Political Development in Ghana

Political Development in Ghana Introduction In Africa, Ghana has been as one of the pioneering states. Ghana is a country of very many firsts-in-Africa in that it was the first African country to gain independence from its colonial masters. After independence Ghana was the first state to start one/ single party rule. Ghana was also the first new African state to suffer from a series of military coups. Ghana was also among the first African states to suffer from economic depressions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Political Development in Ghana specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It was also among the first African nations to formulate and implement ideologies to mobilise its citizen towards economic growth. Finally, Ghana was the first country in Africa to carry out a peaceful transition from a military rule to civilian rule. Since independence, Ghana was highly viewed as the state, which would set benchmarks for other developing states in Africa. A lthough Ghana is currently an example of good governance and democracy, the road to political stability has not been smooth. Ghana and its people have endured a lot of turmoil and political conflicts coupled by economic recession and ethnic conflict. This history has affected its people and leaders in various ways. History of Ghanas Political and constitutional development Ghana is predominantly a multi-ethnic state, with the Akan community forming about 49% of the total population. Ghanas population demography is probably the most important tool that has helped it develop over the years. Since the Akan share a common language, it has helped foster a sense of nationhood. During the colonial era, the British used indirect rule over the colony of Ghana. This meant that traditional chiefs became accountable to and served the interests of the colonial masters. Although, by virtue of this, the traditional chiefs consolidated a lot of power, leadership was distorted because the traditiona l values of leadership such as customary checks, accountability and justice were eroded. By the end of the Second World War, there was a lot of political agitation, which led to the formation of various political organisations. Through the efforts of Kwame Nkrumah, the colonial government agreed to constitutional reforms. In the early 1950s the gold coast as Ghana was referred to, was finally given internal self-governance. When the constitutional developments happened in the mid 1950s, Ghana became the first state, in the south of Sahara, to declare independence. Ghana as a state gained its independence from the British colonial master in 1957 (Bennett, 1973, p. 665). After independence, Ghana faced various challenges ranging from the need to channel resources from foreign companies to local developmental issues, shift of ownership of companies from foreign to local ownership, and the need to invest in sectors that were viewed as neglected by the colonialists such as social service s and education sector.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Nkrumahs government in light of these challenges and the proposed system of governance succumbed to pressure and was finally overthrown in a military coup in 1966 (Bennett, 1973, p. 667). When Ghana achieved independence, there was no external debt, but during and after the coup it had accumulated an external debt of about $790 million. Nkrumahs view of industrialisation being led and controlled by the state had failed miserably. From this time onwards, Ghana was to undergo a series of turmoil characterised by military coups and civilian government rule for at least three decades (Price, 1984, pp. 173-174). Later in the late 1970s, Richard Jerry Rawlings led a group of low ranking military officers to overthrow the existing military government led by senior military officials. This coup was extraordinary in the sense t hat most of its leaders were young officers. One of its main objective was to clean up, the military junta went after people and senior military leaders who encouraged and benefited from corruption court martialed them and later carried out executions. Barely after four months in office had, Rawlings handed over power to a new elected government only to overthrow it again in another coup after two years. Rawlings government adjusted the form of governance that mainly favoured farmers and export businesses. Although the power of corrupt leaders and civil servants may have been eroded, however the fundamental causes of patronage ideology to political control had not yet been dealt with (Sederberg, 1971, pp. 179-84). In 1992, Ghana passed a new constitution, which paved way for the holding of democratic elections under a multi party system of governance. The new constitution was a move back to the presidential system but alterations were made so that ministers could also serve simultan eously as members of parliament a provision that the earlier constitutions had removed. This was done to encourage cooperation between the executive and the legislature and this was informed by a case in which the third republic parliament rejected a budget presented by the executive. After the rebirth of multi-party politics in 1992, Ghana has held successful elections in 1996, 2000 to date (Williams, et al, 2009, pp. 102-114). Political and socio-economic development With the advent of the new constitution, Ghana moved from military rule to a presidential system of governance. The authors of the new constitution dispensation were opposed to the strict separation of powers between the executive and the legislature, hence allowed for the provision of the president appointing some ministers from the legislative assembly.