Apply for the CPP Retirement Pension

Apply for the CPP Retirement Pension The application for the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) retirement pension is quite simple. However, there are a lot of things to learn and decide  before you apply. What is the CPP Retirement Pension? The CPP retirement pension is a government pension based on workers earnings and contributions. Just about everybody over the age of 18 who works in Canada (except in Quebec) contributes to the CPP. (In Quebec, the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) is similar.) The CPP is planned to cover about 25 percent of pre-retirement earnings from work. Other pensions, savings and interest income are expected to make up the other 75 percent of your retirement income. Who is Eligible for a CPP Retirement Pension? In theory, you must have made at least one valid contribution to the CPP. Contributions are based on employment income between a set minimum and maximum. How much and how long you contribute to the CPP affects the amount of your pension benefits. Service Canada maintains a Statement of Contributions and can provide an estimate of what your pension would be if you were eligible to take it now. Register for and visit My Service Canada Account to see and print a copy. You can also get a copy by writing to: Contributor Client ServicesCanada Pension PlanService CanadaPO Box 9750 Postal Station TOttawa, ON K1G 3Z4 The standard age to start receiving a CPP retirement pension is 65. You can receive a reduced pension at the age of 60 and an increased pension if you delay starting your pension until after the age of 65. You can see some of the changes that are taking place in the reductions and increases in CPP retirement pensions in the article Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Changes. Important Considerations There are numerous situations that can affect your CPP retirement pension, and some may increase your pension income. Some of those are: Child rearing provision  can be requested if you stopped working or received a lower income as the primary caregiver of your children under the age of seven, which could increase your retirement pension.Pension sharing with your spouse or common-law partner could mean tax savings for you.Credit splitting  after a divorce or separation  allows CPP contributions made by you and your spouse or common-law partner to be equally divided.International social security agreements  may make you eligible for a pension if youve lived and worked in certain countries. How to Apply for the CPP Retirement Pension You must apply for the CPP retirement pension. It is not automatic. For your application to be eligible You must be at least a month past your 59th birthdayYou must have contributed to the CPPYou must want your pension payments to begin within 11 months. You can apply online. This is a two-part process. You can submit your application electronically. However, you must print and sign a signature page that you then must sign and mail to Service Canada. You could also print and complete the ISP1000 application form and mail it to the appropriate address. Dont miss the detailed information sheet that comes with the application form. After You Apply for the CPP Retirement Pension You can expect to receive your first CPP payment approximately eight weeks after Service Canada receives your application. Service Canada has other  useful information to be aware of once you start receiving your benefits.

