The Cost of Illegal Immigrants in Texas Research Paper

The Cost of Illegal Immigrants in Texas - Research Paper Example This quote is an extract from the Dallas Morning News, which examined the financial effects of the illegal immigrants in Texas. This calculation was done on behalf of the millions of taxpayers who were paying heavily in tax dollars for the presence of illegal immigrants residing in the state. The reason why this problem is especially prominent in Texas as opposed to the other forty-nine states of America is that this state is situated in the very south of the country. Due to its location, it is very near to Mexico, and thus Mexicans illegally emigrating from their own land often settle down or take refuge in this state. Thus, there are thousands of such unregistered immigrants residing in the state of Texas, the costs of which are paid for by the taxpayers and legal inhabitants of Texas, as well as the government responsible. The reason why the presence of these illegal immigrants proves to be such a financial challenge for the legal citizens of this state is that they consume the pu blic goods, which the government provides to the residents of this country. The US, being a developed country, provides several such goods to its citizens, such as health, education, and defense. These are all public goods, which it provides to every citizen of the country. These costs are especially prominent concerning health care costs, which these illegal immigrants incur. â€Å"The Texas Hospital Association has estimated the annual cost of uncompensated care to illegal immigrants at nearly $400 million a year†.... In addition, as mentioned in the news extract above, these costs included the cost of 66,000 births in one year, which makes up a large proportion of these costs. These services however are not completely free of cost for these citizens. The government finances them using the tax dollars that these citizens themselves pay out of their own incomes, in the form of both direct and indirect taxes. However, only the legal citizens of the country pay direct taxes on their income, as they are the only ones of whom the government has a record. Thus, this allows for tax evasion by all those illegal citizens who reside in the county without the permission or knowledge of the government. They do not pay direct taxes on their incomes, and therefore avoid having to pay the government for all the above-mentioned public good and services that it provides to them. In other words, they are able to avail these services free even when they are not the ones paying for them. The legal citizens who are ta xpayers, bear the whole cost of such goods and services, even when there are thousands of other illegal consumers present. Thus, this is a heavy financial burden for the taxpayers to bear, since they pay not just for themselves, thus severely testing the patience of these law-abiding citizens. Moreover, due to the geographical location of the state of Texas, it is especially vulnerable to this problem. Another cost that these citizens pay because of the presence of these illegal immigrants is the disruption in law and order, which they cause. Their presence is often accompanied by several offences, which include robberies and drug trafficking. This is a large disadvantage for those citizens who abide by the law and hope for peaceful and

The Road to Hell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Road to Hell - Essay Example They credited his actions for dynamic liberal regionalization program that led to success of the timely regionalization policy due to the good relation with the government (Gareth 817). The government had close relationship with Barracannia that later made it to be independent that contributed to critical and challenging attitude towards the role of foreign interest. The story of Road to Hell tries to evaluate peoples views towards issues related to racism in modern days. Issues related to racism is not easy to be solved using legalistic approaches, therefore, it requires deeper research and understanding to give pure proves that the human discrimination in relation to sex, skin color, origin has brought some major issues within a community, organization and even the societies. The story tries to explain how people from different cultures and backgrounds do not always take issues of diversity into consideration. Majority estimates each other by their own scales and perceptions that always lead to conflicts due to misunderstanding. According to the story, Baker appears to be a racist. However, people need to be educated on human right to be sensitive enough to have the feeling and immediate support should be provided to the victims by listening their views carefully and respect them.The main cause of racial discrimination has led to cross cultural misinterpretation that occurs when a person gives meaning to observation and their relationship (Adler 8). Some group see themselves superior than others which makes them have power to carry out racist. According to Pierce on Critical Race Theory, he came up with â€Å"one must not look for the gross and obvious† say that tried to explain the accumulation of today’s racism (Web). With reference to this theory, Baker has been viewed as a racist because Rennalls was correct in his evaluation between them and the acceptance of Rennalls

