Home Furnishings bedding Essay

Home furnishing has many areas that furnish bedrooms with frames, comforters, sheets and dressers and much more. A home furnishing is a way to personalize the house whether it’s with the help of professionals or simple your own ideas. The company Polo Ralph Lauren founded in 1967 and their main headquarter is currently in New York. Ralph Lauren was the one who founded the company which he is the CEO, Chairman, and chief designer for the company. The company also sells products for men, women, and children, accessories, fragrances, and home furnishings. It operates in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Ralph Lauren first launch his home collection in 1985 including bedding, including bedding, towels, area rugs and much more. Home furnishings include bedding and with the bedding department it has mattress size, pillows, sheets and blanket, and quilts. The mattress size is important because it depend the size of the sleeper and the dimensions of the bedroom. The smallest size of the bedding dimensions is the twin size which has a dimension of 39 by 76 inches. The next size is the full size mattresses measure 54 by 75 inches and â€Å"queens add an extra 6 inches to the full-size width and 5 inches to the length. Standard king mattresses have ample room with a 78 inch width and 80 inches in length. †(ProQuest) The pillows come in different size to match the bed and all the pillows are 20 inches in width and in length it varieties. Pillow cases and sheets are sold in pairs or separately. They are sold separately because it allows the customers to pick their own design, how they want their sleeping environment to look like. They sell separately because something consumers does not like the designs so they rather buy the design that they are comfortable. The construction of pillowcases, sheets and shams varieties and the most popular fabric use in this is woven. The next fabric is â€Å"Cotton and cotton/poly dominates the market. Cotton gives absorbency while polyester gives durability and wrinkle resistance. Most sheets are made with spun yarns. †(Hoovers) Muslin and percale sheets are the most common. Muslin sheets are made from carded yarns while Percale is made out from combed yarns. Other type of fabrics is sateen, satin, flannel, or knitted jersey or tricot. It’s important to pay attention the caring part because there are some sheets, pillowcases that can easily get damaged. The white sheets should be machine was only and dry according to manufacturer’s instructions. Do not combine dark colors with beach and only apply beach on white sheets. It’s good to rotated and avoid using the same set also using a mattress pad or covers to protect the sheets will extend the life of the bottom sheets. â€Å"Ralph Lauren has grown from being a mono-brand US centric menswear wholesaler to designer manufacturer and wholesaler of global luxury lifestyle brands for men, women and children. † (Business source Swot analysis). Ralph Lauren has many products that can offer to their customers because it’s a growing industry. Some of the brands and names of Ralph Lauren include Polo by Ralph, Lauren, Purple Label, Club Monaco, Rugby, Ralph Lauren Women’s Collection, Black Label, Blue Label and Lauren by Ralph Lauren, among others. The successes of the brands are due to the official outfitter of the 2008 US Olympic and Paralympics teams by the United States Olympic Committee in 2008. It has sign a five year contract with R&A to outfit all the members staffing and all the officials in the Open Championship up to 2016. Ralph Lauren distributes their products through and foreign and domestic network. It has a successful global distribution network which allows â€Å"its merchandises to be sold in a total of nearly 9,000 retailers worldwide, ranging from high-end department stores such as Neiman Marcus to discount retailers such as TJ Maxx. † (Business source). Ralph Lauren is divided into three segments the first one is wholesales, the second one is retail, and the third one is licensing. Licensing is very important because any product whether in-house produced or licensed, have to be designed by Mr.  Lauren and his design staff. All of his home furnishings products are produce by his licensing partners who has the right to sell them whether it’s internationally or domestic. It has multiple channels where they distribute their products. Ralph Lauren has 201 factory stores worldwide and 178 full-price retail stores. It also has â€Å"474 concessions-based shop-within-shops, and six e -commerce websites. The full-price retail stores range in the size of approximately 800 to 38,000 square feet and are situated in major upscale street locations and upscale regional malls in large urban markets. (Business Source). Most of these factory stores are located in outlet malls. Some of the factories have a length of 2500 to 20,000 feet in the Americans 1,400 to 19,700 square feet in Europe and from 2,800 to 11,800 square feet in Asia. It also operates a concessions-based shop-within-shops that has around 209 retail locations dedicated to Ralph Lauren-branded products. Most of the shops-within shops are located in Asia and the size of this