This January I Switched to Apple. What are You Tolerating in Your Life

This January I Switched to Apple. What are You Tolerating in Your Life I’d say it was a long time coming, given that I’ve had nothing but problems with my Dell PCs for the last †¦ oh †¦ 20 years? For the most recent 3 or so of those 20, several of my friends and colleagues have been begging and pleading with me to convert to Apple. Did I listen? No. Changing just seemed like way too much work. Then, in January, I hit a limit. My 1-year-old Windows 8 computer, whose operating system I had just reinstalled, was not working any better than it was before I reinstalled it. My programs were constantly going to â€Å"Not Responding.† Tech support could not fix the problem and was telling me I needed a more powerful computer with more RAM. Sales was telling me the 8 GB of RAM on my current computer should be plenty. I figured either sales was wrong or tech support was wrong, and Dell should either fix the problem or give me some amount of credit toward a new computer. They claimed to be unable to do either. It was decision time, and I was DONE with Dell. Perhaps you are celebrating, along with many of my friends, colleagues and even distant acquaintances, that I waltzed into an Apple store and bought a MacBook Pro. In the end, this change happened in an instant. It wasn’t easy getting up to speed on the MacBook. The delete button drives me crazy. The command button is located in the most inconvenient spot I can imagine. My files are all organized differently now. Outlook was downloading all my email repeatedly and I had to get tech support to get a duplicate deletion program. I needed a new way to access my accountant’s server so I could use my QuickBooks program. I had to call HP support to get my printer working wirelessly. I blew out two adaptors trying to connect the Mac to an external monitor. And there’s more. This is why I did not want to switch to a Mac. But get this: The computer doesn’t use battery power while it’s asleep. It wakes up immediately. I can leave my house carrying my laptop and no power cord and trust that the battery will last. The programs work and don’t slow down on me ever. And iCal integrates with Google Calendar without a 3rd party program! Most of the issues I faced were ramping up issues and are all resolved. And I get all the good stuff. I’m starting to be a proud Mac user. My question out of all of this is, â€Å"Why the heck did I wait so long?† You can ask any of my close friends and relatives and they will attest to the fact that I was spending hours upon hours with Dell tech support for years. I have never been happy with a Dell computer! And yet, I resisted change. Pure and simple. I kept choosing to upgrade to a â€Å"better† Dell, hoping it would solve my problems. It never did. People do this. Look at how many people stay in relationships that require hours of conversation to try to make them work. Look at how many of these people move in together, or get married, thinking that the â€Å"upgrade† will help. Or they have children in order to fix their relationship. Now that’s an upgrade! We so often avoid the risk of starting over with someone else because it would require an unknown amount of work – even if we have a strong inkling that ultimately the benefits would justify the investment. We resist change even if all our friends are telling us to â€Å"switch to Apple.† Many of us stay in jobs that are not a good fit. Even if we’re miserable, at least we’re dealing with a known quantity. I myself kept working for 10 years as a lawyer, because it was safe and provided a living wage, even though there was no amount of adjusting and mind talk that could make me enjoy that job. I even accepted a promotion (my â€Å"upgrade†) before reaching my breaking point and starting something new. The February issue of LeaderMag featured an article by Bruce Hodes, Five Ogres and an Angel, about the resistance to change in organizations. I love this quote which he shares: â€Å"Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up.† James Belasco and Ralph Stayer, Flight of the Buffalo (1994). Hodes asserts that two of the main elements blocking change are â€Å"comfort† and â€Å"drift.† Comfort is something we’re all familiar with. We humans like things to stay the same. We get attached to our routines like a warm blanket, even if they aren’t serving us. And drift, the pull of the current always in the same direction (toward the status quo), affects us whether in our homes or workplaces. Hodes’ advice: â€Å"Trust your intuition- be convinced that even in the face of resistance this is the way forward.† The payoff according to Hodes is Performance Improvement. I certainly got that with my MacBook Pro. My question to you is: Where in your life are you resisting change, falling victim to comfort and drift, when you really know it’s time to make a move? Where is there room for performance improvement in your life? Maybe it’s time to stop â€Å"upgrading† what you already have and to start something new.

What are the social benefits of using lie detectors Research Paper

What are the social benefits of using lie detectors - Research Paper Example The danger of using lie detector is that innocent people will be mistakenly pronounced as being guilty since the test only measures physiological responses. Such responses may be caused by a number of emotions, for instance, fear and anger of which guilt is only one. The device has an equally unacceptable rate of falsely accusing innocent people. One question that is emerging is that; how reliable are the polygraph tests? Cheating is human. There has never been, nor ever be, an honest society. So long as human beings lack the means to quantify lies or weigh hypocrisies, there is no need of any individual or society, supposing that any other society is more dishonest than another. Various culture of the world can be distinguished on the basis of how it copes with deceit, the types of lies it denounces, the type of institutions it fashions to expose the deceits(Messer and Jones, p 108). The lie detector and its used have been great in the modern society. The instrument has become one of the greatest projects of the twentieth century, aiming at improving the effort to transform the central moral question of our collective life and how to fashion a just society. The instrument also drew its legitimization from two noble half-truths about our political life which states that: democracy depends on transparency in public life and that justice depends on equal treatment for all persons. As a society based on the political principles rather than a common history or shared kinship, the modern society has decided to resolve social conflicts with public rules regardless of any other factors taking place behind the scenes. Social rules are often in conflict and the society is quick to justify them in the name of science. Science, in itself, is considered as the least arbitrary and the most transparent form of rule making. This has led to the treatment of deceit and

