Distributed and Parallel Systems Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Distributed and Parallel Systems - Term Paper Example A parallel system is a computer with more than one processor for parallel processing. Although there are many kinds of parallel computers, they are basically distinguished by the kind of interconnection between processor, known as processing elements (PES), and the memory. One major way to classify parallel computers is based on their memory architectures. Shared memory based parallel computing systems have multiple processors that access all available memory as a global address space. Distributed system is a network of a set of asynchronously connected computing devices. Communication in DS is either through shared memory or through messages. In wide-spread distributed systems, work and information are physically distributed, implying that computing needs should be distributed. Along with improvement in response time, this system contributes to offering a local control over data. With this solid background of multiprocessor systems, parallel computing, distributed systems and shared memory; speed-up performance law such as the Amdahl's law was introduced to throw light on algorithm design for speed-up and operational efficiency of parallel system. Concurrency is another important factor which enables distributed systems to share memory; and to better understand its execution, Dining philosophers' algorithm Bully's algorithm and Logical clocks were introduced. 2. Amdahl's Law The memory organization of parallel system also has a profound impact on algorithm design. In systems in which memory

Contract problem solving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Contract problem solving - Essay Example The discussion that follows will examine the actual offer and acceptance and their implications for the existence or non-existence of legally binding variation clause. Another important issue arises out of the doctrine of consideration. If there is no consideration, a valid contract will not exist at all. The brochure submitted by ICL to GSL contains the type of computer that GSL is looking for, but requires a software modification. The computer is advertised at 2,500 pounds as is. GSL responds to the advertised model by asking whether or not the software modification can be made. ICL replies that the software modification can be made, but will be subject to a price variation and that variation will override any clauses contained in the purchase order. Upon placing the order, GSL submits their standard order form which does not contain a variation clause, but does state that the parties are bound by the terms and conditions contained in the purchase order. Upon receiving the order form, ICL signs the form and returns it to GSL. These facts are crucial since the contract between the parties will be formed at the exact moment at which an offer is accepted. In the course of negotiations it is typical for an offer to be made. That offer is required to contain a definite promise providing sufficient and unambiguous details for the other party to accept or decline.1 All contracts begin with an offer, it therefore follows that the offer is required to be stated with clarity. Put another way, the party to whom the offer is directed or communicated must be able to determine from that offer exactly what it is that is being offered as well as the terms of the offer.2 The law is quite clear that in order for the acceptance of an offer to be legally binding it must follow the essential substance of the offer made.3 The offer in this case originated in a catalogue. The initial question is

Portugal Essay Example for Free

Portugal Essay 1.0   Introduction This presentation provides an overview of geographical, historical and cultural aspects of the Portugal. This follows discusses on food patterns and food habits among the Portuguese, their typical meals and food etiquette, frequencies of dining and food taboos that do exist. Therapeutic effects of food eaten including wine and home or traditional remedies used that involve both food and herbs are keenly analyzed. Lastly, the major public holidays in Portugal are outlined and their associated meals that are served. 2.0   Geographical overview Portugal is situated at Southwest Europe; it is one of the westernmost countries in Europe. It borders Atlantic Oceans to the west and south. To the north and east it neighbors Spain. Portugal country covers an area of approximately 92,391 square kilometers. The land surface occupies approximately 91,951 squares kilometers with about ten million people. Portugal experiences maritime temperate type of climate. Its northern parts are cool and rainy while in the southern parts are warmer and little drier. Generally, it is one of the warmest European countries. The Portugal mainland is divided by river Tagus which is the main river in the country. It has a mountainous terrain to the north of Tagus River and gently rolling plains in the south (Lovel, 2008). 3.0   History and culture Portuguese is the official language used in the country. Also Mirandese language is used but locally. Portugal derived its name partly from Roman name ‘Cale’ and the city Porto.   The word Cale used to refer the region between river Douro and Minho. Cale actually referred to the early settlers at the mouth of river Douro. The word Cale or ‘Gal’ together with the city Porto formed the county’s name Portugal. In the early times, the land of Portugal was settled by Pre-Celts and Celts. Portugal managed to gain its independence after several conquests from invading kingdoms and claimed its present border. Later it held several explorations in the world that marked the Age of Discovery. Portuguese’s zeal for exploration was because of their long shoreline that presented a favorable environment of sailing skills, needs for accessing European markets and desire to make more conquests. By the end of firth century, Portuguese had explored regions as far as coast of Africa establishing many trading stations with various kingdoms. One of the most remarkable explorations is that of Vasco da Gama when he sailed through the Cape Town en route to India in 1498. In 1500 Portugal discovered Brazil and claimed to be its territory. Portuguese conquered several Asian nations of that time and became dominant in commerce around Indian Ocean and Atlantic regions. In 1st November 1755, Portugal capital city Lisbon was severely hit by earthquake that left thousands dead and part of the city destroyed. Also, in 1807 during the Napoleon war, French troops invaded Portugal for war that was called Peninsular war or French Invasion of Portugal that lasted close to a decade when British and Portuguese formed a coalition to flush out French troops. Portuguese dominance gradually started to decline especially when Brazil showed interest for independence. Brazil was Portugal’s largest colonial territory. By close of 19th Century, Portugal had lost control over South America and sought new territories in Africa. Portuguese Colonial rule in the world came to the end after their last overseas territory Macau gained its independence in 1999. Portugal was the founding member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) which was established by signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949 (Kyler, Brandin and Ethan, 2002). The culture   of the Portuguese traces it root to the time of   Roman and Moorish invasion .As it has been found , these invasions did left   some cultural elements   which that are seen   in archeological remains. Basically, Portuguese culture has been influenced the Latin, the Visigoth and the Muslim culture. According to the Portuguese culture family is considered to be the basic unit in the society. A kinship network tie is so knit such that two or more generations can live in the same house. Even when men and women move to the urban areas they try as much as possible to be in touch with their relatives back at home. Normally women stay at home while men move out to make for a living. Traditionally, father is the head of the house and the breadwinner and the mother takes care of the family. However, presently the role of man is not highly regarded as to that of women. Portuguese elders are highly respected. Family loyalty prevails more than any other social relationship or even business. Portuguese have high sense of formality especially when dealing with each other. However, they are traditional and conservative. Their culture is one that respects the hierarchy because both society and business is highly stratified. The conformity to hierarchical relationship is amplified by both the Catholic Church and the family structure. People have high respect of authority to a point that they look to those above them for guidance and decision making. They also regard appearance very much especially in the cities. For this reason, people strive to wear good fabrics and clothes they can afford (http://www.portugal-live.net/UK/essential/culture.html, 2008). Etiquette and customs are highly held with great care. In the first time contact, first greetings are reserved though polite, which take form of handshake accompanied with direct eye contact plus appropriate greeting of the day. After acquaintance, greeting now proceeds to be more personal where men can greet each other with hugs and handshakes while women can kiss each other on each side of the check starting with the right one. Titles includes honorific titles such as ‘Senhora or senhor’ together with the sir name. Any university degree holder is usually referred to with honorific title with ‘doutour’ or ‘douttooura’ which is the word for doctor, together with or without the surname. It is always wise to use formal case than informal until your friend suggest otherwise. The etiquette for giving gifts requires that if you are invited for a dinner please carry flowers with you and do not give thirteen flowers as the number is considered unlucky. Red flowers are not given as they are considered to be symbol of revolution. It is cultural to open gifts after they have been received. The majority of Portuguese are Christians belonging to Roman Catholic religion. But there are other groups such as Islam, Protestantism and Judaism. 