Are Imf Loans Good Poor Countires Essay Example for Free

Are Imf Loans Good Poor Countires Essay A poor country with a weak government is suffering from shortages in terms of financial resources. Most of its population lives below poverty levels, there is high unemployment, low literacy rate, food shortages, no clean water and due to a combination of drought and lack of technology, no crops to export. As if it didn’t have enough problems, the country has debts to pay back to foreign governments, investors and agencies. This is where the IMF, which Easterly calls ‘the world’s most powerful creditor’, steps into the picture. [1] It was originally set up by the West in order to prevent large trade imbalances and unstable currencies. However, it shifted focus and started bailing out poor countries in financial crises. It has had success in helping countries out on a short-term basis. Most of the countries that have benefited from IMF loans are countries that need temporary assistance, do not qualify as ‘emerging markets’ and face difficulties in attracting foreign investors and lenders. For example, the IMF successfully helped South Korea and Thailand during their financial squeezes in the 1980’s[2] . However, there are problems in terms of the long-term development of countries which rely on the IMF. Easterly begins his article by describing a meeting between the IMF and the minister of finance and economic development of Ethiopia. At the meeting, the IMF set out several conditions that the government of Ethiopia would have to satisfy in order to receive assistance and most importantly, pay back their loans. The problem with the conditions was that they were at times contradictory and unrealistic. For example, while stating that it supported the government’s food security program, the IMF also told the finance minister that he would have to be careful that the program did not endanger ‘macroeconomic stability’.[3] How macroeconomic stability could be achieved in a country where most of the people are starving is a mystery. Other conditions that the IMF places on countries include getting them to agree to financial programs which reduce government spending and inflation, limit excessive money printing, increase taxes and put in place austerity measures. Through such strict conditions, the IMF has therefore accomplished very little when it comes to promoting long-term development. The conditions have been too intrusive into government policies. Easterly argues therefore that there is an association between â€Å"IMF involvement and the most extreme political event: state collapse†.[4] This is caused by the involvement of the fund in domestic politics. By ‘forcing’ governments to carry out social cuts such as reducing subsidies on basic goods, the proposed IMF measures create riots and political and social instability. The article demonstrates that out of 8 countries that collapsed or failed, 7 had spent a high share of time ranging from 46 to 74 % of the decade before the collapse on IMF programs. This shows that the IMF measures are often too difficult to comply with and their ultimate success is limited. The author therefore suggests that the countries that ultimately collapsed would have probably been better off without IMF involvement.[5] This is because such countries have far greater problems than the IMF can fix. However, despite this, the IMF never turns a country down even if it fails its programs several times. The author gives the example of Sierra Leone which went into civil war after participating in an IMF program and then returned into the program and failed again, this time requiring UN intervention to protect its population from genocide. He suggests therefore that the IMF should have left it alone in the first place and not intervened. Trying to help was according to Easterly, clear evidence of the ’Planner’s mentality’.[6] However, one might ask what would happen if the IMF did not intervene in such a case? Easterly ´s suggestion of leaving the country alone would lead to the struggles of the people being ignored, genocide would occur and the country would sink into further poverty. The result would be over-reliance on aid, more refugees escaping to struggling neighbouring countries and a low literacy rate which would affect future generations. Perhaps therefore the solution is not for the IMF to turn a blind eye to countries that fail despite decades of following IMF programs. Perhaps the solution is for it to change its strategy and program in order to tailor it to the unique needs of each country. Easterly mentions this as well. He states that not only do the staff at the IMF operate a  ´one size fits all ´ model to all countries, their accounting relies on shaky numbers as evidenced in page 22 of the article. Thus Easterly argues that it is better for a country’s balance to bounce than for it to rely on shaky statistics by the IMF which do not reflect reality. Very little can be achieved if unrealistic goals are set for countries and if their achievements or failings are not measured accurately. Thus IMF loans do not work in the majority of cases. They may only work where a country has some form of reliable government and does not already have many loans to pay back. Getting an IMF loan in such a case is just a temporary measure and the country can pay back without great consequences. In relation to the most poor however, their problems persist so they renew their loans from one change of government to another with little or no prospect of being able to pay back. The IMF stipulates in all its agreements with countries that they need to pay it back before they pay other creditors. However, Easterly argues that by making such a condition, the IMF is actually bailing itself out.