Employment and Unemployment in the 1930s

The Great Depression is to economics what the Big Bang is to physics. As an event, the Depression is largely synonymous with the birth of modern macroeconomics, and it continues to haunt successive generations of economists. With respect to labor and labor markets, these facts evidently include wage rigidity, persistently high unemployment rates, and long-term joblessness. Traditionally, aggregate time series have provided the econometric grist for distinguishing explanations of the Great Depression.Recent research on labor markets in the 1930s, however, has shifted attention from aggregate to disaggregate time series and towards microeconomic evidence. This shift in focus is motivated by two factors. First, disaggregated data provide many more degrees of freedom than the decade or so of annual observations associated with the depression, and thus may prove helpful in distinguishing macroeconomic explanations. Second, disaggregation has revealed aspects of economic behavior hidden in the time series but which may be essential to their proper interpretation and, in any case, are worthy of study in their own right.Although the substantive findings of recent research are too new to judge their permanent significance, I believe that the shift towards disaggregated analysis is an important contribution. The paper begins by reviewing the conventional statistics of the United States labor market during the Great Depression and the paradigms to explain them. It then turns to recent studies of employment and unemployment using disaggregated data of various types. The paper concludes with discussions of research on other aspects of labor markets in the 1930s and on a promising source of microdata for future work.My analysis is confined to research on the United States; those interested in an international perspective on labor markets might begin with Eichengreen and Hatton's chapter in their edited volume, Interwar Unemployment in International Perspective, and the vario us country studies in that volume. I begin by reviewing two standard series of unemployment rates, Stanley Lebergott's and Michael Darby's, and an index of real hourly earnings in manufacturing compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).The difference between Lebergott's and Darby's series, which is examined later in the paper, concerns the treatment of persons with so-called â€Å"work relief† jobs. For Lebergott, persons on work relief are unemployed, while Darby counts them as employed. Between 1929 and 1933 the unemployment rate increased by over 20 percentage points, according to the Lebergott series, or by 17 percentage points, according to Darby's series. For the remainder of the decade, the unemployment rate stayed in, or hovered around, double digits. On the eve of America's entry into World War Two, between 9. and 14. 6 percent of the labor force was out of work, depending on how unemployment is measured. In addition to high levels of unemployment, the 1930s w itnessed the emergence of widespread and persistent long-term unemployment (unemployment durations longer than one year) as a serious policy problem. According to a Massachusetts state census taken in 1934, fully 63 percent of unemployed persons had been unemployed for a year or more. Similar amounts of long-term unemployment were observed in Philadelphia in 1936 and 1937.Given these patterns of unemployment, the behavior of real wages has proven most puzzling. Between 1929 and 1940 annual changes in real wages and unemployment were positively correlated. Real wages rose by 16 percent between 1929 and 1932, while the unemployment rate ballooned from 3 to 23 percent. Real wages remained high throughout the rest of the decade, although unemployment never dipped below 9 percent, no matter how it is measured. From this information, the central questions appear to be: Why did unemployment remain persistently high throughout the decade?How can unemployment rates in excess of 10 to 20 perc ent be reconciled with the behavior of real wages, which were stable or increasing? One way of answering these questions is to devise aggregative models consistent with the time series, and I briefly review these attempts later in the paper. Before doing so, however, it is important to stress that the aggregate statistics are far from perfect. No government agency in the 1930s routinely collected labor force information analogous to that provided by today's Current Population Survey.The unemployment rates just discussed are constructs, the differences between intercensal estimates of labor force participation rates and employment-to-population ratios. Because unemployment is measured as a residual, relatively small changes in the labor force or employment counts can markedly affect the estimated unemployment rate. The dispute between Darby and his critics over the labor force classification of persons on work relief is a manifestation of this problem. Although some progress has been made on measurement issues, there is little doubt that further refinements to the aggregate unemployment eries would be beneficial. Stanley Lebergott has critically examined the reliability of BLS wage series from the 1930s. The BLS series drew upon a fixed group of manufacturing establishments reporting for at least two successive months. Lebergott notes several biases arising from this sampling method. Workers who were laid off, he claims, were less productive and had lower wages than average. Firms that went out of business were smaller, on average, than firms that survived, and tended to have lower average wages.In addition, the BLS oversampled large firms, and Lebergott suspects that large firms were more adept at selectively laying off lower- productivity labor; more willing to deskill, that is, reassign able employees to less-skilled jobs; and more likely to give able employees longer work periods. A rough calculation suggests that accounting for these biases would produce a n aggregate decline in nominal wages between 1929 and 1932 as much as 48 percent larger than that measured by the BLS series.Although the details of Lebergott's calculation are open to scrutiny, the research discussed elsewhere in the paper suggests that he is correct about the existence of biases in the BLS wage series. For much of the period since World War Two, most economists blamed persistent unemployment on wage rigidity. The demand for labor was a downward sloping function of the real wage but since nominal wages were insufficiently flexible downward, the labor market in the 1930s was persistently in disequilibrium.Labor supply exceeded labor demand, with mass unemployment the unfortunate consequence. Had wages been more flexible, this viewpoint holds, employment would have been restored and Depression averted. The frontal attack on the conventional wisdom was Robert E. Lucas and Leonard Rapping. The original Lucas-Rapping set-up continued to view current labor demand as a ne gative function of the current real wage. Current labor supply was a positive function of the real wage and the expected real interest rate, but a negative function of the expected future wage.If workers expect higher real wages in the future or a lower real interest rate, current labor supply would be depressed, employment would fall, unemployment rise, and real wages increase. Lucas and Rapping offer an unemployment equation, relating the unemployment rate to actual versus anticipated nominal wages, and actual versus anticipated price levels. Al Rees argued that the Lucas-Rapping model was unable to account for the persistence of high unemployment coincident with stable or rising real wages. Lucas and Rapping conceded defeat for the period 1933 to 1941, but claimed victory for 1929 to 1933.As Ben Bernanke pointed out, however, their victory rests largely on the belief that expected real interest rates fell between 1929 and 1933, while â€Å"ex post, real interest rates in 1930-33 were the highest of the century†. Because nominal interest rates fell sharply between 1929 and 1933, whether expected real rates fell hinges on whether deflation — which turned out to be considerable — was unanticipated. Recent research by Steven Cecchetti suggests that the deflation was, at least in part, anticipated, which appears to undercut Lucas and Rapping's reply.In a controversial paper aimed at rehabilitating the Lucas-Rapping model, Michael Darby redefined the unemployment rate to exclude persons who held work relief jobs with the Works Progress and Work Projects Administrations (the WPA) or other federal and state agencies. The convention of the era, followed by Lebergott, was to count persons on work relief as unemployed. According to Darby, however, persons with work relief jobs were â€Å"employed† by the government: â€Å"From the Keynesian viewpoint, labor voluntarily employed on contracyclical †¦ government projects should certainly be counted as employed.On the search approach to unemployment, a person who accepts a job and withdraws voluntarily from the activity of search is clearly employed. † The exclusion of persons on work relief drastically lowers the aggregate unemployment rate after 1935. In addition to modifying the definition of unemployment, Darby also redefined the real wage to be the average annual earnings of full-time employees in all industries. With these changes, the fit of the Lucas-Rapping unemployment equation is improved, even for 1934 to 1941. However, Jonathan Kesselman and N. E.Savin later showed that the improved fit was largely the consequence of Darby's modified real wage series, not the revised unemployment rate. Thus, for the purpose of empirically testing the Lucas-Rapping model, the classification of WPA workers as employed or unemployed is not crucial. Returning to the questions posed above, New Deal legislation has frequently been blamed for the persistence of high unem ployment and the perverse behavior of real wages. In this regard, perhaps the most important piece of legislation was the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) of 1933.The National Recovery Administration (NRA), created by the NIRA, established guidelines that raised nominal wages and prices, and encouraged higher levels of employment through reductions in the length of the workweek (worksharing). An influential study by Michael Weinstein econometrically analyzed the impact of the NIRA on wages. Using aggregate monthly data on hourly earnings in manufacturing, Weinstein showed that the NIRA raised nominal wages directly through its wage codes and indirectly by raising prices.The total impact was such that â€Å"[i]n the absence of the NIRA, average hourly earnings in manufacturing would have been less than thirty-five cents by May 1935 instead of its actual level of almost sixty cents (assuming unemployment to have been unaltered)†. It is questionable, however, whether the NIRA really this large an impact on wages. Weinstein measured the direct effect of the codes by comparing monthly wage changes during the NIRA period (1933-35) with wage changes during the recovery phase (1921-23) of the post-World War One recession (1920-21), holding constant the level of unemployment and changes in wholesale prices.Data from the intervening years (1924-1932) or after the NIRA period were excluded from his regression analysis (p. 52). In addition, Weinstein's regression specification precludes the possibility that reductions in weekly hours (worksharing), some of which occurred independently of the NIRA, had a positive effect on hourly earnings. A recent paper using data from the full sample period and allowing for the effect of worksharing found a positive but much smaller impact of the NIRA on wages (see the discussion of Bernanke's work later in the paper).Various developments in neo-Keynesian macroeconomics have recently filtered into the discussion. Martin Bai ly emphasizes the role of implicit contracts in the context of various legal and institutional changes during the 1930s. Firms did not aggressively cut wages when unemployment was high early in the 1930s because such a policy would hurt worker morale and the firm's reputation, incentives that were later reinforced by New Deal legislation. Efficiency wages have been invoked in a provocative article by Richard Jensen.Beginning sometime after the turn of the century large firms slowly began to adopt bureaucratic methods of labor relations. Policies were â€Å"designed to identify and keep the more efficient workers, and to encourage other workers to emulate them. † Efficiency wages were one such device, which presumably contributed to stickiness in wages. The trend towards bureaucratic methods accelerated in the 1930s. According to Jensen, firms surviving the initial downturn used the opportunity to lay off their least productive workers but a portion of the initial decline in e mployment occurred among firms that went out of business.Thus, when expansion occurred, firms had their pick of workers who had been laid off. Personnel departments used past wage histories as a signal, and higher-wage workers were a better risk. Those with few occupational skills, the elderly (who were expensive to retrain) and the poorly educated faced enormous difficulties in finding work. After 1935 the â€Å"reserve army† of long-term unemployed did not exert much downward pressure on nominal wages because employers simply did not view the long-term unemployed as substitutes for the employed at virtually any wage.A novel feature of Jensen's argument is its integration of microeconomic evidence on the characteristics of the unemployed with macroeconomic evidence on wage rigidity. Other circumstantial evidence is in its favor, too. Productivity growth was surprisingly strong after 