Taxation, Pensions, and the Issues Associated the Social Security Research Paper

Taxation, Pensions, and the Issues Associated the Social Security Trust Fund - Research Paper Example The fact of the matter is that the Social Security Trust Fund is comprised of two separate funds. The first of these is of course the OASI Trust Fund (Old Age and Survivors Insurance Fund); whereas the second is that of the DI Fund (Disability Fund) (Shelton, 2008). Whereas the first fund is the one that is of course the largest and is most referenced within the media and concerns over budgeting etc, the second one is lesser known and is primarily responsible for providing payments to those individuals who had been working at one point but due to injury or illness are no longer capable of performing work. Combined, both programs owe the American people approximately 2.93 trillion dollars as of the end of 2011 (Papps, 2012). The number in and of itself is but a snapshot of current obligations and as such cannot be viewed as a means of seeking to understand the level to which the program will be able to handle changes in economics or the retirement of subsequent generations. The unfortunate fact of the situation is that the social security program itself is suffering from what many have called an eventual and sustained death. Due to the fact that the government has mismanaged the situation with Social Security for such a longer period of time, short-sightedly borrowing from it at every available instance, the level to which the program can sustain itself and continue to cover the liabilities that it necessarily engenders is not projected to take place long after the year 2030 (Quirk, 2003).

Recruitment methods Essay Example for Free

Recruitment methods Essay The timeline that I have given myself for these positions although ambitious I believe is attainable. The plan for recruitment will be with the career centers at each of the local schools that provide these job training and degree programs, Career Builders.com as well as the local newspaper which also list their ads on Monster.com. The resumes will be required to have a cover letter detailing why our company should consider you for the job and your accolades that make you the best candidate for the job. By being so specific in the requirements for the cover letter, candidate will have an opportunity to boast about their personal achievements and detail any accomplishments thus, highlighting information in the resume. This will enable HR to then weed out the best ones after a comparison with the resume for the best candidates. Phone interviews will be the next step for candidates that have made it to that round followed up by skills test and in person interview (corporate, 2013). In Florida you have two factors at work, the first is the aging workforce and the second is the increase in the aging population (staff, 2010). The emerging Healthcare changes are not really affected one way or the other in nursing shortages. They are forecasted to remain the same with or without the Healthcare changes that are on the rise. Given that this is a clinic with Doctors in the setting and 3 RN’s one of which will be leaving. The HR department plans to replace that RN with a Certified Medical Assistant. In the state of FL a CMA can do many of the assignments that RN’s are tasked with in a clinic setting (Staff, 2013). Since there are already two RN’s that will be on staff anything that falls outside the focus of a CMA can be tasked to one of the RN’s on duty. This will be money saving for the clinic as currently RN’s make substantially more money than CMA’s (SOFL, 2007). The Patient Care tech as well will be replace by a CMA this pa y is pretty close to one another and the duties are close enough that the CMA can provide more flexibility for the clinic and still save dollars. The CMA programs in the State of Florida currently take six months to one year depending upon the school. Giving this consideration there are many more available CMA’s looking for work than RN’s. With the changing environment  in billing and coding all coders are required to be certified in ICD-10 by 2015. Giving this thought it was decided that the best thing to do was to bring in a contracted ICD-9 and 10 coder and have them train the current coder while completing work. This will keep the clinic in compliance with federal guidelines in the future. According to the CMS website ICD 10 coders must be certified by 2015 in order to transmit and code claims. By bringing in a certified ICD 10 coder the veteran coder can learn ICD 10 and prepare for their training as well, which is a requirement that is expected in 2014. This can fill the gap for needed coverage and combine training that will be required for future coding needs. Training will need to consist of leaders that will be asked to step up to the plate for training. These leaders will be valuable during the training process and acknowledged during the end of year evaluations. During a meeting to announce the new hires volunteers will be sought who are willing to share their expertise with new hires so that they can become valued employees and productive for the clinic. Over time will definitely be part of the phase in for the new employees and this will be discussed with the trainers as to the needs. The expected phase in process for the two new CMA’s should take about three months as they are going to already be experienced and it will only be a matter of learning clinic processes, guidelines and protocol. The plan for maintaining service while under these very stressful conditions will consist of a variety of things put into place by the HR department. It will also require buy in from the physicians and managers in order to gain the support of the staff. First will require skillful scheduling as to limit the overtime that might be needed by current employees. This will help to minimize burnout and fatigue by the current staff. The second item that will need to be put into place will be staffing meetings that discuss the needs, the availability over normal hours of staff as well as any other issues that the staff is seeing that needs to be addressed. And finally HR will need to put into place a de-stressor program to help alleviate some of the fatigue by the personnel. Some of these things can include simple low cost events like Sundae’s on Friday’s or luncheons that help to keep the  staff fueled and energized. Some other ideas might be a hero of the week program or me ntor of the week. By keeping staff morale at a high we can insure that productivity maintains high.