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Political Development in Ghana specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More T his was in reaction to the third republic parliament, which rejected the proposed budget, which was later referred to as legislative obstructionism. The authors were careful not to return the country to the events of the third republic but on the other hand, they did not want to go back to the Westminster parliamentary system, which was earlier propagated by the Nkrumah government. This enabled the president to pick a majority of ministers from parliament and some from the private sector, which ensured that he got the required ethnic balance in his cabinet. The president had the ability to appoint ministers from regions or areas that his political party did not have a strong hold on and hence had no members of parliament to appoint ministers. These policies emphasised on both a national interest in a strong presidency and a cooperative legislature with emphasis on the need of the cabinet to be ethnically balanced (Botchway, 1972, pp. 81-88). After shifting to constitutional democrac y many development aid partners complained about the slow rate of economic reforms as politicians and not technocrats were now taking major decisions. Parliament, which was mostly dominated by Rawlings party, was unable to pass a petroleum tax bill and fought against civil service reforms in 1993. Rawlings administration is also credited with the starting of the National Institutional Renewal Program, which was mandated, with the task of enhancing and encouraging good policy development, public sector management and creation of an appropriate wage and grading system. Later on the following year, an attempt to impose value added tax was withdrawn following massive outcry and opposition from the public and opposition parties. However, the liberalisation of state owned enterprises was hastened and some of the most profitable state organisations sold raising more revenue than was actually anticipated (Armstrong, 1996, pp. 72-78). During 1994, the government embarked on a process to form ulate a national development policy framework that was to be famously known as the Ghana –vision 2020. The main highlight of this policy document were development of agriculture, sustainable macroeconomic environment, development of human resource, encouraging entrepreneurship and poverty eradication, with the main goal being to sustain an economic growth rate of 8% GDP.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More During the 1996 general elections, most parties came out with various economic manifestos to challenge the incumbent, with various opposition leaders promising to complete the vision 2020. Opposition parties to the battle against unpopular reforms made by the Rawlings government such as cost sharing and cost-recovery in health and education sector, promising to better the welfare of the citizens. The emergence of independent print and electronic media after the 1992 referendum, and the constitutional provision that state owned media should provide equal coverage of the ruling party and opposition rallies, made the campaign very exciting. Although Rawlings party won the vote the opposition lead by John Kufuor were able to gunner 40% of the total vote and captured 66 parliamentary seats (Evans-Anfom, 2003, pp. 431-433). It was however demonstrated during the 1996 elections that during competition for votes that government is at times forced to sacrifice sustainable macro-economic mana gement and fiscal policy prudence for the temporary gain of political mileage. This is evidenced by failure to pass the petroleum tax law and commissioning of unbudgeted projects. This election also revealed that there was a huge tendency of the population to vote as regional and ethnic blocs, which has come to become the norm in subsequent elections. After the elections and politicking was over the reforms were re-ignited as parliament passed the petroleum tax law, VAT was introduced, independent regulatory organisations in the telecommunication, water and electricity were created, and electricity tariffs were increased to cushion operating losses. The vice president spearheaded the national institutional renewal program in 1997 and ensured that civil service reforms were implemented with urgency. Various programs were initiated to improve the government human resource capacity, monitoring systems and the budget (Leite, 2000, pp. 36-42). Ghana was able to reduce the incidence of po verty, the population of citizens living under poverty conditions declined from 51% during the promulgation of the new constitution in 1992 to 43% in 1999. Generally, the school enrolment figure had improved, health services were improved with the help of various donors, gains were also made in the provision of social amenities and general infant mortality had reduced by 25% (SandbrookOelbaum, 1999, pp. 42-45). Political development and democracy Before the 1992 elections, there was very limited space for democratic elections to take place. This can explain why most of the politicians, citizen and other sceptics did not expect the current system to survive for long. There had been a lot of previous history of military coups just after democratic elections. After the elections that ensued during the 1996 and 2000 elections, only did it become apparent that multiparty and democracy were here to stay. However, the approach did not correspond to the ideal westernised form of democracy w here parties would campaign on their institutional policy and developmental records; in Ghana, it took a shift to political patronage mechanisms. Chieftaincy in Ghana is considered as the pivot around which administration of the society is centred. This has been made possible through a constitutional provision that is devoted to chieftaincy. These provisions safeguard the institution against any interference, politicisation and manipulation from the state. For example, parliament is restricted from making or conferring any authority power to remove a chief