International Business strategy - NOKIA on global market Essay - 1

International Business strategy - NOKIA on global market - Essay Example Smartphone manufacturers are competing with each other in terms of implementing new technologies, gaining access to new market, advertising exposure and many others. Few Smartphone are doing legal battle with each other in terms of feature and application counterfeiting (for example Samsung paid huge amount to Apple after losing legal battle of counterfeiting of design and application of iPhone). Some companies are using Android operating system for their Smartphone’s while others are focusing on windows phone. Market saturation is higher for phones not acquired with contract. Fixed costs associated with smart phone market are high due to requirement of investing in latest technologies. Hence it can be concluded that market rivalry is high. Global Smartphone market condition can be explained in the following manner. In future Nokia will face specific threat from counterfeit products. Mobile manufacturers complemented by low resorce capabilities tend to imititate features and design of Smartphone manufacturered by reputed companies such as Nokia, Samsung and Apple. Impact of such threat will increase in future. Market players rely heavily on suppliers providing software and hardware integration. Influence of low cost Taiwanese suppliers is increasing in the mobile manufacturing industry. Foxconn is the Taiwanese supplier for Apple and HTC. Taiwanese suppliers supply HSPA or High Speed Packet Access, evolution data optimizer and touch screen panels to mid and high end Smartphone manufactures. Component source of Taiwanese Smartphone supply can be depicted by using following diagram. Operating systems such as BlackBerry OS, Windows Phone, Android and iOS are essential gears for Smartphone manufacturers. Smartphone manufacturers are relying heavily on their technological partners such as Google and Microsoft. Hence it can be inferred that supplier power is high. Nokia needs to follow respective government rule of different countries

Professional Objectives and Interests Personal Statement

Professional Objectives and Interests - Personal Statement Example My secondary interest would be to strengthen my leadership abilities so that I can lead and administer my subordinates. Sharpening of the existing skills is a very important factor and I would like to focus my attention to it. Apart from this I would be more interested in acquiring new skills by attending seminars, certification programs etc and meeting new people who are associated with this profession. Working for a project will prove to be very fruitful in order to enhance my entrepreneur abilities and motivate my dedication. Networking is considered to be a very essential factor. Relationship with the professional contacts is very valuable for the advancement of career and learning new techniques. I would make it a point to attend functions and monthly events so as to be in close contact with the administrative professionals. The interests that need to be developed in order to become a good administrator are to have effective leadership qualities. An impressive personality proves to be very helpful when it comes to lead and administer people. My area of interest would be to work on the enhancement of these two traits.

Marketing Fundamentals and Enviroment Coursework

Marketing Fundamentals and Enviroment - Coursework Example The more the communication is done better result would be. The good result is, of course, the desire of every marketing personal. Communication is the act of influencing and inducing others to act in the manner intended. Sharing of ideas with others is basically communication. Thus, we could simply say that normally there is a duration of the time period for a particular organization/brand to simply be identified in a particular market. For all this, there are certain factors that should be followed in order to be successful. (DiMaggio, n.p, 2001) Time utilization is one of the most essential elements in the promotion of any organization/brand. If the allocation of proper time is done and every specific factor is taken under consideration then the desired result could easily be achieved in less time period. An excellent example of a very successful brand is 'mother care'. This specific brand by the name of 'mother care' is a unique collection of all the items of children wear, as well as furniture, stationery, toy and much more. This brand has got a very good collection of everything that a child basically requires and at a reasonable price. It is due to this reason, that people like shopping in 'mother care'. One of the other reason is that ' mother care' have got their outlet basically in all the countries of the world, no matter where you go and if you would like to buy their product you can easily get it anywhere in the world. It is very much true that these organizations/brands do have to face a lot of challenges in the market, their unique collection of stock. Let, we take 'levis'. This brand is famous for its good quality of products. These products are durable, comfortable and good to wear; especially the youth of today really likes this brand.  Ã‚  

