State of Emergency Legal and Political Implications in Nigeria Essay Example

State of Emergency: Legal and Political Implications in Nigeria Essay INTRODUCTION Emergency in ordinary parlance means a time of crisis, a moment of danger or suspense. A state of emergency therefore is a governmental declaration that recognises the existence of this peculiar situation and takes some necessary actions to restore the peace and governmental stability of the society. During this period, the maxim, salus populi suprema lex has a special force and to that effect, some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers may be suspended. Citizens are alerted to change their normal behaviours, or government agencies are ordered to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale for suspending rights and freedoms, even if guaranteed under the constitution. Such declarations usually come during a time of natural or man-made disaster, during periods of civil unrest, or following a declaration of war or situation of international or internal armed conflict. In Nigeria, the constitution provides for the declaration of a state of emergency by the President alone on the whole country or in a state, on request by the State Governor, in the following instances: a. when the Federation is at war; b. when the Federation is in imminent danger of invasion or involvement in a state of war; c. when there is actual breakdown of public order and public safety in the Federation or any part thereof to such extent as to require extraordinary measures to restore peace and security; d. here is a clear and present danger of an actual breakdown of public safety in the Federation or any part thereof requiring extraordinary measures to avert such danger; e. there is an occurrence or imminent danger, or the occurrence of any disaster or natural calamity, affecting the community or a section of the community in the Federation; f. there is any other public danger which clearly constitutes a threat to the existence of the Federation; or g. the President receives a request to do so in accordance with the provisions of subsection (4) of the section. We will write a custom essay sample on State of Emergency: Legal and Political Implications in Nigeria specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on State of Emergency: Legal and Political Implications in Nigeria specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on State of Emergency: Legal and Political Implications in Nigeria specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In Nigeria, the President draws the authority to declare a state of emergency from his Emergency Powers which are inherent with his office and this empowers him to do whatever he deems necessary to restore peace and ensure the security of life and property for citizens of Nigeria and non-Nigerians alike residing in the areas affected by the crisis. This runs for a period of six (6) months but can be extended by the National Assembly alone with a two-thirds majority vote of approval. For instance, the situations where these emergency powers have been exercised include the violent ethno-religious crisis in Jos, Plateau state in 2004 which resulted in the total break-down of law and order. Also in Ekiti state in 2006 as a result of the impeachment of both the Governor and his deputy for gross misconduct by the Ekiti State House of Assembly. Recently, there have been calls by the Nigerian people to the President to declare a state of emergency due to the electoral violence that erupted in Bauchi and Kaduna states, but it was not declared. In the United States of America, the President in time of crisis uses his emergency powers which allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to bypass normal administrative and jurisdictional rules. Declarations of emergency can also provide special federal aid such as during the Flood of 1993 along the Mississippi River or in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. President Abraham Lincoln used his emergency powers to suspend the writ of habeas corpus in Maryland during the American Civil War. In the United Kingdom, Section 1(1) of the Emergency Powers Act 1920 empowers the Monarch to declare a state of emergency. It states that: If at any time it appears to His Majesty that any action has been taken or is immediately threatened by any persons or body of persons of such a nature and on so extensive a scale as to be calculated, by interfering with the supply and distribution of food, water, fuel, or light, or with the means of locomotion, to deprive the community, or any substantial portion of the community, of the essentials of life, His Majesty may, by proclamation (hereinafter referred to as a proclamation of emergency), declare that a state of emergency exists. The Monarch, Privy Council or the Prime Minister can make Emergency Regulations under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 if there is a serious threat to human welfare, the environment or in case of war or terrorism. These regulations last for seven days unless confirmed otherwise by the Parliament. A state of emergency was last invoked in 1974 by Prime Minister Edward Heath in response to increasing industrial action. In Victoria, Aust ralia, a state of emergency can be declared if there is a threat to employment, safety or public order. The effect of the state of emergency enables the Parliament to make desired regulations to secure public order and safety. Though fairly uncommon in democracies, dictatorial regimes often declare a state of emergency that is prolonged indefinitely for the life of the regime. In some situations, martial law is also declined allowing the military greater authority to act. In other cases, emergency is not declared and de facto measures taken or decree-law adopted by the government. Egypt has been governed under emergency law almost continuously since 1967 and without interruption since Hosni Mubarak became president in October 1981 after the assassination of president Anwar Sadat. The law has been repeatedly renewed since then. The law gives the executive – in practice the Ministry of Interior – extensive powers to suspend basic rights such as prohibiting demonstrations, censoring newspapers, monitoring personal communications, and detaining people indefinitely without charge. Egyptian defense attorneys and human rights groups say about 5,000 people currently remain in long-term detention without charge or trial. Some prisoners held under the emergency law have been in jail for more than a decade. Also in Syria, the state of emergency law that had been in force since 1963 was only recently repealed by President Bashar al-Assad in April 2011. In Argentina, the provision for declaring a state of emergency is repeatedly abused by dictatorship with long lasting states of siege giving the government a free hand to suppress opposition. LEGAL EFFECTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY Under a state of emergency, there is the increased presence of personnel of the armed forces the police and even plain clothes security officials. They are authorized to invade the privacy of homes, emails and even telephone conversations of anybody suspected of anti-governmental activities. They can arrest and detain anyone without charge and for as long as they please. Public demonstrations, freedom of press are prohibited. Pursuant to this authorization, several human rights are infringed upon with impunity. They include: the right to life, personal liberty, freedom of movement, freedom of religion, freedom of expression and the press, right to fair hearing, and the right to peaceful assembly. Historically in Nigeria, a declaration of state of emergency has never been declared on the whole country in a democratic government but it has been declared in some states. In all instances, such declaration means the outright suspension of the Governor, is Deputy and the State House of Assembly or Parliament by the President as seen in Western Nigeria (1962), Plateau State (2004), and Ekiti State (2006). Based on this, opinions are divided among eminent jurists, legal icons and constitutional experts on the legality or otherwise of these actions taken during the six-month emergency period. The actions of the President have been argued to be backed by the provisions of Emergency Powers Act of 1961 deriving autho rity from Section 65 (2) of the 1960 Independence Constitution of Nigeria. Again, the judiciary is replete with arguments pertaining to whether this law is still in existence in Nigeria or otherwise. Therefore the legal effects and consequences in Nigeria revolve around these four main issues as follows: 1. The suspension, abuse and/or denial of the human rights of citizens. 2. The suspension of public officers such as the Governor, his Deputy and the State House of Assembly and the Appointment of an Administrator. 3. The Constitutionality of the Appointment of a Sole Administrator to rule the state 4. Arguments and legal suits challenging various aspects and actions of governance during the emergency rule. 1. The suspension, abuse and/or outright denial of the human rights of citizens. â€Å"Human† means â€Å"relating to human beings†, relating to members of the races of homo sapiens – men women, children. ‘Right’ refers to that which is just or correct, truth, fairness, justice, just or legal claim. ‘Human Rights’ therefore means the freedoms, immunities and benefits that according to modern values, all human beings should be able to claim as a matter of right in the society in which they live. The Black’s Law Dictionary defines human rights as the freedoms, immunities, and benefits that, according to modern values especially at an international level, all human beings should be able to claim as a matter of right in the society in which they live. They are regarded as fundamental or basic to the individuals who assert them. Thus civil liberties and human rights are primarily individual rights, claimed by the individual or group of individuals as part of and which relates to, the position of the individuals in an organised state (Foster, 2008). On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories. These rights have been so enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution in Chapter IV, CFRN 1999. They are as follows: a. Right to Life; b. Right to Dignity of Human Persons; c. Right to Personal Liberty; d. Right to Fair Hearing; e. Right to Private and Family Life; f. Right to Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion; g. Right to Freedom of Expression and the Press; h. Right to Peaceful Assembly and Association; i. Right to Freedom of Movement; j. Right to Freedom from Discrimination; k. Right to own Immovable Property. In most countries, the state of emergency and its effects on human rights and freedoms and governmental procedure are regulated by the constitution and/or a law that limits the powers that may be invoked. Rights and freedoms may be suspended during an emergency, for instance, freedom of movement, right to fair hearing, right to peaceful assembly and association as seen in the