1932, despite severe weakness in capital investment and a slowdown in innovative activity. Th e rhetoric of the era, that â€Å"higher wages and better treatment of labor would improve labor productivity†, may be the correct explanation.If the reserve army hypothesis were true, the wages of unskilled workers, who were disproportionately unemployed, should have fallen relative to the wages of skilled and educated workers, but there is no indication that wage differentials were wider overall in the 1930s than in the 1920s. It remains an open question, however, whether the use of efficiency wages was as widespread as Jensen alleges, and whether efficiency wages can account empirically for the evolution of productivity growth in the 1930s. In brief, the macro studies have not settled the debate over the proper interpretation of the aggregate statistics.This state of affairs has much to do with the (supreme) difficulty of building a consensus macro model of the depression economy. But it is also a consequence of the level of aggregation at which empirical work has been con ducted. The problem is partly one of sample size, and partly a reflection of the inadequacies of discussing these issues using the paradigm of a representative agent. This being, the case I turn next to disaggregated studies of employment and unemployment. In a conventional short-run aggregate production function, the labor input is defined to be total person-hours.For the postwar period, temporal variation in person-hours is overwhelmingly due to fluctuations in employment. However, for the interwar period, variations in the length of the workweek account for nearly half of the monthly variance in the labor input. Declines in weekly hours were deep, prolonged, and widespread in the 1930s. The behavior of real hourly earnings, however, may have not have been independent of changes in weekly hours. This insight motivates Ben Bernanke's analysis of employment, hours, and earnings in eight pre-World War Two manufacturing industries.The (industry- specific) supply of labor is described by an earnings function, which gives the minimum weekly earnings required for a worker to supply a given number of hours per week. In Bernanke's formulation, the earnings function is convex in hours and also discontinuous at zero hours (the discontinuity reflects fixed costs of working or switching industries). Production depends separately on the number of workers and weekly hours, and on nonlabor inputs. Firms are not indifferent â€Å"between receiving one hour of work from eight different workers and receiving eight hours from one worker. A reduction in product demand causes the firm to cut back employment and hours per week. The reduction in hours means more leisure for workers, but less pay per week. Eventually, as weekly hours are reduced beyond a certain point, hourly earnings rise. Further reductions in hours cannot be matched one for one by reductions in weekly earnings. But, when hourly earnings increase, the real wage then appears to be countercyclical. To test the mode l, Bernanke uses monthly, industry-level data compiled by the National Industrial Conference Board covering the period 1923 to 1939.The specification of the earnings function (describing the supply of labor) incorporates a partial adjustment of wages to prices, while the labor demand equation incorporates partial adjustment of current demand to desired demand. Except in one industry (leather), the industry demand for workers falls as real product wages rise; industry demands for weekly hours fall as the marginal cost to the firm of varying weekly hours rises; and industry labor supply is a positive function of weekly earnings and weekly hours.The model is used to argue that the NIRA lowered weekly hours and raised weekly earnings and employment, although the effects were modest. In six of the industries (the exceptions were shoes and lumber), increased union influence after 1935 (measured with a proxy variable of days idled by strikes) raised weekly earnings by 10 percent or more. S imulations revealed that allowing for full adjustment of nominal wages to prices resulted in a poor description of the behavior of real wages, but no deterioration in the model's ability to explain employment and hours variation.Whatever the importance of sticky nominal wages in explaining real wage behavior, the phenomenon â€Å"may not have had great allocative significance† for employment. In a related paper, Bernanke and Martin Parkinson use an expanded version of the NICB data set to explore the possibility that â€Å"short-run increasing returns to labor† or procyclical labor productivity, characterized co-movements in output and employment in the 1930s. Using their expanded data set, Bernanke and Parkinson estimate regressions of the change in output on the change in labor input, now defined to be total person-hours.The coefficient of the change in the labor input is the key parameter; if it exceeds unity, then short-run increasing returns to labor are present. Bernanke and Parkinson find that short-run increasing returns to labor characterized all but two of the industries under study (petroleum and leather). The estimates of the labor coefficient are essentially unchanged if the sample is restricted to just the 1930s. Further, a high degree of correlation (r = 0. 9) appears between interwar and postwar estimates of short-run increasing returns to labor for a matched sample of industries.Thus, the procyclical nature of labor productivity appears to be an accepted fact for both the interwar and postwar periods. One explanation of procyclical productivity, favored by real business cycle theorists, emphasizes technology shocks. Booms are periods in which technological change is unusually brisk, and labor supply increases to take advantage of the higher wages induced by temporary gains in productivity (caused by the outward shift in production functions).In Bernanke and Parkinson's view, however, the high correlation between the pre- and post -war estimates of short-run increasing returns to labor poses a serious problem for the technological shocks explanation. The high correlation implies that the â€Å"real shocks hitting individual industrial production functions in the interwar period accounted for about the same percentage of employment variation in each industry as genuine technological shocks hitting industrial production functions in the post-war period†.However, technological change per se during the Depression was concentrated in a few industries and was modest overall. Further, while real shocks (for example, bank failures, the New Deal, international political instability) occurred, their effects on employment were felt through shifts in aggregate demand, not through shifts in industry production functions. Other leading explanations of procyclical productivity are true increasing returns or, popular among Keynesians, the theory of labor hoarding during economic downturns.Having ruled out technology s hocks, Bernanke and Parkinson attempt to distinguish between true increasing returns and labor hoarding. They devise two tests, both of which involve restrictions on excluding proxies for labor utilization from their regressions of industry output. If true increasing returns were present, the observed labor input captures all the relevant information about variations in output over the cycle. But if labor hoarding were occurring, the rate of labor utilization, holding employment constant, should account for output variation.Their results are mixed, but are mildly in favor of labor hoarding. Although Bernanke's modeling effort is of independent interest, the substantive value of his and Parkinson's research is enhanced considerably by disaggregation to the industry level. It is obvious from their work that industries in the 1930s did not respond identically to decreases in output demand. However, further disaggregation to the firm level can produce additional insights. Bernanke and P arkinson assume that movements in industry aggregates reflect the behavior of a representative firm.But, according to Lebergott (1989), much of the initial decline in output and employment occurred among firms that exited. Firms that left, and new entrants, however, were not identical to firms that survived. These points are well-illustrated in Timothy Bresnahan and Daniel Raff's study of the American motor vehicle industry. Their database consists of manuscript census returns of motor vehicle plants in 1929, 1931, 1933, and 1935. By linking the manuscript returns from year to year, Bresnahan and Raff have created a panel dataset, capable of identifying plants the exited, surviving plants, and new plants.Plants that exited between 1929 and 1933 had lower wages and lower labor productivity than plants that survived. Between 1933 and 1935 average wages at exiting plants and new plants were slightly higher than at surviving plants. Output per worker was still relatively greater at surv iving plants than new entrants, but the gap was smaller than between 1929 and 1933. Roughly a third of the decline in the industry's employment between 1929 and the trough in 1933 occurred in plant closures. The vast majority of these plant closures were permanent.The shakeout of inefficient firms after 1929 ameliorated the decline in average labor productivity in the industry. Although industry productivity did decline, productivity in 1933 would have been still lower if all plants had continued to operate. During the initial recovery phase (1933-35) about 40 percent of the increase in employment occurred in new plants. Surviving plants were more likely to use mass-production techniques; the same was true of new entrants. Mass production plants differed sharply from their predecessors (custom production plants) in the skill mix of their workforces and in labor relations.In the motor vehicle industry, the early years of the Depression were an â€Å"evolutionary event†, perman ently altering the technology of the representative firm. While the representative firm paradigm apparently fails for motor vehicles, it may not for other industries. Some preliminary work by Amy Bertin, Bresnahan, and Raff, on another industry, blast furnaces, is revealing on this point. Blast furnaces were subject to increasing returns and the market for the product (molten iron) was highly localized.For this industry, reductions in output during a cyclical trough are reasonably described by a representative firm, since â€Å"localized competition prevented efficient reallocation of output across plants† and therefore the compositional effects occurring in the auto industry did not happen. These analyses of firm-level data have two important implications for studies of employment in the 1930s. First, aggregate demand shocks could very well have changed average technological practice through the process of exit and entry at the firm level.Thus Bernanke and Parkinson's reject ion of the technological shocks explanation of short-run increasing returns, which is based in part on their belief that aggregate demand shocks did not alter industry production functions, may be premature. Second, the empirical adequacy of the representative firm paradigm is apparently industry-specific, depending on industry structure, the nature of product demand, and initial (that is, pre-Depression) heterogeneity in firm sizes and costs.Such â€Å"phenomena are invisible in industry data,† and can only be recovered from firm-level records, such as the census manuscripts. Analyses of industry and firm-level data are one way to explore heterogeneity in labor utilization. Geography is another. A focus on national or even industry aggregates obscures the substantial spatial variation in bust and recovery that characterized the 1930s. Two recent studies show how spatial variation suggests new puzzles about the persistence of the Depression as well as provide additional degre es of freedom for discriminating between macroeconomic models.State-level variation in employment is the subject of an important article by John Wallis. Using data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wallis has constructed annual indices of manufacturing and nonmanufacturing employment for states from 1930 to 1940. Wallis' indices reveal that declines in employment between 1930 and 1933 were steepest in the East North Central and Mountain states; employment actually rose in the South Atlantic states, however, once an adjustment is made for industry mix.The South also did comparatively well during the recovery phase of the Depression (1933-1940). Wallis tests whether the southern advantage during the recovery phase might reflect lower levels of unionization and a lower proportion of employment affected by the passage of the Social Security Act (1935), but controlling for percent unionized and percent in covered employment in a regression of employment growth does not elimina te the regional gap. What comes through clearly,† according to Wallis â€Å"is that the [employment] effects of the Depression varied considerably throughout the nation† and that a convincing explanation of the South-nonSouth difference remains an open question. Curtis Simon and Clark Nardinelli exploit variation across cities to put forth a particular interpretation of economic downturn in the early 1930s. Specifically, they study the empirical relationship between â€Å"industrial diversity† and city- level unemployment rates before and after World War Two.Industrial diversity is measured by a city-specific Herfindahl index of industry employment shares. The higher the value of the index, the greater is the concentration of employment in a small number of industries. Using data from the 1930 federal census and the 1931 Special Census of