Positive and Negative Associations Essay Example for Free

Positive and Negative Associations Essay Cognitive social psychology describes the â€Å"self† as a dynamic, flexible, and complex set of self-conceptions, emotions, images and memories that are stored in the long-term memory. Some of the self-related material in working memory is associated with the transient conditions of the present time frame. These self-conceptions serve the important function of guiding behavior, affection, and perception. Core self-conceptions are enduring and stable self-conceptions tend to endure over time, and are activated across situations which mean they influence a person in giving meaning to circumstances and choice on how to behave. The perspective about the self in the memory has been referred to as the self-structure where it is proposed that the self-related memory representations are not neutral, but rather carry with them an emotional quality or evaluation tone known as valence (Zephyr 91). Because self-evaluation is based on the prevailing norms and expectations of the cultural milieu, the meaning of the valence component of the core-descriptions is likely to show cultural specificity in which the positive and negative associations are mutually based. Positive and negative associations Cultures have been described in terms of interpersonal values they socialize in their members. Culture is the patterns of social institutions, relationships, and expectations that guide the development of culturally competent individuals. The social values and practices are the major basics in the cultural construction of the positive and negative social associations in a society’s culture. The Haitian culture has been overtly portrayed on racial terms by many white writers something that African American writers have been deconstructing to dispel these negative associations. On the positive associations, anybody who is Haitian upholds highly about his/her self-conceptions will regard everything with self-esteem and more so respect his/her culture; trying to paint a positive image of it. Zephyr (118) points out that Haitians are to some extent positive about their culture and that is the reason why they would like very much to change the negative perceptions the world has. Their music has transcended class boundaries expressing the greatness of the people’s culture and their nation at large. People who talk well of themselves usually have that attitude that keeps their cultural boundaries open to constructive criticism for the better. Superstitions which have for a long time dwarfed development and people’s association are being negated for a society that embraces change. Haitians have changed the African American negativism by whites which has brought new light on the racial issues as a people with equal dignity and who are supposed to be respected. Haiti had remained in the dark and students and other groups have drummed up support in peeling away the darkness and letting people learn more about the place and its people. The United States initially viewed Haiti as a threat to its existence but now that has changed with the view of Haiti as a nation that contributes to its well-being. The historical slave revolution of Haiti is very much part of its proud history. Haiti is considered as a beacon of hope for its model of self-emancipation. This much inspired Negroes in slave plantation to rise and strive for their liberties which were held at ransom by the slave masters. It also strikes positively that Haitians fought bravely against French troops which points to the strong urge among the people to resist oppression from the white masters. Their culture has been without intrusion for many years which has accounted for the people’s strong will of independence leading to self-conceptions that glorifies their lives. The positive self-descriptions of the Haitian people therefore fits within their cultural frame because of the image as a free people from the chains of colonization which are to blame in many African countries for denigrating indigenous cultures, leading to many Africans neglecting their butchered cultural values (Zephyr 89). The critique of the cultural practices of Haitians has provided culturally relevant psychiatric practice very important in the cultural mindset of the Haitians. However, the Haitian culture has not been without negative self-descriptions that are to account for the stereotypes which have influenced the society in a great way. Gender issues, like in every other patriarchal society in the world rears the ugly muzzle to the world view. Also, the Voodoo culture has had negative effects on the socio-economic and political advancement of Haitians. Zephyr (108) reminds us that the belief in cultural practices that hinder development due to inhibiting beliefs that changes will be a bad omen to the society are to blame for the situation of Haitians. The negative stereotypes are of bad influence on the self-conceptions and description which are normally based on the cultural milieu of the people. The voodoo belief has bad influence on the economic bearing in that some practices deny people the opportunity to enterprise in what can economically uplift their living standards. With this culture bearing impact on the mindset of people, ignorance and backwardness set in which make the associations with other people very difficult as these have moved from the perspective of stereotype to beliefs that oppress the people. Like any other society, oppression of women is evident on gender lines, with boy-girl privileges at stake, where education for the male child is done at the expense of the girl who might be a better achiever than the boy. But the Haiti society is changing to adapt to changes that have affected all societies in the world. Neglecting the oppressive beliefs has been a step towards building that global society that embraces change negating the ignorance of many indigenous societies of the past. With these changes, the perspective or the view of the world on Haiti has still remained negative with efforts made by the Haitian society not recognized (Zephyr 122). These degenerative views on Haiti need to change and the world to view the big picture of a changing society for there is no society without blemish. In conclusion, the positive and the negative associations in any society are embedded in the cultural frame of that society, and there is no way one can define such a society without meeting such associations. Whether positive or negative associations, they can be understood on the cognitive social psychology in terms of the self-conceptions defined by the larger cultural milieu. Societies due to globalization influence are changing and so should be our perceptions on particular societies like the Haitians. Works Cited Zephyr, Flore. The Haitian Americans. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2004.

