100+ Interesting Research Paper Topics To Ace Your Grade

Research paper writing is an essential part of education. It is necessary because it helps the students to develop a critical view towards different issues of life and society. In addition to that, research writing enables students to develop their argumentative and persuasive skills. Quick Links 1. Choosing a Research Topic 1.1 Explore Your Interest 1.2 Explore the Research Material 1.3 Keep Instructor’s Guidelines in View 2. Research Paper Topics for Different Education Levels 2.1 College 2.2 High School 2.3 Middle School 2.4 History 2.5 Art 2.6 Criminal Justice 2.7 Business 2.8 Ethics 2.9 Health 2.10 Government Policy 2.11 Environment 2.12 US History 2.13 Sociological 2.14 Sports 2.15 Chemistry 2.16 Biology 2.17 Technology 2.18 Social Media 2.19 Psychology Research Paper Topics 3. Good Research Paper Topics 3.1 Argumentative Research Paper Topics 3.2 Easy Research paper Topics 3.3 Interesting Research Paper Topics The foremost step of research paper writing process is the selection of topic. Many a time, teachers do not provide research topics to students and give them the freedom to go with something that interests them. The purpose behind this is that teachers want to assess the ability of the students from their writing, without forcing some difficult topic upon them. While selecting the topics, students need to make sure that they do not just opt for a topic they can easily find information on. But with something for which you can craft an interesting and debatable thesis statement. Selecting a perfect topic seems like a mighty problem to almost all students. Every other topic seems interesting at the first look. However, that same topic becomes too difficult when the students try to research the details and existing information about it. Don't worry and follow these simple steps to reach to the topic, that is perfect for composing a research paper and write it confidently. 1. Choosing a Research Topic Following steps will lead you to finding good topic ideas to help craft a promising research paper. 1.1 Explore Your Interest Students have the freedom to choose the topics of their interest. So, the foremost step is to narrow down the field that you are interested in. There are several research topics in subjects like: Business Ethics Health Government policy Culture and arts History Criminology Psychology, etc. Choose the one that interests you and is relevant to your field of study. 1.2 Explore the Research Material Once you have chosen the subject of your interest, the next step is to reach the perfect topic for your paper. For a start, shortlist some topics related to famous subjects and works. For example, you can write about Harry Potter, for the subject of literature studies. And explore how the series added value to literary studies. 1.3 Keep Instructor's Guidelines in View Most of the times, the instructors demand that the students pick the topic according to their subject. If any such guidelines is shared, then the business students should not write about the topics of history. If you are still not sure about your interest, you can select some good research paper topics from the following ideas, which can also be utilized for writing term papers. 2. Research Paper Topics for Different Education Levels We have categorized topics for different education levels: Middle school High school College to cater to the needs of all students. 2.1 College 4-year college degree vs. 2-year degree. Distance learning and its usefulness. How should students plan for college tuition? How does substance abuse affect the performance of college students? Can an average person become a politician and how? IELTS Vs. TOEFL. 2.2 High School Should school uniforms be banned? Should prayer be a part of high school? Do kids focus better in same-sex schools? Should the government control what is served in school cafeterias? Does anyone ever use math formulas in real life? Should high schools make their students undergo leadership training? 2.3 Middle School How can we protect our environment? How is instant messaging affecting literacy? Effective ways of achieving your academic goals. A movie that influenced its generation. Why are humans competitive? Standardized tests aren't a useful measure to judge a student's capabilities. 2.4 History How did the Civil War impact the history of the United States of America? What were the prominent features of the Roman Empire? Explain the havoc caused by World War II? How depression-era contributed to the change in the ideology of the general population? Was Martin Luther King really a reformist? Is racial discrimination still a part of American society? 2.5 Art Differentiate between the achievements of the Northern Renaissance and Italian Renaissance. Is the media portrayal of minorities realistic? How did Rap music has become a part of American society? How did the music brought by the slave community become dominant in modern American society? How is racism being highlighted by the media? 2.6 Criminal Justice Should the government allow any relaxation in the Capital punishment? Why should the minimum legal drinking age be kept at eighteen years? Does drug legalization contribute towards the increased crime rate? Should the constitutional amendment regarding gun control be amended again? Does police brutality contribute towards the onset of hate crimes? 2.7 Business How has cyber-security emerged as a new business endeavor? Is e-business more profitable than traditional business? Do you think small business retailers compromise on business ethics? Pros and cons of online retail. Role of government organizations in white-collar crimes. Should the minimum wage rate be increased? 2.8 Ethics Should gun control laws be revised? Pros and cons of Euthanasia Should recreational marijuana be legalized? Animal testing is against animal rights. Discuss. Do violent video games promote aggressiveness among children? 2.9 Health What are the health complications caused by abortion? Does drug abuse contribute to mental health issues? Is there any cure for Alzheimer's disease? Is obesity the main reason behind the onset of other chronic illnesses? Should teenagers be allowed to buy medication without prescription? 2.10 Government Policy Should the government reform the policy regarding Juvenile Punishment? How is US airport security contributing to the counterterrorism measures? Should the United States of America reform its Immigration policies? Is legalizing recreational marijuana providing any benefit to government organizations? Can prison reforms contribute to the low crime rate in the United States of America? 2.11 Environment How is human activity contributing to acid rain? Is deforestation contributing towards global warming? Can hybrid vehicles ensure the control of pollution in the atmosphere? How Can global warming be controlled? What are the main sources of marine pollution? 2.12 US History What was the cause of the great depression? American colonial era. Importance of Voting Act Rights for the blacks. Discuss the cause of Civil war. Martin Luther King. Women's suffrage movement. 2.13 Sociological How does divorce affect children? Interracial marriage. Gender inequality in professional environment. Cause and effect of bullying. Does social media make individuals feel alone? 2.14 Sports Importance of physical exercise in school. Mind Vs. Body. What is more important for sports? Is cheerleading a sport? Should trans women play against men or women? Do sports influence an individual's emotional well-being? 2.15 Chemistry Synthetic food. Are fertilizers good? Is there an oil replacement? Periodic Table patterns. DNA Vs. RNA. 2.16 Biology Should human cloning be made legal? Depression and genetics. Homosexuality and genetics. Ethics and organ donation. Hormonal changes in pregnant women. 