Deepening Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Deepening - Essay Example This has been interpreted differently, while there are some that have assimilated, some did not have the capacity to go through the assimilation process. This kind of individuals, eventually gave up and held up to their familiar ways of life. We begin with a story comprising of two close friends, Amy and Jeehynum, who have had similar experiences in high school. At the beginning, the two friends separated, and one travelled to Korea. It is apparent that the two have been friends from their childhood days, and their friendship culminates in high school, at a stage where their lives are close together. The future is uncertain, and the two do not know what to expect when they relocate to a different environment. For Amy, she has a different experience in regards to her college life, which makes her get filled up with mixed reactions, as events unfold. However, she starts off nicely, gets new friends and finally begins to catch up with the new environment. For Jeehyun, college years have been tough, and most of the times she would often try to assimilate into the environment with no much progress. It is evident that the two friends are experiencing culture shock; a situation in which a person feels disoriented as a result of being exposed to a new way of life. There are many causes, of this scenario, the notable and most familiar one being, when an individual is exposed to a foreign land (Ward, Bochner, and Furnham). Culture shock is addressed in four defining stages, these are honeymoon, negotiation, adjustment and mastery. The honeymoon stage comprises of a healthy view of the differences that are evident in the subjects. The strange land at this stage seems to be good and at times adventuress. It is at this stage, where the subjects would find nationals that are familiar and at times speak their language. This stage does not last for long, after a short period, it can take about two to three months. The next stage

The Group of 20 Essay Example for Free

The Group of 20 Essay The Group of 20 was created in 1999 to develop a solution to economic hardship and financial crisis. On November 10-11, 2010, leaders around the world gathered in Seoul, Korea. The implementations included ensuring the current economic recovery by creating jobs, this will balance our recovery and increase wealth. Other commitments include strengthening the international financial regulatory system and institutions, which will sustain global growth and prevent future crisis. With this a summit was formed and plans were made. Cameron, the prime minister of UK, told the Commons that the UK had four priorities at the talks: tackling deficits, fighting protectionism, encouraging development issues and dealing with trade imbalances. During the summit Cameron said The G20 has been a vital forum in fighting to keep markets open. Increasing trade is the biggest boost and the biggest stimulus we can give to the world economy. It doesnt cost any money, it is not a zero-sum game and it creates wealth and jobs. † After the proceedings, the prime minister revealed that the summit was very successful. Korea brought new perspective and issues to G20 as well. Korea introduced plans for a global financial safety net system and development issues as additional agenda items. In Korea’s view, a credible global financial safety net would reduce pressure on governments to continue adding to smaller reserves. Korea is also interested in furthering renewed discussions on development issues, proposing them to be essential to rebalancing the global economy and to ensuring that the Agenda can operate as intended. It also includes addressing gaps in income and development. Korea is concerned with future economic growth and therefore organized a Business summit collecting and gathering close to 100 key corporate Chairmen and CEOs from around the world just prior to the G20 Summit, on November 10-11, 2010. The Business Summit is intended to be a forum for business leaders to exchange views on how to boost the recovery and put the global economy back on the path to greater growth. World leaders agreed to develop new guidelines to prevent so-called currency wars. The EU helped to build a consensus on cooperative solutions to tensions on currency issues and trade. A joint letter that was created during the summit included that leaders would agree to move to more market based exchange rates and to enhance exchange rate flexibility to reflect essential economic fundamentals and abstain from competitive deflations. They are also happy with the commitment to fight protectionism. It was important for the EU to place development securely on the agenda of the G20. This was achieved with the Seoul Development Consensus for Shared Growth, interlinking development, trade and investment. This is the fifth G20 summit since the global financial crisis hit in 2008. This summit was chaired by Korea and seemed to have been successful. In this summit several actions and plans were developed: the Seoul Action plan, the joint letter, and the Seoul Development Consensus for shared growth. The solution for the global economic and financial crisis is underway.

To Kill a Mockingbird - The Powerful Character of Atticus Finch Essay

To Kill a Mockingbird - The Powerful Character of Atticus Finch In the beginning epigraph of To Kill a Mocking Bird, Harper Lee quotes a statement made by Charles Lamb: "Lawyers, I suppose, were children once." As told through the eyes of the rambunctious elementary school child, Scout Finch, we see not only how she and her brother's lives are affected by their community, also how they develop and mature under the watch of their father, lawyer Atticus Finch. As a wise role model to his town of Maycomb as well as his children, Atticus Finch becomes a prominently admirable character. As a father, lawyer, friend, and foe, Atticus Finch proves himself to be an honest, selfless, and courageous human being. Throughout many of the books main events, it is always clear that Atticus Finch holds true to his morals and beliefs despite all obstacles. After returning from reading to Mrs. Dubose, a morphine addict, with her brother, Jem, Scout asks her father, "Atticus, what exactly is a nigger-lover?" Having heard the term used many times referring to her father it is easy t...