4.0   Food habits and patterns Portugal is considered to be one of the southern European countries that have Mediterranean dietary habits. This is type of the diet is a good example of nutritional habits that have evolved in North Atlantic countries. The term Mediterranean diet is not necessarily associated with idea of geographical region as such. This is because for instance Portugal is not in Mediterranean coast and yet it has the most typical Mediterranean dietary tradition among the European nations. The main characteristics of Mediterranean diet   includes,   high consumption of fruits and vegetables, widespread consumption of fish, use of olive oil in the diet and   tradition deep-frying as   a method of   cooking. These characteristics are common in different varieties of Mediterranean diet based on the role and importance of nutritional groups they play especially in Mediterranean countries.   In this diet, high consumption of vegetable and fruits provide high fiber intake practically pectin which is a soluble fiber. Besides this, plenty of fruits and vegetables provide high contents of beta-carotene, folic acid and vitamin C. Portugal is considered to have high intake of vitamin C in the European countries and the most of it comes from raw food intake. Portuguese are known to be passionate about their cuisine which is reflected by their nutritious diet. One of striking features of Portuguese food habits is use of wine. Portuguese wine is classic for its taste and quality that make them to be the best wine producers in the world. Because the country is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the south and west, fish is the main component of their diet. Fishes like caldeirada, sardines and cod together with their recipes are the main constitutes of their menu. They also make use of pork, beef, chicken and lamb in their diet. Commonly, these meats are used as add ons with sandwiches. Portuguese are also very well known because of their pastry art. There is wide used of spices such as chillli peppers, cinnamon, vanilla and saffron. It is a Portuguese habit not often to eat breakfast; instead prefer just a coffee and perhaps a bread roll. Hot meals are always preferred even during the summers (http://www.spain-recipes.com/mediterranean-diet-01.html, n.d). In Portugal there is diet transition from traditional food pattern characterized by high availability of principal carbohydrates to high consumption of protein foods. This shift in dietary pattern is prominent in urban areas which seem to be influenced by education level and urbanization. 4.1   Typical meals, frequency of dinning and food etiquette Portuguese breakfast is called pequeno-almaco in Portuguese language.   Their breakfast most of times consist of fresh bread, with butter, cheese or fruit preserves together with a strong coffee or milk.   Breakfast cereals and sweet pastries are very popular especially when eaten cold and mixed with milk, yoghurt and fruit. But more often they prefer a cup of coffee and at times a bread roll for breakfast. There are about four typical meals from meat namely: carne de porco a alentejane, leitao assado, bife de porcolde avaca, figa com arroz and feijaoada.Carne de porco a alentejane is a meal that is made up of pork with clams.Leitao assado is a type of meal that consists of roasted sucking pig while that of bife deporcolde avaca has pork or beef steak. Figado com arroz is a meal with liver and rice and for feijoada, it is a been stew with black pudding. There are various meals made of fish. Bacalhau which is a salted cod fish is very famous in the region. Also there are other popular   fish dishes such as lulas fritas which is a grilled squid,   bacalhau a bras being a cod with eggs   and potatoes , arroz de marisco, a seafood rice, pescada which is hake ,caldeirada , fish stew and lastly sardinhas assadas which is grilled sardines. Soups form part of every meal. The most popular of the soup is caldo verde which is a moderate thin potato puree and thinly chopped collard green and slice of pork sausage (chourico). In drinks, red, white and green wine forms the traditional Portuguese drink. Portuguese have three main meals in a day that is; breakfast, lunch and supper. However, in the course of the day there are numerous cups of black coffee that grace day’s work. They take breakfast early in the morning and have lunch around 1pm to 3pm. As a norm supper is eaten at around 8 pm. Everyone has to observe dinning etiquette. If one has been invited for diner he or she should not be late for more than fifteen minutes. But in a social gathering or in a party, this doesn’t apply. Dressing code is necessary. Portuguese have no much difference between business and social attire; nevertheless, one should not discus business matters in a social gathering. If by the time you turn up for an invitation you had not carried a flower, it is necessary to sent it the follow day to the hostess. Table manners are also formal in that once you get inside the dinning room you should remain standing until directed where to sit. Portuguese consider table manners to be Continental. You should hold the fork with left hand and knife with your right hand when eating. At no time should you start eating before you hear an expression from hostess saying ‘bom appettito’.   Never rest your elbow on the table. All foods must be eaten using the provided utensils including fruit and cheese. When eating always one should keep napkin to the left of the plate and never put it on the lap and after finishing eating at least leave some food in the plate. To show that you are through one should lay the knife and fork parallel on the plate, tines facing up with handles facing to the right. In Portugal, culturally there are no food taboos. However, for those who are Catholic religion affiliates they have some religious eating habits just like any other religious Catholic country (Schwabe, 1979) 4.2   Therapeutic uses of food and Home therapies Mediterranean diet consists of high intake of vegetable that helps to lower risk of colon cancer, hyperchoresterol and aids in management of diabetes. Also there is a liberal intake of vitamin C helps to boost immune system, increase dietary iron bioavaliabity and maintenance of endothelium membranes. Beta-carotene together with vitamin C acts as antioxidants that also reduce risks of cancer. Consumption of  Ã‚   vegetable oils particularly from olive oil provides in the diet Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA) and Mono-Unsaturated Fatty Acid (MUFA) which help to low risks associated with cardiovascular diseases. Wine have been suggested to have potential therapeutic effects due to the presence of   components such as flavonoids and other antioxidants responsible in   reducing risks associated with   heart diseases. Generally, alcohol has minimal therapeutic effects such as small increments of High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) as well as reduction in blood coagulation. However, it should be note that there is no scientific proof that intake of wine or alcohol can replace conventional measures in cardiovascular management (http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4422, 2008) The most common traditional used herbs in Portugal include fennel (Foeniciulum vulgare) mint (Mentha spicata), pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium), rosemary (Rosmarinus) and wild thyme (Thymus serppyllum). Mint has been used for a long time as herb in Portugal for its properties in treating stomach ache, chest problems and aiding digestion in form of herbal tea. Pennyroyal which a member of mint genus has been traditional used to treat flatulence, gum strengthener, a tumor remedy and a lung cleanser. Rosemary freash or dried leaves has been used frequently in traditional Mediterranean cuisine and as well as herb. It is traditionally used for management of respiratory problems such as colds and cough. Wild Thyme in Portugal has been generally used as herbal tea and also for seasoning food. Fennel is found in temperate regions in Europe and is a perennial herb. Portuguese for a long time have been using its seeds to relax intestine and manage bloating in form of herbal tea. 4.3   Portugal major holidays and dishes Portugal major holidays includes Liberty Day on every 25th of April, Labor Day on 1st May, Christmas Day on 25th, Epiphany on 6th January and New Year celebration. The major dishes during Christmas time are rice pudding (arroz doce) and salt cod (bacalhau) with olive oil potatoes, grains and cabbage. It is commonly accompanied by array of  Ã‚   rich desserts.   Also there are varieties of fried goodies offered as sweets, rabanadas which resembles French toast, rice pudding and sobremesas which are traditional Christmas pastries. Epiphany is a Christian feast day that celebrates revelation of God in human for in the person of Jesus Christ. Families gather to eat King   cake called ‘Bolo- Rie’ which is baked. During New Year celebration a similar but slightly unique cake that consists a candied fruit decorated goody is eaten. It contains two treaties; the prize and Feve bean. Whoever gets the latter is considered responsible to bring a cake next year. Apart from in these three holidays, no special meals are taken in other holidays such as Labor and Liberty day.   However, cod dish which can be prepared up to 365 different cooking ways is the national dish which can be found during these occasions. 5.0   Conclusion Portugal lies along the Atlantic coast of Iberian Pensula south west Europe with a long stretch of coastline. Their discoveries, trade and colonialization did made them to have enriched culture. Portuguese great explorations in the world were partly due to their long time developed sailing skill coupled with the need for accessing European markets and desire to make more conquests. Portuguese culture is conservative which is characterized with strong family ties, conformity to hierarchical relationship and strict etiquette and customs that are highly held with great care. Their food habits consist of Mediterranean dietary habits that exhibit high level of therapeutic effects particularly in management of cardiovascular diseases. The main characteristics of Mediterranean diet   includes,   high consumption of fruits and vegetables, widespread consumption of fish, use of olive oil in the diet and   tradition deep-frying as   a method of   cooking. Presently, shift in the diet pattern seem to be influenced by urbanization and level of education.

