Early and late industrialization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Early and late industrialization - Essay Example These late industrialized nations assumed the role of learner ‘instead of the inventor & innovator’ as their economic and industrial development resulted through â€Å"borrowing and improving technologies which has already [been] developed by experiencing firm in more advanced nations† (Do the theories of ‘late industrialization’ explain national differences in the institutional and organisational characteristic of contemporary business? How do these ideas help to explain variations in economic performance?). However, one can notice that the economic growth of the late industrialist nations have been more rapid as they heavily depended on the successful models of institutional and organizational foundations tested by their forerunners. It was the American economist Abramowitz who coined the terms ‘forging ahead’, and ‘catching up’ to refer to the industrial and economic progress achieved by early and late industrial nations. Even though Britain forged ahead in the late 19th century with the new industrial revolution, USA, Germany and Japan caught up and even surpassed Great Britain’s achievements in many respects. According to Shin (1996), â€Å"the existence of forerunners has both complementary and competitive aspects to late comers’ development†: the late comers can benefit heavily from the successful models of the forerunners, but â€Å"they have to develop facing formidable competition from existing forerunners† (p. 2). The author is of the opinion that there have been only two instances of forging ahead in the modern industrial history-one by Britain in the late eighteenth century and the other by USA during the first half of the 20th century; he believes that the process of ‘catching up had a much greater impact than forging ahead’ in the growth of the world economy (Shin, 1996, p. 2). There is a close link between the nature of corporate governance and the industrial or economic development of a nation.

Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits Essay Example for Free

Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits Essay As you may know there are two types of pension plans that are most commonly used: a defined contribution plan and a defined benefit plan. â€Å"A defined contribution plan sets forth a certain amount that the employer is to contribute to the plan each period (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). â€Å"A defined benefit plan specifies the amount of pension benefits to be paid out to plan recipients in the future. Companies that use this plan must make sufficient contributions to the funding agency in order to meet benefit requirements when they come due† (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). The defined contribution plan makes no promises on what the ultimate benefits are to be paid. â€Å"The benefits received by the recipients are determined by the return earned on the invested pension funds during the investment period† (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). When you account for this plan the risk for future benefit is the employee and the employer’s only cash outflow is the annual contribution to the pension plan fund. â€Å"The pension expense is equal to the amount of promised annual contribution†(Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). The financial statements should disclose the plan, what groups are covered, the basis for determining contributions, and any significant matters affecting comparability from period to period (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). Accounting for the defined benefit plan is more complex. â€Å"The pension benefits to be received in the future are affected by uncertain variables such as turnover, mortality, length of employee service, compensation levels, and earnings on the pension fund assets† (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). The risks lie with the employers because they must make large enough contributions to meet what was promised and the amount of pension expense may not be equal to the cash contributed to the plan (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). Employers are also required to disclose the following information if they chose to use the defined benefit plan: â€Å"1. A description of the plan, including employee groups covered, type of benefit formula, funding policy, types of assets held, significant matters affecting comparability or information for all periods presented, 2. The amount of net periodic pension cost for the period showing separately the service cost component, the interest cost component, the actual return on assets for the period, and the net total of other components, 3.  A schedule reconciling the funded status of the plan with amounts reported in the employer’s statement of financial position† (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). APB Opinion No. 8 states that there are some basic problems with the accounting for the defined benefit pension plan. The problems identified are: â€Å"1. Measuring the total amount of cost associated with a pension plan, 2. Allocating the total pension costs to the proper accounting periods, 3. Providing the cash to fund the pension plan, and 4.  Disclosing the significant aspects of the pension plan on the financial statements† (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). SFAS No. 87 â€Å"Employers’ Accounting for Pensions† maintains that pension information should be prepared on the accrual basis and retained three fundamental aspects of past pension accounting: 1. delaying recognition of certain events, 2. Reporting net cost, and 3. offsetting assets and liabilities† (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). The components of pension costs reflect different aspects of the benefits earned by employees and the method of financing those benefits by the employer. The following are required to be included in the net pension cost recognized by the employer sponsoring a defined benefits pension plan: 1. Service cost, 2. Interest cost, 3. Return on plan assets, 4. Amortization of unrecognized prior service cost, 5. Amortization of gains and losses, 6. Amortization of the unrecognized net obligation or unrecognized net asset at the date of the initial application of SFAS No. 7† (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). There are other postretirement benefits that are addressed in SFAS No. 106 â€Å"Employers’ Accounting for Postretirement Benefits Other than Pensions. † SFAS No. 106 deals with other postretirement benefits other than pensions which includes a variety: tuition assistance, day care, legal services, and housing subsidies, the most significant are retiree health care services, and life insurance. Although on the surface OPRBs are similar to defined benefit pension plans that have characteristics that necessitate different accounting considerations and that have been the source of considerable controversy: future cash outlays for OPRBs depend on the amount of serves that the employees will eventually receive, additional OPRBs cannot be accumulated by employees OPRB with each year of service, OPRBs do not vest† (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). As noted the two most frequent pension plans are the defined contribution plan and the defined benefit plan. However, APB Opinion No. 8 has identified that there are some basic problems with the accounting for the defined benefit pension plan. There are also other postretirement benefits that include retiree healthcare benefits and life insurance.

