Salem Telephone Company Case Solution Essay Example for Free

Salem Telephone Company Case Solution Essay So as to improve their net gain, Flores has proposed three alternatives as follows. Choice 1 is to build the cost to $1,000 every hour while diminish request by 30%; choice 2 is to decrease the cost to $600 every hour while increment request by 30%; alternative 3 is to expand income hours by up to 30% through expanding their advancement cost. Every choice will influence net gain in the accompanying manners: For alternative 1: Benefit 1 = 205 hours * $400 every hour + $1,000 every hour * (138 * 70%) hours †absolute hours (205 + 138 * 70%) * variable expense $28.7 every hour †all out fixed cost 2,939= - ,994. 92 For choice 2: Benefit 2 = 205(400) +600(138 * 130%)- (179.4 +205)*(28.7) - 212,939= - $34,331.28 For choice 3: Benefit 3 =205(400) +800(179.4)- (205 + 179.4)*(28.7) - 212,939 = $1,548.72 All in all, for option1 and 2, both will diminish in total compensation. Alternative 1 will diminish total compensation by (- 30,383) (- 42,994.92) = $12,611.82, and choice 2 will diminish total compensation by (- 30,383) (- 34,331.28) = $3,948.18. For option3, net gain will increment to an advantage sum. In the event that the advancement cost is equivalent to or under 1548.72, this choice ought to be taken thought. Then again, if the advancement cost surpasses 1,548.72, the total compensation will transform into negative. Nonetheless, as long as it is more gainful than - $30,383, alternative 3 is the ideal decision. Since choice 1 and 2 aggravate their overall gain even and choice 3 expects them to spend almost no on advancement, there is a recommendation to close SDS as opposed to keeping it. In any case, in the event that they close SDS, the adjustment in their total compensation will be: Display 5 They will spare expenses in upkeep, power, etc, yet they will lose the lease benefit $8,000 if there is no other organization leases that floor. In addition, they have to redistribute and the re-appropriating cost will be 205 hours * $800 every hour = $164,000. Along these lines, as it is appeared in Exhibit 5, their additional expense of shutting SDS will be $94,356. On the off chance that they don’t lease the spot to different organizations, they will endure more misfortune than keep SDS. Accordingly, they should keep SDS as opposed to shutting it. What they can improve is to utilize choice 3, which is to expand business income hours by up to 30% through putting more cash on advancement. This might be ridiculous supposing that we investigate their advancement cost in March, we discover that they burned through $8,083 (expanded 15% contrasted with February) on advancement and they expanded business income hours by truth be told, not very many rates (just generally 2%). So as to control their expansion in advancement cost less than 1548.72, they have to increment just generally 20% of advancement expenses to arrive at a 30% expansion in business income hours. Accept the connection between advancement costs with business income hours is the thing that we saw in February and March (15% expansion in advancement cost gets a 2% increment business income hours), they have to increment (30%/2%) * 15% = 225% in advancement costs, which would be 8083 * (1 + 225%) = 26,270. Under this presumption, overall gain of picking alternative 3 will end up being 1548.72 †26,270 = - 24,721.28. In any case, choice 3 would bring them least misfortune and it is the ideal decision.

