Privatization of Prisons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Privatization of Prisons - Essay Example Private prisons purpose was to house inmate thus reduce congestion in public prisons then paid by the government using taxpayer prison revenue. Despite privatization being profit generation source, private prisons have benefits and disadvantages to the public and prisoners. As a result, the essay will deduce and come up with the judgment on whether the government should embrace private prisons or abolish the idea. Positively, private prisons reduce congestion of prisoners in public prisons in United States. Mason indicates that many public prisons in America house inmate more than the required number because of lack of an alternative place to keep the criminals (4-7). For instance, some of California prisons facility have about 300, 000 prisoner compared to the required number of 170,000 prisoners. Additionally, such high numbers of prisoners hinders effective rehabilitation of prisoners because of lack of sufficient rehabilitation space, tools, and personnel found in the prisons. Fo r this reason, the federal and state government adopting the idea of private prisons was important. This will reduce the congestion in public prisons and ensure effective rehabilitation of all the prisoners hence curbing the level of prison violence. Private prisons served as a cost effective method in the budget of federal and state government in the United States. ... Mason posits that states with higher number of private prisons enjoy lower cost of housing prisoners in the state (8-10). Therefore, with abundant prison facilities in United States, criminal rate may reduce in most states. This is because there will be no waste of time in delay of convicting criminals because of lack of space in public prisons. However, private prisons also have several disadvantages. There are high reports of violence and mistreatment of prisoners in private facilities. Most private prisons have limited incentives that could curb recidivism and violence among prisoners (American Civil Liberties Union 23). Moreover, most private prisons focuses on profit creation and not the safety and decent living of the prisoners hence hindering the process of rehabilitation and accelerating violence level among prisoners. In addition, the management team in private prisons may not have sufficient training personnel to handle cases of violence and recidivism hence, becoming a thr eat in the rehabilitation of prisoners. Thus, such reasons may inhibit the number of prisoners admitted in private prisons while may affect the profit generation goal of the private prison. Despite the private prison goal being profit generation to the public and shareholders, most private prisons experience limited profits level. The amount of profit earned causes the private prisons to overlook the intensity of training the prison security personnel (American Civil Liberties Union 20-22). Therefore, this affects the way in which the private prison personnel may handle rude prisoners and curb the level of prisoners escaping experienced in from private prisoners. Moreover, the surrounding community may not benefit from the revenue gained by the private prison in town. Hence,

Topic will be based on which book you choose Term Paper

Topic will be based on which book you choose - Term Paper Example The constant commercial pommeling that teenagers are exposed to regularly makes them give in to the pressures of being considered cool by their peers, which in turn works in the corporations’ favor (Quart 32). In addition to all the above, the growing need to incorporate sex in some of these advertisements is making its way into the lives of teenagers and younger children. Recent sources in different organizations can attest to this. This paper will examine aspects of the book and relate it to an advertisement, and the impact it might have on its target market. At a particularly young age, teenagers and pre-teenagers are forced into different loyalty schemes by corporations that use their peers to market and sell their products. In Branded, the author brings into account the fact that corporations are having a higher stake in schools than they possibly should. In the past, countless groups, including parents and politicians, were at the forefront trying to resist the notion of advertising in schools. However, the current situation of sponsorship that most corporations boast of is making this a difficult task. Corporations, at present, have more shares in schools than any other party, and they are using this to their advantage. Brand-afflicted teenagers are now everywhere, but there might be time to save some of the young ones from the menace that is branding (Quart 47). Target audience Victoria’s Secret is one brand that is affiliated with the imagery of sex and sex appeal. In most of their advertisements, models and people wearing their lingerie appeal to the adults and market that tends to grasp the concept of being sexy. However, lately the brand has been moving toward a different market altogether. In a recent advertisement, â€Å"Bright Young Things,† the brand has brought to light their aim for a younger market. Teenagers and pre-teens who want to be considered cool are now looking toward Victoria’s Secret line of lingerie in a bid to look older, or more sophisticated. Parents are being forced to give in to the pressure of their young children who demand such clothing, and it is obvious that once children catch on to this brand, there is no turning back. It is next to impossible for the children not to remain loyal to the brand, if they start when young (Lutz 1). Aspects of the demographic The income and lifestyle of teenagers and pre-teens cannot be questioned as it is not impossible to pinpoint exactly where they get their income, or lifestyle choices. These aspects are influenced directly by their parents, immediate family members, and even friends. The little income that teenagers may receive is probably from allowances that parents offer their children once they partake of certain activities. However, as the issue of branding and marketing takes precedence in most schools and areas (Quart 53), teenagers are looking for different avenues which can work toward increasing their capital. It is this aspec t that sheds light on why teenagers look for different jobs during the summer and spring-breaks. More money means more savings, which ultimately leads to lifestyle autonomy. Parents have little or no say in the matter once their children start buying their own clothes, using their hard-earned money. Alissa Quart takes the reader into the processes used by corporations to attract teens and pre-teens into their branding world, and why it is particularly easy for teens to succumb to these schemes. The first aspect that comes into play is the use of people their own age to

Mechanisms for Optical Limiting

