Home Depot Essay Example for Free

Home Depot Essay Today’s market is characterized by highly competitive organizations which are all vying for consumer’s loyalty. Firms are faced with the challenge to maintain their own competitive edge to be able to survive and be successful. Strategies are carefully planned and executed to gain the ultimate goal of all: company growth. However, external factors are not the only elements which influence growth. Today most companies find that it impossible to create any kind of sustainable competitive advantage based on product alone. It is common knowledge that every one of the successful companies sought and found a precise understanding of how it could create a customer-centered competitive advantage. Along with the changing business world, customers change as well, becoming more demanding and knowledgeable than before. In turn, company management had shifted their focus on their clients or customers so as to stay successfully in business. This transition meant that organizations have to completely reformulate their conventional business aims and purposes from being process-focused to customer-centered. Hence, in order to bring out exceptional customer services within the company operations, the management should employ fine-tuned organizational restructuring. Moreover, employing proactive customer commitment involves the consideration on culture and infrastructure (Lowenstein, 1997). Organizations that capitalize on customers active participation in organizational activities can gain competitive advantage through greater sales volume, enhanced operating efficiencies, positive word-of-mouth publicity, reduced marketing expenses, and enhanced customer loyalty (Lovelock Young, 1979; Reichheld Sasser, 1990). Rather than going after every potential source of revenue, companies eliminate useless assets that do not add value for customers’ satisfaction. Business organizations implement bureaucratic policies and procedures for the benefit of the staff, customers and the company in general. According to Bowers, Martin Luker (1990), if consumers somehow become better customers that is, more knowledgeable, participative, or productive the quality of the service experience will likely be enhanced for the customer and the organization. Company Profile The Home Depot is the worlds largest home improvement retailer and second largest retailer in the United States. From one store to $73. 1 Billion in sales, Home Depot has come a long way in a short time. This organization is very familiar to this writer as he was employed here for a few years after leaving the Marine Corps and was his first civilian job. Home Depot stands out more than many organizations that this writer has worked for because it was his first civilian organization and many adjustments had to be made. The company distributes everyday jobs to participants and creates rules, policies, measures, and hierarchical organizational charts to organize various actions. Home Depot ought to continually amend their structures to become accustomed to the atmosphere shifts, technology changes, organizational grow, and leadership changes. Furthermore, structure is also a means to high-performing teams. Mindful awareness to structure and roles in teams will make the team much more successful. When it comes to leadership, structural leadership contributes a critical role in shaping organizations. It can be influential and stable, even though it is more restrained and less heroic leadership compared on other frames. Structural Change In the traditional supply chain management used by businesses that import materials for production, a lot of people, time and money are invested upon to ensure that the demands of the manufacturers will be handled in the specified date and time required. Before being able to place an order of shipment of raw materials, several transactions are consulted between the supplier and the manufacturer that eats up their valued time. The supply flow normally includes the intention of order, quotation, confirmation, delivery, payment and handling of receipts. Great amount of time is consumed in the mere planning of the purchase orders of a manufacturing company. And since most of the time the transactions involve not only a single supplier, especially in the case of huge international producers, manufacturers deal with sub-suppliers with several forwarders from which a number of consolidations are exchanged. The workload and time that the inventory managers handle defines the proceeding business processes that will follow that predicts and maintains the success and profit of the whole business organization. That is why, efficiency counts! The best suppliers continuously update and upgrade their service deliveries in order to answer the demands of their customers. Customers have the ever-increasing demand on getting their hands into the products which can lead to change in supplier if expectations are not met. This is the reason why suppliers who are also industry leaders trend toward more reliable delivery services across their customers. However, problems of delivery are usually attended by most companies through with either quick fixes that do not work or complete and comprehensive designs that take too long and are expensive. The Implemented Plan of Changes Customer Satisfaction Along with the changing business world, customers change as well, becoming more demanding and knowledgeable than before. In turn, company management had shifted their focus on their clients or customers so as to stay successfully in business. This transition meant that organizations have to completely reformulate their conventional business aims and purposes from being process-focused to customer-centred. Rethinking and reformulating the organization on the other hand, entail the consideration of several factors such as various processes, technology, the environment as well as the success factors of people (Cohen and Moore, 2000). Hence, in order to bring out exceptional customer services within the company operations, the management should employ fine-tuned organizational restructuring. Moreover, employing proactive customer commitment involves the consideration on culture and infrastructure (Lowenstein, 1997). Online Marketing The tremendous growth of technological advancement has become the driving force of contemporary industries. The diffusion of the internet has revolutionized the business arena. The use of the Internet is changing high-tech marketing overnight while different industries have been trying to use it as part of their marketing strategy. It has not only reconfigured the way different firms do business and the way the consumers buy goods and services, but it has also become an effective instrument in transforming the value chain from manufacturers to retailers to consumers, creating a new retail distribution channel (Appelbaum et sl, 1998). E-marketing is a powerful tool used by different business organizations around the world. It is defined as the process of achieving marketing objectives through the use of electronic communications technology. Smith and Chaffey (2001) have provided a 5Ss’ mnemonic for how the internet can be applied by all business firms for different e-marketing tactics. These 5S’s are selling, serve, speak, save and sizzle. E-marketing is also known to be the online marketing strategy utilized by different company whose objective is to be the best company in their field. In various countries worldwide, more and more business firms have been using e-marketing strategy in order to be competitive. From books, foods and beverages, automobiles and other products and services, various firms, irregardless of their company sizes, are trying to survive by means of e-marketing strategy. Aside from being a promotional medium, the internet is a tool for marketing communications as well. Due to its interactive nature, the internet is an efficient method used in communicating with the consumers. Hence, several companies are beginning to realize the advantages of using the internet as a tool for communication. Companies then started to concentrate on designing web-related strategies and employing interactive agencies that will facilitate their development of specific