Business Ethics Dilemma

The Internet today is a significant asset and instrument for some individuals. PCs have been around since the 1950s’. Be that as it may, the prevalence of PCs didn’t take off until the 1990s’. Numerous organizations today advertise, advance, and have their own site. This is significant as it fills in as road of business to advance their items, offer their administrations to their clients, and constantly educate people in general on their exhibition. The Internet additionally furnishes different web indexes in 2011 with well known web crawlers, for example, Yahoo, MSN, Google, and more current web crawlers, for example, (Microsoft) Bing.This paper will ssummarize and break down the moral situation among Google and (Microsoft) Bing web search tools. What's more, talk about why the conduct is exploitative and the effect it has on the association. It will likewise incorporate the hypothesis of morals that clarifies the untrustworthy conduct and recommend approaches t o improve the conduct to maintain a strategic distance from the issues later on. Web When did the Internet start? Back in the mid 1960s’, ARPANET was made by many complex architects, PC researchers, and mathematicians.The ARPANET configuration permitted PCs to associate, run on various working frameworks, and without ARPANET, the Internet wouldn't look or act the manner in which it does today, it may not exist. As innovation propelled professionals started making headways with brushing the ARPANET system to the Satellite Network (SATNET). The specialized term for the association between the systems is between systems administration or better referred to today for some as the Internet. In 1990, Tim Berners-Lee built up a framework intended to improve route on the Internet which got known as the World Wide Web.As the years passed by, and as the innovation progressed so did the web crawlers. Microsoft's full scale passage into the program, server, and Internet Service Provider a dvertise finished the significant move over to a monetarily based Internet. Google versus (Microsoft) Bing On February third, 2011 the Harvard Business Review has announced that, â€Å"Google has started a media mayhem by asserting that Bing â€Å"copies† Google results and Bing unequivocally has denied it. As per the article, when user’s search data through the Bing toolbar the user’s program sends data to Microsoft to gather information, track data and watch to dissect standards of conduct. The Harvard Business Review article additionally has detailed the accompanying, â€Å"Google organized an arrangement for drivel search terms Google made up which made the web crawler present irregular pages Google chose subjectively. At that point Google advised its workers to run Google looks for these drivel terms, and to tap the counterfeit outcomes Google had inserted.The representatives did this on PCs running the Bing Toolbar and IE Related Sites, so their snap des igns were sent to Microsoft similarly as Microsoft's security strategy and different exposures said they would be. Microsoft utilized this information to improve its list items to introduce in Bing results the connections these clients appeared to support, again similarly as Microsoft said it would. † Google is making a charge that (Microsoft) Bing has duplicated their list items process using the toolbar functionality.According to the Harvard Business Review article, â€Å"Microsoft got client authorization for these perceptions and data about clients' snap designs is clients' data not Google's. † In a post at WebmasterWorld, Google's Matt Cutts, composed as follows, â€Å"It's my own, informal conviction that utilizing toolbar information later on to increase our slither isn't just a smart thought, yet explicitly permitted by the first strategies we posted. † Ethical DilemmaThe difficulty here is that Google isn't rehearsing in a moral way as their association is making a claim that Bing is encroaching on their toolbar procedure and following client designs isn't suitable. In view of the Harvard Business audit Matt Cutts further stated: â€Å"A great idea,† when utilizing this strategy however now that Microsoft utilizes this very methodology, unexpectedly Google contends it's inappropriate. Microsoft †Bing has a similar option to utilize this strategy to follow data and dependent on the Google Toolbar Privacy Policy it is revealed that Google maintains all authority to track and use design data to upgrade their inquiry engine.Conclusion Based on the data in the Harvard Business Review article, Google has abused the moral code of client certainty. This is expected the way that Google is working in a similar manner as Bing by checking movement look through its toolbar entry to upgrade the data that it is shown through their site. This influences the workers of Google on the grounds that the company is making a bogus case, and t his may leave a negative inclination with representatives in light of the fact that the association may not be totally clear with it s complete honesty policies.Google could have been forestalled these bogus cases by having an inside consistence group lead look into and with their discoveries could have prompted Google on a superior way to deal with address rivalry endeavors from (Microsoft) Bing. This fortifies the reason for having a code of morals inside an association and that each worker of all levels submits to it.ReferencesInternet. (2011). When did it start. (2011). Recovered on February the sixth, 2011 from: http://PC. howstuffworks. om/web/nuts and bolts/web start. htm Harvard Business Review. (2011). Google Policy. (2011). Recovered on February sixth, 2011, from: http://www. webmasterworld. com/forum80/21-1-30. htm Internet. (2011). Web History. (2011). Recovered on February sixth, 2011, from: http://www. walthowe. com/navnet/history. html Ethical Dilemma. (2011). Google versus Bing. (2011). Recovered on February sixth, 2011 from: http://www. businessweek. com/overseeing/content/feb2011/ca2011024_853469. htm