Philips vs Panasonic: Facing the 2008 Economic Crisis Essay

1. Introduction Panasonic and Philips are two of the main consumer electronics companies in the world with different origins but similar international path. Several hurdles were faced by both companies in their evolution. This paper will analysis how the administrative heritage of Philips and Panasonic caused problem in the changing of their strategy, causing problem in the implementation of the respective strategic decisions. Moreover it tries to explain how time contingences and the external environment had influenced the strategy of the two MNEs and shape the organizational structure; sometimes leading to success, sometimes losing ground in the market field. Nowadays the main tasks of the two companies are conflictual : for Panasonic defending its leadership position, for Philips challenging the global leader. How to reach these goals? The last paragraph will address these objectives providing to the CEOs of the respective companies further steps to consider in order to remain com petitive in the market field, from 2008 looking forward. 2. How the environment and culture shape companies’ strategy and organization 2.1 Philips evolution: from responsive to integrated Philips’s strategy, right after WWII, led the company to its success. The economic situation during the 30s, forced the company to transfer part of its assets and laboratories abroad. This led to a dispersion of responsibilities. Countries protectionism, high tariffs and trade barriers required local production facilities. These problems led to the adoption of a decentralized federation with independent and self sufficient units and autonomous marketing. The contingent environment spurred the management to rebuild their structures upon National Operations (NOs). Philips built its success on a worldwide portfolio of responsive national organizations. Economic conditions, tastes and preferences, at that time, differed across countries; corporate management treated subsidiaries as independent national businesses with the aim to satisfy local needs. National Organizations were so vigil that they manage to preempt products required by customers, launching products such as the first color TV, the first stereo TV and the first TV with teletext. Innovation and R&D were the core strength of the company. They were flexible, responsive and fast in the approach to market. Entrepreneurial initiatives derived, not from top down imposition, but from every single division. The company succeeded in managing its innovation and to bring it to the next level, making innovation and customer’s needs the purpose of their business. The focus on national responsiveness was appropriate since the 50-60s, when it started to become the firm’s limitation. The great focus given to tailor solution to costumers’ tastes increased the cost of production and led to a dispersion of subsidiaries across too many countries. Problems of efficiencies and coordination arose. The company took several years to get rid of its matrix structure. Attempts to shift the companies to a slimmer organization in order to become more efficient in its production were slow and cumbersome. The National Operations continued to detain major responsibilities. The company was captive of its past. Contrarily to management prevision, the matrix structure created more problems that it solved. It was more complex than either the â€Å"worldwide area structure† or â€Å"the worldwide product structure†, and it created conflicts of responsibilities. Market signals warned the company to implement changes in the way business was conducted. However, in the 1990s, the company was, still, going through major losses. The structure was too costly and value added higher, compared to Japanese production facilities. Even if a good objective were settled in the strategic planning, however, as history showed, the further step of re-organization failed due to difficulties encountered in rebuilding the organization. It was not a zero-base reconfiguration. For more than 35 years, from 1971 onwards, different CEOs tried to take action in order to reduce the power of NO and create an agile and simple divisional organization that could create efficiencies, however trying not to neglects their sources of innovation: respond to country specific markets. 2.2 Matsushita evolution: from integration to responsiveness Matsushita point of departure instead was complete different from the one undertaken by Philips. Matsushita employed a divisional structure with a strong centralized decision making. The adoption of the divisional organization was well-thought due to the large and highly differentiated product range manufactured by the companies, aimed to different target clients. This allowed the company to reduce the organizational complexity and reducing transaction costs within the company. Matsushita exploited the favorable characteristic of the post war era, such as a convergence of tastes across borders and the â€Å"uncontrollable† globalization. In the 60s, the firm managed to expand its product range. It created self-funded research laboratories to develop new product solution. At the time, Matsushita detained a strong distribution channel directly owned by the company with more than 25.000 domestic retail store. However, when the demand in the domestic marketed slowed down, what was a competitive advantage domestically was not replicable abroad. The company made a lot of effort in expanding its international presence, without being demoralized. However as times passed by, the highly centralized control structure, create problems in their offshore operations. By the 1980s, the company, mainly concentrated on global integration instead of localization, decided to re-tailored its strategy . Decentralization of responsibilities was more than a necessity. Matsushita’s strategy was too focused on global efficiencies neglecting innovation, and learning and flexibility. R&D was vital in this industry. Actions of several CEO tried to address these issues, changing the company’s strategy from copycat to promoter of invention. However, as Philips encountered problem in its â€Å"transformation†, so did Mastushita. The firm had difficulties in promoting self initiatives among different divisions. The former centralized hub organizational structure was still present in the employees’ mentality. The initiatives, such as the introduction of local managers with stronger responsibilities in key positions and locations, did not give the expected outcome in the short run. It took several years and a lot of effort to see some res ults. Again the company was captive of its past. Today, Mitsushita’s configuration is mainly built around 3 main divisions: Digital networks, Home appliance and Components; reduced from the 36 product divisions used in the 1980s. The simplification was clear and so its advantages. The reaction of such a structure led the company to be more