Saturday, August 31, 2019

The impacts of the Balearic Island’s in ‘abolishing’ the eco-tax and recommend alternative strategies to compensate for its effects

The purpose of the essay is to identify the potential impacts of the Balearic Island's in ‘abolishing' the eco-tax and recommend alternative strategies to compensate for its effects. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to shed some light on both positive and negative impacts concerning the tourists, host community, hoteliers and the environment. Reasons for eliminating the eco-tax will be highlighted, whilst also concerning its consequent effects on the Balearic Islands. It is fundamental to understand the term ‘eco' which is basically, concerns of the environment. One way it can be described is through eco-tourism, which according to Honey & Stewart (2002) is: â€Å"†¦responsible travel to natural areas, which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people† This suggests that tourists should be aware of the environment and its residents in order to minimise the negative effects their tourism can have on a community. Honey (2002) believes that tourism can create negative ecological externalities in the form of environmental damage. The tourism industry is suggested to damage the natural resources that form the basis for eco-tourism. Eco-tourism can therefore enhance the opportunities for better management of natural resources whilst providing a satisfying experience for the visitor. It is also vital to understand the term ‘tax', which according to Mak (2004) is â€Å"an involuntary payment to the government that does not entitle the payer to receive a direct benefit of equivalent value in return† In simple the aim of introducing the payment of a tax is to ensure everyone is supported. The Balearic Islands achieved this by introducing an eco-tax on 1st May 2002 in order to help restore the environmental damage caused by tourism. The hoteliers were responsible for collecting the payment of approximately 62p a day for each person at a three star hotel of persons over 12 years old. This meant that almost à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½35 was added to an average family holiday. (www.bbc.co.uk) An article from Tourism Concern (2002) ‘Balearics eco-tax gets the vote' stated that the eco-tax was reinforced to reduce environmental impacts; nevertheless the revenue earned would be used on â€Å"cleaning up the beaches, estates restored, heritage sites maintained, cycle and walking routes developed, rural economies boosted, and hotels encouraged to implement energy and water conservation measures.† The tax was set to bring in 25 million Euros from the 2002 visitors with subsequent years contribution predicted to top 45 million euros. An article by Palmer (2001) ‘Eco tax not enough to save the planet' suggests that â€Å"everyone will be paying ‘eco tax' or ‘environmental tax', happy in the knowledge that they are saving the planet† This article shows slight sarcasm, as although taxes are introduced, it may not be helping the environment. To some extent this can be valued as true, but surely paying a tax will mean maybe less people will travel to destinations hence less damage to the environment. The Balearic Islands have been recognised as a low cost, low quality package holiday destination. Therefore Spain, may have introduced the eco-tax to diminish this image and help re-educate the traveller; at the same time providing funds for conservation, which would directly benefit the economic development and help local communities. The Balearic Islands have a population of approximately 800,000 residents, yet nearly 11 million tourists visited each year. Therefore one can imagine the negative effects caused by the mass tourism. Hunter et al., (1996) believes that the impact of tourism upon the environment can be reported as short term or long term, direct, indirect or induced into two categories of negative and positive changes. An article by Morgan (2000) ‘A Taxing Time' suggested that the eco-tax was part of the electoral programme and most people saw it as a positive measure, recognising the importance of investing in the environment, restoring and conserving certain areas of special importance. Others assumed the tax would reduce the number of tourists wanting a cheap holiday and focus on having less, higher spending tourists. So, what were the reasons for the government of the Balearic Islands to abolish the eco-tax if the revenue received would benefit them? There are many different theories suggested a number of which will be discussed. A news extract from The Times stated that the â€Å"Government has decided to abolish the controversial eco-tax†, taking place on October 2004. The tourism Minister believed that in having the eco tax â€Å"did more harm than good†. An article from The Sun ‘Tax Axed for Holiday Isles', reinforced the † negative effect† on tourism. Suggesting that the eco-tax was not favourable for the Balearic Islands. Again supporting its abolition, .an article in the Express on Sunday Jeferies (2003) suggested about the eco-tax that â€Å"it is a move in the completely opposite direction to the one the government should be working in. They need to change strategy and adopt policies to revive and boost tourism† It is understood that the Balearic Islands need to introduce other ways in which the environmental damage is minimised and ensure that visitor numbers are increasing at the same time. Balearics Tourism office spokesman Jaun Vallespir suggested that the majority of tourists and foreigners were in favour of the tax, the drop in visitor numbers was down to economic problems in Europe and Post September 11th. Suggesting that there were a number of other reasons affecting tourism. Nevertheless a survey carried out by ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) found that 64% of tourists would be willing to pay an extra à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10 to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½25 to ensure environment standards, associated with their holiday were met. If such a high percentage of tourists were willing to pay why would the government still decide to abolish the tax? The Express on Sunday (2003) suggested that although the revenue obtained from the eco-tax could help protect the environment, it showed that visitor figures in 2002 were down by 900,000, creating a deficit of more than 800 million. Only 28 hotels out of the 100 were now staying open during the winter season. Spain's Balearic Islands have been internationally famous for having experienced rapid tourism development but were now suffering following the introduction of the eco-tax. â€Å"The islands depend on tourism for 84% of the Gross Domestic Product† (http://www.tourismconcern.org.uk. This indicates that the Balearic Islands have been heavily reliant upon tourism. Jaimw Puig suggested having an eco-tax gave an impression that the islands are in undesirable conditions. (http://www.ft.com) â€Å"The regional government gave the impression that the Islands were in a bad state of repair, that it is a terrible image to send abroad† This suggested that by having the eco-tax The Balearic Islands were portraying a bad image for the resorts by suggesting they needed money to improve their environment. However, this may be due to lack of knowledge and accessible information tourists require. Knight (2002) – http://www.observer.co.uk â€Å"†¦they are doing a lot to change their image but they are coming across as greedy.† Maybe the Balearic Islands could implement a tax for those tourists partaking in certain activities that are harmful to the environment. This is identified as a user charge, according to Mak (2004) it is â€Å"a price charged by governments to users to pay for specific government services or privileges† User charges are an appropriate way to finance public services when most or all of the benefits go to identifiable users, and non-payers can be excluded from using the services at a reasonable cost. By doing so, they would still have tourism coming in and revenue earned from taxes would be used to rejuvenate areas of that are environmentally damaged. According to Gilpin (2000) Belgium had imposed eco-taxes on products since 1993, applying them to goods considered to be harmful to the environment (Pittevils 1996- cited in Gilpin, 2000, pg 150) Alternatively the new ‘coach tax' levied in Venice is apparently an attempt by the city to reduce the number of motor coaches coming into the congested city. User charges used for such purpose are most effective when demand is price elastic. Westwood (2002- http://www.travel.telegraph.co.uk) â€Å"the tax could deprive the Islands economy of more than à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½300 million per year if tourists go elsewhere† Balearic Islands are very dependent on tourism therefore need to implement something that is feasible. The Gambia Tourism Authority has introduced a tourism development levy of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5 per tourist from the 1st November 2002. The tax would be used to develop green areas, improve lighting in tourist areas, security and training for employees within the tourism sector. According to Barrett (2002) ‘Unfair yob tax or fair pay?' suggested that people were annoyed with the extra costs. The Sunday Times reported, â€Å"hotels are less than 40% full† there has been a huge fall in visitor numbers that the tourism industry are blaming on the eco-tax. Travel Trade Gazette – cited in Tourism Concern 2002 reported that hotels were handing out food and drink tokens to pacify the guests. The tax was unpopular with holidaymakers as it added an extra cost on holidays. The hoteliers didn't agree with the idea, as they were responsible for collecting the tax and tour operators felt that it had caused a decline in visitor numbers. Therefore maybe abolishing the tax would help resolve some of the problems, but at the expense of the environment. Increased competition from tour operators has led to cheaper flights. There is a direct flight that British Airways have recently started, from UK to Menorca costing approximately 125 euros (www.bbc.co.uk). Having cheaper flights to Balearic Islands will mean an increase in numbers to the destination hence have a knock on effect on the environment. The tax is being abolished yet more and more competition between airlines, means a huge increase in the number of visitors. To exploit this, an alternative solution would be to have customers pay an airline tax instead. According to an article from Friends of the Earth (FOE), they believe that if a charge for the UK flights was left unaltered but the charge of flights to Europe increased by à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5 and other international flights by à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10 the longest and damaging journeys would be taxed more heavily. This would raise an extra à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½700 million per year. www.foe.co.uk, by including tax via flights it would seem part of the cost rather than an additional payment. Whilst, also reducing friction between guest and hoteliers. Additional alternative strategies could be to ensure that the carrying capacity is under control. Mathieson and Wall (1982:21 – cited in Holden 2000 pg. 138) â€Å"carrying capacity is the maximum number of people who can use a site without unacceptable alteration in the physical environment and without an unacceptable decline in the quality of the experience gained by the visitors† If the carrying capacity is controlled in the Balearic Islands this could minimise the environmental damage. This could be instead of the eco-tax and may not result in the fall of visitor numbers. However environmental impacts will continue, therefore they could carry out environmental impact assessments (EIA), which would be beneficial to the destination, as they can assess certain areas affected. In conclusion, in order for the Balearic Islands to remain in the competitive market of tourism certain changes need to be addressed. Abolishing the eco-tax means that the alternative strategies put in place need to be carefully planned to ensure they are customer friendly, cost effective and not economically damaging. Clearly the eco-tax was introduced to provide financial support for the damage caused through tourism. Yet it failed to predict the decline of visitors, which in the long term would have a more adverse effect on its economy, yet a promising effect on its environment. Due to the fact the Balearic Islands relied heavily on its tourism income it would be seen as a positive measure to abolish the eco-tax. However this meant other solutions would be required to conserve the environment. As suggested airline taxes, user charge and carrying capacity are just some of the strategies suggested to alleviate the problems. As these have just been newly developed it will still require time and research to see their success in relation to the Balearic Islands. Therefore whilst these measures have been recommended as solutions to the abolishment of the eco-tax one will have to wait and see its success.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Placing criminals in prison benefits everyone