Heineken out of Burma :: essays research papers

Heineken out of Burma The action groups 'A Seed Europe' and the Dutch action group 'XminY' started a campaign in February 1996, called "Heineken out of Burma!". The investment plans of the Dutch brewer Heineken Inc. in Burma (Myanmar), were said to provide material support and legitimacy to the violent dictatory rulers of the country. Heineken sees Burma as an emerging market, that must be entered without delay. Western beer markets are becoming saturated and the potentials for growth in Asia are enormous. Competitors, such as Carlsberg and San Miguel, are likewise turning their investments towards Asia. The political opposition in Burma, lead by Nobel Price laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, calls on foreign companies not to invest in Burma for the time being, however. International embargoes can support the internal opposition against the regime, she says. Heineken has a 42% share in the Asian Pacific Brewery Ltd (APBL). This, in turn, owns 60% of the shares of the Myanmar Brewery Ltd (MBL). The remaining 40% of the shares belong to UMEHL: the Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd. UMEHL is lead by the military rules of the country. APBL wants to invest 15 million US dollars in a brewery in Burma. That can only be done in the form of a joint-venture with UMEHL. The military rulers force this construction onto APBL. Forty percent of the profits that the brewery will yield in the future will thus flow towards the dictators. Heineken did not deny that the Burmese regime is guilty of gross violations of human rights. On the contrary, Heineken shared the analyses of the action groups and said to be very concerned about the human rights situation in Burma. There is one difference, however: the action groups concluded that Heineken should cancel its investments in Burma, but Heineken did not intend to do so. "We sincerely believe that we can reconcile our policy in Burma with our corporate values and norms", so Heineken's press officer before the Dutch media. The action groups say: "By investing in Burma at this moment, and by embarking on a joint venture with UMEHL, Heineken makes itself an accomplice in the tragedy of the Burmese people". This complicity consists in particular of two points.

Ralph Vs Jack Leader Essay

There are always people who prove to have better leadership skills than others. The strongest of these people can often influence the weaker people into following them. However, the strongest person is not necessarily the best leader as it is proven in William Golding’s novel, The Lord of the Flies. Although Ralph is the weaker person, he is still able to demonstrate a better understanding of people than Jack who is stronger. Ralph demonstrates his excellent leadership skills throughout the novel by keeping order among the group, treating everyone with respect, and having the sense to keep his focus on getting rescued. While the boys are under Jack’s control, they quickly turn into uncivilized savages. However, Ralph manages to keep the boys under control by holding meetings. At the meetings, a sense of order is brought on to the boys because the boys are not allowed to speak unless they have the conch. â€Å"l will give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking.† (p. 31) By enforcing this sense of order, he gains respect from the boys and becomes more confident as a leader. Ralph uses his power to make the boys feel more comfortable on the island.

Can We Speak of a ‘Classless Society’