from his office; this is only a preserve of the regional, national, divisional and traditional counsel of chiefs. The national counsel comprises of about 32,000 traditional chiefs who command influence in their regions, although they are not assigned any specific role in the formal government (Ayee, 2007, pp. 141-143). The chiefs are most effective in rural settings where the arms of government are not that strong or are not fully felt on the ground. In rural communities where there is no access to government institutions such as a police station, government office or court residents are forced to seek redress from the local chiefs. These critical role-played by chiefs in the dispensation of justice is also recognised by formal jurists. It is also noted that would be potential investor in such of land and other investment activities also have to appear before the local chiefs. Although chiefs are restricted by the constitution from engaging in political party activities, they usually serve as the link between the government and the local communities. Government officials and politicians who visit the jurisdiction of the chiefs are required to pay the chiefs a courtesy call. The president is also required to consult the chiefs before making appointments to the district assemblies (Biswal, 1992, pp. 22-33). Ghanas constitution has decentralisation of executive power through formation of local governments. This has greatly helped to bring government services close to the citizens and at the same time has encouraged economic growth. Ghana has a multi-tiered government structure that comprises of municipal, metropolitan and district assemblies (MMDAs) which act as the basic level of decentralised government. MMDAs are autonomous, have their own structures, and are basically accountable to the local society that they represent. However, the state is allowed by virtue of the law and practice to exercise fiscal, political and administrative power over them. The president is the appointing authority of the chief executives who head the MMDAs based on approval from at least two-thirds majority of the district assembly. The government is also charged with the responsibility of financing district assemblies despite the fact that they are also required to generate their own revenue. There have been complains that government funds usually arrive late and that they are specifically budgeted for a spe cific purpose; this makes it difficult for district assemblies to channel this funds to locally identified projects (Tettey, Puplampu Berman, 2003,pp. 45-52). In matters of administration, the constitution provides for the creation of a local government service (LGS). However, the autonomy of the local government service from the national civil service has not been achieved. Generally, the powers and the agencies of the MMDAs are extremely wide. They are described as the highest political power in the district, charged with the development of the district including harmonisation, coordination and integration of all developmental functions in the district. It was envisaged that decision-making structures would follow a bottom up approach but this has not been actualised. In many regions, these policies used as the foundation building blocks of the local government system have collapsed mainly due to the lack of financial resources (Ayee, 2007pp. 144-146). Even though Ghana goes throu gh competitive elections and is largely viewed as an example of good democratic state in Africa, the president dominates the legislature. They have a minimal influence on the presidential policies and agenda. Members of parliament are not allowed to introduce any legislation independent of the state. Descent from members of parliament is suppressed by the fact that, party officials can expel a member if he or she is deemed to be rebellious. These facts dictate how members of parliament interact with the executive, constituents and fellow members of parliament. Members of parliament usually encounter a lot of pressure from their constituents in need of development projects and personal assistance but rarely get pressure for them to back any particular legislation. Votes made by members in parliament do not necessarily affect the member’s re-election since parliamentary elections are not based on party policies or ideologies (Ghana Center For Democratic Development, 2005, pp. 1 2-18). Conclusion Ghana has been able to rise from a near extinction of political structures to one of the model democracies in Africa. It has been able to overcome most of the challenges that inhibit the development of many new developing nations in Africa, but some area still need to be improved for it to achieve better prosperity such as improvement of tax collection, challenges of corruption and misuse of public funds and the reliance of patronage for political support. All in all the gains Ghana has made makes it a nation to be emulated by other African states. Reference List Armstrong, R P 1996, Ghana, country assistance review. World Bank, Washington, D.C Ayee, J R A 2007,Ghana at 50: government, politics, and development.,s.n.]. Accra? Bennett, V P 1973, The Motivation for Military Intervention: The Case of Ghana, The Western Political Quarterly, Vol. 26, No. 4, p. 665. Biswal, T P 1992,Ghana, political and constitutional developments. New Delhi, Northern Book Centre. Botchw ay, F A 1972,Political development and social change in Ghana: Ghana under Nkrumah; a study of the influence of Kwame Nkrumah and the role of ideas in rapid social change, Black Academy Press, Buffalo, N.Y. Evans-Anfom, E. 2003.To the thirsty land: autobiograp[h]y of a patriot. Achimota, Ghana, Africa Christian Press. Ghana Center for Democratic Development.2005Decentralization, economic governance, and private sector development in Ghana.Legon, Accra, Ghana, Ghana Center for Democratic Development. Leite, S P 2000, Ghana: economic development in a democratic environment, International Monetary Fund, Washington, Dc Price, R M 1984, Neo-Colonialism and Ghana‘s Economic Decline: A Critical Assessment, Canadian Journal of African Studies, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 173-174. Sandbrook, R Oelbaum, J 1999, reforming the political kingdom: governance and development in Ghanas fourth republic. Center for Democracy and Development, Accra, Ghana Sederberg, P C, 1971, the Gold Coast under Colo nial Rule: An Expenditure Analysis, African Studies Review, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 179-204. Tettey, W Puplampu, K P Berman, B J 2003, Critical perspectives in politics and socio-economic development in Ghana., Brill, Leiden Williams, Y et al, 2009, Power and Change Analysis, ODI and Ecorys; Ghana

