Organizational Behavior in Margaret Atwoods Surfacing Essay

Organizational Behavior in Margaret Atwoods Surfacing - Essay Example Organizational Behavior in Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing Popular culture is meant to represent the common ground or the popular perception of culture but has the organization of society become too intellectualized? If work is as much a part of our lives as eating and breathing is, then is work life itself a good reflection of our cultural make-up? Gender and sexuality have both taken on new identities over the last century, thanks to war and depression, and this has also changed how the working world is comprised. Men and women are socialised in different ways, aiding the way they see themselves in later life. Little girls are dressed in pink, little boys in blue; little girls bake and sew while little boys fix cars and make furniture. The way we are told we should behave, is largely responsible for the types of vocations chosen by people and also why new world upbringing has led to current trends of women in previously exclusively male vocations such as engineering. Margaret Atwood writes a compelling, if rather disturbing account of gend er and sexuality in the modern world where her chief character battles with her own stress in the new expectations of women in the modern world. Surfacing by Margaret Atwood is essentially a feminist manifesto that looks at the complexity of how society organizes its gender differences and sexuality. It is not an easy novel to digest neither does it attempt to dissipate the uncomfortable truths about life in the modern world.... This is because women in the workplace have had an affect both on men and women: men now have to share their workplaces with women and women have to contend with previously masculine issues. The problem with academic representations as opposed to popular writing is that the academia is unable to see the interpretive mode of translation. It is not possible for academic representations to see inside the person's actual being, making it difficult to determine what it is exactly that makes employees or ordinary people tick. Any number of aspects can affect the way the person reacts to the environment around them. The past, present and future are all parts of the human life cycle that affect the way organizations are perceived by individuals. The popular culture representation for this reason is more personal, more realistic. If we look for instance at the film Portrait of a Lady we see the difference between how women were perceived in the past and now how they are perceived today. There are two female characters in the book Surfacing, the narrator and Anna. Anna is the epitome of the old-world passive female mentality. Concerned most of all about her weight and her appearance, "I told her she should wear jeans or something but she said she looks fat in them."(Atwood, 1997: 5). On the other hand, the narrator writes about her lover, Joe whom she refrains from marrying, explaining his appearance, "with small clenched eyes and the defiant look of a species once dominant, now threatened with extinction. That's how he thinks of himself too: deposed, unjustly."(Atwood, 1997: 2). If we compare this piece of writing to the above example of Portrait of a Lady, we see the way in which gender roles

Islamic center Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Islamic center - Essay Example It is a ritual in which Muslims, men and women must attend in mosques, since it is not a prayer than can be performed in house, and while Men are obliged to attend as it was made clear in Quran and Prophetical narrations, women are excused from doing so, as the Prophet Muhammad (may the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon Him) explained that when He said (with the meaning): "Jumu`ah is an obligation upon every Muslim which He must perform in congregation, except for four: an owned servant, a woman, a young boy and a (very) sick Man" The time needed for the Jmu`ah prayer changes from one mosque to another, it depends on the important of the subject addressed by the Imam, the man who usually leads the 5 daily prayers in the mosque, He usually choose the topic of it according to what He sees best regarding benefiting the Muslims attending the prayer. Sometimes the Imam addresses a social problem taking place within the Muslim world and communities, in other cases He points and guides toward the right practices, remind people of what is good and forbid them of what is bad, channel their thoughts and help toward other Muslims in need and no matter what is the main topic of the speech, it is all follow the reminder of Allah and His Messenger, by quoting Verses from Quran and Hadith (Narrations) from the words of the Prophet Muhammad and in other cases He mentions certain related opinions or ruling for known knowledgably trusted scholars. One can clearly see the Muslims heading toward nearby mosques before the start of the prayer, some goes there real early as they try to seek more rewards while others try to manage being there before the Imam starts the speech. It doesn’t matter if you are a local in that area or just passing by or even a traveler, when you go inside the mosque you instantly see all sorts of people walking in, placing their

Guiding Principles to Rewarding Performance and Performance And Reward Essay

Guiding Principles to Rewarding Performance and Performance And Reward Strategies - Essay Example The paper tells that most organizations trying to gain competitive advantage in the market without success attribute their failure to such items as organization structure, poor communication; employee incompetence as well as policies and procedures hence end up redesigning or restructuring the organization to eliminate the problems. Little do they realize that their problems are as a result of poor performance and reward systems and strategies leading to poor performance by employees and the organization as a whole. A high performing organization should develop a performance-driven organizational culture where all employees are encouraged to develop and utilize their capabilities in a way that leads to improved performance. Organizations should thus involve themselves in redesigning their performance and reward systems in a way that reinforces performance and underpins business strategy as well as other organization and human resource strategies such as staffing, development and empl oyee relations. The performance management is a process that enhances organizational performance by developing the performance of individuals and teams in the organization. It entails identifying strategic goals that the organization needs to accomplish, identifying how the management and employees can help in supporting such objectives as well as carrying out performance appraisal and reviews to determine if the objectives are being achieved. Reward systems on the other hand, are used to reinforce individual commitment to performance through reward and recognition programs. However, performance should be measured properly to ensure that the reward programs pay off in terms of business goals. According to eNotes (2012), the management should ensure that performance has actually occurred before rewarding employees and also ensure that individual and group efforts are rewarded. This is to promote individual initiatives and foster group cooperation. 