2.17 Technology Can we build a time machine? Is VR good or bad? Will robots replace humans? Which computer language will be the most popular one in five years from now? How is the brain different from computers? 2.18 Social Media Is blogging becoming a legit profession? Does social media affect our relationships? Has social media brought people closer or distanced and disrupted hem and relationships? Should everyone in the world have the same access to social media? Should social media sites be banned in schools? 2.19 Psychology Research Paper Topics How does child abuse impact the adulthood of an individual? Should Depression be treated as a mental health issue? Are Dreams related to reality? What is the condition, which gives rise to Learning disabilities? Does Schizophrenia give rise to other mental health issues? Here are some additional psychology research topics for your paper. 3. Good Research Paper Topics Still didn't find an interesting enough topic to write on? Checkout the following topics. 3.1 Argumentative Research Paper Topics Here are some controversial topics for research papers. Should handguns be banned? Should parents monitor their child's social media? Should prisoners have the right to vote? Has social media decreased our creativity? Money can't buy happiness: true or false? 3.2 Easy Research paper Topics Difference between a man and a woman's heart? Do some religions oppress women? Ozone Layer in coming years. Future Of endangered species in America. Can we deal with plastic pollution wisely? 3.3 Interesting Research Paper Topics Writing a research paper can be pretty boring, here are some good ideas to keep you entertained. Is our future in the hands of AI? Will Self Determination Theory ever be implied on robots? Is Socratic method helpful for people with cognitive disabilities? When is the nearest supernova expected? Can the world come together to fight racism? I hope you have got plenty of options and can start writing your research papers now. In case you are still doubtful about your ability to craft a research paper, you can avail help from our expert essay writers . We are here 24/7 to talk to you and help you with your papers.

Sleep in Macbeth Essays

Sleep in Macbeth Essays Sleep in Macbeth Essay Sleep in Macbeth Essay A Living Nightmare * Humans look forward to it from the moment they are woken up by the buzzing of their alarm clock each morning. Without it, we grow more and more agitated as time slowly passes by. Sleep is that which relieves us of the stress and exhaustion that each day brings about, and prepares us to start a new day. This has been true since the beginning of time, and is made evident in Shakespeare’s, Macbeth. Through out history, sleep has been that which keeps all lives in order. Through the loss of innocent sleep, Macbeth becomes unable to cope with the madness occurring in his life, this nightmare eventually leads to their ultimate demise. * Macbeth’s basic idea of sleep is shown when he first realizes that it is a basic life function that he may never be able to take part in again. He tells his wife, â€Å"The innocent sleep, sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care, the death of each day’s life, sore labours bath, balm of hurt minds, great natures second course, chief nourisher of life’s feast† (II, i, 59). Macbeth reveals much of what is commonly known to be the benefits of sleep; it heals our minds and nourishes our weakened bodies. Sleep also allows one to regain order in their life. Lady Macbeth is aware of this and tells Macbeth saying, â€Å"You lack the season of all natures, sleep† (III, iv, 167). Through losing his ability to sleep Macbeth creates a great amount of disorder in his life and the lives of his countrymen. * Fearful of the vulnerability it creates, Banquo refuses to allow himself to sleep. Confiding in his young son Banquo shares, â€Å"A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, and yet I would not sleep† (II, i, 7-8). Having been in combat along side Macbeth just a day or two before, it is only natural for Banquo to be exhausted and desiring sleep. However, he recognizes that Duncan was killed so easily, because it was done at a time when he left himself susceptible to all attackers. He fears that Macbeth will inevitably take his life, and reasons that he must remain awake to maintain constant self-defense. * The inner voice of Macbeth’s conscience shows Macbeth’s inability to sleep is simply due to bad karma. â€Å"Still it cried ‘sleep no more! To all the house: ‘ Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more: Macbeth shall sleep no more! ’† (II, ii, 53 – 55). Through his act of taking the life of an innocent man, at a time when he stood no chance at defending himself, Macbeth murders innocent sleep. Murdering this innocent sleep leads Macbeth into a cursed life where he is no longer able to enjoy a good night’s sleep. Without proper rest, Macbeth begins to take actions without first thinking them through. In doing this Macbeth makes it clear that he has murdered Duncan. These careless actions will set in motion the downfall of Macbeth. * Having already killed Duncan, Macbeth begins to view sleep as a time when one is made vulnerable to the evilness of bad dreams. As Macbeth finishes a conversation with the fearful Banquo, he tells the audience, â€Å" Now o’er the one half – world nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse the curtained sleep† (II, i, 5y – 59). Macbeth tells us that he understands that he has deceived a great deal of people, and that they are metaphorically trapped in a nightmare in which nothing is true. Blinded by this dream, the people of Scotland are unable to discover the terrible actions that Macbeth has committed. Through his triumph over Macbeth, Malcom ultimately serves to wake Scotland of the nightmare they have been tricked into, and brings his people back to a state of reality. * Lack of sleep sends Macbeth down a path full of deranged thoughts and bad choices. Losing his ability sleep, Macbeth becomes unable to regain his sanity, and ultimately dies because of it. This is the result of a principle that always been known to man, sleep is a necessary part of a fully functioning life. *

Product and Brand Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Product and Brand Management - Essay Example This will make it possible for the company to compete effectively with established competitors in the market. Branding is a vital marketing tool to this effect. Branding will ensure that the company will have a competitive edge for this product and will also be a visible name in the market. Product and Brand Management Part1: Competitive Analysis (Positioning map) Competitive positioning is all about describing Kooler Refresh will be differentiated as well as the creation of value for the product in the market. This will be done after developing the business’s analysis of competitiveness. The company carves a spot for itself in the competitive landscape centering on delivering strategies (Daft, 2010). Kooler Refresher’s delivery strategy encompasses: Market profile-competitors, size, growth stages Customer segments-collection off potentials with same wants and requirements Competitive analysis-opportunities, dangers in the landscape, strong points, weaknesses Value posi tioning- the kind of value the business will deliver to the market Positioning strategy-how the provisions will be positioned to triumph mindshare It becomes easier generating this fresh prospect and steering it to purchasing, when the market visualizes how the business provisions are distinct from those of the competitors. Without distinction, it takes more resources and time to prove to prospects on the reasons why they ought to pick on this