Can we speak of a ‘classless society’? Stratification is a concept we are faced with on a daily basis, whether it is a conscious or subconscious element of our lives. Class has been a dominant form of stratification in traditional views of society, but man’s evolution in thought, behaviour, outlook, organization and culture has led to critical criticism questioning the very existence of class itself: Does class still exist? Can we speak of a ‘classless society’? Analysing the role that class does or doesn’t play in modern society is interesting because we are our very own sources.Through first hand experiences of class we can determine the role it plays in our everyday lives. Class can be viewed both subjectively depending on how we think of ourselves, or objectively dealing with how we are structurally located in society. (Milner, 1999) Therefore, combining our subjective, micro-level understanding of class with a macro-level, objective analys is of class, we can determine the degree to which class persists in modern society. The idea of stratification and class will continuously persist as it provides a foundation for organization and identity in society.Although the word ‘class’ will never die, the traditional role class plays in society has certainly died. ‘Social Class’ is the class of today; it has followed the death of the rigid, traditional and intolerant class of yesterday. Today people are more empowered and can take control of their social standing, an idea supported with the current social mobility and emergence of the middle class. ‘Social class’ classifies people in terms of gender, ethnicity, race, age, culture etc. Naturally, economic class continues to play its role in society, but it does so in harmony with other aspects of ‘social class. Class is disintegrating because people are becoming more individualistic. What matters today is how people see themselves, a s opposed to how they are viewed by society. (Pakulski, et al. , 1996). Traditionally, society consisted of inherited classifications between masters and slaves, and lords and peasants etc. , which constituted the ‘natural’ way of association. There are certain parts of the world where people still live by their inherited class. In India for example there is a Caste System, in which every individual is categorized into divisions (colour, ancestors, rank).There are four main castes with various sub-castes and each have a large amount sub castes within them, furthermore outside the caste system are the ‘Untouchables’ who are oppressed and viewed as impure all the time. The four main castes: Brahmins–priests Kshatryas–warriors Vaishyas–traders Shudras–laborers A significant classical view of class is that of Marx. His traditional view of class contained two distinct classes: Bourgeoisie or the capitalist class, who own their own mea ns of production, and the Proletariat or working class, who own their own labour. Marx, et al. , 1848) Exploitation between these two social groupings in the capitalist production process defined Marxist class (Pakulski, et al. , 1996). The Marxist view is ‘real’ and ‘objective, furthermore its concerned with the different strata as a whole rather than the individuals within them (Saunders, P. 1990). For Marx, social power was achieved purely through economic class. He viewed class as a rigid and positional aspect of society. Hence, his interpretations of class failed to account for the fluidity of modern class.Conversely, Weber’s view of class is much more synonymous with the role class plays in modern society. He looks at class in terms of the cultural and social roles it plays in society and focuses more on stratification through consumption rather than production. (Pakulski, et al. , 1996) He juxtaposes class as an economic relation with class as a soci al relation, unlike Marx who predominantly focused on economic class. Weber analysed class in terms of status and stratification in the light of: property, ownership, occupational skills, religion, legal rights, lifestyle and consumption.This view of class is still relevant in today’s society and therefore Weber’s view of class is not wholly classified under the ‘dead’ or dated outlook on class. Weber did also look at class in terms of economic relations and the possessions of economic goods, as well as market position. He believed that life chances are determined by how one is positioned in the market. (Weber, 1922) This relates to the Indian Caste systems where members of a high caste (Brahmans) enjoy more wealth and opportunities; members of a low caste (untouchables) perform unwanted menial jobs.The ‘Untouchables’ being the lowest stratum are regarded as underprivileged, demoralized and ‘backward’, hence given the jobs such as sweeping, garbage collector and regarded as impure individuals- the idea that once they touch another individual there needs to be a cleansing as the ‘untouchables’ are ‘dirty’. Individuals were relatively powerless, as they could not acquire wealth or status through changing position in a market place. Today, however, hard work and merit allows for social mobility and people have a stronger influence over their position in society. Milner, 1999) Having said that, some individuals do not get the opportunity of social mobility- due to the fact that they are either uneducated or the fact that they do not have the right