concessions-base is approximately 180 to 4,300 square feet. The company has a successful globe distribution that allows merchandise to be in 9,000 retails worldwide. Home furnishings by Ralph Lauren afford their customers a feature that has a â€Å"contemporary, creative style and also employs ticking-striped patterns, industrial accents and flea-market-inspired finds to create an unexpected rustic look. † (Ralph Lauren). The company wants their customers to be happy with their product and that’s way they offer the best quality with the best material so that their customers can come back to the company and purchase more. Polo Ralph Lauren’s status as a premier lifestyle brand supports higher product margins, product extensions, and consumer loyalty. The company long-term annually grow is 20% to 30 % on their distribution. This company has a price range to be higher because Ralph Lauren is one of the premier consumer lifestyle brands with considerable brand equity. The company has strong brand equity because it has â€Å"capitalized on its strong fashion design and effective marketing to build a premier lifestyle brand with global revenue exceeding an estimated $5 billion, including licensees. (Business Source). It also states that the company is one of the few† brands capable of developing a portfolio of products and brands ranging from the moderately priced Chaps by Ralph Lauren to the luxury priced Purple and Black Labels. † (Business Source). The company has many ways to merchandises their products which include websites, outlet malls, factories and much more. In addition to these, the company sells its products through three websites in the US, including ralphLauren. com, rugby. com and clubmonaco. com, the company has more websites in the European part. Only the Unites States the company has acquire new customers about 600,000 customers. Only selling from website in helps the company to reach wider customers and faster than any other companies. Not only do they sell their merchandise over the internet they sell it through catalogs, retail stores for example Macys and high ended department store. Not any department store can sell Ralph Lauren products because they must have a license with the company itself. The company chose high end department stores because they know their customers and also because they have loyal customers who love to shop in this high-end department stores. Also because the brand of the product will distinguish how the material is made and how good of a quality it is. There are many rules and regulations when it comes to â€Å"all products categorized as linens must be labeled in accordance with the laws that relate to the consumption of textile products. The Textile Fiber Products Act (TFPIA) requires that generic fiber names and fiber content be listed on the label and flammability standards for mattress†. (Hoovers). The company’s name is build around the highest ethical and legal standards.  Ralph Lauren is guided by the â€Å"California Transparent Act which states that all of its suppliers to prohibit the hiring of slave labor and prevent practices that could contribute to human trafficking. 1. verify product supply chains using third party auditors to ensure that our product supply chains are compliant with our Operating Guidelines and all applicable laws and regulations prohibiting slave labor and human trafficking; 2. conduct independent audits of our suppliers to evaluate their compliance with our Operating Guidelines and all applicable laws and regulations prohibiting slave labor and human trafficking; 3. equire certification by our suppliers that materials incorporated into our products comply with our Operating Guidelines and all applicable laws and regulations prohibiting slave labor and human trafficking in countries where our suppliers are doing business; 4. maintain internal accountability standards and procedures for employees and contractors failing to meet our Operating Guidelines prohibiting slave labor and human trafficking; 5. provide training for our supply chain executives and employees on the prevention of human trafficking and slave labor. †(RalphLauren. om) The company is always doing things to change the product and to promote new products to their loyal customers. Ralph Lauren will launch new lines and maintain brand strength. The company views the internet as the number one source of future growth that will increase very fast. They are advertising and marketing in a unique form associate with distinct design, luxury and quality. Retail stores are still very important because it’s the foundation and the growth of the company and it has given the â€Å"confidence to apply its expertise to wholesale business, including erchandise mix, visual presentation and excellent customer service. † (Valuation Reports). Ralph Lauren wants to expand to new products with new categories in different parts of the world. In conclusion the company has many things to offer to their loyal customers and expanding everything to new places and expanding new product will definitely have new customers. It’s important for the company to keep the good quality and good merchandise because it’s a way to stay in business for much longer.

