Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Causes Of Corruption Essay Example for Free

Causes Of Corruption Essay The paper stresses the need to keep the issue of corruption squarely in view in the development agenda. It discusses the causes and consequences of corruption, especially in the context of a least developed country with considerable regulation and central direction. Lack of transparency, accountability and consistency, as well as institutional weaknesses such as in the legislative and judicial systems, provide fertile ground for growth of rent seeking activities in such a country. In addition to the rise of an underground economy and the high social costs associated with corruption, its adverse consequences on income distribution, consumption patterns, investment, the government budget and on economic reforms are highlighted in the paper. The paper also touches upon the supply side of bribery and its international dimensions and presents some thoughts on how to address the corruption issue and to try and bring it under control. There is a growing worldwide concern over corruption at the present time. Several factors are responsible for this. First, a consensus has now been reached that corruption is universal. It exists in all countries, both developed and developing, in the public and private sectors, as well as in non-profit and charitable organizations. Second, allegations and charges of corruption now play a more central role in politics than at any other time. Governments have fallen, careers of world renowned public figures ruined, and reputations of well-respected organizations and business firms badly tarnished on account of it. The international mass media feeds on it and scandals and improper conduct, especially of those in high places, are looked upon as extremely newsworthy, and to be investigated with zeal and vigour. The rising trend in the use of corruption as a tool to discredit political opponents, the media’s preoccupation with it as a highly marketable commodity, and the general pu blic’s fascination with seeing prominent personalities in embarrassing situations have brought scandalous and corrupt behaviour, a common human frailty, into the limelight of international attention. Third – and the main issue taken up in this paper – is that corruption can be a major obstacle in the process of economic development and in modernizing a country. Many now feel that it should receive priority attention in a country’s development agenda. This greater recognition that corruption can have a serious adverse impact on development has been a cause for concern among developing countries. In a recent survey of 150 high level officials from 60 third world countries, the respondents ranked public sector corruption as the most severe obstacle confronting their development process (Gray and Kaufmann 1998). Countries in the Asia and Pacific region are also very worried about this problem and they are in substantial agreement that corruption is a major constraint that is hindering their economic, political and social development, and hence view it as a problem requiring urgent attention at the highest level. Increasing public interest and concern over corruption have resulted in a large amount of scholarly research on the subject. Admittedly, there are still wide gaps in the current state of information and knowledge on the matter and much more remains to be done. Nevertheless, theoretical and empirical research that has been conducted thus far has yielded fresh insights into the problem. We now have a clearer understanding of the underlying causes of corruption, its consequences, and ideas and approaches on possible measures to combat it. At the same time, a better perspective has been obtained on the reasons why corruption persists in so many countries, and why it is difficult to deal with, although people throughout the world view it with disfavour. This paper presents some ideas and issues that have emerged from the current discussion and ongoing debate on the corruption question in the region and around the world. It considers the causes, consequences and international dimensions of corruption, which seem to have generated a lot of public attention in many countries. Thoughts and suggestions on possible remedial measures have also been included as it would not be a fruitful exercise to only discuss issues and problems, without coming forward with some solutions as well. The aim of the paper is to create greater awareness of the subject and to highlight the desirability to keep it in view in thinking about development issues, especially in the context of a least developed country. I. DEFINITION AND CONCEPTS Definition In this paper, corruption is defined as the use of public office for private gain, or in other words, use of official position, rank or status by an office bearer for his own personal benefit. Following from this definition, examples of corrupt behaviour would include: (a) bribery, (b) extortion, (c) fraud, (d) embezzlement, (e) nepotism, (f) cronyism, (g) appropriation of public assets and property for private use, and (h) influence peddling. In this list of corrupt behaviour, activities such as fraud and embezzlement can be undertaken by an official alone and without involvement of a second party. While others such as bribery, extortion and influence peddling involve two parties – the giver and taker in a corrupt deal. The two party type of corruption can arise under a variety of circumstances. Often mentioned are concerned with the following: (i) Government contracts: bribes can influence who gets the contract, the terms of the contract, as well as terms of subcontracts when the project is implemented. Government benefits: bribes can influence the allocation of monetary benefits such as credit subsidies and favoured prices and exchange rates where price controls and multiple exchange rates exist. Bribes can also be important in obtaining licenses and permits to engage in lucrative economic activities such as importing certain goods in high demand and in short supply. Moreover, bribes can be employed to acquire in-kind benefits such as access to privileged schools, subsidized medical care, subsidized housing and real estate, and attractive ownership stakes in enterprises that are being privatized. Government revenue: bribes can be used to reduce the amount of taxes, fees, dues, custom duties, and electricity and other public utility charges collected from business firms and private individuals. Time savings and regulatory avoidance: bribes can speed up the granting of permission, licenses and permits to carry out activities that are perfectly legal. This is the so-called â€Å"grease money† to turn the wheels of bureaucracy more smoothly, speedily and hopefully in the right direction. It is also not difficult to think of a really awful situation where rules and regulations, and the way they are applied, are so complex and burdensome that the only way left to get things done is to pay money to avoid them. Influencing outcomes of legal and regulatory processes: bribes can be used to provide incentives to regulatory authorities to refrain from taking action, and to look the other way, when private parties engage in activities that are in violation of existing laws, rules and regulations such as those relating to controlling pollution, preventing health hazards, or promoting public safety as in the case of building codes and traffic regulations. Similarly, bribes can be given to favour one party over another in court cases or in other legal and regulatory proceedings. Economic rent The concept of economic rent (or monopoly profit) occupies a central place in the literature on the subject of corruption. Economic rent arises when a person has something unique or special in his possession. This something special can be a luxury condominium in a posh neighbourhood, a plot of land in the central business district of the city, a natural resource like an oil well, or even some pleasing personal traits such as beauty and charm. A person who owns such a special asset can charge a more than normal price for its use and earn economic rent or monopoly profit. To illustrate, suppose there is a young lady who has breathtakingly good looks, a charming personality, and exceptional acting, singing and dancing skills. Due to these special personal assets, she becomes a superstar and a heartthrob of teenagers all over the country and thus commands a princely sum for her appearances. But what exactly is her economic rent? To determine this, it is necessary to know the next best thing she can do to earn a living if she is not a superstar. Suppose she has a law degree so the next best occupation she can take up is to become a lawyer. Then the difference between her income as a superstar and the earnings she can obtain from her next best occupation (as a lawyer), is her economic rent for having an unusually pretty face, charm, and superb singing, dancing and acting talents – a winning combination which no other young lady in the country can match. A similar line of reasoning can be applied to a minor bureaucrat working in the business license issuing office of a government ministry. Suppose this bureaucrat has the responsibility of typing, stamping the official seal, getting the appropriate signatures and delivering the authorization letter that grants permission to business enterprises to engage in a certain line of economic activity. Business executives are anxious to have the letter typed expeditiously and correctly, and have it properly stamped, signed, sealed and delivered and are willing to pay a price for this special service. Hence the bureaucrat who has a monopoly of typing, stamping and processing the letter can use his official position to acquire economic rent from his clients. A useful approach to find out the amount of his economic rent is to think of what he can earn if he is fired from the licensing office.