Unemployment, Simon and Nardinelli show that unemployment rates and the industrial diversity index were positively correlated across cities at the beginning of the Depression.Analysis of similar census data for the post-World War Two, period, reveals a negative correlation between city unemployment rates and industrial diversity. Simon and Nardinelli explain this finding as the outcome of two competing effects. In normal economic circumstances, a city with a more diverse range of industries should have a lower unemployment rate (the â€Å"portfolio† effect), because industry-specific demand shocks will not be perfectly correlated across industries and some laid-off workers will find ready employment in expanding industries.The portfolio effect may fail, however, during a large aggregate demand shock (the early 1930s) if firms and workers are poorly informed, misperceiving the shock to be industry-specific, rather than a general reduction in demand. Firms in industrially diverse cities announce selective layoffs rather than reduce wages, because they believe that across-the-board wage cuts would caus e too many workers to quit (workers in industrial diverse cities think they can easily find a job in another industry elsewhere in the same city), thus hurting production.Firms in industrially specialized cities, however, are more likely to cut wages than employment because they believe lower wages â€Å"would induce relatively fewer quits† than in industrially diverse cities. Thus, Simon and Nardinelli conclude, wages in the early 1930s were more rigid in industrially-diverse cities, producing the positive correlation between industrial diversity and unemployment. Improvements in the quantity, quality, and timeliness of economic information, they conjecture, have caused the portfolio effect to dominate after World War Two, producing the postwar negative correlation.Although one can question the historical relevance of Simon and Nardinelli's model, and the specifics of their empirical analysis, their paper is successful in demonstrating the potential value of spatial data in unraveling the sources of economic downturn early in the Depression. Postwar macroeconomics has tended to proceed as aggregate unemployment rates applied to a representative worker, with a certain percentage of that worker's time not being used. As a result, disaggregated evidence on unemployment has been slighted.Such evidence, however, can provide a richer picture of who was unemployed in the 1930s, a better understanding of the relationship between unemployment and work relief, and further insights into macroeconomic explanations of unemployment. To date, the source that has received the most attention is the public use tape of the 1940 census, a large, random sample of the population in 1940. The 1940 census is a remarkable historical document. It was the first American census to inquire about educational attainment, wage and salary income and weeks worked in the previous year; nd the first to use the â€Å"labor force week† concept in soliciting information about labor f orce status. Eight labor force categories are reported, including whether persons held work relief jobs during the census week (March 24-30, 1940). For persons who were unemployed or who held a work relief job at the time of the census, the number of weeks of unemployment since the person last held a private or nonemergency government job of one month or longer was recorded.The questions on weeks worked and earnings in 1939 did not treat work relief jobs differently from other jobs. That is, earnings from, and time spent on, work relief are included in the totals. I have used the 1940 census sample to study the characteristics of unemployed workers and of persons on work relief, and the relationship between work relief and various aspects of unemployment. It is clear from the census tape that unemployed persons who were not on work relief were far from a random sample of the labor force.For example, the unemployed were typically younger, or older, than the average employed worker (u nemployment followed a U-shape pattern with respect to age); the unemployed were more often nonwhite; and they were less educated and had fewer skills than employed persons, as measured by occupation. Such differences tended to be starkest for the long-term unemployed (those with unemployment durations longer than year); thus, for example, the long-term unemployed had even less schooling that the average unemployed worker.Although the WPA drew its workers from the ranks of the unemployed, the characteristics of WPA workers did not merely replicate those of other unemployed persons. For example, single men, the foreign-born, high school graduates, urban residents, and persons living in the Northeast were underrepresented among WPA workers, compared with the rest of the unemployed. Perhaps the most salient difference, however, concerns the duration of unemployment. Among those on work relief in 1940, roughly twice as many had been without a non-relief job for a year or longer as had u nemployed persons not on work relief.The fact that the long-term unemployed were concentrated disproportionately on work relief raises an obvious question. Did the long-term unemployed find work relief jobs after being unemployed for a long time, or did they remain with the WPA for a long time? The answer appears to be mostly the latter. Among nonfarm males ages 14 to 64 on work relief in March 1940 and reporting 65 weeks of unemployment (that is, the first quarter of 1940 and all of 1939), close to half worked 39 weeks or more in 1939. Given the census conventions, they had to have been working more or less full time, for the WPA.For reasons that are not fully clear, the incentives were such that a significant fraction of persons who got on work relief, stayed on. One possible explanation is that some persons on work relief preferred the WPA, given prevailing wages, perhaps because their relief jobs were more stable than the non-relief jobs (if any) available to them. Or, as one WP A worker put it: â€Å"Why do we want to hold onto these [relief] jobs? †¦ [W]e know all the time about persons †¦ just managing to scrape along †¦ My advice, Buddy, is better not take too much of a chance. Know a good thing when you got it. Alternatively, working for the WPA may have stigmatized individuals, making them less desirable to non-relief employers the longer they stayed on work relief. Whatever the explanation, the continuous nature of WPA employment makes it difficult to believe that the WPA did not reduce, in the aggregate, the amount of job search by the unemployed in the late 1930s. In addition to the duration of unemployment experienced by individuals, the availability of work relief may have dampened the increase in labor supply of secondary workers in households in which the household head was unemployed, the so- called â€Å"added worker† effect.Specifically, wives of unemployed men not on work relief were much more likely to participate in the labor force than wives of men who were employed at non-relief jobs. But wives of men who worked for the WPA were far less likely to participate in the labor force than wives of otherwise employed men. The relative impacts were such that, in the aggregate, no added worker effect can be observed as long as persons on work relief are counted among the unemployed.Although my primary goal in analyzing the 1940 census sample was to illuminate features of unemployment obscured by the aggregate time series, the results bear on several macroeconomic issues. First, the heterogenous nature of unemployment implies that a representative agent view of aggregate unemployment cannot be maintained for the late 1930s. Whether the view can be maintained for the earlier part of the Depression is not certain, but the evidence presented in Jensen and myself suggests that it cannot.Because the evolution of the characteristics of the unemployed over the 1930s bears on the plausibility of various macro economic explanations of unemployment (Jensen's use of efficiency wage theory, for example), further research is clearly desirable. Second, the heterogenous nature of unemployment is consistent with Lebergott's claim that aggregate BLS wage series for the 1930s are contaminated by selection bias, because the characteristics that affected the likelihood of being employed (for example, education) also affected a person's wage.Again, a clearer understanding of the magnitude and direction of bias requires further work on how the characteristics of the employed and unemployed changed as the Depression progressed. Third, macroeconomic analyses of the persistence of high unemployment should not ignore the effects of the WPA — and, more generally, those of other federal relief policies — on the economic behavior of the unemployed. In particular, if work relief was preferred to job search by some unemployed workers, the WPA may have displaced some growth in private sector emplo yment that would have occurred in its absence.An estimate of the size of this displacement effect can be inferred from a recent paper by John Wallis and Daniel Benjamin. Wallis and Benjamin estimate a model of labor supply, labor demand, and per capita relief budgets using panel data for states from 1933 to 1939. Their coefficients imply that elimination of the WPA starting in 1937 would have increased private sector employment by 2. 9 percent by 1940, which corresponds to about 49 percent of persons on work relief in that year. Displacement was not one-for-one, but may not have been negligible.My discussion thus far has emphasized the value of disaggregated evidence in understanding certain key features of labor markets in the 1930s — the behavior of wages, employment and unemployment — because these are of greatest general interest to economists today. I would be remiss, however, if I did not mention other aspects of labor markets examined in recent work. What follow s is a brief, personal selection from a much larger literature. The Great Depression left its mark on racial and gender differences.From 1890 to 1930 the incomes of black men increased slightly relative to the incomes of white men, but the trend in relative incomes reversed direction in the 1930s. Migration to the North, a major avenue of economic advancement for Southern blacks, slowed appreciably. There is little doubt that, if the Depression had not happened, the relative economic status of blacks would have been higher on the eve of World War Two. Labor force participation by married women was hampered by â€Å"marriage bars†, implicit or explicit regulations which allowed firms to dismiss single women upon arriage or which prohibited the hiring of married women. Although marriage bars existed before the 1930s, their use spread during the Depression, possibly because social norms dictated that married men were more deserving of scarce jobs than married women. Although the y have not received as much attention from economists, some of the more interesting effects of the Depression were demographic or life-cycle in nature. Marriage rates fell sharply in the early 1930s, and fertility rates remained low throughout the decade.An influential study by the sociologist Glen Elder, Jr. traced the subsequent work and life histories of a sample of individuals growing up in Oakland, California in the 1930s. Children from working class households whose parents suffered from prolonged unemployment during the Depression had lower educational attainment and less occupational mobility than their peers who were not so deprived. Similar findings were reported by Stephan Thernstrom in his study of occupational mobility of Boston men.The Great Depression was the premier macroeconomic event of the twentieth century, and I am not suggesting we abandon macroeconomic analysis of it. I am suggesting, however, that an exclusive focus on aggregate labor statistics runs two risk s: the facts derived may be artifacts, and much of what may be interesting about labor market behavior in the 1930s is rendered invisible. The people and firms whose experiences make up the aggregates deserve to be studied in their diversity, not as representative agents.I have mentioned census microdata, such as the public use sample of the 1940 census or the manufacturing census manuscripts collected by Bresnahan and Raff, in this survey. In closing, I would like highlight another source that could be examined in future work. The source is the â€Å"Study of Consumer Purchases in the United States† conducted by the BLS in 1935-36. Approximately 300,000 households, chosen from a larger random sample of 700,000, supplied basic survey data on income and housing, with 20 percent furnishing additional information.The detail is staggering: labor supply and income of all family members, from all sources (on a quarterly basis); personal characteristics (for example, occupation, age , race); family composition; housing characteristics; and a long list of durable and non-durable consumption expenditures (the 20 percent sample). Because the purpose of the study was to provide budget weights to update the CPI, only families in â€Å"normal† economic circumstances were included (this is the basis for the reduction in sample size from 700,000 to 300,000).Thus, for example, persons whose wages were very low or who experienced persistent unemployment are unlikely to be included in 1935-36 study. A pilot sample, drawn from the original survey forms (stored at the National Archives) and containing the responses of 6,000 urban households, is available in machine-readable format from the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research at the University of Michigan (ICPSR Study 8908). Robert A. Margo Vanderbilt University