1.1 Purpose of the Report The purpos e of the report is to guide the CEO of DIY stores on how the organization can redesign its performance and reward systems in a way that reinforces performance, increases staff motivation as well as company’s ability to attract and retain the right people in line with the stores mission of achieving a more dynamic, performance-focused corporate culture. 1.2 Objectives The objective of the report is to design a performance and reward system that integrates business strategy and HR strategy. It is also to create a working environment that ensures just, fair and ethical treatment of employees. It also aims to develop a program that recognizes and rewards exceptional performance and ensures that reward systems are market based, equitable and cost effective. It is also to ensure that the needs of all stakeholders are met by developing a total reward system. It is also aimed at achieving high performance, customer service, high profits and ensuring product availability and minimisat ion of losses. 1.3 Background DIY store (DIYS) is a chain of large warehouse-style stores selling DIY equipment and is also a wholly-owned subsidiary of a larger retail group. It runs 250 stores across the country serving over a million customers a week and employs 12,000 people. Despite having a well established performance management and reward system clearly understood by all employees, it still experiences low morale, poor performance, high staff turnover,

Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

Strategy - Essay Example the people at the project level may not be well informed about the strategy of the business in detailed except in just a general manner. Those in top management may be unwilling to share the picture out of fear of commercial sensitivity (particularly of the future direction). Strategic planning is a vital tool within an organization and should be embraced within any level of management (Barry J. Witcher, 2010). A good organizational planning process is that which brings the organization together. It the process where clear vision of the organization is articulated and also the direction in which it intends to go. A strategic organization makes deliberate actions towards the future direction by coming up with ways to measure and benchmark the progress. Several organizations are faced with the challenges of adopting to changing business environment. The conventional view is that for firms to acquire competitive advantage, core competencies, it has to strategically allocate resources so as to be adoptive in the rapid changing environment. As a result, organizations should streamline their efforts and carry out extensive planning and analysis in selecting markets and products which to engage. The evolutionary, or ecology of population, perspective suggests the degree of organizational change is very high that adaptation is almost impossible; instead organizations grow to adopt into an environment through natural selection. At the other end are those who are of the opinion that the contemporary changes in environment are so high and unanticipated that planning becomes difficult, somewhat, organizations have to be adoptable and nimble. Critically, the metaphor that organizations as entities trying to adopt to their changing environment expresses a sense naturalness and inevitability that covers the discretion and internal conflicts of

Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls Essay Example for Free

Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls Essay I encourage girls to search within themselves for their deepest values and beliefs. Once they have discovered their own true selves, I encourage them to trust that self as the source of meaning and direction in their lives† Mary Pipher, Ph. D. Clinical psychologist Mary Pipher has brought widespread attention to the loss of true-self, experienced by adolescent girls in her critically acclaimed book, Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls. Whitaker, 2006). In her book, Pihper addresses the development issues of adolescent girls, the culture they live in and how their needs are and are not being met. She explains that our failure as a society, is not giving our children good, sound advice on how to become a decent, functioning adults and our unwillingness to do so, is destroying our culture (Pihper, 2002). She also offers insightful advice as to how, we as a society can encourage our adolescent girls to remain true to their authentic selves. Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls More than anything, I want to save my children from the pain and self-imposed isolation I experienced during adolescence. As a parent, I want to shelter my children, make all of the hard decisions for them and protect them from any harm that comes their way. As a realist, I understand that the experiences of adolescences are necessary to build character, strength and integrity. As a dreamer, I want my children to magically transcend into adulthood, unscathed from the trauma of their teens years. As a future psychologist, I agree that our children are growing up in a poisonous culture and without intervention; we will all suffer (Pipher, 1994). When I looked up this book and noticed its publication date (1994), my first thought was, â€Å"How relevant can this book be, it’s almost 20 years old? † The issues adolescents faced in the early 1990’s are not the same issues that my children are dealing with in 2013. American cultural has changed significantly in the last 20 years. Society as a whole, has become more aware, more understanding and more proactive; we’re willing to acknowledge the faults of past ideology and we’re eager enact positive change. We’re involved; we’re conscientious and we’re dedicated the betterment of society. Yet with all of our good intentions, our adolescent girls are drowning in vast sea of negativity and losing their true authentic selves, to an over sexed, hypercritical, media crazed culture. The most important message it took from Mary Pipher’s book, Reviving