company web sites as part of their integrated marketing communication strategy. There are companies however, that are effectively using the internet by incorporating their web-related strategies with the other areas of their IMC strategies. The approach now becomes integrated and more strategic. On-line marketing is considered to be the most expensive yet seems to be the most comprehensive marketing strategy that every company wants to implement and apply. At present, people, particularly those in the business arena, tend to engage themselves within the trend of rapidly growing technology so as to stay competitive. Upon surfing the internet, various companies have put up their official sites online for customers and potential consumers to view. Online or e-marketing is the latest marketing approach for any firm who wants to effectively market its products and services. In addition, e-marketing enables the company to be known worldwide since more and more people are able to access information derived from the internet. Within the business world, where competition is strict, internet marketing is one essential marketing strategy applied by most industries. Service Delivery Service intangibility means that services cannot be seen, tasted, felt, heard, or smelled before they are bought. For example, people undergoing cosmetic surgery cannot see the result before purchase. Airline passengers have nothing but a ticket and a promise that their luggage will arrive safely at the intended destination, hopefully at the same time. They draw conclusions about the quality from the place, people, price, equipment, and communications that they can see. Therefore, the service provider’s task is to make the service tangible in one or more ways. Although there are also times when product marketers try to add intangible offers, service managers try to add tangibles to their intangible offers. Physical goods are produced, then stored, later sold, and still later consumed. In contrast, services are first sold, then produced and consumed at the same time. Service inseparability means the services cannot be separated from their providers, whether the providers are people or machines. If a service employee provides the service, then the employee is part of the service. Because the customer is also present as the service is produced, provider-customer interaction is a special feature of service marketing. Both the provider and the customer affect the service outcome. Service variability means the quality of services depends on whom provides them as well as when, where, and how they are provided. For example, some hotels – say, Marriot have reputations for providing better service than others. Still, within a given Marriot hotel, one registration-desk employee maybe cheerful and efficient, whereas another standing just a few feet away maybe unpleasant and slow. Even the quality of a single Marriot employee’s service varies according to his or her energy and frame of mind at the time of each customer encounter. Service perishability means that services cannot be stored for later sale or use. Some doctors charge patients for missed appointments because the service value existed only at that point and disappeared when the patient did not show up. The perishability of services is not a problem when the demand is steady. However, when demand fluctuates, service firms often have difficult problems. For example, because of rush-hour demand, public transportation companies have to own much more equipment than they would if demand were even throughout the day. Thus, service firms often design strategies for producing a better match between demand and supply. For instance, hotels and resorts charge lower prices in the off-season to attract more guests. Restaurants hire part-time employees to serve during peak periods.

Student Time Management Research

Student Time Management Research This chapter presents the discussion of the findings based on the study conducted. The summary of major finding of the study on how part 8 TESL students of UiTM Shah Alam is concluded in this chapter in order to know better how the students manage their time and provide recommendation and suggestions for further research. The analysis of the findings from the data collected for this study is obtained from part 8 TESL students of UiTM Shah Alam. The ages for the respondents were between 22 years to 31 years of age. However, the difference of the respondents age do not reflect the effect on the study as it is made only to know how the respondents manage their time throughout their study. The results of the current CGPA for the students varies and most of the respondents obtained 3.01-3.50. Respondents performance might be affected by the way they manage their time, as what they do is actually affected by how much time that they have. The way part 8 TESL students of UiTM Shah Alam manage their time differs from one another. Data collected by questionnaires shows that the way they manage time differs. This result is shown based on the answers that the respondents gave for the section B of the questionnaires. For the answers in section B, most of them agree to the same answers with high frequencies. Based on the answers given by the respondents, most of the students follow time to complete their assignment. It can be concluded that the students manage their work and do it according to the time scopes that were given to them. Nevertheless, the respondents stated that they have some problems in finishing their task, due to time constrains. According to some of the respondents, this happens because the students receive many assignments for their current semester. However, for the question that inquires about whether the respondents have sufficient time for both academic and their social life, half of them agree and the other half is not. The part 8 B.Ed. (Hons) TESL of UiTM take some minor subjects during their period of study which are counseling, literature and lastly, music. The workload given to them might be different according to the subjects that they take in which leads to different time usage for their task. However, most of them have clear ideas on what to accomplish for each assignments given to them. This shows that, it is up to them on when they are doing their tasks and assignments. Relating the previous statement, many of the students are experiencing problems in coping with other activities in their life throughout their study. This shows that they are affected much by the tasks has been given to them. Many of the respondents stated that they do keep their assignments and task given to them and come shortly to it shortly before due date. According to some respondents, they do their work before the dateline. However, they usually come up with the task right before the due date in which might produce time constrains for them. Apart from that, they also deal with the same tasks and assignments several time even though the tasks and the assignments given are simple and can be done easily. This is true for most of the respondents who answered the questionnaires. Due to this factor, only some of them agrees that their workloads are low if compared to the time that they posses. Majority of the respondents disagree with this, where they think that the workloads are ma ny. This is caused by the way they manage their daily life. Nevertheless, most of the students do have confusions on which task they should perform first as they have many works due. For the way they manage their time, most of the students agree that they have thought of changing their way on managing time in order to suit their needs better. Do the part 8 TESL students of UiTM have the same pattern of time management. For section C of the questionnaires, the questions are made to investigate on in what ways does time management affects part 8 TESL students of UiTM performance and learning outcomes during their study. First, from the answers given, the respondents agree that their time management has positively helped them to relax. This is true to most of the respondents, which reflects how they feel about the way they manage time. According to the answers provided by the respondents in the questionnaires, most of the respondents agree that they will make