[7] It ends up in a situation where it provides new loans to countries so that they can pay it back for old loans. It also drafts the World Bank in to make an adjustment loan as part of the bailout package. This is to no benefit to the country which sinks deeper into the debt to the IMF and still has other loans from other investors to pay back. The IMF calls countries that are dependent on its loans ‘prolonged users’. The definition of a prolonged user is a country which spent 7 out of a 10 year period under an IMF program. The addiction to IMF loans is evidenced by the fact that 44 countries qualify for the definition of prolonged user and half of IMF lending goes to such countries.[8] However, repeated debts do nothing to solve the problem. In1996, the IMF and World Bank decided to forgive part of their loans to the poorest nations. These nations had accumulated loans from not only these organisations but also loans from western countries and other agencies. There was very little chance of them being able to repay the loans and the interest that had accumulated. Such countries were named heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs).[9] 17 out of 18 of the HIPCs were among the countries receiving above average amounts of IMF and World Bank loans. They had no growth of income or resources. They continued to sink into debt with interest still growing. The forgiving of the debts over a period according to Easterly, only encouraged borrowers to keep borrowing. For example Bolivia and other countries got 100 percent debt relief, but they still made no recovery.[10] Another example is offered by the Argentina disaster set out in the article. Argentina was a star pupil from 1991 to 1999.[11] It had gone through several IMF programs and in 1991, it achieved financial stability. After almost a decade of financial stability, the president who was faced with elections led the wave of public spending and loans from private foreign investors. Financial crisis ensued and the IMF put together a rescue loan plan that included loans from the World Bank, Inter-American development Bank and Spain. In 2001 lenders demanded interest rates from Argentina that were 10 percent higher than elsewhere. The IMF continued to give loans worth several billions to support Argentina so that it could pay its private creditors. However, despite this, Argentina failed to pay any of its creditors back their full amount. Its debt reached 81 billion dollars and it eventually had to make ’take it or leave it offers’ to its creditors who had to accept not getting most of their money back. This supports the argument that loans on their own are not the solution to the poor countries’ problem. They need help to resolve their unique political and social problems. Putting them in debt is not going to assist them as whatever progress they make, they will have to give the money back. Easterly concludes therefore that the world bank which is an aid agency should give countries grants not loans. And the IMF should get out of the business of bailing countries out. It has inadequate knowledge of what is happening at ground level and it was not designed to offer the kind of assistance that poor countries need and the long-term planning their needs require. Thus it would be better for aid agencies to continue their work at grass-root level and to contribute to long-term change.

Ellen Foster Essay -- essays papers

Ellen Foster The majority of families were once considered perfect. The father went to work everyday, while the mother stayed at home and cared for her two children, â€Å"Henry† and â€Å"Sue†. The children never fought and the parents were involved in all the community events. Our society has grown to accept that there is no such thing as a perfect family. Eleven-year-old Ellen from the book Ellen Foster, by Kaye Gibbons, grows up in a household where her father is an abusive alcoholic and her mother is too sick to complete everyday tasks. By using her positive assets, and learning from her negative assets, Ellen was able to overcome a lot of challenges throughout the book. One would think that six of the most important external assets fall under the category of support. Without support from one’s family and friends, he/she would have to be living in a state of depression. Ellen can claim to have only two of the support assets, which are to be in a caring school environment and to receive support from three or more nonparent adults. In school, her teachers worry about her, and want to know if she is OK: â€Å"The first day back at school my teacher noticed a bruise he put on my arm†¦ she asked me if I had somewhere to spend the night†¦the teacher says everything is OK and she will make the necessary arrangements†. Although Ellen found support from the school psychologist, she also found support from her best and only friend Starletta’s parents. Starletta’s parents told Ellen, â€Å"You come on back when you want to†¦ If he’s there when you get home you come on back here if you want to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Starletta’s parents are very understanding and they even take Ellen downtown whenever she needs to, buy clothing or food. Even though Ellen found sup... ...family that she grew up in was such a negative environment. It is very possible that she will grow up to be an art teacher. One might think this because she looked up to her art teacher so much and admired her; Ellen’s mind is full of creativity and ideas. When Ellen’s school found out that her dad was abusive to her they put her up at her art teacher’s house. Ellen says â€Å"I came a long way to get here but when you think about it really hard you will see that old Starletta came even farther†¦ And all this time I thought I had the hardest row to hoe† Like Ellen did, it is important for everyone to look back into their life and see what they have learned. Doing so cannot change ones past but only add to their future. Ellen will always carry the horrors of her childhood with her but by using all of her assets that she gained throughout the book her future can be enriched.