In early times, prisons served an entirely different purpose from the one it does today.   While it was basically still for the enforcement of the law, it was used as a holding area for people accused of crimes and in the process of trial, and for those accused of lesser crimes as non-payment of debts.   Back then, the only two penalties for crimes were death and banishment.Over the years, imprisonment for crimes has considerably changed.   The cause for imprisonment and the conditions of prisons have changed depending on the norms and capability of societies.   However, there still stands one common reason for imprisonment of persons convicted of crimes and that is basically to keep them away from society.   It is for the purpose of keeping the public safe from criminal elements such as them and to prevent them from committing crimes again.There are four major social benefits of incarceration that must be considered in measuring the cost effectiveness of imprisonment:   retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation or incapacitation.   (Catherine Bucci, 2005).Society believes that offenders must be penalized.   This belief is as old as time.   The difference is the penalties imposed on crimes, which are markedly different from society to society, from era to era.   Serving time in prison is the convicts’ retribution for the crime they committed. Putting criminals behind bars serves to warn others of similar fate and hopefully prevent them from committing crimes also.   Imprisonment of convicts is a deterrent to potential criminals.   While serving time in prison, the convict may receive intervention to curb criminal mentality.   They are made to do activities that will take their minds off from their negative side and bring out the positive in them.   While in prison the criminal is not able to commit crime under the watch of law enforcement agents.   All these ultimately benefits society as they all focus on the control and prev ention of crime.There are four morally justified purposes for punishment.   (Ryan Kummamer, 2007).To Protect Society.   Imprisonment will keep the offender away from the public.   This is to ensure that the public will be safe and protected from further threats from criminals.  Ã‚   Society is assured that the criminal is under police custody and could do no harm again.   If the criminals are allowed to roam the streets unchecked and uncontrolled they pose a great threat to the peace and order of the community.To Reform the Offender.   Prisons are not just penitentiaries but also reformatory institutions.   While serving time, convicts are provided with opportunities that will help them to be contributing and productive members of society when they are released from prison.   These opportunities are made available to them thru skills training and rehabilitation and therapy sessions.   If prison changed the offenders, it will a better and welcomed change.As a Deterr ent to Potential Criminals.   The threat of imprisonment and serving long prison term should serve as a strong warning to potential criminals.   The threat which brings fear deters persons from committing crimes that would surely send them to jail.   Studies even show that a prison term is more feared than the death penalty.   This reinforces the assumption that imprisonment is an effective deterrent for potential offenders to keep away from committing crimes.Penalty and Pay Back.   Justice calls for penalty to be imposed for the commission of crime.   An offender commits a crime for which society wants him to pay.   The penalty of imprisonment serves as the punishment.   Imprisonment brings back order, paying back of what was taken away or restoration to the proper order and condition of a community before the incident of crime.   When the offender is put behind bars, a sense of peace once more prevails in the community that once was shaken by the crime.All four r easons justified the means to an end.   Imprisonment will have served its purpose if in the end, a reformed convict integrates to mainstream society and does not turn into a recidivist.There are several basic theories regarding criminal justice and its relation to individual rights and social control; Restorative Justice, Retributive Justice, and Transformative Justice.   (Raymond E. Foster, 2006, 2007).Imprisonment is likewise justified if the ends of justice were met and served.Restoration.   Justice calls for the restoration of what has been taken away from society because of the crime committed.   At times there were chaos, anger, disruption from normalcy and confusion.   When a criminal is confined in prison, he is taken away from the community.   This becomes the time for the community to pick up the pieces to start over.   The condition of the community before the incidence of the crime is brought back.Retribution.   The offender suffers what the victims had i n essence suffered as well.   Since time in memorial, every part in history made offenders pay up for the crimes against persons, society and humanity.   This age is no different, so that people would realize that crime definitely pays.Transformation.   Everybody deserves second chances, including convicts serving prison terms.   Their confinement in penal institutions must bring something good and purposeful.   Convicts are given the means to reform within the walls of prison.   When they are released they are hoped to become changed from the criminal that was committed to the facility to a reformed person who would re-join society.Today, unlike in the 50’s when families provide the backbone of society, many factors like broken homes cause the high incidence of crimes.   Without strong societal support and an equally effective criminal justice system crimes would be hard to control.   Given all the avenues to pursue criminal justice, deterrence must still be the first measure sought.   Deterrence from the commission of crimes is effective to fight crime.   If there is a big threat to criminals like fear of being incarcerated, that would be deterrence enough to prevent further commission of crimes.The recorded low crime rate in the 80’s up to the 90’s has been due mainly to the high possibility of   prison sentence and increased prison time for serious offenses.   Legislation to these ends had a big impact on the downward trend of crime rate.   Laws raised the odds of imprisonment and made crimes unattractive to would-be criminals.Imprisonment is a more acceptable option to a society that frowns upon capital punishment.   Church groups, civil society and human rights advocates are all against the death penalty.   In many other countries, they deplore the conditions of jails as unfit for humans giving due concern over the rights of accused.   These groups tend to see   the other end of the scales of justice .   However, prison conditions and intervention approach done and extended to convicts serving time make imprisonment the just alternative to capital punishment.Somehow justice must be carried out in a situation where a crime has been committed.   The scales of justice must be equally in favor of the perpetrator of the crime and the victim, and society in general.Imprisonment satisfies all ends of justice.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The convict must pay for the crime committed against persons and society.   Society in turn demands that justice be served thru commensurate penalty.   As penalty for a crime committed, retribution is met.   A compassionate society could find it to forgive a convict who has served time in prison for a crime committed.   Giving second chances to convicts, reformation is satisfied.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Separating the convict from society until he has repent, done time and is deemed ready to re-join society.   Public protection is assured.  Ã‚   Imprisonment scares people away from crime, then crime prevention is guaranteed.Sources:Bucci, Catherine.   (09 Jan 2005).   Rising Sanctions for Repeat Offender.Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, from  http://www.ecoon.unconn.edu/Bucci_internshippaperexample.docCrime Fighters:   Justice.   (16 Jan 2006).   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, from  http://www.bbc.co.uk/crime/fighters/prisonservice.shtmlPrison Reform. (13 Jan 2007).   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_reformCrime and Punishment in Americ:1999.   NCPA Policy Report No. 229.   (Oct 1999)Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.ncpa.org/studies/s229/s229.htmlStrategic Goal Six:   Protect American Society by Providing for the Safe, Secure & HumaneConfinement of Persons in Federal Custody.   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.usdoj.gov/ag/annualreports/pr2001/Section06.htmlKummamer, Ryan.   (2007).   On Capital Punishment.   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, from  http://www.newcitizenship.net/2006/12/on-capital -punishment.htmlFoster, Raymond E.   (2006-2007).   Criminal Justice.   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.hitechcj.com/criminal-justice-degree-online/ Placing criminals in prison benefits everyone In early times, prisons served an entirely different purpose from the one it does today.   While it was basically still for the enforcement of the law, it was used as a holding area for people accused of crimes and in the process of trial, and for those accused of lesser crimes as non-payment of debts.   Back then, the only two penalties for crimes were death and banishment.Over the years, imprisonment for crimes has considerably changed.   The cause for imprisonment and the conditions of prisons have changed depending on the norms and capability of societies.   However, there still stands one common reason for imprisonment of persons convicted of crimes and that is basically to keep them away from society.   It is for the purpose of keeping the public safe from criminal elements such as them and to prevent them from committing crimes again.There are four major social benefits of incarceration that must be considered in measuring the cost effectiveness of imprisonment:   retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation or incapacitation.   (Catherine Bucci, 2005).Society believes that offenders must be penalized.   This belief is as old as time.   The difference is the penalties imposed on crimes, which are markedly different from society to society, from era to era.   Serving time in prison is the convicts’ retribution for the crime they committed. Putting criminals behind bars serves to warn others of similar fate and hopefully prevent them from committing crimes also.   Imprisonment of convicts is a deterrent to potential criminals.   While serving time in prison, the convict may receive intervention to curb criminal mentality.   They are made to do activities that will take their minds off from their negative side and bring out the positive in them.   While in prison the criminal is not able to commit crime under the watch of law enforcement agents.   All these ultimately benefits society as they all focus on the control and prev ention of crime.There are four morally justified purposes for punishment.   (Ryan Kummamer, 2007).To Protect Society.   Imprisonment will keep the offender away from the public.   This is to ensure that the public will be safe and protected from further threats from criminals.  Ã‚   Society is assured that the criminal is under police custody and could do no harm again.   If the criminals are allowed to roam the streets unchecked and uncontrolled they pose a great threat to the peace and order of the community.To Reform the Offender.   Prisons are not just penitentiaries but also reformatory institutions.   While serving time, convicts are provided with opportunities that will help them to be contributing and productive members of society when they are released from prison.   These opportunities are made available to them thru skills training and rehabilitation and therapy sessions.   If prison changed the offenders, it will a better and welcomed change.As a Deterr ent to Potential Criminals.   The threat of imprisonment and serving long prison term should serve as a strong warning to potential criminals.   The threat which brings fear deters persons from committing crimes that would surely send them to jail.   Studies even show that a prison term is more feared than the death penalty.   This reinforces the assumption that imprisonment is an effective deterrent for potential offenders to keep away from committing crimes.Penalty and Pay Back.   Justice calls for penalty to be imposed for the commission of crime.   An offender commits a crime for which society wants him to pay.   The penalty of imprisonment serves as the punishment.   Imprisonment brings back order, paying back of what was taken away or restoration to the proper order and condition of a community before the incident of crime.   When the offender is put behind bars, a sense of peace once more prevails in the community that once was shaken by the crime.All four r easons justified the means to an end.   Imprisonment will have served its purpose if in the end, a reformed convict integrates to mainstream society and does not turn into a recidivist.There are several basic theories regarding criminal justice and its relation to individual rights and social control; Restorative Justice, Retributive Justice, and Transformative Justice.   (Raymond E. Foster, 2006, 2007).Imprisonment is likewise justified if the ends of justice were met and served.Restoration.   Justice calls for the restoration of what has been taken away from society because of the crime committed.   At times there were chaos, anger, disruption from normalcy and confusion.   When a criminal is confined in prison, he is taken away from the community.   This becomes the time for the community to pick up the pieces to start over.   The condition of the community before the incidence of the crime is brought back.Retribution.   The offender suffers what the victims had i n essence suffered as well.   Since time in memorial, every part in history made offenders pay up for the crimes against persons, society and humanity.   This age is no different, so that people would realize that crime definitely pays.Transformation.   Everybody deserves second chances, including convicts serving prison terms.   Their confinement in penal institutions must bring something good and purposeful.   Convicts are given the means to reform within the walls of prison.   When they are released they are hoped to become changed from the criminal that was committed to the facility to a reformed person who would re-join society.Today, unlike in the 50’s when families provide the backbone of society, many factors like broken homes cause the high incidence of crimes.   Without strong societal support and an equally effective criminal justice system crimes would be hard to control.   Given all the avenues to pursue criminal justice, deterrence must still be the first measure sought.   Deterrence from the commission of crimes is effective to fight crime.   If there is a big threat to criminals like fear of being incarcerated, that would be deterrence enough to prevent further commission of crimes.The recorded low crime rate in the 80’s up to the 90’s has been due mainly to the high possibility of   prison sentence and increased prison time for serious offenses.   Legislation to these ends had a big impact on the downward trend of crime rate.   Laws raised the odds of imprisonment and made crimes unattractive to would-be criminals.Imprisonment is a more acceptable option to a society that frowns upon capital punishment.   Church groups, civil society and human rights advocates are all against the death penalty.   In many other countries, they deplore the conditions of jails as unfit for humans giving due concern over the rights of accused.   These groups tend to see   the other end of the scales of justice .   However, prison conditions and intervention approach done and extended to convicts serving time make imprisonment the just alternative to capital punishment.Somehow justice must be carried out in a situation where a crime has been committed.   The scales of justice must be equally in favor of the perpetrator of the crime and the victim, and society in general.Imprisonment satisfies all ends of justice.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The convict must pay for the crime committed against persons and society.   Society in turn demands that justice be served thru commensurate penalty.   As penalty for a crime committed, retribution is met.   A compassionate society could find it to forgive a convict who has served time in prison for a crime committed.   Giving second chances to convicts, reformation is satisfied.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Separating the convict from society until he has repent, done time and is deemed ready to re-join society.   Public protection is assured.  Ã‚   Imprisonment scares people away from crime, then crime prevention is guaranteed.Sources:Bucci, Catherine.   (09 Jan 2005).   Rising Sanctions for Repeat Offender.Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.ecoon.unconn.edu/Bucci_internshippaperexample.docCrime Fighters:   Justice.   (16 Jan 2006).   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/crime/fighters/prisonservice.shtmlPrison Reform. (13 Jan 2007).   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_reformCrime and Punishment in Americ:1999.   NCPA Policy Report No. 229.   (Oct 1999)Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.ncpa.org/studies/s229/s229.htmlStrategic Goal Six:   Protect American Society by Providing for the Safe, Secure & HumaneConfinement of Persons in Federal Custody.   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.usdoj.gov/ag/annualreports/pr2001/Section06.htmlKummamer, Ryan.   (2007).   On Capital Punishment.   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.newcitizenship.net/2006/12/on-capital-punishment. htmlFoster, Raymond E.   (2006-2007).   Criminal Justice.   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.hitechcj.com/criminal-justice-degree-online/