Search Report Example

Search Report Example Search Report â€" Assignment Example > Abstract Information security is a very sensitive issue because of the ethical issues that are raised as areas of concern. The expansion of global networks has facilitated the smooth operations of trade and commerce because of increased use and dependence on computing systems and communication. Attacks that have been directed at information assets have heightened the need for information security. Securing these systems has had organizations develop their own pool of information security to ensure that they have secure computing environments. The law mandates organizations to protect the personal employee information such as phone numbers and their medical conditions for security reasons (Quigley, 2004). While this information falls into the category of personnel data information security is expected to ensure that this data receives the same level of protection accorded to the important data in the organization. Information security problems that arise most of the time are not te chnical problems but a people problem. This is because ethical issues do not arise because of technical problems but because of people either intentionally or by accident (Buchanan Huczynski, 2004). This report looks at the ethical issues of information security as well as the various legislations that have been made to guarantee information security to individuals as well as to organizations and the empirical theories that explain behavior. IntroductionSecurity is a major concern in every facet of today’s life and technology is no exception. Technology exposes its users to various threats and so the need for legal systems to guarantee the safety of its users (Whitman Mattord, 2009). The internet which is the base of information technology has no geographical boundaries and this makes it a security concern in every country of the world. While it is impossible to formulate laws that generate acceptable behavior, ethics produce socially acceptable behavior in society and it is t herefore the responsibility of organizations to establish their codes of ethical behavior that their users should adhere to and live by (Whitman Mattord, 2009). This is because ethics provide society with the morals standards that enable it function easily. Based on this organizations have formulated their own codes of ethics that its members should abide by which is a collaborative effort that aims to raise awareness of computer responsibility (Whitman Mattord, 2009). Research methods and approachA random assessment of information security variables was used and a model constructed with all these variables: the law, policy and behavior. The data was collected using questionnaires and interviews to provide information about the underlying factors that affect the ethical behaviors of individuals. The inter-relationships between these variables and the overall effect they have on the ethical judgments of individuals. Application of the law and ethics in information securityInformat ion security is governed by laws and ethics which are determined to maintain balance in the society. Laws prohibit certain behavior while ethics are socially acceptable behaviors (Whitman Mattord, 2009). Organizational ethics are drawn from the moral attitudes and the customs of the organization. Actions that move away from what is viewed as acceptable behavior may be punished by the law as a crime. An organization’s legal environment influences the scale in which the information security professionals are able to guarantee the safety of the organization’s information (Whitman Mattord, 2010). The law enforcement is contacted first due their capacity to handle physical security threats but they are ill equipped to handle electronic crime.

Breast Cancer The Second Most Common Cancer - 2975 Words

Project Background (3 pages) Breast Cancer Female breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the world with over 1.6 million cases diagnosed in 2012 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012). Deaths from breast cancer within Australia have increased by 380% from 2003 to 2012 (ABS, 2012)(Smith et al., 2012). An individual’s risk of developing breast cancer increases dramatically with age until 50 where it plateaus giving women a 1:8 lifetime risk (Kamangar et al., 2006)(Davies, 2012). There are several varieties of breast cancer with the most frequent being invasive ductal carcinoma (Fernandez-Vega et al., 2013). Invasive ductal carcinomas begin in the duct before ductal hyper-proliferation and invasion of the surrounding breast†¦show more content†¦Treatment failure is not uncommon with 30% of breast cancer patients having no improvement following current treatments (Lendorf et al., 2011). A better understanding of the genomic and biological patterns associated with breast cancers may provide the key to improving diagnosis as well as management and treatment of this disease. Tumorigenesis and ECM ECM and Cell Niche Breast tissue is comprised of a basement membrane and epithelial cells which are located within an adipose and mesenchymal stroma (RO). The stroma consists of a diverse range of cells including endothelial cells, leukocytes, fibroblasts and many others (Polyak, 2007). The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a major component of the cancer microenvironment or niche consisting of collagen, laminin, fibronectin, proteoglycans and growth factors, including HER2 (Yoneda et al., 2012)(Reference). Invasive carcinomas unlike non-invasive carcinomas extend into the surrounding ECM and tend to induce modifications in the adjacent stroma (LR) (Fernandez-Vega et al., 2013). Several studies have shown the microenvironment and ECM are reservoirs of cellular and non-cellular materials, which help, modulate growth, survival, motility and invasive behaviour (LR)(Maeda et al., 2004). Hence studies on tumour epithelial cells and their niche are of current interest, as these interactions with regards to tumorigenesis have not fully been