Democracy and Jacksonian Democrats Essay Example

Democracy and Jacksonian Democrats Essay Example Democracy and Jacksonian Democrats Essay Democracy and Jacksonian Democrats Essay Jacksonian democrats viewed themselves as the guardians of the Constitution, political democracy, individual liberty, and equality of economic opportunity. In light of the documents and your knowledge of the 1820s and 1830s, to what extent do you agree with the Jacksonians view of themselves? Jacksonian democrats viewed themselves as the guardians of the Constitution, political democracy, individual liberty, and equality of economic opportunity. In light of the documents and your knowledge of the 1820s and 1830s, to what extent do you agree with the Jacksonians view of themselves? AP AM HISTORY DBQ 4 (An A+ Essays Original Paper, written by Zoo Patrol) Jacksonian Democrats viewed themselves as the guardians of the United States Constitution, political democracy, individual liberty, and equality of economic opportunity. In light of the following documents and your knowledge of the 1820s and the 1830s, to what extent do you agree with the Jacksonians view of themselves. Unlike previous presidents, Andrew Jackson represented the common men. He and his followers did not support the aristocrats, but instead favored the interests of farmers and urban workers. When they gained power, the Jacksonian Democrats brought about great advances in creating a more democratic and economically equal society. One of the most important changes that Jackson brought was a much more democratic society. You no longer had to be a rich landowner to be allowed to vote. Most of the states removed any religious or property qualifications for holding office. The number of voters increased nearly by seven times during Jacksons presidency. By 1832, nearly all states adopted a new system for choosing for choosing its electors. Before Jacksons presidency, the electors were chosen by state legislatures. Now all the states in the Union, except South Carolina, had adopted a more democratic method of allowing voters to choose their states electors. Also, during Jacksons era, many state and local officials were elected to office, instead of being appointed. This gave the voters more control of their local government, and increased participation in elections. Another principle of the Jacksonian Democracy was the rotation system. Jackson limited a persons stay in office to just one term, and then appoint another in his place. Jacksonian Democrats believed that any American was capable of holding government office. Jackson also said that if a man were to hold office for a lengthy period of time, he would be capable of tolerating conduct from which an unpracticed man would revolt. Along with rotation, the Jacksonian Democrats reestablished the spoils system. Jackson fired any previous office holder who was not a loyal Democrat. He would then appoint a Democrat to that position. The spoils system and rotation were advances toward greater political democracy, because they showed that one man is just as good as another is. In addition to creating a more democratic country, Jackson also tried to establish equal economic opportunity for the people of America. The best example of this is the vetoing of the charter of the Bank of the United States. The bank was a huge monopoly. It was ran by aristocrats, most of which were from England. Nicholas Biddle, who was the president of the bank, often used funds from the bank to lend money to the members of Congress, thus wining their support. In his veto message, Jackson wrote, It is to be regretted that rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their selfish purposes. This was true, since the bank was used to provide for the interests of the rich and not the common men such as the small farmers and urban workers. The attempt to create equality of economic opportunity is also evident in the Supreme Court case of Charles River Bridge vs. Warren Bridge. Chief Justice Roger B. Taney ruled that a single corporation does not have a right to collect toll and prevent other bridges from being built near it. Taney said, †¦we must not forget that the community also has rights, and that the happiness and well-being of every citizen depends on their faithful preservation. He did not want the bridge to become a monopoly and ruled that competition shall be allowed. Besides making progress toward greater democracy and equal economic opportunity, there was also greater equality of and individual liberty of the people. There was less poverty and the majority of people were middle-class citizens. Harriet Martineau wrote I had seen every man in towns as independent citizen; every man in country a landowner. This is true, because most of the white population lived in good conditions during Jacksons presidency. During Jacksons presidency there were many changes made toward a more democratic and economically equal society. The voting qualifications were abolished for white men, common people were allowed to hold office, and most of the citizens had equal economic opportunity.