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Staffing Plan for a Growing Business Research Paper

Staffing Plan for a Growing Business - Research Paper Example 2011). The two models are crucial to the success as well as future growth of DotCom Daycare centre. The staffing level will direct me so that I avoid overstaffing. It will also guarantee that I am not suffering from high costs that result from having the facility filled with employees who just sit around with less or nothing to do. In addition, it will guide me from understaffing, which will affect my employees because they will be stressed and overworked. This will cause my productivity to suffer, causing my business to lose great customers as well as employees, which eventually would hinder the achievement and success of the business. In order for the business to expand in the future, I am obliged by regulations of Maryland to obtain a bigger facility, and utilize the extra members of staff to accommodate my expansion in business. The expansion of the business requires me to employ five After-School Assistants, five guaranteed Daycare Professionals, one Office Support Paraprofessio nal and one Registered Nurse Professional. The main reason for staffing is to align the characteristics of individuals and the jobs in such a way that desired HR outcomes are realized. The four most crucial points regarding the person/job match include: first, jobs are typified by requirements; second, individuals are characterized by their qualification level. Third, the degree of fit or match between the job characteristics and the individual, and lastly, there are indirect consequences for each match (Wilson & Bates, 2013). Even though, both staffing models are critical to the success of Dotcom Daycare centre, person/match model is the best suited for the productivity, efficiency as well as the future growth of the business. Operating a business that deals with the world’s precious jewels (Children), demands that one hires well-qualified people who fit

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Note Taking and Referencing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Note Taking and Referencing - Essay Example What is the essence of approaching problems from a new perspective? How possible is it for managers to adapt to the changes in the 21st century? What is objective of finding a balance in effective management? How do incentives influence workers’ productivity if they form part of company goals and objectives? What is the function of dynamism in organizations in the 21st century? 3. Incentives motivate workers to work hard. Motivation gives employees a new lease of completing tasks. Approaching problems from a new perspective helps people to adapt with change. Managers could listen to their 21st century employees. A balance in effective management ensures that there is an agreement in decisions. By incentives becoming part of company goals and objectives, implementation becomes easier. Dynamism helps managers adapt to change. 4. I can apply these facts in making deductions such as the roles of managers, employees and clients in seeking a neutral ground on issues of motivation. T hey will also help me to examine how they are connected with productivity. 5. In my review, I think the facts should be implemented promptly to help organizations succeed. Part 2: Summary My choice of video in business and management is The Puzzle of Motivation by Dan Pink. The speaker begins by noting that he made certain errors that he has never shared with anyone but could do so within the forum. He then confesses that when he went to law school, he failed terribly and it was not a good thing because it was under the influence of youthful digression. Consequently, he was barred from practicing law but on the advice of his wife; he intends to impart a few of the legal skills in building a case to demonstrate motivational perspectives at the workplace as a vital factor in management (Hertel 2003, p. 120). In other words, Dan Pink applies a lawyerly analogy to explain how people run their businesses. He starts with the Candle Problem that was started in 1945 and well familiar exampl e to the audience. Arguing that it is part of a behavioral science, Pink asserts that attempting to fix the candle on the wall without letting it drip on the table forms the backbone of sound management. Similarly, after making several futile attempts according to the speaker, people often settle for the functional fixedness method 10 minutes later as the last solution. Dan Pink further quotes an eminent scientist who has used the Candle Problem to broadly explain the essence of incentives at the workplace as an instrumental form of effective management. In his demonstration, the scientist rounded up his participants and asked them how quick they could tackle a problem under strict timing. On that account, he subdivided the groups into two with one asked to calculate the averages and the normal time it takes to solve a normal problem while the other was promised rewards if they achieved the same task. The scientist guaranteed them that if they attained above 25 percent, then they wo uld get closely $5 for a job well done and the best would receive a total sum of $20. However, this offer came in the backdrop of a severe economic meltdown meaning the scientist had attained the role of a nice motivator in inspiring the second group (Latham 2007, p. 156). Consequently, the second group only spent less than three and half minutes to resolve the problem. According to Dan Pink, if anybody wishes his workers to perform better, the management should reward them by