Differences Between Goods and Services - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1489 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Compare and contrast essay Level High school Did you like this example? Differences Between Goods and Services This question will be answered in three distinct sections. In the first section the major differences in the evaluation of goods and services will be outlined and in the second section the reasons behind these differences will be examined further. In the third and final section it will be important to concentrate upon the impact that the differences between goods and services will have upon concept evaluation techniques and/or methods. Throughout this investigation we will refer to the case of the Concept Development Corporation and consider this case study in order to further elucidate upon this investigation. It is important to begin this investigation by answering the first question, namely what are the major differences between the evaluation of tangible goods (like toys) and services? The vast majority of money in an economy is spent on either goods or services and therefore it is important to be aware of the differences between the two concepts. Firstly of all, goods are a n entity that can be consumed by the customer. An example of a good is a book or food. In the case of a book, the customer can consume the product on many occasions, in the case of food only once. However, both books and food are united in the sense that they are tangible goods that a customer can use. It is the tangible nature of goods that is often used in order to define goods and as Adil points out, â€Å"goods are real things that people can touch and use† (Adil 2006: pp.4). Services, on the other hand are defined as something that a person does for another, for example, fixing another persons car or completing some handiwork in the house would be classed a service. In contrast to goods, services tend to be defined by their intangible nature, because the product one receives is not something one can physically grasp, but rather it is the provision of something that one needs by another person. As Berry points out, â€Å"whereas goods are first produced, then sold and th en consumed, services are first sold, then produced and consumed simultaneously† (Berry 1985: pp.34). It is clear that there are important conceptual and practical differences between goods and services. Kerr also focuses upon the intangibility of services as their defining feature and argues that as the ubiquitous haircut example illustrates, services tend to have an intangible quality and often (though not always) require the physical presence of both client and service provider† (Kerr 2008: pp.151). However, the difference between tangible good and intangible services are not the only theoretical and practical differences between the two concepts. Firstly, services are often an input into the production process, as the examples of telephone services or accounting illustrate. Due to the fact that such input services can be vital to the development of certain parts of the economy, one could argue that without adequate input service provision certain parts of the economy may never grow at all. â€Å"Countries with inefficient service provision, thus tend to have lower productivity in the manufacturing, agriculture and government sectors† (Kerr 2008: pp.151). Adequate service provision can, therefore, at times be vital in developing an economy in a manner that goods cannot be. Another important difference between goods and services is that â€Å"services tend to be differentiated products, whereas some goods are homogenous in nature and other goods are differentiated† (Kerr 2008: pp.151). As one can see, therefore, there are a number of important differences between the evaluation of goods and services. It is important now to move on to discuss why these differences between goods and services exist in the first place. As has already been noted above, the major difference between goods and services is the fact that goods are tangible products whereas services tend to be intangible in nature. The differences between the two concepts i s clearly illustrated by the example of the Concept Development Corporation. Crawford and Di Benedetto ask the reader to imagine a scenario in which a group of talented and creative friends decide to embark upon a business venture in which they can put their skills to effective use. â€Å"So, they quit their jobs, pooled their savings, rented a small, three-room office, hired a couple of people, coined the name Concept Development Corporation and started serious work† (Crawford Di Benedetto 2006: pp.189). They quickly realised that they were far more effective at creating ideas than evaluating them and they came up with two product ideas that exemplify the differences between goods and services outlined above. The first area in which they had a creative idea was regarding a product that can be defined as a good and their idea was to create toys for children, particularly toys that contained some education value for the children that played with them. â€Å"Their strategy wa s to develop unique toys that required little up-front expenditures. Most toys would have some game or competitive aspect, be it educational, and involve paper, colour, numbers and the like† (Crawford Di Benedetto 