Trade unions and management Essay Example for Free

Trade unions and management Essay It is evident from the literature that there has been a sharp decrease in the use of collective bargaining between trade unions and management in deciding employment agreements for employees (e. g. Milner, 1995; Poole Mansfield,1993). Many authors argue that movement towards the individualization of employment relations is replacing the traditional collectivist approach, with the individual negotiation of personalized employment agreements becoming increasingly more favoured over the collective negotiation between trade unions and managements (Milner, 1995; Welch Leighton, 1996). Within this essay, individualism and collectivism mainly revolve around the employment agreement, which is described by Welch and Leighton (1996) as being the main legal mechanism for establishing the rules of work for the employer and individual employees. Brown et al. (2000, p. 616) define the employment contract as being the outcome of a transaction that encompasses both the entitlements and the obligations of the employee. These entitlements encompass commonly associated factors such as pay and fringe benefits, however, what is commonly forgotten is that contracts also regulate the obligations placed on employees such as workloads and job descriptions (Brown et al. , 2000). These are elements that can be either negotiated collectively or individually. In this essay we commence by outlining the meanings of collectivism and individualism the different dimensions of collectivism and individualism in employment relations, and the relations between them. Then we discussed how the movement from collectivism to individualism has been expressed in the pay systems. Collectivism and Individualism Individualism has been viewed as closely associated with unitarism as it suggests shared interests and therefore a preference for a relationship between the individual employee and the manager which is direct and unmediated by collective employee representation. Pluralism has been viewed as being related to collectivism in that this perspective implies conflicting employee-management interests and consequently a preference for collective institutions and procedures in the form of trade unions or collective bargaining. However it has been argued that the tendency to equate unitarism with individualism and pluralism with collectivism in this way fails to do justice to the complexity of management approaches as they relate to the individual and the collective at the workplace(Purcell 1987 cited in the book by Ian Kessler John Purcell, 2003). Notions of individualism and collectivism have been used to characterize distinct but related dimensions of the employment relationship(Ian Kessler John Purcell,2003). Individualism directs attention to how employers manage the individual employee while collectivism encourages a focus on how employers address and deal with collective or representative institutions. Phelps Brown talks of ‘the sense of common interest and common purpose. ’ that united union members in the past (1990:11) and depicts post –war trade unionism as ‘A movement, and not simply a federation of bodies with common purposes. Its members were accustomed to address each other as brothers and sisters, and they did indeed feel a fraternal obligation to support one another. Within the ground rules of democracy, they saw themselves as committed to an adversarial approach in industrial relations and to a radical change in social and economic institutions. (1990:4)’ Trevor Colling (2003) explains that the problem with such perspectives is that they overstate the previous strength of collective identities and, in doing so, depict the current crisis of collectivism as being without precedent and unfathomably deep. Rise and decline of collective bargaining Collective bargaining is defined as ‘a voluntary, formalized process by which employers and independent trade unions negotiate, for specified groups of employees, terms and conditions of employment and the ways in which certain employment-related issues are to be regulated at national, organizational and workplace levels. ’ Lewis, Philip, Thornhill, Adrian, Saunders, Mark (2003). William Brown, Paul Marginson and Janet Walsh (2003) described collective bargaining as a term used when employers deal directly with the trade unions representing their employees in order to regulate the conduct and terms of their work. Flanders (1968) noted that collective bargaining does not involve the actual sale or hire of labour; it is a rule –making process which determines and regulates, in varying degrees, the terms on which individuals will be employed. Purcell reinforced industrial relations origins and strong traditional links with collectivism through the following quote. ‘The study of industrial relations grew out of a recognition that principles of wage fixing in industry, the pursuit of industrial citizenship and the determination of conditions of employment were most obviously, and best, achieved through collective bargaining between employers and representatives of the workforce. ’ Therefore, it can be stated that the original system of industrial relations had strong links with collectivism. Gunnigle, Turner and D’Art (1998) stated that the extent of collectivism in industrial relations may be accurately gauged through trade union penetration; which includes trade union density, recognition and reliance on collective bargaining. Therefore, the following empirical evidence of the rise and decline of collective employment agreements and trade unions will demonstrate trends in collectivism. Milner (1995) explained the data of collective pay setting institutions in Britain from 1895-1990, providing good data for the percentage of the workforce covered by collective bargaining throughout this period of time. In 1910, 15 percent of Britain’s workforce was covered by collective bargaining. This steadily rose to reach 42 percent by 1933 and 51 percent by 1939, peaking at 73 percent in 1973 (Milner, 1995). When the percentage of employees covered by collective bargaining is combined with those affected by trade boards and wage councils (statutory machinery), Milner’s (1995) data shows the overall coverage percentage peaked after World War Two at 89 percent in 1947. Brown et al. (2000) discovered that the proportion of all employees covered by collective agreements in British workplaces fell from 70 percent in 1984 to 54 percent in 1990, and further to 41 percent in 1998. Brown et al. (2000) also cite that the traditional form of multi-employer, industry-wide or national collective bargaining has significantly reduced from 43 percent in 1980 to 14 percent in 1998. Poole and Mansfield (1993) discovered in their study of managers who were also members of the British Institute of Management that the proportion of managers actually involved in collective bargaining dropped from 20 percent in 1980 to 17. 