Boys Don’t Cry Analysis Essay

Boys Don’t Cry Analysis Brandon was deffinately a very confused person, but yet seemed to have everything under control most of the time. This is the only reason that she was ever eve able to trick everyone into thinking she was a he. Brandon was able to apply most of the male social norms to her every day life, for example: Drinking and driving, neither of the women were asked to drive after they had been drinking, it was the least drunk male that drove them all, and that illegal social norm is usually attributed to males only. Brandon committed many deviant acts through out the movie, some illegal, and others just kind of weird. An illegal deviant act was her stealing cars, a non illegal deviant act was her trying to drink like a real man, when there was no doubt in her mind that she would be able to. Because deviance refers to socially disapproved behavior, which is basically what Brandon did through out the movie. The normative view of sexuality is one of scorn and hatred; Tom and Jon had normative views of sexuality. They did not understand it, therefore they did not like it, and it’s as easy as that. While on the other hand the reactivate view of sexuality has a much more broad and opened mine about the subject. Lana was a reactivate when it came to sexuality, she understood what Brandon was feeling for her, and no matter what the consequences were, and she would live with them. The normative view of sexuality is definitely the perspective that best applies to sexual identity. That is really kind of what sexual identity is any way, how you as a human want to look, feel, and act. The medicalization of deviance in this movie ran ramped; almost everyone had some sort of problem that could be considered an illness. With Tom, Jon, Lena, and her mom, it was drugs and alcohol. For Brandon, it was her sexual identity problem, she just did not comprehend that she was a female, and has to live with it. Medicalization of deviance, and conflict theory go hand in hand, because all medical model does is create conflict, right? It is just like our justice system out there, the number of poor people getting arrested in the United States out numbers the more wealthy and respected by three times. Should that be telling us something about how we are running this country. That is the same reason for all of the characters in the  movie; they drink, swear, steal, and lie, basically because that is the way that they like to live in the lower classes of society. I would have to say that what Brandon has is not a result of bad parenting, but rather a medical deviance problem. I am sure that Brandon’s upbringings were not great by any means, but it did not turn Brandon into what she had become. So basically what I believe is that, yes parents do need to show their children both rewards and punishment, but in moderation, but neither of those will help that much when it is as bad as Brandon’s case There were many examples of Brandon conforming to male roles through out the movie; some were pulled off better than others. One that she did pull off quite well was her ability to sexually please a woman with out her knowing that Brandon actually had no penis. Another male role she played well was her ability to slip little messages in to conversations or situations that would back up her manliness. Like getting in a fight at the bar, or waiting at the door until the girl had gotten in to make sure she was ok, or the suggestion of Brandon having a baby of her own, but while still keeping the masculinity in the subject. One of the hardest challenges that Brandon faced was riding the truck; she took a tremendous beating for a woman and shook it off like a man would do. When you know she hurt much worse than she showed, because that would not be very manly to show your pain. So in conclusion I would have to say that any woman that could pull off being a man for that long with out even her closest friends knowing about it for that long of a time period is a very strong willed person, and maybe deserves to live as a man, or what ever she wishes to be.