Ophelia, is how damaging and belittling our culture is to the development of adolescent girls. We are living the â€Å"information age† and there is very little parents can do to shield or protect their children from the harmful influences of the media. The internet and social media has taken over society and negatively impacted our culture in numerous ways. Children are exposed to sexual, violent content so often and from such an early age that they’ve become indifferent to it. Even the movies, music and television programs that are specifically geared towards adolescents, often advocates under-age drinking, drug use, defiant behavior and overt sexuality. As a result, our children are growing-up too fast. My twelve year old daughter is dealing with issues that were once considered to be taboo even for adults, such as sexting and posting naked picture online. Parents and the media often contradict one another, which further confuses adolescents (Pipher, 2002). Parents are trying to establish healthy boundaries and instill moral values, such as kindness, respect, consideration and modesty. Their goal is to produce happy, well adjusted, morally sound adults. The media, on the other hand, purely wants to make money by pushing products and opinions (Pipher, 2002). All facets of the media push, sell, and glorify sexuality over newsworthy content. These types of media encourage self-doubt and insecurity in girls by teaching them to worry about their sexuality, popularity and attractiveness (Pipher, 2002). Pipher blames the inescapable influence of the media, in part, for the eradication of self-esteem and loss of true identity among young impressionable girls (Whitaker, 2006). Throughout time, the needs of our children have not substantially changed (Pipher, 2002). They still need love, understanding, protection, acceptance and guidance to grow and thrive. It’s our culture and expectations, or lacks thereof, that have changed; we no longer expect people to do the right thing. Our culture has become much more sexualized, violent and dangerous for adolescent girls; 44 percent of all rape victims are under the age of 18 (Rainn, 2009). Startling statistics like these make it difficult for parents to balance their adolescent’s need for safety against their need for autonomy. These changes have also made it much harder for young women to identify and ultimately get what they need (Pipher, 1994). Our culture encourages adolescent, girls and boys, to distance themselves from their parents (the people that care most and know them best) as a sign of independence (Pipher, 2002). When adolescents are in their most vulnerable/impressionable state, their parents are unable to help them navigate difficult life altering situations. For the lack of better option, adolescents turn to their peers and media (Facebook) for advice and guidance: which leads to confusion and loss of self (Pipher, 2002). Mary Pipher explained, the problems that girls (adolescents) are having is not because of dysfunctional families, as much as a dysfunctional culture. I found this perspective refreshing. For many years, family members, especially mothers, have been blamed for their daughter’s (adolescents) unhappiness and emotional issues (Pipher, 1994). Parents are not the only ones responsible. They cannot protect their children from everything and everyone. Our culture and society are responsible as well; we all have an obligation to the youth of our nation. As a society, we are failing to provide a safe, nurturing environment for our children to flourish. As a culture, we are failing an entire generation of young women by allowing the media to dictate the value of external and internal beauty. We are also allowing the media to teach our culture, that it’s acceptable to view children in an overly mature, sexualized manor (Pipher, 1994). Adolescence has always been a time of turbulence and strife but in today’s culture, girls and young women feel overly pressured to conform to society’s unrealistic expectations of beauty, sexuality and femininity. During childhood, girls are praised for their kindness, academics, sports ability and natural talents. During adolescence, their childhood accomplishments and personal strengths are minimized or devalued and their sense of â€Å"self† becomes dependent upon their perceived level of attractiveness (Pipher, 1994). Girls who do not feel attractive or â€Å"normal,† see their bodies as a personal failure and are left feeling worthless and/or excluded. Pipher explains that an adolescent’s lack of emotional maturity, makes it difficult for them to hold onto their true-selves and not fall prey to our over sexualized culture. Girls are encouraged to sacrifice their true-selves and they are expected to mold themselves into what society wants from its young women. In a sense, their identity is strip away so their sexuality and attractiveness can surface. Society has little concern for who these young women want to become or what they’re capable of accomplishing (Pihper, 1994). Our culture doesn’t typically embrace or reward individuality, unless it comes in a pretty, blatantly sexualized, package. Girls respond to cultural or societal pressures by being angry, developing depression, withdrawing and by conforming (Pihper, 2002). Pipher explains that insecure girls often â€Å"lead with their sexuality,† as if it’s their only redeemable quality and all they have to offer. As a parent, how can I help my children navigate a media obsessed culture that I do not truly understand? How do you limit the dangerous influence of the internet and Social media; it’s everywhere, all the time? This is not the culture or society that I grew up in, the rules have changed and the stakes are much higher. I feel like I’m running a never ending race against peer pressure and media influence; whoever wins the race gets to keep my child’s soul and dignity. The idea of losing my sweet, loving twelve year old daughter to title wave of uncontrollable, irrational hormones is terrifying. Like most parents, I fear adolescence. I clearly remember my own â€Å"war path† through my teen years. I needlessly pushed and distanced myself from my family. I was very â€Å"uncool† to get along with your parents. I fought viciously for independence, which really meant doing whatever I wanted. I lied, skipped school, snuck out at night, stole liquor and drank to the point of passing out. I felt misunderstood and disconnected from everything. I deeply craved companionship; so much so that I allowed myself to be used by unworthy, equally damaged people. The peer pressure was so intense and my need for acceptance ruled my life. It was a very confusing time and I tortured myself and my parents. I remember how lost I felt, how hopeless