Euthanasia Vs. Protracted Intervention - 2053 Words

The primary purpose of this study is to determine how the process is different for family members of euthanasia versus protracted intervention. There is a huge gap in this research and we will set to explain it more in detail. To provide a background for this study, information regarding euthanasia and protracted intervention is fully explained. We will go over what we know about why one chooses such intervention such as, euthanasia, how people feel about euthanasia, and how physicians react to the term euthanasia. Euthanasia and Protracted Intervention Defined Euthanasia, better known as physician- assisted suicide, doctor-assisted suicide or mercy killing is a term known by few. With the huge debates about this subject, word of this†¦show more content†¦Passive euthanasia is when life-sustaining treatments are withheld from one and active euthanasia is where lethal substances or forces are used to end a patient’s life (Nordqvist, 2015). Protracted intervention is where the doctor steps in to save the patient. However, the patient can suffer from long-term effects of protracted interventions. Lifesaving tools such as antibiotics, defibrillators, feeding tubes, and ventilators can be used against people. People who have chronic and terminal illnesses, simply want to die burden free and free from pain. This is why people have living wills and advanced directives. However, the family members can step in and stop such interventions. Choosing to Die If one is given the choice to live in pain and suffering or end their life by means of protracted intervention or euthanasia, which would they choose? Protracted interventions are where the doctor steps in to temporarily remove the pain for a short period of time, but the pain returns. Euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide, is where one chooses to the right to die with assistance or willingly. According to Burk (2015), â€Å"people want to have control over their death, and there is no reason for the state to intervene in the liberty of one individual to access assisted suicide or euthanasia† (p.433). Physician-assisted suicide accounts for only 1 in 1000 deaths, but 1 in 50 terminally ill patients talk to their doctors about it, and 1 in

Environmental Factors Affecting Business †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Environmental Factors Affecting Business. Answer: Introduction Philippines is emerging from its perception of juice as a children commodity as a result of awareness from health practitioners and also due to trends from wellness centers a move that has seen more consumers increase juice intake. In 2016, it was reported that the volumes of juice consumption rose by 5% a rate that was higher compared to the year 2015 that recorded 3%(Euromonitor).The rate of increase can be attributed to spending that originated from elections being held in the subsequent year. Also, it proved that more increases in sales volume of the juice during the election season was beneficial to commodities that were priced lowly such as juice products(Hill Hult). The prospects in the juice industry continue to increase as a trade off volume is expected to increase over the coming years as demand for juice continues to rise. The sustained campaigns and health awareness are some of the critical issues that have resulted in juice industry gain popularity in the Philippines. H owever, it is expected that over the coming years, there will be slow growth rate in the juice sector(Euromonitor). The mix and the juice blend and the lower prices charged for the products are some of the factors that will continue to support growth and stability in the beverage sector. PESTLE analysis Philippines experiences tropical marine climate accompanied with hot and humid atmosphere annually. The country experiences a rainy season in most months of the year. However, typhoons are common in September. The Philippines experiences hot summers something beneficial for fruits ripening and processing. One of the factors making Philippines ideal for Beast juice is the favorable climate for fruit production. In most cases, fruits are favored by certain weather conditions and the climate and Philippines has an ideal climate that is tropical with summer seasons during most times of the year. The availability of fruits as a raw material for juice processing and production entirely depends on the supply of fruits. The Philippines has a remarkable proven record of being a leading export of fruits to other countries. Therefore, the supply of raw materials for juice production is not a hurdle for the juice company. A constant supply of fruits for production of Beast juice makes the Philip pines a competitive advantage due to the availability of fresh fruit. The steady supply of fruits also ensures that costs associated with importing fruits are cut down. According to a report that was conducted as to the reasons behind high prices for fruit juices was due to importation fruits that have the effect of increasing production costs. However, that is not the case with the Philippines as it is richly endowed with fruits due to its favorable climate and weather conditions throughout the year. Thus, the Beast will not face production limitations as a result of limited supply. It also follows that most companies will relocate to other countries following ready supply of raw materials. The hot climate is also critical for a cold drink. Scientifically it has been proven that there is a link between hot weathers and the amount of water consumed by individuals. During hot days, a lot of water is consumed as opposed to the cold days. With Philippines weather, the demand for Beast juice will be ideal as more customers will consider juice as an option to quench their thirst. As a result, a ready market will be provided for the juice. As stated in the introduction, there have been increases of concerns by the clients over the need for being healthy in fact it is a trend that has been identified in the juice industry. Due to the rise of many maladies, health professionals advise their clients to utilize and make use of juices from fresh fruits. The Philippines happens to be one of the countries where consumers are concerned with maintaining fitness and as many such clients are looking for fresh juices that have been blended to suit their tastes and preferences. The Beast j uice would be a plus for many as it has been combined and comes in many types of fruits for different customers. The political climate in the Philippines is one characterized with a lot of calmness making it favorable for many investors wishing to establish investments as compared to other countries. One of the risks associated with creating premises in a foreign nation is the fear for political instabilities that may lead to the destruction of property and other key investments. However, Philippines experiences many years of peace and has not shown any sign of weakness whatsoever. In fact, it is one of the countries that exercise democracy something that other countries are striving to get(Jurevicicus, 2013). As such, there is 100% chance of calmness that would encourage the establishment of foreign investments and attract investment. It is in lieu with such a political climate that makes Philippines one of the best countries to establish the Beast Juice from Australia(Czinkota, Ronkainen, Moffet, 2011). Systems of government may inhibit investors in the case where the country is under dictat orship and business environment in such cases is controlled by powerful officials and cartels (Manager) that in most cases safeguard and protect interests in their domain. It is such persons that fear competition more so if a foreign firm is being established in their area of interest and as such may not accept entry of other firms. Over the past few years, it has been claimed that death squads under President Rodrigo crippled democracy. However, it is ironical that the country experiences robust economic growth and Philippines has been ranked as one of the growing economies in the global politics. The report was the latest from the World Bank, and the economy is expected to grow to 7.5 % increase from the previous which stood at 6.5%.