Roles And Responsibilities Of Trade Union Management Essay

Roles And Responsibilities Of Trade Union Management Essay Trade Union is defined in the Employment Relations Act 2008 (Appendix 1) as an association of persons, whether registered or not, having as one of its objects the regulation of employment relations between workers and employers The Trade Union or Labour Union movement is a continuous and voluntary association whose membership comprises of salary earners, employees and union leaders. Those members have bonded together motivated by a simple motto Unity makes strength. Workers will therefore utilise trade unions as their representative voice when dealing with employers or on the board of directions. Independently, the workers do not bear the power to defy the top management. Therefore they grouped and seek to institute their terms and conditions of employments. When they realised that negotiating as an individual, the manager would be more powerful, due to the fact that an individual would not matter as much a group in regard of running an organisation. According to Cunnison, Trade Union is a monopolistic combination of wage earners who stand to the employers in a relation of dependence for the sale of their labour and even for the production, and that the general purpose of the association in view of that dependence is to strengthen their power to bargain with the employers The main role of trade union is to ensure the welfare of its members such as safeguarding the interests of its members, protecting the reliability of its trade, achieving higher wages by securing economic benefits. It also optimises the working conditions at the workplace and guarantees a job security while protecting members against unfair dismissal at workplace. Through its leadership, trade union engages in collective bargaining, whereby labour contracts are negotiated with the employers. Also it acts as a recruiting manager, the Union leaders interfere with the recruitment and selection of the company, its intention is to maximise the number of employees an employer can hire. 2.2 Hierarchy of Trade Unions There is a hierarchy in Unions, we had identified; the confederation, the federations and the trade unions. Regarding the confederation, there are one main which is Mauritius Labour Congress and it is affiliated to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU).In the category of federation there are; National Trade Union Confederation (NTUC) which is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Mauritius Trade Union Congress (MTUC). Finally, the trade unions which are affiliated to the NTUC; The Federation of Civil Service Unions, Federation of Progressive Unions, Federation des Travailleurs Unis, Confederation Mauriciennes des Travailleurs, General Workers Federation and Federation of Free Workers. 2.3 Structure of Trade Union The trade unions structure is divided into several parts, namely: The Annual Delegates Congress It is the authority which governs the federation. The Executive Council It comprises of one representative of each affiliates which is usually the secretary or the president and the Bureau members and two observers per affiliates. Once every two months they conduct meeting regarding applications for affiliates from trade unions and affiliation of the Federation to any local, regional or international organisation promoting the interest of the workers and to discuss disagreements between different affiliates. Meeting can be scheduled on the demand of the President or the Bureau or of the members of the Executive Council too. The Bureau It comprises of the President, the General Secretary and the eight elected members. Among them, one is the 1st Vice president and another is the 2nd vice president, a 3rd as Assistant Treasurer and a fourth one who is the organising secretary. President He represents the Federation and he is the spokesman of the federation. General secretary The General Secretary arranges meetings and draw up the minutes of the meeting. Along with the General Secretary, Deputy General Secretary and the Assistant General make up the Secretariat of Federation. Treasurer He is in charge of the accounts of the federation. Organising Secretary He is in charge of organising events like training sessions, seminars, workshop among others. Public Relation Officer He deals with the media for conferences, coverage, reports and other information that will be published by the media. 2.4 Nature and Scope of Trade Union The existence of an influential and recognised trade union is a pre-requisite to the industrial development pace of the country. With modernization in different sectors and the formation of new one such as the technological one as well as the tourism sector, human resources were required. However, mistreatment of the Mauritian labour force appears. This is where the trade union emerged; they ensured that the human rights of their members are respect as per the laws and the constitution. Trade Unions are currently considered as a sub-system which attends a precise sub-groups interest. When defending a particular sector they consider themselves as an integral part of the organisation in respect to the feasibility, growth and development of the community of which they formed part of. The influence of Trade Unions is of key importance for their members in the following ways: First, they are more effective and efficient when the need of negotiation is required between employers and employees by attempting to create a win-win situation. They facilitate the flow of communication between workers and the management, by providing the guidance and support to both of them. The Union leaders will seek a health and safety in the working environment. In addition, they also act as an educational institution; they provide different types of courses to their members. They also accelerate the pace of economic development for instance; they act as a recruiting and selecting agent for the unemployed workers, managing conflicts in the organisation, inculcating corporate social responsibilities to the members among others. 2.5 Objectives of trade unions. The main body of a trade union usually consists of individual workers, sometimes professionals and past workers. Their primary aim is to ensure that the employment conditions of employees are respected and that fair working conditions are offered. However, trade unions also engage in issues like: Negotiation Representation Information and advice Member services Negotiation One of the main targets of trade unions is to negotiate with employers about the matters affecting their members and other employees at work. If a union is formally recognised by an employer, it can negotiate with the employer over terms and conditions. These negotiations are commonly known as collective bargaining. Any trade union works to protect and advance the interests of its members. One of the ways it achieves this is by collectively bargaining with employers about the pay and conditions under which its members work. The negotiation process normally deals with matters such as working rules and regulations, complaint procedures, hiring principle, dismissing or promoting employees, workplace safety and policies etc. Some trade unions even have the power to negotiate rates of pay, bonuses for target achievement, employment