4 percent in 1990, which is a minimal drop when compared to the findings of other studies. However, Poole and Mansfield (1993) interestingly found that informal meetings between managers and union representatives had substantially declined, with 48. 5 percent of managers engaging in such practices in 1980 whilst only 31. 3 percent did in 1990. This trend of union membership rise and decline in Britain is clearly typified by Figure 1, extracted from Disney, Gosling and Machin (1995, p. 404). Although the above data is only from Britain, it is clear from the literature that the decline in trade union membership is not isolated to Britain. Harbridge and Crawford (2000) cite evidence that virtually all OECD countries have experienced negative or reduced employment growth, and that throughout the 1980’s union density fell in all OECD countries except Finland, Iceland and Sweden. The arrival of a government in 1997 that was more sympathetic to trade unions, and the subsequent passing out of the 1999 employment relations act, has tended to reverse the trend towards complete withdrawal from collective bargaining, and even to encourage ‘re-recognition’ of unions in many firms. But this reversal appears to be very much on terms laid down by employers. Factors contributing to decline in collectivism One of the major and most complex factors literature mentions as contributing to the decline in collectivisation relates to the corresponding decline in trade union membership and hence trade union power. Purcell (1993) explains that membership fees are the most important way for trade unions to collect their revenue, and from this it can be extended that if membership declines, then so does the trade unions income and hence power and financial ability to protect its members. Trade unions are the collective force that drive collective bargaining within employment agreements, and the weaker they get, the weaker the influence of collective bargaining. Brown et al. (2000, p. 612) support this link between the strength of trade unions and collective bargaining, and suggest factors that may have contributed to the recent decline in both areas through the following statement: ‘During the previous two decades the membership of trade unions and the coverage of collective bargaining had contracted substantially, battered by Competitive, legal and structural change. ’ Purcell (1993) cites a number of legal changes in Britain that have contributed to the decline in the power and influence of trade unions and collective bargaining. These include abolishing the closed shop, requiring balloting for strike action, and making unions vicariously liable for a wide range of industrial action contemplated or conducted by union representatives or their members (Purcell, 1993). Actions such as these that limit the trade union rights to use industrial action give a big disadvantage to the unions, as industrial action is one of the main tools unions use against the employers (Welch Leighton, 1996). Because of this many employees leave the trade unions or see no point in joining them because the unions do not have the power to represent their views in an effective manner; they are paying the union fees for no benefit (Purcell, 1993; Welch Leighton, 1996). Decisions taken by the employers can also contribute towards the derecognition of trade unions leading to individualism of employment relations. Tuckman and Finnerty (1998) argue that without trade unions employers are able to pressurize the employees to accept reforms . Purcell explains that shifting to single employer bargaining enables firms to easily bring in new payment systems and grade structures and also enables the firms to link the management of labour to product market instead of the external labour market. There is also a view that says Individualised contracts allow employees to negotiate terms and conditions related to their needs as they are directly involved in the bargaining, especially in terms of factors such as performance related pay(Tuckman Finnerty,1998). Managers have also been assumed to prefer the unitary system of industrial relations within the work place compared to the pluralist system(Poole Mansfield, 1993). This unitary approach is linked to individualisation of the employment contracts, with employers and employees negotiating together to discuss the terms and conditions of employment contracts. In contrast the collective approach is viewed as being very pluralist in nature due to trade unions from outside the workplace being brought in to negotiate employment conditions or advocate for employees rights. Purcell (1993) asserts that employers have changed their tactics concerning trade unions to reflect this change to unitarism by deciding to compete with trade unions rather than confronting them, thereby reducing the need for employees to contemplate union membership. Trevor Colling (2003) identifies three variants of explanation for the decline in collectivized employee relations. Those suggesting that decline has been secular emphasize the absence of demand for collective channels of representation and explain this by shifts in the composition of the economy and labour markets. Others point to high-commitment strategies and the extent to which employers have been successful in garnering the trust and allegiance of their employees. Some see the trend as a strategic one, created by deliberate employer actions, facilitated by state policy, to secure managerial prerogative and close down joint regulation. Ian Kessler and John Purcell(2003) explains that since the 1979 changes in the state’s conception of good industrial relations, linked to the decline in union strength ,have allowed management greater choice over which style of employee management to adopt. Ian Kessler and John Purcell (2003) points to some calls for a move towards non-union forms of individualism, particularly among key employer organizations. Howell (1995: 163) notes how in the late 1980s the institute of directors called for: ‘The almost complete individualization of industrial relations, meaning individual pay contracts and merit pay in place of national agreements and collective bargaining, employee shareholding, individualized training, and either the elimination of any role for the trade unions or a minimalist role in which trade unions provide services for their members but do not engage in collective bargaining and have a limited right to strike. ’ Changes in the level of collective bargaining, in particular a move towards decentralization from multi-employer to single-employer, and from single employer to multi-plant, may also be an important indicator of the decline in collective industrial relations ( Mcloughlin, I and Gourlay,S,1993). The wide spread introduction of the system of Human Resource Management (HRM) has been postulated to be a large contributor to the move away from trade unions and collective bargaining towards unitarism and individualized contracts, and this will now be discussed.