2006: pp.190). The second area in which the group of friends had a business idea was in the field of writing and this product is best defined as a service. â€Å"These services primarily involved designing and writing instruction sheets for area firms (training manuals, copy for package inserts, instruction signs – anywhere words were used to instruct people in doing things)† (Crawford Di Benedetto 2006: pp.190). It is clear, therefore, from examining the two types of products developed by the Concept Development Corporation that one product is best defined as a good and the other as a service and that a number of important differences exist between the two products. In the final section it is important to consider the consequences of the differenc es between the two products of the Concept Development Corporation on concept evaluation techniques and/or methods. It is clear, that, due to the fact that goods and services are different in nature, different techniques must be employed in order to evaluate the two concepts. For example, in order for a customer to evaluate the extent to which a good is soundly constructed, they may want to stress-test the product to ensure that it can withstand external pressure inflicted upon it. This type of test would not be applicable to a service. Therefore, due to the fact that goods a re tangible in nature and services tend be intangible, it is far easier to test the toys that the Development Corporation will produce than to test the writing service of the Corporation. As Berry states, â€Å"most services contain few search properties and are high in experience and credence properties, making their quality more difficult to evaluate than quality of goods†. (Berry 1985: pp.40). On t he other hand, another study has found that customers use different criteria in order to judge the quality of goods and services. Whereas customers are more likely to trust their own judgment or those of sales people when it comes to products, one study found that â€Å"buyers relied heavily agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that there is upon personal sources of information in evaluating services, a difference in the purchasing of goods and services† (Jackson 1995: pp.103). It seems, therefore, that the evidence suggests strongly that goods are more readily evaluated than services and Hartman argues that this is the only effective criteria that can used to distinguish in the evaluation of goods and services. He states that â€Å"goods were distinguished from services only on the ease of evaluation dimension† (Hartman 1993: pp.10). In conclusion, it has become evident during this study that a number of fundamental differences exist between goods and servi ces. Goods are tangible in nature and can be consumed once or multiple times by the customer whereas services tend be intangible in nature. This fundamental difference between the two products has been clearly reflected in the experiences of the Concept Development Corporation, which created toys for children as well as a writing enterprise. The toys for children were a clear example of a good whereas the writing enterprise was a clear example of a service. It is likely that the Concept Development Corporation would have far more success in evaluating the toys as a product, because the studies cited in this investigation suggest that evaluating goods is a simpler task than evaluating services. The Concept Development Corporation will have to bear the differences between goods and services in mind when developing their products further. Bibliography Adil, J., 2006. Goods and services. Minnesota: Capstone Press Berry, L., 1985. Problems and Strategies in Services Marketing. The Journal of Marketing, 49 (2), pp.33-46 Crawford, M., Di Benedetto, 2006. New Products Management. London: McGraw-Hill Publishing Hartman, D., 1993. Consumer Evaluations of goods and services: implications for services marketing. Journal of Services Marketing, 7 (2), pp.4-15 Jackson, R., 1995. An Empirical investigation of the differences in goods and services as perceived by organisational buyers. Industrial Marketing Management, 24 (2), pp.99-108 Kerr, W., 2008. Handbook on International Trade Policy. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Differences Between Goods and Services" essay for you Create order

The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe Free Essays

string(31) " to go to military production\." The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe| | The world’s most powerful Communist country was the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or otherwise known as the Soviet Union. It contained 15 republics that were controlled by a central government. Over time, it developed into a large industrial power that dictated all aspects of the national economy. We will write a custom essay sample on The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe or any similar topic only for you Order Now It set levels of wages and prices, controlled the allocation of resources, and decided what would be produced and how and where goods would be distributed. The Soviet Union was corrupted after World War I. Economic recovery such as Russian industrial production had gotten passed prewar levels by forty percent. New power plants, canals, and giant factories were built. Testing of hydrogen bombs in 1953 and Sputnik 1 in 1957 enhanced the Soviet state’s reputation as a world power abroad. Soviet people did not have much, their apartment’s one room served as both a bed and living room. As the struggle for power continued, Joseph Stalin, the general secretary of the Communist Party, became the master of the Soviet Union and he had a low amount of respect for Communist Party leaders. Stalin was a selfish leader and did not think people from his circle