Mechanisms for Optical Limiting Chapter 2 2.1. Reverse Saturable Absorption In the mid 1960s shortly after the invention of the laser, many researchers were investigating dyes for potential application to Q-switching of the laser cavity. For this application, dyes were sought that would bleach to transparency under intense illumination (saturable absorbers). Guiliano and Hess [2a] in 1967 were investigating vat dyes and their modified cousins and noted some examples that not only did not bleach to transparency but instead darkened at high intensities. This was the first recognition of the property of reverse saturable absorption (RSA). Reverse saturable absorption generally arises in a molecular system when the excited state absorption cross section is larger than the ground state cross section. The process can be understood by considering a system that is modeled using three vibronically broadened electronic energy levels, as shown in figure 2.1. The cross section for absorption from the ground state 1 is à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ³1. à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ³2 is the cross section for absorption from the first excited state 2 to the second excited state 3. The lifetime of the first excited state is à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ´2 (seconds). Figure 2.1: Three level and Four level models for RSA As light is absorbed by the material, the first excited state begins to become populated and contributes to the total absorption cross section. If à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ³2 is smaller than à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ³1, then the material becomes more transparent or ‘bleaches’ i.e. it is a saturable absorber. If à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ³2 is larger than à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ³1, then the total absorption increases, and the material is known as a reverse saturable absorber. This behavior is shown in figure 2.2 Figure 2.2: Plot of the incident intensity versus the transmitted intensity of a typical three level RSA material. The change in intensity of a beam as it propagates through the material is: , (2.1) Where z is the direction traversed, NT is the total number of active molecules per area in the slice dz, N2 is the population of level 2 and the population of level 3 has been neglected. Initially, the material obeys Beer’s law when 2 is unpopulated, and the transmission is constant as the incident fluence is increased. The slope is given by. At a sufficiently high fluence, however, the first excited state 2 becomes substantially populated and in the limit of complete ground state depletion the slope again becomes constant at the new value of. The optical limiting action is not truly limiting, as the fluence, which is transmitted, is still increasing with increasing incident fluence, but it does so more slowly. If the ratio à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ³2/à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ³1, is sufficiently large, however, the new transmission will be small and in a properly designed system the dynamic range of the sensor will be greatly extended. The three level diagrams describe the simplest case for RSA materials but can generally only be applied for subnanosecond pulses and under circumstances such that transitions from the second excited state are negligible. The energy states involved in three level materials usually consists of singlet states and the transitions are all allowed. The transition cross sections are therefore large, but a disadvantage is that de-excitation is rapid (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ´2 is small). This necessitates larger intensities for long pulses to activate the nonlinearity through populating the excited electronic state. Fortunately, on longer timescales in some systems, significant intersystem crossing to other states can occur from the first excited state. In this case the five level diagrams shown in figure 2.1 is applicable. The excited state 4 is usually a triplet or other long-lived state, and for long pulses it can act as a metastable state that accumulates population during the pulse. The lifetime of 4 gives an indication of the maximum pulse width for which the material is efficient to act as an optical limiter. Pulses with duration longer than the metastable state allow some of the metastable molecules generated by the leading edge of the pulse to decay to the ground state before the trailing edge have passed, thereby reducing the RSA. In most systems, à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ´3 and à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ´5 are very small and significant populations of 3 and 5 do not accumulate. Therefore, N3 and N5 can be set to zero, considerably simplifying the dynamical equations describing. The equations representing the full five level models are given below by: (2.2) (2.3) (2.4) (2.5) (2.6) (2.7) and (2.8) Where hà ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ® is the energy per photon, I is the intensity of the pulse and stimulated emission has been neglected. The latter assumes that optical coupling to the excited states is well above the bottom of the vibronic manifolds and that relaxation from the optically-coupled states to the bottom of the manifolds occurs on a time scale that is much shorter than the pulse duration. To completely understand the response of an RSA device, these equations must be solved as the pulse propagates through the material. The material parameters necessary to solve the equations are à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ³1, à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ³2, à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ³4, à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ´2, à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ´4 and à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ´24. For optimum optical limiting performance, certain parameters need to be maximized. The ratio of the excited state absorption to the ground state, à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ³2/à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ³1, à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ³4/à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ³1 should be large to minimize the transmission of the limiter at high incident intensity. For maximum efficiency, the lifetime of the triplet state (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ´2) and the intersystem crossing rate l/à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ´24 should be large to populate the triplet state and maintain the population throughout the pulse. By the mechanism of RSA we get better performance on optical limiting. 2.2. Two-Photon Absorption (TPA): Two-photon absorption (TPA) can also be used in a manner similar to RSA to construct optical limiters. In contrast with reverse saturable absorption, TPA is an instantaneous nonlinearity that involves the absorption of photon from the field to promote an electron from its initial state to a virtual intermediate state, followed by the absorption of a second photon that takes the electron to its final state. Since the intermediate state for such transitions is virtual, energy need not be conserved in the intermediate state but only in the final state. The mechanism of TPA can be thought of in terms of the three level RSA model for the case where the lifetime of the intermediate state approaches zero and the ground state absorption is extremely low (highly transparent). The intensity of the beam as it traverses the material is: (2.9) Where z is the linear absorption coefficient and à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢ is the TPA coefficient which is related to the imaginary part of à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ £(3) by the equation (SI units): (2.10) Here, à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ · is the circular frequency of the optical field, n0 is the linear index of refraction, and c is the speed of light in vacuum. The solution to the propagation equation for à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡= 0 (transparent material at low intensities) is given by (2.11) Where L is the sample length. This clearly demonstrates that the output intensity decreases as the input intensity increases, exactly the behavior that is desired for an optical limiter. The strength of this reduction is explicitly dependent on the TPA coefficient, the incident intensity and the sample thickness. For TPA, the material response is of the order of an optical cycle and is, therefore, independent of the optical pulse length for a fixed intensity. The device will respond virtually instantaneously to the pulse. On the other hand, because of the limited magnitude of à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢ in existing materials, high intensities are required to realize significant TPA. Since the intensity is essentially the energy density divided by the pulse duration, short pulses are required to achieve limiting with TPA for energy densities that may be high enough to damage an optical sensor. 