Facebook And Its Negative Effect On Its Users - 1216 Words

Facebook and Its Negative Effect On Its Users Facebook, the number one online based networking. Nowadays, everyone must have heard of or used the application. But only few people realize the negative impact Facebook leaves on users. Such as privacy, attitude, and behavior. In 2004, Mark Zuckerberg who recently dropped out of Harvard University, in order to chase a dream of creating the world social networking. And the young guy s ambition did pay off. Now the guy has become a millionaire, and a successful young entrepreneur. Facebook is an online social networking, with its community make up by more than six hundred million active user. the main purpose It helps connect everyone in the world together and the secondary purpose is to slap people s face with thousand of advertisements. It s about social interaction, identities, and a huge community. This free application let users have their own page, where folks could post their information, pictures, videos and status. Others can also make comments on their friend s posts, but the most notable feature of Facebook is â€Å"like† button. this virtual of evaluation is simple yet powerful. It sends out a powerful feeling to its users, because It makes them feel importance of their opinions on a subje ct. The reason Facebook is subject of research is that It’s very popular webpage and it contains highest number of online users. The benefits of Facebook are mentioned, but the negative effect deserve some spotlights as well. The firstShow MoreRelatedThe Attack of Facebook: the Negative Effects It Has on Its Users1815 Words   |  8 PagesMary C. WRD 104/Rozzell 27 October 2010 Research Paper The Attack of Facebook: the negative effects it has on its users In 2004 Mark Zuckerberg created a social network called Facebook that would affect the lives of millions. A social network is defined according to Danah M. Boyd, a PhD candidate in the School of Information at the University of California-Berkeley and author of Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship as a â€Å"web-based service that allows individuals to (1) constructRead MoreThe Psychological Needs Of A Social Network Service1512 Words   |  7 Pagesa rapidly growing number of active users, Facebook is beginning to serve a huge social purpose for most young people. The use of online social network service, such as Facebook, provides people with the ability to remain socially connected with a large network of friends. Besides satisfying its users’ need to stay connected with their social groups, Facebook has also been shown to satisfy users’ psychological needs. However, recent research also links Facebook to the less desirable outcomes, particula rlyRead MoreFacebook Is A Good Thing1016 Words   |  5 PagesFacebook is allowing people or users to socially connect to old friends from their past, meet new people, be connected to the world news and share it all with your friends and family at a touch of a button. 1.49 billion Users around the world are logging into Facebook (Noyes, 2015). With only 320 million people in the US alone means a great deal of users are international. According to Lev Grossman at Time magazine, when naming Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, person of the year 2010, saysRead MoreEssay about Facebook Lifestyles1097 Words   |  5 Pagesfriends, and gives society the ability to explore your interests and hobbies. The famous social networking site, Facebook, has swept the social media scene since its establishment in 2004. Recently, Facebook has accumulated billions of dollars in the global market. Shandi Raice reports that Facebook’s worth will rise to 140 billion dollars by 2015. Mark Zuc kerberg, the creater of Facebook, was named Time magazines man of the year in 2010. Zuckerberg created this social network in the dorm room of HarvardRead MoreIs Facebook Killing Our Souls?1588 Words   |  7 Pagesto my friend’s Facebook inbox hundred of miles away. The astonishing speed of how quick we can communicate in today’s societies, all thanks to social media. The invention of Facebook simplified everything we know about communication. We can connect to people whenever and wherever, sharing information has never been more convenient and exciting. In Shane Hipps’ Article, â€Å" Is Facebook Killing Our Souls?,† he has no intention to impede technological advancements, instead he wants users to understandRead MoreFacebook And Its Effect On Our Lives1455 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"Connect with friends and the world around you on Facebook† (Facebook,) is a slogan in the homepage of Facebook website that I will see at least one time per day when I open my Facebook. So, I think a lot of people out there, who is a Facebook’s user, will agree with me. According to the article â€Å"Almost as many people use Facebook as live in the entire country of China,† writes by Caitlin Dewey, more than 1.35 billion Facebook’s users in the world today, and it is nearly equal the China’s populationRead MoreThe Effects Of Facebook On People s Psychological Well Being Essay838 Words   |  4 PagesStatement: The effect of Facebook on people’s psychological Well-being. This literature review is made to discuss the effects of