Action Plans: Enhancing Training Development for Employees Essay

Abstract This research paper analyzes and summarizes three published articles and a textbook that provides information on the results from a previous research conducted. The previous conducted research analyzed and summarized the use of action plans that employers and employee structure to develop and enhance training methods to improve job performances. The three articles vary in the definitions of an action plan, the different types of action plans, and the effectiveness of action plans in the workforce. Paul Thoresen states, â€Å"action planning should be an interactive process involving both management and employees because it allows more generated ideas, spreads out accountability for successful results in job performances† (Thoresen, 2014, p.1). On another note, the other articles define and provide precise information regarding action planning in the workforce. This paper analyzes and summarizes three different articles, including Thoresen’s, each article pertains to the use of an action plan that will enhance the training development in the workforce. Action Plans: Enhancing Training Development for Employees Human Resource Development is a practice used in the working environment that combines training, organization, and career development to help improve and encourage individuals, group, and organizational performances. Employers are practicing enhancing the training development for employees’ job performances by structuring action plans for the employee who is obtaining employment. â€Å"An action plan is a written document that provides steps that a member of the management team and the employee will abide by to ensure that the training transfers into the job performance† (Noe, 2013,p.216-217). Action plans used to design training for employee development will be the topic that will be researched and analyzed in depth throughout this paper. The foremost reason behind choosing this topic is that there will be an opportunity of gaining knowledge surrounding action plans. In addition, researching and analyzing this topic will also benefit in developing and enhancing certain managerial skills that focus on training and developing an employee’s job performance. Action plans are strongly emphasized in the  workforce and are effective in the development in the employee’s training and job performance. Paul Thoresen’s article, Survey Action Planning to Drive Change, is an effective article published on LinkedIn, a social media website for members who have a connection within the Business Industry. The article’s summary is based on a conducted survey that was researched within the internal and external roles. The summarization also provides resourceful tips in introducing the topic of action planning in the workforce. Thoresen provides general guidelines on effective action planning, his definition of action planning, and steps on structuring an effective action plan. According to Thoresen, â€Å"there are five benefits of action planning such as: building credibility, helping in understanding the purpose of employer’s reactions, enhancing open communication, learning that time and opinions matter, and buy-in for all involved and opportunities to pull† (Thoresen, 2014, p.1). Previously stated, â€Å"Action planning should be an interactive process involv ing both management and employees by allowing ideas to be generated and a broader spectrum of the workforce is represented† (Thoresen, 2014,p.1). Read more:  What is Employee Development? Action plans help in expanding accountability for management and employees. In addition, this article exhibits common mistakes from employers when developing training guides for future employees. Thoresen (2014) provides an exceptional insight stating that one area that often gets short shrift is training for managers as well as for HR Business Partners. Managers may likely need assistance to communicate results and conduct feedback sessions. Also stating that there needs to be support for this and time allotted to make it happen. Managers and teams need to be empowered to make suggestions and make change happen. This article clearly exemplifies that training development amongst employers and employee should be well structured and focus on the impact of an employee’s job performance and the workforce. The next article’s, researched and published by the Littler Learning Group in 2009, is summarized as a guideline for individuals who obtain a management or supervision pos ition. Performance Management and Corrective Action: A Resource Guide for Managers and Supervisors gives a breakdown of an effective training guide that employers should provide and make sure their management team are extremely knowledgeable to train the employees. The Little Learning Group (2009) states, that a good action plan is task-oriented, specific, offers the appropriate training or help, sets  goals, sets a timetable for effecting change, explains the consequences of continued poor performance, removes obstacles to performance, and lastly considers appropriateness of professional resources. The opinion of this group corresponds with Thoresen’s definition of action planning because it identifies that an action plan is used in training development to better the employee’s job performance. In addition, each action plan must be structured in a sufficient amount of time in order to be efficient and make an impact in the training development. There are various guidelines in structuring effective action plans, but most importantly is that managers are capable of helping the trainees get resources they need to complete his or her action plan (Noe, 2013, p.216). In order for an action plan to be effective in training development and improving the employee’s job performance, the management team must have sufficient knowledge and the necessary tools to help ensure that the employees are able to improve and learn. In addition throughout all the conducted research, action plans must effectively partake in training development by being planned with enough time. According to the article and textbook, â€Å"action plans provide schedules that check progress being made in using learned capabilities on the job and that the action plan process should begin by identifying goals and strategies for reaching the goals† (Group, L. L. (n.d.)., 2009, p.14) Furthermore, the last article researched is a sample of an action plan that was structured by a Human Resource department in hopes to determine the effect it has in the training development and the business’s performance. The article written by Ciel S. Cantoria, Human Resources Strategic Planning and a Sample HR Action Plan, concludes that Human Resource departments obtain a vital role in achieving a business’s mission and that it must first establish goals and strategies in a timely manner. In addition, the article (2011) explains th at it is important that goals are formed and structured to be met to help enhance job performances and to also have a process that begins by first identifying a goal and strategies to reach that particular goal. For example, this article provides ten goals that the Human Resource department would like to include in the hiring process of a new employee and the strategies needed in order to accomplish the goals successfully. It is easily interpreted that Cantoria’s article corresponds with the other two articles and the textbook by stating that the members of the management team must be knowledgeable and  qualified in training employees to create an effective action plan. For example, this action plan is similar to the sample action plan listed on page 217 in the textbook, Employee Training and Development, by Raymond Noe by stating each goal must have strategies to correspond with the goal. In conclusion, it is easily determined that action plans obtain a vital role in the Business Industry by enhancing the development in employee training. Action plans need to be structured carefully and must be precise in order to be effective in employee training development. Most importantly, in order for action plans to continue enhancing the workforce, action plans must be introduced and supported by the management team of any business. After carefully researching, analyzing, and summarizing the articles, action plans in the workforce will be beneficial in all future endeavors that consist of employee training development, employee’s job performances, and lastly the business structure. Action plans are strongly emphasized in the workforce and are effective in the development in the employee’s training and job performance. References Cantora, C. (2011, March 11). Fundamentals of Human Resources Strategic Planning: Sample HR Plan Available. Brighthub Project Management. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.brighthubpm.com/resource-management/26611-human-resources-strategic-planning-and-a-sample-hr-action-plan/ Group, L. L. (n.d.). Performance Management and Corrective Action: A Resource Guide For Managers &Supervisors. www.csus.edu. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.csus.edu/hr/docs/professional/perfmgmtandcorrectiveaction050109.pdf Noe, R. A. (2013). Program Design. Employee training and development (6 ed., pp. 216-217). New York: McGraw-Hill. Thoresen, P. (2014, April 7). Survey Action Planning to Drive Change. World’s Largest Professional Network. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140407110833-29417413-survey-action-planning-to-drive-change

Kantian and Utilitarian Essay

Kant believed in an absolute moral law that he called the Categorical Imperative. It is this imperative that determines our duty. (2) Two formulations of this imperative can be used to determine the morally correct action that Alistair should choose. The first formulation, The Formula of Universal Law: â€Å"Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law [of nature]. â€Å"(2) Alistair has two possible maxims to act upon. These maxims, if it were universally applicable, are: â€Å"Anyone may lie in order to promote increasing human welfare† and â€Å"Everyone always tells the truth†. The first maxim is contradictory. If people had the option to lie, it negates the system of trust on which the world is built. When, for example, I put my money in the bank, I trust them to keep it safe. If the first maxim was universally accepted, I could not trust without reservation that the bank would keep my money safe because they would be able to give my money away if they felt it would increase the welfare of those less fortunate. If this was the case, there would be widespread mistrust and, ironically, it would have a negative impact on human welfare. The second maxim is universally applicable and is thus, according to Kant, the maxim on which to act upon. The second formulation, The Formula of the End in Itself: â€Å"So act as to treat humanity, both in your own person, and in the person of every other, always at the same time as an end, never simply as a means. †(2) If Alistair were to withhold the truth about the bribery, he denies the rationality of the board and denies that there is any rational action for them to perform. He denies them the option to rationally make a decision on what to do about the situation. In doing this he is using the board merely as a means to ensure the delivery of the medicine. According to Kant, for Alistair to use the board as a means in themselves, he would have to tell the truth. According to Kant’s theory, the action of ignoring the bribe fails the first and second formulation of the Categorical Imperative, thus the right thing to do would be to tell the truth to the board of directors. Utalitarian Theory Looking back at the case study it is clear that, on the one hand, people are receiving inexpensive kits of medicine, the drivers don’t get shot and the reputation of the relief organisation and the director is still intact. On the other hand, the board doesn’t know about the bribery, thus the unethical activity cannot be put to a stop. Utilitarianism is a theory based on consequences, not the action leading to the consequence. This theory holds that we should choose those actions that would result in the greatest amount of good in the interest of the greatest number of people affected by our actions. 1)(4) The â€Å"good† is anything that, directly or indirectly, brings happiness or pleasure. (4) The consequences of each particular action is considered to determine which outcome will best serve the greater good. (3) Act Utilitarianism prescribes that every situation be evaluated independently. The action that leads to the greatest net outcome of utility is then c onsidered to be the correct choice. According to this theory, Alistair should choose the action that will maximise happiness and minimise unhappiness. Alistair has two possible choices with two different consequences. The first is that Alistair tells the truth about the bribery. The possible outcome of his choice are the following: the drivers stop receiving cash and get shot, the contract is terminated and the less fortunate stop receiving their medicine, the director in charge of the contract is fired, and the relief organisation suffers great embarrassment. These are all negative effects and cause great unhappiness. On the other hand, the happiness of the board is increased because they can put a stop to more unethical activity. The second choice that Alistair has to consider is to keep silent and overlook the bribe. This would lead to the situation staying the same (as stated in the case study) and would secure the happiness of the greater good which include: the director, the relief organisation, the drivers and the people receiving the medicine. The board of directors would not know about the bribe, so there would be no unhappiness to consider. Considering the consequences of both actions, the happiness of the greater good is maximised when Alistair keeps silent.