Assessment of the Extent by which the Introduction of Euro Essay Example for Free

Assessment of the Extent by which the Introduction of Euro Essay January 1, 1999 was a memorable date for eleven European Countries as this became the official date that they have come to adopt the Euro as their official currency. All eleven countries would undergo changes in their systems especially the currencies by which they would adopt an official exchange rate that would govern their circulation. The new currency would begin circulation in their respective countries and would then accommodate the transactions that would result from international trade with their allied countries. Allied countries are the countries belonging to the European Trade Union. They are bound by the cause of establishing their economies worldwide as a major economy like the US. Little by little, the currencies mark, guilder, punt, and franc ceased to exist. It was in January of 2002 that all of the twelve countries have fully applied the transition from their native currencies to the new currency. See more: how to start an essay about yourself for college   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From its initial release, fears sprang forth from the population, especially that of the market. First would be the inflation. It occurred to the people that the conversion of their old currency versus the Euro might be affected by the factor of inflation. They feared that the inflation would also result in the weakening of their respective economies and added burden to the population. Second fear would be that the delivery of the new currencies in banks might rouse plans of robberies and would then fail the government’s plan of replacing their old currency. Another fear of the people would be the replacing of the currencies may not be accepted by their own people. The currency have long been a symbol of a countries identity and pride that it might be a futile attempt to replace it with a new currency that involves other countries and would therefore be an extinct example of national pride. Furthermore, the rate of inflation would greatly affect a country’s exchange of the old currency to the new currency. The greater the inflation would result lower amounts of Euro that a country would get. Second, for a standardization of emerging currencies would mean that banks need to be equipped with the currency in order for them to accommodate the exchange that the population would demand. In the process of transportation of the currency, there may be a possibility of occurrence a robbery by which the banks may not be able to receive the currencies needed for the exchange by the population. This would result to inflation since the central bank would have to produce more money than the actual measure of its resources that we all know contributes to the factor of inflation. And lastly, the general acceptance of the public of the currency is a very important factor since this would affect the overall trade and economy of the country. Since the currency is generally viewed as a country’s identity, it can be predicted that the country would not accept the new currency that would be a medium of exchange between its allies, losing its won country’s identity in the process. However, the results were of the opposite as each country’s people accepted the currency as they believed that the currency may be the answer to their economic problems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These fears proved to be of no basis as people readily accepted the new policy for their new currency. This was somehow given a negative vibe as it looked liked their countrymen easily gave up a symbol national pride. But this was also explained thru economics. Money is still money; thus it was used as something that would provide you with needs such as food, clothing and other necessities. It became evident then that the introduced currency was preferred by the greater number.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The new currency also brought about quite a good side of the economy. Gains were scattered here and there as transaction costs have fallen. This was explained that the conversion costs were stripped by the conversion of the twelve countries monetary units. It became easier to transact with other countries with the use of the Euro. It also brought about the completion of the European Monetary Union. With this, the member countries would expect bigger gains in their growth and steady in the international market. Before the union was established, barriers remain to be visible as banks still charge higher rates in inter-territorial transactions. With this barrier, domestic transactions would be preferred by the people. With this new monetary policy, barriers have disappeared and transaction costs have been made uniform throughout the countries of its members.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The framework of the union remains complete and no finance ministry of the member countries wanted to be in charge of the said framework, especially that of the finance and fiscal part. The said framework is the framework by which the European Union has agreed to be the guidelines of the system of the implementation for the new currency Euro. Before a specific change would occur that involves a country’s economy, frameworks are done to study the effects that would be associated with the change. Although this is the case, the change in the currency may be the catalyst for change in the member countries target reforms. The said framework is the framework by which the European Union has agreed to be the guidelines of the system of the implementation for the new currency Euro. Before a specific change would occur that involves a country’s economy, frameworks are done to study the effects that would be associated with the change. The target reforms are those reforms in which the countries have conceived for their countries. These reforms are in connection to the change in the currency, but are not discussed with the European Union. Since these topics are different from those of the other member countries, they do not discuss this in the meetings of the currency change since the best interest of the European Union is a major economic change in their region, and not only of specific countries. With this, the countries would begin the change in economic policies that would jumpstart economies in synchronization with the change in currency. Differences in taxation would arise as it would be under observation of each country’s finance ministry. With this, the union would want to target standardization of taxes. This would greatly help the export and import sector as the countries would then be forced to standardize the taxes and tariffs on the goods that they ship. Integration would also be achieved as the basic unit of currency for all members would be that of the Euro. The last good thing brought about by the establishment of the Euro as currency is that the member countries found a way to reform other sectors and even bring the other countries closer to them. Other sectors that do not flourish because of the exchange rate begin to be of better state when the change occurred. Furthermore, the countries that benefited from the change in currency, especially that of the countries that have the abovementioned sectors, got closer in hopes of making the other sectors that are connected to the aforementioned sectors. For example, the agriculture sector was jumpstarted, so the other countries would begin to have major ties with other member countries that have sectors that benefit from agriculture like beverage industries and the like. The result would be less taxes and tariffs in exchange for other advantageous measures for the agricultural country. This also enabled them to make new systems that would be for the benefit not only of one country but all of them. They also found out that different policies can be made as one and this paved way for the making of new policies that may be all-encompassing in their point of views.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although this may be the case we should still take a closer look in the effects of the establishment of the Euro as the new monetary value for the European Union. Things that we would use in this analysis would be that of the Absorption Model: Using Absorption Model to explain the effect of devaluation on national income, employment effect, trade effect, real balance effect, income redistribution effect, money illusion effect, expectation effect,Laursen-Metzler effect, and so on; Mundell-Fleming Model and explain the graph both internal and external aspects; Analysis of the stability of foreign exchange market, and elasticity approach to balance of payment according to Marshall-Lerner Condition; and finally Foreign exchange risk (foreign currency)for importers, exporters, and investors.   Ã‚   To start of, we have to explain the different measures that we have to use. The Absorption Model or Approach makes use of the balance of payments and exchange rate as the factors or determinants in the measure of the real domestic income of a nation. This approach treats prices as the constants, making the other factors as real measures. A nation’s real income may be measured as the sum of the government’s expenditures, consumption, investments and exports.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Mundell-Fleming Model states that an increase in the money supply would lower domestic interest rates than that of the global rate. Essentially, the Euro is in effect in the export/import markets that would be in relation to the country’s overall economy because of the exchange rates that would be in effect of a country’s money supply. Net export would then increase as local goods would become cheaper than that of the imported goods. Consequently, imports would then decrease as demand would decrease, in turn, exports also increase to meet the demand of higher exports. An increase in the net exports would force the Investment/Savings towards the level of the global interest rate. This equalizer increases the income of the economy of the country. In this case, as the union moved to change its currency, the money supply increased to accommodate the public in the changing of currencies. As this adjustment takes place, the effect of the supply made a change in the export market as the demand for exports and imports changed. The increase in the net export in the end, gave the country an increase in its income.   Ã‚  Ã‚   The Foreign Exchange Risk would also be taken into account as this involves the probability that an investor, exporter or importer would earn; how much they would ear, and if they would lose. This gains or losses are commonly related to the exchange rates of the two countries involved in the transaction. This also shows whether a country has a weaker currency compared to another. By this, we would be able to show if the establishment of the new currency eliminates this factors as this factors are also related to the barriers of trade between the member countries.    