social networking websites especially Facebook on people’s psychological Well-being. Since Facebook became the number one social networking website in the world and almost everyone use Facebook to communicate with people, we should know that people from the age of 18 to 25 are the ones usually glued to their Facebook accounts due to the fact that they careRead MoreThe Issue Proposal : Social Media1229 Words   |  5 Pagesapplication of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry† Online Etymology Dictionary). Social media is defined â€Å"as websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking† industry (Online Etymology Dictionary)†. Websites such as Facebook, Myspace, Instagram, Twitter, Skype, Snapshot, Pinterest, and the E-mail makes it possible to stay in touch with family and friends. It’s obvi ous that our world has changed dramaticallyRead MoreFacebook And Social Networking Sites1532 Words   |  7 PagesMark Zuckerberg founded Facebook when he was 23 years old while he attended Harvard University. Zuckerberg went to Harvard to study psychology and while he went there he developed a number of social networking sites that allowed students to view other students with the same degree and others where users could rate people’s attractiveness. When Facebook was first launched in February of 2004 it was called â€Å"The Facebook†. 1,200 Harvard students signed up and had a Facebook profile within the firstRead MoreNegative Effects of Facebook Essay689 Words   |  3 PagesWith more than 350 million active users, Facebook is one of the most popular social-networking sites in history. While it may have benefits such as connecting one with friends, it may also have very negative effects that could be irreversible. Three main negative effects that could arise from using Facebook include loss of sleep, depression, and putting one in a dangerous situation. At a quick glance, Facebook may be perceived as an intriguing and enjoyable website, but the addictions that sometimes

The Scientific Revolution And Enlightenment - 1267 Words

The Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment, which spanned from the late 1500’s to 1700’s, shaped today’s modern world through disregarding past information and seeking answers on their own through the scientific method and other techniques created during the Enlightenment. Newton’s ‘Philsophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica’ and Diderot’s Encyclopedia were both composed of characteristics that developed this time period through the desire to understand all life, humans are capable of understanding the Earth, and a sense of independence from not having to rely on the nobles or church for knowledge. Newton’s writings have had a profound effect on modern day science, astronomy, physics, as well as scientific reason. His discoveries and laws set a foundation of universal guidelines that enabled others to conduct experiments based on their own observations, while he also explained how the natural world functioned. In his ‘Pr incipia’ he listed his set of four rules of scientific reasoning. The four rules include: 1) we are to admit no more causes of natural things such as both true and sufficient to explain their experiences. 2) The same natural effects must be assigned to the same causes. 3) Qualities of bodies are to be esteemed as universal. 4) Propositions deduced from observation of phenomena contradict them (wolframresearch). This method of reasoning set the framework for the quest of answers during the Enlightenment. Today his four laws are known as the scientificShow MoreRelatedThe Scientific Revolution And The Enlightenment1528 Words   |  7 Pagesplace known as the Enlightenment. During this movement enlightenment thinkers, or philosophers, argued that they must focus on the use of reason and secularism to better themselves and understand the universe. As the sciences became more popular, skepticism about religious grew. A significant root of the Enlightenment was the Scientific Rev olution (1500-1700) which pressed the use of reasoning, inquiry, and scientific method in order to arrive that the truth. The scientific revolution was an attemptRead MoreThe Enlightenment And The Scientific Revolution1128 Words   |  5 Pagesthe Renaissance, Humanism and Individualism, the Scientific Revolution, John Locke, and the Age of Discovery, and Religious Wars, the Enlightenment in Europe sparked a movement of change and progress. During the Enlightenment, humans were focused on improving their lives and letting go of or expanding on ancient texts that had set the previous standards. The Scientific Revolution was one event that provided a sturdy foundation to the Enlightenment by having solid evidence of things in the world beingRead MoreThe Enlightenment And The Enlightenment During The Scientific Revolution1686 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"Have the courage to use your own intelligence! Is therefore the motto of the Enlightenment,† (Kant). The Enlightenment consisted of the ideas of nature, reason, progress, and optimism. Sir Isaac Newton, a scientist during the Scientific Revolution , greatly influenced the Enlightenment due to his stance on natural law. The idea of a social contract, where the power to govern came from the