2.3. Free-Carrier Absorption: This type of limiting occurs in semiconductor materials. Once carriers are optically generated in a semiconductor, whether by single photon or two-photon absorption, these electrons (holes) can be promoted to states higher (lower) in the conduction (valence) band by absorbing additional photons. This process is often phonon assisted, although depending on the details of the band structure and the frequency of the optical excitation, it may also be direct. The phonon assisted phenomenon is referred to as free-carrier absorption, and it is analogous to excited-state absorption in a molecular system. It is clearly an accumulative nonlinearity, since it depends on the buildup of carrier population in the bands as the incident optical pulse energy is absorbed. Free-carrier absorption always plays some role in the operation of a semiconductor limiter, if the excitation process results in the generation of significant free carrier populations in the bands. While it certainly contributes to the limiter performance and its inclusion is important in the precise modeling of the response of such devices, just as in the case of TPA, its importance typically pales in comparison with nonlinear refractive effects, whether the carriers are generated by single photon or two photon transitions. 2.4. Nonlinear Refraction Optical limiters based on self focusing and defocusing form another class of promising devices. The mechanism for these devices may arise from nonlinear refraction associated with carrier generation by either linear or two photon absorption in a semiconductor. Both self focusing and defocusing devices operate by refracting light away from the sensor as opposed to simply absorbing the incident radiation. Compared to strictly absorbing devices, these limiters can, therefore, potentially yield a larger dynamic range before damage to the limiter itself. Figure 2.3 (a) shows the typical device configuration for a self defocusing limiter, while figure 2.3 (b) shows a similar device based on self focusing. A converging lens is used to focus the incident radiation so it passes through the nonlinear medium. This lens provides optical gain to the system, allowing the device to activate at low incident intensities. The output passes through an aperture before impinging on the detector. At low input levels, the nonlinear medium has little effect on the incident beam, and the aperture blocks an insignificant portion of the beam, thus allowing for a low insertion loss for the device. When nonlinear refraction occurs, however, the nonuniform beam profile within the medium results in the generation of a spatially nonuniform refractive index. This acts as either a negative or positive lens, depending on the sign of the refractive nonlinearity, causing the incident beam to either defocus or focus. Figure 2.3: (a) Typical self defocusing optical limiter configuration (b) Typical self focusing optical limiter configuration. In a properly designed system, this self lensing results in significant energy blocked by the system aperture, thereby protecting the sensor. The location of the nonlinear medium is critical to the operation of the refractive limiting device. A self-focusing limiter works best if the nonlinear medium is placed approximately a Rayleigh range before the intermediate focus of the device. When the focusing lens is induced the effective focal length of the device is reduced, and hence a larger beam appears at the exit aperture. For a self-defocusing material, the optimum geometry is approximately one Rayleigh range after the focus. This geometry dependence can be exploited to determine not only the sign of the nonlinear refraction in a given medium, but the magnitude as well. This is the principle behind the so-called Z-scan technique, which has been pioneered by Van Stryland and coworkers [2b,2c]. The technique consists of moving the nonlinear medium through the focal region of a tightly focused beam while measuring the transmittance through an aperture placed in the far field of the focal plane. When the medium is far before the focal plane, no self-lensing occurs. As the medium approaches the focal plane, the high intensity begins to induce a lens in the medium. For a negative nonlinearity, this lens tends to collimate the beam, thereby increasing the transmittance through the aperture. Near the focal plane, even though the intensity is highest, the influence of the induced lens is minimized, resulting in a transmittance comparable to the linear transmittance. This is similar to placing a thin lens at the focus of a beam; this results in minimal effect on the far field beam pattern. As the sample is moved beyond the focal plane, the negative lens tends to increase the beam divergence, resulting in a decrease in the aperture transmittance. As the medium is moved still farther from focus, the intensity again becomes weak enough that the induced lensing is negligible. This sequence results in a change in transmittance with a characteristic peak, followed by a null, followed by a valley as the sample is moved from the input lens, through focus, toward the output lens. For a positive nonlinearity, the pattern consists of a valley, a null, and then a peak. Thus, the sign of the nonlinearity is readily determined. While nonlinear absorption has been neglected in this discussion, if present, it must also be accounted for. This is readily done by removing the aperture in the limiter and collecting all the light transmitted by the nonlinear material. This measurement is then insensitive to nonlinear refraction. The response in this case is a valley symmetrically located about the focal plane. It should be noted that nonlinear absorption and induced scattering cannot be distinguished by this technique. The general shape of the Z-scan for a positive index change, negative index change, and a nonlinear absorber or scatterer is shown in figure 2.4 . Figure 2.4: Schematic representation of z-scan results for a negative refractive nonlinearity (dashed curve) and a positive refractive nonlinearity (dotted curve). Both curves have been corrected for absorption. The solid curve shows the result of removing the aperture from the measurement apparatus and collecting all the transmitted light, thus isolating the nonlinear absorption [1e]. 