could do anything without him. He believed in a socialist government. The government issued a decree that all literary and scientific work must conform to the political needs of the state itself. As a result of this, there was increased terror. Many believed new purges were to come until Stalin died on March 5. After Stalin’s death, a man named Nikita Khrushchev came in as the chief Soviet policy maker and improved his regime. Khrushchev deleted Stalin’s ruthless policies which became known as De-Stalinization. He also loosened government control on Stalin’s literary works. Khrushchev tried to make consumer goods more popular. He also wanted to increase agricultural output by growing corn and cultivating lands that were east of the Ural Mountains. His attempt in increasing agriculture weakened his reputation within the party. As a result of his bad reputation and increased military spending, the Soviet economy became ruined. He was suddenly deposed in 1964. After Khrushchev fell from power, Leonid Brezhnev, who had been serving as his deputy in the party secretariat, became first secretary of the party. Under his rule the de-Stalinization campaign was highly relaxed. Previous experimental agricultural programs were abandoned and the economy began to flourish. Cold war tensions eased after the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 and there was a limited opening for cultural exchanges with the West. Competition shifted to a space and arms race. In Yugoslavia, a man by the name of Tito, also known as Josip Broz, was the leader of the Communist resistance movement. He wanted an independent Communist state in Yugoslavia. Tito refused to agree with Stalin’s demands of taking over Yugoslavia. By portraying the struggle as one of Yugoslav national freedom, Tito gained his people’s support. Tito ruled Yugoslavia up until his death in 1980. Yugoslavia was a Communist government, but not a Soviet satellite state. The Soviet Union did not allow its Eastern Europe satellites to become independent of Soviet control, especially in Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Hungary. Protests took place in Poland; the Polish Communist Party adopted a series of reforms in October 1956. They elected a first secretary named Wladyslaw Gomulka. He said that Poland had the right to follow its own socialist path. Poland was afraid of the Soviet armed response to his remark so they pledged to remain loyal to the Warsaw Pact. Unrest in Hungary and economic difficulties led to a revolt. What added to the rising rebellion was Imre Nagy, the Hungarian leader, declared Hungary a free nation on November 1, 1956. It also promised free elections. Three days after Nagy’s declaration, the Soviet Army attacked Budapest. 23 After this, the Soviets reestablished control over the country. Nagy was then seized by the Soviet military and executed two years later. 24 Alexander Dubcek was elected first secretary of the Communist party. 25 He introduced freedom of speech and press of freedom to travel abroad. He relaxed censorship, began to pursue an independent foreign policy, and promised a gradual democratization of the Czechoslovakia political system. 26 He wanted to create â€Å"socialism with a human face. †27 All the happiness of the people was ended when the Soviet Army invaded Czechoslovakia in August 1968 28 and crushed the reform movement. Gustav Husak replaced Dubcek, did not follow his reforms, and reestablished the old order. 28 In that same year of 1968 a movement for liberal reforms gained widespread support in Czechoslovakia. 29 When the Czech government seemed to be moving away from the Soviet-style rule, the Soviet Union reacted by sending troops into Czechoslovakia in August to ensure the removal of Czech leaders. 30 After this invasion, the Soviets developed the â€Å"Brezhnev doctrine,†31 a policy that called for Soviet intervention to stop any developments that may disrupt the Communist order in Eastern Europe. 32 Political and economic patterns remained constant and still into the 1980s. An invasion of Afghanistan to help a puppet regime broke down into guerrilla warfare. 33 In most cases the Soviets were cautious international players dodging any direct military interventions. Workers and youth began to react to their strict control and lack of consumer goods. High alcoholism increased death rates and lowered production. A growing economic crisis beginning in the mid-1980s forced major political change. 34 Efforts at reform were matched by developments in Eastern Europe that ended the Russian empire. The initial cause was a deteriorating economy hampered by the costs of rivalry with the United States. By the 1980s the economy was grinding to a halt. Forced industrialization had caused extensive environmental disaster throughout eastern Europe. Related diseases impaired optimism and economic performance. Infant mortality rates increased highly. Industrial production slowed and economic growth stopped, but one-third of national income continued to go to military production. You read "The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe" in category "Papers" 35 Younger leaders recognized that the system might very well collapse. In 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev introduced reforms. 6 He urged nuclear reduction and negotiated with the United States a limitation of medium-range missiles in Europe. The war in Afghanistan was ended by Soviet withdrawal. Internally Gorbachev proclaimed the freedom to comment and criticize. He commended use of market incentives and less use of administrative controls. But strong limits on political freedom remained and the centralized planning apparatus resisted reform. Gorbachev’s policies partly reflected ambivalence about the West as he reduced isolation but still criticized Western values. He wanted reform, not abandonment of basic communist controls. The keynote to reform was perestroika, or economic restructuring. 