The difference and the treatment of male and female genders and the Research Paper

The difference and the treatment of male and female genders and the rules they have too follow in the religion of islam - Research Paper Example According to Ouzgane (1), women oppression is highly practiced in Muslim societies in Middle East and North Africa. In support of her claim, Ouzgane claims that the practice of female genital mutilation is highly practiced by Muslims. In addition to this, Ouzgane (21) asserts that some masculinist environment denies feminine both theologically and psychologically, a practice that make the majority of them unconscious. Despite this, some countries such as Iran value the position of women in the society. For instance, Firoozeh (7) asserts that the implementation of Iran’s population policies resulted in smaller families, exponential growth in female education as well as a rise in the age of marriage for men and women. These changes also contributed not only to the empowerment of women, but also protection of women from sticking to Islamic role model. However, it is apparent that nothing can change the role of women in Islamic society. According to Firoozeh, women are still treat ed as mother and wives despite implementation of some policies. In relation to this assertion, Inhorn asserts that women in Islamic have the role of giving birth and taking of the children. Women are also barred from having multiple partners and extramarital sexual relations (Inhorn 12). In other words, women are treated as the property of men, and as a result of this, they are obliged to adhere to what their husbands want them to do. Women in Islamic societies are often barred from raising their voice against their men (Friend 2). Apart from blaming women for failure in reproduction, the Islamic societies also force them to endure childless marriage. During their early stages of women as girls, they are taught on how to shrink into corners, to withdraw as well as to hide oneself because of their gender. In other words, the Islamic societies considered women as subjects to men who needed to be

Negotiations and strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Negotiations and strategy - Essay Example Due to this increase, News Corporation is currently liquid with an estimated cash flow of approximately $2.4 billion. Analysts believe that the cash flow of operations will increase to $3 billion within the next 2 years. This cash flow allows News Corporation to have greater flexibility to invest in capital-oriented projects as well as to prepare for the upcoming challenges it might face. On the downside, News Corporation has a large outstanding debt amounting to $11 billion. It is speculated that inflation of interest rates would increase its debt and cause a negative impact on its operating income. However, history tells us that the company was able to survive the largest bankruptcy restructuring in history when it suffered major setbacks in the 1990s. Not only did it survived the restructuring, it also bounced back to generate a 315% increase in its net profits in the mid-90s. 4. Under the license permit, the creative team of the Neighborhood obtains the total freedom of all necessary decisions included but not limited to the cast selection, crewmembers, cutting and editing. At this point in the negotiation, we would like to discuss further the creative issues involving the format of the show. We feel uncomfortable with Fox Entertainment’s proposal to change the format of the show to suit their Fox Sports Network programming. The fact that the is no clear showing that the focus on the lives of purely high school athletes in the inner city might prove to be quite limiting on our part. Furthermore, there are no current bases that will give us some ideas of whether or not such change would prove to be profitable. The current format of the neighborhood is analogues to the plot of Laguna Beach: The Real orange County, which is gathering huge following at the moment. To recall, Laguna Beach revolves around the lives of upper class

Security Analysis and Portfolio Management Assignment

Security Analysis and Portfolio Management - Assignment Example It was originated in USA and the first credit rating agency was set up in New York. Credit rating can be defined as the way of evaluating the credit worth of a debtor. According to Moody’s a rating is an opinion on the future ability and legal obligation of the issuer to make timely payments of principal and interest on a specific fixed income security (Gurusamy, 2009, p.88-89). In general, the evaluation of the various securities is done by the credit rating agencies regarding the ability of the debtor to pay back the financial obligations and the probability of becoming a defaulter. In addition, credit rating is also used by the individuals and business ventures that purchase bonds which are issued by the government and companies in order to determine the possibility that company or the government will fulfill its bond obligations. The credit rating is based on the records of earlier repayment and borrowing. Apart from that, the credit rating is also done on the basis of the company’s availability of assets and liabilities. ... Some of the factors are convenient and some are inconvenient. A poor credit rating of the companies or the government indicates that they have high chances of not fulfilling the obligations. A credit rating also highlights about the credit quality and credit risk. The desirable characteristics of a credit rating are as follows: - Specificity: - The rating is in accordance with or specific to the debt instrument. Relativity: - The rating is based on the willingness and the relative capability of the instrument issuer to service the obligations of the debt specific to the terms of the contract. Guidance: - The credit rating is aimed to provide guidance to the investors regarding the credit risk associated with an investment. Qualitative and Quantitative: - In order to determine the credit grade, both qualitative as well as quantitative factors are used. The judgment made is however qualitative in nature. Not a Recommendation: - The rating does not provide any kind of recommendations to hold, buy or sell the instruments. This is because of the fact that credit rating does not take into consideration factors such as personal risk preferences, market prices and other factors that may impact the investment decision. Broad Parameters: - The credit rating is based on some of the parameters of information provided by the issuer and information collected from other sources. No Guarantee: - The rating as provided by the agency does not provide any assurance for the accuracy and completeness of the information regarding the factors of rating. The increasing importance and stupendous growth of crediting rating system has been mainly due to the globalization of the credit market, moving trends towards the privatization, due to the withdrawal

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Research Paper Example This decision of making the truth known to the public is based on the ethical principle of transparency, which is an important part of communication â€Å"...based on the notion of an honest exchange† (Plaisance 44). It was mentioned in the commentary that despite Wilson’s transparency and honesty in verifying that Niger was not actually capable of exporting uranium ores due to stringent measures in the whole process, the Bush Administration decided to keep the public blind to this truth, and even dismissed Wilson’s report. This lack of transparency in reporting about the status of the uranium imports of Iraq from Africa abused the trusting nature of the public and kept them away from the issues that Wilson actually experienced first-hand, and this prompted him to air out his concerns regarding the misconception of most people with the real issues in Iraq and Saddam Hussein. The act of transparency is also rooted in the belief that people have a right to know abo ut the truth, and that the distortions of information could cause not just misinformation in the audience but also unprecedented troubles such as panic and disorder (Plaisance 47). Wilson chose not to keep quiet about how the information he knows got dismissed for the sake of the public, and he wrote it out in his commentary under the ethical principle of transparency. Question 2: Place yourself in Wilson’s position. What kinds of decisions/choices would you make if you were in the same situation? Would you have written the piece? Which philosopher and/or ethical philosophy help guide your decisions? The act of being transparent in communication is not just involved with some issues like whether or not there are hidden motives for transparency, but also the trust of the people involved in these communications is also at stake. Wilson banked on this ethical guideline in giving the public true information in creating his commentary on how his report regarding the true status of the Iraq-Niger uranium connection was silenced by the administration, which consequently perpetuated the fears within people about the potential danger that Iraq poses. His defiance of the information dispersed by the government was shown in his commentary, and while it might have cost him his life, it was worth knowing that at least somehow he did not simply stand and keep his silence. If I was in the same position as Wilson was, I would have done the same and have written a similar piece, maybe add additional and credible information for the reading public. Since this is important information that the public has a right to know but the government keeps from them, I feel that as a public servant I have a duty to the people of delivering them the truth. I would also do the same thing that Wilson did, by writing his own account of what really happened, and letting the people decide on the authenticity of my work. If I put myself in Wilson’s place on writing the commentary abo ut the reality of Niger not really having the ability to bring uranium ore illegally to Iraq, I would have chosen to be transparent with what I know, not just to regain the public’s trust on some members of the government, but also to assure them that not all threats are real, and that

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Management - Essay Example It will discuss upon the micro environment, macro environment, and the future strategic implications of the organization. Hollister Co. Hollister Co., generally known as promoted as HCo or Hollister, is a lifestyle brand based in America and has been originated by Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Hollister Co. has presented a concept, which is actually made to catch the attention of the young segment of consumers aged between 14 and18. It offers reasonable, rather lower, price point as compared to the parent brand. The major promotion of the brand is done by the inspiration of casual wear and image of SoCal. The company provides the goods both through online platforms and the company’s own stores (Hollister California, 2012). Goods are available in-store and through the company's online store. The company is acknowledged to be the owner of the United States’ second most ideal and preferred brand of amongst the teen’s segment as indicated in the list of actual West Coast c ompanies issued by Piper Jaffray for the year 2008. Initially, the company opened up its first store in Columbus, Ohio at the Easton Town Centre in July 2000. The drastic success of HCO made it noticeable for Abercrombie & Fitch Co. that the Abercrombie & Fitch brand was superseded by the HCo brand. The A&F brand was properly made to stand out in competition from HCo. Brand through the use of materials of higher quality and there were strict introductions of construction in the A&F facility for goods and clothing. This made the cost of merchandise go higher with the store mainly centring its resources and attention on the clothing for the consumer segment aged between 11 and17 years. Hollister Co produces and sells accessories and apparel for women and men. The products of the company includes knits, logo tees, sweaters, shirts, pants, jeans, outerwear, shorts, tanks, winter wear, and sleepwear; and bracelets, necklaces, hats, totes, caps, belts, scarves, and flip flops. The brand a lso offers to its consumers a wide variety of perfumes, colognes, gloss products and lip shine, lip balms, and body care products, along with the gift cards (Bloomberg Businessweek, 2012). Along with many other countries, the company operates in Canada, UK, and US and owns more than 1,039 stores all across the world with over 80,100 employees. Macro Analysis An organization can be judged for its competitiveness, strengths and other factors on the basis of its macro environment. The factors contained in the organization’s macro environment are those elements which influence the organization in an indirect manner but do not give it the ability to control them. These factors include the PESTEL analysis of the industry which stands for political, economic, social and technological, environmental and legal factors. They are described as below: Political Factors The political factors comprise of the government decisions which have an indirect or direct impact on the organizationâ⠂¬â„¢s activities. In this context, A&F operates in many countries which have an economy that is free-market oriented with regulations and rules to safeguard the intelligent rights and patents from being copied. These patens assist the organizations to protect their rights on any property that they own. However, other political implications that A&F is required to follow include the rules and regulations such as rights of workers, employees, and shareholders. Since, the