(Bush, 2017)In 2017, GDP reached 12.4% demonstrating a healthy economy accompanied by low inflations and low debt signifying a stable macroeconomic atmosphere. Such elements of the economy sustain a healthy demand something that has boosted exports. By April this year, exports grew by 12.1% and translated to $4.8 billion. Using the above illustrations, it is evident that the Philippines pose a good ground for selling Beast juice. One of the key elements used by firms when entering new markets is the condition of the economy(SunStar, 2016). GDP is one of the measures used in communi cating the status of the economy. As for the Philippines, the GDP already proves beyond reasonable doubt that it would provide a ready market for the Beast juice(SunStar, 2016). Availability of households with average disposable incomes is one assurance that the juice already has a ready market. A healthy economy has the benefit of offering better prices for the commodities offered in the market(SunStar, 2016). As such it ensures reasonable prices for the producers and other relevant stakeholders. Technological environment Amidst major developments in global operations as a result of platforms such e-business and e-marketing and the use of social media, business is no longer the same. Globally, the number of people having access to the internet is magnanimous and also partly because many people are literate making them demand internet services from network providers(Warner, 2010). The rise of the web has had significant benefits to businesses and creates more opportunities that would not be identified were it not for the web. A good example is advertising through social network blogs such as Facebook and Twitter. Recently, in the wake of the internet, we have seen businesses seeking solutions through such social platforms(Professional Academy). Philippines prides itself of a literate population where the majority of the people are ardent users of the internet. As a global trend, businesses are operating their services through the internet, for instance, offering advisory services on the products they s ell and where they can be found, and in some instances, they will require an address to deliver the product to their clients. Beast juice is no exception in being advertised and popularized through the internet. Being a new product requires massive campaigns and advertisements to popularize and advertise the product so that customers will be acquainted with the product. Also, social platforms such as facebook and twitter have the effect of making people feel like part of the company by sharing on how they feel about the product and what things they may want to be changed(Professional Academy). Beast juice can use such avenues in the Philippines to make consumers feel part of the company and develop customer loyalty. The Philippines is among countries in the world that have many internet subscribers and as such creates a good social media platform for the launching of the beast juice and such a strategy of using social media would bear desired fruits in increasing results for the com pany. Environmental concerns A country like the Philippines is increasingly creating awareness for the producers and manufacturers of various products due to issues such as pollution and emission of greenhouse gases that have led to global warming something that world leaders are trying to fight(Bush, 2017). Each country has been given a role and responsibility in reducing the greenhouse emissions. Businesses are urged to conduct their activities ethically to ensure corporate responsibility on their part to the surrounding societies and communities. For instance, in the Philippines, there is a carbon target footprint that the government has set for companies and the business sector(Posner Applegarth, 2014). Looking at Beast juice, it uses raw materials such as fruits in their natural setting meaning there are less harm and emission of gases to the atmosphere(Dlabay Scott, 2011). In such a case of the beast juice, it will not suffer from compliance issues in a nation such as the Philippines. Consumers of late h ave been demanding products that promote a green economy and fruits are some of the goods supporting a green economy. The availability of packaging containers that pollute the environment less in the Philippines is a plus for establishment for beast juice operations. Glass and plastics are easily recycled and pollute the environment less compared to other materials. Legal frameworks Legal considerations are important of an external analysis as they lay down the required processes for setting up operations in foreign markets. Such factors include consumer rights and product safety among others such as health and safety(CIPD). It is important for business firms to understand of what composes legal aspects in another country. However, Philippines legal frameworks have been known for instituting some of the best legal practices that favor the business community(Czinkota, Ronkainen, Moffet, 2011). For instance, it is mandatory for companies to label their products and show the ingredients used as part of ensuring that there is complacency on the part of the company. Such a policy protects consumers from false advertisements evidenced in other countries. Such a policy will help and promote Beast juice since it is natural with no other chemical ingredients something that many consumers are avoiding especially now that many cancers are attributed to consumption of chem icals. Issues dealing with employment relations are enshrined in Philippines Constitution ensuring equal job opportunities for all people with no discrimination in work places(Dlabay Scott, 2011). It is due to such considerations that make the Philippines one of the ideal countries for Beast juice.' The ease of obtaining business makes the Philippines a safe country for investing especially in the case where there is a partnership with Pilipino. Partnerships with the locals are highly encouraged as a means of establishing foreign businesses in the Philippines. Social factors Philippine population continues to rise, and in the year 2017, it is expected to be 105,760,000 as per reports population commission. According to data by Statistics Authority women of reproductive age are projected at 27,300,400 and women in this category are beneficiaries of health services under Health Law. Some adolescent girls are also expected to increase to over ten million in the coming year. The Philippines center of data expects that the number of adolescent girls expected to give birth by December 2017 is estimated to be over 200,000(SunStar, 2016).The number of women of reproductive age continues to rise, and the trend is expected to continue all the way to the year 2022.The increase in population is as a result of an increase in fertility levels among women were on average a woman is expected to give birth to three children. It has also been proved beyond reasonable doubt that there are more males born per woman as compared to the number of females born per minute in the Philippines(SunStar, 2016). A large population is beneficial to businesses in any country as they provide a market for the goods and services in such a country. As for Philippines large market, such a market is important for Beast juice as it means a ready and a large market for the juice industry. Also, a large population is critical as it provides a large pool of labor that is cheap. Philippines population comprises of many youths, and as such, it is an active labor force that is engaged in work(McDonough, 2017). The Philippines is also a source of cheap labor due to the huge population making a supply of labor in the surplus and according to labor economics, whenever the supply of labor of labor exceeds demand, then the wages fall making labor cheap. Del Monte Philippines, a major competitor and distributor of juice, dominated the market in 2016 and commanded a market share of 32%.The Company boasts of a popular image as a result of marketing campaigns and also from a sound manufacturing policy adopted by the company(Mourdoukoutas, 2017). The company has also mastered the concept of blending classic flavors for many seasons something that has benefited the company regarding commanding a large market. The packaging by the company is also another strategy used in ensuring it continues to lead in the market as it uses 1-liter liquid packets since 2013.Del Monte in the Philippines has made an extension of the line of products it offered for instance in 2013, the company introduced pineapple blueberry and strawberry and also launched pineapple pomelo and lychee in 2016. Beast juice faces significant hurdles in penetrating the Philippines market due to the already presence of Del Monte and other relevant stakeholders in the market for juice. One huge opportunity for Beast juice is the fact that the company has competitive prices as compared to juices from Del Monte. In fact, Beast juice favors many customers due to the economical prices it offers that are affordable to many people as a large proportion of the proportion is composed of low and middle-income incomers and such segment will form a large market for Beast juice in the Philippines(Daneils, Radebaugh, Sullivan). Also, the large population in the Philippines is ideal for providing a work force that is second