2.5. Induced Scattering Scattering roots from interaction of light with small centers which may be physical particles or simple interfaces sandwiched between non-excited and excited molecular groups. The size of the scattering centers determines whether the scattering will be quite directional or reasonably uniform. Transmission of a medium, for a given solid angle, decreases when scattering centers are induced in the medium by an optical signal. Therefore, this phenomenon of scattering induced by optical signal may be applied to manufacture of optical limiters for sensor protection. Optical limiters based on induced scattering are usually focused on liquid media, as the phenomenon is usually reversible in these media. That is to say, the liquid in the excited state can return to equilibrium with ease in the absence of chemical or structural decomposition. However, in solids, usually irreversible decomposition processes generate the scattering centers which can lead to degradation in the device’s lin ear operation. When light is incident on a particle, the electric charges within the particle oscillate due to its interaction with the electric field. Radiations are then caused by the oscillation. In 1899, Lord Rayleigh originally presented the analytic expression and theory of the elastic scattering of light from particles with dimensions smaller than the wavelength of light. Rayleigh scattering is the name given to the phenomenon. This applies only to particles whose dimensions are quite smaller than the wavelength of light or which are non-absorbing. However, in 1908, Mie developed a theory for particles with dimensions comparable to the wavelength of light or greater [2d]. The transmitted intensity equations of the Mie scattering are notably more intricate than of Rayleigh scattering. In Mie scattering, a bigger percentage of the scattered radiation is in forward direction as the size of the scattering particles increases, implying that limiting based on Mie scattering will not be as effectiv e as Rayleigh scattering. 2.6. Photorefraction Two devices, namely coherent-beam excisor and the beam fanning limiter based on the photorefractive effect are used to limit coherent optical radiation. Materials showing photorefraction should have a nonzero χ(2). The traditional photorefractive mechanism is based on the photorefractive crystal which possesses deep levels that can be excited optically to generate free charge in the conduction or valence band. In a material showing photorefraction, when two coherent beams interfere, additional mobile charge are generated at the peaks of the intensity pattern than at the valleys through photoexcitation of the deep levels of the crsytal. These charges which are photoexcited at the peaks diffuse into the valleys ensuing a variation of charge spatially, in correspondence to the material’s interference pattern. These charges results in an electrostatic space-charge field which gives rise to a change in refractive index through the electro-optic effect in a properly oriented cry stal. Energy coupling and energy exchange can then be achieved between the two beams through the grating generated, which is 90 degrees phase shifted from the intensity of the photon field. A high intensity coherent beam when incident singly on a photorefractive crystal, the energy can be coupled into a large amount of low intensity scattered beams. Fields with new wave vectors are generated inside the crystal by the scattering of the incident beam at the crystal imperfections. The photorefractive gratings are then produced by the interference of the incident field with these scattered fields. Optical signal can later be coupled from the incident beam to the scattered beams through diffraction from these gratings. The light gets preferentially scattered to one side of the crystal as there is a preferred direction of energy transfer for photorefractive gratings which is determined by the direction of the c-axis of the crystal and the charge carriers’ sign. This photorefractive beam fanning phenomenon can be quite efficient in reducing the intensity of the transmitted beam. Construction of an optical limiter using this beam fanning process has been demonstrated by Cronin-Golomb and Yariv [2e]. The photorefractive excisor is another device which provides a weak seed beam to interfere with the incident beam. It is assembled to protect the sensor in such a way that the photorefractive grating produced by the interference of the primary beam with the seed beam at high intensities couples energy from the strong incident beam to the weak seed beam. The speed and efficiency of the device is thus improved. 2.7. Summary All of the nonlinear phenomena discussed above can be used for optical limiting, and figure 2.5 schematically illustrates the application of some of these processes. Figure 2.5 (a) depicts the use of induced absorption, such as reverse saturable absorption, two-photon absorption, and free-carrier absorption. Figures 2.5(b) and 2.5(d) represent, respectively, a self-defocusing limiter, self-focusing limiter, and an induced scattering limiter. Finally, figures 2.5(e) and 2.5(f) illustrate a photorefractive beam fanning limiter and a photorefractive excisor device. While it is often the case that any given material will exhibit multiple nonlinear properties, for simplicity the effects of each individual process have been separately depicted in figure 2.5. Figure 2.5: Some optical limiters based on different mechanisms (a) an induced absorption limiter (b) Self defocusing limiter (c) Self focusing limiter (d) Induced scattering limiter (e) Beam fanning limiter (f) Photorefractive excisor device [1e].

The Sweet Hereafter written by Banks :: essays research papers fc

Of all the novels I've read, not that I've read a lot, but 'The Sweet Hereafter';, written by Banks, is by far the best. I especially enjoyed the first person narration used. The plot in this novel was dependent on three main events: the bus accident, Mitchell Stevens, Esq. (the lawyer), and the testimony of Nichole Burnell.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The bus accident is first mentioned by the bus driver, Dolores Dricsoll. She talks about he past for a while and then goes on to describe the accident, '…it was then that I saw the dog…. I am almost sure it was an optical illusion or a mirage…. I had made my choice, as I wrenched the steering wheel to the right….';(Banks, 33,34) It turns out that the choice she made killed  ½ of the children on the bus. Dolores was let go from her job and alienated by her town, Sam Dent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In come the lawyers. After the accident everyone in town was mourning, and looking for some way to get over the pain. For a lot of these people, the answer was money; at least they thought it was. Mitchell Stevens Esq. was the lawyer most of the people in town chose to trust. He felt that he had a good negligence case against the state. The more he talked to his clients, the more they believed that he did. However, this was all put to rest when Nichole Burnell testified. Nicole was sitting the closest to Dolores at the time of the accident, and could see all the gauges, including the speedometer. Her testimony went a little like this, 'Yes I understand. Dolores was driving too fast, and it scared me…It seemed to me that we were going very fast down the hill there. I was scared…I know she was going seventy-two miles an hour. The speedometer is large and easy to see…'; With that testimony, Nichole put the law suits to rest. She didn't do it out of selfishness, but more out of the benefit for everyone in Sam Dent.