International law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International law - Essay Example Article 51 means that such rights are applicable only in the case where military assault is committed by a specific country rather than a fanatic and terrorist group (Al Qaeda) which does not represent any country in particular. The preface of Security Council Resolution 1368 dated twelve September recognizes basic right of an individual or common self-defence or self protection act in agreement with the Charter. But the key functioning part of the Resolution views 9/11 event as terrorist attacks rather than classifying them as armed attacks. Concluding this it can be said that the Resolution does not unambiguously recognize that the basic right of self-protection or defence as a consequence of the 9/11 event. However, as national interests have absolute priority in the United States, it is appropriate here to describe the principles self-defence under international law attributable to the International Law Commission. Humanitarian intervention refers to armed intrusion into a country by another country in order to mitigate the pain, distress, and suffering of its citizens. Although such intervention in international law is very powerful, its concept remains profoundly vague. Intervention embodies an element of prevention as it is the means by which prevention is implemented (Eberwein and Badie, 2010). The main idea of humanitarian intervention is that a country has the right to intervene in matters of conflict in another country and, in some special circumstances, to intervene to protect the victimized people in the other country. These attempts were just a reason to promote but in reality invade other countries to enforce the basic rights of human, these efforts were also supported by League’s mandate system and minorities’ clauses (Moosleitner, 2009). Humanitarian intervention by a powerful country in the internal affairs of another directly challenges its national

System analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

System analysis - Essay Example System investigation: The primary analysis of the system is essential for enveloping all the business data and information requirements to map all processes in the organization (Hoffer, 2002). It is done so that no data is left out and there is 100% coverage of the business requirements. The requirements of this stage demand enough expertise and skill to effectively understand and capitalize on information so that information is captured to its full swing. Systems analysis and Design: Once all the requirements are collected successfully they are analyzed to their importance and framed into defined design models such as DFD, E-R diagram and others so that their modeling is successfully transformed into a working system (Navathe, 2004). The entire design reflects the working of the organizational processes and their penetrations with external forces. The capabilities of this stage demands business modeling methods and strategies for developing a suitable data flow diagram to correctly figure out the process. Systems coding: This is the actual step where the business requirements are actually implemented and taken care to be given a representation. The impact of this stage would result in greater understanding of the business methods and good communication skills with the client. This stage creates an impact to make a difference to code the system to exact requirements mapped in the planning stages. Systems implementation: Successful implementation of the system is essential for the system to facilitate working and for the users to take full advantage of the system. The impact of this stage is quite large as improper implementation strategies may affect the working of the organization and processing capabilities. Follows a planned approach. It takes into account all the stages required to develop the project. The advantage of waterfall development is that it allows for departmentalization

