Fdi in retail in india

As India has liberalized its single brand retail industry to permit 100 percent foreign investment, we take a look at the regulatory issues and legal structures pertinent to establishing operations In this new dynamic market. That India should be well on the radar for foreign retailers was recently supported by A. T. Kearney, whose 2011 Global Retail Development Index ranks the nation as fourth globally. India's retail industry is estimated to be worth approximately USS411. 8 billion and is still growing, expected to reach USS804. 06 billion in 2015. As part of the economic liberalization process set in place by the Industrial Policy of 1 991 , the Indian government has opened the retail sector to FDI slowly through a series of steps: The Indian government removed the 51 percent cap on FDI into single-brand retail outlets in December 2011, and opened the market fully to foreign investors by permitting 100 percent foreign investment In this area.It has also made some, albeit limited, progress In allowing multi-brand retalllng, which has so far been prohibited In India. At present, this Is restricted to 49 percent foreign equity partlclpatlon. The specter of large supermarket brands displacing traditional Indian mom-and-pop stores is a hot political issue in India, and the progress and development of the newly liberalized single-brand retail industry will be watched with some keen eyes as concerns further possible liberalization in the multi-brand sector.In this article, we discuss the policy developments for FDI in these two retail categories, with a focus on the details of the multi-brand retail FDI discussion paper and related policy developments. FDI In â€Å"single-brand† retail While the precise meaning of single-brand retail has not been clearly defined In any Indian government circular or notification, single-brand retail generally refers to the selling of goods under a single brand name. Up to 100 percent FDI is permissible in single-brand retail, subject to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) sanctions and conditions mentioned in Press Note 3[8].These conditions stipulate that: Only single-brand products are sold (i. e. sale of multi-brand goods is not allowed, even if produced by the same manufacturer) Products are sold under the same brand Internationally Single-brand products Include only those Identified during manufacturing Any dditional product categories to be sold under single-brand retail must first receive additional government approval FDI In slngle-orana retall Implles tnat a retall store wltn Torelgn Investment can only sell one brand.For example, if Adidas were to obtain permission to retail its flagship brand in India, those retail outlets could only sell products under the Adidas brand. For Adidas to sell products under the Reebok brand, which it owns, separate government permission is required and (if permission is granted) Reebok products must then be sold in separate retail outlets. FDI in †Å"multi-brand† retail While the government of India has also not clearly defined the term â€Å"multi-brand retail,† FDI in multi-brand retail generally refers to selling multiple brands under one roof.Currently, this sector is limited to a maximum of 49 percent foreign equity participation. In July 2010, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and the Ministry of Commerce circulated a discussion paper on allowing FDI in multi-brand retail. The Committee of Secretaries, led by Cabinet Secretary Alit Seth, recommended opening the retail sector for FDI with a 51 percent cap on FDI, inimum investment of IJS$IOO million and a mandatory 50 percent capital reinvestment into backend operations.Notably, the paper does not put forward any upper limit on FDI in multi-brand retail. Immediately following the release of this discussion paper, the shares of a number of retail companies in India grew; domestic retail giant, Pantaloon Retail gained 7 percent on the sam e day, while Shoppers Stop, an Indian department store chain and emerging retailer, gained 2. 9 percent. The long-awaited scheme has been sent to the Cabinet for approval, but no decision has yet been made.There appears to be a broad consensus within the Committee of Secretaries that a 51 percent cap on FDI in multi-brand retail is acceptable. Meanwhile the Department of Consumer Affairs has supported the case for a 49 percent cap and the Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry has said the government should limit FDI in multi-brand retail to 18 percent. In terms of location, the proposed scheme allows investment in towns with populations of at least 10 lakh (1 million), while retailers with large space requirements may also be allowed to open shop within a 10 kilometer radius of such cities.Our view is that while we do expect further liberalization towards foreign investment in the multi-brand sector, this is highly unlikely to be gazetted until after the next elections, due to be co mpleted towards the end of 2012. Any additional liberalization of this market will therefore depend on