Meanwhile, the Lauren-Metzler effect determines the effect of savings and net exports and consequently, in the purchasing power due to a favorable terms-of-trade shock in the improvement in real income. This draws our attention to the state of the economy in exports and imports with respect to its exchange rate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Marshall-Lerner Condition explains that a devaluation in the currency leads a positive effect in the trades as it increases the demand for exports, giving the country more real income. This lays out the positive effect of the devaluation of the Euro currency at first and how it affected the economy of the member countries.    Finally, with all these factors mentioned, how did it affect the member countries generally? What are the aspects of the Euro-member countries that have improved thru the establishment of the new currency, Euro, into their respective economies?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        à ‚                                                                              We start off the analysis with the discussion of the effects. The Mundell-Fleming Model states that an increase in the money supply would lower domestic interest rates than that of the global rate. The money supply is the black line denoted in the figure above, while the red line denotes the interest rate. The movement in the money supply curve towards the right decreases the interest rate since it does not shift. The shift would occur as the interest rate moves to an equilibrium.                With the same effect in the graph of net exports and imports, the figure above agrees with the first figure on the effect of the money supply. Net export would then increase as local goods would become cheaper than that of the imported goods. Consequently, imports would then decrease as demand would decrease, in turn, exports also increase to meet the demand of higher exports. An increase in the net exports would force the Investment/Savings towards the level of the global interest rate. This equalizer increases the income of the economy of the country. In this case, as the union moved to change its currency, the money supply increased to accommodate the public in the changing of currencies. As this adjustment takes place, the effect of the supply mad a change in the export market as the demand for exports and imports changed. The increase in the net export in the end, gave the country an increase in its income.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Meanwhile, the change in government expenditure caused an increase in the local interest rate that caused the currency to be stronger than other foreign currencies. This may be the effect that happened to the member countries as they have decreased the foreign currencies (member countries having the same currency) and by this strengthened their currencies against the US dollar. This however, increases the net import and net export decreases. The increase would also trigger the global interest to equalize with the local interest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the side of the global interest rate, however, since the net export increased, this prompted a slight weakening of the Euro but also increased exports, making the Euro available to the world market. An increase of the net export would weaken the Euro since the exchange rate would then be fixed with other countries. This would be comparable to making domestic shipments that would neither benefit nor harm a country’s economy. At the same time, since the Euro has become their medium of exchange then the currency would be available to the market as this would be exchanged in the world market. Availability of the currency would ensure circulation in the world market, employing the stabilization of the currency in the world market. As the Euro weakened, exports flowed out of the country and this in effect increased the net income of the member countries. However, as the local interest rate closed in on the global interest rate. The global interest rate affects the currencies indirectly by affecting a country’s income through the import/export market. The Euro seemed to strengthen and this somehow stabilized the new currency. Elasticities are the rate of reaction by which a good undergoes whenever a change in demand occurs. The next model would explain the effect of the Euro in the demand and the reaction of the goods with the new currency available. In the Elasticities Approach, the Euro countries were forced to make the demand and supplies elastic in order for them to have a smaller depreciation in their current accounts deficit. By doing this, they begin to slowly, recover the current accounts deficit and eventually overcome it. With this situation, elasticities would then be slowly changed. As the global interest rates’ effects as shown by the previous models, the effect of it in the real income made the change in the elasticities possible. Thus:                               The effects on the savings of the real income and savings of each country may be further explained by now. Since the increase in savings and net exports was explained through the change in the level of the global interest rates, the improvement in real income is then realized through the increase in the purchasing power of exports. This then proved to be of positive effects on the member countries as this somehow, improved the real income in the economies of the member countries. Lauren-Metzler Model in simple representation. The Lauren-Metzler Model can be further explained by the rate of change not only in export-import industry but also that of the effect of these changes in the exchange rates. As the exchange rates between member companies remain constant because of the uniformality of their currency what would transpire is the difference in the currency between the member-countries and its export-import industry and the exchange rate. Since an increase in the export can be viewed as an indication of a weaker currency, this also indicates that the real income of the country experiencing the export growth is on the rise. This would eventually be accompanied by the strengthening of its currency as the end product. At the same time, the demand of the member-countries import market tends to be on the lower level as their currency seemed to be of the weaker quality. The positive effect on this however is that this picture encouraged the internal flow of the currency until the supply of imports and demand equalizes in equilibrium. When the time approached however, the Euro appeared to be of better quality with respect to the change in its real income and the real income of other countries that are members of the European Union. With these factors in mind, we shift our sights into what happened in the exchange rates. The Exchange rates of the Euro seemed to be on the decrease at first because of the lower currency as compared to others but eventually proved that it would only be momentary as the real income boosted the exchange rate, eventually ending up higher than the US dollar at a certain time. This, together with the positive effects on the import-export market made much difference, not only to the emerging currency but also to the emerging union’s countries’ economies. The emerging union’s countries are the countries that are members of the European Trade Union that has the highest upward boost of the economies. Since not all of the countries had a very high boost, the most significant boosts came from these countries. Significance would differ from each perspective. In more simple terms, the effect of the lower currency (Euro was weak at first) was the improvement of the export market. But since the income effect boosted the currency as it is also a factor of the economy of a country, then combining it with the positive effects of the Euro’s strengthening, the countries that use Euro become boosted and improve their Economies. And since the Economy of the countries rose at an improved rate, the currency got boosted in the same way that the economies of member countries raised.   Ã‚   With the price on the y-axis and the x-axis denoting that of the quantity, the fall of the currency at first with respect to the rise in the export rate, implied a shift in the curve of the currency (red curve) to the right, denoting that in the long run, an export rate rise would result to a strong currency. The fall of the currency at first would be only due to the exchange rate and floatation costs.   Ã‚   In the Absorption Approach, the balance of payments and exchange rates is examined to the effects of it in the measure of the real income of a nation. The Absorption Approach is significant since this measures the balance of payments and exchange rates and how these affect the real income of a country. The two factors considered are said to be the considering factors in the since the effects considered are those that are in relationship to the income and economy. If the real income improves faster than that of the absorption, then the currency would rise. This may be the effect as the Euro strengthened in the first quarter of 2002, giving their value higher than the stable US dollar. The effects of the devaluation of the currency on national income seemed to be on the positive side as this increased their net exports, therefore giving them an improved real income for the economy. The employment then rose as an effect of the economy’s improvement of real income. This was enabled as the countries to attract more investors, creating job opportunities for their people. The overall employment effect on the member countries followed to a positive tune. Real balance increased as it accompanies the effect of real income. An increase in real income increases the real balance of the economy. This is essential to the analysis because this enables us to see the investing potential and the financial capability by which the country could bear itself.(Flood, 2006) The specific question to be asked: how does the country fare with its neighboring countries’ economies in their real balances? This is very important as this may measure the stability of the country especially in the eyes of potential investors that may think of putting up businesses and other ventures in the European Countries. Basic supply and demand in the Trade Effect  Basic y-axis of price and x-axis denoted by quantity, the shift in the supply curve was due to the invisible hand of the law of supply and demand. Trade effect also became evident as the laws of supply and demand are constantly in the work. The increase in the quantity demanded ensured the right path of the trade effect to the plans of the European Union. This enabled them to exercise the free-trade among its co-members. This also enforced the Euro consequently as it continued to circulate non-stop among the member countries. This also ensured that not only is the market gaining in stocks, it also ensured a strong currency that may be strengthening in the future.   