cutting down the costs of productions(Marmol, Feys, Probert). The Philippines has also been on the forefront as a tourist destination, and the presence of tourists makes it ideal for launching such a product(Focus). Also, Beast juice has been blended in other tastes to quench and serve varying customer needs. Customization of the juice makes it possible to have a large audience to be served making sure those different tastes and preferences are served. Recommendations It would be necessary for Beast juice to be packaged in packets just like Del Monte to ensure that such a product competes favorably in the market. Also, appropriate pricing strategy is critical for a new product in a new market such that such prices take into consideration operational costs among other costs. The use of relevant advertising is also essential to make sure that the business popularizes its products and creates awareness among consumers of the existence of such a product. The use of social media platforms helps identify with customers and make them feel part of the business. Conclusion From the above illustrations, it is evident that the Philippines is an ideal country for the launching of Beast juice due to factors such as the comparative advantage of a warm climate that favors production of fruits. Despite stiff competition from companies such as Del Monte, it is evident with running campaigns trail and marketing; the Philippines could offer a lucrative market. References Bush, T. (2017). PESTLE Analysis:Environmental Factors Affecting Business. Retrieved August 22, 2017, from pestlenalysis.com: https://pestleanalysis.com C, H., C, W., Udayasankar, K. (2016). International business. Singapore: McGraw Hill Education Asia. CIPD. (n.d.). PESTLE Analysis:Factsheets. Retrieved August 22, 2017, from CIPD: https://www.cipd.co.uk Czinkota, M., Ronkainen, I., Moffet, M. (2011). International business. Hobonken(N.J): Wiley. Daneils, J., Radebaugh, L., Sullivan, D. (n.d.). International business. Dlabay, L., Scott, J. (2011). International business. Mason,OH: South-Western Cengage. Euromonitor. (n.d.). juice in the Philippines. Retrieved August 22, 2017, from Euromonitor.com: https://www.euromonitor.com Focus. (n.d.). What is PESTLE Analysis? Retrieved August 22, 2017, from Focus-on-training: https://www.focus-on-training.co.uk Hill, C., Hult, G. (n.d.). International business. Jurevicicus, O. (2013). If it's Time to be Brave a PEST may be your Best Defence. Retrieved August 22, 2017, from Strategic Management Insight: https://www.strategicmanagementinsight.com Manager. (n.d.). PESTLE Analysis . Retrieved August 22, 2017, from The Happy Manager: https://the-happy-manager.com Marmol, T., Feys, B., Probert, C. (n.d.). PESTLE analysis. 50Minutes. McDonough, M. (2017). Understanding a PESTLE Analysis and its Components. Retrieved August 22, 2017, from Brighthub Project Management: https://www.brighthubpm.com Mourdoukoutas, P. (2017). Forbes Welcome.Forbes.com. Retrieved August 22, 2017, from forbes.com: https://www.forbes.com Posner, K., Applegarth, M. (2014). Project Management Pocketbook. New York: Management Pocketbooks. Professional Academy. (n.d.). Marketing Theories-PESTEL Analysis. Retrieved August 22, 2017, from professionalacademy.com: https://www.professionalacademy.com SunStar. (2016). Philippine population to grow 105.75 million by end 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2017, from SunStar: https://www.sunstar.com.ph Warner, A. (2010). Strategic analysis and choice. New York: Business Expert Press.

Eth125 R8 Disability Diversity Essay Example Essay Example

Eth125 R8 Disability Diversity Essay Example Paper Eth125 R8 Disability Diversity Essay Introduction Associate Program Material Aging and Disability Worksheet Part I Identify 2 or 3 issues faced by the aging population. 1. Lack of security for the future (social security dwindling) 2. Unable to afford being able to retire 3. Being alone Answer the following questions in 100 to 200 words each. Provide citations for all the sources you use. †¢ What is ageism? How does ageism influence the presence of diversity in society? Ageism is prejudice or discrimination against a particular age-group, especially the elderly. Ageism influences the presence of diversity because those who are affected by ageism within their career may lose their job due to newer, younger, cheaper people coming into the workplace to take over their current position. Which may leave those who are older without proper insurance to take care of their aging bodies which could result in earlier deaths and a lack of diversity in the world. Also when the younger generation takes over positions in the workplace that wo rkplace will have a lack of diversity as well. http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/ageism What is the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)? How does the ADEA address issues for the aging population? The Age Discrimination in Employment Act was put into place in 1967 to prohibit discrimination of people over the age of 40 in the work place. The ADEA addresses issues for the aging population by making it illegal to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual or otherwise discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s age. Eth125 R8 Disability Diversity Essay Body Paragraphs Also it makes it illegal to limit, segregate, or classify his employees in any way which would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his status as an employee, because of such individual’s age. http://www. eeoc. gov/laws/statutes/adea. cfm †¢ What is being done to address the issues you identified? The ADEA had put many laws in affect to make it illegal to discriminate someone for their age. It also has been recommended to Congress to have education and research programs. These programs shall research, and promote research, with a view to reducing barriers to the employment of older persons, and the promotion of measures for utilizing their skills. They will also publish and otherwise make available to employers, professional societies, the various media of communication, and other interested persons the findings of studies and other materials for the promotion of employment and foster through the public employ ment service system and through cooperative effort the development of facilities of public and private agencies for expanding the opportunities and potentials of older persons. ttp://www. eeoc. gov/laws/statutes/adea. cfm †¢ Is the number of aging population expected to rise in numbers or decrease? The number of aging population is expected to rise in numbers. â€Å"With baby boomers approaching retirement, the 65-and-over population in the United States could increase nearly 80 percent by 2025. During the same period, there will be just 15 percent more working-age adults and 15 percent more children younger than 15. † With the number of baby boomers approaching retirement there will be a strain put on social ecurity and other benefits made available to those who are senior citizens. This will cause problems to those retire after them. There is no certainty that things like social security will last through the baby boomers and be around when the next generation retires. http://www. globalaging. org/elderrights/us/populationrise. htm †¢ What types of legislation may or may not be affected by the aging population? Two major pieces of legislature that will be affected by the aging population is pension provision and health care. With both pension and health care the key issues that will cause issues is that the number of people working and paying taxes to fun pension and health care programs is going to dramatically decrease as the baby boomers retire and as they retire the amount of people uses these services in going to see an increase. Legislation regarding items such as criminals is unlikely to have any effect on the aging population. While there are some laws in certain states requiring older people to retake their drivers test each year or every two years a country wide law could also affect the aging population as well. How does poverty affect the aging population? Poverty affects the aging population in many different ways. Since people are living longer and with that resources are decreasing as time goes on and the elderly have fewer and fewer choices for finding help with finances and health related issues, which results in substandard medical care. Having substandard medical care can result in subpar health and either suffering due to a medical condition or death from a medical condition that could have been treating if better medical care was available to them. Another affect poverty has is subpar housing and the ability to provide food for themselves due to a lack of income and the fact that many programs meant