the political make-up of the next government. Government â€Å"safety valves† on FDI There is concern about the competition presented to domestic competitors and the monopollzatlon 0T tne oomestlc market Dy large Internatlonal retall glan ts.Ine Inalan government feels that FDI in multi-brand retailing must be dealt with cautiously, iven the large potential scale and social impact. As such, the government is considering safety valves for calibrating FDI in the sector. For example: A stipulated percentage of FDI in the sector could be required to be spent on building back-end infrastructure, logistics or agro-processing units in order to ensure that the foreign investors make a genuine contribution to the development of infrastructure and logistics.At least 50 percent of the Jobs in the retail outlet could be reserved for rural youth and a certain amount of farm produce could be required to be procured from poor farmers. A minimum percentage of manufactured products could be required to be sourced from the SME sector in India. To ensure that the public distribution system and the Indian food security system, is not weakened, the government may reserve the right to procure a certain amount of food grains.To protect the interest of small retailers, an exclusive regulatory framework to ensure that the retailing giants do not resort to predatory pricing or acquire monopolistic tendencies. Benefits of FDI in multi-brand retail Soaring inflation is one of the driving motives behind this move towards multi-brand etail. Allowing international retailers such as Wal-Mart and Carrefour, which have already set up wholesale operations in the country, to set up multi-brand retails stores will assist in keeping food and commodity prices under control.Moreover, industry experts feel allowing FDI will cut waste, as big players will build backend infrastructure. FDI in m ulti-brand retail would also help narrow the current account deficit. Additional benefits include moving away from an industry focus on intermediaries and Job creation. Moving away from intermediary-only benefits There is broad agreement on the need to improve efficiencies in the household trade of consumer goods. Competent management practices and economies of scale, joined with the acceptance of global best practices and modern technology, could immensely recover systemic competence.Like their foreign counterparts, Indian customers are entitled to receive quality products, produced, processed and handled under a hygienic environment through professionally-managed outlets. Speculative apprehensions that small retailers will be adversely affected are not reason enough to deny millions of consumers access to roducts that meet global standards. Furthermore, todays intermediaries amid producers and customers add no value to tne products, aaalng nugely to Tlnal costs Instead.By tne time products Tilter tnrougn various intermediaries and into the marketplace, they lose freshness and quality, and often go to waste. However, intermediaries garner huge profits by distributing these losses between producers and customers by buying products at low prices from producers, but selling at extremely marked-up prices to consumers. In an unbalanced system that incorporates multiple intermediaries simply for logistics, nly intermediaries benefit.With organized retail, every intermediate step – procurement, processing, transport and delivery – adds value to the product. This happens because it uses international best practices and modern technology, ensuring maximum efficiency and minimum waste. Organized retail enables on-site processing, scientific handling and quick transport through cold storage chains to the final consumer. Once modern retailers introduce an organized model, other vendors, including small retailers, would mechanically copy this model to improv e efficiencies, boost margins and stay in business.Organized retail would thereby bring more stability to prices, unlike the present system where hoarding and artificial shortages by profiteering intermediaries push up product prices. Job creation Despite predictions from some analysts that millions of Jobs would be lost due to FDI in retail, it may in fact be the other way around. With the entry of branded retailers, the market will increase, creating additional employment in retail and other tertiary sectors. Given their professional approach, organized retailers will allot some quantity of resources towards the training and development of the resources they mploy.This effect of branded retailing can already be seen with the Bharti-Wal-Mart collaboration, which has Joined forces with state governments to open training and development centers in Amritsar, Delhi and Bangalore, preparing local youth for Jobs in retail. Training is entirely free and more than 5,600 local youth have al ready been trained. Retail Jobs don't require higher education or highly specialized abilities. No threat to kiranas (mom-and-pop stores) The Indian retail industry is generally divided into organized and unorganized retailing: Organized