Personal Development Report Essay Example for Free

Personal Development Report Essay This personal development report reflects upon my learning experiences and outcomes during my first year at Nottingham Trent University. It aims to document the ways in which I have developed and areas for further consideration as part of a continual learning process. The report will be structured around 5 main areas as shown below 1. Placing learning on BABM within the wider context of lifelong learning 2. Taking personal responsibility for career planning 3. Taking personal responsibility for the learning process 4. Valuing the importance of developing personal effectiveness 5. Demonstrating an enquiring mind I have also looked at how all this learning at university relates and fits within a wider context of lifelong learning. Conclusions and recommendations for what I am going to do to improve in the months from May 2001 to 2002 are based on the areas I have mentioned in the above. I will do this in the form of a Personal Development Plan using the smart objectives as follows: (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Related to overall life-long goals and set over a Time period). I have made conclusions of the development plans, which have concentrated both on Core Transferable skills and also some softer skills. Introduction 1.My Learning At University Within A Wider Context Of Lifelong Learning 1.1 The concept of lifelong learning The concept of lifelong learning is as relevant now as it has ever been, with the traditional job for life being replaced by shorter periods of work for different firms requiring essentially the same skills and qualities in employees. Therefore the ability for these skills to be transferable is very important. To develop these skills therefore is extremely important with many employers putting greater emphasis upon these core skills and less emphasis upon specific skills. These skills can be used in many different situations and circumstances to allow the employee to perform to the best of their ability. The concept of work is continuously changing. An individual not only has several jobs in a lifetime but may also have several careers. Therefore everybody needs continuous updating of skills and competence throughout their working life ERT report, 1989 The following skills are widely considered to be Core Transferable Skills  · Organisational Skills  ·Ã‚  Interpersonal/ Social Skills  · Analytic and Problem Solving Skills  · Teamwork  · Creativity  · Self Motivation  · Initiative and Leadership 1.2The learning curve It is these skills that have been particularly important to develop whilst at university and it is the experience of university both academically and socially that has provided the ideal environment for these skills to be developed. The combination of leaving home and adapting to a completely different environment both educationally and socially has meant that the learning curve especially in the first semester was very steep. To live away from home for the first time without any contacts in an unknown city is a life changing experience and forces oneself to adapt and mature quickly after leaving the security of the family home. Being entirely responsible for yourself is also a new experience requiring maturity and forward thinking as well as planning to enable yourself to function. The way in which these skills have been developed forms the backbone for lifelong learning, one which employers recognize and actively seek in graduates. 1.3Lifelong learning defined The concept of lifelong learning is complex and is not easily defined resulting in no unilateral definition, however its importance is widely agreed. The Development of human potential through a continuously supportive process which stimulates and empowers individuals to acquire all the knowledge, values, skills and understanding they will require throughout their lifetime and to apply them with confidence, creativity and enjoyment in all roles, circumstances and environment Longworth, 1996 p22 The need for a learning society to convert and compete is not just urgent, it is a matter of economic life and death. It is a matter of social success or disaster. It is a matter of survival Cann in Bradshaw, 1995 The development of these skills both as part of the BA Business Management Degree and the wider University experience is key to becoming an attractive employee This is particularly so as years two and three of the Degree are in company so the development of these skills and the pace at which these must be  developed is crucial. This report will aim to reflect upon my first year experience and where appropriate utilize activities , questionnaires and assignments in an attempt to build a personal development review and action plan for the proceeding 12 months in the form of a personal development plan. 2.Taking Personal Responsibility For The Learning Process The biggest contribution to taking responsibility for the learning process was the decision to further my learning at university. This decision has allowed myself the opportunity to further my learning both academically and socially in ways that I would be unable to had I not made the decision to attend university. Also the decision to accept my place on the BABM course was another way in which I have demonstrated my personal responsibility for learning. The course is intense for each of the three years, more so than most undergraduate courses and the decision to accept a place on this course rather than other courses where workload and intensity were less was important. The course aims to enrich individuals with far greater experience both academically and in terms of transferable skills therefore by choosing BABM I feel I have made the best possible choice to continue my learning in the most relevant way providing me with higher levels of transferable skills than other graduates may have. 2.1 Taking responsibility for myself To be able to take responsibility for the learning process I have had to take responsibility for myself and become more accountable to myself in terms of making myself work harder and setting aside time in which to work. .University work is very different to that I have encountered before in terms of deadlines are much longer, scope for research is much larger, less specific titles to assignments etc etc so being accountable for myself is very important. 2.2 Time management Because the work is very different to that experienced before I have had to manage my time in a much more responsible manner to enable me to fulfill my potential, progress, and attain the best possible marks for myself. Examples of where I have managed my time effectively are physically difficult to produce as the BABM timetable is extremely varied from week to week so to produce a timetable where work and free time could  be planned in advance was very difficult to do. Undoubtedly time management and grades are very much linked and my grades for semester 1 and those received thus far for semester 2 have been good and I feel this has been partly due to my good time management skills. My peer assessment feedback included 5 of 6 people stating that I was well organized and three out of 6 stating that I was disciplined. This is included in appendix 1. 2.3Taking responsibility for learning The DLBM debate where our topic was interviews are the most unreliable method of selection required ourselves to complete a large amount of research. Our group split into two and four with the latter researching that I was a part of. The grade we received for this was high 70% and showed the level of research the group had done and is typical of myself being keen to take responsibility for learning. Development of interpersonal skills I am a member of The Herefordshire Golf Club where in 2000 I was captain. In this role I was required to talk to people of different ages and backgrounds and I feel this role has allowed my interpersonal skills to develop and I have learned a lot from this position as it provides a different scenario from academic studies. This role also developed my leadership skills as well as my organizational skills. 3.Value The Importance Of Developing Personal Effectiveness As part of the Developing Learning for Business and Management module the group completed two sessions on personal effectiveness including ËÅ"assertiveness and ËÅ"effective communication/ active listening These sessions have allowed my awareness to the importance of assertiveness and communication skills to be greatly improved and have highlighted ways in which I can improve on these skills. My level of skills prior to the sessions was of a good level and I believe I have the basic fundamentals to allow myself to develop communication and assertiveness naturally. However my increased awareness brought about by the sessions has allowed myself to take a more proactive approach to developing personal effectiveness. 3.1Demonstrated active listening/ effective communication An example of where I have demonstrated both active listening/effective communication whilst  being assertive was in a role-play with Vanessa Knowles DLBM lecturer as part of a tutorial session. Vanessa played the part of the under performing employee and I played the part of the employer. Vanessa used several different behaviour characteristics in attempt to alter my opinions and decisions. I feel that I learnt a lot by this, the importance of clear communication and active listening whilst not letting some-ones behaviour alter my decisions. 3.2Development of self confidence The session also increased my confidence especially as the role-play was conducted in front of an audience and made me more willing to be assertive rather than passive which is a tendency I will sometimes withdraw to. In the peer assessment feedback session this was something people felt was maybe a weakness of myself. Ben Gasson for example said You should be more confident and forceful, often what you have to say is just as valid if not more so than other people, just say what you think sometimes This analysis is very true of myself and to be more assertive I must first become more confident within myself. 3.3Development of leadership skills In the Belbin peer assessment it was also said that I was sometimes fearful of conflict. This I agree is true sometimes when maybe I am unsure of all the facts or am not in a position to speak confidently, I sometimes let others dominate me when really their ideas are no better than my own. However I feel that the example as mentioned above (role-play) demonstrated my ability not to be fearful of conflict. I am not a person to cause conflict within a group but at the same time I would not say i am fearful of conflict and can be assertive when necessary. One area for development are my leadership skills. Although I feel that I have become much more confident this year and this has enabled me to take a more active or leadership role in certain situations. However I feel that I still have a long way to go to enable myself to be a natural leader and to do so would be a great achievement. To improve this area of personal effectiveness is a definite priority for the next 12 months. My job at Marks Spencers requires me to work on the customer service desk listening to customers complaints and dealing with their problems. This role requires me to have good active listening skills and not be fearful of conflict whilst maintaining good customer service. This shows that my personal effectiveness and assertiveness can when necessary be very prominent. 3.4Ability to effectively communicate My ability to effectively communicate has been demonstrated in many ways this year, presentations, debates, meetings, interviews etc. My peer assessment said that my presentation skills are good and I can speak in confidently at a good pace. This was highlighted in the DLBM debate where it was mentioned in the group mark sheet as well as the business simulation feedback sheets. 4.Work With Others To Achieve Goals The ability to work with others to achieve goals is another very important transferable skill that employers seek. The Belbin team role questionnaire included in appendix __ and states that predominantly I am a team worker co-coordinator. This opinion is held by both myself and my peer group showing that I view myself and my group views me as a team worker. 4.1Working with others in practice My ability to work with others to achieve goals, I believe is one of my biggest strengths. Much of the work on BABM is team orientated as this will be the case when in the workplace in years 2 and 3. Examples of this have included the business simulation module where I feel I made a good contribution to the team. Other examples have included the DLBM debate, the organizational behaviour presentation as well as the smaller group assignments we have be set. 4.2My role within groups The experience I have gained working in groups this year has developed many of my skills far more than a normal undergraduate course may have done. My skill within groups is one of analysis and reflection of what others have said and making rational and coherent arguments from debate. This ability has proved to be very useful this year however I feel than within group work I need to take a more pro active role  stimulating debate and discussion. As was stated in my peer assessment feedback I sometimes need to relax, say what I think, and be more confident and this is an area I need to work on in the next 12 months 4.3Teamwork outside the classroom During 2000 I have played golf for The Herefordshire Golf Club where much of the competition is in team format. Very different to university teamwork where communication is key, playing golf requires analysis of the situation and choosing the best course of action in a short time consulting your partner to achieve the best possible result. Again I feel I have learnt a lot from this sporting experience as often I am under pressure to make team decisions quickly at university and although in an entirely different situation the process is the same. 5.Demonstrate An Enquiring Mind An enquiring mind and to be interested in your work is essential to being successful, without this I feel would result in lack of motivation and a significant reduction in output. My educational background shows how my enquiring mind is diverse and heavily influenced the ËÅ"A level subjects I chose. I tried to choose subjects I was genuinely interested in and felt that I would be most motivated to work hard on. This at the time didnt include business studies but my work experience at Marks Spencers has led me to become interested in business. I wanted to know why decisions were taken at head office, what influenced them and how they took those decisions. My father works in business and as I have always been interested in his work and find it interesting. 5.1Examples of enquiring mind At university it is particularly important to have an enquiring mind as many of the subjects are only covered very briefly in the actual lectures therefore requiring me to be interested in them and to have an enquiring mind to allow myself to get a good knowledge of each subject. This is very different to ËÅ"A levels and I feel that I have improved greatly in this area since attending University. However I also feel that I still have a lot of room for improvement particularly in subjects that I find difficult and those that are maybe less interesting to myself. I should try to complete all the recommended reading rather than completing only that which I find interesting. I found the organizational behaviour module to be particularly interesting and read a lot of the textbook despite the fact that the essay I had to write was only a small proportion of the book. For the DLBM debate I was part of the research team as I enjoy finding information that can be used to form an argument. I enjoy reading national papers and try to do so as often as I can as I am interested in the wider scope of global business. My enquiring mind sometimes get the better of me and I find myself reading about completely irrelevant topics to that I am meant to be studying for and wasting time but I believe this reflects my enquiring mind For the information systems/ information technology module we could either build a website of produce a leaflet. Despite the fact I had never produced a website before I chose to do this as I enjoy using computers and felt that although this would be more difficult it would be more beneficial to myself in the long run. 6.Take a Personal Responsibility For Career Planning Taking responsibility for career planning is very important, and the BABM course demands that students do this much earlier than other students on other undergraduate schemes. Because of this career planning is very important specifically with regards to years two and three of the course to enable me to make the maximum of my interview and company opportunities. The first step in career planning for myself was my work experience at Marks Spencers that motivated me to choose the BABM course. Choosing to be on the BABM course itself also was of great importance to my future career with the uniqueness of the course enabling me to gain more experience earlier. 6.1Interview skills development Whilst on the BABM course I have had to take responsibility for my future career and have demonstrated this in a number of ways. Firstly interview technique was important to develop and the practice interview as part of the DLBM module gave good feedback as to my style and competencies. The feedback I got (see appendix 3) was generally good with areas to improve on including becoming more focused upon the process I went through when giving examples rather than the example itself. Also I tended to undersell myself when given the chance to impress but apart  from this the feedback was generally good 6.2C.V and application form enhancement My C.V and application form was also another area that required me to take personal responsibility. I read articles on the Internet and books from the library on how to write a C.V as well as attending lectures on C.Vs. I got feedback from my dad who takes part in selection processes as part of his job as well as Vanessa Knowles the DLBM lecturer. The feedback I got was very good highlighting areas that needed to be improved 6.3Increasing personal awareness of placements For the pre selection week I researched each company individually, sent off for their annual reports, looked at their web sites and read the national press to gain any knowledge I could before I attended the sessions. This gave me an insight not only into the companies that I was researching but also the industries they operated in. It also allowed me to view the types of placements offered to students such as myself and has increased my knowledge of the type of placement I am looking to secure. 7.Conclusions I feel that in the last 12 months I had developed tremendously as a person and feel that I have become much more confident, outgoing and assertive. My transferable skill base has improved greatly due to my experience on BABM and at university generally. I feel that my value as a person to an organization has increased greatly and I feel confident that the skills I have learnt this year will continue to be used long into the future not only just during the period in company. However I realize that my skills can and will be improved enormously by the experience I will gain whilst in company and that lifelong learning is a valid and very important concept. My personal development plan outlines areas I intend to improve over the next two years and contains ways in which I intend to monitor evaluate and measure myself and my development. I have tried as far as possible to make my targets Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant and Timescaleable to enable myself to develop myself in the most effective manner. The personal development plan will allow myself to continually review my progress and will hopefully prove a useful tool in the next two years whilst on the BABM course