37 This meant more private ownership and decentralized control of aspects of the economy. Foreign investment was encouraged and military expenditures were reduced to free resources for consumer goods. In 1988 a new constitution gave considerable power to a parliament and abolished the communist monopoly of elections. Gorbachev was elected to a new and powerful presidency in 1990 as people argued for or against reform. 38 By the end of 1991 the Soviet Union had been replaced by a loose union of republics. 9 Gorbachev was dissatisfied so he decided to resign and was replaced by an elected president, Boris Yeltsin. 40 The Communist party was dissolved. Continuing uncertainty showed in 1993 when Yeltsin clashed with the parliament. 41 Yeltsin and the army triumphed and elections followed to produce another constitution. In the midst of continuing political confusion two trends predominated: the economy was weak and there w as a breakdown of values and discipline. 42 Crime flourished and growing economic class divisions threatened stability. The economic and political conditions provoked the states of Eastern Europe to take advantage of the new times to seek independence and internal reform. Soviet troops were withdrawn. Bulgaria arranged free elections in 1989 43; Hungary and Poland in 1988 installed noncommunist governments and moved toward a free economy. 44 Czechoslovakia did the same in 1989. 45 Without a doubt the Soviet Union began to collapse. Ethnic and national tensions got worse dramatically during 1989 to 1991. 46 There was heavy controversy between Georgia, Azerbaijan, Moldavia, and Kirghizia. 7 The Soviet government responded by sending troops to these regions to restore order. All 15 of the republics proclaimed that their laws were more superior than those of the central government. During 1989 to 1990, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Armenia, Georgia, and Moldavia all confirmed that they were going to separate from the USSR. 48 However the Soviet government did not recognize any of these independence claims a nd in 1990 Soviet troops stormed various communications facilities in Lithuania and Latvia. 49 During 1988-89, Gorbachev implemented various governmental reforms that radically changed he way in which the Soviet Union was ruled. 49 He persuaded the Communist party to relinquish its monopoly on political power and to recognize the authority of the new Supreme Soviet and the newly created Congress of People’s Deputies. 50 Also, the government created the office of president vested it with broad executive powers. Gorbachev was elected to that position in 1989. 51 The government approved a variety of economic reforms aimed at introducing a market-based economy. These measures included the legalization of private businesses and the reduction of state subsidies for many industries. Numerous economic problems followed, including high inflation and shortages of many goods, in particular food. 52 Meanwhile, democratic reform movements arose in eastern European countries and the legitimacy of Communist rule was challenged. Gorbachev rejected the â€Å"Brezhnev doctrine† 53 and made little effort to support the Communist governments in these nations. Most of them either collapsed or were reconstituted as democratically oriented regimes with the Communist party in a minor role. Gorbachev’s hands-off policy made possible the reunification of Germany in 1990. 4 East Germany in 1989 removed its communist leaders55; the Berlin Wall came down and full German unification occurred in 1990. 56 In 1991, Gorbachev negotiated a power-sharing treaty with most of the union republics. 57 In August, before the treaty was signed, a group of hardline Communists overthrew Gorbachev and seized control of the government. 58 The coup failed very fast because of the large am ount of opposition led by Boris Yeltsin and the failure of important military units to support the coup. Gorbachev survived the attempted coup because of popular support and eventually returned to power. The failed effort led to renewed attacks on the Communist party and to independence movements by minority nationalities. The only violence occurred in Romania when an authoritarian ruler was overthrown. The Communists retained power, through elections, in Bulgaria and Romania. In addition, Gorbachev quit his position as general secretary. 59 A new transitional government designed to give more power to the 15 republics was established. Nationalism continued to rise among the republics. In September of 1991, the Soviet government noticed that Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia were all independent. 0 By November, practically all the rest of the republics had proclaimed their wish for independence from the Soviet Union but at the same time to keep a unified economic economy. On December 8th, Russia, Ukraine, and Byelorussia formed a loose confederation known as the Commonwealth of Independent States, 61 otherwise known as the CIS. By the end of that same month, around December 21, all of th e rest of the republics joined the CIS, except for Georgia. 62 In The Baltic republics declared independence and other regions threatened to secede. By the end of 1991 the Soviet Union had been replaced by a loose union of republics. 63 Gorbachev became very unhappy and on December 25, 1991, Gorbachev resigned as president of the Soviet Union. 64 This ultimately ended the nation. The Communist party was dissolved. Continuing uncertainty showed in 1993 when Yeltsin clashed with the parliament. 