retailingOrganized retailing refers to trading activities undertaken by licensed retailers, those who have registered for sales tax, income tax, etc. These include corporate-backed hypermarkets and retail chains, and also privately-owned large retail businesses. Unorganized retailing Unorganized retailing refers to the traditional forms of low-cost retailing, for example, local Klrana snops, owner-operated general stores, paan/Dee01 snops, convenlence stores, hand cart and street vendors, etc.The question of whether or not organized and unorganized retailing can peacefully co-exist is a primary concern. While the Indian retail sector is still heavily weighted towards unorganized retailers, which occupy 97 percent of the market, organized retail is g rowing quickly. But with a mere 7 percent of the market, organized retailers are unlikely to drive kiranas (local grocery stores) out of business. Indian retailers simply lack the deep pockets and in-depth field expertise required to be on a par with global models.However, the presence of foreign retailers through Joint ventures and other means could speed up the process of transforming India's retail trade. Considering that small stores offer customers quick doorstep delivery and even credit xtensions – conveniences that no organized retailer in India has so far matched – local, unorganized retailers will likely retain a sizeable market share. The example of China demonstrates clearly that increased FDI in retailing does not necessitate the complete closure of local retailers.China first allowed FDI in retail in 1992, capping it at 26 percent, while India capped FDI in single-brand retail at 26 percent. Only in 2004 did China finally permit 100 percent FDI and local C hinese grocery stores have since grown from 1. 9 million to more than 2. 5 million. Organized etail has Just 20 percent market penetration in China, despite a 20 year lapse since the initial introduction of FDI. According to the proposed state regulations, the minimum FDI would be IJS$IOO million and retail stores would only be allowed in cities with more than one million people.Front-end operations would be allowed only in states that agree to authorize FDI in multi-brand retail. It will also be mandatory for retailers to source at least 30 percent of the value of manufactured goods, barring food products, from small and medium-sized, local enterprises. Such terms will serve as ample safeguards for small retailers. Farmers and small producers will benefit in the long run from better prices for their products and produce, while consumers receive higher quality products at lower prices, along with better service.The advantages outweigh the disadvantages of allowing unrestrained FDI i n the retail sector, as successful experiments in countries like Thailand and China demonstrate. In both countries, the issue of allowing FDI in the retail sector was first met with incessant protests, but allowing such FDI led to GDP growth and a rise in the level of employment. Moreover, in the fierce battle between the advocates and opponents of unrestrained FDI flows in the Indian retail sector, the impact of the consumer on the outcome of these policy changes has been largely disregarded.Consumers will ultimately respond to the incentives of convenience, price, variety and service. Thus, the Interests 0T tnose In tne unorganlzea retall sector will not De gravely unaermlnea; rather, the choice to visit a mega shopping complex or a small retailer/sab]imandi is purely left to the consumer, whose tastes are complex and constantly changing.

Choice and the Characters of Sula

Toni Morrison’s Sula explores the power of choice and its importance in the course of human existence. Regardless of the fact that the African-American characters of Sula are of an oppressed nature, they forever maintain the freedom of choice. This theme of choice provides insight into the acquirement and personification of identity. Sula and Nel, the primary characters of the novel, are utilized by Morrison to highlight how personal identity is established at our own accord.For example, early on in the novel when Morrison is describing the childhood of Sula and Nel, both characters make the conscious decision to act according to their own ideas about the world: â€Å"In the safe harbor of each other’s company they could afford to abandon the ways of other people and concentrate on their own perceptions of things† (55). Nel eventually abandons this concept and assumes a role similar to her mother’s (that of respectable housewife,) but Sula remains this way throughout her life.Because of Sula’s disregard of others’ opinions, she is eventually looked down upon by the townspeople of the Bottom. The actions of these two characters present the question of whether unabashed decision-making is liberating or condemning in terms of social acceptance. Another question Morrison presents is whether we can choose to acknowledge our past or not. At the beginning of the novel, Nel is traveling to her great-grandmother’s funeral with her mother, Helene. Once they arrive, they