it all seemed, how angry I was and how much I hated my body. I was too short, too fat, teeth were crooked and my chest was too big. I breast developed quickly; in junior high, I was 34 C-cup and by high school, I was a 36 D-cup. I got a lot of inappropriate and unwanted attention, that I didn’t know what to do with. Men/Boys liked me too much and women seemed to be bothered or intimidated by me. Some of my girlfriends were jealous, while others were overly critical. The attention I received permanently changed how I saw myself and how I interacted with the people around me. I went from being a tiny, abrasive tomboy, who was always fighting to be seen as an adult, to being viewed in a completely sexualized manor. The media has taught women, of all ages, that their most revered, important qualities are sexuality and appearance (Pipher, 1994). Adolescent girls are constantly bombarded with distorted, over sexed images of what beauty should look like. You have to be tall, ridiculously thin, wear expensive clothes, have perfectly straight teeth, flawless skin and above all else, exude sex (Pipher, 2002). When young women compare themselves to the images they see on television, in movies and on advertisements, they’re often left feeling inadequate and confused about their own bodies. The media’s idea of what constitutes attractiveness or what beauty looks like is often unattainable, unhealthy and unnatural. The average fashion model is 5’10/5’11 and weighs 110 pound (Pipher, 1994). According to the Center for Disease Control (2007-2010) the average American girl, at age 11 is 4’11† and weighs 104. 8 pounds; an average American girl, at age 15 is 5’4† and weighs 139. 6 pounds; the average American women over the age of 20, is 5’4† and weighs 166. 2 pounds. These statistics are mind-blowing and sad. How can we expect adolescent girls to have a healthy understanding of beauty and body image, when the average 11 year old girl (at the beginning of adolescence) is just 6 pounds shy of the average fashion model? How, as a society, do we expect our young women to develop positive attitudes about weight, height and appearance when we continually glorify an unrealistic and often unattainable standard of what beautiful is? When the media portrays â€Å"beauty† in such an unnatural way (being supper skinny) adolescent girls will do unhealthy, extreme things to be thin; which often leads to eating disorders (Pipher, 1994). Bulimia Nervosa is the most common eating disorder among young adolescent women, ages 14-24 years old (Duke University, 2010). People with bulimia will binge eat or consume large amounts of food in a short amount of time; an average of 3,000 – 5,000 calories within an hour (Smith amp; Segal, 2012). After binging, the bulimic feels compelled to purge or rid the body of the recently consumed food by vomiting, excessively exercising, or abusing laxatives and diuretics. Approximately 1 out of every 50 American women will suffer from bulimia at some point in her life (Duke University, 2010). Bulimia Nervosa can become all-consuming and take over the adolescent’s entire thought process. Every decision, in one way or another, is about food. In the beginning, bulimia makes them feel powerful, in control and invincible. For the first time in their life they can eat whatever they want, it doesn’t count, the calories don’t matter because they can get rid of them. No harm, no fowl! Slowly, over time, they come to realize that they are not in control, they’re eating disorder is. The uncontrollable compulsion to binge and purge interferes with relationships, daily routine and their life in general. In an attempt to hide their eating disorder, adolescents may isolate themselves from friend and family, which only exacerbate their illness. Pipher offers some great advice on how, we as a society, can encourage and effect positive change in the lives young women. She list 6 essential things that all adolescent girls need. First) Physical and Psychological Safety: Girls need the ability to thinks clearly and the permission to feel what they feel, without fear of punishment or ridicule. Second) Love and Friendship: Girls need the love of their parents. They need to develop lasting relationships that are based on mutual respect, love and understanding. Third) Useful Work and Skills: Girls need feel useful and purposeful by develop skills that promote personal accomplishments and success. Fourth) Opportunity to Grow: Girls need time, compassion and guidance as they develop into total functioning human beings. Five) Self-Defense Training: Girls need to feel empowered; they need to know that they can take care of themselves, that they are not passive victims.

Relation Between the Oil Prices and the Sales of Automobiles

Relation Between the Oil Prices and the Sales of Automobiles Abstract The objective of this research is to study and understand the relation between the oil prices and the sales of automobiles. The escalation in the petroleum prices plays a major role in the automobile industry worldwide. When the price of oil increases, it evidently alarms the automobile industry because the auto companies are in the competition with one another to fulfill the new demands for more fuel efficient consumer mindful at condensed price. Furthermore, rise in the petroleum prices also impacts the kind of means of transportation demanded by the buyer and the way those vehicle motors are designed. However after studying the oil price impact on Pakistans automobile industry sales we have concluded that the relationship of oil prices and auto sales does not exists in Pakistan. Contents Acknowledgements II Abstract III Contents IV 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 The Impact of Rising Oil Prices on Automobile Sales: 1 Background of Pakistans Automobile industry 4 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 5 4.0 RESEARCH METHOD 14 5.0 HYPOTHESIS TESTING 15 5.1 INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT VARIABLE 15 5.1.1 Independent Variable à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" domestic oil prices 15 5.1.2 Dependent Variable à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Pakistans Auto mobile Sales 16 6.0 DATA ANALYSIS: 17 7.0 CONCLUSION IMPLICATIONS 19 8.0 REFERENCES 20 List of Tables: Table 6.1 ANOVA and level of Significance 18 Table 6.2: Regression Statistics of the tested variables 18 1.0 INTRODUCTION The Impact of Rising Oil Prices on Automobile Sales: Impact of oil in daily life is quite evident. Oil is considered as a strategic energy for economic time line. The price of oil has an effect on cost of production in diversified ways such as with the increase in oil prices, there is an increase in the costs of transportation of