consent of the governed, was a major force during this time period. Adam Smith, a physiocrat from Great BritainRead MoreThe Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment Essay1696 Words   |  7 Pagesparallels between ideas of the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment This essay will explore parallels between the ideas of the scientific revolution and the enlightenment. The scientific revolution describes a time when great changes occurred in the way the universe was viewed, d through the advances of sciences during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The enlightenment refers to a movement that grew out of the new scientific ideas of the revolution that occurred in the late seventeenthRead MoreThe Age Of Enlightenment And The Scientific Revolution1675 Words   |  7 Pagesthe society and the world evolved giving rise to the establishment of new social norms and scientific advances. Although the industrial revolution and the scientific revolution represented a giant leap forward in human development, the Age of Enlightenment delivered the greatest influence for the future American society and planted the way for cultural and humanistic enrichment. The Age of the Enlightenment raised new concepts in education, democracy, and human freedom. The new humanistic philosophyRead MoreEssay on Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment903 Words   |  4 PagesDiscuss the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment along with the subsequent reaction as embodied by the Romantic movement. Give specific examples of how these movements affected the arts. What was their eventual impact on the western intellectual world. The Scientific revolution and The Enlightenment period overlapped by a hundred years and were co-occurring between 1650-1750. The Scientific Revolution happening first and beginning around 1600, was a period of time when new ideas and toolsRead MoreThe Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution: Essay1835 Words   |  8 PagesThe Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution: Men of Ideas Creating Change Nicole Hill The eighteenth century is often referred to as the Enlightenment. The ideas of many individuals combined to create a movement that would not only sweep across Europe, but reach as far as the Americas. The idea of a world without caste, class or institutionalized crudity was what many were striving to achieve. Coinciding with the Enlightenment was the Scientific Revolution. Advancements in astronomy, technologyRead More The Scientific Revolution and The Enlightenment Essay1004 Words   |  5 PagesThe Scientific Revolution and The Enlightenment In the 17th Century, there was much controversy between religion and science. The church supported a single worldview that God’s creation was the center of the universe. The kings and rulers were set in their ways to set the people’s minds to believe this and to never question it. From these ideas, the Enlightenment was bred from the Scientific Revolution. Nicholas Copernicus was the first to question the universal truths and teachings of theRead MoreThe Enlightenment, Scientific Revolution And The Industrial Revolution889 Words   |  4 PagesThe Impacts of Evolution Through the Enlightenment, Scientific Revolution and the Industrial Revolution philosophers and scientists were able to define and study many ideas and ideologies. These time periods of social and scientific reform allowed for the definition of evolution to be defined as, â€Å"the process of continuous branching and diversification from the common trunks.† Evolution though did not begin then, it began at the start of this universe. We as humans would not be here if it werentRead MoreEssay on The Scientific Revolution and The Enlightenment1731 Words   |  7 PagesThe Scientific revolution in the 16th and 17th centuries changed the way that people views the world. Scientific philosophers such as Galileo and Descartes threw out the old teachings of the church and challenged them with new ways of thinking. These men sought to prove that rational thought could prove the existence of God. They also challenged that it was an understanding of a series of rational thoughts, not fai th, would bring understanding of how the world worked. Traditional ways of thinking

Imagery and Symbolism in Cathedral, by Raymond Carver

In the short story, Cathedral, by Raymond Carver, the author uses imagery, symbolism and narrates the story in first person point of view. The Cathedral’s main theme is being able to identify the difference between being able to look and/or see and it is portrayed through the main characters role in the story. Carver uses a unique style of writing which gives the short story a simple way for the reader to understand the story’s theme. This story is about how the narrator is unable to see what life is really giving him and finds it through a blind man’s eyes, the friend of his wife. Cathedral is a touching story, in my opinion, as it reflects on what many of us, society, take for granted. It shows how important it is to give people a†¦show more content†¦This imagery is used metaphorically to illustrate what a blind man would like to know in order to get a full vision of what is exactly going on. Furthermore, the