Poland And Czech Reform Essays - Decommunization, Economy Of Poland

Poland And Czech Reform After the fall of communism, several different countries decided that it was time to reform both current economic and political policies. Two countries that have had major economic reforms are Poland and the Czech Republic. However, the process of that change is different, each country had a different idea of how to become a new economic power in the 1990's. In December 1989, the new government, led by members of the labor union Solidarity, launched a reform program designed to transform Poland's economy into a free-market system. Price controls were lifted, while wage controls were imposed. State enterprises were transformed into joint-stock companies, and many were scheduled for eventual privatization or purchase by foreign investors. The restructuring of the Polish economy resulted in a massive layoff of workers and a rapid rise in unemployment. Poland's GDP declined sharply in 1990 and 1991. Poland had relied heavily on agriculture and would have been easier to reform if its exhausted industrial regions could have been abandoned. Poland may have been the first to try a rapid, sweeping conversion, deemed by the press as "shock therapy." This conversion was to a capitalism and free market. It was also the first to overcome the resultant drop in economic output. Economic growth returned as early as the first half of 1992, and voters should have begun to notice the benefits by September 1993. However, rather than reformers gaining approval, the renamed communist party captured the largest number of seats in the Polish parliament in the elections that month. This was yet another step back for the reforming process. After its initial decline, Poland's economy began to improve. Annual GDP increased between 1992 and 1997, when it reached $135.7 billion. Industrial production increased by about 12 percent in 1994, which, accompanied by a 2 percent drop in unemployment, represented a major increase in labor productivity. Inflation remained above government goals but steadily declined, with an annual rate of 30 percent in 1994 dropping to 18.5 percent in 1996. Although hundreds of enterprises were transferred to private ownership during 1994 and 1995, the pace of privatization was generally slow; the private sector's share of GDP remained at about 60 percent in 1995 and 1996. However, a new constitution adopted in May 1997 committed the country to pursuing a market economy and further privatization. In the early and mid-1990s Poland's foreign debt was significantly alleviated by concessions from creditors, which helped to attract increasing levels of foreign investment. The result of "shock therapy" for Poland was to emerge out after the fall of the former reigning communism, to take leaps and bounds in economic development. Another country, just south of Poland, the Czech Republic also economically reformed in the early 1990's. The Czech Republic has been traditionally among the most economically developed regions of Europe. When the Communists came to power in Czechoslovakia in 1948, they created a highly centralized economic system. Nearly all aspects of economic planning and management came under the control of the central government. Most of the country's economic assets were placed in state hands; economic managers and decision-makers were cut off from their counterparts in the West; and foreign trade was conducted almost exclusively with other Communist countries. Although the economy remained strong by Eastern European standards, with one of the highest standards of living in the Communist world, the policies adopted by the Communist government led to long-term economic decline in Czechoslovakia. After the collapse of Communism in 1989, the new leaders of Czechoslovakia had to deal with this legacy. In the early 1990's, the post-Communist government moved quickly to convert the economy to a system based on free enterprise. A number of reform measures were adopted, including a voucher privatization plan, which gave citizens, for a low administrative fee, coupons that could later be traded for stock in companies. The voucher plan successfully transferred large parts of the economy to private ownership. By December 1994 more than 80 percent of firms in the Czech Republic were privatized or had decided on a privatization strategy. Business boomed in Prague and other cities in the mid 1990's as entrepreneurs established new companies. The government has also succeeded in re-establishing trade with the West and obtaining substantial levels of foreign investment. The average standard of living in the Czech Republic dropped somewhat in the early 1990s as market reforms were introduced, but in recent years, the economy has begun to recover. Inflation was about 10 percent in late 1994, less than half of what it was in 1991. Gross domestic product (GDP) increased by