Primary Health Care †Indigenous Australian Inequalities Essay

Page 1 The World Health Organisation (World Health Organisation, 2008) states that the indigenous peoples of Australia are one of the most disadvantaged indigenous groups in the developed world. The health of the Indigenous population of Australia is an increasingly pressing issue. Current research and statistics reveals great inequality in many areas of health care and health status between the Aboriginal people and the general population of Australia. Couzos and Murray (2008, p.29) report that the Indigenous population has â€Å"the worst health status of any identifiable group in Australia, and the poorest access to health systems. † This paper will examine the underlying historical contexts and contributing factors that have lead to the current disparity between the health of the Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians. Furthermore, the high prevalence of chronic health issues such as diabetes will be analysed and community health initiatives that are needed or currently being enacted will be identified. Many reasons for the current appalling state of health and wellbeing of the Australian Aboriginal people can be explained by examining their recent history to the devastating impacts of colonisation, genocidal policy, loss of land and years of oppression. These several hundred years of cultural destruction, dispossession and social and political upheaval have resulted in generations of trauma and grief (Burke, 2006, para. 4). As reported by Forsyth (2007, p.35-36), government policies enacted towards the indigenous population in the early 20th Century were concerned primarily with protection and segregation, as the prevailing attitude of the time was that the Indigenous people were largely inferior and were unable to care for themselves. Forsyth continues to explain of the injustice created by the New South Wales parliament with the Aborigines Protection Act of 1909, in which â€Å"every aspect of their lives was governed, regulated and controlled† (Forsyth, 2007, p. 36). Furthermore the Indigenous people of this era were not able to imbibe alcohol, own property, vote or cohabit with non-Indigenous people, and the state of their health was largely ignored due to the belief that they were a dying race. (Couzos et. Page 2 al. 2008, p. 3). Due to this essentially complete lack of health care, Forsyth describes the Aboriginal people of the era living on the outskirts of larger towns as suffering from high rates of blindness, infectious diseases, bone diseases and sexually transmitted infections (Forsyth, 2007, p.36). The severity of these health issues was made worse by fear and distrust of the Aboriginal people towards hospitals and white people (Forsyth, 2007, p. 37). As the 20th Century progressed it became obvious that the Aboriginal population was not a soon to be extinct race as earlier thought, and new political policy calling for assimilation and integration reflected this change, though protectionist and segregationist policies remained influential or continued until the 1970s (Couzos et.al. 2008, p. 4). In the 1960s attitudes of Australian society began to became more concerned for the wellbeing Indigenous people, with increased social conciousness and awareness spreading throughout the Western World. As a result of increasing political activity and demonstration, many Aboriginals were forced off stations in 1966, causing a large movement of Indigenous people to more urban areas such as Redfern (Couzos et. al. 2008, p. 7). This sudden increase in numbers highlighted the need for proper health care and services, with the first Aboriginal health service established in 1971. Throughout the 1970s an increase in research and reporting of Aboriginal health resulted in many state and commonwealth reports all with the same conclusion, that the health status of Aboriginal communities was appalling and that there was great â€Å"need for increased priority, increased resourcing, better coordination, and increased Aboriginal community participation and control† (Couzos et. al. 2008, p. 10). However very little action was taken until the 1990s2000s where relevant political policy was brought in and funding made available for Aboriginal health services, though they mostly remain inadequately funded and Aboriginal health care is still largely unrepresented and avoided by the Australian Government. The ongoing effects of racist and unjust political policy and action can in part explain current aspects of dysfunction and overall disadvantage that occurs in many Indigenous Page 3 communities today. Specifically this disadvantage is evident in many areas of community life, with Indigenous people being generally exposed to more risk factors for poor health than other Australians (Thomson, MacRae, Burns, Catto, Debuyst, Krom, Midford, Potter, Ride, Stumpers and Urquhart, 2010, para. 49). Examples of risk factors include social factors such as dispossession, dislocation and discrimination, educational factors such as poor schooling, resulting in much lower literacy and numeracy skills, economic factors such as lower income and higher unemployment, access to good quality health