Ã‚   The money illusion decreased as the negative views in unemployment and inflation subside. The unemployment rates subside creating a hole in which they could throw the unemployment problem and bury it there. The inflation was treated the same way as neighboring countries would also experience the same way as they also have the same currency as the country they have. The money illusion is essential in explaining the other rise in the economy including the abovementioned factor of unemployment and inflation. To reinforce this, the money illusion would have to decrease as this affects the unemployment by reinforcement. A decrease would also mean that the unemployment rate is decreasing, which is a measure of a country’s economy. The unity of the currency forged the singleness of mind that was needed to erase the doubts governed by the unemployment and inflation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The expectation effect of these occurrences may result to the expectance of more Nash equilibriums, where everyone would be on a stable state. The Nash equilibrium employed in this part deals with the output and expenditure ratio. The more that a government puts input should generate a proportional output; in this case, income. As the reliance of the people on the currency grows and their reliance towards the stability of the currency, they would come to terms that they have indeed been placed in good fortunes. This would lead to the stability of the minds of employees, and in turn to the investor that made the investment or business.   The stability of minds would be the likelihood that an employee would remain in the job rather than find their jobs elsewhere. This occurs when the currency of a country remains weak despite the efforts of the workforce to bring it on a development. With these effects in hand, it became evident that the emergence of the Euro has been a good sign for the economy and even looked better in the eyes of the common people as they have been provided work and salary, and even the pride of having their currency among the top as one of the most stable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   13.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Marshall-Lerner Condition further enforced that the decrease in the value of the Euro at first improved the real income of each member. The effect of the devaluation increased their exports, raking in income more then before. As a currency gets weak, demands of good from the country with the weak currency increases. The goods react spontaneously, or elasticly. The rise in demand raises the price of its goods and with this; the rise in income is justified. The chain effect would be the strengthening of a nation’s economy, ending up with currency stability. After which, as the currency begins to regain the strength, the exports would decrease as importers from other countries realize that the price of goods increased, decreasing their profits. However, the export industry of the host country is unharmed as other European member nations see this as an opportunity to increase their imports from the country with the same currency as them, increasing demands for export from the country in question. With this, the export and import market stabilized. This effect not only increased the income of the exporters, but the economy as well. The short-run effect of the condition is further shown as the currency approached its strengthening thru the increase of real income, the export then decreased. Furthermore, the law of demand states that, a decrease in the price of a commodity, then an increase in demand would be evident; an increase in price however would put the demand down until equilibrium happens. In this case, the price of exports decreases, paving way for the increase in the exports and consequent rise in the country’s income. This would also be affected by the consequent taking place of the equilibrium that would happen as the supply would be able to meet the demand, giving the market an equilibrium quantity.   As there were shifts in the part of the supply (black) and demand (red) curves, the equilibrium price of commodities would also make a change. The price line is the broken lines with the color blue. Taking in mind that the y-axis would be the price and the x-axis is the quantity, the decrease in demand, coupled with the increase in supply, not only decreased price but also made the equilibrium quantity lower than before.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the places that the change showed great effects would be that of the financial markets, the bonds/stock market being the main targets. Main issues have risen that the European stock and bonds are very much volatile. This proved that the policy makers of the European Union have set their eyes in the processes towards the financial integration of its members. This started off with the introduction of the new currency. The release of the new currency was seen as one of the initiatives made by the Union to integrate the financial aspects of each. It looked like a very good move on their part as real income of the member countries went on a rise during the initial stages of the developments. The effect of the large demand for the stocks and bonds from the European Union and its sudden drop is something out of the ordinary for other countries. It seemed like they failed to account for the strength of the member countries and their foresight on financial market as they were surprised with the sudden rise in this new commodity. We therefore have to take an even closer look at the effects at the financial markets.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Before the emergence of the Euro, aggregate European Bonds, mainly caused by own bond market effects and that of the aggregate effects of European Bonds, made significant effects on the conditional variances, as this reflects unexpected returns. In addition to that, US bond and stock markets represents a fairly large space in the market. However, after the Euro was made to be a reality, the US markets only became second-runners after that of the European Union.(McCreevy, 2006) This also caused a decrease in the effect of their own bond markets and it’s not just a decrease but a dramatic decrease in their part.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Also before the Euro emergence, a significant volatility spillover is present in the US bond markets. But after the Euro emerged, it seemed like a dream come true for the European countries as the spillover have changed. Not only was the European Bond become in demand in the market but it also proved to be of commanding force in the Stock Market. After the emergence of the As mentioned earlier, the US was just second then to the European Bonds and Stocks. This happened in 2003.(2004) In the introduction of European Bonds and Securities in 1999, it has successfully grown from 9% to 14% shares. Also in 2003, Euro’s currency in international bank notes has overtaken US’s 40.5 and emerged with a 43.5.( as a percentage of outstanding volume totaling to 100) This was further reinforced by the fact that before the emergence of the Union’s own stocks, the US commands the market. However, that all changed with the appearance of the European Bonds, giving the US market someone to contend with in terms of leadership in the market.   Ã‚   The financial market offered many effects in various submarkets. The capital market, for one, tries to keep the inflation in check this past days.(Dennis, 2006) It seems that the first effects were very good that they didn’t seem to think the effect on their capital market would be these troublesome. On the other hand, the equities market is also suffering as the inflation kicks in on their prices. It seemed they cannot cope with the inflation that continues to rise. However, in the place of Currencies, the Eurozone countries may be in a winning mood as they continue to outpace the US by their good growth.(Atkins, 2006) The bonds market is also sharing some suffering although not that evident. What the bonds market shows ,however, is a positive outlook in the future as it slowly goes for a good turn. The commodities market is also suffering a loss as they import more oil. This is not a very good sign for the Euro as oil is a very important commodity. However, this is just as normal as everyone else, says analysts.(Chisholm, 2006)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The overall effects of these economic theories have been equally represented and analyzed, what then remained is the effect in the foreign exchange market. The foreign exchange found that the weak-at-first currency strengthened as the economic forces turned into their works. The Euro eventually found its way to the top and eventually became one of the top currencies in the foreign exchange. The Euro is now currently viewed as one of the â€Å"high† currencies and is even viewed in the market as one of the stable s, aligning itself to the dollar and yen. Market analysts view the currency as one of the top as it tends to appreciate more than devaluate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The GDP and the GNP of the Euro countries are suffering on a low this 2006 and it was issued as a great challenge for the European Union to make policies that may prevent this.