How Starbucks Saved My Life Essay

We chose to review the bestselling book called â€Å"How Starbucks Saved My Life† by Michael Gill because we thought that it would be a good read, as the title itself was intriguing. The book was quite difficult to find but somehow we managed to chance upon some copies of it. The book was not a disappointment as it was truly inspirational. It had taught us to start looking on the brighter side of life and to always move forward, not backward. We have also learned that we should not dwell on the past. At the start of the book, Michael Gill had been living in his past and had many regrets in his past life. Soon enough, the author came to the realization that lingering in his past was not going to make the present any better for himself. Hence, he made the decision to obtain a more positive mindset about the future. He proceeded to observe things in a different light and always did things with an open mind. Another one of the reasons why we chose this book was because it has also taught us to be hard working and take pride in whatever we have accomplished. In addition to that, the author taught us to never take things for granted and to appreciate the things we have in life before it can be abruptly taken away from us. The book is based on a true story about the author’s life. He used to work with J. Walter Thompson (JWT) – the largest advertising agency in the United States of America – as a successful advertising executive. He devoted most of his life working hard for the agency and sacrificed most of his time with his family to contribute in making the agency successful. He had spent long hours working with his clients instead of being with his family. The author thought of himself as a pillar of his family. He thought that sacrificing his job was worth all the times he had not been there for his family as he desired to provide a good life for his family. In fact, he was so loyal to his job that he was willing to surrender spending Christmas with his family to work with his client. The author had said â€Å"I was full of pride that I had never refused any effort JWT ever asked of me. † (2008, page 8). He had done everything he could to dedicate himself to the company; he was soon enough fired by one of his colleagues, Linda. The author had really liked Linda and he had helped her to move up on the Board of Directors. Hence, he felt extremely hurt that he was fired by Linda as he thought of her as a friend. The author was also furious with himself because he did not notice the signs earlier on while he was working that his new boss, a Brit named Martin Sorrell, who was younger than him. One of the signs that the author should have paid attention to was when his boss had once said straightforwardly â€Å"I like young people around me. † (2008, page 9). A few years later, he decided to open up his own consulting company and at the start, many of his old clients made business with him. However, his business gradually slowed down to a halt as lesser and lesser of his clients went back to him. His life became more miserable when he found out that he had a tiny tumour called an ‘acoustic neuroma’ on the base of his brain that was affecting his hearing. The author also started going to the gym momentarily after he was fired to keep himself occupied. â€Å"I needed a reason to get out of the house everyday, and exercise became my new reason for getting up and out. (2008, page 23) was what the author said. The gym was where he met his mistress, Susan. He had an affair with Susan for more than a year while still being married to his wife, Betsy. Late one morning, Susan broke the news to the author that she was pregnant with his child. He had hoped that she would go for an abortion but she refused because she thought that God told her that she should keep the baby. The author had then confessed to his wife of many years that he had impregnated another woman which led to his divorce. The author was sitting in a Starbucks store, reminiscing about his past when a black lady named Crystal accosted him intrepidly and confidently, offering him a job at Starbucks. During the interview, Crystal provided the author with a booklet that showed the health benefits of working as a barista at Starbucks. This caused the author to immediately make the decision to work at Starbucks as he could finally secure his fifth and last child’s health insurance. He then embarked on a new journey working at Starbucks and working for Crystal was a new experience for him since he was used to working in a high rank position. The author also wrote about how the Guests of Starbucks treated him differently than the clients he used to work with in his previous job. His Partners treated him with respect and was always patient when it came to teaching him new things. Slowly, he moved up his position as a barista and became the Coffee Master of the store. He adored his job so much that he wanted to exceed his service for his Partners and Guests. Therefore, he did this in a form of writing poems for them. One of the poems he wrote for his Guests was: â€Å"Your wonderful smile/When you walk in the door/Helps to make/Our spirit soar. You make sure to us/Just how we are/When we see you at the register/Or at the bar. /Little wonder you are our star/And a favourite Guest. /You bring out/Our very best! † (2008, page 224). At last, he decided to quit working at Crystal’s store and work at the Starbucks store which is near to his apartment. When he told Crystal that he wanted to work at another Starbucks store, he was praised by Crystal as being one of the best at delivering legendary service. It meant that he made the extra efforts to make positive bonds with the Guests. Due to his excellent service, he helped the store to attain a five star award which was the first ever time that Starbucks rewarded its stores. The book was useful to us as there were some original economic acumen. It taught us that no matter how rich and successful you are at that point in your life, you will still have to make a financial backup plan and be vigilant towards your own financial wealth. We found this book inspiring because the author did not give up even after many downfalls in his life. It taught us to persevere through hardship and be determined to overcome it. Family was also another important factor that he had stressed on in the book. He wrote about how he regretted not spending enough time with his family. He wrote that he was upset with himself because he had not been able to see his children grow up as fine adults that they are presently. This has taught us not to neglect our family even though it clashes with our personal work. We must always spend quality time together because it will strengthen the bond in the family as it is our first priority. The fact that he was the reason why his family was broken apart also caused him to feel guilty. The author had lived luxuriously all his life until he was fired by his company. He had once said in an interview, â€Å"I was born with just about every advantage you could imagine, or even wish for. † He had everything he wanted but he took it for granted. We can relate this to our lives as it acts as a reminder to us to always treasure what we have in life. This book is mostly about his experience working at Starbucks. However, the book was not entirely perfect. What did not appeal to us the most was that he had too many flashbacks. Due to the numerous flashbacks which he had, it made the book less interesting to us. It was tough for us to continue halfway through the story as he droned on about his previous life too much but eventually, we still managed to finish the book. The book also had too many corporate speaking and repetition. Another reason why it was not that useful was that the author talked about the Partners, Guests and having respect almost endlessly but only mentioned about his affair, divorce and his out-of-wedlock child merely. He had not exactly elaborated on the negative impacts in his life. Other than that, the author had also said in his book that he regretted prioritizing his work rather than his family in his younger years but it still seems as if he is achieving more from his work instead of from his new child. We have learned the importance of respect and serving people well from him but we feel that he had not learned how to connect with his children – especially his last child – well enough.

Aurora Leigh and The Odyssey

Aurora Leigh and The Odyssey Essay In Elizabeth Barrett Brownings Aurora Leigh the conquest of the feminine is present, though its form ridiculed and its male perpetrators abased so that some measure of equity between the sexes can be achieved. Not present is the one sided subjugation which features prominently in The Odyssey, for in her adaptation of the epic form, the now female protagonist conquers and is subtly conquered herself. The Odyssey presents masculine heroism (partially) predicated on the oppression of women; for a hero to even project some semblance of authority, he must be the master of his home. The home however is the domain of women and thus the inference is made ad hoc ergo propter hoc. Odysseus conquers both mortal (Penelope) and immortal (Circe) women, while conquering (resisting) the lure of the Sirens. Even the goddess Athena is enamoured with his wit and wily charm, sending aid or bringing it in person. Thus the whole of the feminine world, both perceived and sublime is at his command, either directly or indirectly conquered. All the women he conquers make the hero, pushing him to his greatest potential. They instil in him courage, ambition and humility, and are thus integral Odysseus very being a hero. The Greek ideal of the hero therefore bases itself on dominion over the female sex. Telemachus follows this path also, for no hero he would be if he had not established social order at home with his mother, nor hanged the treacherous maids. Elizabeth Barrett Browning shows women as able in their own right however. No longer are they confined to womanly chores, but can be artists, intellectuals, they can succeed in the ultimate domain of men. A full and willing surrender to fate is not in order, the protagonist and hero or Aurora Leigh being both headstrong and female. Both the baser, in Lady Waldemar and pure, in Mariam sides of womanly nature are shown. It can be inferred that Browning means to caution while promoting freedom, for some human instincts must be controlled. Female strength however, is sometimes found in the most unlikely of places, among the denizens of brothels and hovels, in Mariam. She, having been abandoned by Romney, denies him marriage when he returns many years later proposing this. Thus Browning alters form, in her poetic justice, Romney must be rebuked, and soundly so. Another Greek dogma is abandoned with her differentiating between love and rape, love being an entity that cannot be forced upon one party. Aurora is her own woman, writing poetry for a living, and even acting as a benefactor to Mirian, a decidedly male role. Love is not conquest, nor conquest love she says: When we learn to lose ourselves, and melt like white pearls in anothers wine , equating love with a soft stupor, yet one for the better, where the self of one becomes the whole of two. Aurora struggles to assert herself, yet does so, even though the hostile forces of her aunt and Romney try to hold her back. The departure from the style of The Odyssey however is not complete, Browning muses that no epic of true value and meaning can Aurora write, museless as she is (without Romney). She finds her poetic inspiration reconciling love and her poetry (a symbol of her independence); feminist thought was not so radical in Brownings time. However, there is a clause to be fulfilled for the reconciliation to be fulfilled, Romney, once so strong and sure of himself, must be humbled. He previously sought to double himself in what he loves, and make his drink more costly by our pearls This train of thought was however equivalent to the Odysseian archetype and thus cannot be upheld in Brownings epic; change is in her opinion necessary. Aurora acknowledges her own weakness in love, and succumbs to it, but is self-critical in doing so, realising her own folly. Portraying Aurora so, Browning can be considered an early feminist, and her thought radical for her age. However, she also meant to comment on Victorian society, and its hypocritical views on women and the home. READ: Characteristics of an epic hero EssayHers was the age of Victoria, of prudish behaviour, where one slip, one impropriety meant ones end. Yet at the same time, there was a surplus of women, and as often follows, a proliferation of prostitution. Marian herself becomes one, but Browning meant her not to be viewed as vile, but rather with compassion. Society made the woman, and her strength in persevering should be glorified rather than her actions vilified. In Brownings narrative, it is not only the women who are humbled, but also the men. Romney did not see clearly what Aurora deserved, and thus he is blinded literally so that he can accept and acknowledge what she means to him. He mistook his own heart, and that slip was fatal , as did Aurora, and thus they both conquer each other, entering a relationship of equals. The feminine is conquered in Aurora Leigh, but not in the sense that it was in The Odyssey. Women as heroes can agree to be conquered, once both they and their lovers have grown morally, and shed the false skin that is the collection of judgements society makes of them, and in turn expects them to believe.

Motivation in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Motivation in the Workplace - Essay Example Motivation through boosting morale among staffs improves performance (Peta et al. 2007). This could be done through praising the accomplishment of others, reminding them the reason for it. Praising may give them self worth and importance. As a result, they become much more inclined to listen and pay attention to assigned tasks. The â€Å"no comparison† should also be observed. Although, other staffs are faster in their work and at the same time could deliver quality performance, they should not be compared to others. Another way to motivate is to offer support. This is especially true for newly hired staffs who are still adjusting to their work environment. In cases of difficulty in their tasks, let them understand that some tasks really need extra effort and skill but it could be possibly done. Lastly, staying excited and feel energized yourself will encourage others to do the same. This could be most applicable if others are looking up to you as this is likened to leading by example. As an employee, motivating others is not enough if you want to improve. For this reason, my strategy to stay motivated is to set a goal for my professional growth.