title of the short story has symbolic representation to the transformation the narrator partakes as the story ends. Specifically, when the narrator begins to explain the cathedral on the TV and is unable to describe it with detail to Robert, shows how blind he is even though he is able to look at the things show in the program. In the short story, Robert suggests to the narrator to work together on drawing a cathedral to better illustrate it. As both hold on to the pen and trace the cathedral unto the piece of paper bag, Robert is able to visualize it in his mind; the narrator, on the other hand, gets to a point in his life where he realizes that he is now able to see, rather than just look at something, and is able to understand its meaning, as he states â€Å"it was like nothing else in my life up to now†¦my eyes were still closed.† Here, the narrator recognizes that even though his eyes were closed, as if he was blind, he is able to tell how immen sely and detailed cathedrals are. Moreover, Carver uses first person point of view to describe the narrator’s life and the meaning of the cathedral to him. Through the first person point of view given to the narrator and one of the main characters of the story, Carver is able to portray a narrator who is jealous and insecure of himself. The narrator’sShow MoreRelated##ism, Imagery, And Symbolism In Cathedral By Raymond Carver815 Words   |  4 PagesThe short story â€Å"Cathedral† is written by Raymond Carver. It is being narrated by a man whose wife invited an old friend and person she used to work for to come visit due to his wife dying. The old friend is a blind man whose name is Robert. The author in the â€Å"Cathedral† uses symbolism, imagery, and irony to provide more meaning to the story. The narrator of the story has a stereotypical opinion on blind people while being blind to his own imperfections, but he is able to start seeingRead MoreAnalysis Of Raymond Carver s The Cathedral 863 Words   |  4 Pages One of the Raymond Carver story where we can find a lot of religion symbols; it is â€Å"Cathedral.† The story develops an ironic situation in which a blind man teaches a sighted man to truly â€Å"see† for the first time. Near the end of the story, Carver has these two characters work together on a drawing of a cathedral, which serves as the symbolic heart of the story. The cathedral represents true sight, the ability to see beyond the surface to the true meaning that lies within. The narrator’s drawingRead MoreMinimalism by Raymond Carver Essay3013 Words   |  13 PagesLiterary Criticism Minimalism by Raymond Carver English 210 P. Fishman Research Paper Literary Criticism on Minimalism by Raymond Carver Raymond Carver was a master of the short story during the mid nineteenth century due to his unique minimalistic style. Carver has his own artistic signature when it comes to writing, he tells his stories using

Hierarchical Production Planning Hawkesbury Cabinets Pty Ltd.

Question: Discuss about the Hierarchical Production Planning for Hawkesbury Cabinets Pty Ltd. Answer: Introduction: This essay is a detailed analysis of the current operations of Hawkesbury Cabinets Pty Ltd. The analysis aims to understand the operations and find the operational issues that resulted due to the steady increase in sales of custom cabinets and the low volume contracts with spec builders. A significant amount of capital is invested into the inventory at various stages of production and the space to store the same is limited. The lead time for each delivery has increased and priority was given to custom cabinets. Craftsmen and machinery are operating at their highest production capacity. In short the company is currently facing issues with space and resources. The Current System Currently the company has a single manufacturing facility for both custom cabinets and standardized cabinets. The facility has separate sections for the various equipment and assembly areas strategically placed in the facility. Both the custom and standardized cabinets are produced in these same sections. The company technically is using a job production system for the custom cabinets and a batch production system for the standardized cabinet (Krajewski, 2013). However, since the custom cabinets generate 75% of the revenue and contribute to 60% of the orders whenever there is a delivery lag, the standard cabinets are pulled off and the custom cabinet manufacturing prioritized. The spec builders are price sensitive and since they usually sell their work post completion the delivery time in their case is equally important (Tookey, 2012). The delivery time is constantly increasing especially in case of spec builders due to the above process. The Scheduling process of the company is taking a big hit. Ideally they are using a backward scheduling method through which they determine the start date based on the delivery date (Heizer, 2016). This is because most of the clients would provide the company a deadline by which they require the cabinets. The scheduling however is not in sync with the production. The scheduling algorithms used for production of standard cabinets are not taking into picture the possibility of delay due to prioritizing the custom cabinets. Also, due to the same the chances of bottlenecks is high. A