(Flood, 2006) This was stressed out earlier in the elasticities effect and the absorption approach. This may be overcome in many ways possible but it would be for the policymakers to do. The PPP and the PFI was sought for improvement of the economy and as of the plans in 2002(2002), few were impressed by the effect of the Euro on these. However, as 2006 draws to a close in December, it would be wise for the policymakers to rethink their strategies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The sudden emergence of the new currency, Euro, was such a surprise that the market adjusted drastically. This proved to be of good sign for the members of the European Union as this eventually lead to the leadership of the stock markets and bond markets abroad. This also lead to the development of their own countries as far as the union is concerned. More businesses have been established, more investors expressing interest in putting up enterprises in the European Union’s member countries, perspective buyers in the financial markets looking for more of bonds and stock belonging to the Union, and even the population of the European Union expressing relief that after the Great Depression, there appeared a silver lining that would express hope for their economies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, the effect on the financial market is good as it removed the exchange rate risk involved in the international trade. Exchange rate risk was great before since the countries of the union have different currencies. However, with the emergence of the Euro, investors can now remove the exchange rate risk in their concerns since this is not present anymore. Countries of the Union can now trade with each other without having to think of the floatation risks that involve the exchange rate risk. The removal of this factor was about the same time that the changeover was made in 2002. (2001)   Ã‚  Ã‚   The smart move of the European union may be brought about by the good planning of the financial ministries that governed them. The taking advantage of the lower currency at first to increase their real income, the lowering of its local interest seemed to be a well-planned way to be at par with a superpower such as the US. Now that they have the upperhand in the stock and bonds market, economists wonder on what else is next on the agenda of the European Union, now that they have proven to the world that their combined currency would mobilize and command stability in their areas. This also seemed a good bragging right to their decision making skills as more of the European Countries seek membership to the Union. With this in their worksheets, they can again make another policy that would again prove to be of great importance to the history of World Economics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The replacement of the currencies by the Euro may have been a smart move after all. It didn’t look that bad and it never looked like throwing out of national sympathies eventually. But thus, it looked like a well-orchestrated plan of the European Union to gain access to the top echelons of the world market. Now that they have gained access, it seemed like there would be no stopping the union in toppling the US as an economic superpower and industrial zone. Now that the other members are continuing their development, and not just by the numbers, but on exponential terms, there might be bright things to look forward to in the years to come. BIBLIOGRAPHIES Antweiler, W. 2001. The Euro: Europe’s New Currency. PACIFIC Exchange Rate Service. Retrieved November 5, 2006. (http://fx.sauder.ubc.ca/euro/) Bloomberg, L. P. 2006. European Economies: German Inflation Accelerated in July.. Bloomberg.com. Retrieved November 4, 2006. (http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000100sid=aRiIykJOsbMkrefer=germany) Biz/Ed. 2006. Marshall-Lerner Condition. Retrieved November 4, 2006. (http://www.bized.co.uk/virtual/vla/theories/marshall_lerner.htm) Christiansen, C. 2004. Decomposing European Bond and Equity Volatility. Aarhus School of Business. Retrieved November 4, 2006. (http://www.hha.dk/afl/wp/fin/F_2004_01.pdf) CNN.com.2000 IMF offers bleak assessment of the euro. Cable News Network. Retrieved November 4, 2006. (http://archives.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/09/19/czech.imf/index.html) Daniels, P.D. VanHoose, D. D. International Monetary and Finance Economics (3rd Edition) : Balance-of-Payment and Exchange-rate determination.Thomas Learning. Retrieved November 4, 2006. (http://www.swlearning.com/economics/daniels/daniels3e/powerpoint/ch08.ppt#256,1,Balance-of-Payments and Exchange-Rate Determination) Davis, D. R. 2001. International Trade and National Factor Markets. National Bureau of Economic Research. Retrieved November 5, 2006. (http://www.nber.org/reporter/winter01/davis.html) Duisenberg, W. 2002. Assessment of the euro cash changeover and the ECB view on recent monetary and economic developments. Keynote address at New Years reception of the International Club of Economic Journalists, Frankfurt. Retrieved November 4, 2006. (http://www.bis.org/review/r020117c.pdf#search=assessment%20of%20the%20Euro) European Central Bank.2001. ENVISAGED SCENARIOS OF THE EURO AREA FOR THE 2002 CASH CHANGEOVER. Retrieved November 4, 2006. (http://www.euro.ecb.int/en/section1/timetable.GeneralPar.0028.filelinkFile.download/en1201sc.pdf) Feri, F. 2002.   Information, Social Mobility and the Demand for Redistribution. Università   Cà   Foscari Venezia. Retrieved November 4, 2006. (http://www.nyu.edu/sed2002/pdfs/id2-2-txt.pdf#search=income%20redistribution%20effect) Fleur-de-coin. The new european currency. Retrieved November 5, 2006. (http://www.fleur-de-coin.com/articles/euro.asp?sec=3) Guardian Unlimited. 2003.   Full text: the euro assessment. Statement by the chancellor on UK membership of the single currency. Retrieved November 5, 2006. (http://politics.guardian.co.uk/euro/story/0,9061,973967,00.html) Ipsen, E. 1994. Rebound in Stock Markets Heartens European Traders. International Herald Tribune. Retrieved November 4, 2006. (http://www.iht.com/articles/1994/07/14/emart.php)    Lecture Notes in Economics and Trade Balance . Real Exchange Rates and the Trade Balance. .American University. Retrieved November 4, 2006. (www.american.edu/econ/notes/tradebal.pdf)    Matejka, H.2002. The Euro success and its significance. Louis Gerber. Retrieved November 4, 2006. (http://www.cosmopolis.ch/english/cosmo25/euro_significance.htm) Obstfeld, M., 2000. International Macroeconomics: Beyond the Mundell-Fleming Model. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved November 5, 2006. (http://emlab.berkeley.edu/users/obstfeld/ftp/mundell-fleming/mundell-fleming.pdf#search=MundellFleming%20Model) Obringer, L. A. 2006. How the Euro Works. Howstuffworks. Retrieved November 4, 2006(http://money.howstuffworks.com/euro.htm) Parke, W. R. .2002. The Mundell-Fleming Model. EconModel. Retrieved November 5, 2006. (http://www.econmodel.com/classic/mf.htm)    The Euro’s History. Providence College. Rhode Island. Retrieved November 4, 2006. (http://www.providence.edu/polisci/students/euro/history.htm) The European Union. The Euro: Our Currency. Retrieved November 4, 2006. (http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/euro/our_currency_en.htm) The Gallup Organization. Introduction of the Euro in the New Member States. EuroBarometer. 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Maintaining Work-Life Balance among Married Working Women in Banking

Maintaining Work-Life Balance among Married Working Women in Banking Literature Review It is a truth that work and family life cannot be separated, they both act together and the lines of demarcation of family life and work life cannot be drawn. With changing times, social structure, nature of business and globalization at fast pace; boundaries of work is changing rapidly. Working patterns and timings are in constant change but the pace of change is more rapid. The need for the change is being derived from individuals and organizations. Organizations are expected to perform at its optimum and provide better services 24/7 which requires employees to devote extended working hours to deliver service and this in turn effects personal lives of employees and creates an issue of work-life imbalance which is of paramount concern for everyone to have work-life balance (Jacobs Gerson, 2001) (Taylor, 2001). Work life balance is an adjustment in working patterns to mingle work with other responsibilities (Smithson Stokoe, Discourses of Work-Life Balance: Negotiating Genderblind Terms in Organizations, 2005) regardless of gender. Work-life balance  reflects; The extent to which an individual is equally engaged in and equally satisfied with his or her work role and family role (Aziz Cunningham, 2008), similarly according to Clark (2000) as cited by Othman, Yusof, Osman (2009) work life balance is defined as, Satisfaction and good functioning at work and at home with a minimum of role conflict (Othman, Yusof, Osman, 2009). It is also eloquent that every individual is to require maintaining and achieving a balance between their paid work and family responsibilities be it child care, elder care, leisure time, self development (Hogarth Bosworth, 2009). It is debatable that the word balance means settled equilibrium but can work and life outside work can be in equilibrium? Initially, work was considered as the only responsibility of male members of the society while women were only responsible for the domestic chores (Bailyn, Drago, Kochan, 2001), (Eikhof, Warhurst, Haunschild, 2007). This framework has been followed for ages and it was widely believed and accepted that the bread-winners of the family were only men. However as time evolved and in order to earn and have better lifestyles for their family, female workforce in the labor market started to increase, the conventional image of male as bread winner started to transform and now female also played an equally important role as an earning member of the family (Easton, 2007), (Flechl, 2009), (Malik Khan, 2008) (Hakim, 2006), (Strober, 2010), (Lourel, Ford, Gamassou, Gue ´guen, Hartmann, 2009). Evolution of females at work life The Second World War brought the contribution of women to the forefront. The discrepancy between men and women started to emerge, as it came in to notice when the female gender entered the work force around the globe (Goldin, 1991), which added another responsibility to their account that now they were multitasking between work and family life, taking care of their family as well as their work both came under their life domain (Tijdens, 1997), (A.Milkie Peltola, 1999). It was seen that at the time of Second World War keeping aside the traditional division of labor on the basis of gender, women entered the work force and start performing the mens job in the industries to prove themselves as capable enough to perform tasks in a more organized and better way (Milkman, 1987). It is a sad fact that in spite of their dual dedication, even during this time period, they were not considered as a factory worker instead their identity was recognized as women only (Trey, 1972), (Hyman Summers, 2004). At the end of the war; the female workers were forced and left stranded out of the labor market in order to take care of their more traditional responsibilities. Fortunately, for women this was just a temporary setback, as the number of women workers has increased after the Second World War which shows that the pattern set during the war time is still being pursued by females persistently till present (Milkman, 1987), (Bird, 2006). This is evident from a research conducted by Goldin (1991) on the percentage of working females in USA as according to this study; the participation rate in 1890 was 5 percent, 1940s was around 10.1 percent, while in 1950s it increased to 22.2 percent and then kept on increasing and finally reached 60 percent in 1990s (Goldin, 1991). Female workforce is not only increasing in European countries, but also in Pakistan; women are entering in the labor force with an increasing trend (Hussain, Malik, Hayat, 2009). According to Federal Bureau of Statistics of Pakistan, the women entering into the work force have increased to 11.81 million (53.72%) in 2009 from 10.96 million (51.78%) in 2008. This labor force comprises of 74% females in agriculture sector, 11.9% in manufacturing, 11.6% in service sector, while the rest of 0.9% are working in other sectors (Federal Bureau of Statistics, 2010). These statistics