to help have strict guidelines or are disappearing all together. Part II Answer the following questions in 100 to 200 words each. Provide citations for all the sources you use. †¢ What does the ADA provide for people with disabilities? The ADA’s goal is to provide equality to people with disabilities and protect them from any discrimination that they may be faced with. The ADA provides prote ction to those with disabilities in the workplace where there is a possibility they could be discriminated against and be fired, or passed over for a job. The ADA also insures that public structures are accessible to those with disabilities. By doing this it allows people with disabilities to feel more like equals by having protection from discrimination and the ability to enjoy the same things their friends do such as going to restaurants and the mall. http://www. ada. gov/qaeng02. tm †¢ How have people with disabilities been treated in the past? In the past people with disabilities have been treated unfairly and have faced discrimination. In recent years things have been improving but there is still work to be done. There are still a few buildings that are not handicap accessible. Some may be included in the exclusion under the ADA such as historical buildings but there are some who are â€Å"flying under the radar† and until a problem arises they will continue on with their business. Another problem people with disabilities faced was discrimination in the work place. They were often not chosen for jobs because they were not able to perform them with accommodations. While this may still occur with the ADA it makes it illegal. †¢ How has the attitude toward people with disabilities changed over time? In earlier years people with disabilities were often placed into institutions and were then forgotten about which resulted in them living in unsafe and unsanitary conditions. Many of them were abused, neglected or murdered by their own families or by the people who worked at the institutions. They were called â€Å"retarded†. Today discrimination towards those with disabilities still does exist the condition of the homes in which some disabled live is acceptable and some with disabilities are able to have happy healthy lives with little or no accommodations made. Some neglect and abuse still does occur but the days of forced sterilization are over. What are some unique circumstances or issues encountered by people with disabilities? There are many unique circumstances or issues encountered by people with disabilities. Little people definetelty face many of these unique circumstances. Just going to a restaurant or even a friend’s house provides issues for little people to be able to get around safely by car or being able to see on top of counters and reach things like sinks. People in wheelchairs also face some unusual circumstances off their own. Just like little people they also may encounter problems reaching counters and sinks, and traveling. Just imagine trying to navigate your wheelchair across a snowy parking lot or sidewalk to get to your favorite restaurant. †¢ What is being done to address those issues? Many public places have smaller toilets and sinks that help children and little people be able to reach the sinks and toilets with ease. Adding these little things help not only the little people community but also help children becomes more independent. Many public places also have wheelchair assessable sinks that allow them to pull their chairs right up and under the sink to allow them to reach it with ease. Handicap accessible parking spot allow for all people with disabilities to park closer to reduce the amount they have to walk thus reducing the amount of accidents that could occur. †¢ What types of legislation have been introduced to address issues faced by people with disabilities? On January 23, 1990 Congress passed the â€Å"Americans with Disabilities Act† (ADA) it provided protection for people with disabilities in many aspects of their lives. In 1988 the Fair Housing Act was amended to include people with disabilities and families with children with disabilities. In 1973 the Rehabilitation act prohibited discrimination against someone with a disability by anyone receiving federal assistance, but it did not cover discrimination by employers, public ac commodations in the private sector, publicly funded programs or those providing federal financial assistance. Protection for all disabilities did not take place until the Americans with Disabilities Act passed. CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY Icertify thatthe attachedpaper is my original work. I am familiar with and acknowledge my responsibilities, which are part of the University of Phoenix Student Code of Academic Integrity. I affirm that any section of the paper which has been submitted previously is attributed and cited as such, and that this paper has not been submitted by anyone else. I have identified the sources of all information whether quoted verbatim or paraphrased, all images, and all quotations with citations and reference listings. Along with citations and reference listings, I have used quotation marks to identify quotations of fewer than 40 words and have used block indentation for quotations of 40 or more words. Nothing in this assignment violates copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property laws. I further agree that my name typedon the line below is intended to have, and shall have, the same validity as my handwritten signature. Student’ssignature (name typed here is equivalent to a signature): Skyye Smith We will write a custom essay sample on Eth125 R8 Disability Diversity Essay Example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Eth125 R8 Disability Diversity Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Eth125 R8 Disability Diversity Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Bertrand Russells Classic Essay in Praise of Idleness

Bertrand Russell's Classic Essay in Praise of Idleness Noted mathematician and philosopher Bertrand Russell tried to apply the clarity he admired in mathematical reasoning to the solution of problems in other fields, in particular ethics and politics. In this essay, first published in 1932, Russell argues in favor of a four-hour working day. Consider whether his arguments for laziness deserve serious consideration today. In Praise of Idleness by Bertrand Russell Like most of my generation, I was brought up on the saying: Satan finds some mischief for idle hands to do. Being a highly virtuous child, I believed all that I was told, and acquired a conscience which has kept me working hard down to the present moment. But although my conscience has controlled my actions, my opinions have undergone a revolution. I think that there is far too much work done in the world, that immense harm is caused by the belief that work is virtuous, and that what needs to be preached in modern industrial countries is quite different from what always has been preached. Everyone knows the story of the traveler in Naples who saw twelve beggars lying in the sun (it was before the days of Mussolini), and offered a lira to the laziest of them. Eleven of them jumped up to claim it, so he gave it to the twelfth. this traveler was on the right lines. But in countries which do not enjoy Mediterranean sunshine idleness is more difficult, and a great public propaganda will b e required to inaugurate it. I hope that, after reading the following pages, the leaders of the YMCA will start a campaign to induce good young men to do nothing. If so, I shall not have lived in vain. Before advancing my own arguments for laziness, I must dispose of one which I cannot accept. Whenever a person who already has enough to live on proposes to engage in some everyday kind of job, such as school-teaching or typing, he or she is told that such conduct takes the bread out of other peoples mouths, and is therefore wicked. If this argument were valid, it would only be necessary for us all to be idle in order that we should all have our mouths full of bread. What people who say such things forget is that what a man earns he usually spends, and in spending he gives employment. As long as a man spends his income, he puts just as much bread into peoples mouths in spending as he takes out of other peoples mouths in earning. The real villain, from this point of view, is the man who saves. If he merely puts his savings in a stocking, like the proverbial French peasant, it is obvious that they do not give employment. If he invests his savings, the matter is less obvious, and differ ent cases arise. One of the commonest things to do with savings is to lend them to some Government. In view of the fact that the bulk of the public expenditure of most civilized Governments consists in payment for