Uae ; Cultural Differences

List of Abbreviations GDPGross Domestic Product MASMasculinity PDIPower Distance Index UAEUnited Arab Emirates UAIUncertainty Avoidance Index UKUnited Kingdom Table Of Contents I. – List of Abreviations II. – Introduction2 III. – The United Arab Emirates2 III. 1 – History2 III. 2 – Economy4 IV. – Important values for a successful business in the UAE5 V. – Culture7 V. 1 – Cultural differences at the national level7 V. 2 – Cultural differences at the organizational level10 VI. – Kuhne + Nagel12VII. – List of References14 II. – Introduction In the current business environment, in times of globalization, financial crisis and terror, there is a growing consciousness about difficulties that can occur when different cultures collide. These difficulties especially need to be regarded when wanting to expand a business internationally or wanting to enter a foreign market. In this paper the United Arab Emirates is analyzed with focus on critical information for operating a business there.This paper will take into account the history, the cultural aspects as well as differences, the business development and opportunities based on an example of the German logistics company Kuhne & Nagel, which is doing business in the UAE since the 70`s. III. – The United Arab Emirates III. 1 – History The Palm islands, The World, the Burj al Arab and the Burj Dubai and other superlatives come to our mind when thinking about the United Arab Emirates, but they only represent the timeframe since the 1990’s. The UAE was founded in 1971.To really understand the UAE and its culture it is important to take a look at the history and the developments before the foundation and the oil. About 1500 years ago the people in the Arabic region were living in tribes, their lives were dictated by the harsh natural conditions and pearl fishing was the prevalent dedication[1]. The community was very import ant within the tribes and a deep social family structure was established. [2] At that time the Islamic Belief was introduced to the gulf region and is therefore deeply rooted in the history and its culture. 3] As trade and piracy rose in the 18th and 19th century the area became known as the Pirate Coast until the British navy launched several attacks on the pirate strongholds to secure the trade. [4] This lead to the signing of 3 truce treaties in total, including the final treaty in 1892, which made them become the â€Å"Trucial States† and preventing them from entering into relationships with any other country but the United Kingdom (UK) as well as disposing territory to anyone besides the UK, in return for coastal protection and support in case attack of land[5].The first discovery of oil in 1958[6] in Abu Dhabi, which led to many more, was very fortunate as the region, which relied heavily on pearl fishing, saw the pearl market collapse between the First and Second World War. [7] The discovery of oil and the hence evolving wealth had a strong influence on the further development of the area. When the British first announced their intention of withdrawing from the Arabian Gulf by the end of 1971, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi immediately wanted to establish closer relationships between the Arabic states. 8] He and Sheikh Rashid of Dubai, became the initiators towards an union of Arabic Emirates, including the Trucial States, Bahrain and Qatar. [9] Since no agreement could be reached between the nine and Qatar and Bahrain became independent, the rulers of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid, decided to form a union between their emirates and later on present its constitution to the other 5 emirates with the offer to join. [10] One day after the Britsh-Trucial Sheikdoms Treaty expired, the United Arab Emirates were founded on December 2nd, 1971.Four emirates joined immediately and Ra’s al-Kaihmah followed on Feb uary 10th, 1972. [11] Since its foundation the UAE has experienced an incredible growth and has managed to go from one of the least developed countries, to achieving an income level comparable to that of the industrialized nations in less than 30 years. [12] The oil revenues of course have contributed in a major way to the modern development and prosperity, but also political stability as well as the leadership by Sheikh Zayed were very influential. 13] The sheikh, who was born around 1918 and raised under poor circumstances, wanted his people to benefit from the country’s resources, while making sure that the people are aware of their roots and that the country’s history and culture are kept. [14] Through his efforts the Arabian culture has been preserved and passed on to the following generation.He was very popular not only within the nation but also in Europe and the US due to his pro-western mentality. 15] His open-mindness also had a big effect on the UAE and enab led it to become one of the most liberal and pluralistic countries in the Gulf region, with its now massively multicultural population. [16] When he died in 2004 his oldest son HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan became the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the UAE. [17] III. 2 – Economy Since the oil was discovered the oil sector was the main contributor to the GDP of the UAE. [18] However the country has steadily tried to reduce its dependability of oil and to diversify its economy. 19] The oil revenues were at first reinvested in to healthcare, education and the national infrastructure to raise the standard of living and pave the way for a sustainable economic development. [20] In 1985 the first free zone of the UAE was opened. In the Jebel Ali Free Zone no taxes had to be paid and foreign companies could establish subsidiaries without a domestic partner. [21] The concept of the free zone became very popular in the region and was the first step towards being an attract ive location for subsidiaries of companies that want to open up the Middle Eastern market.Today more than 850 companies have registered in the Jebel Ali Free Zone and almost 6,000 companies from over 110 countries conduct business there. [22] All in all more than 10,000 companies are registered in one of the 15 free trade zones in the UAE. [23] Due to the geographical location of the UAE in the Middle East and between the markets in the east, whose importance to the western companies has been steadily rising, and Western Europe the United Arab Emirates has become the hub for the complete Middle East, India, Afirca and the Commonwealth of Independent States. 24] This development is especially explicit in Dubai, which has evolved with over 140 scheduled fairs into one of the top locations for international trade shows and multilateral negotiations. [25]Due to the booming construction industry and tourism after 20 years of budget deficit there has been a balance surplus since 2005. [26 ] The GDP in 2007 grew by 7,5% to 192,6 billion US$. 