instances of Syria, France and India. In Nigeria, the Constitution recognises that some measures may need to be taken during a period when the corporate existence of the country may be threatened or may be in jeopardy. The essence of this is to protect the whole public or corporate existence of the nation. In such a situation, the interest of an individual must step down for the interest of the nation. In the famous case of F. R. A. Williams v. Dr. M. A. Majekodunmi, the facts of the case are: The plaintiff/applicant (Williams), was a legal practitioner and a prominent member of the Action Group and its Legal Adviser. Following a rift in the Action Group, the then Premier, Chief S. L. A. Akintola, was removed by the Government of Western Nigeria and Chief Dauda Adegbenro was installed as Premier instead. When the Western House of Assembly convened to pass a vote of confidence on Chief Adegbenros government, Chief Akintolas supporters in the House created an uproar which resulted in the dispersal of members by the police using tear gas. The Federal Parliament, because of the two personalities claiming to be Premier, in exercise of its powers under the Constitution of 1960, declared a State of Emergency in Western Nigeria and approved Regulation whereby the defendant (Majekodunmi) was appointed and empowered to administer the region as Administrator for the region. Inclusive of his powers was the right to serve orders restricting individuals movement to an area defined in the Restriction Order. In exercising of his powers, Majekodunmi caused a Restriction Order to be served on Williams and required that Williams shall be and remain within a distance of three miles from 193, Abeokuta Road, in the township of Abeokuta. It was dated the May 29 1962 and signed by Majekodunmi This assent points to the verity that the Restriction Order under The Emergency Powers (Restriction Orders) Regulation of 1962 was served to deny Williams his personal liberty, right to freedom of movement and fair hearing because he could not appear in court. In the No 1 case decided on June 1, 1962, presided and read by Sir Lionel Brett F. J. , the issue for determination was: Whether in this case, the defendants change of his decision in withdrawing plaintiffs right to appear for himself in court is based on the needs for public order. It was held that the defendant shall be and he hereby is restrained from giving effect or causing effect to be given to the restriction order dated the 29th May, 1962, and served on the plaintiff under the Emergency Powers Restriction Orders) Regulations, 1962, so far as the said order would restrict the plaintiff from leaving the prescribed area at or after 6. 00 a. m. n the 4th June, 1962, and travelling thence by the normal route to the Federal Supreme Court, Lagos, and there arguing the motion filed by him and set down for hearing on that day. And that after arguing the said motion the plaintiff shall return without delay by the normal route to the prescribe area unless the Court shall otherwise direct. And that if the defendant grants the plaintiff a permit under Regulation 2 of t he Emergency Powers (Restriction Order) Regulations, 1962, to enable him to attend this Court and argue the said motion this order shall be of no effect. Justices John Idowu Conrad Taylor and Sir Vahe Bairamuan concurred. In Canada, police powers are extended. A state of emergency in this country has resulted in the mass arrest of all the people in an area and they were detained for six hours without charging them. This is called a ‘precluding’ arrest especially when a suspect is required. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) permits the state to derogate from certain rights in times of emergency. Any measures derogating from obligations under the covenant however, must only be to the extent required by the exigencies of the situation and must be announced by the state party to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. But there are some rights which are too fundamental to be suspended; they are referred to as non-derogable rights. They include the right to life, human dignity, prohibition of torture or cruel human punishment, prohibition on servitude or forced labour, right to religion, right to fair labour practices and the protection of children’s rights. These rights are not permitted to be denied by any government even in times of emergency. There have been arguments by political theorists’ that human rights monitoring activities under the Charter of the United Nations is invasive and a threat to National Sovereignty. 2. Suspension of public officers such as the Governor, his Deputy and the State House of Assembly In all instances of the declaration of state of emergency in Nigeria the foremost public officers of the state were suspended and an Administrator, mostly military, is appointed to take over affairs of the state. The first state of emergency in Nigeria was declared in 1962 and the then Minister of Health, Dr. M. A Majekodunmi was appointed to take over the helms of affairs in Western Region of Nigeria while also suspending the Western House of Assembly. In 2004, a state of emergency was declared on Plateau State by former President Olusegun Obasanjo due to the severe ethno-religious crises and thus the state Governor, Joshua Chibi Dariye, his Deputy and members of the State House of Assembly ceased to hold their respective offices for an initial period of six months. This suspension did not affect the local councils. Subsequently a military administrator, former Chief of Army Staff, Major-General Chris Alli (rtd) was appointed to take over the affairs of the state and see to the restoration of peace. Also in 2006, this declaration was made in Ekiti state by the then President of Nigeria following the unconstitutional impeachment of the Governor for corruption and the subsequent appointment of Former Speaker Friday Aderemi as Head of Government by the Ekiti State House of Assembly. The Governor, Mr. Fayose who denied reports that he had fled the country, said he was in hiding because he feared for his life but he was still Governor of Ekiti State. His deputy Biodun Olujimi, who was also impeached, also laid claim to the Office of Acting Governor. This situation prompted President Obasanjo to state on national television thus: We have come to a sad, ridiculous and unacceptable situation in Ekiti where we have three governors It is dangerous for our democracy to allow this flagrant violation. Thus a state of emergency was declared to prevent the situation from descending into chaos and Brigadier-General Adetunji I. I Olurin (rtd) was appointed. The suspension of the public officers of a state consequent on the declaration poses a major challenge to the constitutional government in Nigeria. The Attorney-General of the Federal Government had insisted that due process was followed in the exercise. He relied on the Provisions of the Emergency Act, 1961 which he desc ribed as within the ambit of Section 315 of the constitution. He also referred to the exercise of a similar power removing the Premier of the Western Region after the declaration of a state of emergency in that region under the Independence Constitution of 1960. The rationale for the suspension of the House of Assembly was articulated by the President himself in the following words: Having a state of house of assembly in a position under a state of emergency is incongruous and may not allow for the expeditious actions that the Administrator will need to put the state back into a situation of peace, harmony, security for all and maintenance of law and order throughout the state. Professor Ben Nwabueze (SAN), a leading authority on constitutional law in Nigeria, has argued with considerable force that the power given to the President under Section 305 of the Constitution is limited to mere declaration of a state of emergency and does not include the power to make laws and to execute them with respect to matters within exclusive state competence. Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution does not contain, as was the case with the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions, any clause permitting the National Assembly to make laws for Nigeria or any part thereof with respect o matters not included in the Legislative Lists as may appear to Parliament to be necessary or expedient for the purpose of maintaining or securing peace, order and good government during any period of emergency. In constitutional democracies, particularly those operating written constitutions, it is not permissible for creatures of statutes such as the President to act outside the four walls of the statutes th at created them. The powers to remove a Governor, vested exclusively in the State House of Assembly, are elaborately stated in Sections 188(1) – (11) CFRN 1999 and the National Assembly is precluded by Section 11(4) from exercising this power during a period of emergency. In the situations of Plateau and Ekiti States, the removal or suspension was done unilaterally by the President. The constitution also makes elaborate provisions for the dissolution of a House of Assembly, for the recall of individual legislators and for succession to the office of the Governor in case of temporary absence or permanent incapacity of the office-holder. Even during a period of emergency, only the National Assembly is empowered by section 11(4) to take over the performance of the functions of the State House of Assembly but then only to the extent ‘necessary or expedient’ and only if the assembly ‘ is unable to perform its functions’. The subsection even goes further to enter a caveat as follows: Provided that nothing in this section shall be construed as conferring on the National Assembly power to remove the Governor or the Deputy Governor of the State from office. From the available facts, the House of Assembly in Ekiti was not unable to perform its functions. As a matter of fact, the House a day before the proclamation elected new officers and took a number of other decisions in a peaceful atmosphere. Thus, the warrant for the suspension of the House cannot be section 11(4) of the Constitution. 