come into contact with Nel’s grandmother, Rochelle.Rochelle is of Creole descent and makes a living by being an escort. Helene is quick to dismiss Rochelle: â€Å"’I don’t know,’ her mother said. ‘I don’t speak Creole. ’ She gazed at her daughter’s wet buttocks. ‘And neither do you’† (27). It is evident that Helene thinks that by refusing to speak the Creole language that she is also refusing to acknowledge Rochelle and, therefore, erasing her from her and her daughter’s past. With Helene and her behavior towards Rochelle, Morrison presents this question of whether or not we can choose which parts of our past are relevant to our current existence.Following the meeting between Nel and Rochelle, Morrison showcases that characters can choose not only to disregard their past, but also forces in the present that attempt to dictate an individual’s identity: â€Å"’I’m me. I’m not their daughter. I’m not Nel. I’m me. Me’†¦ ‘Me,’ she murmured. And then, sinking deeper into the quilts, ‘I want†¦ I want to be†¦ wonderful†¦ Oh, Jesus, make me wonderful’† (28). Nel realizes that she can make the choice about who she wants to be and about her own identity. She denies her identity being determined by her parents or her heritage.Morrison also highlights how characters utilize the freedom of choice to deter their fears of the unknown future. For example, Shadrack makes the choice to control the uncontrollable after he experiences a mental breakdown during his time in the war: â€Å"It was not death or dying that frightened him, but the unexpectedness of both. In sorting it all out, he hit on the notion that if one day a year were devoted to it, everybody could get it out of the way and the rest of the year would be safe and free. In this manner he instituted National Suicide Day† (14).Instead of letting his life be dictated by outside forces, he chooses the path his life will take by seeking power over what terrifies him the most. While every character in Sula makes a choice of some kind, there is one character who was seemingly denied the luxury of choice and that was Eva Peace: â€Å"The children needed her; she needed money, and needed to get on with her life. But the demands of feeding her children were so acute she had to postpone her anger for two years until she had both the time and energy for it† (32).Eva’s choice was made by the circumstances of her life and the lives of her children. Later on in the novel, Eva denies Plum Peace, her son, the choice to redeem his wayward ways. She sets him on fire after she discovers he has a heroin addiction following the war. In contrast to Eva and her lack of choice in providing for her family by any means necessary, Nel’s husband Jude did possess the power of choice and chose to abandon his family following an affair with Sula: â€Å"’Every man I ever knew left his children. ’ ‘Some were taken. ’ ‘Wrong, Nellie.The word is left’† (143). Morrison uses this conversation to highlight the stark contrast between Nel and Sula and their diverging beliefs in the freedom of choice. Sula maintains that Jude chose to leave his family while Nel argues that he had no choice in being taken away following his shame abo ut the affair. Morrison also portrays how characters make choices based on personal perceptions: â€Å"But thinking Sula had an odd way of looking at things and that her wide smile took some of the sting away from that rattlesnake over her eye† (68).Jude articulates the notion that we can choose how we see things and this can impact the way others see us. Many of the townsfolk of the Bottom perceive Sula as evil based on the appearance of her scar. Morrison’s detailed description of the various images people imagine the scar to be showcases how each individual has the personal power to choose how to view others. While one person may perceive the scar to be a treacherous snake, another perceived it to be a smudge of dirt or a butterfly wing.It is in Sula that readers are presented with various notions regarding the power of freedom of choice. Sula poses the question of what earthly forces influence choice and it also showcases how the power of personal decisions dictate our lives and identities. With Nel and Sula, readers are provided apt character studies in the ramifications of choice. Morrison also presents the rationale behind what actions classify as â€Å"good† and â€Å"evil† when choosing our moral paths in life. Sula is portrayed as â€Å"evil† simply because she chooses her own path, regardless of social norms.In contrast, Nel is considered â€Å"good† because of her ability to assume the role society casts her in, whether it be faithful wife or doting mother. In the end, we come to realize that Sula’s â€Å"careless choices† dictated the prosperity of the town and the behavior of the townsfolk. In her absence, the Bottom and the townspeople suffer from their careless choices that were previously held at bay because of Sula’s presence. Morrison presents the notion that we always possess the power of choice, but whether our choices will be viewed as good or evil is in the hands of others.