business, therefore ending up competing on price, a move meant to sustain the business over the long term (Gorchels, 2012). Value proposition stands out as a key factor in the strategy of positioning. It is a key to setting up a well recognized company and this product offering. It is therefore imperative that when developing and determining the company’s positioning of the Kooler Refresh product, the following questions are necessary in the offering of a guideline in accomplishing this task. Does the product address the expectations of the market according to the two prime attributes? Does the product offered address the entire market? Does it represent only a sub-section of the market? The objective here is to arrange the company and Kooler Refresh product donation relative to the competitors. A take-away from a competitive analysis function is on the product positioning against the competitors. Especially prior to a product’s lifespan, this is vital. Â  It is important and very necessary to avoid blurting out about the competitors ventures. Being well prepared for any situation is very essential and can be done by typically carrying out a quick reference sheet, listing the competitors being researched upon. Kooler Refresh Company is concerned with how it will deliver its value propositions. The words of activities are also followed by actions in the quest to win over customers. Rather than letting the positioning and value proposition go to chance, establishing of a strategy is very significant. It call s for thinking impartially about the needs and craves of the Kooler Refresh customers as well as what the competitors make available on offer. In the course of these deliberations, it is possible an unmet requirement amongst the market needs could be come by or rather it could be realized that the business requires an alternative

World War One. Gravess Good Bye to All That Essay

World War One. Gravess Good Bye to All That - Essay Example In his autobiographical novel â€Å"Goodbye to all that†, Graves aims to overcome his traumatic war experience and close that chapter of his life, resolving â€Å"never to make England my home again† (Graves 1960: 279). The author criticizes the British class system and, consequently, his economic class, his education, family religious upbringing, his military leaders and British government as he finds all of them responsible for the tragedy of war and cruel, senseless death of millions of young men. Graves says goodbye to the old class system of Britain as his war experience taught him that, despite coming from different social backgrounds, all people share the same values and identities. As the author?s parents educated him through a strict social code, which treated the lower classes as morally inferior to the bourgeoisie, the author had been aware of class distinctions since childhood. Yet as a four year old boy, when Graves was staying in hospital with scarlet feve r, he discovered that some children, also himself, received deferential and preferential treatment. His interest in different social classes continued through adulthood, when he used to ask his acquaintances â€Å"at what point in childhood or adulthood they have become class-conscious, but never have been given a satisfactory answer (Graves 1960: 24). However, during the war Graves found himself impressed with natural intelligence of poor, uneducated men and, thus, learned to respect people from lower social classes. Graves commanded a platoon of forty men coming from low social backgrounds, who joined the war for money. While at first he called them â€Å"most marginal elements of the society†, with time he came to appreciate their intelligence, courage, and ability to stay calm in the battlefield. Furthermore, at the war all soldiers, no matter their social status, had to face the same conditions, danger, fear, and in many cases severe wounds and death. As a result, Grave s admitted that twenty years after his first experience with the separation of different social classes he â€Å" had refused it† (Graves 1960: 25). After the war, when struggling to maintain his family only with his family, Graves opened a small shop; an activity that was typical of lower-class people and, thus, despised by people from Grave’s background. In this way, he demonstrates that he does not care about class distinctions anymore. The First World War has changed British social classes irreversibly. First, lower class citizens had a chance to earn money when fighting in the war and, thus, raise their standard of living. Furthermore, such factors as rationing and the control of essential for everybody contributed to the decrease in extreme poverty by the end of the war. On the contrary, due to the rationing and lack of many goods in the market, the living standards of the middle and upper class significantly deteriorated. Moreover, many families affected by the rise in tax land had to sell their land holdings. It is estimated that 25% of properties in England were sold between 1917 and 1921. The living conditions of higher class families also deteriorated due to the deaths of the men, who used to be the main financial supporters. As a result of that, higher class women had to take jobs, which changed not only the class structure, but also the position of women in the society (Bourke 2003). At that time, it was a widespread view that the First World War enabled women to advance

Competiton Between Wawa and Royal Farms Research Paper

Competiton Between Wawa and Royal Farms - Research Paper Example This forms a significant part of country’s economic growth. Other industries such as online retailing emerge from the competition. Cleaner production technologies employed by the farms as competitive advantages reduce the country’s expenditure on environmental conservation, inspections, and monitoring. Wawa Inc. and Royal farms are of significance focus in exploring the competition among food stores in the US. Among the things of particular emphasis is the effect of the competition on consumers who get better customer services. Consumer choice is one of the drivers of the competition. The two farms are keen to meet the unique requirements of their markets. Each farm strives to enrich its brand, maintain, and amplify the market share against the strong wave of competition. Wawa Inc. stores started operating in April 16, 1964 in Folsom, Pennsylvania after their opening by Millville Manufacturing Company. The chain operates several stores in various regions around the glob e. The history of Wawa Inc. dates back before 1805 when it was an iron foundry. It transformed to textile mills, dairy processing, and now a convenience store. Wawa Inc. offers an assortment of products. Among its products are drinks, milk, and tea. Wawa also provides gasoline. Wawa Inc. currently has over 1.4 million daily costumer transactions in the five states. Royal farms store started operating in 1959 and has its headquarters in Baltimore. Royal farms operate in Delaware and Maryland among others. Royal Farms kitchen serves chicken, western fries, hot and cold subs, sandwiches and wraps, natural juices and clover land milk. Royal Farms runs several stores at Glasgow, Baltimore, Chesapeake, Harrington, and College Park. The farm is soon to open other stores in White Marsh, Milford, Wrightsville, Edgewood, and another in Baltimore. Royal Farms run fleet fuel services where they sell diesel fuel for automobiles. Despite Royal Farms earlier establishment than Wawa Inc. as a conve nience store, Wawa Inc. remains the principal contender of Royal farms in the US. The competition amid the two stores brings immense benefits on the agricultural sector of the US financial system. Benefits of the competition to the consumers of their products are outstanding too. Wawa Inc.’s growth Wawa Inc.’s exceptional growth certainly stems from the several moves undertaken by the company. High wage from the population is a significant trend that contributed to the growth of the farm. The two wage earners in a household had amplified the funds available for shopping. Wawa Inc. faced out the mom-and-pop grocery store and the corner gas station as part of its growth. The move contributed immensely to the farm’s magnificent achievement. Consumer demand for immediate consumption coupled with the farm’s technological advancements is notably a boost for the farm. The employees of the farm show a lot of commitment while offering their services to customers, and are determined at providing faster service delivery. The store’s move to include disabled people as part of their personnel saw a win for the farm. Wawa Inc.’s competitive advantage Wawa dairy supply its own milk to Wawa processor. This guarantees steady supply of milk to the farm. Wawa Inc. contributes money for charitable causes thereby showing solidarity with their customers. This offers the farm a platform to endorse itself and its products too. Wawa Inc. extended