3. The Constitutionality of the Appointment of a Sole Administrator In times of emergency the constitution requires the President to take ‘extra-ordinary’ measures to return the state to a status of stability. These extra-ordinary measures are allowed under the Doctrine of Necessity. The term is used to describe the basis on which extra-legal actions by state actors, which are designed to restore order, are found to be constitutional. The suspension of the Governor and his Deputy in conjunction with the appointment of an Administrator has been argued to be one of such necessary actions to be taken during a state of emergency. Arguments on the contrary derive authority from the constitution which is the grundnorm, that is, a basis for the legality of other laws. To this effect, any other law that is inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution, shall to the extent of its inconsistency to be null, void and of no legal effect. The constitution states in Section 1(2): The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall not be governed, nor shall any persons or group of persons take control of the Government of Nigeria or any part thereof, except in accordance with the provisions of this constitution. Thus the appointment of a sole administrator to take control over the government of the state is unconstitutional because the constitution, in section 305, does not provide for the removal of a Governor and Deputy Governor and subsequent take-over by an administrator during periods of emergency. In the words of William Pitt, (1759 – 1806) â€Å"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves. More so, the constitution makes no provision for ‘suspension’ of elected officers it only provides for impeachment. The aforementioned extra-ordinary measures envisaged by the constitution should not be interpreted in terms of the removal of elected but rather only in terms of the deployment of the police and other security forces to maintain law and order or the making of such laws permitting restrictions on and derogation from fundamental rights, other than the right to life and to personal liberty, du ring a period of emergency. Even then, the constitution qualifies the extent of such restrictions derogation when it provides in section 45 (2 3), viz: (2) An Act of the National Assembly shall not be invalidated by reason only that it provides for the taking, during periods of emergency, of measures that derogate from the provisions of section 33 or 35 of this Constitution; but no such measures shall be taken in pursuance of any such Act during any period of emergency save to the extent that those measures are reasonably justifiable for the purpose of dealing with the situation that exists during that period of emergency; provided that nothing in this section shall authorize any derogation from the provisions of section 33 of this Constitution, except in respect of death resulting from acts of war or authorize any derogation from the provisions of section 36(8) of this Constitution. (3)In this section, a â€Å"period of emergency† means any period during which there is in force a Proclamation of a stat e of emergency declared by the President in exercise of the powers conferred on him under section 305 of this Constitution. 4. Arguments and legal suits challenging various aspects and actions of governance during Emergency Rule The obvious issue that comes to mind is the question bothering on if the situation at hand was enough reason for a declaration of a state of emergency by the President. This discretion is clearly that of the President and he is the sole determinant and initiator of the exercise except under circumstances provided for in Section 305 (3g), (4) and (5) where a request to such effect is initiated by the Governor of a state. The door seems closed on any advocacy against the President’s decision. This issue has its locus classicus in the case of Liversidge v. Anderson where the House of Lords held that in a situation of emergency, such as Britain fighting World War II, the court might not want to inquire into the reasonableness of the grounds of taking actions even when the statute clearly state that the cause must be reasonable. In fact, in Nigeria, with specific reference to emergency declaration, it was held in the case of Williams v. Majekodunmi that the issue of whether a state of emergency existed was outside the province of the court of law but only ‘within the bounds of Parliament’. Another issue questions the existence of The Emergency Powers Act of 1961 duely passed into law by the then Governor-General of Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. The general and popular authority for the alleged repeal by implication of the Emergency Powers Act is section 65(2) of the 1960 Independence Constitution which states that: â€Å"Any provision of law enacted in pursuant of this section shall have effect only during a period of emergency. Provided that the termination of a period of emergency shall not affect the operation of such provision of law during the period, the validity of any action taken there under during that period, any penalty or punishment incurred in respect of any contravention thereof or failure to comply therewith during that period or any proceeding or remedy in respect of any such penalty or punishment†. It has been argued that the emergency powers act lapsed by virtue of section 65(2) of the 1960 Constitution, which provides that â€Å"Any provision of law enacted in pursuance of this section shall have effect only during the period of emergency†, and that since that emergency has ended, that is the end of that law. The second argument is based on the Interpretation Act, Cap 192 LFN 1990. By section 6(2) of the Interpretation Act Cap 192, where a law has expired, lapsed or ceased to have effect, then, it is to be treated as if it has been repealed. In response to the first submission, the provisions of Section 65 of the 1960 Constitution does not by any rule of interpretation nullify any law made pursuant to the Emergency Powers Act at the end of the emergency period. Section 65(2) is not a destructive or a repealing section, which automatically repeals any law made pursuant to section 65. The emergency powers act continues to be law in the statute books and only remains dormant at the end of every emergency. To the second submission, on July 19, 1990, the Federal military government promulgated the revised edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) Decree no 21 of 1990. The essence of the Decree was to update all the laws of the Federation applicable up to that time. The side note to Section 3 of the Decree gives power to the Attorney General of the Federation to authorise omission of certain enactment for reasons of its obsolete status, temporary nature, if it’s under review with a view to replacement and if it’s restricted or of personal application. But by Section 3 (2) any such laws omitted †¦shall have the same force and validity as if they had not been omitted in the revised edition. The meaning of this is very clear. The fact of the omission of any law from the revised edition of the laws of the Federation 1990 does not mean that those laws have been repealed. Put in another way, the fact of the classification of law as obsolete, temporary, under revision, restricted or personal and by reason therefore, its non-inclusion in the current Law of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) of 1990, does not amount to the repeal of that law. CONCLUSION Just as a state of emergency is constitutional due to the unrest and instability of the state, so also some undesirable effects are incurred in the period of the state of emergency. A common occurrence here in Nigeria, is that the Governor, his Deputy and members of the State House of Assembly are suspended even though this kind of suspension is not expressly stated in the constitution. Declaring a state of emergency is one of the executive powers of the President. In this situation he is expected to do everything within his powers to handle the situation. It is also noted that this emergency power can be abused by the President and also used for politically selfish gains. Perhaps the basis for this abuse lies in the fact that the guidelines for the actions taken by the President in a bid to restore normalcy are not expressly stated in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This lacuna gives the President a free hand to do whatever he deems necessary to quell the insurgence and return the Federation or any part thereof to a position of stability. Basically this essay has generally analysed the prevalent legal effects of the declaration of a state of emergency in Nigeria as well as parts of the world. The lessons learnt from there from could be helpful to Nigeria in her strive for democratic stability. [ 1 ]. Oluyede, P. A. , Aihe, D. O. (2003). Cases and Materials on Constitutional Law in Nigeria. (2nd Ed) Ibadan, Nigeria: University Press PLC. [ 2 ]. Latin maxim meaning â€Å"Let the welfare of the people be the Supreme Law† [ 3 ]. Wikipedia. com (Encyclopedia, 2011), http://en. m. wikipedia. org/wiki/State_of_Emergency [ 4 ]. Section 305 (1), Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended in 2011 hereafter referred to as CFRN 1999. [ 5 ]. Section 305 (4), CFRN 1999 [ 6 ]. Emergency Powers Regulations 1962 [ 7 ]. Pursuant to Section 188 (1) CFRN 1999 [ 8 ]. Wikipedia. rg The Online Encyclopedia (2011) supra. [ 9 ]. Human Rights Watch (2008), Egypt: Extending State of Emergency violates rights, http://www. hrw. org/en/news/2008/05/27/egypt-extending-state-emergency-violates-rights [ 10 ]. Daily News Economic Review (2008), Syria Lifts State of Emergenc y Laws, http://www. hurriyetdailynews. com/syria [ 11 ]. As of 2010, a state of emergency had been declared fifty – two (52) times by democratic and dictatorial governments [ 12 ]. On May 27, 1967, General Gowon declared a state of emergency over the whole country in response to the armed conflict that resulted in a civil war. ICE case studies: The Biafran War. http://www1. american. du/ted/ice/biafra. htm [ 13 ]. National Open University of Nigeria, (2008). LAW 241 – Human Rights Law, Professor Justus A. Sokefun [ 14 ]. Black’s Law Dictionary, (8th Ed 1999), pg. 2167 [ 15 ]. Foster, S. (2nd. Ed, 2008). Human Rights and Civil Liberties. Essex, England: Pearson Education Limited. [ 16 ]. The United Nations Website (2006), The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, http://www. un. org/en/documents/udhr/index. shtml Daily News Economic Review (2008), Syria Lifts State of Emergency Laws, http://www. hurriyetdailynews. com/syria [ 17 ]. Sections 33 – 44, CFRN 1999 [ 18 ]. www. wikipedia. org The Online Encyclopedia (2011) supra. [ 19 ]. 1962] 1 All NLR 413 or (No. 1) [1962] 2 SCNLR p. 26. [ 20 ]. www. wikipedia. org The Online Encyclopedia (2011) supra. [ 21 ]. Article IV, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, hereafter referred to as ICCPR [ 22 ]. National Party Preliminary Submission Theme Committee 4. (1995). Item 24: States of Emergency and Suspension of Rights. www. constitutionnet. org/files/7869. pdf [ 23 ]. Kelly, J. (2009). United Nations Rule of Law Activities Threaten National Sovereignty. http://www. globalgovernacewatch. org/spotlight_on_sovereignty/united-nations-rule-of-law-activities-threaten-national-sovereignty [ 24 ]. Gbadamosi, G. (2004). Nigerias Case Laws on Emergency Rule. http://www. dawodu. com/gbadamosi1. htm [ 25 ]. Martins O. Madu O. (2004, May 19). Nigeria: Obasanjo proclaims state of emergency in Plateau and warns Kano. The Guardian Newspaper [ 26 ]. News Reports (2006). State of Emergency’ declared in Ekiti State. Olurin sworn in. Nigerian Village Square. http://www. nigeriavillagesquare. com/articles/nvs/state-of-emergency-declared-in-ekiti-state-olurin-sworn-in. html [ 27 ]. Alabi M. O. (2005). Emergency Powers in Nigeria: Legal and Constitutional Issues. The Constitution, Vol. 5, No. 4 [ 28 ]. Alabi M. O. supra [ 29 ]. Section 105, CFRN 1999 [ 30 ]. Section 110, CFRN 1999