Causes of Poverty in Mauritius

Causes of Poverty in Mauritius Over the past two decades, Mauritius has continuously experienced considerable improvements in both social and economic levels. Mauritius is ranked as an upper middle income country since 2003, with a GDP per capita of $4000. Substantial improvement in life expectancy and literacy, Mauritius has shifted from medium to a high human development country during same period. This is evidenced by the latest UN Human Development Indices: Mauritius is ranked 81 (182 countries) in 2007, with an HDI value of 0.804. Challenge Despite these considerable improvements, poverty does exist in Mauritius. Rapid modernization and industrialization has lead to income inequality in the population, leading to an increase in number of pockets of poverty. This is a common phenomenon experienced by most developing countries. Governments or organizations have to reconsider their policies to decrease the level of income inequality in order to eradicate the problem of poverty. Meeting the challenge In Mauritius, government has implemented several social welfare programmes to bridge the gap between poor and non-poor. This include the distribution of social aid to needy people, subsidies on basic food item, ZEP programme in schools to enhance level of education, micro-financing to small and medium enterprises, female empowerment in labor market . In the 2008/09 National Budget, the Government provided Rs 395 million for the setting up of the of the Eradication of Absolute Poverty (EAP) Programme, an integrated development project which targets the households in the 229 pockets of poverty. In 2009, the Government has set up the National Empowerment Fund as an institutional framework to strengthen the role of various policy programmes such as the Empowerment Programme, EAP, Decentralised Cooperation Programme (DCP), etc. Despite the government policies, reforms and actions, poverty is still persistent in Mauritius. Poverty perceptions Poverty is a complex issue and multifaceted. This has always been of concern for everybody. Many studies and policy programmes have been put forward to assess poverty situation in the country and also to target the poor. It is worth noting that the proportion of people living below $1.25 per day, international poverty line, is almost negligible in the country. In contrast, past studies have shown that there are people living in severe poverty. The Relative Development Index for administrative regions, Municipal Wards and Village Council Areas (Central Statistics Office, 2000) identified the least developed regions in the country. The Trust Fund of Social Integration for Vulnerable Groups (set up in 2001) identified 229 pockets of poverty. The qualitative study conducted by DCP pointed out that there were people struggling for basic food. As a matter concern poverty has even been linked to a particular ethnic group that is, poverty perceived as malaise creole. These perceptions of poverty are evidence that people show their concern and this concern has accentuated the need for good measurement. Objective of study The complexity and sensitivity of poverty has accentuated the interest of people in targeting the poor and assessing poverty. Debates, focus group discussions and studies regarding poverty alleviation are still going on. Researchers are looking for new measurement and approaches to assess poverty in the country. Policy makers are looking for high quality inputs to formulate targeted strategies and programmes. In light of this, this study aims at identifying the determinants of poverty which are very crucial for policy analysis and the design of effective poverty reduction strategies. Given poverty is a multi-dimensional and cut across various factors, it is of paramount importance to know the factors increasing the likelihood of being poor. So far, there has been no poverty study on the determinants of poverty; most of the studies have mostly dwelled on the profiles of the poor and non-poor based on descriptive statistics. So, this study provides the opportunity to identify the determinants of poverty of the poorest poor using rigorous econometric models. The study also provides the opportunity to study poverty not as a dichotomy but as a spectrum. There have been several debates on poverty as a dichotomy that is, poor and non-poor (R. Kanbur). Poverty is a spectrum which comprises several grades of being poor. A multinomial logistic regression model is used to analyse the different groups of the poor. This will help policy makers to target the priority areas and formulate proper budgetary measures. The study also offers the opportunity to assess poverty using the qualitative and quantitative data. The first and last poverty assessment on such data was done in 1996. Today, poverty is assessed on quantitative data only (CSO. Poverty Report). Quantitative and qualitative data allows better understanding of poverty. Today, maximum emphasis is laid on poverty participatory that is to hear the voices of the poor. This approach is widely used. However, this study attempts to show that perception survey allows spurious responses and thus, poverty should be assessed on both quantitative and qualitative data. During the recent years, the study of the poorest poor has been a topic of growing interest for policy makers and researchers. So, an attempt is also made to study the poorest poor people. A threshold on food poverty is derived on the basis of available survey data. The determinants of poverty will be identified using this threshold. It would be desirable to study the malaise creole. However, given data on ethnicity is not available it is not possible to assess poverty in this particular population group. The study also analyses the consequences of poverty using the qualitative data of the LCS that is, how poorest poor people had to borrow money from relative/friends, living in poor dwellings etc. Last but not the least, the study also elaborates the various aspects that need to be addressed to enhance poverty assessment in the country for better formulation of policies and strategies at the conclusion. The welfare of the population and success of Government policies largely depend on the quality of statistics; good quality statistics allows government to monitor and adjust policies to ensure sustainable social and economic development. This study will, thus, be based on the data collected at the 2006/07 Household Budget Survey (HBS) data and the 2008 Living Conditions Survey (LCS). The HBS is the major source for poverty analysis. Together with income and expenditure data, it contains detailed information on the demographic, educational and economic status of the household members. The LCS is sub-sample survey from the HBS; this survey differs from the usual household survey conducted by the CSO; it is an opinion based survey based on Participatory Assessment approach; together with socio demographic details of the household members, it contains the assessment details of the households with regards to their life style. The information of the LCS survey allows a more in-depth analysis of the living condition of the people. CHAPTER 2 COUNTRY PROFILE AND ASSESSMENT 2.1 Background information The Republic of Mauritius is a group of islands located in the south-west of the Indian Ocean, consisting of two main islands, the island of Mauritius and island of Rodrigues. The island of Mauritius and Rodrigues has a total area of 1865 sq. km. and 140 Sq. Km. respectively. The Republic of Mauritius is a multi-racial country comprising the general population that is, mixed European and African origin, Indo-Mauritians and Sino-Mauritians. The official language being English, but French is widely spoken. Mauritius has been successively a Dutch, French and British colony. It became independent of Britain on 12 March 1968. Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has achieved considerable progress in both its economic growth and standard of living. In the economic sector, Mauritius has developed from a low-income, agricultural based economy to an upper middle-income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial and tourist sectors. With the continuous expanding economy, Mauritius has continuously moved ahead from the primary to tertiary sector. The share of GDP in agricultural sector has continuously decreased from 7.1% in 1999/2000 to 4.4% in 2008/09; the share of GDP in the tertiary sector has continuously increased from 67.8% to 72.6% during same period. Mauritius is ranked among upper middle-income countries (e.g. example of countries) with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita of around $4,000 in 2004. Recent figures as at 2007 show that the GDP per capita worked out to above Rs 149,049 (Figure 1); the annual growth rates worked out around 5% for the past three years; the growth of inves tment (Gross Domestic Fixed Capita Formation) increased significantly from +19.2% in 2006 against -8.3% in 2000. The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as a percentage of GDP worked out to 3.5% in 2006 against 1.5% in 2005. Modernisation and expansion of the economy is apparent from the increasing use and availability of telephones (28.6 per 100 people in 2008), mobiles (81.2 per 100 people in 2008), computers (24.2 % of households in 2006) and internet subscribers (15.8 per 100 people in 2008). Together with economic development, Mauritius has achieved remarkable progress in the social development; the standard of living has changed over the years in terms of increased life-expectancy, lowered infant mortality, high literacy, high participation rate of children in schools, improved infrastructure, leisure and sports etc; Mauritius has a life expectancy at birth of 72 years in 2006 compared to 69 years in 1990; The adult literacy rate rose from 79.9% in 1990 to 84.3% in 2000; the primary school enrolment is almost 100%; the infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) dropped from 20.4 in 1990 to 14.4 in 2008; the unemployment rate, being a major concern for the country, has decreased from 9% in 2000 to 7% in 2008; the extreme poverty is almost negligible (less than 1% of the population is found below the poverty line of $1 a day). Due to sustained development in the social sector, Mauritius, second Sub-African country, now stands among high Human Development countries. In 2003, Mauritius shifted from medium development to high with a Human Development Index (HDI) value of 0.800; based on the latest UN Human Development Report 2009, Mauritius has an HDI value of 0.804 and ranked 81 among 182 countries. (Refer figure 2 HDI trend) According to the progress to tract the 8 Millennium Development Goals , Mauritius, through sustained policies and actions, have already achieved almost 6 goals in the eradication of extreme poor, achievement of primary school enrolment, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, sustainable environment, and economic development. Despite these remarkable economic performances and sustained social developments, Mauritius still has to respond to many challenges; there are a number of short and medium term challenges; these relate to productivity, erosion of trade preferences, exchange rate fluctuations, budget deficits and unemployment. Consequently, these are impacting on social development thus leading to environmental degradation, poverty issues such as problem of social exclusions etc. An overall assessment of the poverty situation in the country is highlighted in the following paragraphs. Poverty Poverty is not highly prevalent in Mauritius as compared to the Sub-Saharan African countries where millions of people are struggling to live below a $1 a day, millions people dying due to diseases and hunger, millions of children in labour instead of being a school etc. However, poverty does exist in Mauritius; there exist pockets of poverty across the country. According to the CSO publications on poverty analysis report 2001/02 and 2006/07, it is noted that extreme poverty is almost negligible in Mauritius; the proportion of population living below the $1.25 (PPP) a day, so called US $ 1 a day, is estimated to be less than 1%. As compared to other Sub-Saharan African countries like Zambia, Nigeria, etc., poverty is relatively very low in Mauritius. According to the Millennium Development Goal 1 Eradicate extreme poverty hunger and the target being to halve the proportion of poor by 2015, Mauritius has already achieved this target. However, an analysis on qualitative assessment on poverty conducted by Decentralised Cooperation Programmes relates that there are Mauritian people who are struggling for basic foods (DCP, 2009). Mauritius does not have a national poverty line. However, on the basis of relative poverty measurement and data collected at Household Budget Surveys, the poverty situation is assessed by using a poverty line defined as half median monthly household income per adult equivalent. In 2006/07, the poverty line is estimated at Rs 3,821, around 8.5% of the population is deemed to be poor. The reports relate that poverty is highly prevalent among single member households (10.3%), female headed households (11.9%), one parent households with unmarried children only (13.5%), households with large number of dependent children; heads of households with educational attainment below Standard VI (13.2%) and being inactive (11.0%) were found most vulnerable. The report also highlights that the income disparity between poor and households that is, the household income for the poor (Rs 7,055) was three times lower than that of all households (Rs 22,242); poor households were found highly reliant on go vernment social security benefits that is, basic pensions and social aid. It was noted that if government social security benefits are discontinued the poverty incidence would double; poverty rate would increase from 7.9% to 15.9%). The report also sheds light on the household tenure of poor persons. It was found that 82% of the poor households owned a dwelling against 92% for all households. In terms of household goods and durables, poor households were more likely to possess television (85%), refrigerator (63%) , fixed telephone (41%); in particular, mobile phone (48.5%); it is worth noting that the proportion of poor households with mobile phones in 2001/02 was almost negligible. As regards principal use of cooking fuels, poor households have already switched off to cooking gas. In 2006/07, nearly 90% of the poor households used cooking gas and thus, only 10% of them had recourse to cheaper fuels like wood and kerosene. The share of expenditure on food and non-alcoholic beverages, also a measure of economic wellbeing, decreased from 42% in 1986/87 to 32% 2006/07. This implies that people are better off. The modernization, industrialization and increasing economic growth has lead to the growing income inequality in the population and increasing number of pockets of poverty (NMDG report, 2002). Indeed, this phenomenon is quite common in most developing countries. The Gini Coefficient,a measure of income inequality, dropped from 0.445 in 1980/81 to 0.388 in 2006/07. A Gini nearing to 1 means perfect inequality and 0 no inequality. However, according to the past three Household Budget Surveys, the 2006/07 Gini has deteriorated to some extent (0.387 in 1996/97, 0.371 in 2001/02 and 0.388 in 2006/07) Refer figure 3. The ratio of share