flexible to local need, reduce costs of duplication and achieve economies of scope. The products developed within each division were highly linked. However the company was not safe from competition. With the crisis’ approaching, the economical situation of the company does not remain untouched. What else is left to do? 2 Core issues today in the consumer electronic industry The current economic situation differs drastically from the one encountered in 10 or 20 years ago. Phenomena like globalization have given companies such as Philips and Panasonic the chance to provide their product to an extensive market, raising however new challenges. The global economic recession has created new needs. Consumers are more price sensitive and less willing to pay high prices for low quality products. Companies need to be aware of their cost structure and be ready to take respond to rapid technological changes and changing consumer preferences with timely and cost-effective introductions of new products in markets that are highly competitive in terms of both price and technology. The access to low factor cost, such as low labor force in emerging country as become crucial. Moreover, developing markets, such as India and China, are not only location where firms can manufacture products at lower costs, but also new opportunities where companies can market their own produ cts. In the consumer electronic industry, competition has become extremely high and innovation, now more than ever has become crucial as new source of revenues. 3. Recommendation for Philips: Exploit contingencies of the time you are in The 2008 situation of Philips is not flourishing. In 2008, the company scored a net loss of â‚ ¬260 million. This was probably due to the financial crisis that affected the company drastically. However, company’s loss can not only be attributed to external factors. The company has made some mistakes, in the recent years, and should take action and correct its own strategy, remembering it origins. Coherence with past is crucial to tailor an effective strategy that could lead to innovative solutions for the future. That’s why Philips should continue to develop consumer-centric solutions. Research laboratories should remain independent but linked across one another. Philips should tackle the recession without sacrificing its long term strategic ambition: â€Å"Improving people live through meaningful innovation†1. That why now, more than ever, the company should be able to forecast marke t trends. Philips should continue more efficiently to re-allocate resources to growth opportunities and emerging markets. To do so it should transfer part of its qualified personnel to target markets, such as from India and China, building a strong teams of both local and expatriates managers and engineers. The combination of foreign and local figures could help the firm to continue the strategy of local responsiveness. To do so, it is necessary to include in the company agenda selective mergers and acquisitions. M&A, however, should not be out of focus. Philips has reduced its current division to 3 main domains: healthcare, lighting and customers lifestyle. My recommendation would be to stay true to these three core segments, acquiring key strategic companies in foreign markets. How to finance these new objectives? Disinvestments in peripheral activities and less profitable plans are still needed in order to obtain liquidity to reinvest in developing countries. This tactic would not repay within short term but long term profits would offset the high level of investments. Moreover leveraging of local subsidiaries in emerging markets can a springboard, to target back developed markets selling low cost products. 4. Recommendation for Mastushita: defending worldwide dominance The economic situation of Panasonic is different from the once faced by Philips. Panasonic is the world’s leading plasma maker in the industry and has to defend its worldwide dominance. Matsushita has based its competitive advantage ion low cost production. However, particular during financial crisis period, several other initiatives are to be implemented. First the company has to reduce its cost structure in order to face the deep decrease in demand in order to continue to make profits. Panasonic its already leader in this activities, however, there are always margins of improvements. To achieve cost reduction, it has to downsize its workforce. The firm should prioritized certain businesses over less profitable ones. Moreover adopt a lean management in order to reduce at the minimum the wastes in the value chain. Secondly it should restructure its organization to make it as clear and simple as possible in order to avoid cost duplication, slow process and cost of bureaucracy. In addition, The shift of demand and the focus on emerging market, in particular Asian markets, should be the highest priority. The market signaled opportunities in untapped market. The firm should be upfront in order to gain advantages over competition. These is a necessity to shut down plants in Japan and oversea and transfer workforce and capital to new sites. This initiative can also overcome exchange currency risk. Also distribution channels in these countries should be enhanced. However, the company should not forget its heritage: leverage on efficiency. The company should achieve a â€Å"transnational strategy†; incrementing its local responsiveness and innovation and learning, at the same time. Even during times of recession in essential to continue to invest in R&D, with the objective to grow faster than competitors when the market recovers. The main revenues for the companies come from distinct technologies. Local responsiveness could be achieved through the delegation of, even more, profit responsibilities to the three main divisions. This could enhance the company performance and to keep it on the podium. 6. Conclusions The structural variety is function of the environmental characteristics, Organization has to adapt to the external environment. Both companies has gone through several changes in their evolution. Environmental factors pushed companies to rethink their strategy and consequently their organizational structures. In some cases the difficulties encountered in the transition, for instance from an highly integrated company to more responsive, was slow and cumbersome. Both companies has been proved to be reluctant to change. . It is true that the set of strategies a firm is limited by the decisions the company has made in the past, however, these limitation should not be considered as insurmountable. Change can occur and rapidly. Philips and Panasonic lacked the ambition to design solution at 360 °. Firms should learn from their past and continue to leverage on their own competitive advantages, building on existing infrastructure. Do not be captive of your own past, but use your past experience to create a strong advantage, compensating your deficiencies. 5