27] The United Arab Emirates now has one of the most diversified economies in the gulf region and managed to lower its dependence on the oil industry to a GDP-contribution below one third, as sectors like manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, tourism, construction and real estate increased their share. [28] IV. – Important values for a successful business in the UAE To successfully operate a business in the UAE it is mandatory that certain basic values of the Arabian culture are known and respected. [29] One has to aware of his own culture and depart from the wrong and right thinking of rong or right and better or worse when it comes to cultures, as cultures are just different without any judgement. [30]First of all one needs to be aware that time is seen in a totally different way in the Arab world and is not considered to be an issue. Business meetings and negotiations take longer, people are not as punctual and dead lines are often not met. [31] Since personal relations are of highest importance for a successful business it is crucial, when first entering into business relations with people from the United Arab Emirates, to establish a trustworthy and respectful relation, much like a friendship. 32] The first face-to-face meetings are commonly time absorbing and used to become acquainted with the prospective counterpart. [33] Impatience or anger because of the often lengthy process should not be expressed as it would be conceived as rude and disrespectful possibly leading frustration of the business relations. [34] Business meetings generally take longer in the Arab world as at the beginning time is usually spent on inquiries on the well-being of the family members. [35] A strong effect on the business practices has the religious faith.The working hours are for example interrupted for praying[36] and during the holy month of Ramadan overall business slows down in the Arabian area. [37] In norma l business practice the religion also comes into play, inasmuch as some decisions are left to â€Å"fate†. [38] Therefore negotiations might end with the term â€Å"Insh'allah† – â€Å"if God wills†, which underlines the strong belief that the course of events cannot be controlled by the individual meaning that the decision will be made by god and not by them. [39] One of the highest values in the Arabian culture is the belonging to groups, especially the family. 40] Family matters are of higher significance than business[41] and interruptions of e. g. business meetings due to family and personal matters are no exception and should not be misinterpreted as rude.[42] Since age also plays a significant role in the Arabian culture, greater respect must always be shown to the more elderly person, by e. g. greeting the most senior person in a meeting first. [43] Often age and status has a greater influence on the career of an Arab than the actual personal achi evements. 44] The interaction with women is not always straightforward and therefore the behavior of the Arabs in the situation should be adopted in terms of how to greet a woman for example. [45] When negotiating and also in normal interactions with Arabian counterparts the concept of saving face needs to always be kept in mind.Criticism should not be expressed publicly and one should avoid to put anyone in a uncomfortable situation, since it could result in loosing face which seriously harms the person’s and his family’s reputation. 46] Dignity and respect are key elements in Arabian culture and saving face, through the use of compromise, patience and self-control is a means by which these values are maintained. [47] Since confrontation and conflicts are to be avoided in the Arabian culture business communication is done differently. Arabia has been identified by Edward T. Hall as a high context region where one has to read between the lines in contrast to Germany wi th a low context country where explicit words have specific meanings[48].A yes for example may mean a perhaps as the Arabs often communicate indirectly through body language or other forms of non-verbal communication like eye-contact or facial cues rather than communicating directly through words. [49] As, one should be aware of the so called â€Å"High Context Communication†[50] and try to carefully observe his counterpart during a conversation and always pay attention to the way the complete message is conveyed. [51] Management in the UAE is mostly done through centralized decision making and tall hierarchies. 52] Employees in the UAE expect to receive clear instructions and orders from their superiors, rather than having the freedom and the responsibility to manage their own work. [53] Due authority being an element of the Arabian culture, the orders are normally obeyed and only rarely questioned. [54] V. – Culture V. 1 – Cultural differences at the national level The biggest difference between the German culture and the culture in the United Arab Emirates obviously is the religion. Religion in Germany exists and is practiced, but not in an extent comparable to the United Arab Emirates.The culture in the UAE can be defined as the Arabian Culture as it is mostly the same in all Arab nations with some local differences and is mainly influenced by their history and even more their religion. [55] Arabs living in the United Arab Emirates are almost all Muslims and believe that the Islam is not only a religion but a way of living. [56] Their God Allah controls their entire life and even the law called Sharia is partly build on the Holy Koran. Praying five times a day as well as drinking no alcoholic drinks, eating no pork and fasting during the holy month of Ramadan is usual Islamic behavior. 57] Where as in the UAE religion dictates to a large extent the life of the people, in Germany to the contrary, religion is practiced as well, but itâ⠂¬â„¢s done in a considerably more relaxed way. [58] The most popular religion in Germany is Christianity, but Islam, Judaism and Buddhism are among other practiced as well. [59] Even though a majority of the Germans consider themselves as Christian, it has only minor effects on their lives. [60]. The way people eat, dress or behave is rather set by themselves and their parental education than by their religion.The Christian calendar defines the national holidays like Christmas and Easter and the day of rest being Sunday. The festivities of Christmas and Easter are celebrated in most of the Christian families, but on the normal every day life religion has almost no effect, compared to the United Arab Emirates. [61] The calendar in the UAE is also influenced by the religion, as the Muslim New Year is around February and March and Ramadan in October. [62] Even the weeks are separated differently, since Friday is the day of rest and either Thursday or Saturday is given off respectively to form the weekend. 63] The Islam also has influence on the way Emiratis have to dress. Women have to wear the traditional abaya, which is a garment that covers their whole body with exception of the feet, hands and face. They might even have to cover up totally, depending on how strictly the husband practices his religion. [64] Men are required to wear a white cotton thobe at with a guthra covering the head. [65]Leaving aside the religious influence on the people in the UAE, Arabs are very conservative as it is. Emotions and feelings towards each other are not openly expressed in public, as they generally try not to attract any attention. 