The Internet should be Censord essays

The Internet should be Censord essays Why the Internet Should be Censored Censorship, just the mention of the word alone, to some people, seems to threaten or somehow put into jeopardy our freedom of speech which we so dearly treasure and believe to be our innate right as citizens of the United States. Many flag waving Americans, with all the good intentions in the world, are ready to fight for the Letter of The Law, no matter how horrendous the consequences might be. I do not believe that Thomas Jefferson and our great forefathers, even as keen and intelligent as they were, had any inkling as to the incredible complexities that the new technological society of today would hold. They wrote in the best of faith for the common, decent, simple man, with great respect, and with as much foresight as they could envision for that time. That was back in 1788, in Philadelphia Pennsylvania which was in a much smaller and certainly much less sophisticated United States. I cant imagine that these great men, in all their wisdom, could possibly have envisioned serial rapists, serial murderer, child molesters, skin heads, nazis, much less the computer age and the intricate connection that they share. Today because it is the year 2000, soon to be 2001, sadly, we all know the words serial rapist, serial murder, child molester, skin head, and nazi. We see them on the internet, and we see them on the news. Do these two worlds connect? They certainly do, they collide! The internet, which was mostly supported financially by pornography when it was first conceived, (shocking, but a fact) has now become a somewhat safe hiding place and home for any psycho, pervert, or hate monger who has $21.95 a month to invest. This is the same internet, in which my family and yours also live. A while ago, my little sister wanted to find a Barbie web-site. I already knew that child molesters often use names like that to lure in little girls. They enter Pokemon...

Salary Negotiation for Women Close the Pay Gap! Part 1

Salary Negotiation for Women Close the Pay Gap! Part 1 Salary Negotiation for Women: Close the Pay Gap! Part 1 The following story, one that a friend related to me just a couple of days ago, has become all-too-familiar: Judy (fictitious name), a part-time assistant in my friend’s office, was offered a full-time position at a salary lower than she deserved, and lower than she had made in previous positions. She felt underappreciated, but wanted the full-time position. So she went home to discuss it with her husband, and came back the next day with her decision. She would accept the job. She did not negotiate, but instead accepted the low-ball offer. What she didn’t know is that the hiring manager had been prepared to give her more- if she had chosen to ask for it. Now, not only is Judy’s salary below her worth, but all her raises in the future will be based on a low starting point. To me, this situation is very sad. You’re probably aware of the pay gap between men and women in the workplace. Perhaps you’ve heard the statistic that women earn 80 cents to every dollar that men earn. The gap persists after controlling for college major, occupation, employment sector, and even requests for time off. Strikingly, this number varies depending on ethnicity: Asian women earn 94 cents to the men’s dollar; white women 82 cents, African American women 68 cents, and Hispanic women 61 cents. So while it does seem that the gap is due to underlying sexism and racism, some of it could also be due to women’s failure to ask for what they deserve. I wonder, are Asian women just better negotiators than their white, African American, and Hispanic peers? While the answer to that question is still a mystery to me, I learned a ton about the topic of salary negotiation in a webinar presented by Professor Deborah Ellis for YaleWomen, Salary Negotiation. Professor Ellis addressed the pay gap for women and how women can start making inroads into that gap through salary negotiation. In salary negotiation, there is nothing to fear but fear itself. Many women are scared that by negotiating they will lose the position completely- but that rarely happens. You might lose the negotiation, but you won’t get a worse package than what you were already offered. And more often, you’ll get what you want. One mid-level lawyer reported: â€Å"I negotiated, and there really wasn’t any back and forth. He just said yes to the request I made.† Hmmm†¦ Maybe men who are hiring are more scared of you than you are of them. They don’t want to lose you and they have already chosen you as the best person for the job. So you are in a position of power. Use it! Salary negotiation works for women! I wish more women understood their position of power and would reap the benefits of salary negotiation. But a study at Carnegie Mellon revealed that only 7% of women grad students negotiated vs. 57% of men. The average salary bump for negotiating was 7.4%, which translated to $500K over the course of a career! If you are a woman who doesn’t negotiate for your salary, I hope you’re getting that women DO succeed in salary negotiation. And you can too. There’s neuroscience at work here: If you think you will do well, you will do better than if you think you won’t do well. One way to convince yourself that you will do well is to know that others have succeeded before you. Women face unique challenges in salary negotiation. Many of the barriers to salary negotiation are internal. I’ve addressed some of those above. Also, women historically have a harder time advocating for themselves than they do for other people- but they are better than men at â€Å"representational negotiation†- fighting to get something for another person. Here’s a nifty trick offered by Professor Ellis: If you think you don’t deserve more for yourself, negotiate for someone else in your life, like your family, or even your dog. But ask! There are also external barriers faced by women. The reality is that women who make demands can be seen as adversarial or confrontational. So how you ask makes a difference. Here are some techniques to work against the negative perceptions that are out there: Don’t make demands in writing. Have a conversation, preferably in person or by Skype. Phone is okay too but it’s great to be able to see each other. Yep. Be friendly. Use â€Å"we† instead of â€Å"I†- make it about the team and working together toward a common cause. Express enthusiasm about the job from the get-go. Never say it’s non-negotiable. Ask questions vs. making demands. Examples: â€Å"Would you consider a salary of $xxx?† â€Å"What would you think of my working from home†¦?† Use humor. Use the power of silence. Let them fill the silence. Overall, keep in mind that the goal for both you and the employer is a continuing relationship. Both of you want to reach an amiable win-win solution. I hope you’re feeling more confident that you can go and negotiate for the compensation you want. Next week, I’ll share more about the nuts and bolts strategy of salary negotiation, which applies to men and women alike.