care and GP’s, and physical environmental factors such as poor and overcrowded housing. Together these disadvantages provide for a higher likelihood of poor lifestyle choices such as alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use, a poor and unbalanced diet, obesity and a lack of regular exercise (Thomson et. al. 2010, para. 49, Couzos et. al. 2008, p. 79). Poor access to good quality health care is one of the key predictors for the prevalence of poor health in a community. There are very few GP’s available in remote locations, and as a result of no or little access to professional health care providers, these remote areas are susceptible to poor health awareness and knowledge. As reported by Thomson et. al. (2010, para. 3), almost one-quarter of Indigenous people are classified as living in a remote area with very little access to goods and services or opportunities for social interaction. Couzos et. al. (2008, p. 18) also consider poor access to GP’s as shown by a 2000-2001 survey of GP’s. As reported, only 0. 8% of GP visits were by Indigenous people, though they make up 2. 6% of the general population. Furthermore, more than 70% of GP’s did not see a single Indigenous person during the survey period. This under representation of the Indigenous population visiting GP’s indicates a clear need for increased access to professional health care, and is just one factor of many which demonstrates the need for improvement in the health and wellbeing of the Australian Indigenous people. Page 4 Diabetes is a chronic metabolic condition which can result in many major long term health complications such as stroke, kidney disease, blindness and greatly reduced life expectancy (Allman, 2008, p. 80, Zeng, 2006, p. 73). Diabetes can be classified into three main types, with the second type, non-insulin-dependant diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) the main form developed as a result of lifestyle factors. As reported by Thomson et. al. (2010, para. 2), NIDDM is currently â€Å"one of the most important health problems for Indigenous populations across Australia†, with only around half of those with the condition know they have it, and the proportion of affected Indigenous population estimated to be around 4 four times that of the general population. Couzos et. al. (2008, p. 525) expand that Aboriginal people are also significantly more likely to develop NIDDM at a much younger age, more likely to be hospitalised, and to die from associated complications. This over representation of diabetes in the Indigenous population is a result of their poor health status and education. Thomson et. al. (2010) report that many studies have linked high levels of obesity among Indigenous populations and high prevalence of NIDDM. The main factors linked to this high levels of obesity are the relatively recent availability of highly processed and sugary Western foods and drinks including alcohol and tobacco use, impaired glucose tolerence, hypertriglyceridaemia, hypertension, hyperinsulinaemia and a higher level of physical inactivity than non-Indigenous people (Thomson et. al. 2010). Diabetes prevalence is also linked to a lower socioeconomic status, and as previously examined, a high proportion of the Indigenous population suffer from many areas of disadvantage, which results in a lower socioeconomic status. As further explained by Thomson et. al. (2010) these effects are further aggravated by poor health promotion and knowledge, mental illness and stress, early emotional development and social status, and recent trends indicate increasing development and prevalence of NIDDM. Clearly the Aboriginal population is exposed to many risk factors for diabetes and other chronic conditions, and with increasing development trends, explains poor mortality rates and overall poor health status of their communities. Page 5. Community based programs are essential for the improvement of Indigenous health due to the close-knit nature of their culture and often remote location. This was begun in 2003 at national level with the development of The National Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, which targeted strengthening of health service infrastructure, accessibility to health services, and health promotion, most importantly the importance of balanced nutrition and regular exercise (Couzos et. al. 2008, p.522, Insel, Ross, McMahon and Bernstein, 2010, p. 653). Cribbes and Glaister (2007, p. 167) describe the importance of health promotion and awareness at the community level, with a focus on re-establishing more traditional food choices and encouraging traditional hunting skills. The traditional Indigenous diet is highly nutritious, being high in protein, low in fat and high in complex carbohydrates, and as considered by Cribbes et. al. (2007, p. 167) is an excellent way to protect against chronic conditions such as diabetes. However the majority of remote Indigenous peoples obtain their food from local stores, thus initiatives such as the Remote Indigenous Stores and Takeaway Project were undertaken to establish minimum healthy eating standards and to educate store managers in nutrition. By empowering local store managers in this