Bill of Rights

Bill of Rights Essay In 1791, the Bill of Rights Essay, consisting of 10 amendments, was ratified into the constitution. The documents purpose was to spell out the liberties of the people that the government could not infringe upon. Considered necessary by many at the time of its development, the Bill of Rights became the cause for a huge debate between two different factions: The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The Federalists were those who thought that there should be a new Union created with a strong centralized government and individual regional governments. They felt that it was not necessary for there to be a bill of rights because it was implied that those rights the Constitution did not specifically state would be handed down to the states. On the other hand, the Anti-Federalists were opposed to such a form of government on the grounds that the Constitution, in which it was outlined, lacked clarity in the protections of the individuals. The Anti-Federalistswhose memory of British oppression was still fresh in their mindswanted certain rights and guarantees that were to be apart of the constitution (Glasser 1991). A clear demonstration of the Anti-Federalist attitude was performed by Samuel Bryan, who published a series of essays named the Cenitnal Essays, which assailed the sweeping power of the central government, the usurpation of state sovereignty, and the absence of a bill of rights guaranteeing individual liberties such as freedom of speech and freedom of religion (Bran 1986). Of course, the freedoms stated above are a portion and not the whole of The Bill of Rights. Ultimately, The Bill of Rights was adopted to appease the Anti-Federalists, whose support was necessary to ratify the constitution, and who believed that without the liberties granted therein, the new constitutionthat they thought was vague and granted too much power to the central governmentwould give way to an elite tyrannical government. The purpose of The Bill of Rights is to protect U. S. citizens from abuse of power that may be committed by the different areas of their government. It does this by expressing clear restrictions on the three braches of government laid out previously in the Constitution. As stated by Hugo Black, Associate Justice to the Supreme Court: The bill of rights protects people by clearly stating what government cant do by describing the procedures that government must follow when bringing its powers to bear against any person with a view to depriving him of his life, liberty, or property (Black 1960).' Each amendment either states what the government cannot do or limits its powers by providing certain procedures that it must abide by. To provide a few examples, one must take a closer look at some of these amendments. The First Amendment to the Constitution dictates that Congress shall make no law, which establishes a national religion, prohibits free speech or press, or which prevents the right to assemble or petition the government. In the language used, it expressly prohibits the legislative branch from making laws which would impose on the rights that were given to the people. According to Hugo Black, The Framers were well aware that the individual rights they sought to protect might be easily nullified if subordinated to the general powers granted to Congress. One of the reasons for adoption of the Bill of Rights was to prevent just that (Black 1960). The Third Amendment states that the right to be secure against unreasonable search and seizure shall not be infringed. Again, this amendment is laying down restrictions on what government has power to do. Amendment Six provides the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury, to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, and to have compulsory process for obtaining Witnesses in his favor, and to have Assistance of Counsel for his defense. This amendment states that if you are accused of a crime, you must have certain rights reserved which the courts are obliged to uphold. Furthermore, it outlines regulations that they must follow in order to protect those rights, such as obtaining witnesses and providing an impartial jury. The Eighth Amendment prevents the government from imposing excessive bail or fines and says cruel or unusual punishments, shall .