Evaluating The Theory Of Socialist Economy Politics Essay

Evaluating The Theory Of Socialist Economy Politics Essay If one wants to examine the experience of socialist economies of the twentieth century, one need must examine the socio-economic meaning of the term socialism. This ought to be subject to a scientific analysis, primarily with respect to increasing problems in the socialist countries and to discussions and reform efforts that have been underway at various points in time over the last century in those countries. In this context, the analysis in the essay must restrict the notion of socialism to that of a social system whose characteristics have been molded both by specific theoretical works and by practical political, legal and economic institutions and measures in socialist countries. This has to be limited a little further and the essay will therefore primarily focus on the socialist economic system and its crucial connection with the political system. Proceeding from this framework, this essay shall first deal with the theoretical and practical evolution of the general basic charact eristics that are typical of the socialist economic system. Subsequently, it will examine the economic results or rather the recurring deficiencies caused by the socialist system. This will then lead to a detailed analysis of how these deficiencies may have had their earliest roots in errors contained in the very theory that was the starting point of communist practice. The genesis of the socio-economic meaning of the term socialism has its roots in theoretical works of Marx, Engels and Lenin. How this concept has satisfied the fundamental criteria of the development of socialism in the course of its practical realization in Soviet Union, China, Yugoslavia, Cuba and other socialist countries must be examined, and whether it has resulted in the socio-economic development expected by the above-mentioned theorists. After the shock and disillusionment from the collapse of the Eastern bloc, the disasters of neoliberal economic policies, East and West, have given new urgency to rethinking the socialist alternative to capitalism. Whatever one says about the feasibility of socialism, however, at some point the collapse of `actually existing socialism has to be explained. The centrally planned economy was certainly successful for a period, based on extensive growth with ample supplies of labour power and raw materials. The system collapsed when it attempted to shift toward a more intensive mode of growth. Permanent consumer goods shortages and the alienation of workers sealed its fate. In attempting to broaden the debate on the feasibility of socialism, the essay shall embark with the origin of the concept in Marx. To begin with, it must be made amply clear that the term socialism refers to the social system which Marx referred to as the first and last phase of communism  [i]  . Marx inferred the characterization of this lower form from the historical necessity of the development of communism, and from the fact that communism would directly emerge from capitalism and would be therefore characterized by capitalism for a relatively long time- the first phase. Marx and Engels substantiated the historical necessity of the development of communist society by saying that capitalism would increasingly impede the further development of productive forces and only new economic and social conditions, that is, socialist conditions, would cause productive forces to evolve at a substantially faster rate than they could under capitalism. This historical materialist perspective gave rise to the fundamental criterion for the development of the socialist economy also held by Lenin. He was convinced that the expropriation of capitalists would result in an immense extension of social productive forces and in a higher degree of labour productivity. Following the nationalization and redistribution of land consequent upon the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, a brief period of workers control was realized in the Soviet Union. However, state ownership and control of industry and financial institutions were rapidly extended, along with a ban on private trade, and the whole economy moved towards an economy in kind, a moneyless economy. These eventualities could again be traced back to Marxs conceptualization of socialism as an associated set of producers. In modern capitalist society, according to Marxs analysis, the social relations of production, which establish the framework of a distinct mode of life, are constituted by the capitalist ownership of means of production and by wage labour; and the essence of the socialist alternative had always been the transformation of private ownership into so cial ownership which Marx expressed by referring to a future society of associated producers. This associated mode of production  [ii]  was not treated in the socialist literature of the nineteenth century as having only an economic significance, but as a vital element in the constitution of a new form of society in which individuals would no longer be dependent upon the dominant minorities, but would be able to develop freely in a social environment which they took a full and equal part in creating. Socialism, therefore, was meant to obviate its fundamental opposite, capitalism, by substituting social ownership of the means of production for their private ownership. Market relations would have to be eliminated, and production as a whole would have to be oriented towards future developments of demand with the help of economic planning. Direct social labour on the part of the working population would result in a faster growth of labour productivity than under capitalism. This preoccupation with rapid increase in economic growth had its genesis in several factors. The advent of socialism in countries which were for the most part economically backward, agrarian and peasant societies, and the perceived need for extensive and rapid industrialization was the first of these. Next, the rapid post-war expansion of organized capitalism, characterized by large-scale state intervention, partial planning and very high rates of growth and the need for socialist countries to compete effectively with capitalism in the provision of high material levels of living ensured that an extraordinary stress was laid on rapid economic growth through industrialization. Lenin also pointed out that the economy is something like a giant enterprise owned by the people, who are represented by the socialist state. The activity of all the parts, the overall production by all enterprises, as well as the distribution of the means of production and the labour force among them would have to be determined with the help of one single overall plan. Although Lenins shift towards the New Economic Policy (NEP) resulted in the reintroduction of market relations in the economy, it did not change the idea of substituting systematic planning for market relations in socialism. Lenin justified the reintroduction of market relations on the strength of the existence of private producers, chiefly farmers, during the transition to socialism.  [iii]  The old bourgeois producers had to be transformed in the new socialist economy. This could be done by socializing the populace, an act which needed active state-intervention. Stalin, however, understood economic retention of market relations only in terms of formal commodity- money relations, and eliminated market mechanisms. During Stalins rule, some characteristic features of the socialist economic system developed, whose theoretical reflections bordered on being dogmas. According to him, the means of production must not be in private ownership. Rather they must be in state ownership to a decisive extent. The development of production must not be determined by market mechanisms. Rather, it must be fixed with the help of central plans. Prices must only be retained for the exclusive purposes of formal planning and calculation. They must, however, be fixed by a central state authority and must not be changed by enterprises in accordance with market conditions. Such and further fundamental dogmas were meant to preclude the reappearance of capitalist ownership and the re-emergence of economic anarchy, while ensuring the fast, effective and proportionate development of socialist production determined by pla nning. The communist parties began to label such a system organized along such economic lines as real socialist. However, not one of the objectives ever aimed at by a socialist development process was reached. This was not chiefly a consequence of subjective mistakes made by party and state leadership with regard to economic policies, rather, it was the result of defects inherent in the conceptualization of the system, which had already been embodied in Marxist-Leninist theory. In comparison with capitalist production, socialist production in Soviet Union and Yugoslavia suffered from several deficiencies which caused them to lag behind. The production showed a lower degree of efficiency than a free-market system. The production grows in a predominantly extensive manner while its intensive growth (through technological progress and the qualitative development of the production factors) is absolutely inadequate. Here, there is an assumption at work which is evidently a capitalist construct- that of measuring productivity by taking recourse to such accepted yardsticks as GDP (Gross Domestic Produc t) rates. The GDP rates are a criteria adopted by intensively capitalist countries to measure productive economic growth, not the ideal parameter to judge the growth in a country with accepted socialist status. Nevertheless, if the material levels of living in the socialist and capitalist countries be taken as a uniform criterion, the socialist nations do demonstrate the relative inefficiency of the state to meet these needs on parity with capitalist countries. Another set of deficiencies in the socialist economies of the twentieth century concerns the nature of production. Production was not sufficiently geared to demand; on the one hand it produced quantities of non-required goods, while on the other, it did not satisfy concrete demand to any large extent. Moreover, production supplied few high quality and fashionable consumer goods, and the technological standards of capital goods were far behind those of capitalist countries. The proportion of consumer goods in production was substantially smaller than Western free-market economies. The official economic theory or more accurately, the ideological propaganda of the USSR and Yugoslavia, as well as of other socialist countries, ignored or concealed these economic defects for years. They only worked with the fast growth rates of production volumes in the initial years, overlooking the losses in efficiency which were increasing from the beginning. Ever since its inception, the planning system prevented a highly efficient investment development, not only because of slow technological progress, but also because it rendered impossible a selection of the most profitable investment projects which are numerous in a free-market economy. Central investment planning and the allocation of investment funds is affected by means of a primitive accounting of input and output without, crucially, an optimal profitability selection.  [iv]  Most important, however, is the fact that the planning system from the start prevented consumers from influencing the development of productio n through the market and from assessing the performance of individual enterprises with the help of market selection. Both in the free-market and in the planned economy systems, lack of balance between supply and demand is inevitable with regard to certain commodities. In a free-market system, however, producers are compelled to overcome these imbalances as soon as possible if they are to achieve profits rather than sustaining losses. In a planned economy system, the extent of the imbalance is substantially greater, and is overcome considerably slowly- if at all. It is at this crucial juncture that one needs to realize that there is a great difference between those societies in which the greater part of productive resources are publicly owned and central planning has a major role, and on the other hand, the societies in which there is only limited public ownership and planning and the construction of a socialist economy involves some extension of planning in diverse forms, along with restrictions on market mechanisms.  [v]  It is the former group of countries that includes the Soviet and Yugoslavian experience that this paper posits as a contrast to the latter Chinese experience with socialism. Even within the group of socialist countries in Eastern Europe (Soviet Union and Yugoslavia) there are important differences arising from distinctive economic, social and cultural conditions, which are revealed in a very different course of post-war development. Two socialist countries in the last century undertook a fundamental and complete restru cturing of the economy- Yugoslavia (where the phase of centralized management was very brief, and hence provides a contrast of sorts to the Soviet experience) and Hungary. The economic system that Yugoslavia adopted provided the model for several economies. The theoretical framework which the Yugoslav is based on is clearly formulated by Horvat who, after rejecting the eclecticism of a mixed economy, continues: We wish to preserve essential consumer sovereignty because socialism is based on the preferences of individuals who control the society. We also wish to preserve the autonomy of producers, since this is the pre-condition for self-management. When these are taken together, we need a market. But not a laissez-faire market. We need a market that will perform the two functions just stated, neither less or more. In other words, we need the market as a planning device in a strictly defined sphere of priorities and planning as a precondition for an efficient market in order to increase the economic welfare of the community.  [vi]   Yugoslav society, thus, unlike Soviet socialism, was constantly caught in a dilemma between the plan and the market, which not only reflects the unclearly defined principles and aims of economic policy, but also is a manifestation of the actual balance of forces in society; that is to say of the clash between advocates of centralized planning and those who uphold the absolute validity of market laws. The dilemma is irreconcilable and the question which remains to be explored is whether the Yugoslav experience demonstrates that there are formidable difficulties in achieving the integration of planning and markets in any regime of public ownership, or more broadly, in a socialist society. In considering this crucial question, one should remember that for two decades the Yugoslav system functioned quite effectively, producing high rates of economic growth and an impressive development of social and cultural life. The turning point, as it were, came, theorists believe, with the rise in o il prices and the Western recession of the early 70s. It may also be argued that the subsequent economic decline was due in large measure to the failure of planning to deal effectively with the consequences of these events, and in particular with the massive growth of external indebtedness. It is certain, therefore, that the economic development of Yugoslavia and other socialist societies had been adversely affected by the their close links with the capitalist world, and by the failure of policy-makers to take a due account of the cycle of growth and recession in capitalist societies which is, after all, at the heart of Marxist economic analysis. As Golubovic claims, Socialism with markets is here to stay  [vii]  . The countries in Western Europe, which could be labeled Socialistic or tending towards being socialist, faced problems which were very different from those faced by socialist ones. Nevertheless, some issues were of common concern, highlighting certain universal facets of a socialist economy as it took shape in the twentieth century. The common concerns were centered on the particular forms which public ownership of productive resources, and economic planning should take in the future. In these countries the movement towards socialism got retarded by the advent of conservative governments. And, going by the experience of Yugoslavia one would imagine that treading a middle path between plan and market was indeed the only way to go for countries claiming to be socialist. The Chinese experience with socialism, however, not only contrasts with the Yugoslav experience, but it seems to be hinged on lessons learnt from the experience of the Soviet Union under Lenin and Stalins rules. The Chinese and the Cuban methods alert us to Marxs central issue: the proletariat must not only change the relations of society but in the process change itself. Here, the present analysis calls for a contrast between the Soviet and Chinese experiences. The Cuban experience shall be scrutinized later. The October Revolution proved the validity, under conditions existing in Russia in 1917, of the first half of the Marxist-Leninist theory of transition to socialism. The industrial proletariat was able, under resolute revolutionary leadership, to overthrow the bourgeois regime which had come to power in the erstwhile February revolution. However, with regard to the second half of the theory- the capacity of the proletariat to lead the way in the construction of socialism- the Russian experience is at best inconclusive. One must remember that small to begin with; the Russian proletariat was decimated and dispersed by the four years of bloody civil war, hunger and chaos which followed th e revolution. The Bolshevik government was forced to rely on the erstwhile antisocialist bureaucratic administration, overrun as it was with problem of survival and economic recovery. Under the circumstances, revolutionizing practice tending to produce socialist human nature almost totally disappeared. Instead the reconstituted and expanded proletariat which came with forced industrialization was repressed and atomized, deprived of all means of self-expression, and terrorized by an omnipresent secret police. The notion that abolition of exploitative private property in the means of production ushers in an essentially classless society which, given a sufficient development of the forces of production, will evolve in a harmonious way towards communism is exploded once and for all through the Soviet experience. As Nicholas Poulantzas points out, in a society divided into classes, the relations of production consist of a double relation which encompasses mens relations to nature in material production- economic ownership and possession. The first of these relations, that of economic ownership, is the real economic control of the means of production. In the socialist countries, formal, juridical ownership of the means of production belong to the state, which is held to be the peoples state, but real economic control rests in the hands of the directors of enterprises and the members of the party apparatus.  [viii]  Socialist ownership by the whole people has degenerated into ownership by a privileged stratum. It is a privileged stratum- what Charles Bettelheim has called a new state bourgeoisie  [ix]   which controls the means of production and thereby decides how the fruits of production are to be utilized. This unholy collusion at the highest levels of governance killed the revolutionary urge of the proletarians who had effected the revolution a decade back (1917). While the Russian experience thus throws light on the positive side of constructing revolution (a real revolution of the proletariat), it does provide devastating proof of the impossibility of infusing seemingly socialist forms with genuine socialist content unless the process, as Marx delineated, goes hand-in-hand with the formation of socialist human beings.  [x]  It also alerts us to the undesirable effects of bureaucratization that took the wind out of the sails of the socialist regime. A different choice of means could have yielded drastically contradictory and possibly, favorable, results f or the Soviet Union under Stalinist rule. More equality and fewer privileges to the bureaucracy, lesser incentives for the erstwhile bourgeois class, more trust and confidence in the masses, greater inner party democracy are some factors which could have been the steering principles of a course which could have ensured the survival of socialist Soviet Union. It wasnt just these negative lessons from the Soviet experience that impelled the Chinese to pioneer a different path to the construction of socialism. The situation and the proletarian background in China formed the basis of these differences. For one thing, the Chinese proletariat, though smaller than the Russian counterpart, was never plagued by economism. This is explained by Mao who wrote, Since there is no economic basis for economic reformism in colonial and semi-colonial China as there is in Europe, the whole proletariat, with the exception of a few scabs, is most revolutionary.  [xi]  Moreover, the prolonged civil war in China, combined with the war against Japanese invaders fostered a vast growth in both size and the maturity of the revolutionary forces, while a much shorter period of civil war and resistance to foreign invaders in the Soviet Union seriously weakened the revolutionary forces there. The result was China was much more socialised, in as much as the people were more imbued with the ideals of socialist revolutionary fervor than in Russia. When one has to evaluate the Chinese experience, it may well be stated at the outset that its most important contribution to the advance of Marxist thought was to suggest an alternative to the Soviet and east European experience with socialism. In the first years after they came to power, the Chinese Communists set out to follow the Soviet model of collectivization of farms but soon discovered that it put demands on the agricultural sector which could not be met. In the 1920s the Russians decided to squeeze the needed surplus out of the peasants, with the fearful consequences of a decimated and atomized proletariat. This option did not even exist for the Chinese. With a reordering of priorities under Maos regime, industry was to be geared to the needs of agriculture and developed not only in the cities but especially in the countryside, beginning the process of introducing the peasantry to modern technology. This meant the capital needed to develop the Chinese economy was to come from a general increase in the productivity of the Chinese labour force. This in turn, required a vast and historically unprecedented innovation in the form of the agricultural communes and the introduction of a Chinese version of the Green Revolut ion. The economy thereafter worked really well by world standards: China became essentially self-sufficient in agricultural production; and industry developed, in terms of both rapidity and geographical distribution. In recent decades China has opened its economy to foreign investment and to market-based trade, and has experienced strong economic growth. It has carefully managed the transition from a planned socialist economy to a market economy, officially referred to as the socialist market economy, which has been likened to capitalism by some outside observers. As a result, centralized economic planning has little relevance in China today. The current Chinese economic system is characterized by state ownership combined with a strong private sector of privately owned enterprises that generate about 70% of GDP.  [xii]   The Cuban experience with socialism was also illuminating as it highlighted the role of national integrity, nationalization of the populace and the cultivation of the spirit of patriotism in the masses as prime factors leading to a socialist revolution along the lines Marx postulated (1986). The revolutionary government under Fidel Castro found socialism to be the most viable means for freeing Cuba from domination by capitalist countries, guaranteeing in a way Cubas sovereignty. The mission also involved mobilizing and educating the populace even as anti-capitalist changes were vibrant in the party apparatus (again, as in Marx, the ideal ground for a socialist revolution and consolidation of the means of production after the revolution was the party apparatus). Socialism, through the Cuban alternative, has been demonstrably shown to be a process that is premised on unleashing the power of the people, who learn how to change themselves under circumstances and able leadership.  [xiii ]  This consensus and subsequent legitimization of the Cuban state has been shaped by the revolutionary, patriotic and political behavior of the masses. The power of the state is, in the Cuban experience with socialism, shown to be the one with appropriate means to produce change. The way there are deficiencies as with any other socialist regime but these are being tackled in Cuba are paradigmatically different. The debates with respect to deficiencies in Cuba do not reflect the need to replace the regime, but the need to improve it by deepening its ideals and the socialist project. This desire to stand by the ideology of socialism is what sets the Cuban experience apart from all others. It was thereby shown, through the Chinese experience, and the ideologically successful (not equally economically successful, however) Cuban experience that the Soviet and East European experience with socialism, far from being an embodiment of the laws of socialism, was merely one possible path to economic development and as history has demonstrated, one which is in irreconcilable contradiction with the requirements of a socialist transition to communism. Nevertheless, it was only after the creation of the first socialist society in 1917 consequent upon the Bolshevik revolution that central planning (with the concomitant, unintended consequence of bureaucratisation) came to occupy a central place in the definition of the socialist economy. The importance of the Bolshevik revolution is thus paramount. The optimum mix of planning and markets, however, has not been demonstrated neatly by any socialist economy till date. Yugoslavia came close but the dilemma whether to opt for a centralized plan or market mode was irreconcilable to say the least, as demonstrated in the essay. This general sense of disillusionment with the origin and evolution of socialist economies in East Europe has given rise in the countries burdened with it to search for new models of a socialist economy. The chief factors contributing to the disillusionment were probably three: the increasing recognition that a socialist organization of production would be not more but much less productive than private enterprise; an even clearer recognition that, instead of leading to what had been conceived as greater social justice, it would mean a new arbitrary and more inescapable order of rank than ever before; and the realization that, instead of the promised greater freedom, it would mean the appearance of a new despotism. A significant development, hence, was the presentation of the decentralized model whereby the decisions regarding current economic operations would be largely decentralized while the government would retain control over new investment.  [xiv]  This model constituted a p artial departure from Marxian socialism (For in Marxs terms, market socialism is a contradiction in terms), since it allowed some elements of the market to slip into the regulation of current production. Nevertheless, the problems involved in restructuring the socialist economies are multiform and complex. What assumes pre-eminence in such a remedy is not the question of ownership or the excessive promotion of competition, but the decentralization of economic decision-making by giving enterprises greater independence in a controlled environment of market relations. Developing new, indirect modes of planning the economy as a whole have to be devised simultaneously. Economic changes in a socialist economy are thus closely bound up with political manouevres. Political reforms are necessary which require for their success the holistic socialization of the populace, a new spirit of individual enterprise, responsibility to production and administration. Public ownership of the major productive resources is essential for the construction of a socialist economy and then a socialist society. This is so because on one hand is the need to eliminate domination by a capitalist class or a privileg ed bureaucracy as a necessary precondition of classlessness; and on the other hand is the need to extend democratic participation as widely as possible, which is simply another aspect of classlessness or egalitarianism. The postulation of participation in decision-making, however, is accompanied by a controversy concerning the conflict between goals of participation and efficiency. This is primarily with regard to publicly owned enterprises concerning their efficiency and ability to innovate, which is related in most discussions to the question of incentives for both management and workers. This criticism is not totally fair for two reasons. Firstly, it should be amply clear that what is being dealt with is a relative inefficiency  [xv]  and that too not in all cases, as this essay has demonstrated. Moreover it is a fact universally acknowledged that socialist countries as a whole (with a few exceptions) were very successful in the earlier periods in achieving rapid industrializ ation and major technological innovation in some spheres. The central message of the paper is that there is no single ideal model of socialism. Once capitalism is overturned and there is public ownership of the means of production, people will be free to choose democratically among a variety of models of socialist organisation of the economy- as has demonstrably happened in the countries chosen for analysis. Options could range from the completely centralised state rationing of all products (Stalinist Russia) to market socialism (Yugoslavia and later China) with an integral role for money. But a socialist society could also opt to let the full product of peoples labour accrue back to them (Early China after the revolution and Cuba), taxing workers appropriately in order to effect redistribution and investment. Or it could allow only part of the total product to accrue directly to workers, at th