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Overthrow History Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Overthrow History Paper - Essay Example Ultimately, the US loses interest in the target countries, allowing corruption or terrorism to flourish. Another pattern we can look at is the history of U.S.A mediation in governments around the world.   Kinzer’s starts with what he notes as the first American intervention in a foreign country, an intervention whose known aim was to collapse that government: the case of Hawaii, 1893. Hawaii was then an autonomous state ruled by a sovereign, Queen Liliuokalani. Kinzer facts the various political and economic motives behind this early example of American military power, or merely the threat of it, being ultimately used to destabilize and ultimate overthrow a foreign power that was not deemed to be complying with U.S. interests. Kinzer is careful to outline the economic imperatives that are so often at the root of political upheavals; in the case of Hawaii, it is white concern in the enormous profits to be made from sugar. The relation among economic and political forces as th ey played out in the case of Hawaii at the end of the 19th century set the pattern, Kinzer argues, for the several interventions that would go after over the next 100 years. Fast-forward to the assault of Iraq in 2003: as Kinzer notes, â€Å"Giant American Corporations stood to make huge profits from this conflict and its aftermath.† Among the main beneficiaries were Halliburton, Bechtel, and the Carlyle Group, all with ties to the Bush management and all major contributors to Bush’s presidential campaigns.   He tells the narration of the bold politicians, spies, military commanders, and commerce executives who took it upon themselves to depose royals, presidents, and prime ministers. He also shows that the U.S.A administration has often pursued these operations with no understanding the countries involved; as a result, many of them have had disastrous long-term effects. In a convincing and offensive history that takes readers to fourteen countries, including Cuba, I ran, South Vietnam, Chile, and Iraq, Kinzer surveys current American history from a new and often startling perspective. Justification for regime changes in places The control that economic power exercises over American foreign policy had grown extremely since the days when determined planters in Hawaii realized that by bringing their islands into the United States, they would be able to send their sugar to markets on the mainland without paying import duties. As the twentieth century progressed, titans of trade and their advocates went a step beyond influencing policy makers; they became the policy makers. The stature who most perfectly embodied this merging of political and economic interests was John Foster Dulles, who spent decades operational for some of the world’s most powerful corporations and then became secretary of state. Dulles ordered the 1953 coup in Iran, which was intended in part to make the Middle East safe for American oil companies. A year later he ordered another coup, in Guatemala, where a nationalist government had challenged the power of United Fruit, a company his old law firm represented. Having marshalled so much public and political support, American corporations found it relatively easy to call upon the military or the Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA) to defend their privileges in countries where they ran into trouble. They might not have been able to do so if they and the presidents who cooperated with them

Monday, August 26, 2019

Bioresorbable screws Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bioresorbable screws - Essay Example It is necessary to examine the three stages of the process and anticipate probable flaws in the final product resulting from decisions made at each stage. The melting phase of injection molding is essential to achieve the most even blending possible of the injected material. Too low a temperature may prevent the material from blending into a homogeneous mixture. If the temperature is too high there is a possibility that some material will be lost through evaporation, or combustion under the right circumstances. In any event, excess temperature would result in an inefficient process where energy is wasted, thus raising costs unnecessarily. The speed of the injection of the melt represents a danger as well, too slow and there is a possibility that a portion of the melt may partially solidify before the mixture is sealed into the pressure. Still there is the question of how fast the process absolutely needs to be for industrial efficiency. When the desired mixture is achieved, the press ure inside the injection mold must be intense enough to allow solidification while an optimum distribution of molecules is present, to ensure homogeneity. One possible experimental design is to locate the melting point of hydroxyapatite and then deliver five samples into separate heating elements at ascending 10Â ° increments above that melting point. ... ptimal temperature is determined in this method, material samples heated to the same temperature can be injected into new samples at five different speeds in progressively faster increments which are then sealed prior to hardening. Using the same stress testing, the optimal temperature at the optimal injection speed could then be used in a third experiment involving five samples at different increments of pressure. The stress tests can be repeated. In terms of power analysis, this design allows adjustability and the potential for precision. Five samples for each phase of testing create an experiment that permits the investigator to pinpoint the optimal conditions most conducive to the structural outcome desired. Five samples in 2Â ° increments allow inference of the optimal conditions without redundancy. If at either of these experimental phases there are inconclusive findings in stress testing, then the increment requiring the least amount of energy should be recommended. This prop osed experimental design could be evaluated using logistic regression. If the goal is to assess whether the product will break at a certain level of pressure, then whether breakage occurs is a categorical dependent variable, but this experiment proposes continuous data based upon temperature, injection speed, and mold pressure. This statistical method should provide insights concerning the optimal combination of factors to inform an attempt at reliability testing. For the purposes of this experiment, the continuous gradations in terms of temperature, injection speed, and mold pressure are necessary to provide a range of information that optimizes the probability of finding the most advantageous method. A repetition of these tests can be used to reduce the probability of anomalies and

Sunday, August 25, 2019

9.2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

9.2 - Essay Example Apart from this lack of orderliness, other mistakes can be easily corrected and then the work written to make a more cohesive and coherent document. Such an action of rearrangement will entail subdividing the paper into sections with clear subheadings. The focus of this paper is on why need-based scholarships should replace merit-based scholarships. Although this should be a thesis based argument or paper, what appears to be the thesis is unfortunately found in the third paragraph. It claims that the need-based scholarships will increase access to education for students from low income and minority families which will eventually increase the gap between the rich and poor. Apart from the heading that gives a hint of what the paper is about, it is not until the third paragraph that one starts to get an idea of what the paper is talking about. There are no sections and what the paper does is to provide reasons that support the thesis without giving clear indications on what perspective the reasons are based. The subject matter of the paper has been explained thoroughly through supportive ideas but it has not been subdivided into sections. In terms of argument, the article has adopted argument by authority whereby it closely follows ideas of others although in many instances it fails to quote the originators of the ideas. Many of the arguments are well thought and logical which make the overall reasoning of the paper very strong. As such, there are no hasty generalizations and supporting ideas are well balanced and thought out. Generally, the introduction and conclusion have not been well done. The introduction lacks the thesis statement owing to the fact that the first paragraph is always considered the introductory paragraph where the thesis is usually located. On the part of the conclusion, there is no special technique applied and it should have summarized the main points of the paper besides re-stating the

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Why the Culture of Supernatural is So Popular in Our Society Essay

Why the Culture of Supernatural is So Popular in Our Society - Essay Example Perhaps, it would have been a long journey down the lane of history to bear witness to the rigorous process of relaying accounts from way back the 16th century truth of ‘Bloody Mary’ and see how the modern-day belief significantly deviates from the valid main source. Thus, it is in such fashion of modified storytelling that we cease not as a society to have confidence in thought that supernatural beings cohabitate the Earth. Aside from plain communication, men have established popular media such as the TV, radio, films, and other technologically enhanced means of presenting stories that variably depict a monstrous character. Bram Stoker’s â€Å"Dracula†, M. Shelley’s â€Å"Frankenstein†, as well as S. Meyer’s â€Å"Twilight† saga that promotes a romantic vampire in Edward Cullen all converge to form the typical concept that vampires are fanged bloodsuckers who are normally on the dark side yet are capable of maintaining their you th for eternity. Because of what technology can do through audio-visual effects, the image and role portrayed by a vampire as perceived via the villainous Dracula or heroic Edward Cullen all the more gratifies the public curiosity about the authenticity, if any, of their individual myths. Hogan and Del Toro state â€Å"Science becomes the modern man’s superstition -- It allows him to experience fear and awe again, and to believe in the things he cannot see† (Del Toro & Hogan, NY Times). From the daily encounter of reality and the use of senses, one may find it hard to deny the fact that science and technology work hand-in-hand to make things possible to the extent of stimulating a human psyche toward the realization that there exists a more powerful entity than mankind. Moreover, the findings in â€Å"Why Vampires Never Die†... Aside from plain communication, men have established popular media such as the TV, radio, films, and other technologically enhanced means of presenting stories that variably depict a monstrous character. Bram Stoker’s â€Å"Dracula†, M. Shelley’s â€Å"Frankenstein†, as well as S. Meyer’s â€Å"Twilight† saga that promotes a romantic vampire in Edward Cullen all converge to form the typical concept that vampires are fanged bloodsuckers who are normally on the dark side yet are capable of maintaining their youth for eternity. Because of what technology can do through audio-visual effects, the image and role portrayed by a vampire as perceived via the villainous Dracula or heroic Edward Cullen all the more gratifies the public curiosity about the authenticity, if any, of their individual myths. Hogan and Del Toro state â€Å"Science becomes the modern man’s superstition -- It allows him to experience fear and awe again, and to believe i n the things he cannot see† (Del Toro & Hogan, NY Times). From the daily encounter of reality and the use of senses, one may find it hard to deny the fact that science and technology work hand-in-hand to make things possible to the extent of stimulating a human psyche toward the realization that there exists a more powerful entity than mankind. Moreover, the findings in â€Å"Why Vampires Never Die† suspect that humanity keeps to its core of nature an inevitable attachment to superstitious view of primitive ancestors who are pondered to have beastly and mystical traits.

Should the Government Provide Health Care Essay

Should the Government Provide Health Care - Essay Example Accordingly, good health care is very important to everyone as it forms part of their universal human right as citizen of the world. Consequently, the government should provide health care to everyone to ensure high productivity and good governance in the country. People with good health care can achieve many goals as opposed to people without it. According to Porter et al (38), the U.S Health Care System is tarnished for it is far above the ground cost. Many Americans habitually thought that it was the price of quality but it is not so. Some health care is outstanding, but there are also problems in the structure. In the past twenty years, health care has gone from being a foundation of pride to a great concern for America. The country squanders almost two trillion dollars yearly on health care, and costs prolong to rocket to levels to come close to a national predicament. More Americans have lost entree to Health insurance due to rise in costs of living. Another reason is the infla tion which has affected people. As these people encounter inadequate and protective care, quality suffers and costs rise even to unmanageable levels. The grouping of high costs, disappointing quality, and limited right of entry to health care have created concern and frustration for all participants. Costs keep on rising regardless of dogged efforts at cost control. The biggest problem in the U.S. health care structure is that the system is wrecked. Costs are sky-scraping and getting higher regardless of the fierce effort to control them. Technological innovation disperses slowly and does not force value improvement the way it should; as an alternative, it is seen by some as part of the trouble (Reich, 52) Â  Nathanson (38) observes that there is a rise in health care costs. A way of controlling health care costs is by the government creating a system that would make available good health insurance coverage to Americans. There is a high increase in costs relating to health care. Pe ople are concerned in paying more on health care and insurance. The government should provide health care as the latter has become more unaffordable for individuals and businesses. People who have to keep their health plans must incur a high cost. Businesses spend a lot of money in investments. This gives them a less chance spending money on health insurance premiums. Less money will be put back in the economy if individuals spend more on premiums and have little money to spend on consumer goods. A system controlled by the government will reduce costs and help in that improvement. Another reason is the development of a general database that is centralized and makes treatment trouble-free for doctors. Physicians require precise information to make appropriate diagnosis. A centralized system would create room for data examination, going ahead to good medical progress and efficient diagnosis as long as the government is paying for everything. Patients would be given confidence by the f ree medical services offered by the government. When a treatment is light, they will enquire about that problem. Currently, many sick people shun preventive measures for the reason that the costs to be incurred will be expensive. Health problems that could be prevented at an early stage become a major illness. The government would help such patients in visiting physicians (Messerli). Messerli asserts that when the government provides health care, it would enable people to concentrate in starting and managing their own businesses. Many people have great