65 Yeltsin and the army triumphed and elections followed to produce another constitution. In the midst of continuing political confusion two trends predominated: the economy was weak and there was a breakdown of values and discipline. Crime flourished and growing economic class divisions threatened stability. The new situation in Eastern Europe was marred by ethnic clashes. Yugoslavia fell apart and brutal fighting broke out among its former components. The new governments faced serious economic and environmental problems. Communist parties in Poland and Hungary won elections in 1993-199466 because of economic grievances, but did not attempt to restore the former system because of agitation among minority nationalities; some demanded independence. Although there were several changes over the last decade in Eastern Europe, the 20th century brought fewer changes. The Soviets claimed they were allowing equality for women, but never actually did. 67 They also had negotiated a federation between republics, but minority nationalists were constantly under ethnic Russian control and continued to want to be in charge of their own affairs. However religion maintained a dominant role in the state. People continued to be interested in Western culture, especially in the east European nations. 8 Components of the communist past survive still survive to this very day. The loss of superpower status is resented and the prospects of democratic leadership are insecure. East Europeans whole-heartedly value the benefits of communist welfare social protections and social inequality limits, hoping to combine such ideas with capitalist tendencies. The Russian emphasis on authoritarian government with extreme centralization of power remained. The emph asis on territorial acquisition was maintained with the domination of Eastern Europe after 1945. 9 Among the continuities were a sense of cultural isolation from the West, Russian ethnic domination over minority ethnic and religious groups, and the predominance of the novel as a literary form. Among the differences were the destruction of the powerful landholding aristocracy, the lack of emphasis of the role of Orthodox Christianity, the creation of an industrialized society with a social hierarchy, the presence of household patterns typical of an industrialized state, the attempt to introduce â€Å"socialist realism†70 into the arts, and the collapse of isolation How to cite The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, Papers

Change in the Role of the Government

Question: Describe about the"Change in government role with changing environment". Answer: Nowadays, it has been observed that the issue of increasing ageing population is the major concern and is the subject of great attention throughout the world. The population ageing is the change in the distribution of the population of the country towards the older ages. The population ageing presents the great fiscal challenge faced by the government. The major impact produced by the ageing groups is on the economic status of the country (Feng, Kugler and Zak, 2002). At present, it is one of the serious problems faced by the governments related to its effects on the healthcare, pensions, care services, as well as, the future labor supply. Hence, to overcome these issues, governments should take some steps to prevent the worsening of the economy, as well as, to improve the quality and living standard of all the people. A few changes can be made by the governments in its main policy options like adjusting the pension systems to cope up with the future problems are delaying the retirem ent, to lower down the pension payments, as well as, to undertake the welfare reform (Grafenhofer, 2007). By increasing the age of the retirement or by delaying the retirement will lead the long period of working by the people. This in turn will help in avoiding the decrease in the labor participation and will also provide the decline in the number of the pensioners. Hence, increasing the economic status of the country. The provision of health care, which is made available through the government, is affected by a number of variables, like the production costs, as well as, the level of the funding, which is received through taxation (Stijepic and Wagner, n.d.). Therefore, with an increasing ageing population, there is the requirement of the government to lower the pension payments and to increase the contribution rate. In other words, lowering pension payments will help in leading the old people for continuous working. At present times, goods price, as well as, the medical treatments is very costly, and if government will lower the pension, it means that the older people may not be able to pay for all their leisure entertainment, as well as, for their healthcare treatments, or for buying daily items too. Hence, they will have to get back to their job for earning more money for better quality of life due to the fact that no support will be available from the governments. Moreover, lowering pensions with increasing the contribution rate will lead to the alleviation of the budged burden for the government. Hence, increasing contribution rates can be considered as the source of raising tax revenues overall, which in turn will increase the level of funding and thus, the better supply of the healthcare system (Long and Pfau, 2009). References Feng, Y., Kugler, J. and Zak, P. (2002). Population Growth, Urbanisation and the Role of Government in China: A Political Economic Model of Demographic Change.Urban Studies, 39(12), pp.2329-2343. Grafenhofer, D. (2007). Economic ageing and demographic change.Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, 2007, pp.133-165. Long, G. and Pfau, W. (2009). Ageing, Poverty and the Role of a Social Pension in Vietnam.Development and Change, 40(2), pp.333-360. Stijepic, D. and Wagner, H. (n.d.). Population-Ageing, Structural Change and Productivity Growth.SSRN Electronic Journal.