Performance Management System Essay -- Managing business Essays

Performance Management System Introduction This report is an attempt to analyse the existing Performance Management System for Large Financial Service Organisation (LFSO) and from this information, recommend, and implement an appropriate new performance management system. LFSO is an organisation, which traditionally has a paternalistic culture with low levels of unionisation. LFSO current Performance Management system was implemented two years ago changing the nature of the previous incremental salary scales described as Prerogatives by Lupton and Bowey and led to the abolition of the annual cost of living increment. This change by LFSO was an attempt to achieve a strategic, integrative and flexible approach to pay, in order to address its organisational objectives. Therefore it  ¡Ã‚ ¥reflected on a pluralist approach with the use of job evaluated grade structures regarding financial rewards and benefits ¡Ã‚ ¦. (Heery, 1996) despite the fact that with most paternalistic culture have a Unitarist approach to Performance Management systems. Initial research conducted by the organisation indicated that objectives are not always established and reviews were spasmodic. There was a high degree of resentment between the different members of staff leading to unhealthy competitiveness and unwillingness to support others. (Kerr, 1995) describe this behaviour as  ¡Ã‚ ¥esprit de corps ¡Ã‚ ¦. This resulted in an increase in general grievances. The BFU have been aware of this anxiety and have started a strong recruitment drive amongst employees but no figures on existing membership were available. ¡Ã‚ ¦ In general, both employees and management did not fully understand the scheme at its inception and saw it simply as a cost cutting exercise. The reward levels introduced were seen to be too small to act as a  ¡Ã‚ ¥motivator ¡Ã‚ ¦. There was also debate about the role of the annual appraisal interview as there was no consensus view on the purpose of these, which were regarded as an  ¡Ã‚ ¥inconvenience ¡Ã‚ ¦. Now two years into the scheme, LSFO is facing the threat of a  ¡Ã‚ ¥Bargaining Unit ¡Ã‚ ¦ or possible Unionisation. Alongside high levels of dissatisfaction from employees and some line managers who have also expressed serious concerns about their role in the process. The system itself is under severe criticism with large numbers of appeals although only a very few of these have been upheld. ... ...ments around these decisions. The manager will have in place a formal quality monitoring procedure and adherence to this will form part of the team and individual reward and appraisal procedure. As the BFU has started to implement a strong recruitment drive amongst LFSO employees, the management/ and HR Manager should consider meeting with the union to obtain its views on a partnership agreement with the organisation. This approach would recognise the possible impact BFU may have on the new system and would demonstrate a gesture of  ¡Ã‚ ¥goodwill ¡Ã‚ ¦ by the management team. It would also address the collective representation can help achieve important business objectives, including good communication. In conclusion it must be emphasised that an effective Performance Management system ensures that both Managers and employees understand each other ¡Ã‚ ¦s expectations, and how these are incorporated into the Corporate Strategy and how these impact upon their own context  ¡V their roles, behaviours, relationships and interactions, rewards and futures. Bibliography Books Beardwell, I. And Holden, L. (2001) Human Resource Management: A Contemporary Approach 3rd Ed. Prentice Hall Performance Management System Essay -- Managing business Essays Performance Management System Introduction This report is an attempt to analyse the existing Performance Management System for Large Financial Service Organisation (LFSO) and from this information, recommend, and implement an appropriate new performance management system. LFSO is an organisation, which traditionally has a paternalistic culture with low levels of unionisation. LFSO current Performance Management system was implemented two years ago changing the nature of the previous incremental salary scales described as Prerogatives by Lupton and Bowey and led to the abolition of the annual cost of living increment. This change by LFSO was an attempt to achieve a strategic, integrative and flexible approach to pay, in order to address its organisational objectives. Therefore it  ¡Ã‚ ¥reflected on a pluralist approach with the use of job evaluated grade structures regarding financial rewards and benefits ¡Ã‚ ¦. (Heery, 1996) despite the fact that with most paternalistic culture have a Unitarist approach to Performance Management systems. Initial research conducted by the organisation indicated that objectives are not always established and reviews were spasmodic. There was a high degree of resentment between the different members of staff leading to unhealthy competitiveness and unwillingness to support others. (Kerr, 1995) describe this behaviour as  ¡Ã‚ ¥esprit de corps ¡Ã‚ ¦. This resulted in an increase in general grievances. The BFU have been aware of this anxiety and have started a strong recruitment drive amongst employees but no figures on existing membership were available. ¡Ã‚ ¦ In general, both employees and management did not fully understand the scheme at its inception and saw it simply as a cost cutting exercise. The reward levels introduced were seen to be too small to act as a  ¡Ã‚ ¥motivator ¡Ã‚ ¦. There was also debate about the role of the annual appraisal interview as there was no consensus view on the purpose of these, which were regarded as an  ¡Ã‚ ¥inconvenience ¡Ã‚ ¦. Now two years into the scheme, LSFO is facing the threat of a  ¡Ã‚ ¥Bargaining Unit ¡Ã‚ ¦ or possible Unionisation. Alongside high levels of dissatisfaction from employees and some line managers who have also expressed serious concerns about their role in the process. The system itself is under severe criticism with large numbers of appeals although only a very few of these have been upheld. ... ...ments around these decisions. The manager will have in place a formal quality monitoring procedure and adherence to this will form part of the team and individual reward and appraisal procedure. As the BFU has started to implement a strong recruitment drive amongst LFSO employees, the management/ and HR Manager should consider meeting with the union to obtain its views on a partnership agreement with the organisation. This approach would recognise the possible impact BFU may have on the new system and would demonstrate a gesture of  ¡Ã‚ ¥goodwill ¡Ã‚ ¦ by the management team. It would also address the collective representation can help achieve important business objectives, including good communication. In conclusion it must be emphasised that an effective Performance Management system ensures that both Managers and employees understand each other ¡Ã‚ ¦s expectations, and how these are incorporated into the Corporate Strategy and how these impact upon their own context  ¡V their roles, behaviours, relationships and interactions, rewards and futures. Bibliography Books Beardwell, I. And Holden, L. (2001) Human Resource Management: A Contemporary Approach 3rd Ed. Prentice Hall