Friday, August 23, 2019

International and Comparative Employment Relations Essay

International and Comparative Employment Relations - Essay Example The works on the labour standards and race to bottom are rather limited in the existing literature. Developed countries are now under the radar as there have been evidences that OECD countries are compromising on their labour protection issue. Many multinational companies like Foxconn are increasingly coming under scrutiny due to the unfair labour practices promoted by them (Chan, 2013). The purpose of this essay is to discuss the optimal labour standards mechanisms that should be developed by multinational companies so that they can qualify to be sustainable. The essay first establishes the problem that is being faced by the labourers and then discusses possible measures to improve the situation. The problem of race to bottom in labour market has been traced to the collective bargaining power of the labourers. The research conducted by Javorcik and Spatareanu (2011) had shown that multinational companies have been greatly deterred to enter into countries which have high labour costs on account of collective bargaining, a condition which is largely prevalent in the developed countries. The research conducted by Davies and Vadlamannati (2013) had shown that OECD countries have greatly relaxed their labour practices and joined the race to bottom. Their research had pointed out that it is not the labour laws which have gone through changes. It is rather the labour practices related to the enforcement of labour laws which have been hampered to a great extent. This behaviour of the countries can be directly seen as an attempt to attract higher Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Similar findings were also made by Olney (2010) and he had observed that nations are engaged in a cut thro at competition with one another to reduce labour standards.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Amy Lowell by Marcia Dinneen Essay Example for Free

Amy Lowell by Marcia Dinneen Essay Amy Lowells Life and Career Marcia B. Dinneen (http://www. english. illinois. edu/maps/poets/g_l/amylowell/life. htm) Amy Lowell was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, the daughter of Augustus Lowell and Katherine Bigelow Lawrence. Both sides of the family were New England aristocrats, wealthy and prominent members of society. Augustus Lowell was a businessman, civic leader, and horticulturalist, Katherine Lowell an accomplished musician and linguist. Although considered as almost disreputable, poets were part of the Lowell family, including James Russell Lowell, a first cousin, and later Robert Lowell. As the daughter of a wealthy family, Lowell was first educated at the family home, Sevenels (named by her father as a reference to the seven Lowells living there), by an English governess who left her with a lifelong inability to spell. Her first poem, Chacago, written at age nine, is testament to this problem. In the fall of 1883 Lowell began attending a series of private schools in Brookline and Boston. At school she was the terror of the faculty (Gould, p. 32). Even at Mrs.  Cabots school, founded by a Lowell cousin to educate her own children and the children of friends and relations, Lowell was totally indifferent to classroom decorum. Noisy, opinionated, and spoiled, she terrorized the other students and spoke back to her teachers (Heymann, p. 164). During school vacations Lowell traveled with her family. She went to Europe and to New Mexico and California. On the latter trip she kept a travel journal. Lowell enjoyed writing, and two stories she wrote during this time were printed in Dream Drops; or, Stories from Fairyland (1887), by a Dreamer. The volume was published privately by her mother, who also contributed material, and the proceeds were donated to the Perkins Institute for the Blind. Lowells schooling included the usual classes in English, history, French, literature, and a little Italian. As Lowell later noted, My family did not consider that it was necessary for girls to learn either Greek or Latin (Damon, p. 87). She would also describe her formal education as not amounting to a hill of beans (Benvenuto, p. 6). School ended in 1891, and Lowell made her debut. Described as the most popular debutante of the season, she went to sixty dinners given in her honor. Her popularity was attributed to her skills in dancing and in the art of conversation, but her debut did not produce the expected marriage proposal. Although Lowell had finished formal schooling, she continued to educate herself. Unfortunately, higher education was not an option for Lowell women. She put herself through a rigorous reading program, using her fathers 7,000-volume library and the resources of the Boston Athenaeum (her great-grandfather was one of the founders). Later Lowell would successfully speak out against the proposed relocation of the Athenaeum; this would also become the subject of a poem. Lowells love of books themselves began with her first Rollo book, Rollo Learning to Read, which her mother gave her when she was six. This gift marked the beginning of an enthusiasm for book collecting that would last throughout her life. In 1891 she made her first major purchase of a set of the complete works of Sir Walter Scott with money she had received as a Christmas gift. It was, however, her collection of Keatsiana, including a rare first edition of Lamia inscribed to F. B. from J. K. (Fanny Brawne from John Keats), that put her in the forefront of international book collectors. Following her debut, Lowell led the life of a prominent socialite, visiting, going to parties and the theater, and traveling. Her mother, who had been an invalid for years, died in 1895. A disappointment in love prompted a winter trip to Egypt in 1897-1898. Lowell had accepted the proposal of a Bostonian whom she loved, but before the engagement was formally announced he became entangled elsewhere (Damon, p. 120). The family could do nothing to protect her except guard tenaciously the name of the errant suitor (Gould, p. 65). The trip was also for health reasons. Doctors felt Lowells obesity could be cured by the Egyptian heat and a diet of nothing but tomatoes and asparagus. The regimen almost killed her and resulted in a prolonged nervous collapse. In 1900 Lowells father died, and she bought Sevenels. She also bought a summer home in Dublin, New Hampshire, that she named Broomley Lacey. The area was home to the MacDowell Artists Colony as well as to other notable painters and sculptors. In Brookline Lowell assumed her fathers civic responsibilities. Early in 1902 she spoke against the reappointment of the elderly superintendent of the Brookline public school system. She was the first woman in the Lowell family to make a speech in public (Gould, p. 77). Initially booed, Lowell continued to speak with her usual forthrightness and, at the end, won applause as well as her point. Lowell became a member of the executive committee of the Brookline Education Society and chair of its Library Board. In October 1902 Lowell became a poet. Her interest in verse had been growing beyond her childhood enthusiasm, fueled by her reading Leigh Hunts Imagination and Fancy; or, Selections from the English Poets,which she had found near the ceiling in her fathers library. The volume was a revelation to her, opening a door that might otherwise have remained shut, Lowell remarked (Gould, p. 51). She had become enamored of poetry and the poets Hunt discussed, particularly Keats. After she saw Eleanora Duse perform one October night she wrote her first adult poem, Eleanora Duse. Although some critics say that she was being too hard on herself, Lowell described the 71-line poem as having every cliche and every technical error which a poem can have. Yet she also said, It loosed a bolt in my brain and I found out where my true function lay (Damon, p. 148). At age twenty-eight she had discovered her calling: to be a poet. In 1910 four of Lowells sonnets were accepted for publication by the Atlantic Monthly. A Fixed Idea, published first, appeared in August of that year. By 1912 she had published her first book of poetry, A Dome of Many-Colored Glass; the title came from Percy Bysshe Shelleys Adonais, his elegy for Keats. It was not well received by either the public or the critics. Louis Untermeyer wrote that the book to be brief, in spite of its lifeless classicism, can never rouse ones anger. But, to be briefer still, it cannot rouse one at all (Damon, p. 92). Yet 1912 was also the year that Lowell met actress Ada Dwyer Russell. The friendship between the two women has been described as platonic by some, as lesbian by others; it was, in fact, a Boston marriage. They lived together and were committed to each other until Lowells death. Russell was Lowells companion, providing love and emotional support, as well as the practical skill of organizing Lowells busy life. Biographer Richard Benvenuto observed that Lowells great creative output between 1914 and 1925 would not have been possible without her friends steadying, supporting presence (p. 0). The following year Lowell discovered some poems in Poetry by Hilda Doolittle, signed H. D. Imagiste. Lowell felt an identification with the style of H. D. s poetry and determined to discover more about it. Armed with a letter of introduction from Poetry editor Harriet Monroe, Lowell traveled to London to meet Ezra Pound, head of the imagist movement. In London Lowell not only learned about imagism and free verse from Pound, but she also met many poets, several of whom became lifelong friends. Over the years Lowell would develop many literary friendships that resulted in an enormous volume of literary correspondence, requiring Lowell to employ two full-time secretaries. Lowell not only supported and encouraged other poets with her writing, such as her favorable review of Robert Frosts North of Boston in the New Republic (20 Feb. 1915), but also with money and gifts. Lowells poems began to appear in increasing numbers in journals, and she was becoming a prolific writer of essays and reviews. Pound had requested the inclusion of her poem In a Garden in his anthology Des Imagistes(1914). Later Lowell and Pound would have a falling out over the direction of the imagist movement, and Pound would call the movement, as adapted by Lowell, Amygism. Lowell became the spokesperson of imagism, leading the fight for the renewal of poetry in her homeland (Francis, p. 510), and her efforts were tireless. She traveled throughout the country, selling the new poetry. Her own volume Sword Blades and Poppy Seed (1914), written in free verse and polyphonic prose, a Lowell invention, brought her an instantaneous phenomenal rise to fame (Gould, p. 139). Lowells first book of criticism, Six French Poets (1915), based on a series of her lectures, was also well received. Lowell was publishing a book a year, alternating between volumes of short verse and longer poems. Men, Women and Ghosts (1916) was highly regarded and contained Patterns one of her most famous poems. In it an eighteenth-century woman, walking in her garden, contemplates a future that has suddenly become empty because of the loss of her fiance in battle; she mourns the fact that the Patterns of her role required her to remain chaste before marriage. The next year she published another critical volume, Tendencies in Modern American Poetry, which included essays on six contemporary poets: Edwin Arlington Robinson, Robert Frost, Edgar Lee Masters, Carl Sandburg, H. D. , and John Gould Fletcher. Lowell also published anthologies of imagist poets in 1915, 1916, and 1917. Her next volume of poetry, Can Grandes Castle (1918), included four long poems; the title was taken from the name of the refuge where Dante, the Florentine exile, wrote portions of his Divine Comedy. Inspired by her lifelong interest in the Orient, Pictures of a Floating World (1919) is a translation of the Japanese word ukiyo-e, a term commonly associated with a form of eighteenth-century Japanese painting. It includes 174 short, free verse lyrics, considered by some as overtly erotic. For example, A Decade and The Weathercock Points South are described as a celebration of lesbian devotion. Legends (1921) contains eleven longer poems, and Fir-Flower Tablets (1921) is a collection of poems based on translations of ancient Chinese verse. Since Lowell did not read Chinese, she was dependent on English translations by Florence Wheelock Ayscough, which Lowell then turned back into poetry. A Critical Fable (1922) is a long, humorous poem, evaluating the state of contemporary poetry. Originally published anonymously, the poem pokes fun at fellow poets and at Lowell herself in lines of rhymed couplets. The poem was modeled on James Russell Lowells A Fable for Critics (1848). Her last publication was the momentous biography , John Keats (1925). In 1921 Lowell had given an address at Yale honoring Keats on the one-hundredth anniversary of his birth. The lecture stimulated her to write the book, which minutely examines Keatss life and corrects some long-standing misconceptions about him. Lowell was also the first biographer to see Fanny Brawne in a favorable light. The book was well received in the United States but not in Britain, where she was accused of writing a psychological thriller rather than a literary biography. Lowell was angry and heartbroken but in typical fashion determined to confront the critics on their own turf.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Concepts of Professional Ethics and Moral Responsibility