export, import and goods for local expenditure. Apart from this there is also an upward slope in rates of air, road, rail and sea transportation with the rise in the price petroleum. Oil endows with 97% of the transportation fuels that facilitates in running the trucks cars and other automobiles in the countrys highway. Thus, when the price of the oil increases, it evidently alarms the automobile industry because the auto-companies are in competition with one another to fulfill the new demands for more fuel proficient consumer mindful at condensed price. There are no reservations that profit margin of the companies are affected by this. Furthermore, rise in oil price also affects the kind of means of transportation demanded by the buyer and the way those vehicle motors are designed. The escalation in the petroleum prices plays a major part in the automotive industry. The world consumes over 82 million barrels of oil per day (BPD), with the united states taking roughly 20 million BPD1. Petroleum is one of the most essential contributions in a nations economy and its price has extensive economic and social impacts. Various researches illustrate that the price of petroleum in Pakistan is considerably high either with or without involving per capita income and it needs to be leveled downwards in order to guarantee competitiveness of Pakistans exports and lessen the burden on the buying competence of the nation. Nevertheless, this cannot be a simple task as Pakistan heavily depends upon imported oil in order to fulfill its petroleum necessity and the development surcharges and the import revenues compose a major sector of the Government income. However, a feasible and reasonable solution to trim down oil price is needed keeping in sight the revenue making facet and the prevailing global prices of crude oil. The major reason of escalated oil prices is linked with the demand of oil and the complication in oil refineries. Petroleum is used usually for two reasons: Firstly, in the gasoline production and secondly in the production of tires. In the US, during the last few years the prices of gasoline have risen up considerably reaching on an average over $ 3.00/gallon (EIA-Energy Information Administration).Oil is considered as the main element in the tires production. With the increase in the oil prices, the cost and expenditure in making the tires escalates, the cost to heat up or cool the manufacturing plant where tires are produced increases, and eventually escalates the expenditure of shipping the tires to further destinations. Because of the rise in the price of petroleum, the tire makers are also increasing the price of tires. The automobile sector is affected by both, tire production and gasoline prices as the profit margins are affected by the rise in oil prices and tire production prices. The automobile industry catastrophe, currently worldwide phenomena, started during 2008-H2. The automotive sector is going through a crisis condition in US and Canada because of the Automobile products Trade Agreement. Nevertheless, all auto makers worldwide, especially in Japan and Europe are also facing the same crisis. The first fragile connection in the auto sector was the record high petroleum prices during 2008 which caused global oil crisis and made fuel costs and expenditures unreasonable, causing buyers to opt for smaller cars rather than larger SUVs (sports utility vehicles) and the pick up trucks. Background of Pakistans Automobile industry The global oil crisis has affected Pakistan economy severely. Automobile sector has been greatly impacted by the oil price shocks. There had been consistency in the Gross Profit Margin of Pakistans Automobile industry. It raised from FY01 (6.83) to FY03 (13.73).Then had a downward slope for two consecutive years to 12.17 (FY05), then remained stable for two more consecutive years (FY05 FY07).Since FY07 there has been a constant downward slope, reaching 6.14 (FY09) the diminishing Profit margin was because of the ever escalated cost of goods sold. The risen up cost is primarily due to the global oil price shocks and the high depreciation value of Rupee. The escalated costs were also linked to the high inflation rate during FY09. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW Escalated oil prices have been accountable for periods of extreme inflation, recessions, and lower productivity and reduced economic growth. For the Automobile manufacturers the fuel price debate is nothing new. Due to predefined end of petroleum resources, the automakers have come up with various strategies to avert any sudden need for action. However till now, no one has clearly defined the oil supply definitive end. Kiseol Lee and Shawn Ni analyzed the effects of oil price shocks on demand and supply in automobile industry depicting the effect of oil price shocks mainly reducing demand. They suggested that oil price shocks influence economic activities. The first OPEC oil embargo in early 1970s has led to the start of debate over the oil shocks and its Macroeconomic effects. The most comprehensively surveyed theories on the direct consequence of oil price shocks incorporates that an input-cost effect, that higher energy cost lowers usage of oil which in turn lowers productivity of capital and labor; and an income effect, that higher cost of imported oil reduces disposable income of U.S. households. (K.Lee, 2002) According to an editorial in 1973-1974 oil crises: Automobile sales, especially for standard and medium-sized cars, began diminishing almost with the first realization that the energy crisis is reality. The trade-in value of big gas-guzzlers toppled unmercifully and some dealers were threatening not to take them in trade at all. Gasoline mileage, not size and comfort suddenly became the paramount concern for the consumer. (Wards Auto World) K.Lee contrasted to the situation in the petroleum refinery and industrial chemical industries which were bothered by the escalated cost of fuel, research in trade papers proposed considerable indications that the automotive industry distraught by the two fuel price shocks mainly due to the demand for larger vehicles stabbed. The effects of oil price hikes for nearly all other industries are less severe and intricate. The writings in trade journals of rubber, metals and other machinery industries often cited that the major factor of soggy economical activity is the dejected and depressed automotive market, however the highlighted that various sectors of these industries have also gained benefit from augmented economic activity in energy exploration and protection.