good preparation for the tasks or assignments given if they have sufficient or more time. Good preparation for their tasks will happen if the students have enough time to complete them. This is stated by most of the respondents in the questionnaires given, where this will happen when the students feels like doing so especially whenever they have ample time. Most of the students also agree that they manage time according to the way the people arou nd them, and the time is suited accordingly so that they may perform the tasks and assignments given together with their friends. This show how the students cope with their time and task so that they may conduct discussions among themselves. Time management of the students may as well be related to the time where they manage their assignment. Most of the students will spend time on simple tasks, keep themselves up to date with their readings, and reassess their tasks or assignments whenever they feel like having free time. However, many of the respondents are not able to do their tasks and assignments without rushing at the last minute. If the students have assignments that have been due a long time before, they will do it whenever they feel like doing so in which whenever they have free time, according to most of the answers given by the respondents. For this section, the respondents agrees that they suits their time more to the way they finding time for entertainment and socializi ng, but not suiting it for finding time to complete their tasks and assignments. The next section of the questionnaires is section D. This section is made to find the appropriate answer on how part 8 TESL students of UiTM cope with the academic and social life during their study period. Similar with the previous section, the questions included related on how they manage their time. Based on the answers given by most of the respondents, they do procrastinate in completing the tasks given by the lecturers. This may affect their class attendance, where based on their answer in the section they agree that they have been absent for their classes because of their need to do things such as unfinished assignments or task. To make the flow of the workloads simpler, the students do some division of tasks and assignments according to priority, as what the respondents reacts to a question in the section. One of the respondents also agrees with the statements that the division of works will provide some spaces for them to do works according to importance. To cope up with time constrains, the students also seek help from their friend or other people in order to complete their tasks and assignments. Most of the respondents agree with this and they even form discussion groups for particular subjects regarding their tasks and help their friends who are in need to finish their tasks. To cope with the academic and social life during their study period properly, the students should be able select appropriate time and tasks given to them, but in this section, most of the students accept inappropriate or unreasonable work requests. This matter has definitely limiting their time to perform previous task. On the other hands, half of the respondents, do some reading or their work during their free time such as while waiting for public transportations or during gaps of classes. These acts surely provide the students more time to do other works. The study was undertaken to evaluate the part 8 TESL students of UiTM Shah Alam time management conducted this study. This study is important in order to assess how students manage their time during their study and how it would affect their performance and achievements. Other than that, the findings of the study may be useful for the students if they want to further they study or even when they work later on, where they can reflect on their time management skills and adapt it later. This can assist and help in giving advantages in improving their performance and studies in the future. After doing the study and completing the data, several conclusions can be made based on the findings. According to the data collected, part 8 TESL students of UiTM have different pattern of time management. This can be stated by analyzing data collected. It can be said that, part 8 TESL students of UiTM Shah Alam do their work based on priority. The management of time by the students are in the same pattern where it is related to their amount of workload and their social life. The findings of the questionnaires managed to answer the first research stated previously. To obtain the information needed on how do part 8 TESL students of UiTM cope with the academic and social life during their study period, the data shows that the students use their time mostly to suit their needs for social life and entertainment. They manage their time mostly to have good preparation and to get more time to relax. However, time allocation for assignments and tasks will be prioritized if the number of task is high. The students will reassess their work and tasks if they have free time. Thus, for the second research question, the question is answered as the research uncovers how the students cope with the academic and social aspects of life base on their time management skills throughout their study. For the last research question, in which is to determine how time management affects part 8 TESL students of UiTM performance and learning outcomes. Part 8 students tend to make time available for socializing and not for their tasks. The data collected shows that in order for the students to perform well and do their work; the students seek help from others. They form study groups to discuss about academic matters. To makes time, the students fills in the gap of free time with readings and other things such as doing assignments. The students discuss on the academic matters and exchange ideas during group discussions. Here, we can conclude that the third research question is answered. This study has given an idea on how the students manage their time during their period of study. The following are recommendation based on the findings for this study. First, for the students, they should somehow re-evaluate their time management skills. In this scope, the students should focus more on the time they allocate for studying, revising and finishing their task. On the other hand, socializing skills of the students should be taken into account. They should know how to socialize well. The time allocated to socialize should be equal to the time allocated for their academic matters. The students should discuss more on difficult tasks or assignments to make it easier to be done. It is recommended that the tasks and assignments given should not be taken lightly, and should not be kept until the last minute or near the submission date. The faculty can also use the findings from the research to evaluate the amount of work given to the students. A good programme on time management skills can also be held in order to improve the students time management skills. With adequate time, the students will be able to manage their time well. Each individual should promote good time management to one another. This is because, a good time management skills can lead to a successful academic, the increase of productivity and decrease the amount of tension in doing their work (Lay Schouwenburg, 1993). The study examined the way part 8 TESL students of UiTM manage their time. For this research, the research is only limited to only part 8 TESL students of UiTM Shah Alam. One recommendation for this research is to expand the number of the respondents for the study. The findings of this study could be defined better and more accurate as the larger number of the respondents will give more data needed. In addition, other respondetns can also be included for this particular study. Students who are studying TESL in UiTM Shah Alam ranging from part 1 to part 8 students. For this particular study, it can be further done by making the same research to analyze on how TESL students of UiTM Shah Alam manage their time as a whole. This will make the data collected varies and better conclusion can be made. Better implementations of academic and social activities could also be made later based on the research recommended.