shifting bottleneck Heuristic algorithm can be helpful in this case however, no such algorithm is in place (Liu, 2012). The space in the manufacturing facility is limited and a warehouse has been rented as a temporary solution due to the increasing inventory of work in progress products and raw materials. Inventory management is restricted due to space constraint and no clear difference in the manufacturing processes of the two cabinets (Jacobs, 2013). Also, the craftsmen have to shift between custom and standard cabinets to make up for the delivery time. This switch not only effects the quality of the product but also effects the craftsmen as the same person has to work on both the products. Effects of new builders kitchen The new builders kitchen contributes to 40% of the orders and 25% of the revenue and has hence become an important division for the company. The production of the cabinets are standardized and are manufactured in batches of one to five. The production is done on the same equipment as the custom cabinets and the same craftsmen are used to ensure quality of the products. However, the increasing sales of the standardized cabinets have had a significant effect on the production system at the company. The first issue is that the batch production attracted significant raw material requirements, when the company has low space (John, 2015). In case of the custom cabinets the need to store work in progress products is less and the products is general delivered as soon as the production and assembly is done. However, in case of standardized cabinets, the production cycle has to be repeated resulting in high volume WIP products, that have to be stored within the limited space. The products use the same machinery as the custom cabinets and hence the chances of bottle neck are high especially that there is only one manufacturing facility (Hax, 2013). In case the scheduling was done in the most appropriate manner the machinery can be used effectively. However, given the increase in sales the machinery in question is overworking to fulfil the growing demand. The craftsmen have to come up with designs for each spec builder and have to produce the same in batches while making sure that the custom cabinet production is not in hold. The bulk cabinet production is not standardized and hence does not have a separate work flow. It usually interrupts with the custom cabinet production that have a higher revenue generation. The spec builders have tight deadlines and are economically conscious and hence expect their product to be delivered in time (Qian, 2014). However, the increasing demand and restricted resources would usually cause a delay in delivery. This in turn is effecting the delivery time of custom products even after the same is prioritized. Since the sales of both the cabinet varieties is constantly increasing into is only a matter of time before inventory overflow and large delivery lags occur (Meredith, 2009). Effect of builders kitchen on financial structure On a wider scope the contract with the builders kitchen effects the finances of the company, however with appropriate investments these effects can be a revenue generator for the company. There is significant scope of increase in sales which would mean that there is a requirement for the company to expand. The expansion would require acquiring a new manufacturing facility with machinery to produce standard cabinets which is a significant investment. Separate craftsmen have to be hired to work for the new facility. This can be a low investment as the craftsmen would have to remake an available design rather than the come up with a new design. Hence craftsmen with medium skill can be hired but there cannot be a compromise in quality. This would also attract training costs. Purchase of a warehouse to store both the cabinet varieties at various stages of production is required. This would ensure that the manufacturing facilities are not clogged. Also an effective inventory management and a manger for the same are required to make sure that the transfer of goods happen smoothly (Johnson, 2014). The company would be beneficial by updating to a computer based production and delivery system to keep track of their various functions in both the sections. This would help them understand the position, placement and progress on a product (Ellram, 2013). The calculation of delivery times would be easier. There are several companies that gain reputation over time and have a spike in their sales without realizing that their current production system may not be equipped to fulfil the demands. The companies that identify this issue in time can make significant revenue by making appropriate changes. Whenever a new division is added to a company it is crucial to analyse its effects both technically and financially and find way to change these effects into revenue. Scaling of machinery and resources is crucial to boost sales of any company. References Ellram, L. M., La Londe, B. J., Weber, M. M. (2013). Retail logistics. International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management. Hax, A. C. (2013). Hierarchical production planning (pp. 708-712). Springer US. Heizer, J., Render, B., Munson, C. (2016). 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