66] This behavior and urge for privacy can also be found in the way the houses are built, as a lot of space between buildings and thick walls are preferred and used to clearly keep the family inside and leave the rest out. [67] The family in the interior is of highest importance to the Arabs and stands over everything. Family members are very lo yal and close to each other, which has originated from the past. [68] Traditionally the father is the head and leader who provides the family with what is needed for living. [69] Although nowadays the situation s slowly changing and women gain e. g. opportunities in regards of education and are not as underprivileged anymore, the role of the woman still predominantly includes taking care of the children and the house as well as being the center for love and emotional support. [70] Additionally women are still treated differently by the law.[71] German family members also live closely together and parents are very caring for their children, but at the same time statistically every third German marriage fails and commonly children have to grow up in different homes. 72] Generally men and women are more equal in Germany in terms of the law as well as in terms of family. The man is not the predetermined head of the family, as the power is more or less equally divided between the father and the mother. [73] The role of the father as the sole provider is slowly diminishing as more and more women work and have careers even though men yet have to get used to the concept of staying at home to take care and raise the children. [74] Similarities in the development towards equality can be seen in both countries, although Germany seems to be a little bit further than the UAE.Like the family, the community is also of high importance to the Arabs. Relatives, friends and neighbors always support each other in every life situation, while one cares for each other and the community. They are usually very patient and open to compromises, as conflicts or embarrassment are avoided. [75] Criticism is not openly expresses because they do not want anyone to feel inconvenient or harm their dignity, because it could lead to someone loosing his face. [76] To â€Å"keep face† is very important and if someone lost face there would be a strong impact on the family’s reputation . 77] Guests are also always taken care of very generously, since the Arabs are known for their hospitality.[78] Such a strong community cannot be found in Germany, where the people are more independent and concerned of their own good. [79] Germans behave very differently and are a lot more individualistic. People are primarily concerned about themselves and secondly about others. [80] There is no concept of â€Å"keeping face† and therefore conflicts are common, issues are openly addressed and discussed. Germans can be emotional and loud publicly unlike the people living in the Arab world. 81] Their openness for new things is also more distinct and attracting and standing in the middle of attention is not regarded as improper behavior in contrast to the conservative Arabs. [82] Another big difference is the outwards appearance of the people in Germany to the people in the UAE since there is neither a predefined kind of clothing nor any limit to the individualism due to the c onstantly changing fashion trends and styles. [83] V. 2 – Cultural differences at the organizational level To show the differences between the two cultures of Germany and the UAE at the organizational level Hofstede’s analysis is a good instrument to apply.The Dutch professor and influential author Gerard Hendrik Hofstede performed from 1968 to 1972 a survey among 116,000 IBM employees about their preferences in management style and working conditions. [84] Through his study he demonstrated that the behaviour of societies and organizations are affected by national and regional cultural groupings. Out of the results Hofstede identified the four dimensions called Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism/Collectivism and Masculinity/Femininity among which the different groups can be differentiated. 85] The first dimension Power Distance is defined as the extent to which less powerful members of institutions and organizations accept unequal distribution of powe r. [86] In the Arab world, which includes the UAE, a high Power Distance Index of 80 points has been recorded, meaning that people tend to follow orders without hesitation and organizations have a rather steep hierarchy. It can also be said that there are a lot of laws, rules and regulations that have to be followed to reduce the amount of uncertainty.87] The Power Distance Index in Germany is considerably lower than in Arabia with 35 points. Hence Germans have fewer superiors and their orders are more likely to be question than it would be the case in Arabia. Subsequently unequal distribution of power is not unconditionally accepted, the organizational structures are much flatter and decentralized decision making is common applied. [88] The Uncertainty Avoidance Index describes the level of discomfort people feel in insecure situations and the beliefs and means like organizations and institutions that were developed to reduce the uncertainty. 89] In this dimension the UAE and Germa ny are almost at the same level. [90] Both countries have adopted and implemented strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations to avoid those uncertain situations. A high need for security, structured activities and a strong belief in the knowledge of experts mutually applies as well. [91] The way of conducting business though differs, since the Arabian way is affected by their religious belief. They believe their time is controlled by Allah and that they have no influence it.Long talks with lots of coffee and tea are very common in a business meeting and should not be refused, whereas Germans certainly belief that they control their time themselves and are usually on tight schedules and have fixed dates which they administrate. [92] Germans are even famous for creating appointment schedules and seemingly never missing them too. The third dimension is the Collectivism and Individualism (IDV) respectively. This dimension displays whether people rather take care of themselves or othe r people around. [93] The Arabs have a very low IDV score of 38 points compared to the world average of 64 points.This makes the UAE a collectivistic country, where a strong relationship to the member group is very important. That is e. g. the family offering life-long protection and loyalty, which is prior to all other rules. [94] This translated into business as most jobs and promotions are obtained due to age and family status. In Germany to the contrary the IDV score of 67 is relatively high and above the world average, meaning that it is an individualistic country. People rather take care of themselves in stead of others and e. g. job promotions are based on one’s own efforts and market value rather than the family background. 