Communication and Conflict Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Communication and Conflict Final - Essay Example In order to achieve the goals of conflict resolution, the mediator must have enough internal direction and good communication and interpersonal skills in order to come to an agreement with both parties (â€Å"Why Does Virginia Tech Have a Conflict Resolution Program?† 2009). Being able to speak eloquently and clearly as a mediator is a key role in how conflicts are negotiated. Both parties must feel like they understand what is going on within the conversation being had, not only with each other, but how the mediator is being understood by both parties. Good mediators are able to keep the subject at hand relevant to the discussion and can navigate difficult, at-times uncharted waters, so to speak. One approach to conflict is that â€Å" ‘we do not have to stay the way we are’; we all have more choices in conflicts tha[n] we assume† (Hocker, et. al., 1985, p. xi). According to Gerzon (2006), â€Å"As our world grows smaller, opportunities for conflict multiply. Ethnic, religious, political, and personal differences drive people apart--with potentially disastrous consequences--and its the task of perceptive leaders to bring them together again† (pgh. 1). Finally, a negotiator or person in conflict mediation needs to be helpful, above all things. If a negotiator is not helpful, chances are that the conflict could escalate or become blown out of proportion. Negotiators must seek to navigate that fine line which divides people who are at odds with each other. Being helpful is one of the key traits negotiators need to have in order to be successful at their job. Good negotiators are able to see any conflict from both sides and are able to navigate uncharted waters. The deft negotiator is one who nimbly and quickly thinks on one’s feet and can mediate in sticky situations. According to Britannica (2008), â€Å"[The creation of the such a one body, the League of Nations, was an idea strongly favored by

Arnold Schonberg, Adolf Loos and the Viennese Circle Essay

Arnold Schonberg, Adolf Loos and the Viennese Circle - Essay Example On the other hand, music tells a story through a carefully crafted set of audio. The best creations in architecture and music take painfully long to craft and they tell a compelling story that captivates its audience. It is evident that several analogies can be drawn between architecture and music in terms of their creation and impact to the society (Breivik, 2011). Inevitably, music and architecture tend to borrow from each other. Music can be considered as a metaphorical representation of a structure that can be transformed into visual terms and be an architectural piece. The relationship between architecture and music can be difficult to fathom for an ordinary person. Yet, a careful analysis of the underlying principles of any music piece shows a clear correlation with architecture. Music can be analyzed in three key parts that are rhythm, melody and harmony. These three features can be incorporated into architecture and help to create striking pieces. Breivik (2011) and Alexander (1999) pointed out that musical influence in architecture redefines a design and showcases the subtle artistic features that make an architectural piece to stand out. Therefore, it is important to appreciate the importance of the relationship between architecture and music. ... He was a member of the Viennese Circle. The architectural ideas of Loos were shaped greatly by the ideas that were brought forth by the Viennese circle (Schezel et al, 2009). Loos was greatly influenced by the musical ideas of his colleague Arnold Schonberg who was also part of the Viennese circle. Both Loos and Schonberg had great influence on each other. In fact, the intellectual relationship in terms of architecture and music that transpired between Loos and Schonberg has had a great impact on the society up to the present time. Loos and Schonberg were active in their professions during the era of serialism. Serialism was a revolution in composition as it was during those times. Traditional melodic, harmonic and tonal conventions were replaced entirely. Arnold Schonberg developed the twelve note system that was a new thinking in the line serial development. In the serial theory, it was the structural series of notes that made up the overall composition. The ilk of Schonberg revoke d standardized musical devices and instead opted to come with something that was unique. The main emphasis in serial development was order and clarity (John, pp. 87). Schonberg let go of the traditional aspects of music and endeavored to reinvent music in its entirety. Serialism in music was about composers coming up with their own musical language based on their ideas and intellectual inclination. Historical reiterations were not given any consideration. In essence, Serialism in music as embodied in Arnold Schonberg’s work was of disruptive nature in comparison with the conventional music at that time. During the time of Serialism, the cultural environment in Vienna allowed

Compression Bandaging in Treatment of Venous Leg Ulcer Essay

Compression Bandaging in Treatment of Venous Leg Ulcer - Essay Example The paper tells that persistent and long duration ulcers that do not heal within six weeks are known as chronic ulcers. Most common causes of leg ulcers include venous disease or arterial disease or both. 81% of leg ulcers are due to venous diseases, as surveyed by Health department of Ireland. Venous ulcerations occur due to the venous hypertension. Normally when the leg is moved, calf muscles compress these veins which encourage the flow of blood along the vein. The valves ensure that the blood moves from capillaries towards heart. Thrombosis and varicosity injure the valves present in the veins of legs. These valves are supposed to stop the back flow or reflux of blood. If damaged, then blood can flow in any direction and can cause hypertension in veins. As a result capillaries loose there shape and become distorted. Afterwards, an inflammatory cascade occurs which vary, in both time and its severity, among different individuals. Swelling, a fluid discharging wound and damage to t he skin with a uniformly distributed background of hyper pigmentation, dispersed purpuric macules, erythema, scaling, excoriations may also be present as an indicator of the severity of the condition. The common sites of ulceration are legs and other areas surrounding ankle. To heal long duration chronic leg ulcers various approaches have been embarked on after extensive research studies. Most of the patients have multiple co morbidities, which complicate there potential to heal. As well as patients have to visit doctors on regular basis for frequent change of dressings and for follow up on wound’s condition which increase financial burden. Recurrences are common in the case of venous leg ulcers and can become chronic very easily.(Tavernelli, Reifs&Larsent, 2010) Review: â€Å"SYSTEMIC REVIEW OF COMPRESSION TREATMENT FOR VENOUS LEG ULCERS† by Flectcher A., Cullum N., Sheldon T A.(1997). Introduction: The study is conducted to improve the outcomes of venous leg ulcer pa tients. The research article is fairly original as it is published in a peer reviewed journal (British Medical Journal). Academic journals acts as quality control and ensure that the subject is not only accurate and is properly presented and hence ensures its originality.(Bauer&Brazer, 2010). In this paper, systemic investigation is conducted using data sets from original researches (Primary sources). This work is frequently cited by other authors. The study is conducted by Professor Trevor A. Sheldon and his fellow researcher Alison Fletcher associated with NHS centre for Review and Dissemination, University of York, York. In the introduction, authors describe VLU (Venous leg ulcer) as the chronic condition which can easily recur. The main aim clearly states that the effectiveness of compression bandage as a healing agent for VLU will be determined along with its cost effectiveness. The paper describes compression bandaging as the first line treatment for venous leg ulcers when any arterial disease is absent to complicate the condition. However, determination of the most effective treatment for curing VLU is still under observation by the researchers and medical health practitioners. Therefore, NHS health technology assessment programme commissioned a systemic review to determine the extent of effectiveness of compression bandaging. Methodology The study was designed by selecting relevant data from specialized data basis including Medline, CINHAL, and EMBASE as well as manual search. Search was complemented by scrutiny of the citations, contact with various authors and original manufacturers. All the data was included, disregarding the publication date, status or language. However, complete data is not given in the paper and is referenced to Cochrane Library database. Using fixed effect (peto) method which weights each study and the relationship of dependent variable against its outcomes are

Islam and Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Islam and Democracy - Essay Example Historical interaction between East and West is not obscured from the eye of the world and thereby, all the Western countries especially United States has always been trying to export its democratic principles to the Eastern world, in an order to make Islam compatible with democracy for the overall betterment of the world. Actually, Islam is the dominant religion of the eastern world and for this reason, myriad efforts to inculcate the democratic governing pattern in the minds of the Muslim rulers have always been supported by US. (Al-Hibri 505) claims that the concept of democracy is not what could be called a production of a modernized world, rather it was prevalent in the period of medieval Islam as well. Democracy was a prominent feature of the city Medina where Prophet Muhammad resided and it continued to be strengthening, until its progress and life came to an abrupt halt when Sunnis and Shi’as separated on the basis of various conflicts regarding the Islamic Caliphate. This means that the doctrine of democracy is not altogether a new concept for the followers of Islam and it has always been an essential feature of the Islamic principles, even before its importance and significance was stressed by the Western rulers. Governance under Islamic Caliphate was en emblem of democracy in which taking care of the choice of the common public meant to be the most important priority for the governors. Islamic Caliphate was truly inspired by the democratic principles and wanted every layman of the society to take active part in the betterment of the nation so that a rich repertoire of innovative constructive ideas could be enhanced and encouraged. After Islam Caliphate however, monarchy based governing system pursued which was largely and visibly devoid of the... This paper stresses that governance under Islamic Caliphate was en emblem of democracy in which taking care of the choice of the common public meant to be the most important priority for the governors. Islamic Caliphate was truly inspired by the democratic principles and wanted every layman of the society to take active part in the betterment of the nation so that a rich repertoire of innovative constructive ideas could be enhanced and encouraged. After Islam Caliphate however, monarchy based governing system pursued which was largely and visibly devoid of the golden democratic laws and systems, due to which Muslims at large remained unsatisfied with their rulers after Caliphate ended and engaged in petty fights fueled by rebellion with each other. Non-democratic or authoritarian based governing system stimulates emergence of ferocious aggressiveness and defiant rebellion in the society due to which unity and harmony fade away completely. This report makes a conclusion that the old Muslim communities were more vigorously representative of the democratic style than the modern Islamic nations. The old Muslim society was highly representative of democracy because back then, the government focused more on issue of law, order, and security, while public was left to deal with the rest of the issues. There used to be a lot of public freedom which shows that Islam has always been compatible with democracy, though a few authoritarian governments have and are still marring the democratic rule from time to time.

Australian Economy over the Last Two Years Essay

Australian Economy over the Last Two Years - Essay Example If you do not see a reference, check your original document in case there is a footnote that Viper has not detected. Viper will show a match where there is a string of 5 or more words that are the same as your work. So it will identify fragments that match, which are not necessarily plagiarism. It is important that Viper does not ignore these fragments as they draw your attention to any sentences where the writer has 'rephrased' parts of the original material (keeping the initial structure) without giving due credit. Sometimes, Viper will identify matching material that is available on websites, but which the Writer may have actually taken from somewhere else (and given proper credit for). So the fact that the work has content which matches a particular website does not mean the Writer has used that website. They may have obtained the material from another source. Viper checks for direct quotes - i.e. material included in quotation marks "like this". It will give you an overall perce ntage of words it thinks are direct quotes. Clearly, this should not be too high as work that relies too heavily on other material is not 'original'. You should also check that all the direct quotes in your paper have actually been referenced by the Writer. Overall Plagiarism Rating This is a general indication of how much matching content the scan found in your work. As a guide: Overall plagiarism rating 6% or less : Highly unlikely to contain plagiarised material. A careful check will only be necessary if this is a lengthy piece (a finding of 6% in a 15,000 word essay, for example, would be of greater concern!) Overall plagiarism rating 6 - 12% : Low risk of containing any plagiarised material. Most of the matching content will probably be fragments. Review your report for any sections that may not have been referenced properly. Overall plagiarism rating 13 - 20% : Medium risk of containing any plagiarised material. There may be sections that match websites - you need to make sure that the Writer has given proper credit for these. The scan may not have detected quotation marks or footnotes that the writer has used (for example, if they have used an opening quotation mark but failed to close it) which could explain the higher result. Check carefully. Overall plagiarism rating 21%+ : High risk of containing plagiarised material. If the overall rating is this high, you need to check your report very carefully. Don't panic - it may just be that there are a lot of matching fragments and the software has not identified all direct quotes (for example, because the Writer has used open inverted commas and not properly closed them, or has used an apostrophe rather than inverted commas for quotes. But you should go through the report very carefully to check that this is the case. Report for '586774.docx' Overall content match: 1% Direct quotes: 0% of which 0% found online. Actual content match minus quotes: 1% Macroeconomics and Microeconomics Name: Institution: Macroe conomics and Microeconomics †¦ Students Paper: †¦ and Microeconomics The Reserve Bank of Australia and the Australian Government has been †¦ http://treasury.gov.au/documents/1754/HTML/docshell.asp?URL=Ken_Henry_speech_to_the_Count_Financial_Canberra_Conference.htm †¦ action by the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Australian Government in response †¦ †¦ has been successful according to the data covering the last two years. In order to see this success,