way, they are able to further educate the local schools and wider community in healthy eating (Cribbes. et. al. 2007, p. 167). As reported by the Dragon and Anderson (2011, p.28), Close The Gap (CTP) is another national level campaign which has a carry on effect to the community level. CTP aims to resolve the disparity in life expectancy rates and health equality between Aboriginal Australians and the general population, and has been endorsed by federal and state governments. CTP focuses on management of chronic conditions such as diabetes and follow up care. Management and awareness of diabetes is an essential component of improving health standards, and as King (2001, p.147-155) explains, Aboriginal people with diabetes commonly avoid mainstream health services for their health care. This mismanagement can lead to the development of diabetes related complications and greatly reduced quality Page 6 of life and life expectancy. On going strategies and studies identified the need for Aboriginal health workers to deliver community level care and health services for successful diabetes management (King, 2001). In conclusion, Aboriginal health standards have been of an appalling standard for many years due to racist policies, attitudes and in-humane treatment. The damage done and denigration of their lives, families and cultures has only recently began to be repaired by collective efforts nation wide, with a unified goal of self and community-empowerment, improvement of quality of life and living standards. With the expansion and ongoing deliverance of community focused solutions, many risks for ill-health and chronic conditions can be greatly reduced and the health status disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians can in the future be eliminated. Page 7 References: †¢ Allman, T. (2008) Genes & disease : diabetes. New York; Infobase Publishing. †¢ Dragon, N. and Anderson, K. (2011). Indigenous health. Australian Nursing Journal, 19(2), 24-8. †¢ Burke, S. (2006). Changing practices, changing paradigms: working effectively with Indigenous clients. Australian Psychological Society. Retrieved October, 5, 2011 from http://www. psychology. org. au/publications/inpsych/changing/ †¢ Couzos, S. & Murray, R. (2008). Aboriginal primary health care: An evidence-based approach. South Melbourne; Oxford University Press. †¢ Cribbes. M. and Glaister. K. (2007). ‘It’s not easy’: caring for Aboriginal clients with diabetes in remote Australia. Contemporary Nurse, 25; 163-172. †¢ Forsyth (2007). Telling stories: nurses, politics and aboriginal australians, circa 19001980s. Contemporary Nurse, 24(1), 33-44. Insel, P. , Ross, D. , McMahon, K. and Bernstein, M. (2010). Nutrition. Massachusetts; Jones and Bartless Publishers. †¢ King, M. (2001). The diabetes health care of Aboriginal people in South Australia. Contemporary Nurse, 10(3,4), 147-155. Page 8 †¢ Thomson N, MacRae A, Burns J, Catto M, Debuyst O, Krom I, Midford. R, Potter C, Ride K, Stumpers S, Urquhart B (2010). Summary of Australian Indigenous health, 2010. Retrieved October. 6, 2011 from http://www. healthinfonet. ecu. edu. au/health-facts/summary †¢ World Health Organization. (2008). Closing the Gap in a generation. Health equity through action on the social determinants of health. Commission on Social Determinants of Health Final Report. Retrieved October, 6, 2011 from http://www. who. int/social_determinants/thecommission/finalreport/en /index. html †¢ Zeng, Y. (2006). Longer life and healthy aging. Philadelphia; Springer.

Innovation and knowledge management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Innovation and knowledge management - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that when it comes to the current competitive situations of organizations, innovation has been granted high regard by firms as it has been significantly associated with improved growth and performance through developments in quality, productivity, effectiveness and market shares. Often, the terms â€Å"innovation† and â€Å"creativity† are interchangeably used; however, primary differences can be distinguished between the two. Creativity is an essential step for innovation to be successfully applied. In fact, the current definition of innovation has become equal to creativity plus effective implementation. In the creativity stage, useful ideas are generated while the innovation process involves the course of action and the actual development of these ideas to reality. To simply put it, the innovation first starts with a particular need which brings forth a creative idea. Amabile et al suggest that all innovations start with th e formation of a creative idea. Innovation is therefore defined as a successful and effective achievement of creative ideas that are brought up in an organization. In terms of implementing a physical product or object, product design and development is extremely necessary. As in this stage, concept development, as well as the testing and manufacturing of the product or object, is undergone. When an organization has conceptualized and evaluated their ideas, through product design and development they are able to make them concrete and tangible using a systematic method.