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Paul Baumer- All Quiet On The Western Front The story of Paul Baumer, the narrator from the novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque, is one of the stories that have a great impact on my life. The story centers on Paul Baumer, who enlists in the German army with glowing enthusiasm. But in the course of war, he is consumed by it and in the end is â€Å"weary, broken, burnt out, rootless, and without hope.† Baumer and his classmates who enlisted into the army see the true reality of the war. They enter the war fresh from school, knowing nothing except the environment of hopeful youth and they become mature with the war, which in the end is their only home. So then they lose their innocents. In the end, everything they are taught: are not the slightest use to them because the only thing they need to know is how to survive. Along with that, they need to know how to escape the shells as well as the emotional and psychological torment of the war. Baumer has â€Å"grown accustomed to it; war is the cause of death like influenza and dysentery. † Deaths are more frequent, more varied and terrible." He has rid himself of all feelings and thoughts. His emotions are hidden deep within himself, along with the soldiers who fell prey to them. His dullness protects him from going mad at the sight of a slaughtered or butchered friend. He wants to live at all costs so every expression of his life must serve one purpose and one purpose only. For the cost of life is the death of his emotions, his survival depends on it. Every shot that fires, a soldier must face the possible certainty of death. Whenever he looks into the eyes of an enemy soldier, he does not see a man, but sees death staring back at him. What can you do but fight back? He cannot and will not coexist with you. It does not matter that he is a man of your same distinction; it does not matter if he has a mother, a father, a sister or a brother. All that matters is that h... Free Essays on Paul Baumer Free Essays on Paul Baumer Paul Baumer- All Quiet On The Western Front The story of Paul Baumer, the narrator from the novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque, is one of the stories that have a great impact on my life. The story centers on Paul Baumer, who enlists in the German army with glowing enthusiasm. But in the course of war, he is consumed by it and in the end is â€Å"weary, broken, burnt out, rootless, and without hope.† Baumer and his classmates who enlisted into the army see the true reality of the war. They enter the war fresh from school, knowing nothing except the environment of hopeful youth and they become mature with the war, which in the end is their only home. So then they lose their innocents. In the end, everything they are taught: are not the slightest use to them because the only thing they need to know is how to survive. Along with that, they need to know how to escape the shells as well as the emotional and psychological torment of the war. Baumer has â€Å"grown accustomed to it; war is the cause of death like influenza and dysentery. † Deaths are more frequent, more varied and terrible." He has rid himself of all feelings and thoughts. His emotions are hidden deep within himself, along with the soldiers who fell prey to them. His dullness protects him from going mad at the sight of a slaughtered or butchered friend. He wants to live at all costs so every expression of his life must serve one purpose and one purpose only. For the cost of life is the death of his emotions, his survival depends on it. Every shot that fires, a soldier must face the possible certainty of death. Whenever he looks into the eyes of an enemy soldier, he does not see a man, but sees death staring back at him. What can you do but fight back? He cannot and will not coexist with you. It does not matter that he is a man of your same distinction; it does not matter if he has a mother, a father, a sister or a brother. All that matters is that h...