Prison and Facilities Offering Rehabilitation Essay Example for Free

Prison and Facilities Offering Rehabilitation Essay Prisoner Rehabilitation is when a criminal offender has been reformed of their criminal behavior. Many correctional facilities offer several different types of rehabilitation programs to the offenders that are housed within the facility; unfortunately with many states seeing budget cuts these types of rehabilitation programs are being cut. With the amount of facilities offering rehabilitation programs are dwindling and the amount of prisoners increasing this could lead to major problems in the future. Prisoner rehabilitation is a way to try and ensure that upon the offenders release that society is safe from the offender’s criminal ways. Some correctional facilities offer rehabilitation programs like drug and alcohol rehab, religion, and anger management and that is just a few (Foster, 2006). First discussed back in the Twentieth Century although it is believed to of been used before than. Rehabilitation has never been the soul reason for the incarceration of a person. Prison official were not able to give a defined and clear method of rehabilitation (Foster, 2006). Scientific penology was a major role in defining and conducting structured thoughts and scientific studies that can be utilized through rehabilitation (Foster, 2006). Rehabilitation programs have an effect on prisoners, prisons, and society in general in different ways. Prison inmates who have these types of programs available it gives them something constructive to do with their time; when you are incarcerated believe it or not but all you have is time to kill. These types of rehabilitation programs can have a positive impact on the inmate’s lives and in turn on society. If an inmate can complete rehabilitation program while incarcerated and change their lifestyle when released it benefits not only the inmate but also helps society. These programs can help offenders by building their self worth so that they can believe they deserve better than a prison life and let them know that there is something more out there other than the prison life. Some say that these types of programs don’t work and in some cases they don’t but in some they  do work and can give an inmate a real chance to survive outside of the prison walls without reverting back to their criminal ways. The major problem that I see with the rehabilitation programs would be the fact that they are being cut and facilities that offer these programs are being closed. I have a very close family friend that is mandated to go through rehabilitation program from the courts yet they are sent to a facility where the rehabilitation program is not even offered due to budget cuts. The budget cuts and closing of facilities are only going to add to the over crowding population of inmates within the corrections facilities. So my recommendation is that these types of programs need to be offered at every prison and should but be affected by budget cuts. Reference: Foster, B. (2006). Corrections: The fundamentals. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Plato Justice Versus Injustice

Plato Justice Versus Injustice Plato, one of the famous philosophers of our time, tried to define the value of justice in his writing. In Republic, books one through four, Plato writes about a conversation Socrates and Thrasymachus had discussing justice. While Thrasymachus claims that injustice is more preferable to justice, Socrates tries to counter is claim through a series of five acceptable facts. The first acceptable fact says Every X has a specific function. True, if X did not have a function, it would not exist or have a name. If we argue that every X has a specific function then we can say that the functions were teleologically determined. Man-made things are made to carry out a certain function that the man decides (a watch to tell time), and even though man decides its function, they decide the objects teleological function. It can also be assumed that the first fact in Platos function argument is suggesting that every X has only one function. To counter this, one can also say that a certain object can have more than one function. For example, leathers primary function is to be the skin of an animal but it can also, be shoes, clothes, bags, or water bottles. Likewise, one can conclude that the first fact is correct but would sound more accurate if it was phrased Every X has some or one specific function. Socrates next acceptable fact in his argument is The virtue of every X allows it to perform its function well. Again this fact is implying that there is only one function every X can do well. Continuing on the leather example, of the many functions of the material, its best and primary function is to be the skin of an animal. Of course, when leather is made into objects we may say that its best when its made into clothing. For instance, leather shoes as oppose to plastic shoes perform their function well because they last longer. Another example is of a doctor and a pharmacist. Although doctors have been trained to make some medicines they are not experts at it, where as pharmacists have been trained to do just that-make medicines. Because of the kind of virtue or training they have, not only does it allow them to perform their function, but to perform it well. Moving on, Plato goes to say that The human soul has a specific function-to live, or to choose. Consequently, every moment of a humans life they are thinking what they should do to better their life? What will make me feel good right now, coffee or tea? Human instincts, to run or to sleep or to dodge hard situations, are all meant for one thing-to live or to exist. In any harsh situations their aim is to over come and solve the problem to keep living. For example, your profession is chosen by you because it makes you happy. These decisions you make now to keep living give you other chances to make other decisions to living more. The process goes on and on. To make the choice to be a doctor, you have to choose what the best school is and once you get your degree where you will work? Once the money starts coming in, what will you do with it? As one can see, each decision leads to a decision to make another. If the human souls specific function is to live or choose, this example of beco ming a doctor greatly illustrates this acceptable fact in Platos argument. Closely related to the last acceptable fact, the next one says The virtue of a human soul allows that human being to live well. This means that if every decision one makes is to make another, the other decision they expect to make is for something bigger and grander. Of course, everyone has their own definition of living well. To me, living well would be to have a comfortable home where I can fulfill my duties as a daughter, sister, mother, and wife with ease and no hiccups. Also, living well is to see my family happy and to help them in anyway possible without much difficulty; financially being able to meet anything that comes my way. In addition, then comes the topic of elegance. Would I care if my glass of water was made of real crystal with fifty six percent lead or that it was plain old glass? Would I care that the water inside the glass was pure or not? Although quality of life and living well go hand in hand the virtue of the human soul allows them to make the decisions to hav e that life, however they may define it. Justice is the proper virtue of the human soul. This part of the function is out of the blue and without anything bolstering it. How do we know that justice is the virtue and not something else? This fact is also implying that humans are born with this virtuethat humans are born with the sense of justice in them. When justice is finally defined in the 4th book of The Republic it says that justice is the proper ordering of parts, that justice is the harmonious order. My question is what is harmonious to you? People have different views of harmony, different view on how to live life or what is right and wrong. For example, in the story Gullivers Travels, Gulliver, an explorer, comes across a savage race (in his opinion) he calls the Yahoos. The Yahoos are a tribe that rarely dress and eat uncooked meat but still they are happy in their ways of living for they have not make an effort to change. We may call their dress style poor and their food nasty but they may consider themselves elit e. In this example, Justice is more an opinion then fact which varies among people. People value Justice in their own way and find ways for it to fit their lifestyle. Furthermore, if the Yahoos and our kind co-existed, there would be a conflict because of our differing views of justice an injustice. If this happened, hypothetically, we would have to come to a compromise where we both redefine our justice system to fit our situations. With relation to redefining the system, if justice can be changed so fast is it really a virtue of the human soul? Despite that I do not completely agree with Socrates that justice is the virtue of the human soul, we can take this as a presumption to explain the rest of the argument. Considering the presumption above, the next acceptable fact says that a just soul allows a human being to live well. In addition, a just soul must be a person who has the perspective of good and bad and has been taught to tell the difference. Moreover, they should be someone who has been warned of the dangers of injustice. This warned and just soul allows a person to live well. Why live well? Because the person knows what is right and wrong and will make choices in the direction of gaining something good. And if Justice has been planted in their brain then the person will only make decisions to get good thus, be good. If a person is just and they know justice then the last phrase No one would prefer to live badly over living well is obvious. If justice has been planted into the brain and the function of a human is to live well and justice is the virtue of the human soul then this person has no way they would want to live badly. If a person has never been taught to blow bubbles because it was bad, no one would be taught to do it, hence blowing bubbles would not exist. Clearly, if one is taught to do something the right way all their life, they will continue to only go the right way. Through a series of acceptable facts and deductive reasoning Socrates comes to a conclusion that justice is preferred over injustice. If justice is good living and living good is in the human soul then injustice will not be preferred over justice. We were never taught to get injustice but to always run away from it to justice-getting the good world and avoiding the bad.

Albert Einstein :: biographies biography bio

Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm, Germany as the son of Pauline and Hermann Einstein. Albert was slow to talk. Family members remember that he didn't really start talking until he could speak in entire sentences. He would pause for long periods to gather his thoughts before speaking. His sister told stories of his hours of perseverance constructing houses from playing cards. One of his favorite childhood stories was about the wonder he felt the first time he saw a compass. The compass convinced him that there had to be "something behind things, something deeply hidden." At the age of 12, he was given a book on Euclidean plane geometry, which sparked his great wonder in mathematics and physics. His uncle was also a great influence in young Albert's life. He was an engineer and loved to talk about his work, which gave Albert great inspiration as a child. Einstein loved to learn, but hated the high school he was sent to in Munich. He generally got good grades and was one of the top students in mathematics, but could not stand the idea that success depended on memorization and the obedience of authority. Einstein taught himself most material at home where he had quite a collection of books on mathematics and physics. He was even told to leave school by one of his teachers because his presence caused a loss of respect for the teachers by his fellow students. In 1905 Einstein received his doctorate from the University of Zurich for a theoretical dissertation on the dimensions of molecules, and went on to become one the greatest scientists of the 20th century as well as winning the Nobel Prize. In 1933, he accepted a position at the new Institution for Advanced Study at Princeton, New Jersey where he stayed until his death in 1955. Was his brain different? This question plagued people for many years. Just before his death, Einstein gave permission to researchers to dissect his brain and look for abnormalities, but none were found. Later, in 1999, Sandra F. Witelson discovered he lacked a small wrinkle called the parietal operculum. She theorized that because of the absence of this wrinkle, other regions of his brain were able to develop more fully, possibly contributing to his incredible intelligence. "The human mind is not capable of grasping the Universe. We are like a little child entering a huge library. The walls are covered to the ceilings with books in many different tongues.