of income going to richest decile and share of income going to poorest decile worked at 7.4 in 2006/07 against 7.9% in 1986/87. The unequal distribution of income in the population gives rise to growing number of pockets of poverty. The CSO publication on Relative Development Index based on 2000 Housing and Population Census data shows the administrative reg ions with least developments. These least developed areas are more concentrated in the island of Rodrigues and the east, west and south part of the island of Mauritius. In 2006, the Trust Fund of Integration of Vulnerable Group has come up with a list of 229 pockets of poverty across the island of Mauritius. In 2009, the Decentralised Cooperation Programme has come up with a report on qualitative study on poverty assessment. In the overall assessment, the author has highlighted the profiles of the poor and some assessment of policies in the country. The report also presents that poverty is highly correlated with gender, employment, level of income, level of education, geographical areas etc. It is also noted that poverty is also related to ethnicity. The author raised the issue where poverty was characterized as Malaise Creole. And also that poverty is prevalent among fisherman living in coastal areas. The main assessments of the pilot study are as follows:- people are finding it difficult to enjoy even a basic diet; high degree of indebtedness in poor households; and difficulty in paying utility bills and purchase of basic food items In 1997, the Appavoo Associate, together with Data Research Africa has come up with a report on poverty analysis in Mauritius. The report highlighted the poverty incidence in terms of monetary approach in the country, together with an assessment of people perceptions on policies in education, transport, health etc. The report also highlighted the prevalence of poverty in connection with regions, households with large number of dependents, female headed households etc. 2.3 Poverty policies and actions The eradication of poverty is on the agenda of the government. Government, together with private organisations and assistance of international agencies like the UNDP, IMF, World Bank etc. is making concerted effort to eradicate poverty in the country. Various social welfare programmes and polices have been implemented. Some examples of the social welfare programmes are as follows:- Distribution of social security benefits old age pension to ensure proper standard living for elderly people aged 60 years and over, widows pension, invalid pensions, social aid for poor households etc. Subsidy on flour, ration rice and cooking gas; Free education at primary and secondary education; distribution of books in primary education; distribution of daily bread pain maison in primary schools; distribution of food in selected schools under Zone Education Prioritaire programmes; Industrial and vocational training for children having not passed the final stage of primary education; distribution of computers in schools. Free health services in government hospital and area health centres; health services through Caravane de Sante in different regions of the country; school and domiciliary visit of health personel; Sensitization campaign on HIV in schools and workplaces; Free transport facility to elderly, invalids and school going children Low interest housing loan for building of houses; Empowerment Programme set up in 2006 in view of empowering unemployed people and also women having lost their jobs; Financial services such as Micro-credit scheme to empower women entrepreneurs According to figures published by the CSO, the government expenditure on Community and Social Welfare worked out around Rs 30 Billion every financial year over a total government expenditure of Rs 50 Billion, thus indicating that Government disburse more than 50% of the government expenditure to social and welfare development. Together with these social welfare programmes, several poverty alleviation programmes were set up which are as follows:- Trust Fund for the Social Integration of Vulnerable Group (2001) set up in view of addressing the need of the poor people who are excluded from the main stream of socio-economic development A Nou Dboute Ensam (1999) aims at promoting subsidies and micro credit schemes to the vulnerable groups. IFAD, Community Development Programme (2000) aims at bringing disadvantaged people within an organizational framework Levà © Deboute (1999) focuses at income generating activities and community developments in Rodrigues Decentralised Cooperation Programmes (2006) funded by European Union to fight against poverty Alleviation of poverty in Mauritius and Rodrigues by improving the delivery of social services and complementing the resources of vulnerable groups National Empowerment Fund (2008) aims to fights against poverty. Eradication of Absolute Poverty 2.4 Poverty measurement The measurement of poverty depends on how poverty is perceived. According to the description of poverty assessment in Mauritius, it is clear that there is no single measurement of poverty. Poverty is assessed in terms of Absolute, Relative and Subjective. The approaches are succinctly described below:- Mauritius does not have a national poverty for example the minimum vital which is frequently updated with price inflation as in the context of absolute poverty. The World Bank $1 purchasing power parity a day international absolute poverty line is found not relevant to the context of Mauritius. The advantage of using an absolute poverty line is that it allows comparison over time thus enhancing continuous poverty assessment and monitoring. In the absence of the absolute poverty, the CSO uses the relative poverty measurement based on half median household income where adjustment for household size and composition and economies of scale are considered. The relative poverty measurement reveals the prevailing poverty situation for a given time period. This approach is the most commonly used measure particularly in developing countries. The relative poverty measurement still varies because some of the assessments are based on income/expenditure, mean/median income, 40%, 50% or 60% median income etc. Subjective poverty is the assessment of the poverty situation based on the participatory of the poor persons for example the poverty assessment in 1996 (Appavoo Associates). Poverty has also been done on the basis of non-monetary approach that is, other than using income/expenditure data. The Relative Development Index which attempts to identify the least developed administrative regions is based on housing and socio-economic variables at the Housing and Population Census. CHAPTER 5 METHODOLOGY 5.1 Introduction This chapter presents the methodological part of the study. It gives a broad description of the statistical models used and also the determination of the different thresholds used. Given that this study aims to present the determinants of poverty for extreme poverty and also an in-depth analysis of the various sub groups of poor population, two econometric models are being used namely the logistic regression model and the multinomial logistic regression model. 5.2 Regression model Regression analysis plays an importance role in statistics; it is a very powerful and commonly used technique. This technique provides more meaningful results and conclusions as compared to descriptive statistics. In the context of analysing the determinants of poverty among various explanatory variables, the relevance of using regression model is elaborated on the World Bank website. 5.2.1 Selection of model Starting with the simplest linear of the General Linear Model (GLM). The simplest linear regression model that can be used for the analysis is the multiple regression (MR) model where the outcome variable, Y is regressed on a set of predictors X. The MR is in the form of, Y: outcome continuous variable X : set of p predictors/ explanatory variables E : Error term, normally distributed with Mean 0 and variance à Ã†â€™ 2 ÃŽÂ ±: intercept term ÃŽÂ ²: coefficients of explanatory variables However, given that our dependent/response variable in the analysis is a dichotomous/ categorical variable, the MR is not appropriate. The MR requires the response variable to be continuous and to be normally distributed. In fact, the MR has also been used to identify determinants of poverty, where the response variable was log expenditure of households and Ordinary Least Square was used to estimate parameters. The regression analysis of categorical response can be made possible by using the models of the Generalised Linear Models (GzLM) family where it relaxes the assumptions of normality. This property of the GzLM has widened the scope of data analysis. The GzLM is, indeed, an extension of the class of linear model. It provides the opportunity to analyse response variables which follow distributions other than normal distribution; and also the distribution should belong to an exponential family. Both logistic and Multinomial regression model forms part of GzLM. The application of such regression model is well known in statistics. They are implemented in various fields (educational, health, poverty etc.) to analyse complex data with categorical response variable. It is worth noting that logistic regression model has largely been used in social sciences since early 1980s. Its application in social sciences has known no bounds. This technique has been used in education research (success or failure), health(death /survival, with/without of disease) etc. Similarly, in the analysis of poverty, researchers have largely made use of this model and came with useful and effective solutions for decisions makers. The Multinomial model has also been used to show the poverty as a spectrum. 5.2.2 Description of model LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL Logistic Regression (LR) is a member of the GzLM family where the response variable is dichotomous (1, 0) representing success/failure and presence /absence (Princetone, Chapter 3). It is also called Binary Logistic regression. So, in this study of the determinants of poverty based on an extreme poverty line, the application of a logistic regression model is relevant where response variable (Y) is binary (poor/non-poor). The explanatory variable /predictor (X) can be either categorical or continuous. Starting with the simplest logistic model is as follows: The logistic model predicts the logit of Y from X. The logit is the natural logarithm of odds of Y and odds are the ratio. The log of the odd ratio, log (à Ã¢â€š ¬/ 1-à Ã¢â€š ¬), is the link function called the logit which map the probabilities (0, 1) to (-à Ã¢â‚¬ °, +à Ã¢â‚¬ °) that is linearising the distribution and making it unbounded. The logit, thus, links the response variable (poor/non-poor) to the set of predictors (socio-economic, demographic and housing variables) Using the logit (à Ã¢â€š ¬), the intercept (ÃŽÂ ±) and (ÃŽÂ ²) is calculated. And, using antilog, the probability (à Ã¢â€š ¬) is expressed in the form of Multiple Logistic Regression In the case of several predictors, the Multiple Logistics Regression is used. The model is expressed as follows:- the probability is derived by taking antilog and expressed as follows:- In this case, for each predictor we have a ÃŽÂ ²; the coefficients in (LR) are estimated using maximum likelihood. The interpretation of results can be done using the odds ratio or even the probabilities. à Ã¢â€š ¬ = conditional probability of being poor, P(Y=1 / X1, X2, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.,Xp); it is assumed that the probability of being poor depends on the set of combinations of predictors X. Y= 1, being poor and Y= 0 being non-poor the odd ratio is the ratio of the probability to its complement that is, ratio of being poor to non-poor. An odd ratio greater than 1 implies the increase in the likelihood of being poor; if it is less than 1, it decreases the likelihood of being poor. Evaluation of predictors in model The contribution of a predictor is assessed by examining the reduction in deviance G statistics, brought by the inclusion of the predictor in the model relative to the null model. The null model, logit (à Ã¢â€š ¬) = ÃŽÂ ±, is the simplest model with maximum deviance; it indicates that the probability of being poor is constant for all categories. The reduction is deviance is then tested to a chi-sq distribution. Goodness of Fit Statistics Goodness of fit of the model is assessed using the Hosmer Lemeshow test. This test is considered more robust than the traditional chi-square test particularly if covariate is in the model or sample size is small. A finding of non significance corresponds to the researcher concluding the model adequately fits the data. MULTINOMIAL LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL The Multinomial Logistic Regression (MLR) model is an extension of the Logistic Regression (LR) model, where the response variable has more than 2 categories. For example, in this study four thresholds of poor are defined which are as follows:- Poorest Households with total income below 40% median income Poorer Households with total income > 40% median income but less 50% median Poor Households with total income > 50% median income but less 60% median Non-poor- Households with total income >= 60% median If the Non-poor is chosen as the reference category, the logits for other categories are defined as Logit (à Ã¢â€š ¬j) = log (à Ã¢â€š ¬j/ à Ã¢â€š ¬4) = XjTÃŽÂ ²j j= 1, 2, 3 categories (poorest, poorer and poor) XT= transpose of set of predictors Î’ = set of coefficients of explanatory variables The estimated probabilities are presented as Estimated à Ã¢â€š ¬j = Estimated à Ã¢â€š ¬1exp (XjTÃŽÂ ²j) 5.2.3 Model analysis In this study, the forward regression is used where the analysis begins with null model and the explanatory variable is added one by one, till the preferred model is generated. After the inclusion of each explanatory variable, the contribution of the variable is measured based on the G statistics (reduction of deviance). The significance, contribution and interpretation of variables is analysed by considering positive and negative signs of coefficients of explanatory variables the z statistics [ÃŽÂ ²/SE(ÃŽÂ ²)] P values G statistics Reduction in deviance Odd ratios The Maximum Likelihood is used to estimate the parameters ÃŽÂ ± and ÃŽÂ ² in both regression models. 5.3 Choice of poverty line Mauritius has no official poverty line. In order to assess poverty in the country, the CSO uses the relative poverty line defined as half median monthly household income per adult equivalent. Thresholds for the poorest poor The poorest poor are those households in the poorest quintile group of household income per adult equivalent which satisfy the following three conditions. (i) household is having difficulty to obtain daily basic food (ii) household consume government rice (iii) household buy food on credit Food is, in fact, the basic requirement for a person to survive; Government rice is the cheapest rice in the country; if a person is borrowing money to spend on food, it means the person is in severe poverty. at international, food poverty line is used to measure extreme poverty for example UN Millennium Development Goals calls to eradicate hunger worldwide. Multiple groups of poverty The 40%, 50% and 60% median of household income per adult equivalent is used. In 2006/0