Concepts of Professional Ethics and Moral Responsibility Group Members: Cheong Loong TAN Yehya ELLEISSY Xavier VUONG Chenkai JIN Ethical Dilemma The development of the product/service is to meet end user’s satisfaction and keeping them in line with the growth of technology. Such entertainment would be to provide the user with the ability to create 3D objects by using software and a 3D printer, allow users to share their thoughts on facts or ideas without restriction and even provide users with a device that acts as a life companion. The underlying ethical dilemma in the scenario is the abuse of the products and services, which most of the time results in unethical behaviour. For the purpose of this analysis, unethical behaviour will be defined as any behaviour that violates or disturbs the moral code of the society. For example, it is unethical to speak of an individual in the absence of their presence, because it causes harm to the victim’s reputation. Taking this into consideration, Facebook would be the largest host of unethical behaviour, as this occurs on a daily basis. Another product that is often remarked as being questionable is the Google Glass, a product that combines video/voice recording with the ability to connect to the internet in device that users wear around their eyes as glasses. This raises questions surrounding privacy of the people around the user, as they will not be aware if the user has activated the record function. Lastly, the 3D printer, ever since its creation has caused ethic al issues with the user able to create firearms that cannot be detected by metal detectors. These products will be further discussed in the first question, with relation to the duty of the companies and organisation that develop them. The scenario presented outlines some of the ethical issues that could arise if using those products or services. These ethical dilemmas are issues such as privacy invasion, security related problems and the user’s ability to cause harm to another. Through this analysis, we will discuss the products and services in question by researching their features, and what harm they are capable of causing when abused. Then we will move on to answer the question of whether or not the companies or organisations should be held responsible for the features of their products and services that allow users to make moral decisions. Followed by this question will be a list of possible solutions to the problems presented in the previous question. The ethical dilemma certainly exists within the scenario, but whether or not it is the duty of the organisations and companies to take responsibility for the actions of their users is question that will be analysed. Should Companies/Organizations be held responsible Companies would create these products and services with the intention of satisfying the users while abiding by the laws. The problem with the entertainment provided occurs when the end users abuse the system, and in that they could make morally incorrect decisions which affect other people. The offenders are only able to commit the abuse because there is no restriction; therefore the question raised to attention is that ‘Should the companies/organizations that develop these products/services be held responsible for â€Å"moral decision making software code and features† that they built into them?’ For the purpose of this analysis, â€Å"Moral-decision-making software code and features† is defined as the certain aspects of products and services that contribute to morality. User Many product and service offered allows user to express their creativity, thoughts and ideas. A 3D printer allows user to print to life anything they are able to model using software, and a Google Glass allows user to integrate all common technologies into one small device to be used anywhere. Social media such as Facebook allows user to share, comment, vote, and even act as an advertising platform for organisation. Nevertheless, there exist a certain group of user that exploit the product either for fame, or money purposes. A good example would be a 3D printer. The printer relies on the creativity of the user itself. When the printer was released, the major problem faced was firearm printing. A single click on the internet enables user to download a weapon blueprint and next loading it into the software and instantly an extremely dangerous goods was produced. In country where firearms are difficult to obtain, these firearms can be easily developed using a 3D printer and costing only approximately $25 of plastic with reasonably high durability (OCallaghan, 2014), and this problem is currently on the rise (Wilson, 2014). Based on our survey report, 50% of the individuals agree that 3D printer should be freely available. Another example would be using Facebook as a tool for committing crime. Cyber bullying, stalking, and uploading photos and videos of people without their consent are very common in Facebook. Professional hackers exploit the vulnerabilities in Facebook and gather target’s personal information such as name, address, phone number and bank information. Some of them even impersonate as family members, relatives or friends to gather sensitive information. Bribery often happens with threat of uploading sensitive information/pictures on Facebook. Often this leads to suicidal when victims are too depressed and cannot cope with the stress (Arkell, 2013). Facebook does not have the option of deleting account – a complete swipe out of user’s information. The only option was deactivating the account. This may seem to be useful when a user changes his/her mind, as they can reactivate back their account any time. However this posts a huge security problem. What if a hacker exploits Facebook Database and share out all the sensitive information? From our survey report, majority of the user wants the option of deleting account to be implemented. Looking at the examples above, the problem exists because companies are not being held responsible for the actions of the user. Companies/organizations are aware of these problems however it is beyond their capability to prevent this from happening as some of the user continuously exploits and misuse the product. Every user should be educated on the responsibility in their doings while maintaining a professional ethics. Professionals The counter argument presented by professional states that user should be responsible for their own welfare and behaviour while using these product. This is a valid statement, as it is the user’s actions that result in unethical behaviour, not the product. The product was designed with the intention of performing within the laws of the country, and not to create any unethical problems. The 3D printer’s ability to create firearms was not the initial intention by the manufacturer but rather the user itself. Besides, firearms made are not durable enough, and not practical in long term. Google Glass’s privacy issue is questioned because user is using it in the public area. If it’s for personal use then there would be no privacy concern. Wallach and Allen (2009) describe an actual case where semiautonomous robotic cannon malfunctioned killing 9 soldiers and wounding 14 others on October 2007. The argument here matches the original argument, that companies should be responsible for the â€Å"moral-decision-making software code† in the system. In this case, the company would be held responsible because they did not ensure that system worked correctly. In conclusion, the company or organisation responsible for the product/service should not be held responsible for the morally incorrect actions of their consumers. While it may seem, from the arguments above that they are most definitely responsible, it was consumer’s option to buy the product. Therefore, this analysis supports the professional statement that consumers should be responsible for their own welfare when using these products. What else needs to be done to solve the underlying issue? Companies that develop these products with shouldn’t be held full responsibility for the misuse of it. Mainly it is the user that decides how it is used and if it is used in an unethical manner or not. Instead, what we should be focusing and investing our time in is what can be done to solve those underlying issues. Take one of the most exciting advancements in technology today, Google Glass, for an example. Google Glass is a modern technology in the shape of an eyewear device that can take photos, videos, and even acting as a GPS device, but this feature concerns the violation of privacy. For example, user may take photos or even record a video of another individual without their consent as the device itself mimicked a pair of glasses with no indication that a recording is being done. Another major issue concerns public safety. When using Google Glass GPS feature, the overlay and prompts appear may distract the driver from noticing incoming traffic, obstacles and pedestrians. Fatal accident may arise due to this. Solutions Here are some suggestions/ways to deal with the issue Ethics and Privacy Beeping tone being emitted when a user capture a picture or make a recording. This is to indicate to the user and surrounding public that pictures are being captured or a recording is being made. Public should be educated and informed about Google Glass functionality and features. This can be achieved through commercials TV ads, social media and internet. Safety Laws and legislations should be implemented and enforced on the usage of Google Glass when driving. Driving while using Google Glass should not be permitted, as it poses a threat to both the driver and surrounding public. Educate user User should be well educated on the do’s and don’ts when using the device. Workshop, training, and seminars should be conducted from time to time to raise awareness in professional ethics concerning technology. User should also be exposed to laws and policies that govern privacy. Google Glass was just one example of how solutions can be provided to it problems without having to place responsibility on the companies/organisations moral-decision-making software code and features. When these three solutions are applied to other products, unethical behaviour should drop. Taking Facebook as an example, the best solution here would be to educate the users on the privacy policy and setting in order to stop people communicating to other who they do not know, or may be under a false identity. Also, users will be aware that information that they post onto Facebook is available for Facebook to use. As for 3D printers, having users educated about safety is important because the knowledge can stop users from printing firearms. Since the firearms are not very durable, and are not being developed professionally, an individual may cause severe harm to himself if the firearm explodes. Also if the individual is educated about the laws the consequences of developing illegal firearms, it can serve as a deterrent. References Arkell, H. (November 26, 2013). DailyMail. In Coroner warns of dangers of Facebook after student, 19, targeted by young women bullies online hanged himself. Retrieved Aug 10, 2014, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2513782/Facebook-bullies-led-suicide- OCallaghan, J. (May 16, 2014). DailyMail. In The terrifying reality of 3D-printed guns: Devices that ANYONE can make are quickly evolving into deadly weapons. Retrieved Aug 10, 2014, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2630473/The-terrifying-reality-3D-printed-guns-Devices-ANYONE-make-quickly-evolving-deadly-weapons.html. Wilson, L. (June 18, 2014). News. In Rise of 3D-printed handguns and illegally assembled firearms sparks call for Senate inquiry . Retrieved Aug 10, 2014, from http://www.news.com.au/technology/rise-of-3dprinted-handguns-and-illegally-assembled-firearms-sparks-call-for-senate-inquiry/story-e6frfrnr-1226957787578. Professional Ethics And Moral Responsibility Survey 1. Is it rude to Google someones profile while looking at them using a Google Glass? 2. Do you agree with Google using personalized ads for marketing purposes? 3. Should Facebook allow users to delete their accounts (All information/pictures will be completely removed)? 4. Do you think 3D printer should be legalized in Australia? 5. Is it necessary for companies/universities to have access in monitoring network activities by individuals? 6. Should companies/organizations be held responsible for moral decision making software code and features that they built into them? 7. Do you think companies/organizations should implement whistle blowing policy? 8. What penalty should be imposed on companies/organizations that violates or disclose users information? 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Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Effect of Demographics on the Choice of Investments