shows that with an increasing number of female workforces, it has become mandatory for women to maintain a balanced work and family life. Change in the Role of Women with Added Responsibility The role of women modified after the Second world war, as females started entering in the labor force as bread earners to support their families due to economic pressures (Hakim, 2006) and to improve the life style of their living (Emslie Hunt, 2009), and changed the traditional image of male being the sole responsible for earning the livelihood for all family members. With the enhancement of this new role as bread earners, the responsibility also increases for the women as now they have to look after their work life also along with the family which makes it difficult for them to manage both responsibilities simultaneously (Lourel, Ford, Gamassou, Gue ´guen, Hartmann, 2009),(Flechl, 2009), (Work-Life Balance, 2010). Although the conventional model of male bread winner starts to modify but still the distribution of duties between men and women remains unchanged. As now women are sharing the responsibilities of men by entering in the work force but on the other side the duties performed by females are not being shared (Emslie Hunt, 2009), which is creating a conflict between their family and career life (Zulu, 2007), (Thompson Walker, 1989). Originally, women had to take care of family matters only while men were responsible for work related issues. But with the change in the role of female, now they have to manage their family and professional life effectively which is creating a burden on them (Malik Khan, 2008), (Callan, 2008), (Dulk Peper, 2007). As they have to perform tasks like;cooking, shopping, cleaning (A.Milkie Peltola, 1999), listening and comforting children, providing emotional support to partners and parents (Emslie Hunt, 2009) and other domestic chores; which were previously considered as the only responsibility of females. But with the passage of time, now they have to perform their official tasks along with all these household chores but men are still only responsible for work related issues. Due to this unending list of duties women had to perform at home which are less flexible, demanding and experience interruptions (Aziz Cunningham, 2008); effects professional life or relaxing time of females which leaves negative impression on work life balance as compared to men (A.Milkie Peltola, 1999). Hence, in order to run work and family life smoothly women are expected to make larger sacrifices because they possess less power and authority due to the tradition and cultural norms of the society. Women can equally enjoy roles as mothers and workers but still feel more pressure than men because home responsibilities are greater and require more sacrifice (Stephen, 1977), (Thompson Walker, 1989). According to Coltrane (2000), Greenhaus and Parasuraman(1999), Rothbard and Edwards (2003) as cited by (Malik Khalid, 2008) it is a known fact that women typically do a bigger share of the household labor than men and that extra work at home partially constrains the time women can spend in paid work. Straub (2007) identifies that women tend to spend more time to family activities as of men and the same amount of work hours as of men. Challenges Faced by Women while Handling Work and Family Life With the amount of responsibilities added to the role of women, it has given rise to multiple challenges that they are facing in their daily life. Performing various tasks and playing different roles which includes; mother, wife, caregiver (for parents and elderly) and employee simultaneously becomes very difficult for women to fulfill (Straub, 2007), (Beauregard Henry, 2008). It is a challenge for women to give proper time and attention to; children especially who are very demanding under age of 13 (Thompson Walker, 1989), husband to maintain healthy relationship (Jacobs Gerson, 2001), other members of the family (parents, elderly) (Lourel, Ford, Gamassou, Gue ´guen, Hartmann, 2009) and to their work life for career progression (Aziz Cunningham, 2008). A balance between all these responsibilities is directly linked with the career performance as well as physical and mental wellbeing of women (Whitehead Kotze, 2003), (Creating Work Life Balance, 2009). Female workers also have to face lots of social pressures which do not allow women to have late sittings at the work place for official matters or to visit places related to work (Hakim, 2006), (Jacobs Gerson, 2001). These restrictions are mostly raised by the members of the family which includes; husband, in-laws, brother and parents which creates hurdles in their career progression (Schwartz, 1989). Women also encountered issues like stereotyping, sexual harassment and discrimination which make them feel insecure and confused about whether they should raise voice against inequality or remain quiet and face it (Ibrahim Marri, 2008), (Lee Brotheridge, 2005). According to Easton (2007) and Zulu (2007), Glass ceiling is also one of the obstacles which hinders women while climbing ladders of hierarchy in organizations because business environment for women is more stressful and not at all easy as compared to men. As women are in minority and mostly perceived by men as blend of doubt, attraction, respect, confusion, competitiveness, pride and animosity; therefore this mixed perception creates glass ceiling at the time of promotions (Flechl, 2009), (Lourel, Ford, Gamassou, Gue ´guen, Hartmann, 2009). As managerial positions require strong decision making skills while women are considered as emotional and required ample amount of time to make decision for important matters (Aziz Cunningham, 2008), therefore women are not easily designated for senior managerial positions because of perception that they are best regarded as housewives and mothers (Dulk Peper, 2007), (Kafetsios, 2007). The other challenge for women is the career development and promotion in their professional lives. Senior positions require long hours commitment, work related seminars, conferences, workshop and tours which makes it difficult for women to reach due to family responsibilities (Beauregard Henry, 2008), (Hochschild, 1997). Also the fact that creates hurdles in womens progression is pregnancy and childbirth; because they have to take maternity leaves which results in missing out opportunities for promotion (Straub, 2007), (Doherty, 2004), (Schwartz, 1989). Although there are many women who want to achieve career advancement with fulfilling other house hold tasks (Kafetsios, 2007), but organizations fail to realize that talented and motivated women can be committed to family as well as career and can do best for the middle management (Saltzstein, Ting, Saltzstein, 2001) but as organizations are reluctant to reduce pressure and provide flexibility this leads to recruit other employees rather than providing training to women employees (Clutterbuck, 2003), (Doherty, 2004). Consequences of Imbalance Work and Life Due to the challenges faced by women in their work life, it becomes difficult for them to maintain a balance between their work life and family life. Therefore it leads to number of negative consequences, not only at part of individuals but organizations also have to face certain setbacks (McPherson, 2007), (Hyman Summers, 2007). Individuals As women have to execute variety of roles in their family and work life, it becomes tough for them to handle diverse tasks effectively at the same time providing equal amount of attention to every role. When women were unable to manage all these roles, it results in physical as well as psychological problems (Kirrane Buckley, 2004); which includes increased level of stress, anxiety, lack of concentration and decrease in levels of alertness, energy and general health (Beauregard Henry, 2008), (Franche, Williams, al, 2006) Work life imbalance also has implications on the relationship among family members as due to the demanding nature of work, it becomes difficult to spend time together which results in lack of bonding among family members (Lee Brotheridge, 2005). Hence due to this situation, women may experience guilt and regret because they are unable to meet expectations of their families (Abercromby, 2007), (Creating Work Life Balance, 2009). Organizations Unbalanced work and family life also have negative impacts on the part of organizations, as when women workforce are not satisfied with the roles they are playing it reflects in their performance at work place (Tausig Fenwick, 2001), (Nolan, 2005). According to Straub (2007), Kafetsioss (2007) and Lambert et al., (2006); collision in work and family life results in reduced levels of job satisfaction, loyalty, organizational commitment, work effort, performance; while increased the level of absenteeism and turnover. Policies and Steps taken by Organization to Support Work Life Balance With the changing trends of economic development, equal employment opportunities and others, the issues regarding work-life balance has gained much attention from media and researchers globally (Kirrane Buckley, 2004). The work-life balance debate mostly discussed the fact that individuals have too much work to do that very little time left for themselves or family (Eikhof, Warhurst, Haunschild, 2007). As the time spend on work does not only include the contractual hours of employment but it also include the unpaid activities such as unpredictable long journey times, hence the line between work and family is becoming more blurred than before (Hyman Summers, 2004). These issues make employers realize the importance of work-life balance in womans daily lives in order to get optimal outcomes from the female employees (Leeds list the benefits of better work life balance, 2004), (Jacobs Gerson, 2001). Hence during 1980s, many organizations starts to change their internal workplace policies, procedures and benefits. The changes included maternity leave; Employee assistance programs (EAPs), flextime, telecommuting, paid maternity leaves, home-based work, vacation, professional counseling, and child and elder care referral (Bird, 2006), (Hudson inc), (Sunil Joshi, 2002). At present, the work-life balance issues are assumed as the most discussed topic in the field of Human Resource world due to the recognition of its value and need in the lives of females (Smithson Stokoe, 2005). Considering these consequences resulting from imbalance work and family life, European companies have shown interest in reducing this imbalance and have launched numerous work-life balance programs specifically for females (Sikora, Moore, Grunberg, Greenberg). According to a research conducted by Caroline Straub; on average 95 percent of European companies offer flexible timings facility to their employees, 79 percent employers allow employees to work from home, 23 percent provides opportunity to take paid vacations and only 34 percent emphasis on child care facilities (Straub, 2007). However still, a question asked by most individuals today is as to