social networks.Gandhi named the Untouchables â€Å"Harijians† (Children of God)- by doing this he tried upward mobility by trying to elevate their status through different means (befriending and eating with the impure). ‘Underclass’ in general tend to suffer multiple deprevisation, as they are dependent on state welfare (i f given) and have low levels of education hence making it harder for upward mobility (Saunders, P. 990) Social mobility and individual control over social standing has been greatly strengthened through the modern preoccupation with education. The increased priority given to exposing larger proportions of society to education has empowered individuals, allowing them to use their educations as a tool to overcome ‘class’ barriers. Overall, the ability to move up and down the social ladder in present day society makes class that is classified purely in an economic sense irrelevant. Economic’ class is no longer a steady, inherited, and ‘life-long’, concrete concept, as people can change their economic standing within their own life span or across generations. The concept of the ‘middle class’ has also arisen through the idea of social mobility and empowerment through education, and does not concur with Marx’s traditional view of class. Today, the ‘proletariat’ of traditional Marxism is being replaced by machinery as the advancement in technology has made some manual work redundant.Furthermore, the idea that many modern companies do not solely rely on legal ownership of a company, but instead hire people due to technical competence, gives people the opportunity to hold managerial positions that have a lot of power. This is the idea of recruitment via ‘meritocrality’ and hints at the death of classical conventions of class. Therefore, the idea of objective class being defined as the relationship between the ownership and non-ownership of productive resources has greatly dissolved (Lee, et al. , 1996).Having said that in India the opportunity of mobility is limited it all comes down to the status, power or class of the individual- this is due to the fact that India is still developing and full of politics, an individual would have to have the right connections in order to do or acquire anyt hing but most important factor in accomplishing anything in India would be money. Furthermore if an individual is a Shudras they would have less capital compared to the Brahmans, hence decreasing their chance of opportunities they can take.Within the Indian caste system most people remain in one caste their entire life and marry within their caste. Although class is viewed differently today, it does not necessarily mean that modern views of class are more ‘equitable. ’ In fact, there is still a strong lack of equity within the different classifications of gender, ethnicity, sexuality etc; furthermore there are parts of the world where class is a vital aspect in their everyday life and interaction. The difference being that in contemporary society people are more attached to individualist and consumerist forms of discrimination and inequality.It can be said that today consumption is more important than production, class is no longer a ‘lifetime experience’, but instead thought about as an ‘individual biography’, and exclusion from the labour market is the more appropriate way to think about poverty. Although the concept of class is ever-present, the objective and subjective role it plays in society has been greatly transformed within the western society, thereby accounting for the death of classical class theories.Having said that India could never be a classless society as people are not acting constructively to escape class divisions, this is due to the fact that most ‘underclass’ cannot undergo upward mobility, as they do not have the opportunity or resources. Class is a social relationship that invades each individual’s lives. There has been a death of traditional class within the western society as individuals are acting constructively to escape class divisions and go towards a classless society, however an evolved definition of class continues to dominate the 21st century.Bibliography Saunders, P. 1990. Social Class and Stratification, USA, Rutledge. Pakulski J and Malcolm W. (1996) The Death of Class. London: Sage. Milner, A. (1999) Class. London: Sage. Weber, M. [1922] ‘Class, Status and Party. ’ Extract from Economy and Society in W. G. Runciman [ed. ] (1978) Max Weber: Selections in Translation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. 43-56. Giddens, A. (1994) Beyond Left and Right. Cambridge: Polity. Pp. 139-48 Marx, K. and Engels, F. [1848] ‘Bourgeois and proletarians’, section 1 of The Communist Manifesto, in D. McLellan [ed. ] (1977) Karl Marx: Selected Writings. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp. 222-231. Prandy, K. 2002. Ideal Types, Stereotypes and Class. The British Journal of Sociology, Volume 53 number 4, page14. Brahman. (2010). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved October 06, 2010, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online: http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/77093/Brahman â€Å"Harijans. † The Columbia Encyclopedia, S ixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved October 06, 2010 from Encyclopedia. com: http://www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1E1-Harijans. html