past wars or preparation for future wars, the man who lends his money to a Government is in the same position as the bad men in Shakespeare who hire murderers. The net result of the mans economical habits is to increase the armed forces of the State to which he lends his savings. Obviously it would be better if he spent the money, even if he spent it in drink or gambling. But, I shall be told, the case is quite different when savings are invested in industrial enterprises. When such enterprises succeed, and produce something useful, this may be conceded. In these days, however, no one will deny that most enterprises fail. That means that a large amount of human labor, which might have been devoted to producing something that could be enjoyed, was expended on producing machines which, when produced, lay idle and did no good to anyone. The man who invests his savings in a concern that goes bankrupt is therefore injuring others as well as himself. If he spent his money, say, in giving parties for his friends, they (we may hope) would get pleasure, and so would all those upon whom he spent money, such as the butcher, the baker, and the bootlegger. But if he spends it (let us say) upon laying down rails for surface card in some place where surface cars turn out not to be wanted, he has diverted a mass of labor into channels where it gives pleasure to no on e. Nevertheless, when he becomes poor through failure of his investment he will be regarded as a victim of undeserved misfortune, whereas the gay spendthrift, who has spent his money philanthropically, will be despised as a fool and a frivolous person. All this is only preliminary. I want to say, in all seriousness, that a great deal of harm is being done in the modern world by belief in the virtuousness of work, and that the road to happiness and prosperity lies in an organized diminution of work. First of all: what is work? Work is of two kinds: first, altering the position of matter at or near the earths surface relatively to other such matter; second, telling other people to do so. The first kind is unpleasant and ill paid; the second is pleasant and highly paid. The second kind is capable of indefinite extension: there are not only those who give orders, but those who give advice as to what orders should be given. Usually two opposite kinds of advice are given simultaneously by two organized bodies of men; this is called politics. The skill required for this kind of work is not knowledge of the subjects as to which advice is given, but knowledge of the art of persuasive speaking and writing, i.e. of advertising. Throughout Europe, though not in America, there is a third class of men, more respected than either of the classes of workers. There are men who, through ownership of land, are able to make others pay for the privilege of being allowed to exist and to work. These landowners are idle, and I might therefore be expected to praise them. Unfortunately, their idleness is only rendered possible by the industry of others; indeed their desire for comfortable idleness is historically the source of the whole gospel of work. The last thing they have ever wished is that others should follow their example. (Continued on page two) Continued from page oneFrom the beginning of civilization until the Industrial Revolution, a man could, as a rule, produce by hard work little more than was required for the subsistence of himself and his family, although his wife worked at least as hard as he did, and his children added their labor as soon as they were old enough to do so. The small surplus above bare necessaries was not left to those who produced it, but was appropriated by warriors and priests. In times of famine there was no surplus; the warriors and priests, however, still secured as much as at other times, with the result that many of the workers died of hunger. This system persisted in Russia until 1917 [1], and still persists in the East; in England, in spite of the Industrial Revolution, it remained in full force throughout the Napoleonic wars, and until a hundred years ago, when the new class of manufacturers acquired power. In America, the system came to an end with the Revolution, except in the South, whe re it persisted until the Civil War. A system which lasted so long and ended so recently has naturally left a profound impress upon mens thoughts and opinions. Much that we take for granted about the desirability of work is derived from this system, and, being pre-industrial, is not adapted to the modern world. Modern technique has made it possible for leisure, within limits, to be not the prerogative of small privileged classes, but a right evenly distributed throughout the community. The morality of work is the morality of slaves, and the modern world has no need of slavery. It is obvious that, in primitive communities, peasants, left to themselves, would not have parted with the slender surplus upon which the warriors and priests subsisted, but would have either produced less or consumed more. At first, sheer force compelled them to produce and part with the surplus. Gradually, however, it was found possible to induce many of them to accept an ethic according to which it was their duty to work hard, although part of their work went to support others in idleness. By this means the amount of compulsion required was lessened, and the expenses of government were diminished. To this day, 99 per cent of British wage-earners would be genuinely shocked if it were proposed that the King should not have a larger income than a working man. The conception of duty, speaking historically, has been a means used by the holders of power to induce others to live for the interests of their masters rather than for their own. Of course the holders of power conceal this fact from themselves by managing to believe that their interests are identical with the larger interests of humanity. Sometimes this is true; Athenian slave-owners, for instance, employed part of their leisure in making a permanent contribution to civilization which would have been impossible under a just economic system. Leisure is essential to civilization, and in former times leisure for the few was only rendered possible by the labors of the many. But their labors were valuable, not because work is good, but because leisure is good. And with modern technique it would be possible to distribute leisure justly without injury to civilization. Modern technique has made it possible to diminish enormously the amount of labor required to secure the necessaries of life for everyone. This was made obvious during the war. At that time all the men in the armed forces, and all the men and women engaged in the production of munitions, all the men and women engaged in spying, war propaganda, or Government offices connected with the war, were withdrawn from productive occupations. In spite of this, the general level of well-being among unskilled wage-earners on the side of the Allies was higher than before or since. The significance of this fact was concealed by finance: borrowing made it appear as if the future was nourishing the present. But that, of course, would have been impossible; a man cannot eat a loaf of bread that does not yet exist. The war showed conclusively that, by the scientific organization of production, it is possible to keep modern populations in fair comfort on a small part of the working capacity of the modern world. If, at the end of the war, the scientific organization, which had been created in order to liberate men for fighting and munition work, had been preserved, and the hours of the week had been cut down to four, all would have been well. Instead of that the old chaos was restored, those whose work was demanded were made to work long hours, and the rest were left to starve as unemployed. Why? Because work is a duty, and a man should not receive wages in proportion to what he has produced, but in proportion to his virtue as exemplified by his industry. This is the morality of the Slave State, applied in circumstances totally unlike those in which it arose. No wonder the result has been disastrous. Let us take an illustration. Suppose that, at a given moment, a certain number of people are engaged in the manufacture of pins. They make as many pins as the world needs, working (say) eight hours a day. Someone makes an invention by which the same number of men can make twice as many pins: pins are already so cheap that hardly any more will be bought at a lower price. In a sensible world, everybody concerned in the manufacturing of pins would take to working four hours instead of eight, and everything else would go on as before. But in the actual world this would be thought demoralizing. The men still work eight hours, there are too many pins, some employers go bankrupt, and