Malaysia As A Fully Developed Country Politics Essay

Malaysia As A Fully Developed Country Politics Essay The purpose of this paper is to present before you some thoughts on the future course of our nation and how we should go about to attain our objective of developing Malaysia into an industrialised country. Also outlined are some measures that should be in place in the shorter term so that the foundations can be laid for the long journey towards that ultimate objective.   Hopefully the Malaysian who is born today and in the years to come will be the last generation of our citizens who will be living in a country that is called developing. The ultimate objective that we should aim for is a Malaysia that is a fully developed country by the year 2020. What, you might rightly ask, is a fully developed country ? Do we want to be like any particular country of the present 19 countries that are generally regarded as developed countries ? Do we want to be like the United Kingdom, like Canada, like Holland, like Sweden, like Finland, like Japan ? To be sure, each of the 19, out of a world community of more than 160 states, has its strengths. But each also has its fair share of weaknesses. Without being a duplicate of any of them we can still be developed. We should be a developed country in our own mould. Malaysia should not be developed only in the economic sense. It must be a nation that is fully developed along all the dimensions: economically, politically, socially, spiritually, psychologically and culturally. We must be fully developed in terms of national unity and social cohesion, in terms of our economy, in terms of social justice, political stability, system of government, quality of life, social and spiritual values, national pride and confidence. Malaysia As A Fully Developed Country One Definition By the year 2020, Malaysia can be a united nation, with a confident Malaysian society, infused by strong moral and ethical values, living in a society that is democratic, liberal and tolerant, caring, economically just and equitable, progressive and prosperous, and in full possession of an economy that is competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient. There can be no fully developed Malaysia until we have finally overcome the nine central strategic challenges that have confronted us from the moment of our birth as an independent nation. The first of these is the challenges of establishing a united Malaysian nation with a sense of common and shared destiny. This must be a nation at peace with itself, territorially and ethnically integrated, living in harmony and full and fair partnership, made up of one Bangsa Malaysia with political loyalty and dedication to the nation. The second is the challenge of creating a psychologically liberated, secure, and developed Malaysian Society with faith and confidence in itself, justifiably proud of what it is, of what it has accomplished, robust enough to face all manner of adversity. This Malaysian Society must be distinguished by the pursuit of excellence, fully aware of all its potentials, psychologically subservient to none, and respected by the peoples of other nations. The third challenge we have always faced is that of fostering and developing a mature democratic society, practising a form of mature consensual, community-oriented Malaysian democracy that can be a model for many developing countries. The fourth is the challenge of establishing a fully moral and ethical society, whose citizens are strong in religious and spiritual values and imbued with the highest of ethical standards.   The fifth challenge that we have always faced is the challenge of establishing a matured, liberal and tolerant society in which Malaysians of all colours and creeds are free to practise and profess their customs,cultures and religious beliefs and yet feeling that they belong to one nation.   The sixth is the challenge of establishing a scientific and progressive society, a society that is innovative and forward-looking, one that is not only a consumer of technology but also a contributor to the scientific and technological civilisation of the future.   The seventh challenge is the challenge of establishing a fully caring society and a caring culture, a social system in which society will come before self, in which the welfare of the people will revolve not around the state or the individual but around a strong and resilient family system.   The eighth is the challenge of ensuring an economically just society. This is a society in which there is a fair and equitable distribution of the wealth of the nation, in which there is full partnership in economic progress. Such a society cannot be in place so long as there is the identification of race with economic function, and the identification of economic backwardness with race.   The ninth challenge is the challenge of establishing a prosperous society, with an economy that is fully competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient. We have already come a long way towards the fulfilment of these objectives. The nine central objectives listed need not be our order of priorities over the next three decades. Most obviously, the priorities of any moment in time must meet the specific circumstances of that moment in time.   But it would be surprising if the first strategic challenge which I have mentioned the establishment of a united Malaysian nation is not likely to be the most fundamental, the most basic.   Since much of what I will say this morning will concentrate on economic development, let me stress yet again that the comprehensive development towards the developed society that we want -however each of us may wish to define it -cannot mean material and economic advancement only. Far from it. Economic development must not become the be-all and the end-all of our national endeavours. Since this Council must concentrate on the issues of economic development and economic social justice, which for this nation must go hand in hand for the foreseeable future, let me expand on the perception of the central strategic challenges with regard to these two vital objectives.   At this point it is well to define in greater detail the objective of establishing an economically just society.   Of the two prongs of the NEP no one is against the eradication of absolute poverty -regardless of race, and irrespective of geographical location. All Malaysians, whether they live in the rural or the urban areas, whether they are in the south, north, east or west, must be moved above the line of absolute poverty.   This nation must be able to provide enough food on the table so that not a solitary Malaysian is subjected to the travesty of gross under-nourishment. We must provide enough by way of essential shelter, access to health facilities, and all the basic essentials. A developed Malaysia must have a wide and vigorous middle class and must provide full opportunities for those in the bottom third to climb their way out of the pit of relative poverty.   The second prong, that of removing the identification of race with major economic function is also acceptable except that somehow it is thought possible to achieve this without any shuffling of position. If we want to build an equitable society than we must accept some affirmative action. This will mean that in all the major and important sectors of employment, there should be a good mix of the ethnic groups that make up the Malaysian nation. By legitimate means we must ensure a fair balance with regard to the professions and all the major categories of employment. Certainly we must be as interested in quality and merit. But we must ensure the healthy development of a viable and robust Bumiputera commercial and industrial community.   A developed Malaysia should not have a society in which economic backwardness is identified with race. This does not imply individual income equality, a situation in which all Malaysians will have the same income. This is an impossibility because by sheer dint of our own individual effort, our own individual upbringing and our individual preferences, we will all have different economic worth, and will be financially rewarded differently. An equality of individual income as propounded by socialists and communists is not only not possible, it is not desirable and is a formula for disaster.   But I do believe that the narrowing of the ethnic income gap, through the legitimate provision of opportunities, through a closer parity of social services and infrastructure, through the development of the appropriate economic cultures and through full human resource development, is both necessary and desirable. We must aspire by the year 2020 to reach a stage where no-one can say that a particular ethnic group is inherently economically backward and another is economically inherently advanced. Such a situation is what we must work for efficiently, effectively, with fairness and with dedication.   