Vietnam The Unending War Essays - Vietnam War, Indochina Wars

Vietnam The Unending War Essays - Vietnam War, Indochina Wars Vietnam The Unending War The Vietnam war is the most terrible and senseless war America has ever fought. Never since their own civil war was the world most powerful country divided in such terrible anger. The leading historian on the war in Vietnam George C. Herring poses two very important questions in his essay American and Vietnam the Unending War. These two questions have been boggling the Americans minds since the beginning of the war in Indochina up to today when the US faces similar crises but is afraid to due to something called the Vietnam syndrom something that has plagued the American minds since the cease fire in Vietnam 1975. Why did the united States invest so much blood and treasure in an area so remote and of so little apparent significance, and secondly, why despite its vast power did the United States fail to achieve its objects? Herring approaches these questions from a variety of different sides which somewhat explain the struggle and the pain the misunderstood country had to go through. After WWII most of the countries such as Britain and the Netherlands gave up their colonies in Indochina. France on the other hand decided to regain power and put down the revolutionary nationalistic movement, by force that was plaguing Vietnam. The communist Ho Chi Minh had developed a communist, nationalistic movement against the french in order to be free of colonialism and establish a Marxist state in Vietnam. France at the time and still today is one of Americas strongest allies. Therefore and for many other political reasons, such as the prevention of the spread of communism, made the US aid France and support them with their mission. This was so to say the beginning of a variety of incidents that finally brought the US to war with Vietnam. Of all the nationalistic movements and revolutions in Indochina, the Vietnamese was the only one supported by communism. This was of great concern to the U.S. who feared that the soviet union had their hands in this as a plan of slowly gaining power over the entire east, and eventually the entire world. Herring writes From the outset Americans viewed Ho and the Vietminh as instruments of the Soviet drive for world domination,..... After the fall of china to communism in 1949, the US feared that if then also Vietnam would fall to communism finally the rest of Indochina, which found itself in similar unstable conditions as Vietnam, will fall to communism to. Soviet expansion had reached a point beyond which it must be permitted to go. A so-called domino theory was adopted, where when one falls all will eventually fall. Herring explains: Because of its location on china's southern border and because it appeared in the most imminent danger, Vietnam was considered crucial. If it fell, all of Southeast Asia might be lost, denying the United States access to important raw materials and strategic waterways. After the defeat of France in 1954, the US aided to create a non-Communist, democratic, south Vietnamese state in hope that their financial aid and political assistance would strengthen the population and prevent any further spreading of Communism. The Cold War started taking desperate measures and the U.S. particularly in the Kennedy-Johnson era was very concerned with the security of western Europe. It was the US concern that if they would back out in the worsening Vietnam situation, it would portray a certain weakness to its enemy Russia and could provoke conflicts in western Europe, particularly over Berlin, that could end in a nuclear war. ...if they showed firmness in one area, it would deter the adversary in a another; if they showed weakness the adversary would be tempted to take steps that might leave no option but nuclear war. A further reason Herring portrays is the effect on the political situation at home which could have been quit crucial if Vietnam would have pulled out. Another loss to communism would have devastating outcomes on presidential elections. To prevent loss of votes marked another great aspect of why the Presidential administrations couldn't simply leave Indochina to its destiny. Harring writes ...the assumption shared by administrations from Harry S. Truman to Lyndon B. Johnson that the fall of Vietnam

5 Steps on How to Get Organized in College

5 Steps on How to Get Organized in College With all that you have to balance, getting organized in college can sometimes seem like both a hopeless and useless task. After all, what kind of person can create order out of so much chaos?! You might be surprised, however, to learn just how easy it can be to get organized during your time in school. 1. First and Foremost, Have a Time Management System Whether youre a super senior or an incoming first-year student, time will be your most precious commodity. Just when you need it the most, it will seem the most scarce. And you will rarely if ever, feel like you have enough of it. Consequently, having a good time management system that you use is critical for getting organized - and staying that way - during your time in school. After all, how are you supposed to know what youre supposed to be doing if you arent even sure, well, what youre supposed to be doing? 2. Write Down All Your Academic Responsibilities When you first get your syllabi at the beginning of the semester, find a quiet table at a coffee shop, get a cup of coffee, and sit down with your calendar. Put everything thats on your syllabi into the calendar: when classes meet, when things like required films and labs are scheduled, when midterms are, when classes are canceled, when finals and papers are due. And when you think youre all done putting everything in, double check your work and do it again. Once you have everything inputted into your time management system, you can rest assured that youll know about all required course assignments well before their deadline. Sometimes, just knowing whats coming down the pipeline can account for 90% of your organization prowess. 3. Go Through Something Once a Week It sounds strange, but youll likely be surprised at just how helpful this rule can be when it comes to staying organized in college. At least once a week, go through and organize something. It can be your backpack; it can be your bank statement; it can be your desk; it can be your email. You undoubtedly, however, will find something that slipped your mind or that youve been meaning to get to. And if you hadnt have gone through that item, you would likely have forgotten all about it. 4. Have a Budget and Check in on It Regularly A major part of being organized in college is staying on top of your finances. Even if most of your costs, like room and board in the residence halls, are taken care of through the financial aid office, staying on top of your money situation is still important. Being organized means knowing whats going on in your college life at any given point in time. If you arent sure how much money is in your account - or, worse, if youll have enough to make it through the semester or quarter - you arent organized. So stay on top of your budget and know where youre money has gone, where it is, and where its headed. 5. Be Proactive and Plan in Advance You know that guy down the hall who always is stressing out and cramming last minute for exams? Or that girl who freaks out every time she has a paper due the next day? Chances are youd be hard pressed to find someone who would describe either of them as organized. If you know whats coming - holidays, major events, midterms, papers, lab reports, finals - you can plan in advance and avoid unnecessary chaos. And if you know whats coming, you can organize your life (e.g., get enough sleep) far enough in advance that you can still enjoy yourself during even the worst of the worst.

Stage writing 4 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stage writing 4 - Research Paper Example or even viewing aggression purges angry feelings and aggressive impulses into harmless channels† (Bushman & Whitaker, 2010, 790), the authors aimed to validate whether playing violent games would serve as a form of catharsis or purging to release one’s anger. Right after the introductory paragraph, the authors made reference to other research studies made on the subject of determining the validity of the catharsis theory through violent video games. However, as clearly indicated, the authors did not aim to validate the catharsis theory but to test the hypothesis that â€Å"belief in catharsis increases attraction to violent games, especially among people who want to get rid of their anger† (Bushman & Whitaker, 790). The study was an experimental type of research with a methodology that requires the participants to complete three distinct tasks in two experiments. The analysis required multiple regression with centered predictor variables, simple-effect analysis, and 3-analysis of variance, as clearly indicated under results and discussion portions of each experiment. The authors claimed that experiments 1 and 2 generated conclusive and practically the same results which clearly validated the identified hypothesis. Bushman & Whitaker emphasized that the strong attraction to play violent video games were predominantly focused on â€Å"angry people led to believe in catharsis† (Bushman & Whitaker, 791). The claims were stated under the results and discussion portions of the article after each experimental procedure. The claims could not be absolutely validated because as the authors indicated, this is the first research which used experimental method to address the question of determining people’s being attracted to violent entertainment or to violent video games. Likewise, the authors did not indicate any limitations of their study which could include a closer focus on the gender has

How health psychology research might contribute to solving health Essay

How health psychology research might contribute to solving health problems associated with socioeconomic disadvantage - Essay Example These health problems could be understood from a much narrowed down perspective – one that is significant to the whole related discussion. The patients who have socioeconomic disadvantages are the ones who suffer the most because they have lack of resources available at their disposal and this means that they seem to miss out on a number of health benefits which the state (the public sector) or the private sector has brought forward for them. Socioeconomic disparities could play havoc with the mental and physical self of the patients in a very drastic manner. It hampers the manner under which patients could manifest their health basis with the money that they have to take care of their lingering health related problems. They usually measure up their ailments in the light of the money that they could muster in order to bring a remedy for the same. (Stecklov, 2001) The state has a huge role to play in changing the way people think. This could be done if proper facilities could be made available and if there are adequate arrangements to take care of the potential health threats that the deprived individuals can face with the passage of time. Research in the health psychology domains would reap rich dividends. The reason for the same is that it will pinpoint the grey areas as well as find out the exact problems that owe a hand or two towards the declining regimes of health basis within the people who are at a socioeconomic disadvantage and loss within any society. It will examine the exact basis of growth within these problems and look to solve the same in the light of the present day case studies. (Repper, 1998) It will seek help from researchers in the same field and understand the rationales behind socioeconomic disparities and how the two work hand in hand (in a negative connotation) towards the deterioration of health standards within a society to say the

Minority Leadership in the military Research Paper

Minority Leadership in the military - Research Paper Example Minorities are often subjected to stereotypes and they are usually not expected to acquire higher positions. They are always looked upon with suspicious eyes and their ability is almost always questioned. In the same way females are also looked down upon in professions like military. In this paper we will look into the minority representation in army and whether it represents the minority representation in the society at large. The educational and financial background of minorities will also be considered and their impact on leadership style will be analyzed. The main question we would like to answer here is whether race or gender has an impact on leadership or management decisions in military or not. It is important to understand the dynamics of minorities in a society in order to better understand how minorities feel and how the society feels about them. Minorities in a society are characterized by cohesion and close relationships. This is because they feel threatened by other majority groups in the society. Minority groups also try to differentiate themselves from ‘others’ and this is done to protect their identity. There are united because they have no place to go and they feel compelled to remain a part of their social group. Society in general feels negatively about minorities which in turn increases the cohesion in minorities. Military profession is seen as a patriotic profession and the job is to defend the country. This is why tensions between majority and minority groups is common in military. Majority group is always suspicious of the patriotism of the minority groups and therefore their representation is always low in military. An example would be in the United States of America when African Americans were not allowed to serve in the army before the Civil War. It was only when it was inevitable that they were allowed to serve in the military. Majority group in most cases feels suspicious of the minority group because they believe minorities