(K Lee ,2002) The steel sector was adversely affected by the hunch in automotive sales. According to the Wards Auto World, Chemical week and Industry Week magazines, the oil prices crunches lowered the demand for the metals by their effect on automobiles, housing and consumer durables. Globally, the auto mobile assemblers are facing financial crisis at their worst which is eventually leading to recession. In the same way , as Pakistan s Auto Market is an export driven industry which attracts both foreign and locals investments, therefore is facing decreasing sales and production level and depicting a depressing future. Because of the present critical situation prevailing in the automobile sector, many companies are on the threshold of economic failure and bankruptcy. K Lee discussed that after an oil price shock, demand for vehicles is destabilized in view of the fact that a prospective new car holder may go for other ways of transportation to save the operating expenditure of vehicles, or delay buying a new car because ambiguity about future energy prices makes it difficult to come to a decision which type of automobile to purchase. Increase in Oil price also alters the composition of the automobile demand. As compared to the small-size cars, the demand for full-size cars is much more destabilized. The U.S. auto makers suffered more ruthlessly from rising and falling oil price because they manufacture inconsistently more full-size cars than their overseas competitors. Hamilton in 1988 mentioned in his writings that the oil crisis stimulate recessions primarily because a sharp increase in oil price escalates ambiguity and elevates operating costs and expenditures of several durable goods, which diminishes demand for durables, venture and investments. (Hamilton 1988, 1999). Brad M. Barber, Reid W. Click, Masako N. Darrough analyzed and empirically estimated the degree to which exchange rate and oil price alterations have contributed to this market swing. Increase in oil prices diminishes the amount of vehicles sold by the US auto makers, but conversely to the common idea, had minor effect on the Japanese auto mobile makers .That oil price effect reported 6.5 percent of the variance of alteration in monthly sales volume for US automobile manufacturers. They also discussed that productions costs are affected by oil prices hikes. For their research they used VAR to highlight the environmental issues that influence the cost of manufacturing and demand in the automobile industry. They clearly account for the effect of oil prices and exchange rates on manufacturing costs and the impact of oil prices and income on the demand for vehicles. Their outcomes suggested that the all the considered macroeconomic variables affected sales volumes as forecasted by the model they used. With reference to oil prices, escalated oil prices have certainly led to turn down in sales by the U.S automobile manufactures. Hamilton proposed that financial slumps tend to emerge after oil price trends. In particular, the worldwide inflationary strains of 2008 became rigorous with the spikes up in fuel prices shocks in the global financial system including Pakistan. Fuel prices with respect to domestic currency emphasized the fact that the delivering channels of global shocks via exchange rates variations put down major effects on the domestic inflation within the economy. According to Hamilton, the variations in oil prices in local currency are inflated and unpredictable in contrast to the variations in prices of oil in dollar terms particularly in 1999 and onwards. This underlines the details that the impacts of external oil price shocks have considerable effect upon local inflation via exchange rate variations in the economy (Hamilton, 2005). Bresnahan and Ramey discussed that the OPEC oil price shock in US during 1973 had major impact on the U.S auto mobile industry. It amplified the demand for smaller, fuel efficient cars and at the same time condensed the demand for larger cars. As the funds, financial stock and labor force were basically bound for the manufacturing and production of larger cars, therefore the U.S automotive companies were inadequate to respond to this oil price shock. As a result, capacity consumption, utilization and the output cut down during the period of Oil price shock. Only few plants were equipped to produce the small cars, manufacturing and operating at their peak capacity. (Bresnahan and Ramey ,1993). Steven J. Davis, John Haltiwanger studied the impact of oil price shocks on the creation and devastation of American automobile manufacturing employment from 1972 to 1988. The oil price shock unfavorably had an effect on the proximity between the preferred and actual characteristics of factor contributed in the automobile industry along different dimensions. Firstly, a large amount of the physical resources in the auto industry was devoted to the manufacture of larger cars instead of the smaller ones. Secondly, the American automobile labor had built up proficiency that was skilled and specialized in the manufacture and production of particular car models, and these were likely to be larger vehicle models. In Pakistan also the increase in oil prices had impact on many enterprises. Many different small to medium Automobile companies in the manufacturing sector are facing a severe threat of downsizing, closures, layoffs and limited production cuts due to an abrupt rise in their cost and expenditures of doing manufacturing and a significant reduction in their car sales. According to the owners of different small automakers, the sales of different auto parts have plunged downwards to 30%-in proportion to the reduction in the car sales. The overall margins have also dropped down. With reference to the statistics of Pakistan Automotive Manufactures Association, car sales during the period of 2008-09 positioned at 82,844 units, which were declined by 48% from 164,650 units in the 2007-08. According to Birol and Keppler (2007) the association between mobility, calculated as time spent in movement, and economic output is more stable than the relationship between output and fuel utilization, partly due to increased possibilities of substitution between the latter. This examination bears a significant policy lesson: relative price changes to decrease energy consumption per unit of output are most effective where possibilities for substitution are highest. (Birol, Keppler, 2007) Storchmann (2005) employed a pooled model to calculate approximate average fuel utilization using various explanatory variables such as, population, private income, urbanization rates, density, oil prices and automobile expenditures. The sales of automobile sector is affected by all these variables. Thomas Klier and Joshua Linn estimated the impact of the price of gasoline on the demand for fuel efficient vehicles. They institute the idea that gasoline prices