Power Purchase Parity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Power Purchase Parity - Essay Example The conclusion is that this is highly assumptive and neglects other possibilities that control the relative price and exchange rates. Economists argue that the economic benefits of trade between nations in goods, services, and assets are similar to the benefits of trade within a nation. In both cases, trade in goods and services permits greater specialization and efficiency, whereas trade in assets allows financial investors to earn higher returns while providing funds for worthwhile capital projects. However, there is a primary difference between domestic versus international transactions; specifically, trade within a country normally involves a single currency, but trade between nations usually involves dealing in different currencies. There are also subtle and unavoidable concerns when establishing in purchase power parity that exchange rates are only controlled by relative pricing. This theory requires that stabilisation and equivocal trade are inherently continuous, and does not account for cost, policy and specialisation as substitution. Therefore, while purchase power parity holds in some cases, it can not be assumed (as it currently is) to hold in all cases. It will only hold under specific criterion, and not when there is fluctuations in real cost and trade. To understand the founding principles of purchase power parity, a first l... Exchange rates are the cost of one good compared to the price of another across national borders. The exchange rate simply converts the GDPs (Gross Domestic Products) into the same currency units. Even when valued in the same currency unit, the ratios of GDPs in different countries still have to be split into their volume and price components. This is often believed to be controlled by the theory of relative prices, that one product has an equal value to another product in different countries. The law of one price is the founding principle of this theory, explained by the purchase power parity concept. Purchasing power parities (PPP) are rates of currency conversion constructed to account for cross-country variation in prices. The calculation of PPPs is based on pricing a representative basket of goods and services across countries, and weighing this basket with the expenditure patterns prevailing in each of the countries. The PPP conversion rate allows for volume comparisons, i.e. comparisons involving the level of health expenditures in real terms. Exchange Rate The foreign exchange is the act of trading money between nation, where the money takes the same form of the originating country, and monetary assets traded in foreign exchange markets are demand deposits in banks. The exchange rate is specifically the price of one country's money in terms of another country's money, and this is very dependent on the time-value of money (Hallword and McDonald 2000). Foreign exchange quotations are shown as a bid/offer rate. The dollar lies at the heart of foreign exchange dealing, as most transactions involve moving in and out of the dollar. Sterling and currencies which were linked to sterling

Arguments Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Arguments Paper - Essay Example However, despite the blame being directed to Al-Qaida terrorist groups, some experts are skeptical of the position arguing that the incidence was an inside job and was therefore stage-managed, providing evidence to assert their argument (Fetzer Par. 1). The purpose of this paper is to examine why the attack on 9/11 on World Trade Center is considered duplicity and not a terrorist attack as was alleged by President Bush’s administration. It will also discuss the limitations associated with such opposing views, my understanding of the incidence, as well as why I consider my understanding better than the opposing views. Those who opposed the argument that the incidence of September 11 was a terrorist attack mainly claim that the incidence was an inside job, stage-managed by the Bush administration (Fetzer Par. 2). They argue that the whole incidence was a video fakery that the Bush administration used to deceive the masses after stage-managing the incidence in order to get support for waging war against Al-Qaida in Afghanistan and Iraq (Fetzer Par. 4). After conducting a thorough analysis on the incidence, no evidence could be found to link Muslims to the attack. This is due to the fact that the government has since failed to provide concrete evidence to show that the alleged hijackers did board the planes according to Elias Davidsson (Fetzer Par. 6). After conducting an analysis on the alleged phone calls made prior to the incidence, none could actually be authenticated as David Ray Griffin argues that the alleged phone calls were faked (Fetzer Par. 7). The government’s failure to produce t he remaining parts of the four planes for inspection also raises questions. This is also the case with the envelop which has never been produced by the government since the incidence occurred (Fetzer Par. 8). In addition, they questions why there was too much delay in the deregistration of the corresponding

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