From the streets to the libraries Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

From the streets to the libraries - Assignment Example History is important as it gives the people who relate to it a cultural identity. Among the major cons of this genre is the vulgarity of the language and too much sex and violence. It raises a conflict. Critics challenge the ill manner in which the genre strives to air the message. Vulgar language, sex and violence is purported to impact the readers and giving it a lot of priority erodes morality. It is also not ideal for people of tender ages as it exposes them to graphic sex and violence too soon. Therefore, it does not suit all ages or the conservative people. I support this statement. Basically, Miller means that the only concern is that people read and therefore have the chance to benefit from the lessons. This dismisses the claim of inappropriate ways of delivering the message. Despite having graphical sex, violence or vulgar language, what matters is the conclusion rather that the language, sex or violence. Given the nature of urban lifestyle, it is inevitable to include the inappropriate details. However, using the inappropriate details to deliver a strong message after reading is the main agenda. The authors of this genre get their work published by their own publishing companies that they have started. In addition, the popularity of the genre had persuaded other publishers to accept publishing urban fiction works. The popularity of this genre emerged from increased acceptance by libraries. Librarians began bringing them to the libraries where people would be interested in them (Barnard 1). The popularity of best sellers in this genre increased interest from people. There are lessons from urban fiction. They are not only real and interesting but also have a valid reason for their popularity. This genre proves useful and it deserves the audience it continues to enjoy. By addressing the real issue in the society, this genre keeps people aware at all times. They can live accordingly. It also impacts the

Corporation as One of the Most Convenient Business Entities Research Paper

Corporation as One of the Most Convenient Business Entities - Research Paper Example A limited liability company or LLC can be treated as a general partnership when there are two or more owners in a business enterprise. The State of Florida does not claim any formal documentation for the general partnerships. However, consultation with a legal counsel is recommended for the parties before forming any general partnership. This is significant in order to check on fraud considerations. In a similar manner to that of the US, the United Kingdom also observed a new legal form known as the limited liability partnership (LLP) in 2001. However, the UK LLP is not suitable for small trading business concerns. The LLP legislation in the UK is rather complicated. Even though it offers the possibility of tax reduction, it is not convenient due to the lack of tax neutrality. In the case of the US multiple-owner LLCs, the owners in general partnerships must use Schedule E with reporting their personal income tax returns. Besides, they require to file a partnership information return on Form 1065. This includes information on the source as well as the distribution of the money among the co-owners. The profit or loss earned in the business is shared equally by the owners. The State of Florida differentiates between a sole proprietorship and general partnership in terms of payment of the profit earned. Unlike a sole proprietorship, the profit earned in general partnership is not subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes. It is not liable to state and federal income taxes. Sole proprietorship, as well as general partnership, is a tax-reporting entity, not a tax-paying entity.

Telecommuting Essay Example for Free

Telecommuting Essay Telecommuting or telework allows employees of a company to work from home or any other remote location other than an office. Telecommuting requires employees to be able to access all of the computer applications they have available to them at work in order to perform their jobs adequately. The company should provide Internet access to employees at their homes and make sure they have the appropriate equipment to run and access company provided software. While some experts argue telecommuting is more cost-efficient, may increase productivity and create a better work/life balance, others say the cost of decreased face time co-workers, effect it has on workers left at the office, and its failure to live up to some of its expectations could make it a less attractive option. By implementing telecommuting, a company has the possibility to save significantly. Because of telework, employees will be able to work from remote locations and will not have a need to come into the office. This will eliminate the need for a physical location for most employees, which will result in a large savings per month. Each employee can use their computer at home or be provided one by the company. By implementing telecommuting, it would prevent the need to expand physical locations in the future. Savings would also increase based on the lack of utility bills associated with the physical location, cancelling T1 lines, and landline phones. Each employee can communicate with each other and customers via their company cell phone, which usually is already provided to them or their home landline phone if they wish. The company will then be responsible for their Internet connection in the form of a reimbursement. The figure above outlines the total costs of each arrangement. It is clear that telecommuting has the potential to save a company more money almost immediately after implementation. This is true only if every person in the company telecommutes. As some companies telecommuting policies say, the employee who telecommutes must report to a centralized workplace for a portion of time each week. If this is true, telecommuting is not as cost efficient as it seems. Transportation costs are also drastically reduced for employees. Because they would no longer need to commute to the office everyday, costs associated with a daily commute would be drastically reduced. This would also save money for the company. The federal government offers tax incentives to companies who make efforts to reduce their carbon footprint. By implementing telecommuting, any company would be eligible for the tax incentives the very next year. In a study conducted at the Kentucky American Water Company, performed from 1998-2003, it was concluded that a significant savings could be made per employee (Butler, Aasheim, Williams, 2007). The article points out that for the Kentucky American Water Company, â€Å"savings include reduced expenses for office space and parking, and a reduction in complaints handled by the managers. † In a chart produced in the study, it compares the costs and savings of implementing the telecommuting process in the call center portion of the company. Their conclusion, on average, was telecommuting will save KAWC $1,361 per employee (p. 102). Research has shown that telework is related to higher job satisfaction and a variety of positive employee outcomes,† writes Karen Fonner for the Journal for Applied Communication Research (Fonner Roloff, 2010, p. 340). Telework helps employees manage their personal and work lives more effectively than working in an office setting. By releasing employees from the constraints of a physical office, they are empowered to create their own schedules to accomplish work more effectively. This empowerment enables employees to take ownership of their position and will otivate them to perform to the best of their abilities. With the ability of employees to create their own schedules around the clock, it will benefit companies by allowing the employee to have a flexible schedule to adapt to the demanding schedules of business in the new millennium. Another benefit of telecommuting is less absenteeism at work. If an employee has a doctor’s appointment, they can set their work schedule around the appointment and include it in their schedule around both personal and work appointments. If they were to report to a physical location and be forced to be stationary for a set amount of time in an office, the employee would be inclined to take the entire day off for the doctor’s appointment. With the flexibility of telework, the employee would not be inclined to call off and would still be able to work before and after the appointment. The same is true for employees who require creativity breaks in between sessions of working. The flexibility of telework enables more frequent breaks so that employees can use the time set aside for work to be most efficient. Telecommuting also takes employees out of the stressors of the office. Office politics plays a huge role in stress at work and is a huge distraction for employees. â€Å"By working remotely the majority of the time, teleworkers can avoid or ignore some of the unjust practices within the organization, such as cronyism, self-interested behavior, and pressure against speaking out against those in power,† writes Fonner (Fonner, 2010, p. 361). Without the politicking at work, employees who work from home can use their downtime for more productive personal task that don’t induce more stress on their job. In a survey conducted at the telcom company Ericsson in July of 2006, respondents were asked a series of questions related to telecommuting. Employees who were not currently telecommuting were asked what important factors would persuade them to telecommute in the future (Borjesson Markus, 2006, p. 526). The most rated saving time as the most influential reason to adapt telecommunication with increasing efficiency, reducing stress, and having more independence in their daily life as the top four reasons (Borjesson Markus, 2006). Ironically, reducing traveling costs had the smallest amount of supporters. Employees at Ericsson put more emphasis on empowerment as their main reason to choose telecommuting over monetary reasons. Plus, its an important tool for attracting a younger generation of employees who expect that flexibility and greater sense of control over their lives, says Danette Campbell, senior adviser for telework with the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office in Washington when speaking about telework in the article â€Å"Washington Tapping Into Telework For More Flexibility† (Silver, 2010, p. 0). Adding telecommuting as a workplace option will make any company a more attractive employer. The Kentucky American Water Company study proved telecommuters are more productive workers than their on-site employees (Butler, Aasheim, Williams, 2007, p. 101). The study measured productivity based on four factors, â€Å"amount of work; intensity of work; efficiency of work; and adjustments for additional costs associated with telecommuting (such as expenses for equipment, technology support, training, managerial support, and so forth)† (2007, p. 101). The study found, â€Å"the average productivity of telecommuters in the 13 months immediately after the â€Å"go live† period increased by 154%, while the average productivity of in-office agents fell by 13. 3%. Because overall customer service improved considerably (the percentage of abandoned calls decreased from 12. 2% to 3. 6%)† (p. 102). Understanding that all jobs at the KAWC call center can be performed using telecommunication, parallels can still be drawn from call center work and the type of work performed by most companies. The majority of daily work performed by most employees consists of communicating with clients and co-workers. All communication in most jobs does not rely on an employee being in a centralized workspace. By allowing employees to telecommute, they will be free to meet with customers and clients during any time of the day, thus allowing them to be more productive and available to them. Many clients and customers have problems meeting during a normal â€Å"9-to-5† workday because they are also at work. By implementing telecommuting, employees will be free to meet with them in the evening when they usually wouldn’t be at â€Å"work† if they worked in a centralized location or during business hours if they need to. Telecommuting also requires the use of technology to perform work from remote locations. â€Å"People who use more IT in their work are more productive, and by its very nature telecommuting requires more use of IT,† writes Ralph Westfall in his article â€Å"Does Telecommuting Really Improve Productivity? † (Westfall, 2004, p. 95). By implementing telecommuting at a company, they will be forced to update their technology and train people to use the new technology effectively. In doing this, employees will be forced to become more productive based on their new knowledge and the use of new technology. An argument against telecommuting is the lack of human interaction involved with the â€Å"Employees who worked away from their offices for three or more days a week reported worsening of their relationships with coworkers,† stated Pam Willenz for the American Psychological Association (Willenz, 2007). Employees may seem disenfranchised from their co-workers who report to an office, which has detrimental effects on employee morale to all employees. Telecommuting also could have detrimental effects on promotions for employees. The idea behind â€Å"out of sight, out of mind† plays a large role in the fear that employees who telecommute have less likely of a chance to get promoted from their current position because of their lack of face time with superiors. The lack of office politicking could be a double-edged sword where employees don’t have the chance to mingle with co-workers that could potentially advance their careers. Telecommuting had negative effects on the employees that are â€Å"left behind† in a centralized workplace. In-office employees took less satisfaction in their jobs and felt less of a relationship and obligation to their company as the number of telecommuting coworkers grew,† in a study that David Chartier reported in the article, â€Å"Study: Telecommuting makes work worse for non-telecommuters† (Chartier, 2009). Many of the workers that are left behind perceived that more work was left for them and are forced into other difficulties posed by telecommuting such as, building strong working relationships and finishing group work. Telecommuting is not appropriate for every job. There are still many jobs that cannot be performed through telecommuting. Contemporary Business states, â€Å"the cubicle- filled office will likely never become obsolete† (Boone, p. 22). Many jobs will never be able to completely translate over to a telecommuting environment so many workers will still have to report to a centralized workplace. Many face-to-face customer service jobs cannot be performed via telecommuting and many workers will still have to report to work therefore telecommuting is not an alternative to every job. Since telecommuting is so new, many employers are still experimenting with it and require that the employees who telecommute have to report to the office at least one day a week. Telecommuting is difficult to implement in situations where workers are paid on an hourly basis. The old adage, â€Å"Time worked equals time paid,† does not necessarily translate into the telecommuting environment very well. In hourly positions that can be transferred to telecommuting settings, clocking in and clocking out will be at the discretion of the worker with no oversight available. Employees who are compensated on an hourly basis would have to change their pay scale to a salaried position in order for telecommuting to be fair (Boone, 2010). If that is not the case, truant workers would be enabled by the lack of supervision and can â€Å"run the clock† more easily than if they reported to a centralized workspace (Boone, 2010). Telecommuting also puts company assets and information in an uncontrolled environment where it is difficult to keep track of how and for what they are used. It raises some questions where company information and assets could be compromised in a telecommuting situation. Many employees would easily be put in a situation where they could steal or copy customer information and use it outside of their work (Boone, 2010). Telecommuting is cost effective depending on how it is implemented and can save a company a lot of money only if every employee telecommutes in order to alleviate the need for a centralized workplace. Research supports these benefits of implementing telecommuting saying it will alleviate many stressors on employees by reducing time spent getting ready for work, commuting to an office on a daily basis, and office politics. There are negatives aspects, however, to telecommuting. It cannot be implemented for every job and there will still be a need for a centralized workspace so it may not be as profitable as expected. Telecommuting also puts company property and information inside someone else’s home. Truant workers are enabled to â€Å"run the clock† in a telecommuting setting since there is no oversight on when they are actually working. Telecommuting does have its strengths, but it also has weaknesses. The future will open up doors for telecommuting as technology improves and our culture becomes more technologically savvy. For now, telecommuting in most situations is a hybrid of some workdays reporting to work and others worked from home.