considerably influence the new auto market and the price escalations explained almost half of the down turn in market share of U.S auto firms. The outcomes suggested that consumer demand reacts when the price of gasoline increases or rise up during 1970s and near the beginning of 1980s. During stable prices in the middle period, the sales had a negligible effect by the prices of gasoline; their results were steady with casual observation of the new auto market. Hamilton (1988) used a model called sectoral shifts that elucidated how an oil price slog might lower real GDP. The primary propagation method in this model is that an oil price escalation will lower consumer buying power of energy-using commodities such as automobiles. Goldberg (1998) determined the rebound effect by means of the Consumer Expenditure Survey for the years between 1984-1990, as an ingredient of a bigger equation system that also forecast the effect of oil on automobile sales and prices. Lutz Kilian in 2007 used Regression analysis to discuss that Automobile purchases were by far the most responsive expenditure item when the oil prices fluctuates. Purchase of other durables goods for instance appliances or furniture; by contrast, are far less responsive to energy price swings. Spending on public transportation and on food at home are few of the expenditure items that privileged from unexpected elevated energy prices. There will be a demand side impact of oil price increases. When oil prices rise, consumers are likely to delay or postpone their purchasing durables such as automobiles. This demand side impact leads to relative increase in inventories to sales and then decline industrial production. 4.0 RESEARCH METHOD The objective of this study is to determine the impact of local oil prices on Pakistans Automobile sales. The research is exploratory in nature and relied on secondary research and data collection, reviewing available literature and data. The sample data consists of five years monthly oil prices; taken from OGRA (Oil and Gas regulatory authority), and five years monthly auto sales; taken from PAMA (Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association.) An extensive secondary data analysis was done where the impact of oil prices were observed and the related research were also examined to find out the linkages of the oil prices with the auto sales, data analysis was done through Ms-excel. The statistical tool used is regression and correlation. The tables were also generated through Ms-Excel 2007 version. 5.0 HYPOTHESIS TESTING The purpose of this research is to find the relationship between Local oil prices and the Pakistans auto industry sales. Globally, researchers have observed that oil plays a major role in impacting the Automobile industry sales. In our research we are also testing the following hypothesis. H1: The local oil prices have a direct impact on Automobile sales in Pakistan. 5.1 INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT VARIABLE 5.1.1 Independent Variable à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" domestic oil prices In Pakistan, the oil prices passed through to domestic consumers is determined by Oil and Gas regulatory authority (OGRA) and although the oil price in international oil market fluctuates on a daily basis, in Pakistan the pass through is carried out after every 15 days. The international oil prices impact almost every sector of the country from transportation to the Agriculture. Hence oil is the backbone of every sector of the economy and plays an important role in the development of any economy. 5.1.2 Dependent Variable à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Pakistans Auto mobile Sales Pakistans automobile sales were taken from PAMA which is a registered Pakistan Automobiles Association company. The global oil crisis has affected Pakistan economy severely. Automobile sector has been greatly impacted by the oil price shocks. 6.0 DATA ANALYSIS: The data analysis was done through Ms-Excel 2007, Correlation and Regression analysis was done to find out the relationship between the two variables. The monthly local oil prices were compared with the monthly automobile sales. The regression Analysis was done to determine if escalation in oil prices affects the sales of automobile industry or not, to find out this the following equation has been used Y = a + bx Here Y= auto sales And X= oil prices Sales = f (oil price) S=16,150.92-32.03(oil price) Negative sign of X intercept shows that the result is inline with the literature review i.e. with the increase in oil prices, automobile sales is declining. However the relationship is insignificant because P value is 0.51 (greater that 0.05).Therefore, the research hypothesis has been rejected and there is no relationship between oil prices and sales of auto industry. Table 6.1 ANOVA and level of Significance ANOVA df SS MS F Significance F Regression 1.00 7,521,403.95 7,521,403.95 0.44 0.51 Residual 55.00 939,576,283.03 17,083,205.15 Total 56.00 947,097,686.98 Table 6.2: Regression Statistics of the tested variables Multiple R 0.09 R Square 0.01 Adjusted R Square (0.01) Multiple R is 0.09 which means the correlation between the two variables is negligible. R square is also 1% which also indicates negligible effect of oil on the auto sales .Y intercept signifies that if oil price is 0, still the auto sales will be 16,150.92 units. Whereas, the slope indicates that with the increase in oil prices, the auto sales will decrease with 32.03 units. Log of both the variables was tested in order to find out the linearity, but no such relationship exists between the two variables. 7.0 CONCLUSION IMPLICATIONS The purpose of this study is to find out the effect of local oil prices on automobile sales in Pakistan. After conducting this research the results indicates that there is no significant impact on the Auto sales when the oil price changes. The escalation in the petroleum prices plays a major role in the automobile industry worldwide. When the price of oil increases, it evidently alarms the automobile industry because the auto companies are in the competition with one another to fulfill the new demands for more fuel efficient consumer mindful at condensed price. Furthermore, rise in the petroleum prices also impacts the kind of means of transportation demanded by the buyer and the way those vehicle motors are designed. However after studying the oil price impact on Pakistans automobile industry sales the research concluded that the relationship of oil prices and auto sales does not exists in Pakistan. The result shows that the correlation between the two variables is very minor and the significance value F indicated that there is no linear relationship between the two variables.