Pierre Elliott Trudeau :: essays research papers

Unlike the United States, with its generalissimo politics-Washington, Jackson, Grant, Eisehower- the martial arts have been conspicuously absent from Canadian politics. But there in one exception: in 1968 Pierre Elliot Trudeau became the first Canadian leader to bring the gunslinger-Lone Ranger ethos to Canadian politics. Trudeau introduced to Canada the refined art of single combat; it was the politics of "Doing It My Way"-the politics of going my way or being left behind. Single-combat confrontation implied much mor than the loner or renegade in power, and far far less than the shaman black tricks of Mackenzie King. Trudeau was always far more the solo Philosopher King engaged in intellectual trial by combat than the Magus Merlin conjuring up solutions by puffs of smoke, sleight of hand or divine intervention. Ouijaboard politics was the occult domain of Mackenzie King, a man virtually devoid of policy, a political palm reader forever checking the whims and moods of his powerful baronial-Ralston Howe, St. Laurent-and sometimes Byronian colleagues to see how best he could placate them, or calm them, or Heap his beatitudes upon them. Trudeau, from day one , was always more samurai than shaman. Even in his pre- leadership days, Trudeau's love of trial by combat was predominant. Mackenzie King would have never touched the unholy trinity of divorce, abortion and homosexuality: each one of these issues is a sleeping dog best left to lie; each could only infuriate conservative Canada from coast to coast. Since King dared not touch them seriatim he certainly would not have touched them together-in an omnibus bill. This, Trudeau did joyously. The myths-makers have it at this was Trudeau's first deliberated joust, the kingship being the final prize. But Trudeau had no leadership aspirations at the time; all that he had, still has, was the love of combat for the sake of combat and religious scruples be damned. Trudeau the Catholic zealot tackle divorce, abortion and homosexuality active Prime Minister in this country's history, liberated the homosexual practitioners of black acts totally abhorrent to him; ironically, in the process, Trudeau gave irrational Canada a pretext for branding him a homosexual too. P.E.T. has always hated the consensus building of Mackenzie King; even the populist following of a Diefenbaker was an anathema to Trudeau. The single-combat warrior "doing it my way" is always alone; he leads the people but is not of them; like the prophet he wanders either in dessert or lush green pastures and often, like the prophet, he watches his people march into the Promised Land without him. For Trudeau, being alone is to be free; victory is a consequence of solitude; Pierre Elliott Trudeau :: essays research papers Unlike the United States, with its generalissimo politics-Washington, Jackson, Grant, Eisehower- the martial arts have been conspicuously absent from Canadian politics. But there in one exception: in 1968 Pierre Elliot Trudeau became the first Canadian leader to bring the gunslinger-Lone Ranger ethos to Canadian politics. Trudeau introduced to Canada the refined art of single combat; it was the politics of "Doing It My Way"-the politics of going my way or being left behind. Single-combat confrontation implied much mor than the loner or renegade in power, and far far less than the shaman black tricks of Mackenzie King. Trudeau was always far more the solo Philosopher King engaged in intellectual trial by combat than the Magus Merlin conjuring up solutions by puffs of smoke, sleight of hand or divine intervention. Ouijaboard politics was the occult domain of Mackenzie King, a man virtually devoid of policy, a political palm reader forever checking the whims and moods of his powerful baronial-Ralston Howe, St. Laurent-and sometimes Byronian colleagues to see how best he could placate them, or calm them, or Heap his beatitudes upon them. Trudeau, from day one , was always more samurai than shaman. Even in his pre- leadership days, Trudeau's love of trial by combat was predominant. Mackenzie King would have never touched the unholy trinity of divorce, abortion and homosexuality: each one of these issues is a sleeping dog best left to lie; each could only infuriate conservative Canada from coast to coast. Since King dared not touch them seriatim he certainly would not have touched them together-in an omnibus bill. This, Trudeau did joyously. The myths-makers have it at this was Trudeau's first deliberated joust, the kingship being the final prize. But Trudeau had no leadership aspirations at the time; all that he had, still has, was the love of combat for the sake of combat and religious scruples be damned. Trudeau the Catholic zealot tackle divorce, abortion and homosexuality active Prime Minister in this country's history, liberated the homosexual practitioners of black acts totally abhorrent to him; ironically, in the process, Trudeau gave irrational Canada a pretext for branding him a homosexual too. P.E.T. has always hated the consensus building of Mackenzie King; even the populist following of a Diefenbaker was an anathema to Trudeau. The single-combat warrior "doing it my way" is always alone; he leads the people but is not of them; like the prophet he wanders either in dessert or lush green pastures and often, like the prophet, he watches his people march into the Promised Land without him. For Trudeau, being alone is to be free; victory is a consequence of solitude;