Political Career Timeline of US President Barack Obama

Political Career Timeline of US President Barack Obama    Barack Hussein Obama II graduated high school with honors in 1979 and was president of the Harvard Law Review long before he ever decided to enter politics. When he decided he wanted to run for the Illinois Senate in 1996, he ensured his candidacy by successfully challenging the nomination petitions of his four competitors. This marked his entry into federal politics.   Timeline of Barack Obama's Political Career 1988: Obama is a summer associate at the Chicago law firm Sidley Austin.1992: Obama graduates from Harvard and returns to Chicago.1995: In July, Obama - at 34 years of age - publishes his first memoir, Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. In August, Obama files paperwork to run for incumbent Alice Palmers Illinois Senate seat.1996: In January, Obama has his four competitor petitions invalidated; he emerges as the only candidate. In November, he is elected to the Illinois Senate, which is controlled by Republicans.1999: Obama begins running for Congress.2000: Obama loses his challenge for the congressional seat held by Rep. Bobby Rush.2002: In November, Democrats usurp Republican control of the Illinois Senate.2003-2004: Obama amasses his legislative record and serves as chair of the Health and Human Services Committee.2003: Obama begins running for US Senate; the leading Democratic candidate withdraws in 2004 due to a sex scandal.  David Axelrod [begins having ] camera crews video virtually everything Obama does in public. He uses this footage to create a five-minute online video for the Jan. 16, 2007, announcement that Obama is running for president. 2004: In March, Obama wins the primary with 52% of the vote. In June, his Republican opponent Jack Ryan withdraws due to a sex scandal. He delivers the Democratic National Convention address in July 2004, and in November he is elected to the US Senate with 70% of the vote.2005: Obama files paperwork for his leadership PAC, The Hope Fund, in January. Shortly after his election to the US Senate, he delivered a well-received address arguing faith should have a greater role in public discourse.2006: Obama writes and publishes his book, The Audacity of Hope. In October, he announces he is considering a run for the presidency of the United States.2007: In February, Obama announces his candidacy for US president.  2008: In June, he becomes the Democratic Partys presumptive nominee. In November, he defeats Republican presidential nominee John McCain to become the first African-American president of the United States of America and the 44th president of the country.2009: Obama is inaugurate d in January. In his first 100 days in office, he expands health care insurance for children and provides legal protection for women seeking equal pay. He gets Congress to pass a  $787 billion stimulus bill  to promote short-term economic growth, and he also cuts taxes for working families, small businesses and first-time home buyers. He loosens the ban on embryonic stem cell research and improves relations with Europe, China, Cuba and Venezuela. The president is awarded the  2009 Nobel Peace Prize  for his efforts. 2010: Obama delivers his first State of the Union speech in January. In March, he signs his health care reform plan, known as the Affordable Care Act, into law. Opponents of the act claim that it violates the US Constitution.2011: Obama signs the Budget Control Act to rein in government spending.  He also signs a repeal of the military policy known as Dont Ask, Dont Tell, which prevents openly gay troops from serving in US Armed Forces. In  May, he green lights a covert operation in Pakistan that leads to the killing of al-Qaeda leader  Osama bin Laden  by a team of US Navy SEALs.2012: Obama began running for his second term, and in November, he wins with nearly 5 million more votes than his Republican counterpart.2013: Obama gets a legislative victory with a bipartisan agreement on tax increases and spending cuts, which is a step toward keeping his re-election promise of reducing the federal deficit by raising taxes on the wealthy. In June, his approval ratings tank because of an alleged cover-up of events in Benghazi, Libya; because of allegations that the IRS is targeting conservative political organizations seeking tax-exempt status; and due to revelations about the US National Security Agencys surveillance program. The Obama administration struggles with many domestic and international problems. 2014: Obama orders sanctions on Russia because of its annexation of Crimea. John Boehner sues the president, claiming he has overstepped his executive powers regarding some parts of the Affordable Care Act. Republicans gain  control of the Senate, and now Obama has to contend with the fact that Republicans control both houses of Congress during the final two years of his second term.2015: At his second State of the Union address, he claims that the United States is out of the recession. With Democrats outnumbered, he threatens to use his executive powers to stave off any potential Republican interference in his agenda. Obama has two major Supreme Court victories in this year: The Affordable Care Acts tax subsidies are upheld, and marriage equality becomes reality. Also, Obama and the five world powers reach a historic nuclear deal with Iran. And Obama launches his Clean Power Plan to reduce greenhouse gases and emissions.2016: In his final year in office, Obama tackles gun control but is met with strong opposition from both parties. He delivers his final State of the Union address on January 12, 2016. In March, he becomes the first sitting US president since 1928 to visit Cuba. 2017: Obama delivers his farewell address in January in Chicago. During his last day in office on January 19 - he announces that he will commute the sentences of 330 nonviolent drug offenders. Also in his final days, Obama  presented Vice President Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction.