Response to William Wordsworth’s ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’

Response to William Wordsworth’s ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ It is most difficult, I feel, to compose a response to William Wordsworth’s classic and idolised poem, ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ in such few words. A response to a poem may be seen as a reflection on features such as the language, the imagery and certainly, how the poem made me feel. I will however attempt to outline the influence this poem has had on me, considering the aforementioned features. This poem has evidently stood the test of time.It has breezed through generation after generation being read and reread and this, I believe, is due to its simplistic, yet compelling, story it tells. The first three stanzas are a collection of beautiful images painted by the use of comprehensible yet rich language. The language may be considered plain, however, I feel it echoes a calm and tranquil atmosphere as it does not busy the reader. Wordsworth is describing this truly memorable e xperience by personifying ‘the host of golden daffodils’.He does this throughout the poem for example at the close of the second stanza: ‘Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. ’ This, I believe, adds life to the poem. This personification links the language with incredible imagery. I, as a reader, have entered Wordsworth’s memory and I envisage this alluring scene; the countless daffodils ‘dancing in the breeze’. This further creates a more wondrous and astounding ambience that fulfils the reader like it fulfils Wordsworth in stanza three: ‘A poet could not but be gay’.William Wordsworth stated that â€Å"Poetry is a spontaneous overflow of emotion, not the emotion of the actual experience, but the emotion recollected in tranquillity’’. I believe his poem ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ is a justified example of this quote. I truly admire this poem as it tells a story of Wordsworth’s feeli ngs toward nature. It, in turn, gave me a positive and joyous outlook on the art of nature unleashing feelings similar to Wordsworth in the final stanza: ‘And then my heart with pleasure fills’.

Free Essays on Imperial Nations

In The Decades Prior To 1914, The Culture Of The European Great Powers Was Profoundly Marked By Their Self-image As â€Å"imperial† Nations, With All That Implied. Discuss To address this question an understanding needs to be established of what is meant by imperialism prior to 1914. Then European events that had occurred will need to be clarified paying special attention to Britain and France. To illustrate the culture of Britain and France and how it related to their self-image as an imperial nation a case study on the events in Africa will be included. Imperialism changed towards the latter part of the 19th Century towards what is now referred to as New Imperialism. New Imperialism has no set definition but has many views such as the Marxist capitalist view taken by Luxemburg and Lenin for example that capital was the seed to imperialism. Woolf however believes that there was a more nationalistic view towards new imperialism. New imperialism is believed to be the internal development of society and relations with other countries, this is a simplistic form of the term however. The more accurate description is a system in which countries gather acquisition or maintenance of territories and claim sovereignty over that territory and the people inside the boundaries . This is often to facilitate economic domination over their resources, labour and goods markets. This definition therefore supports the Marxist idea of new imperialism being based on the culture of money and capitalism. The tradition of empire is also important to the definition of new imperialism. This is because for an empire it was vital to be the most powerful and therefore be the one idolised by other countries. Britain is a good example in this century. The tradition of empire meant there was great economic and political rivalry between countries especially in Western Europe to become a member of the European great powers . Cultural changes took place that would... Free Essays on Imperial Nations Free Essays on Imperial Nations In The Decades Prior To 1914, The Culture Of The European Great Powers Was Profoundly Marked By Their Self-image As â€Å"imperial† Nations, With All That Implied. Discuss To address this question an understanding needs to be established of what is meant by imperialism prior to 1914. Then European events that had occurred will need to be clarified paying special attention to Britain and France. To illustrate the culture of Britain and France and how it related to their self-image as an imperial nation a case study on the events in Africa will be included. Imperialism changed towards the latter part of the 19th Century towards what is now referred to as New Imperialism. New Imperialism has no set definition but has many views such as the Marxist capitalist view taken by Luxemburg and Lenin for example that capital was the seed to imperialism. Woolf however believes that there was a more nationalistic view towards new imperialism. New imperialism is believed to be the internal development of society and relations with other countries, this is a simplistic form of the term however. The more accurate description is a system in which countries gather acquisition or maintenance of territories and claim sovereignty over that territory and the people inside the boundaries . This is often to facilitate economic domination over their resources, labour and goods markets. This definition therefore supports the Marxist idea of new imperialism being based on the culture of money and capitalism. The tradition of empire is also important to the definition of new imperialism. This is because for an empire it was vital to be the most powerful and therefore be the one idolised by other countries. Britain is a good example in this century. The tradition of empire meant there was great economic and political rivalry between countries especially in Western Europe to become a member of the European great powers . Cultural changes took place that would...