A full partnership in economic progress cannot mean full partnership in poverty. It must mean a fair balance with regard to the participation and contribution of all our ethnic groups including the Bumiputeras of Sabah and Sarawak in the high-growth, modern sectors of our economy. It must mean a fair distribution with regard to the control , management and ownership of the modern economy.   In order to achieve this economically just society, we must escalate dramatically our programmes for national human resource development. There is a need to ensure the creation of an economically resilient and fully competitive Bumiputera community so as to be at par with the NonBumiputera community. There is need for a mental revolution and a cultural transformation. Much of the work of pulling ourselves up by our boot-straps must be done ourselves. In working for the correction of the economic imbalances, there has to be the fullest emphasis on making the needed advances at speed and with the most productive results at the lowest possible economic and societal cost.   With regard to the establishment of a prosperous society, we can set many aspirational goals. I believe that we should set the realistic (as opposed to aspirational) target of almost doubling our real gross domestic product every t en years between 1990 and 2020 AD. If we do this, our GDP should be about eight times larger by the year 2020 than it was in 1990. Our GDP in 1990 was 115 billion Ringgit. Our GDP in 2020 should therefore be about 920 billion Ringgit in real (1990 Ringgit) terms.   This rapid growth will require that we grow by an average of about 7 per cent (in real terms) annually over the next 30 years. Admittedly this is on optimistic projection but we should set our sights high if we are to motivate ourselves into striving hard. We must guard against growth fixation, the danger of pushing for growth figures oblivious to the needed commitment to ensure stability, to keep inflation low, to guarantee sustainability, to develop our quality of life and standard of living, and the achievement of our other social objectives. It will be a difficult task, with many peaks and low points. But I believe that this can be done. In the 1960s, we grew by an annual average of 5.1 per cent; in the 1970s, the first decade of the NEP, Malaysia grew by an average of 7.8 per cent; in the 1980s, because of the recession years, we grew by an annual average of 5.9 per cent. If we take the last thirty years, our GDP rose annually in real terms by an average of 6.3 per cent. If we take the last twenty years, we grew by an annual average of 6.9 per cent. What is needed is an additional 0.1 per cent growth. Surely if we all pull together God willing this 0.1% can be achieved.   If we do succeed, and assuming roughly a 2.5 per cent annual rate of population growth, by the year 2020, Malaysians will be four times richer (in real terms) than they were in 1990. That is the measure of the prosperous society we wish and hopefully we can achieve.   The second leg of our economic objective should be to secure the establishment of a competitive economy. Such an economy must be able to sustain itself over the longer term, must be dynamic, robust and resilient. It must mean, among other things: A diversified and balanced economy with a mature and widely based industrial sector, a modern and mature agriculture sector and an efficient and productive and an equally mature services sector; an economy that is quick on its feet, able to quickly adapt to changing patterns of supply, demand and competition; an economy that is technologically proficient, fully able to adapt, innovate and invent, that is increasingly technology intensive, moving in the direction of higher and higher levels of technology; an economy that has strong and cohesive industrial linkages throughout the system; an economy driven by brain-power, skills and diligence in possession of a wealth of information, with the knowledge of what to do and how to do it; an economy with high and escalating productivity with regard to every factor of production; an entrepreneurial economy that is self reliant, outward looking and enterprising; an economy sustained by an exemplary work ethic, quality consciousness and the quest for excellence; an economy characterised by low inflation and a low cost of living; an economy that is subjected to the full discipline and rigour of market forces.   Most of us in this present Council will not be there on the morning of January 1, 2020 Not many, I think. The great bulk of the work that must be done to ensure a fully developed country called Malaysia a generation from now will obviously be done by the leaders who follow us, by our children and grand-children. But we should make sure that we have done our duty in guiding them with regard to what we should work to become. And let us lay the secure foundations that they must build upon. Some Key Public Sector Economic Policies Some Key Public Sector Economic Policies For The Forseeable Future Since the early 1980s, we have stressed that this country will rely on the private sector as the primary engine of economic growth. In a way we were ahead of the rest of the world, even the developed countries in entrusting economic growth to the private sector.   In the early years, our fledgling private sector could not fully respond to the challenge that was issued. Then came the unpredictable and difficult recession and slowdown years. However in the last three years the private sector has bloomed and responded. The policy is now bearing fruit. The outcome: in 1988, we grew in real terms by 8.9 per cent; in 1989, by 8.8 per cent; in 1990, by 9.4 per cent without expansionary budgetting by the Government. Even the tiger economies of North East Asia have not done so well.   No nation can afford to abandon a winning formula. And this nation will not. For the forseeable future, Malaysia will continue to drive the private sector, to rely on it as the primary engine of growth.   In the meantime the Government will continue to downsize of its role in the field of economic production and business. The State cannot of course retreat totally from the economic life of Malaysia. It will not abdicate its responsibility for overseeing and providing the legal and regulatory framework for rapid economic and social development.   The Government will be pro active to ensure healthy fiscal and monetary management and the smooth functioning of the Malaysian economy. It will escalate the development of the necessary physical infrastructure and the most conducive business environment consistent with its other social priorities. And where absolutely neccessary the Government will not be so completly bound by its commitment to withdrawal from the economic role, that it will not intervene. It will play its role judiciously and actively. The process of de-regulation will continue. There can be no doubt that regulations are an essential part of the governance of society, of which the economy is a part. A state without laws and regulations is a state flirting with anarchy. Without order, there can be little business and no development. What is not required is over regulation although it may not be easy to decide when the Government is over regulating. Wisdom lies of course in the ability to distinguish between those laws and regulations which are productive of our societal objectives and those that are not; and it lies in making the right judgements with regard to the trade offs. Thus Governments will be neither foolish nor irresponsible, and will cater to the needs of the wider society as well as the requirements of rapid growth and a competitive, robust and resilient economy. It will be guided by the knowledge that the freeing of enterprise too not only laws and regulations, and state intervention can contribute to the achievement of the wider social objectives. In this light and given the fact that there are clear areas of unproductive regulation which need to be phased out, you can expect the process of productive de- regulation to continue. The recent move of Bank Negara to de-regulate the BLR regime is an example in point. Privatisation will continue to be an important cornerstone of our national development and national efficiency strategy. This policy is not founded on ideological belief. It is aimed specifically at enhancing competitiveness, efficiency and productivity in the economy, at reducing the administrative and financial burdens on the Government and at expediting the attainment of national distributional goals. In implementing our privatisation policy, the Government is fully aware of the need to protect public interest, to ensure that the poor are provided access to essential services, to guarantee that quality services are provided at