Autobiography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Autobiography - Essay Example She taught me that people like practical gifts and one should always try to make others happy. My parents were very protective and this gave me less freedom to think of my own. Till my 20s I was under the protection of my parents and had no freedom to make decisions on my own. My father was a jovial man but he was extremely disciplined in his lifestyle. He wanted things in order and demanded the same from us. He was strict and we respected him and looked upon to his ideas and principles. My dad is a person who craved to spend time with us and care for us. I had a happy and pleasant childhood. I was a shy child in early years and got along well with my sisters and brothers. We used to spend most of the time playing games and going to school together and studying in a group. I was more close to my sisters than my brother as he was much younger than us. But we were extremely happy when he was born, as all of us were girls and there was no boy in our family. We were proud to welcome him and took great care of him as our baby brother. I had a happy childhood and had no complaints on it. We as a family often go on vacations and holidays and the memory of the same still remain in my mind. The most refreshing memory was that of the childhood summer vacation to beach in Morocco. I did my high schooling to elementary in Morocco and math was my favorite subject. High school was eventful and very exciting. During my studies I met my best friend who later became part of my family. I did my two year studies in Hassan University with chemistry and physics as main subject. I had to drop my studies due to financial problem and moved to U.S. in 1990s. My significant event was coming to USA in early 1990’s.I met my husband in 1994 and got married in 1996. He was a kind and funny person, but after few years of marriage we became more of friends than husband and wife and divorced in 2003. I always

Business Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Ethics - Assignment Example At will employment can be defined as one in which the employee is free to quit from the job at any given point of time and the employer as well is free to terminate an employee for any reason at any given point of time except that the reason for termination cannot be an illegal one such as retaliation, discrimination and violation of public policy. Thus an employer does have any legal obligation as such to an employee prior to termination. At will employee may get terminated even for the most whimsical reasons, also an employer is free to change the employment terms such as compensation and job responsibility at his will. At will employee’s employment is held as a voluntary action and under such an employment, the employee cannot be forced to work and an employer cannot employ them for an indefinite time (DelPo & Guerin, p. 34). However, there is a difference between legal and ethical obligations. Although legally an employer might not have an obligation towards his at will em ployee but ethically he might have as it is related to the morality of that person. However, since every person has his or her own sense of ethics therefore, it is hard to define what set of ethical obligation does an employer will have for his employee under at will employment. Set forth a policy concerning romance in the workplace It is necessary for an organization to issue policies for couples in work place. In order to protect against claims of nepotism, favoritism and sexual harassment, organization must adopt policies on workplace dating. These policies stipulate the types of intimate relationships which are acceptable in the workplace and also mention those which are not and violate the office decorum. Some organizations provide clear code of conduct guidelines to its employees which are expected to be followed at work place. The guidelines pertain to display of affection in public and also disclosure of relationship to the management. The violation of the guidelines of work place dating policy by couples can pose a serious threat to the employee involved. Organization can go for informal counseling to formal interventions such as transfers, written warnings and also termination. According to Karl and Sutton employers favor a stricter policy when performance of couples suffers or the romance becomes noticeable to all the members. Also management should not take any action when a couple’s performance does not suffer due to the