Freelance Editors for Indie Authors

Freelance Editors for Indie Authors Do you want to make your book the best it can be? Of course you do. But how do you do that? If you are an indie author, as so many of us are these days, it is essential that you work with both a professional editor and an experienced cover designer. The process for finding these pros is pretty similar but today we are going to take a look at how to find the perfect-fit editor for you and your book. Editors come in two general categories: a.) developmental editors who work with you right out of the gate to help you understand your market, conceptualize your book, organize the material, avoid repetition, keep it moving, engaging, fresh and original, and b.) copyeditors and proofreaders who make sure your completed manuscript is error-free and professionally designed. How Do You Find A Good Developmental Editor? Good is the key word here. A good editor is likely to be a professional editor who has had lots of experience in the traditional book publishing world. Once you have located an editor you feel may be right for your book, find out where she has worked and what published books she has worked on. Make sure she has had experience editing the kind of book you are writing. This is very important. And where do you find this person? = Get a referral. Check around, ask other writers, your friends, agents at writers conferences. = Look online. Go to Google and type in Freelance Editors.   Of course, you can type in Freelance Copyeditors and Proofreaders or Freelance Book Designers, too, if thats what you happen to be looking for. Also, you can check out our recently published guide The Self-Publishers Ultimate Resource Guide www.bookdocs.com The Independent Editors Group (full disclosure, Im a member of this group. www.bookworks.com The Self-Publishers Association www.bibliocrunch.com Bibliocrunch www.consulting-editors.com Consulting Editors Alliance www.digitalbookworld.com Digital Book World www.elance.com Elance www.the-efa.org Editorial Freelancers Association www.mediabistro.com Media Bistro www.publishersmarketplace.com Publishers Market Place = Chat with the editor. Define your goals. Feel free to ask him for his credentials and for the titles of a few of the published books he has worked on. If he has not worked on any books that have been published = Be clear about the fee structure. Does she charge = Ask about the time line. How long does she expect the editing process to take? This depends on how quickly you get the revisions back to her, but make sure you both agree on what is a reasonable amount of time for this project to take. = Ask if he has had experience with self-publishing. This is not essential, but sometimes an editor who knows his way around self-publishing, or who can at least refer you to others who do, can be a big help for first time indie authors. Always remember, this is your book. You are the creator, the artist, and your name is on the cover. When you disagree with your editors suggestions, trust your instincts and go with what you feel is right. You are the boss and thats as it should be.