half the men previously concerned in making pins are thrown out of work. There is, in the end, just as much leisure as on the other plan, but half the men are total ly idle while half are still overworked. In this way, it is insured that the unavoidable leisure shall cause misery all round instead of being a universal source of happiness. Can anything more insane be imagined? (Continued on page three) Continued from page twoThe idea that the poor should have leisure has always been shocking to the rich. In England, in the early nineteenth century, fifteen hours was the ordinary days work for a man; children sometimes did as much, and very commonly did twelve hours a day. When meddlesome busybodies suggested that perhaps these hours were rather long, they were told that work kept adults from drink and children from mischief. When I was a child, shortly after urban working men had acquired the vote, certain public holidays were established by law, to the great indignation of the upper classes. I remember hearing an old Duchess say: What do the poor want with holidays? They ought to work. People nowadays are less frank, but the sentiment persists, and is the source of much of our economic confusion. Let us, for a moment, consider the ethics of work frankly, without superstition. Every human being, of necessity, consumes, in the course of his life, a certain amount of the produce of human labor. Assuming, as we may, that labor is on the whole disagreeable, it is unjust that a man should consume more than he produces. Of course he may provide services rather than commodities, like a medical man, for example; but he should provide something in return for his board and lodging. to this extent, the duty of work must be admitted, but to this extent only. I shall not dwell upon the fact that, in all modern societies outside the USSR, many people escape even this minimum amount of work, namely all those who inherit money and all those who marry money. I do not think the fact that these people are allowed to be idle is nearly so harmful as the fact that wage-earners are expected to overwork or starve. If the ordinary wage-earner worked four hours a day, there would be enough for everybody and no unemployment- assuming a certain very moderate amount of sensible organization. This idea shocks the well-to-do, because they are convinced that the poor would not know how to use so much leisure. In America men often work long hours even when they are well off; such men, naturally, are indignant at the idea of leisure for wage-earners, except as the grim punishment of unemployment; in fact, they dislike leisure even for their sons. Oddly enough, while they wish their sons to work so hard as to have no time to be civilized, they do not mind their wives and daughters having no work at all. The snobbish admiration of uselessness, which, in an aristocratic society, extends to both sexes, is, under a plutocracy, confined to women; this, however, does not make it any more in agreement with common sense. The wise use of leisure, it must be conceded, is a product of civilization and education. A man who has worked long hours all his life will become bored if he becomes suddenly idle. But without a considerable amount of leisure a man is cut off from many of the best things. There is no longer any reason why the bulk of the population should suffer this deprivation; only a foolish asceticism, usually vicarious, makes us continue to insist on work in excessive quantities now that the need no longer exists. In the new creed which controls the government of Russia, while there is much that is very different from the traditional teaching of the West, there are some things that are quite unchanged. The attitude of the governing classes, and especially of those who conduct educational propaganda, on the subject of the dignity of labor, is almost exactly that which the governing classes of the world have always preached to what were called the honest poor. Industry, sobriety, willingness to work long hours for distant advantages, even submissiveness to authority, all these reappear; moreover authority still represents the will of the Ruler of the Universe, Who, however, is now called by a new name, Dialectical Materialism. The victory of the proletariat in Russia has some points in common with the victory of the feminists in some other countries. For ages, men had conceded the superior saintliness of women, and had consoled women for their inferiority by maintaining that saintliness is more desirable than power. At last the feminists decided that they would have both, since the pioneers among them believed all that the men had told them about the desirability of virtue, but not what they had told them about the worthlessness of political power. A similar thing has happened in Russia as regards manual work. For ages, the rich and their sycophants have written in praise of honest toil, have praised the simple life, have professed a religion which teaches that the poor are much more likely to go to heaven than the rich, and in general have tried to make manual workers believe that there is some special nobility about altering the position of matter in space, just as men tried to make women believe that th ey derived some special nobility from their sexual enslavement. In Russia, all this teaching about the excellence of manual work has been taken seriously, with the result that the manual worker is more honored than anyone else. What are, in essence, revivalist appeals are made, but not for the old purposes: they are made to secure shock workers for special tasks. Manual work is the ideal which is held before the young, and is the basis of all ethical teaching. (Continued on page four) Continued from page threeFor the present, possibly, this is all to the good. A large country, full of natural resources, awaits development, and has has to be developed with very little use of credit. In these circumstances, hard work is necessary, and is likely to bring a great reward. But what will happen when the point has been reached where everybody could be comfortable without working long hours? In the West, we have various ways of dealing with this problem. We have no attempt at economic justice, so that a large proportion of the total produce goes to a small minority of the population, many of whom do no work at all. Owing to the absence of any central control over production, we produce hosts of things that are not wanted. We keep a large percentage of the working population idle, because we can dispense with their labor by making the others overwork. When all these methods prove inadequate, we have a war: we cause a number of people to manufacture high explosives, and a number of others to explode them, as if we were children who had just discovered fireworks. By a combination of all these devices we manage, though with difficulty, to keep alive the notion that a great deal of severe manual work must be the lot of the average man. In Russia, owing to more economic justice and central control over production, the problem will have to be differently solved. The rational solution would be, as soon as the necessaries and elementary comforts can be provided for all, to reduce the hours of labor gradually, allowing a popular vote to decide, at each stage, whether more leisure or more goods were to be preferred. But, having taught the supreme virtue of hard work, it is difficult to see how the authorities can aim at a paradise in which there will be much leisure and little work. It seems more likely that they will find continually fresh schemes, by which present leisure is to be sacrificed to future productivity. I read recently of an ingenious plan put forward by Russian engineers, for making the White Sea and the northern coasts of Siberia warm, by putting a dam across the Kara Sea. An admirable project, but liable to postpone proletarian comfort for a generation, while the nobility of toil is being displayed amid the ice-fields and snowstorms of the Arctic Ocean. This sort of thing, if it happens, will be the result of regarding the virtue of hard work as an end in itself, rather than as a means to a state of affairs in which it is no longer needed. The fact is that moving matter about, while a certain amount of it is necessary to our existence, is emphatically not one of the ends of human life. If it were, we should have to consider every navvy superior to Shakespeare. We have been misled in this matter by two causes. One is the necessity of keeping the poor contented, which has led the rich, for thousands of years, to preach the dignity of labor, while taking care themselves to remain undignified in this respect. The other is the new pleasure in mechanism, which makes us delight in the astonishingly clever changes that we can produce on