Effect of Demographics on the Choice of Investments It has been observed that over the last decade the Income of the third world countries such as India, China and Indonesia has grown at a high pace. As the wealth of the people increases they will have confidence in the markets and start investing in financial products. This research paper deals with the investment decisions of all individuals across different income groups, age, gender etc. and tries to identify the affect of demographic factors on the decision making investors The study aims to find out if the demographic factors of an individual namely his age, income, gender, savings, source of income and investment experience have any effect on the patterns of investment and hence affect his risk taking ability. Advanced quantitative techniques have been used to investigate the data and judgment has been given on the basis of statistical output. The results would help the managers in the Wealth Management process in advising their clients better regarding investments that are most suitable according to their demographics and personality type. The study provides evidence that the investment choice depends on and is affected by the demographic variables. Introduction India, China and Brazil showed the highest growth in the number of HNIs in the year 2007 (The world wealth report 2008). The growth in the exposure that these markets have still remains untapped as they have only 3 percent exposure to equities. As the wealth of the people increases they will have confidence in the markets and start investing in financial products. In the 1970s and early 1980s, researchers found enough evidences that the markets are efficient and investment decisions are taken rationally. However, over a period of time there have been major challenges to the rationality assumption. Such challenges, coming from behavioral finance, continue to advance the argument that the traditional finance theorys predictive power is no match to what investors observe and experience in the markets, in reality. Behavioral finance is a new emerging science that exploits the irrational behavior of the investors. According to the behavioral economists, individuals do not function perfectly as the classical school opines. Weber (1999) makes the observation, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Behavioral finance closely combines individual behavior and market phenomena and uses the knowledge taken from both psychological field and financial theoryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The key result of a behavioral finance-enhanced relationship will be a portfolio to which the advisor can comf ortably adhere while fulfilling the clients long-term goals. This result has obvious advantages which suggests that behavioral finance will continue to play an increasing role in Wealth Management The study aims to find out if the demographic factors of an individual namely his age, income, gender, savings, source of income and investment experience have any effect on the patterns of investment and hence affect his risk taking ability. Quantitative techniques shall be used to investigate the data and the decision will be given on the basis of the analysis. The results would help the people involved in the Wealth Management process in advising their clients better regarding investments that are most suitable according to their demographics and personality type. Objective The objective of this paper is to investigate how the investment choice is affected by the demographics of the investors, once we study the choice effecting variables, we will use past data and monitor what have been the returns achieved from such proportion of investments and we shall determine the ideal portfolio and mix in the portfolio. Such knowledge will be highly useful for financial advisors as it will help them to advise their clients regarding investments that are appropriate with respect to their demographic profiles. Literature review A number of studies have been conducted to study how risk tolerance varies with the individual demographics, such as, gender, age, education, income, etc. Most of these studies have, however, concentrated on exploring the gender differences in investment choice. Harlow and Keith (1990) found that women prefer low risk bets when asked to make choices in an experimental market environment, involving auctions and lotteries (Olsen and Cox, 2001). Experimental evidence suggests that women may be more risk averse towards gamble (Hershey and Schoemaker, 1980). Large-scale one-on-one attitude surveys by the Investment Company Institute and SRI International in the year 1996 and 1997 respectively, also revealed that women tend to prefer lower risk assets than men. (Olsen and Cox, 2001). Women hold less risky assets than men (Jianakoplos and Bernasek, 1998) and they also choose less risky alternatives (Powll and Ansic, 1997). Women exhibited less risk-taking behavior than men in their most recent, largest and riskiest mutual fund investment decisions (Dwyer et al., 2002). Women are more risk averse than men in gambles, investment frames with possibility of loss and gamble frame with no losses (Eckel and Grossman, 2003). Brynes and Miller (1999) have studied and investigated the relationship between risk and gender and concluded that women tend to take less risk than men (Olsen and Cox, 2001). Women are less likely to invest in riskier but high return assets than men (Mc Donald, 1997). However, the empirical investigation of gender difference in risk taking is inconclusive (Charness and Gneezy, 2004). While most research conducted prior to 1980 concluded that gender difference clearly exists, more recent research studies yield mixed results (Changanti and Parasuraman, 1996; and Powell and Ansic, 1997). Males and females are equally successful in taking decisions under conditions of risk (Hudgen and Fatkin, 1985). They are equally effective in the leadership role (Eagly et al., 1995) and are equally capable of processing and reacting to information (Stinerock et al., 1991). As businessmen/women, many studies have found similar level of performance for women-owned business as those which are owned by men (Kalleberg and Leicht, 1991; and Fischer et al., 1993). In an abstract lottery choice, Schubert et al. (2000) framed choices as either potential gain, or potential loss. They found that women are more risk averse than men in domain of gain, while men are more risk averse than women in the frame of loss domain. Women fund mangersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ both domestic and internationalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ hold portfolios which are marginally riskier than those of men, and their returns also outperform those of men (Bliss and Potter, 2001). Women were found to be less risk averse than men when the gambles were framed as insurance (Duda et al., 2004). Although, the impact of gender on risk taking is significantly weakened when investor knowledge of financial markets and investments is controlled in the regression equation, the greater level of risk aversion among wome n, which is frequently documented in the literature, cannot be completely, explained by knowledge disparities (Dwyer et al., 2002). In the Indian context, Gupta (www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/bandhk/1118105.html) has indicated that from the angle of investor protection, the regulation of the new issue market is important for several reasons. The number of small investors in new issue market is massive. Most of new investors make their first entry into equity investments via the new issue market. So retaining common investor confidence in primary markets is important. Madhusoodan (www.nyse.com/press/NT00545421.html) has indicated that in the Indian stock market, higher risk is not priced, hence investment in higher risk instruments is of no use. Kakati (www.investorclaims.com/html/bokermisconduct.html) has indicated that Indian IPOs are under priced in the short run and overpriced in the long run. Selling after allotment, around the listing month, is the cause of major return differences between IPOs performance in the short run and long run. Gokaran has studied the financing patterns of the corporate growth in the country. The study indicated that equity markets suffer serious inadequacies as a mechanism for raising capital. Murali (www.ssrn.com) has indicated that new issues market (NIM) focuses on decreasing information asymmetry, easy accessibility of capital by large sections of medium and small enterprises, national level participation in promoting efficient investments, and increasing a culture of investments in productive sector. In order that these goals are achieved, a substantial level of improvement in the regulatory standards in India at the voluntary and enforcement levels is warranted. The most crucial steps to achieve these goals would be to develop measures to strengthen the new issues market. To effectively and efficiently serve clients in todays competitive industry, financial planners increasingly rely on information technology. The larger the financial planning firm, the more critical the use of information technology becomes as its applications extend to areas outside financial planning such as payroll, accounting, marketing, and operations. This article proposes the establishment of a new research discipline, financial planning informatics, which focuses on the development of technology tools to support the unique needs of financial planners. We live in the information age. Information is the result of processing, manipulating, and organizing data in a way that creates new knowledge (Rahman 2006). A number of studies have been conducted to study how risk tolerance varies with the individual demographics, such as, gender, age, education, income, etc (Schooley Worden, 1996; Shaw, 1996; Xiao Noring, 1994; Watson and Naughton, 2007). Most of these studies have, however, concentrated on exploring the gender differences in investment choice. The impact of other demographic factors, such as, age, education, income, occupation and dependents on investment choice has not been investigated by many researchers. But whatever studies have been done suggest that they (other demographic factors) affect individuals investment decisions. Risk tolerance, a persons attitude towards accepting risk, is an important concept which has implications for both financial service providers and consumers. For the latter, risk tolerance is one factor which may determine the appropriate composition of assets in a portfolio which is optimal in terms of risk and return relative to the needs of the individual (Droms, 1987). In fact, the well-documented home country bias of investors may be a manifestation of risk aversion on the part of investors (see Cooper, and Kaplanis, 1994 and Simons, 1999). For fund managers, Jacobs and Levy (1996) argue that the inability to effectively determine investor risk tolerance may lead to homogeneity among investment funds. Further, Schirripa and Tecotzky (2000) argue that the standard Markowitz portfolio optimization process can be optimised by pooling groups of investors together with different attitudes to risk into a single efficient portfolio that maintains the groups average risk tolerance. Although a number of factors have been proposed and