The Second Anglo-Afghan War in the Late 1870s

The Second Anglo-Afghan War in the Late 1870s The Second Anglo-Afghan War began when Britain invaded Afghanistan for reasons that had less to do with the Afghans than with the Russian Empire. The feeling in London in the 1870s was that the competing empires of Britain and Russia were bound to clash in central Asia at some point, with Russias eventual goal being the invasion and seizure of Britains prize possession, India. British strategy, which would eventually become known as The Great Game, was focused on keeping Russian influence out of Afghanistan, which could become Russias stepping-stone to India. In 1878 the popular British magazine Punch summed up the situation in a cartoon depicting a wary Sher Ali, the Amir of Afghanistan, caught between a growling British lion and a hungry Russian bear. When the Russians sent an envoy to Afghanistan in July 1878, the British were greatly alarmed. They demanded that the Afghan government of Sher Ali accept a British diplomatic mission. The Afghans refused, and the British government decided to launch a war in late 1878. The British had actually invaded Afghanistan from India decades earlier. The First Anglo-Afghan War ended disastrously with an entire British army making a horrendous winter retreat from Kabul in 1842. The British Invade Afghanistan in 1878 British troops from India invaded Afghanistan in late 1878, with a total of about 40,000 troops advancing in three separate columns. The British Army met resistance from Afghan tribesmen but was able to control a large part of Afghanistan by the spring of 1879. With a military victory in hand, the British arranged for a treaty with the Afghan government. The countrys strong leader, Sher Ali, had died, and his son Yakub Khan, had ascended to power. The British envoy Major Louis Cavagnari, who had grown up in British-controlled India as the son of an Italian father and an Irish mother, met Yakub Khan at Gandmak. The resulting Treaty of Gandamak marked the end of the war, and it seemed that Britain had accomplished its objectives. The Afghan leader agreed to accept a permanent British mission which would essentially conduct Afghanistans foreign policy. Britain also agreed to defend Afghanistan against any foreign aggression, meaning any potential Russian invasion. The problem was that it had all been too easy. The British did not realize that Yakub Khan was a weak leader who had agreed to conditions which his countrymen would rebel against. A Massacre Begins A New Phase of the Second Anglo-Afghan War Cavagnari was something of a hero for negotiating the treaty and was knighted for his efforts. He was appointed as envoy at the court of Yakub Khan, and in the summer of 1879 he set up a residency in Kabul which was protected by a small contingent of British cavalry. Relations with the Afghans began to sour, and in September a rebellion against the British broke out in Kabul. Cavagnaris residence was attacked, and Cavagnari was shot and killed, along with nearly all of the British soldiers tasked to protect him. The Afghan leader, Yakub Khan, tried to restore order and was nearly killed himself. The British Army Crushes the Uprising in Kabul A British column commanded by General Frederick Roberts, one of the most capable British officers of the period, marched on Kabul to take revenge. After fighting his way to the capital in October 1879, Roberts had a number of Afghans captured and hanged. There were also reports of what amounted to a reign of terror in Kabul as the British avenged the massacre of Cavagnari and his men. General Roberts announced that Yakub Khan had abdicated and appointed himself military governor of Afghanistan. With his force of approximately 6,500 men, he settled in for the winter. In early December 1879, Roberts and his men had to fight a substantial battle against attacking Afghans. The British moved out of the city of Kabul and took up a fortified position nearby. Roberts wanted to avoid a repeat of the disaster of the British retreat from Kabul in 1842 and remained to fight another battle on December 23, 1879. The British held their position throughout the winter. General Roberts Makes a Legendary March on Kandahar In the spring of 1880, a British column commanded by General Stewart marched to Kabul and relieved General Roberts. But when news came that British troops at Kandahar were surrounded and facing grave danger, General Roberts embarked on what would become a legendary military feat. With 10,000 men, Roberts marched from Kabul to Kandahar, a distance of about 300 miles, in just 20 days. The British march was generally unopposed, but being able to move that many troops 15 miles a day in the brutal heat of Afghanistans summer was a remarkable example of discipline, organization, and leadership. When General Roberts reached Kandahar he linked up with the British garrison of the city, and the combined British forces inflicted a defeat on the Afghan forces. This marked the end of hostilities in the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The Diplomatic Outcome of the Second Anglo-Afghan War As the fighting was winding down, a major player in Afghan politics, Abdur Rahman, the nephew of Sher Ali, who had been Afghanistans ruler before the war, returned to the country from exile. The British recognized that he might be the strong leader they preferred in the country. As General Roberts was making his march to Kandahar, General Stewart, in Kabul, installed Abdur Rahman as the new leader, the Amir, of Afghanistan. Amir Abdul Rahman gave the British what they wanted, including assurances that Afghanistan would not have relations with any nation except Britain. In return, Britain agreed not to meddle in Afghanistans internal affairs. For the final decades of the 19th century, Abdul Rahman held the throne in Afghanistan, becoming known as the Iron Amir. He died in 1901. The Russian invasion of Afghanistan which the British feared in the late 1870s never materialized, and Britains hold on India remained secure.

African Slave Trade essays

African Slave Trade essays There are three documents that explain the African Slave Trade. Document seven, The Life of Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, The African, is a primary memoir written by Olaudah in1789. Equiano wrote this document to describe his life in Africa and explain what it was like being a slave. This document, which was written for people involved in the English antislavery movement and anyone else who wanted to know about his experiences as a slave, relates to the slave trade from Africa and the sugar plantations in the West Indies. Both the document and the text talk about Equianos life as a slave and some of what he went through. Document eight, Commerce, Slavery, and Religion in North Africa, is a primary memoir written by a member of a caravan headed by a Tuareg guide called Cheggeun in 1860. This document, which was written for General E. Daumas, a French officer serving in Algeria, explains trade, slavery, and religion in North Africa. This document relates to the Atlantic trade syste m in sub-Saharan Africa. Both the text and the document explain the tasks that African slaves performed in Islam. They also talk about how Muslims were like Christians in that they saw no reason for trading slaves. Document nine, Slavery and the Slave Trade of Brazil, is a primary memoir written by Thomas Nelson in 1846. His purpose for writing it was to describe the conditions of the Africans he came into contact with while aboard slave ships. This document, which was written for people who wanted to know about the Africans aboard the slave ships, connects to the eighteenth-century. The document and the text both tell a little of what the slaves endured. They discuss several diseases such as dysentery and malaria, which took the lives of many slaves.These documents are similar in that they are all primary memoirs written to explain the African Slave Trade and discuss the ...