Monday, January 20, 2020

The Elusiveness of War and the Tenuousness of Morality in Tim O?Brien?s

The Elusiveness of War and the Tenuousness of Morality in Tim O’Brien’s â€Å"The Things They Carried,† â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story,† and â€Å"Style†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the novel The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien demonstrates how exposure to the atrocities of nations at war leads to the soldiers having skewed perspectives on what is right and wrong, predominantly at times when the purpose of the war itself appears elusive. The ambiguity that consumes the stories of â€Å"The Things They Carried† and â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story† is displayed with irony, for the ‘moral’ of such war stories is that there is no moral at all. O’Brien portrays the character Mitchell Sanders as an observer who seeks the morals to be found through the war fatalities; however, he depicts these morals in a manner that actually stresses the impiety of the situations above all else. The characters in this novel are at the forefront of the Vietnam War, thus blinded by carnage that soon begins to obscure any prior notions held about what is moralistic and what is not. The death of Ted Lavender in â€Å"The Things They Carried† leads to Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’ moral blunder which is brought about by his guilt over the horror of the incident: Lieutenant Cross felt the pain. He blamed himself [†¦] He pictured Martha’s smooth young face [†¦] and now Ted Lavender was dead because he loved her so much and could not stop thinking about her. When the dustoff arrived, they carried Lavender aboard. Afterward they...