relationship or rather shows improvement. In absence of formal work place romance policy, it is the duty of the manager to keep his eyes open so that the relationship or the romance does not hamper the general workflow. The dating policies vary from one organization to another thus it is necessary for employees to familiarize with both informal and written policies (Waldron & Kassing, p.120). Define insider trading. Discuss whether insider trading is ethical. Insider trading is defined as a term that is used when a person is involved in insider trading if he purchases or sells the stocks in public company which is based on non public information about a particular company. The information that is gained by means of unfair advantage makes the trading unethical. But not all kinds of insider trading are illegal (Emanuel & Emanuel, p.253). A huge amount of quantitative and qualitative information exists in the markets which are an important part of free market system and thus it can be said that insider trading i

Small Business Innovation Research Programs Case Study

Small Business Innovation Research Programs - Case Study Example Towards this direction, it is noted that ‘a framework based on wisdom rather than knowledge alone provides strategic options for paradigm development in the field of small business and entrepreneurship research’ (Mathys et al., 2005, 657) - a field similar with the one to which the article under examination refers. The current paper focuses on the analysis of the article ‘Technological Entrepreneurship and Small Business Innovation Research Programs’ by Kropp, Fredric, and Zolin, Roxanne. The above article was published in 2005 in the academic journal Academy of Marketing Science Review. In accordance with the authors’ statement, the above article focuses on ‘the conceptual role that government technology programs can play in facilitating the process of technological entrepreneurship’ (page 1). The case of the ‘Small Business and Innovation Research (SBIR) program - United States’ (page 1) is used as an example of the potential support of the stage to the small businesses. The article shows the various methods available to small businesses that are interested in using governmental programs for the development of their performance - it is also explained how these programs could lead to the increase of profitability of firms in various industrial sect ors. The overall effectiveness of these programs is criticized - the authors suggest potential measures that could be used by firms that need to improve their performance – either in the short or the long term – through relevant governmental programs. The value of the article cannot be doubted; however, there are a few points that should be reviewed. Suggestions are made and relevant criticism is developed making sure that any assumption is appropriately justified with reference to the text and to academic material with similar content. The authors use a specific theoretical model, the one created by Lumpkin and Dessin 1996 in order to show the effects of government programs on the improvement of performance of firms that operate in the technology sector – the special reference is made on the firms of small size.

Marketing plan for Air Canada Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Marketing plan for Air Canada - Coursework Example SWOT analysis of Air Canada has been conducted in this paper. With the help of SWOT analysis strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities of the firms are highlighted. Air Canada performs its business operations and functions in a very competitive industry. Many strong players are present in the airline industry of USA. The study highlights that the competitor companies are creating strong pressure on Air Canada. For this reason Air Canada is developing its business processes and services for holding its positing in the competitive market. Company analysis has been done in this paper. The customer base of Air Canada has been discussed in details. Upcoming product and marketing objectives of the Air Canada have been analysed in this study. Air Canada is one of the largest airline companies in Canada. This airline company was founded in 1936. Air Canada deals with charter and scheduled air transport. It covers 178 destinations of the world. At present Air Canada is ninth largest passenger airline based on fleet size. The company has its headquarters in Montreal, Quebec. This firm is the founding member of Start Alliance. Air Canada was initially owned by the federal government of Canada. The airline market of Canada was deregulated 1980s. In 1988 the company Air Canada was privatised. The major accusation done by Air Canada is acquiring Canadian Airlines which enhanced the growth and development of the company. Presently Air Canada serves 35 million passengers throughout the year. It has a strong air transport network through the world. With strong mission, vision and values the company is able to perform its business activities and functions efficiently. The mission of Air Canada is to connect Canada with the world. The company facilitates the people in moving from one place to another by bringing them together and enriching their experiences. The firm aims to establish connection