Better Pay and Working Conditions in Multinational Essay Example for Free

Better Pay and Working Conditions in Multinational Essay Reaction Paper Part I: Identification Alexander Hijzen and Paul Swaim, â€Å"Do multinationals promote better pay and working conditions? † OECD (Organization for Economic Development) Observer, October 2008; Issue 269, pp 15 – 17. Part II: Abstract Summary The article examines the behavior of international business enterprises, also known as multinational enterprises (MNEs), wages and working conditions, from the perception of the Organization for Economic Development (OECD). It gives a basic definition of a MNE as a corporation with headquarters in one country and affiliates, subsidiaries or merged operations in one or several other countries. Example MNE’s mentioned in the article include: Coca-Cola, Nike, Microsoft, EDF (French energy company), Rio Tinto (British-Australian mining firm), and Toyota. The article notes that there are thousands of MNEs and that they all are not a symbol of Western economic dominance. Some of the top firms listed now in FT one of the UK’s top international business magazines includes China, Russia, India, and Brazil. First, the article addresses the pro and con opinions that supporters and opponents of globalization bring to the working table of MNE’s. It stresses the fact that no matter what one’s opinion may be, the role of the MNEs in the world economy will continue to grow. Next, the article discusses the nature of MNEs as well as notes their advantages on employment (wages and working conditions). Concerning the wages, the article mentions that MNEs’ technical expertise and modern management styles would provide a basis for higher pay wages. However, the pessimists doubt the higher pay since the MNEs are typically in a strong bargaining position with local workers. The article explains that the best way to answer the question do multinational promote better pay and working conditions was to present a comparison of local and foreign companies in terms of their labor practices. So a study was completed to report on this question. The study showed that MNEs do tend to pay more than local firms that compete in the same markets. In general the pay is 40% higher. The study also noted that the pay may be higher to minimize worker turnover and reduce monitoring cost. These results were based upon the report focusing on three OECD countries (Germany, Portugal, and the UK) and two emerging economies (Brazil and Indonesia). Then the author presented the results from the study of those newly hired workers pay vs. those workers who moved from a domestic to a foreign-owned firm, as well as their adjustments to labor practices/working conditions. The study showed higher wages for newly hired workers and small losses or no effect for those moving to foreign firms. Several previous studies were mentioned which noted that multinational tend to adapt to local practices rather than impose their own. Finally, the author expresses the effect that experienced managers have on MNE’s. It has been proven that local firms that recruit managers with experience in multinationals enjoy higher productivity. They can more easily recognize and enforce internationally accepted labor standards. In the end, it is noted that not only experienced managers but also government support is what will help the MNEs be productive and help development.

Religion and the Cause of War Essay example -- Religion War

Many times we can’t pin down the precise reason as to why wars are caused, but we can say as to why we choose to fight. We fight to defend what we believe in. Many would say that war is not caused by religion, but what exactly is religion? Religion is â€Å"Something one believes in and follows devotedly; a matter of ethics or conscience.† (dictionary) Although many things cause war, one cannot discount the role religion plays in the cause of war. According to Prominent US Catholic theologian Dr. William Cavanaugh â€Å"If one tries to limit the definition of religion to belief in God or gods, then certain belief systems that are usually called â€Å"religions† are eliminated, such as Theravada, Buddhism, and Confucianism. If the definition is expanded to include such belief systems, then all sorts of practices, including many that are usually labeled â€Å"secular,† fall under the definition of religion.† (Cavanaugh) This is a rather interesting s tatement, if we broaden our view on what religion actually is we can clearly see that â€Å"Religion† does have an impact on war. Some would say that religion only deals with those that believe and or follow God or gods others like Dr. Cavanaugh say that religion can consist of something entirely different. With this in mind we will begin our search on the role religion has in war we will first take a look at six out of the many recognized world Religions and what their beliefs are about war. A â€Å"Holy War† or a â€Å"Just War† is how some Religions justify war. The chart below shows six religions of the world and what their stance on war is. The outer ring shows the religions that do believe in any type of war and the inner ring shows the religions that do not believe in war, as you can see there are more religions t... ...Dictionary of World History. Oxford University Press, 2000. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Lake City Community College. 29 October 2010 http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t48.e1384 "Crusades" World Encyclopedia. Philip's, 2008. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Lake City Community College. 29 October 2010 .html?subview=Main&entry=t142.e2980> Cavanaugh, William. T. Lyrical Ballads. London: Oxford U.P., 1967. Print. "Civil War, American" World Encyclopedia. Philip's, 2008. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Lake City Community College. 30 October 2010 Alchin, Linda.â€Å"Middle Ages† 16 July 2006. 24 Nov. 2010 .web.