95] In the last dimension the Masculinity Index (MAS) shows the people’s preference for â€Å"masculine† values like competitiveness, authority and materialism.[96] The MAS of 53 in the Arab World is slightly above the average of 50,2 , but still 13 points lower than in Germany, which means that Arabians prefer both â€Å"masculine† and â€Å"feminine† values. [97] They like authority and materialism, while valuing quality of life and relationships at the same time. Germans are mostly â€Å"masculine† in this respect and value especially competition, power and high salaries. 98] Considering the results of Hofstede’s analysis it can be said that religion and tradition have a great influence on the way business is done in the UAE and that there is a fast differences to the Germany, which can not be neglected when doing business. VI. – Kuhne + Nagel Kuhne + Nagel is a German logistics company, which was founded in 1890 in Bremen by August Kuehne and Friedrich Nagel.[99] Since then it has evolved from a traditional international freight forwarder to a globally leading transportation and logistics provider offering integrated supply chain solutions. 100] The company today has 850 off ices in  over 100 countries with more than 54,000 employees. [101] Their concept of helping to turn the customer’s logistic challenges into a competitive advantage through superior service and integrated end-to-end supply chain management solutions has been successful and still is. [102] Kuhne + Nagel has entered the market of the United Arab Emirates in 1977[103], when an office was established in Dubai. [104] For internationally operating logistic companies a global network of representations is very important in order to guarantee a smooth transit of goods.That way in case of any problems the local office can cope with it and is familiar with standards and processes at that location. Like in most Arab countries, a subsidiary can only be established with a domestic sponsor or partner. [105] Therefore the office in Dubai was not owned by majority by Kuhne + Nagel and there was not a lot of business actually taking place in the UAE, but an increasing number of goods passed through, thus the office was at first mainly used for project support. [106] Kuhne + Nagel also moved their office to the Jebel Ali Free Zone and could thus conduct their business independently.With the increasing business activities in the UAE, the branch office in Dubai gained in importance as well. In 2008 there were 120 employees in three Dubai offices, which makes Kuhne + Nagel the 7th biggest German employer in Dubai. [107] Since the company had already established many offices in other countries they are experienced in dealing with different cultures and mentalities. They have always been aware of the cultural differences between e. g. Germany and the United Arab Emirates and paid attention and adjusted to them.As Germans though they enjoyed good reputation and made only positive experiences in making business with the Arabian people as long as they were treated respectfully. [108] With the hotel industry booming, Kuhne + Nagel introduced in 2001 an innovative product contain ing a tailor-made logistics solutions associated with the construction and furnishing of hotel and tourist facilities. Apart from warehousing, the service portfolio further includes the entire management of suppliers and transport. [109] In 2005 this service was even deepened as firstly introduced to the hotels in the UAE by Kuhne +Nagel, which includes supplying amenities to hotels on a regular basis. [110] Kuehne + Nagel is responsible for the entire supply chain, including order management and procurement. Due to its great acceptance the global availability of this service followed in 2006. [111] The general trend towards becoming the â€Å"hub† of the Middle East, makes the location Dubai logistically even more important. [112] The success of Kuhne + Nagel in the UAE is also displayed through the plans of the company to expand its logistic infrastructure as part of the Dubai Logistics City adding about 52,000 m2 to its existing facilities in the Jebel Ali Free Zone. 113]T his new logistic centre will allow the company to optimally provide all the markets in the Middle East and meet the increasing storage requirements of many companies due to the relocating of their stock to the Middle East rather than supplying the area from Europe or Asia in order to reduce their costs and delivery time. [114] VII.

China’s Reform and Opening-Up Policy Essay

Deng Xiaoping in the eyes of all the Chinese people are very familiar with, because he proposed the reform and opening up policy, China has undergone enormous changes, China not only in the economic, political, cultural, social and other fields, various aspects have made great progress. I will divide my speech into three parts, the first part of the economy, the primary stage of socialism, the basic economic system has been established. Adjust and improve the ownership structure, changes in the ownership structure of public ownership as the main body, and a variety of forms of ownership develop the basic economic system. The reform of state-owned enterprises made ​significant progress. 30 years as the central link of the economic reform, the management system and operation mechanism reform of state-owned enterprises continued to deepen. Most of the restructuring of state-owned enterprises as diverse shareholders corporate enterprises, state-owned economy and structural adjustm ent progresses, greatly stimulate the vitality of enterprises, enhance the control and influence of the state-owned economy. The new macro-control system gradually perfected. Break the traditional highly centralized planning and management system, and gradually establish a macro-control system to adapt to the requirements of the socialist market economy, the transformation of government functions, planning, investment, finance and taxation, finance, foreign exchange, the price system reform has achieved significant progress in the formation of national planning and fiscal , monetary policy and the coordination of macro-control system. The second part, resource allocation, income distribution system is undergoing a fundamental change. Established distribution according to work is dominant and a variety of modes of distribution coexist distribution system, the establishment of the production factors of labor, capital, technology and management system of distribution according to contribution. Emphasis on the treatment of the relationship between the initial distribution and redistribution in the efficiency and fairness, give full play to the enthusiasm. The third part, social security, social security system of Chinese characteristics basically formed. Establishing and continuously improving the urban basic old-age insurance system, the formation of the urban and rural basic medical insurance system, and constantly improve the unemployment insurance, industrial injury insurance and maternity insurance system, generally establish minimum living security system for urban and rural residents, and gradually improve the social assistance system.