conditions and job descriptions on behalf of the employees. For collective bargaining to be effective, unions and employers need to agree on how the arrangement is to operate. The objective of that collective bargaining or negotiation process is to settle with a mutual agreement also known as collective agreement between the management and the trade union. Representing Body Employees and other workers have the right to be accompanied at a disciplinary or grievance hearing. They can either choose a co-worker or a union representative. Often, the union representative, will be a workplace representative who is also a co-worker and will support the employee on the board meeting. Information and Advice If someone forms part of a union he/she can also ask them for advice. Unions are experts at solving problems at work. Trade unions provide staff with information, advice and guidance about any work related problems. Member Service Trade unions provide its members with a variety of services such as training, insurance, financial assistance and legal advices, sickness benefits, education facilities in some cases, guarantee of satisfactory work conditions in areas such as health and safety as well as equal opportunities. Voice in decision affecting Workers Trade unions act as a spokesperson for the staff. When matters concerning an individual employee or a group of workers arise, the trade unions job is to voice out the problem in order to negotiate for a solution. In case no agreement is settled or respected, the trade union members may enforce strikes or resistance to lockouts. They can also intervene in order to resist schemes of the management which reduce employment, e.g. restructuring and automation 2.6 Types of Trade Union Craft or Occupation Union. This type of union was the earliest type developed, it comprised of employees of a particular craft or skill regardless of place of work. The advantage of craft unionism is the sense of solidarity, as there is a feeling of common interest between the members. In addition, as this union bears skilled workers, they have a good economic position for collective bargaining. On the other side, more and more new mechanical devices were being developed, the need for large numbers of skilled workers decreased. One- Shop Union or House Union The one-shop union organizes all workers in the same establishment or factory. This type of union has the advantage of being relatively easy to organize because all workers share a common goal in securing a good collective agreement for their particular factory. However, as it is small, it has little bargaining power and it is easily dominated by management. Common Employer Union. 2.7 Characteristic of Trade Union Trade unions have shown remarkable progress since their inception in Mauritius and as the union is an essential and dynamic aspect of the society it bears special characteristics such as: Trade Union come together for common goals and interest The members have some materials of collective interest such as improving working conditions, better wages, benefits, job security among others. The trade unions have the right to contest a managerial decision, if they considered that their members are at risk with the outcome. Trade Union is an association of workers and salary earners: Unions are essentially a cooperative labour marketing association whose aim is to safeguard human rights on one or more labour market. In addition, they also bear a hand in the progress of the society, cultural interest and political views of its members. Trade unions have been implemented so as each sector of the working class bear a specific union. Mauritius therefore bears different Union association such as: Agricultural Research Extension Unit (AREU) Mauritius Labour Congress (MLC) Mauritius Trade Union Congress (MTUC) National Trade Union Confederation (NTUC) Trade Unions are basically voluntary organizations: Members of any trade union are voluntary in nature. They are completely free to become a member of a Trade Union or not; none is constrained to subscribe to a Trade Union. If any individual is forced to join a Union, the very essence of trade of trade unionism is defeated. Unions are egalitarian bodies: The Unions are self-governed; this is the reason why they can effectively act in our society. The union leaders are voted by the members and perform as per the Trade Union Act. The Trade Union is a continuous association Union is not a daily affair. In order to work effectively for their adherents they ask a long term membership Constant evolution in the characteristic of Trade Union With this dynamic era, the union continually update their techniques and amend their work. With new complications in the workplace, the unions need to find infinite approaches so as to serve the union members. Rapport with the Management: The unions have the responsibility to improve the employers and employees relationship. They go through the process of negotiation and collective bargaining with the direction of the members organisation concerning their problems. In so doing, the employer and employee relationship is enriched and enhance the quality and welfare of the employees. 2.8 Functions of Trade Unions Broadly speaking, trade unions perform two types of functions: Militant Function Amongst the various activities performed by trade unions is the betterment of the position of their members in relation to their employment. The aim of such activities is to ensure that all the clauses of the hiring and psychological contract are respected. When the union fails to accomplish these aims through collective bargaining and negotiation, in extreme conditions they adopt drastic measures in the form of go-slow, strike, boycott, work sabotage etc. to make the management react and reconsider their requests. Hence, these functions of the trade unions are known as militant or fighting functions. Fraternal Function Another actions performed by trade unions are to provide help to its members in needy times, and improving their efficiency. Trade unions try to nurture a spirit of cooperation, mutual aid and promote friendly relationships and sharing of knowledge and culture among their colleagues. In some cases, they also arrange for legal assistance. Besides, these, they undertake many welfare measures for their members, e.g., school for the education of children, library, reading-rooms, in-door and out-door games, and other recreational facilities. These activities, which may be called fraternal functions, obviously depend on the availability of funds, which the unions raise by subscription from members and donations from outsiders, and also on their competent and enlightened leadership. Another broad classification of the functions of unions may be as follows: Intra-mural activities: These deals with whatever happens on the site of work and has direct impact on employees e.g. wages, strikesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Extra-mural activities: These activities help the employees to maintain and improve their efficiency or productivity e.g., methods intended to foster a spirit of cooperation, promote friendly relationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Political activities: Modern trade unions also take up political activities to achieve their objectives. Such activities may be related to the formation