minimum cost, to avoid unproductive monopolistic practices and to ensure the welfare of workers. There will be problems. No endeavour comes without a price tag. But it is clear enough that this policy has thus far generated positive results and we can expect its implementation to be accelerated in the future. With the completion of the Privatisation Master Plan Study, I believe that many of the bottlenecks and rigidities that obstruct the progress of the needed privatisation will be removed, thus accelerating its smooth implementation. There will be in the years ahead an Accelerated Industrialisation Drive, a drive that is not based on a fascination with industry but on the simple truth that if we want to develop rapidly -in a situation where the developed economies will be moving out of industrialisation into a post industrial stage this is the way to go. If we are to industrialise rapidly, we will need to capitalise on our national strengths and forcefully tackle our weaknesses. In pursuit of this policy, the Government will need to deal with the problem of a narrow manufacturing base. In 1988, 63 per cent of total Malaysian manufactured exports came from the electrical and electronic and textile industries. Electronics alone accounted for 50 per cent of total manufactured exports. We must diversify. Despite the most rapid development in the free trade zones insignificant demand has been generated for local intermediate products. We will have to deal with the problem of weak industrial linkages. There is inadequate development of indigenous technology. There is too little value- added, too much simple assembly and production. There is also a need to counter rising production costs brought about by rising costs of labour, raw materials and overheads by improving efficiency and productivity. There is a serious shortage of skilled manpower. All these and many more issues will need to be addressed. Small and medium scale industries have an important role to play in generating employment opportunities, in strengthening industrial linkages, in penetrating markets and generating export earnings. They have a crucial role as a spawning ground for the birth of tomorrows entrepreneurs. The Government will devise appropriate assistance schemes and will seek to raise the level of management expertise, technological know-how and skills of the employees in this very important and in many ways neglected sector of our economy. The SMIs will be one of the primary foundations for our future industrial thrust. The Government is fully committed to its healthiest development. Just as we must diversify the products we export so must we diversify the markets we export to. Malaysian exporters must look also at the non traditional markets. It will require new knowledge, new networks, new contacts and new approaches towards dealing with unfamiliar laws, rules and regulation. It will be uncomfortable but it would be a mistake to consider that it is not worth the discomfort to deal with these markets. Alone they may be small but cumulatively the market of the developing Asian, African and Latin America countries are big. If the developed countries find it worth while to export to these markets then it must be worth while for us also. The Government will help but the private sector must play their part. Reliance on export- led growth is still the way to rapid growth. Entry into the world market pits our companies against all comers and subjects them to the full force of international competition. This is a challange we must accept not simply because the domestic market is too small but because in the long run it will actually enrich our domestic market and reduce our dependence on export. We must persist with export-led growth despite the global slowdown, despite the rise of protectionism, trade blocs and managed trade. When the going is tougher, we must not turn inward. We simply have no choice but to be more lean, more resourceful, more productive and generally more competitive, more able to take on the world. 56. The liberalisation of the Malaysian economy has had beneficial result and contributed towards a more dynamic growth. Obviously, liberalisation must be undertaken responsibly and in stages so as not to create economic uncertainty and impose excessive structural adjustment costs. We should take into the fullest consideration Malaysias capacity to undertake liberalisation. We should not dismiss the infant industry argument, but we should not bow to illegitimate pressure. At the same time, productive liberalisation ensures that our private sector will be less reliant on artificial profits and on protection, which benefits some producers at the expense of consumers and other producers. Infants must grow up. They must grow up to be sturdy and strong. And this cannot be done if they are over-protected. For reasons that are obvious, the Government will continue to foster the inflow of foreign investment. This is essential for Malaysias Accelerated Industrialisation Drive. Again, we will not abandon a winning strategy. But we will fine-tune it to ensure that measures are in place to ensure that Malaysia maximises the net benefit from the inflow of foreign investment. In the past, the domestic private sector has largely failed to meet the targets set in successive Malaysia Plans. Apparently domestic investors feel that the Government has not devoted enough effort to the fostering of domestic investment as we have devoted to those from overseas. This is not completely true but we will redress the situation as we get better feed back. Small and medium scale enterprises must be assisted to grow bigger. Surplus savings and domestic capital must be more productively channeled into investments. Entrepreneurs must be spawned. Where necessary, technological and training help must be extended; and infrastructural support must be given. It is worthwhile to stress again that the development that we need cannot take place without the infrastructural underpinning. We must keep one step ahead of demand and need. In the recent Budget, we clearly stated what we will do in the shorter term. The Sixth Malaysia Plan will make clear what we will do in the medium term while the second outline perspective Plan will indicate the direction over the long term. The Government is fully aware of the infrastructure bottlenecks and of the need for massive investments in the years to come. We will not let growth to be retarded by excessive congestion and investment indigestion, as has happened in many countries. In our drive to move vigorously ahead nothing is more important then the development of human resources. From the experience in the last two decades of all the economic miracles of the countries that have been poor in terms of natural resources, it is blindingly clear that the most important resource of any nation must be the talents, skills, creativity and will of its people. What we have between our ears, at our elbow and in our heart is much more important than what we have below our feet and around us. Our people is our ultimate resource. Without a doubt, in the 1990s and beyond, Malaysia must give the fullest emphasis possible to the development of this ultimate resource. Malaysia has one of the best educational systems in the Third World. But for the journey that we must make over our second generation, new standards have to be set and new results achieved. We cannot but aspire to the highest standards with regard to the skills of our people, to their devotion to knowhow and knowledge upgrading and self-improvement, to their language competence, to their work attitudes and discipline, to their managerial abilities, to their achievement motivation, their attitude towards excellence and to the fostering of the entrepreneurial spirit. We cannot afford to neglect the importance of entrepreneurship and entrepreneural development, which goes, of course beyond training and education. We must ensure the correct mix with regard to professionals, sub-professionals, craftsmen and artisans, and the correct balance with regard to those with competence in science and technology, the a rts and social sciences. In the development of human resources we cannot afford to neglect half the population i.e. the Bumiputeras. If they are not brought into the mainstream, if their potentials are not fully developed, if they are allowed to be a milestone around the national neck, then our progress is going to be retarded by that much. No nation can achieve full progress with only half its human resources harnessed. What may be considered a burden now can, with the correct attitude and management be the force that lightens our burden and hasten our progress. The Bumiputeras must play their part fully in the achievement of the national goal. Inflation is the bane of all economic planners. Fortunately except during the first oil shock