Networking Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Networking Management - Essay Example Typically network management software is based on a particular network management protocol. The capabilities provided with the software are basically based on the functionality support by the network management protocol. Most systems are not only using open protocols, but also vendor specific proprietary protocols. When selecting management software, the decision is driven by present status alerts and information to the operator, managed devices and network environment (Schwalbe 2005). IT Lab plans has plans to radically expand and upgrade its existing network infrastructure by opening new branches. This brings out more requirements and tasks for the administrator in terms of; management, monitoring and configuration. Expansion to remote branches requires remote configuration, proactive management with backbone links to all remote sites. IT support is critical and availability of the network will be a factor for support to consider. The fact that there is existing infrastructure will affect the compatibility and setup configuration of the additional devices. For this reason IT lab needs a solution to cut across the typical installed operational platform. It has built up a system that is not integrated and the consideration that integration costs more time and resources than available is crucial. The first option that IT lab has is using Sieomons NMS to manage their network. Evaluating the solution against their needs is the first task at hand. In comparison, Siemon is built for large networks with functionality to automate the critical and most important tasks of network management. Offering the unparalled ability to manage complex networks, Siemon’s solution fits many network administrators tasks as a general solution. Siemon provides a next generation intelligent infrastructure management solution. They have made an improvement on one of their

Financial Aspect of Health Care Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Financial Aspect of Health Care - Assignment Example This is because knowing the healthcare costs ensures financial efficiency of the patient. Cost knowledge enables the consumer to plan (budget) for products and services; this will enable him or her to choose the most appropriate and affordable health product or service provider. The exact total fraud value in the healthcare sector in the USA is not known. The Government Accountability Office, in 2010, illustrated that $48 billion dollars were used in improper payments in the health sector. That is approximately 10% of the outlays for that year totaling to $500 billion. However, Erick Holder, the US Attorney General illustrates that approximately $60-90 billion fraud in 2010 in the Medicaid and Medicare fraud (Pear, 2008). Waste occurs in the health sector programs through misallocation of financial resources; for example allocating a lot of finances to non essential projects. Cost containment entails controlling the expenses or costs needed in operating a healthcare organization, or implementing a health project within planned budgetary limits. Cost containment exercise is a significant management function, because it ensures cost efficiency. This is through using appropriate expenses to achieve intended healthcare targets. The most appropriate metaphor for cost containment is financial budget. This is because it sets limits in the financial use in healthcare, so as to realize efficiency and effective management of funds allocated for healthcare (Pear, 2008). Healthcare is considered a business because it applies the theory and principles of management. One of the principles of management illustrates a scalar chain of command. This describes the flow of authority and power from a single top level, to the lower levels of the health organizations. In healthcare, instructions flow from the top management of the health institution, through the middle management, to the lower and non-managerial staffs. Healthcare is a delivery system because; it aims at

Human digestion Essay Example for Free

Human digestion Essay The salivary glands are the first to react in the digestive process, which are usually triggered by either the sight or the smell of food. Food enters the digestive tract through the mouth where the teeth, tongue, and salivary glands help moisten and break down the food within minutes. The food then becomes something called a bolus, which will travel through the pharynx, then through the esophagus, and into the stomach. As the food travels through the pharynx the epiglottis is in place to prevent food from entering the lungs. Once the bolus enters the stomach it is broken down with acid secretions. The food is partially digested within the stomach. The bolus then becomes chyme (a semiliquid food). Chyme usually leaves the stomach during a time frame of 2-6 hours. The small intestine is where most of the digestion and nutrient absorption takes place with the help of secretions from the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. The small intestine consists of three parts: the duodenum, the jejunum, and the ileum. Anything that is not absorbed in the small intestine then enters the large intestine travelling through the sphincter. The sphincter prevents any of the remaining food from re-entering the small intestine. The large intestine is made up of two major parts: the colon and the rectum. The colon aids in the absorption of leftover water, vitamins, or minerals. Anything left over after this process is considered waste product (feces) and is then excreted from the body via the anus, which is attached to the colon. Reference Human Digestion Activity. Retrieved August 21, 2009 from http://corptrain.phoenix.edu/axia/sci241/sci241-digestivetract.html