Job Description for a Retail Sales Associate Research Paper

Job Description for a Retail Sales Associate - Research Paper Example The three behaviors necessary for job performance are customer focused attitude, taking initiative, and excellent communication skills. All these behaviors are extremely important for job performance at the retail store. Customers focused attitude should be enforced in employees by rewarding employees on a per sales basis. Employees who take initiative should also be recognized and employee of the month competition should be used to encourage employees to take initiative. Taking initiatives involves doing something that is not a necessary part of their job description. Communication skills should also be rewarded and customers can be asked to fill a feedback form to evaluate communication skills of employees. Organization behavior modification is known to influence performance of employees and, therefore, can effectively be used to enhance performance of employees of retail store (Stajkovic & Luthans, 1997).  Evaluating Performance and Informing EmployeesPerformance of employees ca n be evaluated different techniques. One obvious way is to observe change in sales pattern in order to understand whether employees are exhibiting key behaviors or not. If employees have a customer focused attitude then sales should definitely improve. Also it is important to see whether employee behavior is having a positive financial effect on the business. The second method to evaluate employee performance can be to take customer feedback and observe results of ‘employee of the month’ competition. Employees who are lagging.... Employees who are lagging behind in such competitions are the ones who are not exhibiting key behaviors. Another method can be to take customer feedback as it can also provide first hand information regarding the performance of employees. It is also essential to inform employees about the new performance standards set in the organization so that they can also mend their behavior according to the new standards. One simple way is to email employees or give them a small pep talk in which manager can explain about the new performance standards and how employee performance will be measured from now on. A better approach would be to conduct training session in which all employees should be explained why new performance standards are implemented and how these standards might improve the overall business of the store. All small details of the performance standards should be explained and manager should communicate what he expects from his employees. It is important to communicate with employ ees in a detailed manner on a regular basis when any organization is going through a change process (Vakola & Nikolaou, 2005). This is why communication with employees regarding performance management is so important for managers. Feedback Plan and Methods to Reinforce Positive Behavior The two methods to provide feedback to employees will be through email and via face to face interaction. These two methods can be used together to communicate the employees about their performance. Email is important because employees should have a record of their performance. Also it is a personalized way to provide feedback as other employees will not know about the performance

Preventing biodiversity reduction in the coastal zone Essay

Preventing biodiversity reduction in the coastal zone - Essay Example Biodiversity have three levels - genetic diversity (i.e. diversity of genes within a species and between species), species diversity (refers to the differences in populations within a species, between populations, and between the various species), and ecosystem diversity (refers to the various habitats, biological communities and ecological systems; also denotes differences within ecosystems) (Ecological Society 1997). An ecosystem remains stable and balanced due to the variety and richness of organisms and species. The relationship of the varied species within an ecosystem has been well documented that destruction or extinction of one species may affect other living things, which may even lead to the extinction of the other species in the ecosystem. Thus, preserving and protecting one species in a particular area is similarly protecting the rest of the species. This is equally true to land-based species and sea and coastal creatures. Biodiversity denotes ecosystem balance and surviv al of the species within the system. Degradation in Biodiversity Generally, the ecosystem remains balanced in its usual natural course. The imbalance occurs when outside elements interfere with the usual processes. Man has interfered with the natural ecosystem for a long time. One form of invasion is by establishing habitation in the coastal areas (Water ecology 2009). It is reported that an estimated two-thirds of the total population lives near or along the coasts (Water ecology 2009). In fact, wetlands and some coastal areas are being dried by people in order to reclaim land for urban expansion (Water ecology 2009). The wetlands are also converted for farming, mining, gas and oil extraction, and highways for land transportation (Water ecology 2009). Sewage run-off and toxic contaminants (e.g. pesticides, heavy metals) are passed to coastal zones that become concentrated over a period of time (Water ecology 2009). These chemicals threaten aquatic life and biodiversity. Over-fishin g of a certain species without proper regulation likewise degrades biodiversity (Water ecology 2009). The coral reefs, that comprise a great number of plants and animals, are important in the coastal ecosystem balance. Ten percent of the coral reefs worldwide are being destroyed by human beings and only half of the countries around the world are capable of protecting them due to the expense that it entails (Water ecology 2009). According to Island Resources Foundation (1996), tourism has a greater indirect contribution to the degradation of coastal waters in terms of oil, fertilizer and pesticide pollution. The foundation’s report cited the US Virgin Islands waters that received oil spills from motorized vessels such as yacht, ferry and cruise ship (Island Resources Foundation 1996). In the Sarasota Bay and the Corpus Christy National Estuary Program assessments, the care practices for golf courses and condominium resorts release nitrate and phosphate to the waters during run off of storm water (Sarasota, 1993, cited in Island Resources Foundation 1996). It was also reported that the top 20 percent of countries that depend on tourism (e.g. Cayman Islands, Northern Netherlands Antilles, Anguilla, etc.) suffered environmental degradation that include reef, mangrove and related ecosystem damages (e.g. damage caused by anchors, clearing of mangrove, use of dynamite, littering, etc.) (Hoagland, et al. 1995, cited in Island Resources Foundation 1996). An alteration in the coastal zone such as construction of piers and wharves which