when inflation went up to 17%, Malaysia has managed to keep inflation low. We must continue to keep it low. The Government, the business sector, and the people must be committed to keeping it low. The only real way to combat inflation is to live within ones means. If we cannot afford we just dont buy. In Malaysia this is possible for we can produce practically all we need in terms of food, shelter and clothing. When recently we had a recession, life was bearable because we were able to buy our needs at roughly the same price i.e. we had practically no inflation. Now that we have more money, demand pull is slowly forcing prices up. So although we may be more prosperous now, although we may be financially wealthier now, but in terms of purchasing power we are not as well-off as we should be. The public must understand what causes inflation and must be disciplined enough to combat it . In some countries when inflation rates go up to thousands of per cent per year, Governments have been changed again and again without inflation being contained. The reason is that the people are not disciplined and prepared to restrain themselves. No Government can put a stop to inflation unless the people are prepared to accept the discomfort of austerity. In the fight against inflation nothing is more effective than education and discipline among the people. In an interdependent trading world, the exchange rate plays a vital role. Too cheap a currency will increase import bills and debt payment but it will make exports competitive. But the full benefit of a low exchange rate on export can be negated by the cost of imported material which go into the exported products. A high currency value will enrich our people, particularly in terms of buying imported luxuries but our exports will not be competitive and the economy will eventually be adversely affected. Clearly the management of the exchange rate is of extreme importance to the progress of our nation. There is only a limited ability to manipulate. In the final analysis it is how we balance our trade that will determine how our currency is valued. Malaysia must learn to be competitive through higher productivity rather than through manipulating exchange rates. Again the people must understand their role, particularly with regard to productivity. In a world of high technology Malaysia cannot afford to lag behind. We cannot be in the front line of modern technology but we must always try to catch up at least in those fields where we may have certain advantages. We have already adopted a National Plan of Action for Industrial Technology Development. This is the easy part. We must now proceed expeditiously to the enormously difficult task of implementation. The Government will certainly provide the necessary commitment and leadership to this national endeavour. The institutional and support infrastructure will be put in place to ensure rapid, realistic, focussed and market driven development of our technological capabilities. But let us never forget that technology is not for the laboratory but the factory floor and the market. The private sector and our people must respond. Far too often the results of research are ignoured in favour of the tried and tested moneyspinners. It has been said that the secret of Japans success is its skill in applying research results to marketable products. If we dont do this we are going to be left behind whatever may be the level of our technology. While increasing our industrial manufacturing sector, Malaysia must make sure that our agriculture and services sector will not be neglected. We must advance. We must strive for efficiency, modernity and competitiveness. These should be the key guiding principles of our national policy towards agriculture, tourism and the fullest development of the entire services sector. Nor can we afford to neglect the rural sector of our economy and society. In the years ahead, we must work for a second rural development transformation, restructuring the villages so as to be compatible with both agriculture and modern industry. Less and less farmers should produce more and more food, thus releasing manpower for an industrial society. While doing all these we must also ensure that our valuable natural resources are not wasted. Our land must remain productive and fertile, our atmosphere clear and clean, our water unpolluted, our forest resources capable of regeneration, able to yield the needs of our national development. The beauty of our land must not be desecrated for it s own sake and for our economic advancement. In the information age that we are living in the Malaysian society must be information rich. It can be no accident that there is today no wealthy, developed country that is information -poor and no information-rich country that is poor and undeveloped. There was a time when land was the most fundamental basis of prosperity and wealth. Then came the second wave, the age of industrialisation. Smokestacks rose where the fields were once cultivated. Now, increasingly, knowledge will not o

Christopher Columbus Essay -- Christopher Columbus Essays

Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteen-hundred-ninty-two. He came over from Spain in three ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria and discovered America, or at least that was what I was taught in elementary school. Since then there has been much controversy going on over the issue of weather or not Christopher Columbus really â€Å"discovered† America because when he landed in San Salvador he was not alone. Native Americans already inhabited the land and they had been there long before Columbus, but this doesn’t mean that he should be atacked stripped of his dignity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reed Irvine, chariman, and Joe Goulden, director of the media analysis for Accuracy in Media, state in the acticle History Should Continue to Acknoledge Columbus as a Discoverer:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The â€Å"presence† of the North American Continent had been known to the persons living   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  there for centuries before arrival. But Columbus, and those who followed him, recognized   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the significance of the New World; in this sense they certainly deserve credit for having   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"discovered† America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Over five hundred years ago he landed in the Americas and now we are starting to question weather or not he should be given credit for discovering America. This doesn’t seem fare. After so many years without controversy it’s just been recently that we have started to question the lagitamitity of his discovery. What brought on this sudden change? Perhaps is was the coming of the five hundred year celebration of our country that brought this on, or maybe now some of the Native Americans are finally starting to speak out, but no matter what the reason may be it shouldn’t be taking place. Columbus should still be given the credit for discovering America. It was the first time that anyone was recognized for landing on a new continent and he still deserves respect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Irvine and Goulden feel bad for Columbus, too. â€Å"Poor Christopher Columbus. Five hundred years after the fact, the explorer is beng stripped of recognition as the man who ‘discovered’ America and the New World.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many people who bel... ...;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  quest for new frontiers continues today as earthlings burst terrestrial bonds and begin the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  endless voyage beyond planet and galaxy into the illimitable dark.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  That desire to go where no one has ever been before is inside of all of us. All of us enjoy exploring new teritory that we have never been on before. It’s that thrill and excitement that fills our heart and soles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Columbus landed on the new land he put a flag in the ground claiming it for Spain. Then he met the Native Americans and was very friendly to them. â€Å"I want the natives to develop a friendly attitude toward us because I know that they are a people who can be made free and converted to our Holy Faith more by love thwn by force,† Columbus wrote in his journal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From everything that we know thus far there isn’t a big enough reason as to why we should all of the sudden stop recognizing Columbus as the founder of our nation. Therefore, he should be given recignition of his accompishments and still be known as the one who discovered America.