Educational Article Reviews :: Article Review

Smart Classroom Professional Development Framework consists of three levels of ICT qualifications that teachers can hold, they are the ICT Certificate, the Digital Pedagogy Licence and the Digital Pedagogy Licence Advanced. As a group we discussed what understandings we would need and the benefits for completing the framework, we discovered that we would need to understand that ICT could be used to enhance and benefit both the learners and teachers through integration into all KLA’S. As a pre service teacher undertaking the certificate our group discussion impacts on my classroom teaching by pushing for me to use more technology in my teaching to enhance the children’s learning. Reading 2 was on a Science-Sose unit about dinosaurs and discovering where they went. During a group discussion we all agreed that the teacher that wrote this unit was meticulous in planning and had thought hard as to the length to which she wanted technologies involved. We all found this to be a good example of a technological unit. I learnt from the group discussion as well as the reading that there is a range of different ways technology can be incorporated into a classroom unit of work. This new knowledge of more hands on activities is something that I would like to incorporate into my future classroom or practical classroom this semester. Reading 3 covers practical ideas for teachers in years 4-9. The group all agreed that theses activities were creative and fun and ideas that we would and could include into our future senior school classrooms. There is twenty eight activities included in this reading all that could be taught anywhere from grades 4-9 and some that could be taught past this to grade 12. Some of these helpful lesson ideas will be integrated into my future classrooms. The final reading for week one was practical ideas for teachers p-3, this text contained twenty eight technological activities. When discussing we all came to the same view as that of reading three that the activities were educational, fun and easily incorporated into our junior school classrooms. This article proves that learning can be fun by incorporating technology into general lessons, it also gives ideas on just how to do this. By using this reading’s examples of lessons it will make ICT apart of most if not all of my lessons. WEEK 2 Those who Understand: Knowledge Growth in Teaching Is an article about the way teaching used to be prior to and up to the year 1986.

Persistence: Endurantist vs. Perdurantist :: essays research papers

The notion of Persistence gives way to several predominant theories; of which, attempt to account for many possible questions that arise from it. As in most cases of debate, when more than one account of such is held to be true, there will clearly be much disagreement. Two views that claim to account accurately for persistence that remain widely known are , that of an endurantist (Threeist) and that of a perdurantist (Twoist). The endurantist will hold that objects are wholly present at all times, a persistent object ‘endures’ over time. The conflicting view of a perdurantist claims that objects are actually composed of temporal parts, more precisely, proper temporal parts. Further, a Twoist (vs. Oneist), will say that a name most often refers to the sum of one’s temporal parts, whereas a Threeist believes a name to refer to one who is wholly present during all times of its existence. The two opposing theories stated very simply, as above, give insight as to the nature of their arguments against one another. It does seem, however, that the Twoist’s account of persistence gives an exceedingly useful notion in regards towards many more subjects of philosophy, as well as an explanation that accounts for much more in terms of the problems associated strictly with persistence itself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The argument posed by VanIwagen, a Threeist, against the Twoist is known as the problem of Essential Duration; and the counterpart argument given by the Twoist is referred to as the problem of Temporary Intrinsics. VanInwagen’s (modal) argument goes as follows: One could have lived longer than did in the actually world; this must be accounted for by either, one having been composed of more temporal parts that actually was, or at least some of one’s temporal parts had a longer duration than did in the actual world. VanInwagen continues with; a twoist must clearly hold that temporal parts have their duration essentially; their duration can not be shorter or longer. It then follows that a person is also a temporal part, which is to say they are the sum of all his or her temporal parts, making this the largest part. If this is so, says VanInwagen, then the Twoist must hold this duration essentially and one could not have lived longer than did in the actu al world. A contradiction is reached, VanInwagen then very quickly disregards any additional consideration of such an avenue.

Hobbes vs Rousseau Essay

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Age of Enlightenment was an important cultural movement of intellectuals in Europe. Philosophers of the time interpreted many theories and concepts about man and inequality in civilization and also ideas about government and the ways in which society could be controlled. Many believed that humans were naturally good, while others believed that humans were inherently bad. The argument of nature has lasted throughout time without a definitive answer, but with centuries of philosophical arguments to aid in the understanding of our own human nature. Two important philosophers of this time period were Thomas Hobbes and Jean Jacques Rousseau. Both philosophers wrote about their ideas of human nature and the state of nature, also addressing equality within the state and the role government and civilization plays in man’s actions. While Hobbes had a very cynical view of man, believing man to be brutal and violent working only towards self-interest, Rousseau had a more positive view; depicting man as essentially good and compassionate, believing that only through society and civilization does man become corrupt. Although both philosophers’ arguments are well developed and supported, Rousseau’s understanding of the natural man and the state of nature is stronger than Hobbes’ opposing views. Rousseau’s positive view of human nature illustrates man as living in harmony with nature while Hobbes’ pessimistic view portrays man acting only for self-interest. Rousseau views the mankind as inherently good, capable of feeling compassion and pity for others around him as well as self-love. The condition of this natural man is a man without any forms of civilization, including clothes and language. Man is able to live individually, peacefully and in harmony when he is in this state of inh erent goodness. However, through civilization man becomes â€Å"wicked.† Oppression and dominance develop through the evolution of civilization, also creating inequality among men, destroying the harmony in which they lived. When man is able to satisfy his own needs, he is able to live peacefully (Rousseau 161). Through evolution of society, man is weakened and begins to depend on others to sustain his life, creating oppression and causing man to lose his natural goodness. Hobbes disagrees with Rousseau’s positive view of the nature of man, believing that men are instinctively violent and evil, acting only out of self-interest or for self-gain. He believes men are constantly in competition to become superior in worth or honor, creating continual jealousy and violence among each other. Hobbes believes that men are so brutal and wicked they are unable to survive as individuals but need a strong, central authority to force peace and cooperation among men. Hobbes states, â€Å"Without the terror of some power to cause them to be observed, are contrary to our natural passions, that carry us to partiality, pride, revenge and the like,† (Hobbes 106). Hobbes believes that in order to control man’s instinctive evil, they need to fear the law. Hobbes admits that inequality is a product of creating this commonwealth, but, unlike Rousseau’s idea of inequality in society, Hobbes says men are ignorant to the inequality, believing that the covenants create equal terms of law among men. This false sense of equality is able to control the violence and competition among men, allowing them to coexist more peacefully. So while Rousseau credits civilization to the destruction of peace and goodness, Hobbes does not believe man has any inherent goodness and thinks civilization is the only way to avoid war. Although Hobbes and Rousseau agree that in a state of nature men are equal, they have opposing views of what man is like in this state. A state of nature is a term used to describe a state lacking a form of government or laws. Rousseau believes in the state of nature, man lives individually in harmony with nature. Rousseau addresses this natural man as a â€Å"savage man,† stating that their actions are determined by their needs and these needs are met without the help of others. In this nature, men are peaceful and good. Men also have a natural sense of pity and compassion in this state (Rousseau 163). Because man lives solitarily, there is no one to dominate or control and thus no competition for power. Rousseau believes that this peace is sustained by the ability of the savage man to feel compassion, which allows them to govern the peace of their nature. However, this peace is diminished as inequality becomes prevalent through the progression of society. As property and family units evolved, man began to change his lifestyle and skills and talents developed (Rousseau 164). Families weakened man and woman in mind and body, causing them to rely on others to successfully fulfill their needs. This was the crucial part in development of oppression and domination, because inequality occurs when man becomes dependent on others to survive. Rousseau states, â€Å"But the moment one man needed the help of another; as soon as it was found to be useful for one to have provisions for two, equality disappeared, property appeared,† (Rousseau 167). The relationship between slave-master or worker-owner develop when men requires the help of another. Inequality creates oppression and domination, which, according to Rousseau, destroy man’s inherent goodness. Hobbes’ view of human nature contrasts Rousseau’s dramatically, seeing as Hobbes believed man to be naturally wicked and only through government systems are men able to live peacefully. Hobbes compares man to a machine, constantly in motion and always seeking something (3). He believes human nature is to act for their own self-interest, which causes men to be in constant competition for honor or worth, creating a state of war. Because Hobbes believes that men are constantly in a state of war, he believes that men are always trying to increase their power to be superior to others. He believes that in the state of nature where man is not governed by central authority, men are constantly in competition. Jealousy and competition among men make it impossible for men to live peacefully in a state of nature, creating the need for a strong, central authority to govern over the peace of man. Contrary to Rousseau, Hobbes believes that government is a way for people to â€Å"get themselves out of that miserable condition of war,† by governing peace that men are incapable of alone (Hobbes 106). Hobbes believes that through strong government, men are forced to coexist peacefully, because covenant creates a false sense of equality among men. Hobbes believes that men are incapable of surviving individually, unlike Rousseau who believes that men are better made to live individually. Their differing views of inherent behavior create contrasting conceptions of the state of nature. Based on their arguments of the nature of mankind, Rousseau’s explanation of man is more complete and logical than Hobbes’. In Rousseau’s view of nature, man is essentially good, able to survive on his own and able to peacefully coexist. This view of man could be considered naà ¯ve by some, but it must be considered that this man is also the â€Å"savage man,† a man before any form of civilization. Rousseau explains that a man is inherently good in a state of nature because he has no desire for power, but does feel pity. Rousseau goes into an in depth description of the development of inequality among men, describing oppression and domination developing and the ways in which these factors destroyed man’s intrinsic goodness. Man was unable to live individually in the new state of society, which destroyed their natural goodness. Being unable to live individually, they were forced to rely on others, which created domination and inequality, which leads to competition for power and corruption. The inequality also led to the diminishment of pity and compassion, which was crucial to man’s ability to peacefully coexist. Rousseau’s thorough time-line of man’s condition created a stronger and more agreeable argument than Hobbes’ pessimistic view of man.