Analytical Research Paper - Essay Example This paper discusses the macroeconomic issue of the Eurozone recession which adversely affected the countries of Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain (so-called PIIGS) due to fiscal issues. Discussion Economics is a Greek term which literally means the administration or management of a household. It is a social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of the various goods and services within a country and also among nations. It came about due to the Industrial Revolution that produced the new economic system of capitalism which replaced old order of feudalism (Sherman, 2006, p. 67). In this new system, wealth (profits) is now created out of invested capital in entrepreneurial ventures as opposed to wealth that was generated by the ownership of vast lands under feudalism. Economics is generally divided into its two main components; microeconomics is the study of the basic elements in an economy while the other is macroeconomics, which concerns larger is sues of an entire economy such as growth, inflation, unemployment, monopolies, oligopolies, recession, depression, and fiscal and monetary policies. Economists broadly define a recession as two (2) successive quarters of economic decline based on the real gross domestic product or GDP of the country. Recession is a problem on a macroeconomic scale because it affects general employment in two ways: those who work lose their jobs while those seeking work cannot find meaningful employment, which in turn will cause a deterioration in the overall standard of living of the citizenry. Businesses lay off people as there is excess production capacity resulting from a weak or non-existent demand. Economic growth is stalled or stunted which makes business reluctant to hire new or additional people. The unemployment results in reduced income taxes while putting pressure on government social services as revenues evaporate, making the balancing of national budgets very difficult to do. It will re sult in a fiscal deficit, like the dreaded â€Å"fiscal cliff† in America (a $600 billion shortfall). The significance of this problem is it can result into social chaos and political instability as people and governments scramble to find ways to re-start economic growth but the options are often limited in such a dire situation. If the government tries to reduce expenditures because of a decline in tax revenues (both from individual and business taxes) such as laying off government workers, cutting on social services like education, health care, infrastructure projects and others, people will complain and go out in the streets to demonstrate against austerity measures, which in turn will cause a political crisis that will destabilize a country and cause further problems. The United States of America uses other economic indicators besides unemployment and a rise in excess capacity, such as industrial activity, real incomes, wholesale prices and retail consumer sales. The Nati onal Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) of the United States uses overall business activities as an indicator, the time when business reaches its peak and starts to decline, as the beginning of a recession

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 134

Essay Example standards, innovation style, experimentation with drugs, alternative sexualities, interest in eastern religion, and rejection of materialism and claims of national consciousness. Kerounac, one of the ‘beat’ writers allows that it was it was street hustler Harbert Huncke who originally used the phrase ‘beat’ in an earlier discussion with him. ‘beat’ could colloquially mean ‘beaten down’ with the African-American community of the period and had developed from the image ‘beat to his socks’. One of the beat writers however altered the image and the meaning to include the connotations upbeat, beatific and a musical association of being ‘on the beat. John Clellon Holmes writes the article ‘This is the Beat Generation’ in New york Times Magazine in November 16, 1952 which gives several sentiments about the generation culture. The first concern is an eighteen-year old California girl who had been picked up for smoking marijuana and wanted to talk about it. In view of her contention, one of every five people you meet from the beat generation is a user of marijuana and people should leave them alone to do their own things. The writer is also concerned with a girl sentiment in a court courthouse for stealing a car and says that she believed small business to be dead and it intended to become a comfortable cog in the in the largest corporation it could find. The same generation is caught in the uncovering of the first non-virgin club in Illinois. The writer brings out the image of a group that drinks themselves to relaxation and as a way to solve their problems. Their sexuality morals are in question when the author points out that secretary of the beat generation are confused if to sleep with their boyfriends anytime, anywhere or to wait. They drink around and drive off to Detroit on a whim. The author sees the origin of the word ‘beat’ as obscure. To him it implies the feeling of having been used while still raw. He interprets it like some