Conflict Management in the Workplace: Causes and Effects

Conflict Management in the Workplace: Causes and Effects INTRODUCTION What is conflict? Conflict is a process that involves people disagreeing. It is usually a process in which one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party. Conflict could be created due to different opinions of the interested parties, or due to the show of authority that some of the involved parties might have. It can be separated in substantive conflict and emotional conflict. Substantive conflict is a disagreement over ends or goals and the means for their accomplishment. Emotional conflict is usual coming out over feeling of anger, mistrust, fear, etc. In addition, conflict may be classified in three types: Intrapersonal conflict, interpersonal conflict and intergroup conflict. TYPES OF CONFLICT Intrapersonal Conflict Intrapersonal conflict arises within a person. It is a fight you have to give with your ego, in front of several solutions for a decision you have to take. For example, if you are a sales manager and you are in front of a deal that you have to make on time with a customer, you might have to decide, either to close it according to your companys usual policy, or based mostly on your customer needs. In this occasion you are facing an intrapersonal conflict. To be more specific, in case you proceed with the first choice you will be ok with your company, but you may disappoint your customer and this can cause problems either in your personal relationship with him, or in your sales volumes. If you follow the second option, then you might have problems with your company, but you will probably improve your relationship with your customer and as a result the sales volumes as well. But, of course, youre taking a big risk, in case the sales results will not come as you have planned. This exampl e could be a typical, usual, daily intrapersonal conflict of many employees in several organizational environments. Interpersonal Conflict Many companies suffer because of interpersonal conflicts, due to high competition (internal or external), different personalities of those who are decision makers in a company, authority showing, etc. Interpersonal conflict is arriving between colleagues, CEOs, boards of director, etc. and actually can be created in any level of a company. It is a usual reason which tends employees to resign. We have all faced during our working experience colleagues and managers fighting each other. Most of the times these fights or strong disagreements guide to problematic relationships between staff and finally in resign of those that dont want to go a step back. It is important to refer that according to one research, 31.9% of CEOs quitted from their jobs, because they had conflicts with the board of directors. (Whitehouse, K. 2008, January 14). CEOs of competing companies might also have public conflicts. For example, in 1997, Michael Dell was asked what he would do about Apple Computer. What would I do? Id shut it down and give the money back to shareholders. Ten years later, Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple Inc., indicated he had clearly held a grudge as he shot back at Dell in an e-mail to his employees, stating, Team, it turned out Michael Dell wasnt perfect in predicting the future. Based on todays stock market close, Apple is worth more than Dell. (Haddad, C. 2001, April 18). Intergroup Conflict Intergroup conflict takes place among different groups. Types of groups may include different departments in a company, employees and management, or competing companies in a market. Departments may conflict over budget planning. For example marketing budget or equipment budget usually creates a big conflict between marketing or production management or the general management. Employees and management may disagree on work rules and procedures. Suppliers may conflict with each other on the quality of goods, or in the pricing policy theyre promoting in the market. For example, we will refer below a typical labor issue when a joint venture between two airline companies has taken place: Canadian Air and Air Canada pilots were facing long term personal and legal conflicts when the two airlines seniority lists were combined following the merger Seniority. This fact is a valuable and scarce resource for pilots, because it helps to determine who flies the newest and biggest planes, who receives the best flight routes, and who is paid the most. In response to the loss of seniority, former Canadian Air pilots picketed at shareholder meetings, threatened to call in sick, and had ongoing conflicts with pilots from Air Canada (Stoykewych, R. E. 2003, March 7). POTENTIAL CAUSES OF CONFLICT Organizational Structure Conflict can be created depending on the organizational Structure that a corporation follows. For example, if a company uses a matrix structure as its organizational form, it will have decisional conflict built in, because the structure specifies that each manager report to two bosses (Jaffe, D. 2000). For example, global company ABB Inc. is organized around a matrix structure based on the dimensions of country and industry. This structure can lead to confusion as the company is divided geographically into 1,200 different units and by industry into 50 different units. (Taylor, W. 1991, March-April). Employees Benefits differentiation Resources offered from corporations as extra benefits to their employees such as money, time, and equipment are often a problem. Competition among people or departments for different benefits is a frequent cause for conflict. For example, cars, mobile phones, credit cards, laptops are benefits that are offered not in all the employees, or not with the same value. For example salesmen might have different car according to their position in the company. This small issue can cause big conflicts. Differentiation in salaries of people in the same position level, but with different performance can as well create conflicts. Human beings are always jealous and feel unfair. Task Interdependence Task interdependence could be another cause of conflict. This issue is coming when your success or your achievement in your objectives is also depending on other people performance. For example, when you are a project engineer and you have to complete a building construction in timelines with the correct way and the planned resources, it might be a big success for you, but you have to be supported for example, from the electrician, the plumper, the builder, the supplier of the materials, etc. If you lose control, you will probably have big conflicts with all your above coordinators. Incompatible Goals Sometimes conflict arises when two parties think that their goals are exclusively in their responsibilities. Within an organization, incompatible goals often arise because of the different ways department managers are approaching them. For example, a sales manager who s bonus system depends on sales figures, believes that he has to offer higher credit periods in a big client, in order to earn bigger sales volumes. But the financial manager whose bonus terms, might depend on how fast the clients pay their amounts is disagreeing with this option. Then these two managers may conflict each other, because they focus on their personal interests and not on the companys common goal. Unless this issue is not resolved with the intervention of someone who has the authority to overlap those two, they might continue conflict without coming up to a solution. Personality Differences Personality differences among personnel are something common and usual. Many times youre arguing with your colleagues, because you see things and issues in different way based on your ethics and your growing environment. Matching of the personalities and team spirit is a difficult thing, through a corporation and needs a special care from the Human Resource management department. Communication Problems In many occasions conflict arises out of problematic communication system, such as unread-forgotten emails or dealing with people who dont give feedbacks in your inquiries, or they often forget to reply. Then conflicts are a typical result, usually from the involved parties who try to drop the fault each one in the other. Consequently, many working hours are lost in finding where the mistake in the communication history was. OUTCOMES OF CONFLICT Conflict can be dysfunctional if it affects negatively an organization, leads to low performance, or in the worst case, to workplace violence. To understand how to get to a positive effect of conflict, we first need to understand its causes, consequences, and tools to help manage it. If conflict is too low, then performance is low. If conflict is too high, then performance also tends to be low. (www.flatworlfknowledge). The positive thing is to keep conflicts in the middle of this thin line. Most of us might have the opinion that it is quite strange to try in leave conflicts existing in middle levels, but as we will see in the following paragraphs, we can definitely have positive outcomes. Positive outcomes include the following: Creation of bigger range in quality ideas Identifying and bring in the surface the dark inaccurate cases Clarification of individual views that build learning Improvement of participation and creativeness Motivate your employees in participate in useful discussions and improve their negotiations skills within healthy procedures Examples of negative outcomes Increased stress and anxiety among personnel, which guide in low performance and personal satisfaction Feelings as being defeated and humiliated, which affect negatively individuals morale A mistrust climate, which reduce working relationships, collaboration and teamwork. CONFLICT STAGES Latent Conflict. Latent conflict is visible conflict waiting to happen. Felt Conflict. Felt conflict is experienced as discomfort and tension. Perceived Conflict. Perceived conflict is the awareness that we are in a conflict situation. Manifest Conflict. After conflict is perceived and felt, it may or may not become open, or manifest. Conflict Aftermath. Conflict is likely to breed more conflict and, when it does, that conflict is likely to take on a life of its own. (Gholipour A. 2006). CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES Everyone in his personal life has his own style in facing conflicts. In the following paragraphs you can see the most well known frequent and usual approaches in conflict management. Avoidance Avoidance is a conflict style, where the involved parties or groups are pretending that everything is fine, while inside of them they feel that there is a serious problem. Avoidance can also be an occasion where some of the parties are quitted from the conflict issue, not so much interested in find the solution, since it might considered from their side as a non personal obligation, or because they unlike the other parties opinion. In low levels and not so important issues, this style can be sometimes a good solution, but usually it finally guides in bad working environment and relationships. Accommodation The accommodating style of conflict management is more cooperative than the previous one. In this style, the one party offers or accepts, what the others believe that it is correct. This type of person is usually afraid to argue with their opponents because either they believe that they will destroy their relationships with them, or they feel that they will not come up to a solution. We can say that from one side theyre giving up their proposals. This style is a good way to manage conflicts, but you might lose proposals or ideas, which could be interesting from the person that always go a step back in front of the most dominant persons. Compromise The compromising style is always referred as the middle-level solution. In this style all the involved persons are giving a little of them in order to come up in the best solution. We can say that it is a kind of bargaining. It is a quite effective in overpass conflicts usually without negative outcomes. Competition People often show a competitive style to in order to achieve their goals or to perceive the other parties following their ideas. Competition may create bad relationships with others, if one is always trying to maximize his own outcomes at the expense of others well-being. This approach may be effective if one has strong moral objections to the alternatives or if the alternatives one is opposing, are unethical or harmful. (www.flatworldknowledge.com) Collaboration Collaboration is a conflict management style that is almost similar to effective negotiation or to win-win solutions. In this occasion both of the involved parties may conflict each other, but they always try to find the best solution, which can satisfy all of them and also serves the common goal. For example if an employee is performing well in his job obligation and he is asking to attend an MBA program in order to improve more his management skills, then he may ask from his company to pay the program for him. Then the manager can propose to him: Yes I will pay your MBA program, but you have to stay 2 years more in the company, after you will have finished it. Otherwise you will return back our paid amounts. It sounds like a fair solution for both of the sides. APPROACHES TO CONFLICT RESOLUTION Change the Composition of the Team If the conflict is between colleagues then a good solution could be, separating the personalities that are creating the biggest problems. In circumstances where conflict is attributed to the widely different styles, values, and preferences of a small number of members, replacing some of these members may resolve the problem. If thats not possible because everyones skills are needed on the team and substitutes arent available, consider a physical layout solution. Research has shown that when known antagonists are seated directly across from each other, the amount of conflict increases. However, when they are seated side by side, the conflict tends to decrease. (Howat, G., London, M. 1980) Create a Common Opposing Force Group conflict within a corporation can be reduced by turn their attention on a common enemy such as the competition. For example, two product managers might argue in which of their two products are going to spend more marketing expenses, each trying to get more resources in order to promote more his product to the market. Then instead of fighting each other, it would be better someone to turn them in focusing on a competitive product and get them responsible how to develop their products together, much more than the competition to the market. Consider Majority Rule Group conflict can be dramatically reduced by using the traditional majority rule process. In this case every one of the involved parties is proposing an idea and then all together vote in order to choose the one with the higher votes. Majority rule could be a creative process, but it has to be followed always with creative discussions and not operating as an easy solution for decreasing conflicts, through groups or persons. Sometimes it has negative outcomes, when most of the times the same persons ideas frequently pass. Then the other members of the procedure might feel that something unfair is going on, as for example the cliques creation between persons that voting all the time their personal ideas. Problem Solve Problem solving is a common approach to resolving conflict. In problem-solving mode, the individuals or groups in conflict are asked to focus on the problem, not on each other, and to uncover the root cause of the problem. This approach recognizes the rarity of one side being completely right and the other being completely wrong. (www.flatworldknowledge.com). CONCLUSION Summarizing all the above described in this assignment, we can easily realize that conflict management is a very important issue in workplace. We cannot evaluate how it could be solved, or which is the best way to manage or approach to its resolution. It would be definitely positive for companies to set up conflict policies, so they can control better such problems. But the assured thing is that, even policies would be set up, every manager, every employee has to be careful and try to take advantage of the positive effects that conflict can give. Thus, in order to achieve this, everyone has to do it with his own style, since he has to adapt his behavior depending on the working environment he is occupied. If we think again that conflict guides in violence in workplace, but can guide also to creative solutions, integrative negotiations, passion for participating in problems solving, we have to individually think and drive ourselves at the positive part of conflict results. REFERENCES Wall, J. A., Callister, R. R. (1995). Conflict and its management. Journal of Management, 21, 515-558. Michaels, D., Power, S., Gauthier-Villars, D. (2006, October 10). Airbus CEOs resignation reflects companys deep structural woes. Wall Street Journal, pp. A1-A10. Whitehouse, K. (2008, January 14). Why CEOs need to be honest with their boards. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition, pp. R1-R3. Haddad, C. (2001, April 18). Why Jobs and Dell are always sparring. Business Week Online. Retrieved May 1, 2008, from http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/apr2001/nf20010418_461.htm; Markoff, J. (2006, January 16). Michael Dell should eat his words, Apple chief suggests. New York Times. Retrieved January 19, 2007, from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/16/technology/16apple.html. Stoykewych, R. E. (2003, March 7). A note on the seniority resolutions arising out of the merger of Air Canada and Canadian Airlines. Paper presented at the American Bar Association Midwinter Meeting, Laguna Beach, CA. Baron, R. A. (1989). Personality and organizational conflict: Type A behavior pattern and self-monitoring. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 44, 281-297. Bergman, T. J., Volkema, R. J. (1989). Understanding and managing interpersonal conflict at work: Its issues, interactive processes and consequences. In D. M. Kolb J. M. Kolb (Eds.), Hidden conflict in organizations (pp. 7-19). Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Howat, G., London, M. (1980). Attributions of conflict management strategies in supervisor-subordinate dyads. Journal of Applied Psychology, 65, 172-175. www.flatworldknowledge.com

Psychology Essay examples -- science

Psychology Males and females have many different opinions in term of choosing their mates and long-term partners. But I strongly agree with Buss on the idea that women give more importance to kindness and generosity in term of choosing their long-term partner. Because I noticed that a man who is kind and generous will spend more time on her and then show love and take good care of the family. But one thing that I do not really agree with Buss is the idea of resource, I do believe that women give importance to resources but to me it is not just for their children but also most for themselves. Because I have the example of a two kids mom who divorce with her husband after he won three million dollar last summer. By divorcing, she did not care about the kids but the money. Also we have more and women who do not want to have kids and still choose their mates base on financial views. One more thing is that I noticed that women like to show off. For example they like to wear expensive clothes with brand name such as Kenneth Cole, they like diamonds and gold. Also women like to enjoy life especially by going to vacation in the Caribbean (Trinidad and Tobago). So women are more likely to refer on financial view in term of choosing their mates beca use they want to acquire that stuff. Men in the other hand do give too much importance to money because they think that they are the ones who have to provide for the family. The primary difference between Hetherington and Wallerstei...

OSI Model :: essays research papers

To hell with the OSI 7 Layer Model Back in the 1980's, when all music sucked and men dressed like fags, a bunch of sissy Europeans got together in a passionate effort to overstandardize computer networking. They created this thing called the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) networking suite. Anyone who has taken a CS (Computer Science) or CIS (Computer Information Systems) course knows this; they cram this fact down the student's throat from day freaking one. It is only when the student enters the real world do they realise that the OSI seven layer model is a sham. First off, what the hell is any European organization doing dictating standards that have to do with computers or networking? (Well...besides that paradigm shifting Linux stuff and all that other huge shit) Hello! How many bleeding edge computer or networking innovations have we seen come out of the European continent? Are they even participating in this revolution? Part of this is not really directly their fault; it probably has something to do with the fact that a minimum of venture capital spent in Europe even goes into high tech; most of it goes into high fashion and entertainment instead. No wonder we booger eating Yanks think the Europeans are sissies. Hey, we may be pigs, but at least we are running the Internet. Nah nah na-na nah. Secondly, the seven layers proposed by OSI are completely out of touch with reality. The defacto networking standard is TCP/IP. TCP/IP is the grandaddy of XNS, IPX/SPX, Banyan, AppleTalk, and a host of other protocols and pre-dates that seven layer thing because it was funded by the largest organization in the world devoted to maintaining Eurocentric socioeconomic domination; the US Military. And for some reason, that makes it better. Yeah. And yet this seven layer curse won't go away. Companies still have staffs of Marketing inspired artists drawing up elaborate maps of how their protocol maps to the OSI Seven Layer Model. Sham! Its a sham I say! To hell with the OSI Seven Layer Model! To its credit, we have found that there are indeed a few things in this world that actually follow the seven layer model; but none of them have anything relevant to do with today's high tech world.