of a political party or those reflecting an attempt to seek influence on public policy relating to matters connected with the interests of working class Other Functions Trade unions have a number of functions, one more important than the other depending on the situations; however the five main general principles developed have been: The service function The representative function The regulatory function The government function The public administration function The service function This involves the delivery of services and assistance to the union members. The representative function This implies that the trade union will act like a delegate for the members at the workplace. The regulatory function This enables trade unions to actively participate in rule-making over the workplace. This can be done either: directly multi-employer collective bargaining e.g. through the Joint Industrial Council Or indirectly through regulatory legislation The government and public administration function Trade unions engage with the government to assure that they can accomplish their respective function within the law. Trade unions also play an important role in: improving bottom-up communication in order to increase commitment of employees in meeting the organizations objectives negotiating improvements to pay and working conditions to retain the people encouraging companies to invest in training and development for better performance and personal as well as professional development of employees acting as a positive change agent thus gaining employees support for the smooth running of the organization Protecting the interests of employees by taking active participation in the management. safeguarding organizational stability, growth, and leadership

The Case For Work For The Dole :: essays research papers

Youth faces an uncertain future - it always has in one way or another. The progression from parental dependency to self-sufficiency and independence has always been (and will continue to be) a difficult one. The stresses of successfully completing high school are compounded by peer pressure, personal and family relationship problems, and the natural problems inherent in being an adolescent. As well, today, moreso than in yesteryear, there is an ever-present temptation to turn to drugs and alcohol, either as an escape route, or in order to cope with it all. Doing well at school does not guarantee a future career path, even if the correct choices are known and made. "Starting at the bottom" no longer means that you will get to the top one day. Today, people in their 40s and 50s are being made redundant from positions they once justifiably regarded as being secure until retirement. And competition is strong. Each year it becomes stronger - each year thousands more students join the ranks of the unemployed, and long term unemployment, especially amongst youth, is a real problem. The Government's "Work for the Dole" Scheme is a much-needed positive step that is helping youth make the transition from student, to unemployed, to employee. Each year 25,000 places in the Scheme are available, 20,000 of which are set aside for young people. Under the Scheme, unemployed people perform work (from 12 to 15 hours per week) in return for their fortnightly unemployment benefit. Participation is for a maximum of six months for people unemployed for a period of more than six months. People aged 17 to 21 are required to work for two six-hour days per week, and people aged 21 and over are required to work for 21/2 six-hour days per week. An extra $10 per week is paid to the participant to allow for extra costs incurred relating to transportation, and child minding facilities are available if necessary. Time off from the scheme can be arranged for attendance at interviews for paid employment. In order to reach those most in need of assistance, participation in the Scheme is compulsory. This is necessary so that the chances of success can be maximised to provide the most benefit to participants.It may be of concern to some that the compulsory nature of the Scheme undermines the altruism inherent in volunteer work. Some may fear that it will lead to resentment, lack of cooperation and poor motivation by those forced to take part under threat of diminished or no social security payment.

Internet and Its Impact on Developing Countries

The Internet and its impact on developing countries: examples from China and India T. Kanti Srikantaiah Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois, USA and The Internet and its impact on China and India 199 Received February 1998 Revised March 1998 Dong Xiaoying Peking University, Beijing, China Introduction In the new information climate many countries are relying on electronic access to information through the Internet, which is revolutionising information management and information technology. Developed countries have improved their communication systems and are able to share information in a user-friendly environment.They have used the Internet in various sectors: †¢ agriculture; †¢ health; †¢ public sector management; †¢ industry; †¢ environment; †¢ telecommunications; †¢ trade; †¢ etc. The Internet is now penetrating developing countries. This paper discusses the role of the Internet in such countries, with specific reference to China a nd India. The Internet The idea of the Internet originated about 25 years ago at the US Defense Department Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), to keep track of data through computer hardware and software. The Internet is now a complex web of networks connected with high-speed links cutting across countries.There are no set boundaries for the Internet in cyberspace. Recent statistics show 50,000 networks in more than 100 countries with more than 50 million users (MIDS press release). It is estimated that the rate of growth in Internet use is around 20 per cent a month. Currently the Internet is not proprietary and is available to anyone with computer access connected to the external world. Since the USA launched the information superhighway in 1994, the Internet has come to play an ever-increasing role in the vast information market in many countries (Table I). Asian Libraries, Vol. 7 No. 9, 1998, pp. 199-209.  © MCB University Press, 1017-6748Asian Libraries 7,9 Country G-7 countries Canada France Germany Italy Japan Great Britain USA Africa South Africa Cyprus Tunisia Jamaica Senegal Egypt Mozambique Burkina Faso Cameroon Ghana Kenya Morocco New Caledonia Niger Swaziland Host Initial connection Country Turkey Indonesia Philippines India China Kuwait Malaysia United Arab Republic Kazakhstan Macau Fiji Uzbekistan Vietnam Lebanon Lithuania Latin America Brazil Mexico Chile Ecuador Peru Argentina Bermuda Venezuela Puerto Rico Costa Rica Guam Virgin Islands Nicaragua Panama Dominican Republic Host 22,963 10,861 4,309 4,794 25,594 3,555 6 994 1,136 1 0 153 3 1,128 2,761Initial connection 12/91 07/93 04/94 11/90 04/94 12/92 11/92 11/93 11/93 04/94 06/93 12/94 04/95 06/94 04/94 200 690,316 292,096 875,631 211,966 955,688 878,215 825,048 07/88 07/88 09/89 08/89 08/89 04/89 07/88 419 1,973 15 349 275 1,894 44 2 75 275 457 888 59 34 240 12/91 12/92 05/91 05/94 10/94 11/93 03/95 10/94 12/92 10/94 11/93 10/94 10/94 10/94 05/94 Asia and Middle East Taiwan 40,706 12 /91 Table I. South Korea 132,370 04/90 Distribution of hosts Israel 61,140 08/89 connected to the Internet Singapore 60,674 05/91 (1997): G-7 countries, Thailand 12,794 07/92 Africa, Asia, Middle East and Latin America Source of host number: http://www. w. com/zone/www/dist-byname. html, 1997 68,685 126 19,168 1,078 6,510 18,985 1,648 4,679 114 4,259 91 7 743 390 25 06/90 02/89 04/90 07/92 11/93 10/90 05/90 02/94 10/89 01/93 10/93 03/93 02/94 06/94 04/95 Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohammed, once said: It can be no accident that there is today no wealthy developed country that is information poor, and no information rich country that is poor and underdeveloped (Nagy, 1991, p. 57). This statement emphasises the importance of the Internet for developing countries.From an international perspective access to and use of the Internet is unbalanced; there are obvious gaps between developed and developing countries in terms of the numbers of nets, hosts and users. As a study from the Panos Institute indicated: The Internet and its impact on Table I provides data on hosts and connection dates for selected countries in China and India Africa, Latin America, Asia and Pacific, along with G-7 countries for comparison.Of the hosts 56 per cent were in the USA, 26 per cent in Europe, 16 per cent in Canada and Latin America, 12 per cent in Asia and the Middle East, and the remaining 1 per cent were in African countries. The G-7 countries took about 80 per cent of total nets connected with the Internet, and the number of nets in 55 developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America amounted to only 5 per cent. According to another study, based on data from World Bank economic and social indicators, the correlation of Internet nodes with GNP per capita is 0. 88 per cent.Adjusted for population size, the country with the highest density of nodes for population was Switzerland. The USA ranked sixth, and India was one of the lowest. So the revolution in electroni c publishing and accessing is not really global (Jacobson, 1994). The timing of connection to the Internet is significant. For instance, while most developed countries obtained their connections to the Internet between 1988 and 1990, developing countries began around 1994-95. Even now many developing countries do not have Internet facilities. An approximate date of Internet connectivity for selected countries is also given in Table I.The World Bank has published data on various economic and social indicators for 133 countries. Table II shows data on population, literacy and GNP for selected developing countries and the G-7 countries. Tables I and II show a definite correlation among GNP per capita, population, illiteracy and number of networks connected with the Internet. The data show that the higher the GNP per capita and the lower the illiteracy rate, the greater the number of links to the Internet, whereas indicators such as higher population, higher illiteracy and lower GNP per capita accompany fewer connections to the Internet.For most developing countries Internet connections brought the golden opportunity of â€Å"leapfrog† development through participating and competing in global trade, sharing information globally in education, research and manufacturing/productivity sectors, and alleviating poverty, contributing to improved social and economic indicators. Information environment in China and India China and India are the two most populous countries in the world. With more than 2 billion people in these two countries, the market for the Internet is vast.In addition, both China and India are information-rich countries with a long tradition of learning, publishing and media activities. Both countries have recently experienced phenomenal growth in economic terms. According to a World Bank report, the annual average growth of GNP during the period 1985-94 in China and in India was around 7 per cent and 3 per cent respectively (World Bank Atlas, 19 96). Compared with other developing countries of the same scale, China and India have shown significant growth in the development here is a danger of a new information elitism which excludes the majority of the world’s population (John, 1995). 201 Asian Libraries 7,9 G-7 countries Canada France Germany Italy Japan United Kingdom USA Africa Cameroon Egypt Kenya South Africa Asia China Indonesia India Malaysia Thailand Latin America Argentina Brazil Mexico Peru GNP per capita in US$, 1994 Real growth rate, 1985-94 (%) Population, 1994 (’000) Growth rate, 1985-94 (%) Illiteracy rate, 1990 (%) 202 19,570 23,470 25,580 19,270 34,630 18. 410 25,860 680 710 260 3,010 530 880 310 3,520 2,210 8,060 3,370 4,010 1,890 0. 4 1. 7 1. 9 1. 3. 2 1. 4 1. 3 –6. 6 1. 6 0. 0 –1. 4 6. 9 6. 0 2. 9 2. 7 8. 2 1. 9 –0. 4 0. 6 –2. 5 29,121 57,726 81,141 57,154 124,782 58,088 260,529 12,871 57,556 26,017 41,591 1,190,918 189,907 913,600 19,498 58,718 34,180 159,143 91 ,858 23,331 1. 3 0. 5 0. 5 0. 1 0. 2 0. 3 1. 0 2. 8 2. 0 2. 9 2. 4 1. 4 2. 0 2. 0 2. 5 1. 6 1. 4 1. 8 2. 2 2. 0 * * * 3 * * * 46 52 31 – 27 23 52 22 7 5 19 13 15 Table II. Basic indicators for selected developing countries and G-7 countries Notes: – = not available; *according to UNESCO, illiteracy is less than 5 per cent Source: The World Bank Atlas (1996) Washington DC: World Bank ycle and in the utilisation of information technologies and information management. The steep decrease in the price of personal computers, proliferating software in Asia and the multimedia influx have contributed to growing markets and Internet use in China and India. Sales of PCs in these regions have expanded more than 20 per cent each year (Sherry, 1995, p. 71). A rating scale by the Gartner Group predicts a long-term potential for information technology in the Asian and Pacific region (Gartner Group, 1996).The rating is based on population, education, GDP, economic growth, government su pport to IT, popularity of IT, IT industry (and its competitiveness), the industry type and international perspective. Table III shows details for China and India, as well as selected countries for comparison. The total rating score for China was 75 and for India 58. In China the population of 1. 2 billion lives on 9. 6 million square kilometres. With its long civilisation and tradition of learning, and with its economy CountryEconomic Government Popularity Industry Total Population Education GDP growth support to IT of IT Competitive type International score 9 9 4 3 4 8 7 4 9 8 7 5 9 9 7 6 5 6 3 2 2 5 4 1 5 2 18 10 12 17 16 12 12 12 14 14 8 5 8 5 6 6 8 4 9 8 7 6 0 2 10 9 7 3 6 8 3 4 7 10 0 1 9 9 7 3 5 7 1 3 7 10 6 7 5 4 5 7 7 4 7 7 6 5 8 7 4 2 4 2 7 5 6 4 4 3 53 50 75 58 58 58 62 52 50 55 62 60 The Internet and its impact on China and India 203 USA 8 Japan 8 China 10 India 10 Indonesia 8 South Korea 6 Malaysia 3 The Philippines 6 Singapore 1 Taiwan 4 Thailand 6 Vietnam 6 Source: Ga rtner Group (1996), China Infoworld, Vol. 1, 29 July Table III. Long-term potential of information technology in Asian and Pacific countries growing rapidly since 1980, China has become one of the most powerful information resources and an integral part of the world information community. In 1995 there were 101,381 books, 7,583 kinds of magazines (4,014 are scientific and technical journals) and 2,089 newspapers (205 national and 844 provincial newspapers) published by nearly 600 publishers nationwide (Handbook of Press, 1996). There are 1,080 universities located in 29 provinces, and more than one million students graduate each year.There are 350,000 libraries of different types – public, university and school, research, military and labour union libraries. There are plans to have at least one library in each village and urban area in China by the year 2000. Government has always been the biggest information producer and consumer. A total of 34 information centres belonging to different central government departments, China Statistical Bureau, China Economic Information Centre and National Scientific and Technical Commission (NSTC) distribute and collect information from the central government at provincial, city and county levels.Chinese general information systems are divided into six categories: (1) information centres affiliated with the National Scientific and Technical Commission; (2) information centres belonging to central government ministries; (3) information centres of a provincial nature; (4) information centres of a specialised nature affiliated to regional governments; (5) information centres affiliated with state enterprises, universities and other research institutions; Asian Libraries 7,9 204 (6) information centres of non-governmental, regional, professional and similar bodies (Dong, 1995).Since 1994, the global upsurge of the information highway has influenced Chinese decision-makers. China’s information superhighway, consisti ng of â€Å"eight golden projects†, covers networks among universities, industry and state enterprises. The public need for the Internet and its potential are vast. India, which gained independence in 1947, covers a vast area of over 3. 2 million square kilometres and has a population of more than 900 million. In the area of information India is relatively rich, being the seventh largest publisher in he world. It also supports a flourishing book industry: some 11,000 publishers publish more than 18,000 monographs each year and there are more than 30,000 periodicals, of which 5,000 are in English. There are thousands of book-sellers, more than 196 universities and 8,100 colleges and research institutions. The student population in higher education alone exceeds 5 million. In Delhi alone, there are 360 booksellers, six universities, 80 colleges, approximately 40 research institutions and over 100 government agencies.Government offices and quasi-government offices at central, st ate, district, subdistrict and village levels produce and consume vast amounts of information. At the national level the main sources of information include: †¢ various line ministries; †¢ the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO); †¢ the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO); †¢ the Registrar-General of India (RGI); †¢ the National Information Centre (NIC); †¢ the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE); †¢ INSDOC; †¢ DELNET; †¢ Tata Energy Research Institution; †¢ the Centre for Science and Environment; and †¢ the Federation of India Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI).There are hundreds of governmental bodies at state and local levels. The information output from these offices in the various sectors is considerable. In addition, information is created, acquired and disseminated in all manufacturing and service sectors. These sectors indicate the scope for the Internet in India. Over the years the demand for i nformation has increased in India and China. In India the market for information in English is enormous, as English speakers form a significant proportion of the literate population.They are generally wellestablished in economic and social terms and need information in paper and electronic forms. This is also reflected in the fact that the majority of newspapers and periodicals are published in English. India, one of the largest publishers in the world, exports many books and periodicals to countries in Asia and Africa and also to Western countries. It imports much printed The Internet and material from abroad. its impact on China has made substantial progress in information management.China and India According to a 1996 report, there were 1,038 databases covering both Chinese and English sources, representing an increase of almost 30 per cent since the previous survey in 1992 (Guide to Chinese Databases, 1996): 205 †¢ there were 41 per cent of databases concentrated in science , industry and technology; †¢ economy and business databases accounted for 28. 6 per cent, a considerable increase over the 1992 figure; †¢ social science took 15 per cent; †¢ general, 5. 6 per cent; †¢ law and medicine gained 3. 5 per cent; †¢ news and mass media took about 2. 9 per cent; †¢ databases with abstracts represented 66. per cent, and †¢ full-text and number databases took less than 30 per cent. With the inclusion of Hong Kong, China has become a superpower in information acquisition and dissemination, not only in Asia but also on a global basis. It is anticipated that demand for information in China will continue to grow in significant terms in the next decade. In both India and China access to the Internet will be extremely valuable. Internet connections In China the first TCP/IP link to the Internet was established in 1994, in the Institute of Higher Physics (IHEP), Chinese Academy of Science.The following are also connected with the Internet: †¢ Chinese Public Internet (Chinanet), established and run by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, the backbone of Internet connection in Beijing. It is available through local post offices for a subscription. †¢ China Education and Research Network (CERNET), owned by the State Education Commission. In 1996 CERNET connected 100 universities nation-wide. Eventually, it will connect to all universities and will become the basis for the booming educational and research development. National Computing and Networking Facilities of China (NCFC), started in 1989 and was the first high-speed network funded by the State Planning Commission and the World Bank. In 1994 its international route was opened. †¢ Gi Tong Company Network (GBNET), established in 1994, and supported by the Ministry of Electricity, has more than 1,000 users. Over three years China has shown an increase in numbers of computers and Internet users. According to statistics provided by the Information Centre of Asian Libraries 7,9 206 China Internet, the number of Internet users increased dramatically between 1994 and November 1997.The number of hosts connecting with the Internet increased approximately 35 times, from 569 to 19,739. The number of users increased steadily from 1,600 in 1994 to 620,000 in 1997, coming mainly from education, science, business and government (Information Centre of China Internet, 1997). ChinaNet plans to cover 30 provinces, and nation-wide users will exceed one million (Ge, 1996, p. 161). Internet users are generally scientists, social scientists, academics, university students, researchers and technical experts with higher-educational backgrounds and proficient in English.Access is gained, primarily, through universities, scientific and technical institutions and corporations. In India Internet access was initiated in November 1986 through the Education and Research Network (ERNET), with assistance from the Government of India and the Un