Distinction Between Absolute And Strict Liability Offences Law Essay

Distinction Between Absolute And Strict Liability Offences Law Essay In general, the criminal liability requires the proof of both actus reus and mens rea before convicting a person. When the necessity for the prosecution to prove mens rea (in the sense of intention, knowledge or recklessness) regarding the actus reus elements of the offence is disregarded, either expressly or impliedly, the offence in question is described as strict or absolute liability offence. What is the distinction (if any) between absolute and strict liability offences? The distinction can be seen by what the prosecution must prove. Strict liability offences do not require proof of mens rea in respect of at least one element of the actus reus, usually the essential element. However, proof of mens rea may be required for some of the elements of the actus reus. Absolute liability offences do not require proof of any mens rea element, but are satisfied by proof of the actus reus alone. The distinction can be seen by examining the issue of causation In strict liability, the prosecution is required to prove the causation of the actus reus and the offence. In Empress Car Co (Abertillery) Ltd  [1]  , the lordship said that, While liability [for water pollution] is strict and therefore includes liability for certain deliberate acts of third parties à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it is not an absolute liability in the sense that all that has to be shown is that the polluting matter escaped from the defendants land, irrespective of how this happened. It must still be possible to say that the defendant caused the pollution. In absolute liability, however, a crime may not require any causation link at all, if the specified state of affairs exists. In Winzar  [2]  , the defendant was removed from a hospital by police and was then arrested and found guilty of being drunk on the highway, even though the police officers had put him there. The court held that it was enough to show that D had been present on the highway and was perceived to be drunk. It didnt matter that his presence on the highway was momentary and involuntary. The distinction can be seen by what defences are available to the defendant Many academic papers differentiate strict and absolute liability by the availability of the defence of honest but mistaken belief, which is a common law defence. Where it is available the liability is strict, where it is not available the liability is absolute. The situation becomes complex in case where defence are provided in the statue for the defendant to escape liability. If common law defence is held by court to be excluded from the offence, does the provision of statutory defence disqualify an offence from being absolute? In the case HKSAR v So Wai Lun  [3]  , the court of appeal has the opportunity to look into the case B (A Minor) v DPP  [4]  , and made the following observation. Section 5 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956 made it an offence for a person to have unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 while section 6 made it an offence in relation to girls under 16. Under section 6, a defence was expressly set out where the defendant, provided he was under the age of 24, believed the girl to be 16 or over Lord Steyn said à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦since section 5 contained no such defence, it plainly created an offence of absolute liability. So the court is suggesting that unlawful underage sexual intercourse, a traditional example of absolute liability, will not be considered as absolute liability per se in the present of statutory defence in provision. This observation is reaffirmed in the recent case Hin Lin Yee v HKSAR  [5]  by Ribeiro PJ in paragraph 198 (ii) and (iii). In other jurisdiction like Australia, the definition of absolute liability is even more blurred by the fact that common law defence like duress and self defence are available for absolute liability. How does one determine if an offence is one of strict or absolute liability? The question of whether a statutory offence requires proof of mens rea or is strict liability is treated as a matter of statutory construction, the statutory provision enacting the offence must be construed to determine the legislative intention. In Gammon (Hong Kong) Ltd  [6]  , the lordship has summarized the approach to the interpretation: There is a presumption of law that mens rea is required before a person can be held guilty of a criminal offence. The presumption is particularly strong where the offences is truly criminal in character. Truly criminal offence usually refers those dealing with violence against persons or property. The presumption is particularly strong due to the stigma that attached to the offence. The presumption applies to statutory offences, and can be displaced only if this is clearly or by necessary implication the effect of the statute. Sometimes the offence will expressly specify the type or level of mental fault by using words such as willfully, recklessly, carelessly, etc. In such cases, the court must then go on to define the precise meaning of those mens rea words. Where a statute is silent as to the mens rea for an offence, the courts must decide as a matter of general principle or statutory interpretation what level or type of mens rea applies. The only situation in which the presumption can be displaced is where the statute is concerned with an issue of social concern, and public safety is such as issue. Strict liability has often been imposed in regulatory offences concerning social concern and public safety, such as licensing, pollution, health and safety, driving offences, environmental offences and public health offences. Even where a statute is concerned with such an issue, the presumption of mens rea stands unless it can also be shown that the creation of strict liability will be effective to promote the objects of the statute by encouraging greater vigilance to prevent the commission of the prohibited act. In Lim Chin Aik v R  [7]  , the defendant had been convicted under the immigration laws of Singapore by remaining there (after entry) when he had been prohibited of entering. The aim of the law was to prevent illegal immigration. The defendant had no knowledge of the prohibition order and there was no evidence that the authorities had attempted to bring the prohibition order to his notice. Since there was nothing D could have done to determine whether a order had been made against him and thus ensure compliance with the relevant legislation, the Privy Council ordered that the offence was not one of strict liability because it did nothing to promote enforcement of the law. What policies are behind the creation of absolute and strict liability? It is said that the imposition of strict liability encourages greater observance of and compliance with law, especially to the employer who is vicariously liable to employees act, and this is particularly important where matters of public safety, public health and public welfare are concerned. High standards can be achieved and maintained only if those conducting activities involving risks to safety, health, the environment and so on are made to feel that it is not enough just to take reasonable care; they must take all possible care. Secondly, it is said that strict liability, by relieving the prosecution of the task of investigating and proving mens rea against an alleged offender, enhances the efficiency of our administrative and judicial systems. How do the concepts of absolute and strict liability assist or hinder the Prosecution, the Accused and the Court in a criminal trial? Prosecutor It relieves the prosecutor of the virtual impossibility of proving intent or knowledge of the wrongful conduct, particularly where the defendant was a company rather than an individual. No significant hindrance is observed for prosecution in regard to the application of concept. Accused Strict liability draw a clear line between legality and illegality, which may reduce the information cost for the accused to determine whether himself is guilty or not in some minor offence (e.g. speeding). Unnecessary legal fee may also be saved in this regard. On the other hand, the concept imposes liability on accused who have taken all possible steps to prevent the offence being committed and should not be blameworthy. The onus of proof is also reversed to the defendant side. Court The concept allows the court to strike down the many bogus defense that would otherwise succeed if excusable ignorance or mistake were always accepted as defense. On the other hand, the courts need to engage in time consuming debates about whether the legislature intended strict or absolute liability to apply. The difficulties in identifying strict liability offences can be seen from lack of clarity in judgements. Also, the court often need to justify the creation of strict liability does not per se contravene with the Bill of Rights.  [8]   Conclusion Overall I feel that strict liability is necessary, but that it should be used wisely and that statutes should be extremely carefully worded. Other jurisdiction is slowly moving away from creating new offences of strict liability and phasing out some of the older ones, or at least revising the statute and adding possible defences. Hong Kong should also revisit the issue and see if any improvement can be made.