Global history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global history - Essay Example The fall of the German Empire led to the Weimar Republic. The Social Democratic Sweden government endured through this period, but it must be noted that Sweden remained neutral in WWI. The United States implemented the New Deal, which made the government more involved in American life. The common theme across the world was bigger government in an effort to help citizens. As Hobsbawm points out, the diverse bigger government might have had as many negative effects as positive ones. Around the first of the twentieth century, in Russia, Imperialism was dying. Out of the ashes of WWI, the October Revolution was born. With Tsar Nicholas busy fighting the Germans in WWI, the Revolutionaries gained enough power to topple the Tsar’s government. Hobsbawm speculates â€Å"Tsarist Russia, but for the accident of the First World War and the Bolshevik Revolution, would have evolved into a flourishing liberal-capitalist industrial society† (p. 56). WWI caused the Bolsheviks to gain power, thus forming a bigger communist government out of the former Imperialistic Russia. The Great Slump made communism even more appealing to the Russia people. Communism was based on Karl Marx’s theories. Marx believed in equality among the masses. In a Marxist society, all workers should benefit equally from combined labor. The Russians believed communism would bring equality and prosperity to all citizens at first. In turn Russians believed communism was superior to capitalism (Hobsbawm, p. 56). The problem according to Hobsbawm was state communism betrayed socialist ideals from the beginning (p. 58). Any liberal or democratic aspects of Marxism were excluded by Lenin from the start. By the time Stalin came to power, communism was twisted away from Marx’s original concept of a socialist society. If the Russians had known the direction communism was taking, history might be different. As it stands, a strong government

Beyonce Knowles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Beyonce Knowles - Essay Example This essay "Beyonce Knowles" outlines the life and creative career of one of the most successful artists in the World. Although she has gone solo, Beyonce is still a part of the Destiny’s Child music group. Music consumers have purchased more than 15 million of the Destiny’s Childs records. Their multiplatinum Survivor, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's music chart and generated the highest first-week total for a female group and the biggest opening sales in Columbia Records' history. Survivor opened at No. 1 in nine other countries as well. It follows the success of the group's second CD, The Writing's On the Wall (1999), which has sold more than 10 million copies. Beyonce Knowles has achieved a phenomenal solo success in film acting, having co-starred in Austin Powers in Goldmember and the highly successful film, the The Fighting Temptations. She shares her personal perspective on success: "When you love and accept yourself, when you know who really cares about you, and when you learn from your mistakes, then you stop caring about what people who don't know you think. Usually the person talking is just jealous or sad about themselves, and it takes going through this to realize that's how life is." Beyonce’s parents were instrumental to her success and they continue to manage her singing career. Mathew Knowles, a Fisk University graduate and former corporate marketing and sales star, has built a reputation for being an astute, hands-on manager who engineered Destiny’s Child group’s success. 's Child group's success. He manages a music empire that includes a management firm, record label and production studio. Tina Knowles is the style maven who crafted the group's edgy, sassy image. She has received praise for her dazzling, trendsetting costumes and hairstyles for the group. The Knowleses have been supportive from the very beginning, when Beyonce and a group of young girls decided they wanted to be dancers and singers. They hel ped to train and to rehearse the girls, to select and sew the costumes, and to style hair. The Knowleses booked and helped to transport them to performances. She got her work ethic from her parents. She is a very focused artist. She knows her goals. She does whatever it takes to get the job done. She has come out in Pink Panther with Austin Myers and in Dreamgirls. 2.1 Current Product Beyonce is 27 years old, 5ft 7in, brown-eyed and brown-haired musical star. She has long, muscular legs but is tall, thin and very curvy and hopes to stay that way by looking after her body. To keep herself in top

Environmental Health Assessment-Stakeholder Analysis Essay

Environmental Health Assessment-Stakeholder Analysis - Essay Example Stakeholder analysis is resorted to identify people, organizations, groups who will have a valid and legitimate interest and stakes in the projects being implemented and policies being developed. "Participation analysis - or stakeholder analysis as it is sometimes called - seeks to identify all persons, institutions, etc. involved in a project, in addition to the target group and the implementing agency, and speculates on their expected support or opposition to the program. This analysis is used at the preliminary stages of a project in order to incorporate interests and expectations of persons and groups significant to a project or program" (Participation Analysis, 1990). The process of identifying stakeholders is very important for participatory analysis to be