All People are Equal Within the World of Work Essay -- Papers

All People are Equal Within the World of Work I do not agree with the statement at all, allthough in a right normal world of work, it should be true. Many people often judge people by thier appearence, or past experience. It could be anything, discriminating someone is easilly done. And its often simple things like hair styles or piercings, disability or gender than can stop you from working where you want to. With nearly all jobs these days; you'll have to fill out an application form, which can be a nightmare to many people. But no just for things like trying to remember their old school grades or when they left school, its often because they have something they feel will jeapordise thier employment chances. Criminal records is a good one. In companies or bussiness' these days, they will ask if you have a spent or unspent conviction. Spent means that its been a certain while since your conviction, unspent being the opposite. Some places feel that if you havent 'spent' your conviction, (meaning you havent 'changed'...

Economic History Essay

The economic depression of the 1930’s was a time of great challenges for the American people. Historically, it is remembered as the time when most Americans faced losses of homes, farms, jobs, and lives because of the harshness of life following the onset of the Great Depression. While there are differing opinions by scholars as to what was the cause of the Great Depression depending on their own personal view of the American economy, the end result was the same and the program implemented to get America back on track, the New Deal, was one of the most wide-reaching and important social programs put in place by an American president in history. The causes of the economic depression are varied and extremely complex. In 1929, the stock market crash and the failure of many American banks resulted in the loss of fortunes for many Americans, and they were not able to regain their money because of the system in place at the time. The decline into the economic depression happened in the following three years, and scholars still debate what the real causes were. Some blame the free market, while others feel that the government was not involved enough in the economic development of the nation. Other economists point to the changes in the British economy. The British returned to the Gold Standard at pre-World War I parities, and economists like Peter Temin view this as the major reason for the economic depression in America during this period. Other changes helped bring about the depression as well. When businesses and people began to not be able to pay their debts, including mortgages, because of price deflation or lower demand for products, with the result being a 25% unemployment rate. In the end, the result was the same: poverty run rampant and a sense of hopelessness amongst Americans. The first time poverty was seen as a social problem was during the Great Depression, a time when so many Americans were facing economic despair and lack of employment. It was a hopeless time for many Americans, and the President responded with strong social programs to help get the country back on track. The New Deal, including the Works Progress Administration and Social Security, helped to give Americans something to fall back on when times were tough, as well as something to build upon to help them get out of their current state of helplessness. Regulations were instituted, minimum prices and wages were put into place, encouraged unions, and setting labor codes and standards. It was the first time the government had given a hand up to Americans in poverty. The New Deal was radical in many ways because prior to this, the government did not view poverty as a social problem that the government needed to deal with. The American people were suffering from hard time, as was American business, and because of this economic depression America was set back in terms of growth. This change caused the President to radically change the way the government thought about poverty. When people study the progression of poverty from being simply a part of everyday American life to being a social problem that required attention and governmental intervention, both on a national and international level, they need to understand that for many years poverty was thought to be a necessary evil, and many people felt that they could not help overcome the poverty they saw many people living in. Without this balance, a society will fall into a situation where there are only those in poverty and those in wealth. When Roosevelt was faced with issues of extreme poverty in a large segment of the American public he knew that he had to react. In Roosevelt’s case, he reacted with short-term and long-term solutions in the form of help to find the unemployed work and Social Security, still in use today. These radical new programs, known as the New Deal, were an important movement in American economic history as it marked a time when the United States began to take more action in the business and economic affairs of its nation, starting with the programs implemented with the New Deal.