the earths surface. Neither of these motives makes any great appeal to the actual worker. If you ask him what he thinks the best part of his life, he is not likely to say: I enjoy manual work because it makes me feel that I am fulfilling mans noblest task, and because I like to think how much man can transform his planet. It is true that my body demands periods of rest, which I have to fill in as best I may, but I am never so happy as when the morning comes and I can return to the toil from which my contentment springs. I have never heard working men say this sort of thing. They consider work, as it should be considered, a necessary means to a livelihood, and it is from their leisure that they derive whatever happiness they may enjoy. It will be said that, while a little leisure is pleasant, men would not know how to fill their days if they had only four hours of work out of the twenty-four. In so far as this is true in the modern world, it is a condemnation of our civilization; it would not have been true at any earlier period. There was formerly a capacity for light-heartedness and play which has been to some extent inhibited by the cult of efficiency. The modern man thinks that everything ought to be done for the sake of something else, and never for its own sake. Serious-minded persons, for example, are continually condemning the habit of going to the cinema, and telling us that it leads the young into crime. But all the work that goes to producing a cinema is respectable, because it is work, and because it brings a money profit. The notion that the desirable activities are those that bring a profit has made everything topsy-turvy. The butcher who provides you with meat and the baker who provides you with brea d are praiseworthy, because they are making money; but when you enjoy the food they have provided, you are merely frivolous, unless you eat only to get strength for your work. Broadly speaking, it is held that getting money is good and spending money is bad. Seeing that they are two sides of one transaction, this is absurd; one might as well maintain that keys are good, but keyholes are bad. Whatever merit there may be in the production of goods must be entirely derivative from the advantage to be obtained by consuming them. The individual, in our society, works for profit; but the social purpose of his work lies in the consumption of what he produces. It is this divorce between the individual and the social purpose of production that makes it so difficult for men to think clearly in a world in which profit-making is the incentive to industry. We think too much of production, and too little of consumption. One result is that we attach too little importance to enjoyment and simple happiness, and that we do not judge production by the pleasure that it gives to the consumer. Concluded on page five Continued from page fourWhen I suggest that working hours should be reduced to four, I am not meaning to imply that all the remaining time should necessarily be spent in pure frivolity. I mean that four hours work a day should entitle a man to the necessities and elementary comforts of life, and that the rest of his time should be his to use as he might see fit. It is an essential part of any such social system that education should be carried further than it usually is at present, and should aim, in part, at providing tastes which would enable a man to use leisure intelligently. I am not thinking mainly of the sort of things that would be considered highbrow. Peasant dances have died out except in remote rural areas, but the impulses which caused them to be cultivated must still exist in human nature. The pleasures of urban populations have become mainly passive: seeing cinemas, watching football matches, listening to the radio, and so on. This results from the fact that their activ e energies are fully taken up with work; if they had more leisure, they would again enjoy pleasures in which they took an active part. In the past, there was a small leisure class and a larger working class. The leisure class enjoyed advantages for which there was no basis in social justice; this necessarily made it oppressive, limited its sympathies, and caused it to invent theories by which to justify its privileges. These facts greatly diminished its excellence, but in spite of this drawback it contributed nearly the whole of what we call civilization. It cultivated the arts and discovered the sciences; it wrote the books, invented the philosophies, and refined social relations. Even the liberation of the oppressed has usually been inaugurated from above. Without the leisure class, mankind would never have emerged from barbarism. The method of a leisure class without duties was, however, extraordinarily wasteful. None of the members of the class had to be taught to be industrious, and the class as a whole was not exceptionally intelligent. The class might produce one Darwin, but against him had to be set tens of thousands of country gentlemen who never thought of anything more intelligent than fox-hunting and punishing poachers. At present, the universities are supposed to provide, in a more systematic way, what the leisure class provided accidentally and as a by-product. This is a great improvement, but it has certain drawbacks. University life is so different from life in the world at large that men who live in academic milieu tend to be unaware of the preoccupations and problems of ordinary men and women; moreover their ways of expressing themselves are usually such as to rob their opinions of the influence that they ought to have upon the general public. Another disadvantage is that in universities studie s are organized, and the man who thinks of some original line of research is likely to be discouraged. Academic institutions, therefore, useful as they are, are not adequate guardians of the interests of civilization in a world where everyone outside their walls is too busy for unutilitarian pursuits. In a world where no one is compelled to work more than four hours a day, every person possessed of scientific curiosity will be able to indulge it, and every painter will be able to paint without starving, however excellent his pictures may be. Young writers will not be obliged to draw attention to themselves by sensational pot-boilers, with a view to acquiring the economic independence needed for monumental works, for which, when the time at last comes, they will have lost the taste and capacity. Men who, in their professional work, have become interested in some phase of economics or government, will be able to develop their ideas without the academic detachment that makes the work of university economists often seem lacking in reality. Medical men will have the time to learn about the progress of medicine, teachers will not be exasperatedly struggling to teach by routine methods things which they learnt in their youth, which may, in the interval, have been proved to be untrue. Above all, there will be happiness and joy of life, instead of frayed nerves, weariness, and dyspepsia. The work exacted will be enough to make leisure delightful, but not enough to produce exhaustion. Since men will not be tired in their spare time, they will not demand only such amusements as are passive and vapid. At least one per cent will probably devote the time not spent in professional work to pursuits of some public importance, and, since they will not depend upon these pursuits for their livelihood, their originality will be unhampered, and there will be no need to conform to the standards set by elderly pundits. But it is not only in these exceptional cases that the advantages of leisure will appear. Ordinary men and women, having the opportunity of a happy life, will become more kindly and less persecuting and less inclined to view others with suspicion. The taste for war will die out, partly for this reason, and partly because it will involve long and severe work for all . Good nature is, of all moral qualities, the one that the world needs most, and good nature is the result of ease and security, not of a life of arduous struggle. Modern methods of production have given us the possibility of ease and security for all; we have chosen, instead, to have overwork for some and starvation for others. Hitherto we have continued to be as energetic as we were before there were machines; in this we have been foolish, but there is no reason to go on being foolish forever. (1932)