ited Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Eight institutions were involved: the five Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) in Bangalore, the National Centre for Software Technology (CST) in Bombay and the Department of Electronics (DOE) in Delhi.The objectives included: (1) setting up a nationwide computer network for the academic and research community to promote research and development in India and abroad; (2) strengthening national capabilities in information infrastructure; (3) building specialised human resources through education and training to increase awareness of information resources available through the Internet; and (4) opening an India-USA technology gateway to provide a wide information base with other servers (ERNET, 1995).Three other internal service providers became involved at a later date: (1) SOFTNET by STP; (2) National Information Centre (NICNET); and (3) Gateway Internet Access Services (GIAS) (Ramakrishnan, n. d. ). By September 1996, India had more than 100,000 Internet users, 70,000 through ERNET, 15,000 through SOFTNET; 2,000 through NICNET and 8,000 through GIAS. User numbers are expected to grow to one million in the next three years; by then computer penetration will be around 10 million PCs.The education and research community has maximum penetration with 65 per cent, followed by business users of 25 per cent and other users of 10 per cent in the government and private households. A dramatic growth is expected once private sectors enter the Internet market. The city of Bangalore is expected to dominate the internal market because of its â€Å"electronic city†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ image (Ramakrishnan, n. d. ).Current issues and conclusions The Internet and There are three major areas of concern about the Internet that are significant in its impact on developing countries: China and India (1) national information policy; (2) regulatory framework and information infrastructure; and 207 (3) educa tion and training. National information policy Developing countries have a long tradition of oral culture; therefore, awareness of information sources in written form tends to be minimal.While national information policy in developing countries concentrates on trade, international relations, national security and technology, very little attention has been paid to accessing information electronically through the Internet and to deriving benefits. Developing countries, in order to achieve faster economic growth, should include in their official documents high-priority plans for implementing electronic information delivery systems. Policy statements should be integrated into national planning documents such as five-year plans and should be implemented on schedule.Sufficient funding should be allocated at the planning stage and should be made available quickly for implementation. Regulatory framework and information infrastructure The regulatory framework in developed countries enforces protection of investment, intellectual property and individual privacy in the information market. The legal framework addresses private sector involvement, skilled human resources, standards and implementation. In most developing countries regulatory frameworks concerning information do not exist.Although the rapid growth in information technology is changing methods of doing business at home, at work and in organisations in both developed and developing countries, regulatory frameworks have had very little effect on developing countries. While information technology, including telecommunications, has penetrated every market in the developed world, developing countries still view information technology as a means to support management information systems, finance and accounting facilities, and data processing.Computer penetration per capita in both China and India in the area of small office/home office (SOHO) is still not significant in relation to population numbers. Telecommunic ations still remain a major issue in both China and India. If information infrastructure were to cover the widespread Chinese and Indian populations, and technology were to be made available to access global information through the Internet, then the economic scene would be revitalised. Awareness of the Internet and its importance for policy makers xists only at the executive level, but unfortunately, not at the political level. This needs to be addressed urgently in both countries. Asian Libraries 7,9 208 Education and training Workforces in developing countries, as in developed countries, are changing from labour intensive to knowledge-based work. In developed countries, surveys have shown Internet use is associated with higher education. The same principle applies in developing countries. Thus, attention needs to be paid to improving literacy rates.It is the responsibility of governments, central, state and local, of learning institutions and civic associations to work together t o raise literacy levels in developing countries. The training of information professionals should be given priority. Trained information professionals will be able to utilise the Internet more efficiently and will be more effective in acquiring, organising and disseminating information. Often, developing countries are concerned about safeguarding their heritage of language and culture and supporting political systems.They are weary of foreign economic formats. Appropriate training for information professionals is an immediate requirement. Trained professionals can then educate the masses and take advantage of the Internet, sharing the dissemination of knowledge through cyberspace and adding value to the global information sector. The information revolution is real, and an information economy has already emerged, accelerating economic and social change. Information is crucial and is the central resource and basis for competition.The Internet will assist in development in the followin g ways: †¢ assessing the information capacity of the country and determining user needs, organising and synthesising information and providing access to internal and external information; †¢ disseminating information to meet the needs of the public and private sectors and the daily information needs of the general public. The two items are almost inseparable and have a symbiotic relationship. In developing countries it is urgent to train information professionals to support information infrastructure and information management.In the contemporary world, information is vital to all sectors. Thus, the role of governments in utilising the Internet is critical. First, it influences appropriate use of the Internet for social and economic change in the transition from labour-intensive production to knowledge-based information industries. Second, it defines public and private sector relationships and opens the market to a strong private information sector. Third, it redefines tel ecommunication policies to break down monopolies and to encourage competition among international and indigenous vendors.In conclusion, there is no single solution that can be applied, uniformly, to all situations in developing countries. Each case needs to be evaluated and customised to meet individual country needs. Priorities must be determined, depending on available resources. Indigenous resources should