why do work-life balance matter to policy makers, and why it might be of importance to employers? Which has been answered by (Gatrell Cooper, 2008) through citing Swan and Cooper (2005) that the concept of work-life balance developed initially as a result of European government policies designed to work on addressing the pressures with balancing work and family life together, where both parents were employed. As further addressed by Lewis and Cooper (2005) cited by (Gatrell Cooper, 2008) it has been observed that, work-life balance policies are associated with presenting employees with the chance to work flexibly, whereas initially the notions of flexible working were considered in equal opportunities program, with a special focus on working mothers. Today it is open to all. This leads to encouraging the concept of work-life balance in clear terms. In New Zealand, (Kean, 2002) undertook a survey of the employees of 25 organizations which reveals that there is a clear relationship between the work-life balance policies with the employees intentions to leave the organization and actual turnover rates. This study suggests that the work-life balance policies have net positive effect on staff turnover rates. On the other side there are managers who are reluctant to apply policies which promote work life balance; according to the study of Workplace Employment Relations Survey 2004 (WERS), 69 percent managers in private sector believe that it is solely the responsibility of individuals to balance their work and domestic demands (Hyman Summers, 2007). They have the doubt of the benefits work life balance will bring to their companies and perceive that it will be costly to implement (Hughes, 2007). But this is not reality, although costs will incur at planning and implementation stage but the benefits that will be availed afterwards will be higher from this cost. Benefits earned due to implementation of Work Life Balance Policies Work-life balance has become the focus of companies worldwide, who do not take it lightly at any time. Nowadays, it is important for managers to take work-life balance seriously. The more overworked employees, the higher the demands or the expectations on the department (Clutterbuck, 2003), the more the managers have to depend on their employees to perform at the highest possible level of proficiency, value, and quality (Jacobs Gerson, 2001), (Human Resource and Skills Development Canada, 2003). There are companies who believe that if employees maintain a balance between work and family, it will benefit the organization as a whole. A survey conducted of DuPont employees lead to a discovery that those who used work-life opportunities provided by the company were more committed to their work and believed in sticking with the organization (Clutterbuck, 2003). The U.K 2003 Best Companies to Work for survey states that the companies who allow their staff to work flexibly earn fine dividends. In UK, the government has been promoting the concept of work-life balance for some time now and many large corporations have started to implement this religiously (Clutterbuck, 2003). The benefits that BT, a U.K based company and one of the leading providers of communication solutions and services around the world has achieved from this change are colossal; it results in a more flexible and an approachable workforce, recruitment and training costs have been reduced as now 98% women return to work after maternity leave which saves around  £3 million, absenteeism rate has reduced to 3.1% as compared to other U.K. companies whose average comes about to be 8.5%, one of the best aspects of work-life balance has been that around 7000 BT employees now work from home which has increased its gains of 31%, and flexible working arrangements means that BT can now respond to customers demand 24/7 (Hughes, 2007). According to another research, the employee-opinion survey conducted at UK building society Nationwide, where more than three-quarter agreed with the statement that: I am satisfied that Nationwide provides me with the opportunities to balance working arrangements with my personal life. Therefore it is apparent as to how Nationwide has gained the following rewards over the period of three years; the number of employees returning from maternity leave has increased to 93%, employee turnover rate has decreased to 9.7% as compared to the industry average of 17%, the number of female part-time employees has increased to 50% and female home workers has risen about 150% (Job flexibility and work-life balance pay dividends for Nationwide, 2003). In a recent newspaper article (Razvi, 2010) the writer talks about how in a country like ours, most companies apparently operate on an eight to-whenever youre absolutely finished work hours policy. The idea of striking a work-life balance is not always something that young people are made aware about as they enter the professional territory. Even prior to people entering the job market, hardly any are actually able to keep that delicate balance between their studies and their family and social life. What the balance adds up to is in itself dynamic, and fluctuates with the changing status, as well with the altering demands of the multiple roles. Therefore, its necessary to focus on work-life balance, because if people are out of balance or stressed or sick then they will be less committed to the results (Tremblay, 2002), they will be less devoted to the organization (Yasbek, 2004), they will be less committed to the client, the customer, the product or service that youre producing (Human Resource and Skills Development Canada, 2003).

US foreign Policy 1865-1914, expansionist or isolationist Essay

Was the foreign policy of the United States primarily isolationist or expansionist through 1865-1914?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At the turn of the century, and after gaining our independence, the United States land mass more than doubled through the use of purchasing, annexing, and war. However, the foreign policy of our government took a predominately isolationist stand. This was a national policy of abstaining from political or economic relations with other countries. General Washington shaped these values by upholding and encouraging the use of these principles by warning to avoid alliances in his farewell speech. The reasoning behind these actions was that the Republic was a new nation. We did not have the resources or the means to worry about other countries and foreign affairs; our immediate efforts were internal. Our goals that were of primary importance were setting up a democratic government and jump-starting a nation. The United States foreign policy up to and directly preceding the Civil War was mainly Isolationist. After the war, the government helped bring together a nation t orn apart by war, helped improved our industrialization, and helped further populate our continent. We were isolationist in foreign affairs, while expanding domestically into the west and into the north through the purchase of Alaska. However, around 1890 the expansionism that had taken place was a far cry from what was about to happen. Expansionism is the nations practice or policy ...

Eating Disorders Essay -- Anorexia Bulimia Health Diet Essays Papers

Eating Disorders   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A vast amount of research has been done on the subject of eating disorders and their causes. Many eating disorders have been proven to emerge during adolescence and often serve as the foundations to more serious problems like anorexia and bulimia. This essay will explore the development of eating disorders in adolescent girls. It will show that these disorders are closely connected to the biological and psychosocial changes that occur during the adolescent period.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many teen girls suffer with anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder in which girls use starvation diets to try to lose weight. They starve themselves down to skeletal thinness yet still think that they are overweight. Bulimia, meanwhile, is a disorder in which young women binge on food and then force themselves to vomit. They also often use laxatives to get food out of their system. All of these young women who suffer from this problem are considered to suffer from a psychiatric disorder. While the causes are debatable, one thing that is clear is that these young women have a distorted body image. (Wolf, pp.214-216)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is extremely alarming is that the current thin ideal for women in Western society, which is unattainable for all but a very small percentage of the population, is compounding this problem. It is a very serious issue when someone's body shape is determined by genetic disposition and yet they try to alter it to fit some kind of imaginary ideal of how a person should look.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thus, one of the most serious problems is that female nature is not what society says it should be. Some researchers theorize that anorexia is a young woman's way of canceling puberty. Since they lack body fat, anorexics don't get their periods and often lose their sexual characteristics such as public hair. They remain, in other words, little girls. There is also the complex issue of women feeling that by having an eating disorder they are finally in control of something in their life. This may sound strange, but much research has shown that women who have been abused or neglected in their childhoods develop these problems of control. (Attie and Brooks-Gun, pp.70-71).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Studies suggest that eating disorders often begin in early to mid-adolescence. They are directly connected to pubertal maturation and the increases in body fat that... ...hing else, we need to find compassion and understanding for the victims of eating disorders. While we work on helping these individuals, we must also fight the social forces that objectify and exploit female body image to the disadvantage of not only women, but of all humanity. No one profits if one half of the human race is being held under attack by socially constructed body images that are rooted in morbid intent and infantile fantasy. Bibliography Attie, Ilana and Brooks-Gunn, J. "Development of Eating Problems in Adolescent Girls: A Longitudinal Study," Developmental Psychology, 1989, vol. 25, no.1, 7O-79. Burns, David. Feeling Good. The New Mood Therapy (New York: Avon Books, 1980) Cauffman, Elizabeth, and Steinberg, Laurence. "Interactive Effects of Menarcheal Status and Dating on Dieting and Disordered Eating Among Adolescent Girls," Developmental Psychology, 1996, vol. 32, no.4, 631-635. Graber, Julia, Brooks-Gunn, J., Paikoff, Roberta, and Warren, Michelle. "Prediction of Eating Problems: An 8-Year Study of Adolescent Girls," Developmental Psychology, 1994, vol.3O, No.6, 823-834. Wolf, Naomi. The Beauty Myth (Toronto: Random House, 1991)