Skills Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Skills Management - Assignment Example Proper managerial skills are also characterized by placing the organization at a competitive advantage at ensuring they enjoy and dominate the market shares. From the above facts, it is essential for any organization to have its top leadership acquire managerial skills which can allow them intact easily with the rest of the stakeholders and look for better ways of managing their resources. This will ensure they keep up to date all the necessary information needed at ensuring they maximize on the potential of their organization. Similarly, putting proper managerial skills will help in individual developments and ensure they effectively perform all the assigned function. This paper will outline time and workflow management skills as the nominated skill towards understanding how organizations operate. Similarly, the paper will summarize some related guidelines towards the development of time and workflow skills by individuals. Outline of the issues Time and workflow has been one of the skills most organizational managers lacks in the course of performing their daily duties. There are a lot of significances in relation to time and workflow skills which managers need to adopt at ensuring they meet their needs as well as the set goals. Time has become one of the fundamental resources as it is limited and irreplaceable. Most of the effective managers are ware of the limiting factors related to time and workflow (Drucker, 2001: 225-240). The scarcity in time influences the output hence is an important factor towards realizing the success. Most managers have not been able to use their time well in accomplishing the desired goals as research illustrates that only a small percentage of managers use their time towards achieving purposefully. Similarly, the cost of misused time among the leaders has been high which indicates the degree in which they lack the essential skills towards managing time (Mankins, 2004: 58-64). The misuse ins in relation to increased frustration th ey undergo, distorted strategic decisions, misused products and developments opportunities as well as poor and long term investments. In as much as organizations wants to establish time management skills, they should look at the fundamental factors needed at ensuring they put proper management skills and adopt effective means of doing things. This may call for adopting common time management matrix which will ensure every beet of their time is utilized in the benefit of the organization. Managers should stay by setting priorities in terms of important matters first. The important issues the managers may consider can be decided into urgent and the ones not urgent (Loehr & Schwatz, 2005). Working of the important urgent matters may pertain to crisis, any pressing problem and close deadlines of the organization projects. Working on these important activities within the stipulated time will help in conserving and managing time for other things. Similarly, there are important things that the organization and managers should do which don’t call for urgent measures in efforts to save time. This may include activities in relation to planning and recreation, looking for new

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Memo to the teacher - Essay Example This memo will seek to clarify the problems in the topic (the Mozart) and send it to the respective recipient with solutions. The structure and presentation of the Mozart advert topic is ambiguous. Specifically, an effective topic of a memo possesses the element of information. In this case, a topic of a memo appears effective when it provides readers with substantial information about the purpose of the article. Additionally, a sound memo topic makes a recommendation or simply asks for action after describing its content Concerning the Mozart advert topic, analysis shows that it does not support the school’s position. This leaves the readers with questionable doubts about the point of view of either the advert or the institution. A closer outlook into this topic reveals that the advert seeks to persuade. However, the since its topic seems to have a bit of problems, it is vital to provide a list of solutions in order to avoid repetition of such a thing in the future. First, the Mozart advert should restructure its topic and provide a precise, persuasive heading that grabs the concentration of every single reader. A persuasive advert increases the number of readers, which in turn increases the number of people taking action. Taking action in this scenario means having more students enrolling for music classes in Mozart School of Music. Lastly, this memo serves to suggest a specific action whose aim is to improve the current situation. Regarding the Mozart ad topic, the problem of ambiguity and obviousness needs to be addressed through changing it to have a persuasive message with a recommendable course of action in the end. Further still, the Mozart ad is clear with regard to the second component of a memorandum. This is so because it shows the benefits that a student will get upon enrolling at Mozart School of Music. I am sure that you will find these solutions valuable and approve them for action. I also the change will take course immediately as

Increase in Aggregate Demand Essay Example for Free

Increase in Aggregate Demand Essay In order to address this question it is first necessary to define both inflation and aggregate demand. Aggregate Demand is the total amount demanded by the whole economy, ie it is not related to one single market. Inflation is the persistent increase in the average level of consumer prices compared to the same time the previous year. This is a natural occurrence over time as wages rise and so the quantity demanded increases, which activates the incentive price function and causes prices to rise, thus causing inflation. There are numerous types of inflationary pressure but nearly all can be subdivided into demand-pull or cost-push inflation. Demand-pull inflation is inflation caused by an extension in total demand, which is sufficiently big so that it exceeds total supply, this happens because of a huge increase in aggregate demand. As a result all factors that lead to large increases in aggregate demand can also cause demand-pull inflation. Thus, a main cause of demand-pull inflation could be a reduction in the levels of direct taxation. By reducing the level of direct taxation consumers have more real income and therefore greater disposable income to spend on goods and services, this leads to increased consumption and thus an extension in demand in all markets. Due to this extension in aggregate demand, firms will increase prices within each market leading to average price rises and inflation. Another factor which would cause demand-pull inflation would be a boost in consumer confidence such as the one which occurs when an economy reaches the recovery stage after emerging from recession. Due to the boost in consumer confidence and increasing amount of money is spent on goods and services which in turn raises the demand and thus firms increases prices, leading to inflation. Several further factors which also cause demand-pull inflation are a decrease in indirect taxation, rapid consumer borrowing in times with low interest rates and depreciation in the exchange rate. Cost-push inflation is inflation which occurs when firms increase prices in  order to maintain a profit margin. They did this because of an increase in cost productuion. For example the price of cars will be increased by firms if there is an increase in demand for and therefore and increase in the price of steel. A main cause of cost-push inflation is increasing labour costs. Labour costs may be increased by the government introducing a higher minimum wage or by a union led workforce negotiating a higher wage. Due to this increase in overall costs profits are reduced and it is necessary for firms to increase their prices to increase the amount of profit they are making so it reaches the previous level. In this case average prices will rise compared to the previous year even though there has been no increase in aggregate demand, as cost-push inflation is not linked to demand. A secondary cause of cost-push inflation is higher rates of indirect taxation which may be imposed by the government on certain products such as alcohol and tobacco or by increasing VAT. This is generally done in a free market economy to reduce the popularity of what are seen as negative goods which may harm peoples health. This happens because some firms feel that there is elastic demand for the products they supply and so pass on the increase in costs to their customers in the form of higher prices to maintain profitability. In this case aggregate demand has not grown but there has been an average price level increase. There is no doubt that inflation can be caused by an increase in aggregate demand, in the form of demand pull inflation, however cost plus inflation also exists where inflation occurs without an increase in aggregate demand and thus this view is incorrect.