be harnessed and other resources tapped, including funding from international organisations. The Internet has considerable potential in developing countries: it is relevant to lobbying for more government support and budget allocation; it ffers delivery modes for the collection and dissemination of information; it may The Internet and be used to mobilise support among specialised ministries, universities and its impact on industries to produce and manage information, and to emphasise institutional China and India arrangements to influence policy makers and information purveyors to promote the Internet for the country’s development. References Dong, X. (1995), â€Å"The development and management of secondary information systems and services in China†, International Information and Library Review, Vol. 27, pp. 83-94. ERNET to Academic and Research Community (1995), brochure. Gartner Group (1996), â€Å"Information industry in Asia and Pacific is catching up and will become a main player in the 21st century†, China Infoworld, Vol. 41. Ge, W. (1996), â€Å"Internet in China: the state of art and perspectives†, China Computerworld, Vol. 9, September. Guide to Chinese Databases (1996), State Planning Commission and the State Scientific and Technological Commission, Beijing. Handbook of Press and Publ ication Statistics in China (1996), Press and Publications Administration, Beijing.Information Centre of China Internet (1997), â€Å"The current situation of Internet in China†, China Computerworld, Vol. 10, November. Jacobson, T. L. (1994), â€Å"The electronic publishing revolution is not ‘global’ †, Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Vol. 45 No. 10, pp. 745-52. John, M. (1995), â€Å"Third world faces ‘information poverty’ †, CD News Bank Comprehensive, Reuters America, 11 October. MIDS press release: â€Å"New data on the size of the Internet and the matrix†, . Nagy, H. 1991), â€Å"Information technology in World Bank lending: increasing the development and development impact†, World Bank Discussion Papers, Vol. 120,World Bank, Washington, DC. Ramakrishnan, S. (n. d. ), head, Information Infrastructure Division, Department of Electronics, Government of India, New Delhi, personal communication. Sherry, A. (1995), â€Å"The East is wired†, Far Eastern Economic Review, Vol. 15. The World Bank Atlas (1996), World Bank, Washington, DC. About the authors Dr Dong Xiaoying is Associate Professor in the Department of Information Management at Peking University.She is also a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Asian Libraries. Address: Department of Information Management, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China. E-mail: [email  protected] bta. net. cn. Dr T. Kanti Srikantaiah is Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Dominican University, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Dominican University, 7900 West Division Street, River Forest, IL 60305. E-mail: [email  protected] dom. edu 209

Batna for Soutwest Airlines and Muse/Transtar Essay

1. Introduction – Know your and their source of power – Analyze By identifying yours and their sources of power. But in order to do this, you need to know what gives one negotiator more power than another. Where is the source of power from, focusing on BATNA and resources. 2. Knowing – exploring a Good BATNA Also known as Best Alternative to reaching a Negotiated Agreement.. An example of a scenario of using BATNA would be, do you need to negotiate at all or do you have other options or alternatives available for you? Question: If this deal cannot be reached, how can I still reach my aim? The less you need to reach, the more powerful you are because you have a good BATNA, because you have other choices than completing the negotiation in question. Example of scenario: When haggling over the price of an item, a vendor may be wiling to lower their price significantly because they know that the other vendors in the market all carry a similar item and roughly at a similar price. Very much the vendors interest is to strike a deal with you at that moment, while you are more than ready to walk away because you have numerous other chances to shop for the item. Therefore leading to, your BATNA, consequently your negotiating power, is improved the less you need to complete the negotiation and the more you can  create other options for reaching your aims. Flipside, the other party’s negotiating power decreases the more they need to make a deal with you because they have fewer options available to them. 3. Access & Mobilization of Resources This would be the second source of negotiating power stems for the ability to access and mobilize resources. Having resources does not equate with being more powerful. Why? Answer: 1.First in context, power is context specific. Example, when you have a bag of candy, and the other person doesn’t, you clearly have more power. Its not the same when both have a bag of candy, therefore context makes all the difference in the world whether a resource has value or not. 2. Actualization, power is non existent if its not possible to express or actualize it. In other words, owning all the materials to build a house might make me more powerful, but if I don’t have the skills or tools to build anything, then my power is reduced because I cannot reach my aim. Therefore power stemming from access to resources is only real power when resources can be mobilized. 4. Collect Information What is their BATNA, what resource is relevant to this particular negotiation and which one do they don’t have access to control? Can they mobilized the resources they possess? What are their restrictions and will they be able to overcome these restrictions? The answers to these types of question will be vital for the next step of formulating a full negotiating strategy. 5. Strategy Development Your goal is to protect your own interest while looking to reach a solution that also meets your interests. Somewhat ironically, as you help empower yourself to meet your interest and by helping them to meet theirs, you are co-empowering them. That is if both parties reach a deal that meets our common interest, then both would be more powerful through the process  because both got what they wanted from negotiations. This means protecting your interest, by increasing your power while accounting for the influence of theirs. This requires skillful use of both protective or defensive measures in order to deflect and re-channel their use of power into an agreement that is mutual benefit. Power Tactics There are a number of tactics to make your negotiating strategy happen: 1. Protect or reveal information at key points while being careful not to reveal anything that would compromise you. 2. Collect information from the other party – Keep it confidential or reveal it at certain key points if it will help advance your mutual interest. 3. Make reaching a deal with you an attractive option while improving your BATNA by developing other avenues to reach your goals. 4. Change the context in favor 5. Increase your resources- ensuring you can mobilize them. Decrease their resources from mobilizing them if they are being used in a manner that is detrimental to reach a mutual acceptable deal. 6. Leverage your resources for maximum effectiveness 7. Be firm and focus: Know your objectives and all available resources to it.