Democrat and Republican Political Strategy in an Upcoming Election :: essays research papers

Based on current polls, the outcome of the upcoming election is leaning towards disaster for the Republican parties. This is partially due to the lack in competence on national security. Despite the forecasted outcome, the Republicans are remaining calm and confident about the upcoming election. Contrary to the polls, republicans are expecting a triumphant election session. If they succeed with their campaign plans they could ultimately cause a political upset. Unlike the Democrats, the republicans are massively investing in their campaign. They are actively preparing for the â€Å"toughest election in at least a decade,† (Mehlam). Unlike previous years there are only a handful of house seats available this election, compared to the almost 100 available in 1994. To handle the escalated election the Republicans have taken a different approach to wining voters over as well as getting registered voters motivated to go out an actually vote. They have developed â€Å"Special Teams†, whose focus is motivating and recruiting voters. These new teams are taking a more personal approach this time around, which the republican parties believe will be responsible for overturning the election. From several experiments and trials, the Republican Party has developed new strategies and advantages. First, they discovered that phone calls and door nocks persuade a voter to go to the polls. As well as using that same approach to drawing in new voters to their party, by focusing on the â€Å"increasing importance of person – to – person appeals. Second, they are investing their money differently than in previous years. Rather than pay for excessive overpriced television ads, they are paying for people to make phone calls and go door to door recruiting. This increased presence of republican recruiters and volunteers has already been shown to be more effective than the high paid democratic employees. Finally, the biggest advantaged that the Republican Party has developed is their massive financial investment in the campaign, they spare no expense, which will leave the underinvested Democrats in the financial dust. These new developments are inflating the Republican’s confidence and it is beginning to look like their â€Å"secret weapon† this election. The final advantage of the republicans is the reliability of their voters. As well as, they are counting on the unhappiness of the democrat voters with their party, which is encouraging when focusing on this upcoming election becoming favored for the republican parties. As far as the author is concerned I agree with his assessment of the Republican Party.

Hamlet :: Literary Analysis, Shakespeare

Hamlet is one of the main characters in Hamlet. He have uttermost quest for the revenge with his uncle, Claudius, who is the new king of Denmark. Claudius dishonoured Hamlet’s mother by marrying her and murdered her husband. This all started when one night the ghost of Hamlet’s father appeared to him and revealed the truth of his death. The quote said by the Ghost, â€Å"Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother’s hand/ Of life, of crown, of queen at once dispatched† (1. V. 80) tells that the Ghost’s brother took everything away all at once and because of that his soul wanders in purgatory. To make matters worse, his mother who was the wife of the dead king recently got married to her brother-in-law. The quote stated by Hamlet, "Frailty, thy name is woman!† (I. II.46) gives a clear indication about his amazement for his mother’s emotions are fickle that instead of grieving over her husband’s death, she is celebrating the new love of her life. On the contrary, Hamlet’s world is turned upside down because of all of this mess that’s talking place in his life all at once. After the Ghost left, Hamlet appears to be moody. So far, he is not fully certain to believe the Ghost’s side of the story and whether or not to take revenge. It was not until one day when the travelling actors arrived at his palace. Therefore, he uses this opportunity and asked them to perform a play called â€Å"The Murder of Gonzago†. The quote, â€Å"The play’s the thing/ Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King† (11.11.152) are a few lines from Hamlet’s soliloquy which gives a clear idea of his plan. He uses the play to basically see the reactions of Claudius in order to be certain of his guilt. The quote, â€Å"O wretched state! O bosom black as death!/ O limed soul, that struggling to be free† (111.111.216) illustrated by Claudius while he was praying in private shows that he finally expresses his remorse of his bad deeds. At first Hamlet thought that he should draw his sword and take his retribution. However, he then stopped to think again and delayed his revenge because he wants Claudius to suffer for his sins and go to hell. However, at the end of the play he kills Claudius and he himself dies during the fencing match which was plotted against Hamlet.

Indicator and Determinants of High Blood Pressure Essay

This paper implements the indicators and determinants of high blood pressure in men. Many studies have measure the effect of Hypertension among men of different ethnical and socio-economic backgrounds. Socioeconomic is one major determinant which influences high blood pressure in men. High blood pressure is a major illness in the human population, especially among men. High blood is normally called a â€Å"silent killer† due to the fact that there little to no symptoms. Fifty to fifty-eight million people suffer from hypertension with the increasing population being African Americans (John, n. . ). Steven was a 55 year old African American male that came into the hospital with complaints of a severe headache. Patients had no prior history of hypertension but blood pressure was taken with the result of 180/101. Patient states that he has a family history of cardiovascular diseases. Mother and Father suffered from hypertension as a result of obesity. Steven has worked for the United States Postal Service for 30 years and is under a lot of stress due to work. He is a chronic smoker and drink on occasions. The first medical professional that saw Steven was the ER doctor who cared for the patient and in returned referred Steven for follow up care with his PCP (Primary Care Physician). Before Steven saw his PCP the ER (Emergency Room) Doctor prescribes him Amlodipine 10mg 2 xs daily. The team that delivered care for Steven’s hypertension was as follow: * Dr. Ogalvie- PCP (Primary Care Physician) -Which his role is to, determines the best care for Steven and his hypertension. Provide a manage care plan and to make use of specialists and make referral that co- inside with Steven treatments. Nancy Bracey-Nurse Practitioner- The role of the Nurse Practitioner is to work as support to the Doctor when he is unable to make patients appointment or if he is in an emergency surgery. The Nurse Practitioner sometime plays a vital role in Steven treatments. She is able to help in Steven treatment, which includes ordering tests, conducting physicals, and ordering medicines. * Beth Anderson- RN- Registered nurses treat and educate patients in a clinical setting, keeping records of medical histories and performing diagnostics. Most RN work with patients and their families to teach them how to manage cardiovascular disease, educate them on dietary and other measures of minimizing heart risk and help patients with postoperative rehabilitation. * Lisa Coleman – Dietitian- The primary role of a Dietitian is to promote healthy and holistic healthcare. Steven dietitian educating him on good healthy eating habits. She also explained to him that exercising most important in keeping his blood pressure down. She also put him on a 1200 calorie diet to follow as part of his managed care plan. Data has shown and been a proven fact that hypertension is very prevalent in men, especially African American men. Many indicators can relate to hypertension such as socioeconomic statuses like where one live, employed or unemployed or a family base support system can all be factors. In Steven case some of the indicator were glucose, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, and obesity (SABPA, (2012). All of these symptoms can be a target for organ damage. Steven also deals with anthropometric indicators which according to Rahimi, (2012) â€Å"The partial correlation coefficient was used to quantify the association between all anthropometric indicators with hypertension. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the influence of all anthropometric indicators on the variance of systolic and diastolic blood pressure†. Rahimi, (2012) states â€Å"Adult male population of Fars province had a high prevalence of hypertension, overweight and obesity which can be handled through healthy diet and physical exercises†. Steven dietitian stresses the important of holistic healthcare such as healthy eating habits and exercising on a regular basis. Other indicator was the problems of sexual dysfunction that Steven suffered in his marriage. Steven stated that he was unable to perform with his wife due to the high blood pressure medicine that he was taken. Rahimi, (2012) state â€Å"Thus sex, education, and for the most part, race were not independently associated with a failure to be aware or to enter treatment’. Rahimi, (2012) says â€Å"Sex and the number of antihypertensive drug days were independently associated with blood pressure control†. According to Steven physician Steven was also put on an enhancement drug to help with sexual dysfunction. According to Rahimi, (2012) â€Å"Vigorous public efforts led by the National High Blood Pressure Education Program and embraced by physicians’ groups and the pharmaceutical industry has steadily improved blood pressure outcomes in the past 20 years†. Rahimi, (2012) â€Å"To this point, however, overall increases in control have largely been driven by increases in awareness and entry into treatment among people with hypertension†. Rahimi, (2012) â€Å"Despite great technical advances, specifically the development of a wide range of new antihypertensive drugs and drug classes the process of care available in the community has not changed to any great extent and treatment itself remains highly inefficient†. Rahimi, (2012) â€Å"As an asymptomatic, chronic illness, hypertension does not pose a problem of diagnosis or cure, but rather the challenge of daily vigilance and ongoing commitment to treatment†. Rahimi, (2012) â€Å"For most people such as Steven with high blood pressure periodical visits to the physician’s office simply do not produce the desired outcome†. As a result of data Steven were treated and educated on manage control through medication, diet and exercise. The disparities of socioeconomic are due to his poor health outcome. The key to controlled hypertension is patient follow-up, a managed care plan and patient education. In Steven treatment plan the impact of the team base approach is to effectively promote a managed care plan that is efficient in regulating Steven hypertension. The main key is to educate Steven on a post treatment plan and follow-ups care. One analysis of Steven resource and saving would be that Steven partake in his company wellness program which in returned will save and give him an incentive on his current insurance plan. Lastly the advantage of a team base approach in Steven case would be that each individual on Steven medical team would strategically come up with alternative plans of action and a plan of care that will effectively help in the treatment of Steven hypertension. Each medical professional on Steven team will play an active role in the quality of care for Steven. Again the key component is to stabilize Steven high blood pressure through healthy eating habits and exercise. The scope of team base approach is logically come up with a solution in helping Steven sustain life through longevity of the hypertensive care plan that is put in place

Aviation Essay

I am an individual wanting much more than just the usual learning that is taken from lower-level of education. My wanting for excellence has made it possible for me to want something more from myself. Undeniably, the different assessments that I have made upon myself as an individual has made me more interested in the progress that I could still make e a much better individual in the field that I am involved with a present. As a professional involved in the industry of aviation, I aim for better instructions that could assist me in becoming a better manager of the staff in my chosen field. Aviation, compared to other types of transportation is a serious industry that involves much more systematic approach in management and organization. For this reason, I know that simply meaning to know what management is is not enough for this section of the learning. Being in the industry of aviation is a serious task to consider. This is the reason why further learning has been my option which I know would equip me with the needed knowledge that I ought to use in my profession later on. Through the said learning that I am expecting to receive from the institution, I do expect to have a larger scope and possibilities of employment later on. I do believe that with better knowledge on the field that I am specializing at, I am sure to receive more competent skills that would help me in acquiring the right level of employment that I deserve. The ways by which I would be applying what I learn is the primary key in increasing the possibilities of employment that I am to face in the future.