effective. There are various methods of doing this. J.M. Bryson (2003) lists eight thirteen different techniques of doing stakeholder identification and analysis. Here the method suggested in the source quoted earlier (Participation Analysis, 1990) has been followed to identify the stakeholders. They are listed below: The new multibillion dollar industry proposed sees an opportunity to create a profitable venture through meeting a huge demand from KPLC. In view of the hazardous nature of the industry, the regulatory authorities in Kenya have asked the company to incorporate certain additional safeguards such as shifting the location away from the city, providing safety equipment to workers, monitoring their health regularly, installing water treatment plant. All this will mean both higher capital and operational costs. The company may have already factored these in its cost calculations. However there must be a limit to which they would agree for cost escalation. Any Risk Management plan must keep these concerns of the company to get a reasonable rate of return on investment and not push the company to incur cost beyond its bearing capacity. KPLC who is the targeted buyer will benefit from procuring from a local manufacturer which would lower their procurement cost and in turn affect the performance of their company positively. KPCL's primary interest would be that the new company formed has competitive advantage over its current overseas supplier at all times. If at all at some point the newly formed company becomes non competitive, it will run the risk of going back to its earlier supplier and re-negotiating, possibly from a point of weakness. This may adversely affect the utility company and power distribution costs in the country. Setting up a local industry will no doubt create direct and indirect employment. The local labor force will be a direct beneficiary. The labor is most likely to be organized into a labor union, possibly with wider industry linkage. The labor force and the supporting labor union will be an

Xala by Sembene Ousmane Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Xala by Sembene Ousmane - Essay Example â€Å"Xala† articulates the emerging African world, freed from the rule by France. Once the colonial powers exploited the African people; now it is the turn of the rich and the influential to continue with that legacy. The protagonist in the novel El Hadji Abdou Kader Beye is an associate of the forum of businessmen of the country who have joined together to take charge of the country’s economy and apparently to check the inflow of foreign capital. That was just a superficial act. Such businessmen were hand in glove with the foreign businessmen even after the country attained independence. Their disposition was only for public consumption and to mislead the gullible people of the country. The newly formed coterie, of which El Hadji was involved, used approaches and principles identical to that of the colonial businessmen whose place they had occupied. For aggrandizement of power and wealth, they employed corrupt and dubious methods. The colonial powers had left behind t hem a poor Senegalese economy with weak infrastructure. The societal norms were still guided on non-traditional lines with unequal relationships between the two genders. El Hadji intelligently clubs the tenets of Islam to his business goals. Means are of no consequence to him for profiteering and being a Muslim, his status symbol is the number of wives he owns and their palatial houses. His manipulation of the tenets of Islam does not yield good results in the long run and the law of divine retribution works to undo his ill-gotten wealth. The author has something stunning to reveal about the male/female relationships in the country where majority of the people practice Islam. Muslim women are not powerless, as articulated by the Western scholars and sociologists, but while remaining within the four walls of the house, they exercise power in their unique style and dominate men. The gender relations El Hadji’s wives are not quiet and submissive women. The author also introduces another strong woman, Yay Bineta. El Hadji’s third marriage transpires not because he wants it, but on account of the guile of Yay Bineta. El Hadji submits to her manipulations and is compelled to accept her judgment into marrying. The author writes, she "did battle with [El Hadji] in the ancient, allegorical language preserved by custom."(7) During the arguments and counterarguments her feminine viciousness and biting language is liberally employed and she chides him that he is scared of women. His bravado is just an exhibition for showing to the outside world and she castigates him that his wives wear trousers within the house. Such observations must have hurt the ego of El Hadji. Thus the author succinctly argues that the Muslim men in Senegal are the tools in the hands of their wives and they dance to their tunes. Women in Muslim families are generally figured out as humble servants confined to the four walls of the house and they have no freedom whatsoever. They may be restricted when they go out of house on special occasions accompanied by husband or any other male member, but inside the house their rule prevails. The depiction by the western historians is faulty and women are not meek and obedient. El Haldji commands his wives, but their reactions cannot be taken for granted. His wife number two, Oumi N†Doye is a skillful manipulator and she has perfected the art of torturing him mentally and gets her demands fulfilled from him. El Haldji is just the supporter of the three families and he does not enjoy their genuine affection and his bunch of children invariably greets him to demand money. His energies are spent in managing his business and more so his families. When in the end he suffers losses in business his wives desert him. His wife number one stays with him till the end. By depicting the life of El Haldji, the author depicts the societal conditions