tested, a brief survey of the results reveals a distinct lack of consensus. First, it is generally thought that risk tolerance decreases with age (see Wallach and Kogan 1961; McInish 1982; Morin and Suarez 1983; and Palsson 1996) although this relationship may not necessarily be linear (see Riley and Chow 1992; Bajtelsmit and VanDerhai 1997). Intuitively this result can be explained by the fact that younger investors have a greater (expected) number of years to recover from the losses that may be incurred with risky investments. Interestingly, there is some suggestion that biological changes in enzymes due to the aging process may be responsible (see Harlow and Brown, 1990). More recent research however, reveals evidence of a positive relationship or fails to detect any impact of age on risk tolerance (see Wang and Hanna 1997; Grable and Joo 1997; Grable and Lytton 1998, Hanna, Gutter and Fan, 1998; Grable 2000, Hariharan, Chapman a nd Domian, 2000; and Gollier and Zeckhauser, 2002). A second demographic which is frequently argued to determine risk tolerance is gender and Bajtelsmit and Bernasek (1996), Palsson (1996), Jianakoplos and Bernasek (1998), Bajtelsmit, Bernasek and Jianakoplos (1999), Powell and Ansic (1997), and Grable (2000) find support for the notion that females have a lower preference for risk than males. Grable and Joo (1999) and Hanna, Gutter and Fan (1998) however, find that gender is not significant in predicting financial risk tolerance. Education is a third factor which is thought to increase a persons capacity to evaluate risks inherent to the investment process and therefore endow them with a higher financial risk tolerance (see Baker and Haslem, 1974; Haliassos and Bertaut, 1995; Sung and Hanna, 1996). Shaw (1996) derives a model which suggests an element of circularity in this argument however, as the relative risk aversion of an individual is shown to determine the rate of human capital acquisition. Income and wealth are two related factors which are hypothesised to exert a positive relationship on the preferred level of risk (see Friedman 1974; Cohn, Lewellen, Lease and Schlarbaum 1975; Blume 1978; Riley and Chow 1992; Grable and Lytton 1999; Schooley and Worden 1996; Shaw 1996; and Bernheim et al, 2001). For the latter, however, the issue is not clear cut. On the one hand, wealthy individuals can more easily afford to incur the losses resulting from a risky investment and their accumulated wealth may even be a reflection of their preferred level of risk. Alternatively, wealthy people may be more conservative with their money while people with low levels of personal wealth may view risky investments as a form of lottery ticket and be more willing to bear the risk associated with such payoffs. This argument is analogous to Bowmans (1982) proposition that troubled firms prefer and seek risk. Investigation of the investment decisions made by married individuals presents a unique challenge to researchers as the investment portfolio of the couple may reflect the combined risk preferences of the couple (Bernasek and Shwiff, 2001). The available evidence suggests that single investors are more risk tolerant (Roszkowski, Snelbecker and Leimberg, 1993) although some research has failed to identify any significant relationship (McInish, 1982; Masters, 1989; and Haliassos and Bertaut, 1995). Methodology The study employs primary data collected by communicating with the respondents with the help of a structured questionnaire. Before undertaking the survey, a pilot test of the questionnaire was done with 40 respondents. Their views were incorporated in the final questionnaire and desired results were obtained. The study is based on responses obtained from the respondents belonging to a wide cross section. The total sample consisted of about 150 people, Males/Females from Salaried/ Self Employed, were split from different Age groups of Less than 35, 35-45, 45 and above. Investment Experience (Measured in the No of years) and the savings of Individuals post investment was also observed. The study employed non-probabilistic sampling method to select the respondents. The sampling method used can best be described as a mix of judgmental and convenient sampling. The questionnaire (Annexure) consists of a risk profiling exercise combined with the demographic characteristics required about the investor. Later a combination of cluster analysis along with a couple of other tests like LOGIT, PROBIT Etc will be used. DATA ANALYSIS The risk taking ability of the respondents was found by looking at the patterns and similarities that could be found and understood in the data. Techniques of Regression and Logit tests are used. Then the demographic characteristics of the people to their risk taking ability and any similar patterns are also identified. From the final questionnaire we got to know the risk profile, demographic profile, choice of investments, other habits and observations etc. Later any patterns and similarities were looked at in the data. The analysis was done using Logit tests identifying probabilities, Multi logistic regression, Man- Whitney U test and chi square. The following hypotheses were formulated to study whether the choice of Investment depends upon variables, such as, gender, age, income, educational qualification and occupation. The hypotheses are stated as follows: Ho.1: There is no significant difference between the males and females in their choice of investment avenues. Ho.2: There is no significant difference among the investors belonging to different age groups in their choice of investment avenues. Ho.3: There is no significant difference between the investors of different occupations in their choice of investment avenues. Ho.4: There is no significant difference between the investors having different investment experience in their choice of investment avenues. Ho.5: There is no significant difference between the investors having different savings post investment in their choice of investment avenues. Logit Regression Using the data, we have calculated if the respondent is a risk taking or a risk averse investor. His risk taking behavior is taken as a Dependent variable. The various independent variables include Age, Gender, No of dependents, Income; savings post investments, investment experience etc. The model studies the change in the dependent variable due to change in all these independent variables. We use ungrouped method of Logit regression as we observe that these variables are independent and are not very much correlated with each other; hence they show lesser chance of hetroscedasticity with each other. Wald statistic (test) was used to test the significance of individual logistic regression coefficients for each independent variables ( that is to test the null hypothesis in logistic regression that a particular logit coefficient is zero). It is the ratio of the unstandardised logit coefficient to its standard error. The Wald statistic and its corresponding p probability level is part of the SPSS output. The independents may be dropped from the equations when their effect is not significant by the Wald statistic. We observe that the regression equation is significant at 10% with Wald value of 2.959. It was observed that among the independent variables the Age, gender and Investment experience are considered to be significant with a Wald value of 18.571, 3.47, 3.457 respectively they are also significant as they fall in significance level of 10%. However No of dependents, the Income and savings post investment are not significant enough and they are not at a significant level too with more than 10% significance level. It is observed that the number of dependents or siblings of a person does not define his risk taking ability and capacity, same is the reason for the person being salaried or being self employed for his living. There is no pattern observed for the level of savings that person has after his investment habits. Hence it can be said that the risk taking capacity can be mainly judged by his Age, Gender and Investment experience. The logit can be converted easily into an odds ratio simply by using an exponential function. The original odds are multiplied by e to the bth power, where b is the logistic regression coefficient, when the given independent increases by one unit. The ratio of odds ratio of the independent is the ratio of the relative importance of the independent variables on the dependent variables. The value of ratio for income 1.083 . Hence a unit change in income affects the change in risk taking ability by 1.083 Further in the regression equation the variable Age is highly significant with the score of 21.443 in the equation, so is gender and investment experience. The equation has a overall statistics of 28.953 with a appropriate significance level. R Square in logistic regression R2 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" measures attempts to measure strength of association. For small examples, for instance, an R2 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" like measure might be high when the goodness of fit was unacceptable by model chi- square or some other test. Cox and Snell R square is used to in the interpretation of multiple R square based on the likelihood, but the value lesser than1 is, the better. Here the value is 0.230. Nagelkerkes R2 divides Cox and Snells R2 by its maximum in order to achieve a measure that ranges from 0 to 1. Therefore Nagelkerkes R2 which is here 0.310 will normally be higher than the Cox and Snell measure but will tend to run lower than the corresponding OLS R2 which is 133.048. Nagelkerkes R2 is the most-reported of the R-squared estimates. Conclusion The insight of how an investment choice gets affected by the demographic variables helps the financial advisors to advise their clients better. The clients, on the other hand, on being advised regarding the investments that suit their profile, will not only rate such an advice higher but will also appreciate it. This study thus, will certainly improve the mutual trust between the advisor and his client. Similar studies with diverse samples will help in understanding the investment psychology better. From the research we observe that the risk taking ability can be mainly judged by his Age, Gender and Investment experience. That is if the person falls in a specific age category, the financial planner cab be readily prepared for the desires level of risky portfolio to be offered to the client. It has been noticed from the data that mostly people with high age are risk adverse on the contrary young people like to take very high risks and invest in aggressive stocks and speculative instruments. Men have been observed to be more risk taking and aggressive than most females. And people who have experience of trading in the financial markets also determine the level of risk they like to take. It is observed that the no of dependents or siblings that a person does not define his risk taking ability and capacity initially we thought that people who have more no of siblings would like to take less risk however same has not been observed in this case, same is the case for the person being salaried or being self employed for his living. Similarly no pattern has been observed for the level of savings that person has after his investment habits and the level of risk that he like to take.