A Comprehensive Study on Banks Essay

Every business needs funds for two purposes for its establishment and to carry out its day-to-day operations. Long terms funds are required to create production facilities through purchase of fixed assets such as plant and machinery, land, building, etc. Investments in these assets represent that part of firm’s capital which is blocked on permanent or fixed basis and is called fixed capital. Funds are also needed for short-term purpose for the purchase of raw material, payment of wages and other day-to-day expenses etc. These funds are known as working capital. In simple terms, working capital refers to that part of the firm’s capital which is required for financing short-term of current assets such as cash, marketable securities, debtors & inventories. Funds, thus, invested in current assets keep revolving fast and are being constantly converted into cash and this cash flow out again in exchange for other current assets. Hence, it is also known as revolving or circulat ing capital or short term capital. 1) Jeng-Ren, C. & Cheng, L. (2006) in their article, â€Å"Determinants of working capital† investigate the determinants of working capital management. This study investigates the relation of business indicator and management of short-term capital from the perspective of a firm’s working capital management, which traditionally is rated by current ratio, quick ratio, and net working capital.The authors have used net liquid balance and working capital requirements as measures of a company’s working capital management. Results indicate that the debt ratio and operating cash flow affect the company’s working capital management, and how it influences the business cycle, industry effect, growth of the company, performance of the company and firm size. From the data it can be seen that companies could maintain relatively loose capital management during the prosperous period (1999-2000), when capital was readily available in the market. When the economy slumped dramatically at the end of 2000, financial institutions began to tighten their capital policies, forcing companies to gradually operate a looser policy in workin g capital management. The regression results show the company has to operate a looser working capital management policy in times of recession, as it is not easy to raise capital from outside the firm, so more liquid assets are kept to maintain a relatively higher NLB. The authors conclude that debt ratio and operating cash flow evaluated by both WCR and NLB exert influence on working capital management. 2) Harris, A. (2005) conducted a study â€Å"Working capital management: difficult, but rewarding†. It focuses on the different requirements and the important role that human beings play in the working capital management process. There are various important steps that need to be met in order for them to manage their short term needs primiarily. The author compares Working Capital Management in theory and practice. Internal considerations – such as organizational structure, shared systems, autonomous business units, multinational operations and even information technology can impact working ca pital. The author also stresses on the importance of proper forecasting for efficient Working Capital Management. 3) Filbeck, G. & Krueger, T. (2005) in their article, â€Å"An Analysis of Working Capital Management Results Across Industries,† find that all industries use different modes of working capital managament techniques for their functioning. Even their techniques change over time. Industry factors may impact firm credit policy, inventory management, and bill-paying activities. Some firms may be better suited to minimize receivables and inventory, while others maximize payables. Given everything the importance of working capital cannot be ignored and its reticfication to cope with the changing environment should be the main focus of the company. 4) Pimplapure, V. & Kulkarni, P. (2011) conducted a study, â€Å"Working Capital Management: Impact of Profitability†. A firm can be very profitable, but if this is not rendered into cash from operations within the same operating cycle, the firm would need to borrow to support its continued working capital needs. For this study various statistical tools such as correlation and multiple regressions can be used. These tools are used to understand the direct impact of working capital on the profitablity of the firm. 5) Erasmus, P. (2010) in his article, â€Å"Working capital management and profitability: The relationship between the net trade cycle and return on assets,† states that, efficient working capital management should contribute to the creation of shareholder value. This study investigates the relationship between working capital management and firm profitability. Based on the results of the study done in this article, it would appear that management could attempt to improve firm profitability by decreasing the overall investment in net working capital. There is an indirect relationship between the two this is also proved in the article, â€Å"Working Capital Management: Impact of Profitability.† Regarding the normal operations of a firm, working capital management attracts less attention than capital budget and capital structure in financial management. Working capital management relates to the source and application of short-term capital. When working capital is managed improperly, allocating more than enough of it will render management non-efficient and reduce the benefits of short-term investment. On the other hand, if working capital is too low, the company may miss profitable investment opportunities or suffer short-term liquidity crises, leading to degradation of company credit, as it cannot respond effectively to temporary capital requirements. We cannot dimiss the importance of the working capital management in the working of a successful enterprise. 6) Singh, P. (2008) conducted a study titled, â€Å"Inventory and Working Capital Management: An Empirical Analysis†. The importance of working capital management is due to two reasons: (i) a substantial portion of the investment is invested in current assets, and (ii) level of current assets will change quickly, with the variation in sales. Hence, in this study, an attempt has been made to analyze the size and composition of working capital and whether such an investment has increased or declined over a period. We need to first determine the requirement of current assets, one of the important tasks of the financial manager is to select a group of appropriate sources of finance for the current assets. Normally, the excess of current assets over current liabilities should be financed by the long-term sources. It is not possible to find out precisely which long-term sources has been used to finance current assets, but it can be examined as to what proportion of current assets has been financed by long-term funds. Therefore, this article tries to carry out a study in this regard. Inventory is one of the major components of current assets, which requires huge investments. The main purpose of carrying inventory is to uncouple the operation, to make each function of the firm independent of the other functions, so that delay in one area does not affect the production and sales activities. As the shutting down of the production results in increased costs and delay in the delivery can result in loosing the customers, inventory management assumes significance in any firm and it is of great concern to any financial manager. Any firm would like to hold higher inventory. This will enable the firm to be more flexible in supply and find ease in its production schedule. Most of the customers may require immediate help in meeting their demands. However, there is always a cost involved in the inventories. This cost includes the capital cost of the stock and the cost of storing and carrying. Inventories are the assets of the firm and as such, they represent an investment. As such investments require a commitment of funds, managers must ensure that the firm maintains inventories at the correct level. If they become too large, the firm loses the opportunities to employ those funds more effectively. Similarly, if they are too small, the firm may lose sales. Therefore, it is better to maintain an optimum level of inventories that is needed in an organization. While analyzing working capital, it is important to analyze the various components of working capital especially inventory, because inventory is one of the major components and is nearly 50% of the current assets. Hence, it is necessary to analyze the size of inventory and the impact on working capital management. 7) Lifland, S. (2010) in his article, â€Å"The Corporate Soap-Opera, As the Cash Turns: Management of Working Capital and Potential External Financing Needs† finds that firms that efficiently manage their working capital are characterized as having increasing asset turnover ratios and decreasing days of receivables and inventories over the years, are ‘freeing up’ capital. Corporations use these ‘found’ funds to improve their supply chains, corporate logistics, and payment systems. The Days of the Working Capital Cycle represents the average number of days that cash must be committed to the management of a company’s working capital needs. A decline in the ratio translates into the firm’s ability to improve its inflows and management of cash. The existence and maintenance of working capital is the lifeblood of a corporation. It is the cash flow that revitalizes operations or slows it down to inoperable levels. Regardless of the size of th e company, the management of working capital accounts should influence its financial health. Kargar and Blumenthal (1994) found that small businesses were significantly impacted by management’s ability to successfully plan the cash requirements of the firm. Managers need to monitor the ratio of total working capital to total company assets, as a relatively high figure can signal future strains on the operational financial health of the firm. 8) Kelleher, J. & MacCormack, J. (2005) consider the complexity of considering the internal rate of return (IRR) on capital projects. A survey was conducted by the management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. This study asked 30 executives about the risks of this practice, They were surprised to find that only six were aware of IRR’s deficiencies. The article defines the risks IRR poses to capital budget management, considers the use of modified internal rate of return. IRR is a true indication of a project’s annual return on investment only when the project generates no interim cash flows — or when those interim cash flows really can be invested at the actual IRR. 9) Etiennot, H. & Preve, L. (2012) in their study, â€Å"Working Capital Management: An Exploratory Study.† found that Working capital management is an issue in which finance research is scarce. One possible reason behind this fact might relate to the relative ease with which efficient financial markets correct deviations from optimal working capital policies. However, in less efficient financial markets, pervasive among emerging economies, working capital management is critical for both firms ‘ performance and survival. The difference in the market’s ability for providing immediate assistance to firms might explain the differential consequences on firms’ profitability and financial distress. This article explains the fundamentals of working capital management, the importance of its interaction with financial markets, and how this interaction might explain working capital patterns around the world and in the various successful organizations that use it. 10) Singh, J. & Pandey, S. (2008) conducted a study, â€Å"Impact of Working Capital Management in the Profitability of Hindalco Industries Limited.† For any successful working of any business organization, fixed and current assets play a vital role. Management of working capital is essential as it has a direct impact on profitability and liquidity. This is a study of the working capital components and the impact of working capital management on profitability of Hindalco Industries Limited. The study is based on secondary data collected from annual reports of Hindalco for the study period 1990 to 2007. The ratio analysis, percentage method and coefficient of correlation have been used to analyze the data. The current assets of Hindalco witnessed a steady growth over the past years which were 40 times more in 2007 in comparison to that of 1990. Inventory and loans and advances mainly supported this increase. The study also shows that the contribution of long term source in working capital is below 30% in all the study period. This study effectively showed that working capital has a big impact on the profitability of the firm.