Strategic Information System †Current Issues

our site – CUSTOM ESSAY WRITING – PUBLIC HEALTH DISSERTATION TOPICS Expanding Access to Healthcare According to the World Health Organization (2011), the main challenges of health care systems are related to managing competing demands and multiple objectives. Building effective Strategic Information Systems can help health care providers expand coverage to rural areas, and overcome barriers of access through finding alternative methods of information exchange and delivery. Opportunities Ngafeeson (2014) lists the main opportunities of strategic information systems’ application in healthcare as follows: Biomedical research Developing prevention and treatment standards Care delivery Linking national and regional registries Decision-support Challenges Blumenthal (2009) states that the resistance in the profession is the main barrier of SIS integration. Further challenges listed by Ngafeeson (2014) are: Lack of integration among systems Confusing standards Lack of well-developed exchange systems Cost restraints Potential Benefits The main potential benefits of SIS on the health care system to successfully deal with demographic challenges are: Accessibility (rural residents’ access to care) Cost savings Improved quality of care Education opportunities remotely Collaboration among departments (Rudowski 2008). Emerging Themes Clinical decision support systems can support primary care providers (Berner 2009) Rural access improvement through â€Å"internet doctor† services (Wood 2004) Data mining capability building to develop knowledge about trends (Ngafeeson 2014) Instant collaboration methods development Current Initiatives Chronic Disease Management Program in New Zealand helped deliver adequate diabetes control (Rudowski 2008) transmission of ECG signal directly from the ambulance to invasive cardiology centre (Rudowski 2008) Teleradiology Application of SIS in Health Care Berner (2009) lists possible areas of adaptation as: Preventive care (identifying risk populations) Diagnosis (database updates) Treatment plans (guidelines, templates) Cost reduction (duplicate test alert, for example) Follow-up management (alerts) (Berner 2009). Future Outlook and Research Hoque, Hossin, and Khan (2016) states that Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) will benefit developing countries more. The authors also define different stages of SISP: Strategic awareness Situation analysis Strategy conception Strategy formulation Strategy implementation SIS Challenges Difficulty to secure commitment Need for training and development Lack of IT support Underdeveloped technological environment IT leader selection and recruitment Issues with implementation and project management (Hoque, Hossin, and Khan 2016) Conclusion Several opportunities exist in improving health care access, diagnosis accuracy, and information flow in the health care system, related to the development of SIS. The main barriers of implementation were found to be lack of training opportunity, personnel resistance, and lack of IT leadership. References Berner, E.S., 2009. Clinical decision support systems: state of the art. AHRQ publication, 90069. Hoque, M.R., Hossin, M.E. and Khan, W., 2016. Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) Practices In Health Care Sectors Of Bangladesh. European Scientific Journal, 12(6). Ngafeeson, M.N., 2015. Healthcare Information Systems Opportunities and Challenges. In Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Third Edition (pp. 3387-3395). IGI Global. Rudowski, R., 2008. Impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on Health Care. Department of Medical Informatics and Telemedicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland. WHO. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2011. A System of Health Accounts 2011. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Wood, J., 2004. Rural health and healthcare: A north west perspective. Institute for Health Research, Lancaster University.

Autumn Leaf Color Whats Elevation Got to Do with It

September may be the first month of the fall season, but you dont have to wait until the month is underway to steal a glimpse of fall colors in the trees overhead. Beginning as early as late August in some places, all you have to do is look up at the trees on surrounding mountains. Its true -- the first hints  of fall color start off at the highest vistas first, then  week after week, sweep down to the lower elevations and valleys. The reason why has everything to do with the cooler temperatures found at these  higher elevations. TemperatureDecreases with Altitude If youve ever taken a hike on a crisp, fall day, you know firsthand that air temperatures can start off mild at the base of the mountain yet quickly turn cooler as you climb the summit. In fact,  an increase in  elevation of just 1000 feet can equate to a temperature decrease of roughly 5.4  °F on a clear day (3.3  °F if its cloudy, raining, or snowing). In meteorology, this relationship between elevation and temperature is known as a lapse rate. See Also: Cooler Temperatures Tell Trees to Prepare for Winter Cooler temperatures (cool, but above freezing)  cue trees that its time for their winter dormant period. Instead of manufacturing sugars for food, cool temperatures lead chlorophyll to dwindle faster, meaning that other leaf pigments (which are ever-present but otherwise masked by chlorophyll production) have a chance to overpower the green machine. Once peak leaf season has arrived, having several days of cooler weather can also lead to a good burst of color over a short period of time. Heres what other weather conditions can lead to good fall colors... Trees Change Color from the Crown, Down Not only do the highest trees change color first, but the highest leaves in a tree do too. As the season cools down, a trees growth cycle equally slows. Since the leaves at the  tip-tops of trees are furthest from the roots, nutrients stop reaching them first (less nutrients less chlorophyll bye bye green). And since these lofty leaves are the most exposed to light, by that same respect, theyre also the first to respond to falls lessening daylight hours -- another event which results in the slowdown of chlorophyll and the promoting of color change.