-Eson (2005). Fiscal Federalism: Theory, Issues and Perspectives. Daily Intdependent. Musgrave, R. (1959). The Theory of Public Finance. New York, Mcgraw Hill Sharma, C.K. (2005). The Federal Approach to Fiscal Decentralization: Conceptual Contours for Sulley Gariba, (2009), Political Decentralization Ghana: Policy Issues, Legislation and the Way Forward. Presented at the first Annual Parliamentary Workshop on Local Government Reform and Decentralization organized by the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in Koforidua, November 6-8, 2009. James Edwin Kee (2003). Fiscal Decentralization: Theory as Reform, The George Washington University, Cheema, G.S, Dennis, A.R. (1983). Implementing Decentralization Policies: An Introduction. In G. Shabbir Cheema and Dennis A. Rondinelli (Eds.). Decentralization and Development: Policy Implementation In Developing Countries Beverly Hills; New Delhi: Sage Publications. Pp 9.37. Cleeve, E. (2008), How effective are fiscal incentives to attract FDI to Sub-Saharan Africa?, The Journal of Developing Areas, 42 (1), 135-153. Adenike A. Adedokun (undated). Local Government Tax Mobilization and Utilization in Nigeria: Problems and Prospects; The Polytechnique, Ibadan, Nigeria. Stake, R. (1995). The Art of Case Study Research. Thousand Oaks, London, New Delhi: Sage Publications Inc. Brewer, J. D., and Miller, R.L. (2003). The A-Z of Social Research: A dictionary of Key Social Science Research Concepts. Thousand Oaks, London: Sage. Neuman, L. (2007). Basics of Social Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Research Approaches, Second Edition. University of Wisconsin Whitewater Pearson Education Incorporated, USA