Lagaan

The movie entitled â€Å"Lagaan† is a depiction of ancient Indian society. Indian is full of dignity in this story. The director and the writer wanted to convey in their film the meaning and essence of Indian culture. Despite of all the odds, circumstances, and failures that they experienced within their environment and in the hands of the colonizers, they strive hard to be the best at anything. Playing cricket is one of the most significant occurrences that they wanted to share as a way of showing their culture and tradition. Bhuvan as the main character in the story became the leader of everyone in their community. They accepted the challenge of the British captain and convicted to gain their dignity and pride. The story showed the narrative of Indian life during the colonial period. It represents the social, psychological, political, and economic life of Indians where culture surrounds all of it. The director wanted to share his thoughts on the issues that Indians always experience all throughout their lives. However, Indian culture and society has no fear of everything whether things go wrong or right within them. This is what the director and the writer wanted to impose in their story. They wanted their audience to understand the meaning of India not as a country in defeat and weaknesses but also with pride and strength to face anything. At the end of the story, the director leaves its audience the imagination of overcoming the circumstances in the community. There is a question in the end of the movie – will Bhuvan and his team win from the captain? There is one big conflict at the end of it – one of Bhuvan’s team was paid to lose the game. It shows that the resolution of the story lies within the audience. It depends on what they wanted at the end whether to win the Indians or losing their dignity and pride towards the colonizers. Reference Ashutosh Gowariker. Lagaan. 2002.

How Women in the Workplace are Finding Success in Nontraditional Jobs

How Women in the Workplace are Finding Success in Nontraditional Jobs Traditionally, women have found it difficult to receive equal treatment and pay compared to their male counterparts. It’s no secret that men have an advantage in the workplace for more reasons than one. It’s also no secret that women in the workplace are at a disadvantage. The good news is that  women in the workplace are finding more and more success in nontraditional occupations. These occupations are providing women with more opportunities and higher salaries compared to traditional occupations.Source:[Tulsa Welding School]

Resistance and Conflict Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Resistance and Conflict Management - Essay Example he institutional environment in an organizational and people who are involved in such conflicts try to degrade the other person or party even if it is at the expense of overall cost of the organization. Conflicts reduce productivity and discourage parties involved as their performance level cannot be at the optimal (Katz, and Kahn, 1966). Leaders tend to avoid conflicts that occur in the organization and do not pay much attention to the conflicts (Montana, 2008). However, in avoidance strategy leaders separate the parties involved in the conflict or limit their interaction. Avoiding conflicts might lead them into bigger issues later on therefore it is important to resolve such conflicts at an early stage. At times, leaders or top management of the organization imposes their own decision on the parties involved in the conflict by making use of their power (Montana, 2008).. Such decisions might discourage even both the parties involved in the conflict. Though, such decisions might be in the favour of parties that enjoy dominancy or which is more favourable for the leader or decision maker. It is also one of the strategies used by leaders to resolve organizational conflict in which a resolution which might satisfies at least some part of every party involved in the conflict and therefore every party compromises on something and gains something. So, everyone would be satisfied eventually. In this strategy leaders tend to come up with a resolution with the help of discussions which is in the best interest of one of the groups involved in the conflict but this resolution might be at the cost of other parties involved. The problem with such strategy is that the dominant group might enjoy and would be able to make the decision go in his favour thus the best possible decision for the long term success of the organization might not be taken. As a leader, it is important to first analyze the situation and then take decision however considering the pros and cons of the

Celebrity Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Celebrity Study - Essay Example Celebrities are characterised by fame, influence and in some cases financial success (Weber, 2014: 100). Inspiration personalities have huge audiences and it is the strategic reason businesses that seek to promote their brands have in the recent past involved them in advertisements. People understandably pay much attention on what celebrities do both fans and haters. As a matter of fact, music, from time immemorial, has been an essential part of human life. Artists who consistently produced high-quality music that attracted a wide audience in the society have gone down in history not only as celebrities but as ‘stars’ and legends. Evidently, Michael Jackson was a music legend whose life was a blessing to many people. This paper seeks to evaluate Michael Jackson as a celebrity and as a case study and comprehensively explore various social elements with regard to his life and contributions while counter-comparing this with theoretical frameworks to come up with an argument supported by practical examples. Michael Jackson is a name that most people can recognise, whether young or old. Similarly, both men and women identify MJ as he is popularly known for his exhaustively lived 50 years. He was born in August 1958 and died 50 years later in June, 2009. He is famous for his influence in the pop music and dancing styles that have since been embraced. Michael Jackson climbed to become an international figure due to his dedicated work in the music industry. He had an enormous contribution in the arena of music and dance that made the world recognise him sincerely. Apparently, Jackson was born in a family that had a thing with music as he had several siblings sing along with him in what was known as Jackson 5. He did his career music in the year 1964 and about four decades late, the name Michael Jackson was known in every cranny of the society. He became an epitome of pop music. Even after his death, he