Marketing Plan analysis on Forever Living Products Essay

1.Summary This assignment will look at the existing marketing plan for the company Forever Living Products that focuses on the selling of aloe vera based products. The marketing plan will show how the company focuses on two areas – the consumer and the distributor. Both seem to be interlinked and both are important in the objective of the company. Furthermore, recommendations on shortfalls and lacking information will be made as to ensure that marketing is optimised and that this sales orientated company can improve on sales and profits. 2.Introduction and Background Founded in 1978 on little more than dreams and hard work, Forever Living is a multi-billion dollar company, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, that manufactures and sells dozens of wellness and beauty products. People from  all over the world, including South Africa, distribute these life-enhancing products, providing the opportunity to own an own business and secure a financial future with a proven plan. With over nine and a half million distributors in over 145 countries, Forever Living offers a once in a lifetime opportunity of living a healthier, wealthier life. The founder proposed a very simple business idea to his closest family and friends over thirty years ago. Offer consumable products to the public that are proven to promote lasting wellness and health—and do it in a personal way. Instead of dumping big bucks into traditional advertising, compensate anyone willing to share these products with their family and friends. In minimising traditional advertising, the company’s marketing plan was developed as seen in Addendum A . This marketing plan is very simple and focuses primarily on sales and promotion levels of sellers. Since 1978, very little changes were done to keep up with trends over the years. 3.Business Mission Forever Living believes their greatest legacy is what they do for others and how they do it. â€Å"We adhere to sustainable practices that let us work in harmony with the earth, leaving a more promising future to our children. We take great pride in our charity foundation, Forever Giving, because it allows us to help others around the world who has needs far greater than our own. We are taking ideas and turning them into reality. It is a part of our business that’s so deeply ingrained you could call it our culture. Working towards a brighter future is so much more than our duty—it’s truly our pleasure. Forever Living offers a unique opportunity where distributors are in business for themselves, but never by themselves.† 4.Objectives Seeing that the company primary focus is on sales, that is exactly what drives the objectives of the company. This is very clear in the current (unchanged) marketing plan still in use. The main objective is: Own your own business – You are in charge of your own destiny. Instead of making your boss rich, all the work you do actually benefits you. Thus, the company tries to empower ordinary people with the ability to own an income related to the amount of effort put into sales and marketing based on known and proven products and catering for people with the same values in life. A promotion scheme is followed where the distributor starts at entry level and then progress to higher levels determined by the amount of sales accomplished. It seems like primarily the focus is based on the total of sales obtained, but on the other hand a strong emphasis is placed on customer satisfaction. 5.SWOT Analysis Strengths – Being a company that has existed since 1978, it proves that this is no fly-by-night company. Sound records and proven results are in favour of establishing this company as a reputable business. Forever Living has a track record of more than 30 years of success. The company offer excellent training, seminars, incentives, and a support center. Forever Living is a company with an international presence that demonstrates stability, growth, and ample industry experience. Innovative, quality products speak of the credibility of the company. Weaknesses – Seeing that the Forever Living Company, on customer related issues, primarily makes use of word-of-mouth marketing, as well as drawing the majority of costumers from family and friends, it seems like this could lead to a potential gap in their marketing plan. On the side of distributors, it seems like there is limited protocols and measurements regarding the amount of sale being monitored and available for  scruitinising. Thus, it seems like whatever sales you submit per month is the only way of monitoring your own progress in the company. Opportunities – Although it could also be seen as a stumbling block, Forever Living Products utilise the opportunity to play the ecological card (which seems to be quite popular in recent trends) and puts a great deal of emphasis on being â€Å"green† and sustainable. As quoted they are: â€Å"- Accountable to the Environment Ever since Forever Living Products was founded in 1978, we’ve had the utmost respect for nature. – Not Just Greenwashing Our challenge to be more eco-friendly wasn’t based on following fads or silencing critics. In 2006 we launched a formal environmental sustainability program to challenge ourselves to do more. We designated two areas where we could improve: * Waste Generation * Waste Recovery Since we began monitoring our progress we have reduced our waste by 50% and increased our recycling from 26% to 61%. – Our Carbon Footprint When it comes to the efficiency of converting CO2 into oxygen, 20 aloe plants are equal to one tree. With over 40 million aloe vera plants in our plantations, our Aloe Vera of America plantations actually cleanse the earth of 2 million tons of CO2 every year!† https://www.foreverliving.com/marketing/Page.do?name=sustainability Threats – Looking at the global economy, this could be a factor in reduced sales as Forever Living Products might be costly for costumers in countries (third-world countries) that are struggling economically. Few competition threats in relation to the product itself are known of as aloe vera products  are limited by resources (aloe plants mostly grow in arid/ desert areas). Also, the amount of aloe vera in the base product makes this product range unrivaled by most other products. 6.Competitive Advantage For consumers, the Forever Living Company’s product range is solely based on Aloe Vera products, which are divided into health drinks, nutritional supplements, weight management products and cosmetic / personal care products. This alone already gives the company a unique foothold on the health and beauty market – a fresh approach with a definitive product focus. As for distributors, Forever Living also has the advantage of a multi-level â€Å"step-up† promotion scheme for distributors where you can reach a certain level and not â€Å"degrade† once you have reached that level. With this being said, other advantages are: Owning your own business – You are in charge of your own destiny. Instead of making your boss rich, all the work you do actually benefits you. Little risk and no overhead costs – Traditional brick-and-mortar businesses cost tens of thousands of dollars to establish, not to mention a bank loan that will take you decades to repay. Starting your home-based business with Forever Living only costs you a few hundred dollars. No salary cap – Corporate jobs limit your pay range based on a market standard. With Forever Living, there is no cap on how much you earn. The harder you work, the more money you make. Residual Income – Perhaps the greatest benefit is that the multi-level marketing strategy offers lasting income. You as a distributor will always earn commissions on distributors you introduce to Forever Living, continually reaping the benefits of your hard work. 7.Marketing Strategy 7a). Target Market As the company’s unique product – aloe vera – is linked to many health and cosmetic benefits, it is a product that is sellable to virtually anyone. The target market is generally based on friends and/ or family buying from the distributor. This is not limited though to the above mentioned, but also includes people that have the urge or need to better their lives by living more healthy and doing so in reaching out to products (like Forever Living Products) that could sustain and/or improve that kind of living. Because of the relative high pricing linked to these products, one would classify the core target market as middle to high income groups. Being a sales orientated business, distributors are however expected to contact as many as potential â€Å"consumers† to sell to and build up enough credit points (as part of the sales plan) to earn their compensation/rewards. Although a fair deal of business comprise of new business, a large part of sustaining and re-enforcing selling targets is based on repetitive sales from previous customers. 7b). Positioning The positioning basically rest on aforementioned health and cosmetic benefits – to improve your way of life. With few competitors supplying specifically (certified) aloe vera products (keeping in mind that at least 75% of the base product must comprise of aloe vera), Forever Living has created a niche market and a unique selling opportunity. 7c). Marketing Mix Marketing to potential customers basically comprises of launch events, word-of-mouth and sample tests conducted in various environments suitable to potential customers. In this instance distributors seem to gather a group of people and thus present the products to various potential customers. This type of approach seem to work well in that people in numbers agreeing on an issue would more likely be proned to buying and thus push up the sale quota. As for distributors, Forever Living Products provides them with a simple, proven cycle that guarantees your success. If the distributor and their team members follow the steps in this cycle, there is no limit to how large their business will become and how much money you will earn. 1. Purchase a Business Pak 2. Develop a personal selling/marketing plan 3. Set your foundation by retailing four case credits per month 4. Follow up with your clients and prospects 5. Present the business opportunity 6. Sponsor new team members and guide them through the cycle i)Product Since the foundation in 1978, Forever Living Products markets extensively aloe vera based products. They pride themselves in claiming at least 75% of the base product consists of this core ingredient. Thus all products marketed are said to contribute to the health and cosmetic (e.g. skin care) satisfaction of their customers. Over the years, with the trend of energy drinks that became popular in recent years, the company made sure that the products offered also includes these trends. Focusing on a better living, the name Forever Living Products leans quite suitably towards what the company tries to â€Å"sell† – a longer, better, healthier life. The company also offers a full refund and/ or replacement of products without any disputes. What has been noted in delivery service is that customer service in this regard is very sufficient and fast – 2 days delivery since placing an order to delivery on your doorstep. ii)Place Forever Living took a stance on the fact that they want to assist ordinary people to â€Å"own† their own businesses. As Forever Living Products markets primarily through the use of family and friends and word-of-mouth, it seems that there could be a gap in utilizing other means of distribution. However, it is also understandable that the company would like to empower distributors (without the necessity of holding a large stock reserve) and thus ensure that even the smallest distributor would be able to make a  living. This would furthermore project the products as being more exclusive – not being able to walk into your nearest shop and pick it off the shelf, and in this way â€Å"justify† the price of the product. The home company is situated in Arizona, United States. The South African setup with four distributor outlets services distributors all over South Africa. iii)Promotion As mentioned earlier, products are primarily marketed by means of word-of-mouth, friends and family. Other means of marketing and advertising includes internet advertisements and online testimonials. All of these are rather inexpensive marketing tools being utilised. Through these channels is seems that there is sufficient affirmation to uphold the reputation of the products offered. However, with these channels used it seems to be difficult to obtain a clear estimation of the effectiveness of these efforts. On actual selling by distributors there is no clear indication of time spend, the only indication that could be used as a measure is the sum of â€Å"case credits†. Case credits determine the effective selling of a distributor. The more case credits accumulated during a month, the higher the incentives and possibility to progress to another level (often with even better incentives). The company tries to keep their products â€Å"exclusive† and thus the use of database marketing seems ineffective, as this would make the products seem â€Å"common†. In general, promotion of products for this company is based on testimonials from â€Å"regular consumers† who can recommend the benefits to others. Through this line of advertising, it would seem that benefits of the products are more creditable, true and trustworthy – due to the fact that you â€Å"know† the person who introduced you to the line of products. iv)Price Pricing on international products are generally seen as being expensive, especially on â€Å"niche† products. Even with Forever Living Products, this phenomenon occurs. However, focusing on health and cosmetic enhancements, the company can still make a reasonable stance in the pricing arena. 8.Implementation, Evaluation and Control The marketing plan appears to be in line with the goals set out by the company to achieve the desired goals. Primarily the activities required are achieved through sales of the distributors, which is measured on a monthly basis. Most probably the company would need to attempt a fresh approach on current marketing strategies such as e-commerce, although this could affect the purpose of the current structure and â€Å"mission† of the company – to empower â€Å"normal people to own a business of their own†. Seeing that performance standards are basically measured in the amount of sales per month (to achieve the desired â€Å"case credits†, this is the only way to measure the above mentioned. 9. Conclusion / Recommendations The Forever Living Products Company has set remarkable sales initiatives in place, rarely found in this type of marketing. For one, when a distributor has reached a certain sales level, there is no reverting back to a lower sales level. In every sale that is made down your line as distributor (no matter what level), you benefit from the inputs of â€Å"your team. Although the company follows a very plain marketing plan, which seems to be quite effective, some improvements can be noted. Lack of information is found in the distributors’ channels. As the company’s main aim is based on sales, it could be recommended that an on-line â€Å"portal† be created as to inform distributors of a current sales analysis (as of the first of every month, and therefore should be accessible and reflect updates any time of the month). This would pose to be a great motivational tool in driving this  sales orientated business and ensuring that you as distributor acquire the necessary â€Å"case credits† required. It is also recommended that the use of social media such as e.g. television and radio, bill-boards and poster be used on a global and general scale to promote products. This would in turn mean that a central access point (like a website or telephone call centre be utilised to direct potential customers to their nearest distributor. References Forever Living Products South Africa (Pty) Ltd.(2014): https://www.foreverliving.com/marketing/Page.do?name=sustainability, [Accessed 29-04-2014] Forever Living Products South Africa (Pty) Ltd.(2014):.https://www.foreverliving.com/marketing/Page.do?name=our_culture, [Accessed 29-04-2014] http://aloe-business.yolasite.com/resources/Marketing_Plan_English%20Forever.pdf, [Accessed 28-04-2014]