GMO the Necessary Evil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

GMO the Necessary Evil - Essay Example There have been many mixed reactions due to GM foods because of the rampant debate surrounding GMO technology. Today, the process of genetic modification is rapidly advancing throughout the planet. In 2004, 8.25 million farmers in 17 nations grew the crops (Ahmed 30). The production and marketing of GM foods are due to the superficial benefits they hold either to the producer or to consumption of these genetic foods. When it was first introduced, GM seeds developers needed their products to be accepted by producers and focus on innovations that have direct benefits to the farmers and the food industry at large. For example, the International Rice Research Institute located in the Philippines manufactured the GM golden rice to help people in South East Asia that were lacking food. Research has shown that GMO presents significant threats because of inconclusive research on their safety and their effects on the environment. However, I believe GMO is a necessary evil that the human race must contend with because it faces an imminent food crisis. GMO is the necessary evil that will solve the world food problem (Specter 34). GMO foods are unavoidable, and we cannot live without them. The World Health Organization (WHO), the Food, Drug Administration, and other scientific bodies in the world have strongly advocated for the use of GM foods, since they do not predispose the human health to any harm. Additionally, research shows that the risks to human health that may be brought about by the consumption of GM foods are the same as those that are produced by the consumption of non-GM foods. Moreover, GM foods are safe to use as they tested for food safety and passed the safety assessment. Some people believe that GM foods should be eliminated due to the risks they have like the health issues. It is a fact that people have eaten some of the GM foods unknowingly, but no complains of serious concerns (Ahmed 18). By 2040, the world’s population is predicted to increase

Organizational Conflict and Conflict Resolution at John Lewis Waitrose Assignment

Organizational Conflict and Conflict Resolution at John Lewis Waitrose - Assignment Example It is against this background that organizational conflict and conflict resolution as a leadership and management issue at John Lewis Waitrose has been outlined in the current paper. Generally, Waitrose is identified as the supermarket division of the larger chain of companies operated under the brand of John Lewis Partnership. With an employee base of over 85,500 in almost 230 branches, it is common that issues of inter-personal conflicts will arise in the conduct of the daily tasks of employees. Through a comprehensive secondary data collection that was conducted on the company, it was realised that like most other organisations where employee-to-employee communication is part of the key chain of processes to get pieces of tasks executed, issues and reports of conflicts are very common. Some key words that emanate from the case study are organisational conflict, conflict resolution, conflict prevention, productivity, inter-personal, and maturity Waitrose is a supermarket component of the larger John Lewis Partnership. Waitrose is thus responsible for the food retail division of John Lewis Partnership, which has been identified as Britain’s largest employee-owned retailer (John Lewis Partnership, 2013). ... Meanwhile in a situation where there exists such differences, perceived and actual oppositions set in, bringing about organizational conflicts (Canary, Coach & Serape, 2001). This situation has however not been a major cause to deter the company from a rapid annual growth, for which reason the company currently boasts of revenue of ?5400.4 million, backed by an operating income of ?173.5 million and net income of ?123.3 million (Gardener, 2013). This feat has been achieved while operating under the mission and vision to be a dedicated, energized and team spirited company that brings excellent food retail services to customers. Cases of Organizational Conflict A case of organisational conflict was found in literature through secondary research in Ting-Toomey, Oetzel & Yee-Jung (2001). It was realised that one employee, Staff X (name withdrawn for ethical purposes) had a communication confrontation with another employee, Staff Y (name withdrawn). Staff X was the employee responsible fo r giving customised service and assistance to a prestige customer of the company. One day as the prestige member comes to the premises of the store, he first approaches Staff Y and asks if Staff X was around to deliver serve as usual. Meanwhile, Staff X had noticed Staff Y that she was going on a lunch break and that Staff Y should cover her back. Because of this, Staff Y accepted to take the role of Staff X and give the prestige member the needed service he always had from Staff X. It turned out that the prestige customer became very satisfied with the services of Staff Y and personally requested from management to assign Staff Y to him from henceforth. Once Staff X was