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Conflict Management Essay

Any manager knows that conflict is something that is going to arise in any work place sometime or another. Any manager has to know how to deal with and overcome. Although when people hear the word conflict, they think that something bad may have happened, that is not necessary true. Conflict simply comes from differing viewpoints, because no two people are exactly alike, disagreement is quite normal between people. There are many different forms of conflicts, and can be within yourself when you are not living according to your values or it may arise when your values and perspective are threatened or discomfort from fear of the unknown. As stated earlier, conflict is not necessarily bad. It can help raise and address problems that are needed to be corrected and the organization can benefit from that. It can help motivate employees to participate in the decision-making process, because sometimes debating over issues can lead to interesting facts that others may not of realized or may not of though was a important. Conflict can also help people learn how to recognize and benefit from their differences, because then they can understand where another co-worker is coming from. The only time conflict can be a bad things, is when it is poorly managed or not understood within the workplace, and the ‘obvious’ leads to violence. Conflict can occur for many reasons in the workplace and some of the elements are poor communication between management and employees-most times this may arise when an employee does not interpret what the manager was saying, or tries to remember what it was the manager wanted done; the alignment or the amount of resources is insufficient-if a manager does not give enough resources for the employee to complete the project at hand, it can leave room for the organization’s competitors benefit; conflicting values or actions among managers and employees and poor leadership-if there are people that are in manager positions and do not have the right qualities to lead, that can reflect on the employees as well. Managers can minimize conflict in the workplace by reviewing the job descriptions and getting employees input on them. By doing this, managers knows how the employee is reacting to their position and can add more tasks or find a position that may better suit the employee. He/she needs to intentionally build relationships with all their employees that they manage. This can be accomplished by meeting with each employee alone at least once a month, quarterly or as needed depending on the size or time factor. Ask about the employee accomplishment, challenges and issues. Have employees do a written status report that include current issues, ideas, and evaluation on the management. Develop procedures for routine tasks and include input from the employees. Distribute a copy of the procedures to each employee and ask them to review it and make sure that everyone is on an agreement on the reports. Insure that each employee is trained on all procedures they need to perform, and if anyone is in question on their position give them the proper resources that they may seek. How a conflict is managed depends on the organization and the person standing in as the manager. Their skills on handling a situation will be weighed on they type of style they use to deal with such issues. In my current position, there is no managing administrative setting because we are so small. Everyone usually handles their workload and for the most part keeps to him or herself. Right now, we are in trust of everyone on doing his or her part. If there is a conflict between a situation or between employees whether it being a lack of communication or misplace of information, we all talk it out to find the issue. There is no real conflict between individuals. I am sure after our corporation grows, different managing styles will come into play, because like stated before not everyone is the same. According to the assessment that I completed, it was determined that I used the collaboration approach to conflict management. I pretty much knew that I had this style of management, because of situations that have arise not only in past work environments, but groups that I have been in. I believe that information from both parties is crucial, when trying to handle a situation.  It helps me determine who is at fault, or what information is still need to complete the task successfully. I also like to give positive feedback, to ensure that my employees understand that I do value not only their work, but them as well. When you give positive feedback as often as possible, this will cut down on many misunderstanding. When a problem between two people occurs it should be confronted immediately. If this problem continues, it will only escalate and become bigger the longer it goes on. I also believe that you should allow the other person to finish talking before you open your mouth. When you interrupt the other person, you might miss an important point that they are trying to make, or make them feel as you are not really listening to what they are saying, but also it’s common courtesy. I believe in seeking clarification from the other person, rather than jumping to a conclusion, because I don’t want to go off thinking one thing and the person really meant something else. I also believe that a conflict between two people should be dealt with in private, and not become group involvement. In conclusion, I think that the most important thing to remember when you are dealing with more than one person, you need to understand each other’s management styles as well as understanding that not everyone is the same. Conflict simply comes from differing viewpoints. Dealing with conflict as a manager takes special elements to mange â€Å"not† to or, conquer the situations that may arise between you, other people, or the organization. Bibliography Schermerhorn, Jr., J.P., Hunt, J.G., Osborn, R.N. Organizational Behavior (7thEd.). New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2002 The Organizational Behavior Skills Workbook, Conflict Management Styles, Assessment 20, p. 356; University of Phoenix, (MGT-331 – E -Resource) Internet

Saturday, January 4, 2020

7 Bidding Tips to Finally Win a Project on ThePensters

With the fierce competition on ThePensters, lots of our freelance writers rack their brain as to how finally win the project and show all their writing and academic prowess. We are to help all writers have their fair share of orders. Thus, today we offer some bidding tips that will help you make the very first steps with the order right. 1.  Study the order description carefully.  The customer must feel from the very beginning that you are well aware of the subject matter. Do indicate that you’ve worked on this topic before, if you did indeed. 2.  Write custom project-based bidding comments. Your customers expect personal treatment and careful work on the project, not superficial attitude. Copy-pasted comments for all projects will not do you justice. 3.  It’s also advisable to include into your bidding comment some part of writer’s order. In other words, speak the same language with the customer. This way he will feel the bond with you and get the feeling that you’ve studied the project. 4.  Make sure that your bidding comment is clear, concise, yet rather informative. Include the most important message only. Too many words are likely to be skipped. You don’t want that, right? 5.  State your terms clearly.  Based on the project description, be as precise as possible in stating exactly what you’ll deliver, how much it will cost, and how long it will take to accomplish. With such information included, you create an image of a confident writer who’s got the necessary experience. 6.  Be competitive with your pricing. But this doesn’t mean that you must be the lowest bidder. Some customers are willing to pay above average prices, others are looking for lower prices. The choice is all up to you. Our advice is: if you’re new on the website, then you might consider establishing your reputation with some lower prices (but first-rate quality!!!). 7.  Last, but certainly not least in our area, proofread your bid! Check that it’s written clearly, without misspellings and grammar mistakes. Writing drawbacks in the bidding comment will expose your lack of interest in the project. Moreover, the customer is more likely to doubt your writing skills, after he sees your poorly delivered bid. Below we offer some bidding samples. Study them and compare with your own bidding comments. Bad example: Kindly assign me the order. So-so example: I can present an articulate, coherent and well-presented new commentary essay. Good example: After viewing your order, I confirm that I can demonstrate adequate understanding of the topic, effective research skills and the ability to express your ideas and knowledge in the form of a well reasoned and argued essay. Looking forward on working on this interesting project. Excellent example: Hi! Game theory is one of my interest areas. I already have several creative ideas to help customers decide whether to buy life insurance or not, and will be happy to share them in your essay. Promise to have all formatting and reference requirements will be followed to the dot. Hope this helped you. Good luck with bidding!