Defining a Higher Education Essay -- Expository Definition Essays

Defining a Higher Education A university education is the key to a career, not just a job; it is a higher education that stimulates the brain to handle new challenges, and the intelligence to view the bigger picture of life. Students who attend college are seeking the knowledge it takes to live a better life. Two authors who discuss their views on education in their essays are Jon Spayde, â€Å"Learning in the Key of Life† and John Henry Newman, â€Å"The Idea of University.† Both essays discuss the importance of a higher education, but each author has a different definition. In the essay, â€Å"Learning in the Key of Life,† Jon Spayde relates education from a university to the real world, and defines education as a connection between reality and ideas (62). Spayde’s main point in the essay is that a quality education is obtained through living life. According to Spayde, â€Å"There is no divide in American life that hurts more than the one between those we consider well educated and those who are poorly or inadequately schooled†(60). He denies that emphasis should be placed on tech...

Mind Control Essay

Have you ever walked around a shopping mall intending to go to only one store, yet two hours later you’re still in the mall and you haven’t walked into the only store you planned to go into? What pulled you into the other stores? You were just walking down and all of a sudden you smelled a whiff of some good scent, so you walk into Abercrombie and Fitch. The smell hooked you in and then you began looking at clothes and the time just got the best of you and your money. Abercrombie and Fitch used a form of mind control to hook you in and get you to walk into their store and then buy their product. Today we will discuss the topic of mind control, how it affects us as students today, and how the media shapes our ideals and values with mind control. Mind control is defined in psychology as Social Influence. Social influence occurs every minute of every day. It’s the many ways in which people can manipulate other people’s perspectives beliefs and ethics. For instance, The Compliance Method is intent to make a shift in a person’s behavior, not in his perspective or belief. This is one of the biggest advertising campaigns that are being used so successfully today. It’s the â€Å"Just do it† approach. Persuasion, on the other hand, aims for a change in attitude, or â€Å"Do it because it will make you feel Blissful, Healthy, or prosperous.† Whereas the Education Method (which is called the propaganda method if you don’t believe what is being taught.) attempts to alter a distortion in a person’s beliefs, saying something along the lines of â€Å"Do it because you know it’s the right thing to do.† A common way that millions of people get brainwashed as young adults is as being students. Grading, humiliation, favoritism and other techniques, are used in most school systems to punish and reward certain behaviors and ideas. An abundance amount of kids learn in school for example, that t hey are secondary, stupid, inadequate, untalented , and failures thanks to absentmindedness or intended brainwashing done by teachers, who are commonly themselves brainwashed. Students furthermore learn not to be creative, not to question authority, not to be individuals or do things that differ from the mainstream way. Subconsciously they dread the disciplinary action and humiliation that came when they were in school years before. This is mainly the reason many adults  are afraid to ask their questions and thereafter never learn new things. This condition affects thousands worldwide and limits adult intellectual growth. Perhaps the most powerful, yet the least recognized form of brainwashing is in the media. The media affects our thought patterns, expectations, priorities and relationships. The advertising industry influences parents by making them feel that they can buy their children’s love. They accomplish this through linking love and guilt with the purchase of products. Instead of being a good parent, they minimize they’re guilt by buying their kid the newest product on the market. Parents spend approximately 16 hours a week with their children; while they’re children spend about 40 hours a week on any sort of media. This shocking statistic shows just exactly what is most influential in a child’s life. The media especially preys on kids and teens under the age of 24, because this is when they’re brains are most impressionable. You’ve probably noticed many teenagers imitating the dress and even the speech patterns of the rich and famous. Take the Kardashian’s for example, how many girls do you see trying to talk like Kim or look like Kyle? Isn’t it scary how easily influenced we are by what’s going on around us? Brainwashing happens every minute of every day. Whether it’s from the constant media were always hooked into, our upbringing or just the society we are living in today. Now that we are aware of what’s going on around us, we can make sure we agree with what is being fed to us and not just â€Å"do it† because were told it will make us feel a certain way, because it’s the right thing to do, or just do it because everyone else is.

Curley’s wife in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Essay

John Steinbeck at the beginning of the novel creates dislike towards Curley’s wife. However by the end of the novel we feel sympathy for her. Steinbeck uses many different techniques to present Curley’s wife such as†¦ Colour imagery Appearance Metaphors Similes Dialogue Foreshadowing Descriptive words QUOTES The rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off Tart E ver’body out doin’ som’pin’. Ever’body! An’ what am i doin’? Standin’ here talkin’ to a bunch of bindle stiffs—a nigger an’ a dum-dum and a lousy ol’ sheep—an’ likin’ it because they ain’t nobody else.† well, you keep your place then, nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny. ‘I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.’ ‘I could made somethin’ of myself†¦Maybe I will yet.’ ‘Coulda been in the movies.’ ‘I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella.’ On Lennie ‘Jus’ like a big baby.’ ‘Her body flopped like a fish’ ‘He pawed up the hay.’ CONTEXT Curley’s wife is the only women at the ranch, women in 1930’s America where treated as less just like Curley’s wife. Women where seen as unintelligent and this is just like Steinbeck portrays Curley’s wife. Also in 1930’s America blacks and whites did not get along. There were many segregated places like hospitals and church’s etc. people where racists just like Curley’s wife was towards Crooks. Curley’s Wife Curley’s wife knows her beauty is her power, and she uses it to flirt with the men at the ranch and make her husband jealous. Steinbeck at the beginning portrays Curley’s wife to be mean and seductive. She brings evil into the men’s lives by tempting them in a way they cannot resist. Eventually, she ends the dream of, the little farm where George and Lennie wanted to live.