Fredrick W Taylor Essay Example for Free

Fredrick W Taylor Essay Frederick W Taylor was one who led a life of earnest development in the production and manufacturing sectors. His life was one the spurned on time study and one that advanced America and the world in scientific management. Taylor was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 20, 1856. He lived an eventful and noble life for 59 years and one day dying on March 21, 1915. Throughout his lifetime he was a great inventor with over 40 patents and a brilliant engineer (Britannica). In his early years Taylor was always learning and creating. At age 12, Taylor created a harness that would keep him on his back to try and prevent nightmares (www.stfrancis.edu). In 1872 he went to the Philips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. Here he led his class scholastically. After his completion of studies at Philips Taylor started working as a machine shop laborer in a steel plant named Midvale Steel Company. Quickly Taylor started to grow in position; he became a successful shop clerk, machinist, gang boss, foreman, maintenance foreman, head of drawing office, and finally chief engineer. It is evident to see that Taylor was a man of wisdom and drive, who never settled for anything less than the best. In 1881, at age 25 he introduced time study at the Midvale Plant. The project was a great success and as a result the profession of time study was started. While working at Midvale, Taylor studied at night to get a degree in mechanical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. As can be seen even from an early age Taylor had successes in new areas of study which spurned on his later life accomplishments. Throughout Taylor’s mid and late life he continued to advance and spread his knowledge of time study. He retired at age 45, after that he, his wife and their three adopted children lived in Philadelphia from 1904 to 1914. He continued to devote money and time to promote the principals of scientific management through lectures at universities and professional societies (Britannica). In 1906 Taylor was elected the president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and that same year was he was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree by the University of Pennsylvania (Britannica). Taylor was a man of expert wisdom and foresight and it is seen throughout his life as we just discussed but these characteristics primary shine when you look at his theory and successes of time study. He realized that production could be increased by standardizing this system of work (smallbusiness.chrono.com). Taylor’s time study theory was that he would break each job down into specific tasks and timed how long it took a worker to complete each task (smallbusiness.chrono.com). Then he specified exactly how each task was to be performed and what tools to use, then the workers were trained to complete the task in a certain way (smallbusiness.chrono.com). He did this because he believed that there was one and only one method of work that maximized efficiency as he said, â€Å"And this one best method and best implementation can only be discovered of developed through scientific study and analysis.† (Vincenzo Sandrone). He proved this theory at the Bethlehem Steel Works where they had 500 men shoveling coal. He performed his time and motion studies and found out that using a different shovel for different size coal that it increased the amount you could shovel. So as a result of these two studies men could shovel more coal for a longer period of time. Thus he effectively reduced the number of men shoveling coal to 140 (smallbusiness.chrono.com). This is the reality of his theory and the results speak for themselves. Also, Taylor worked alongside Henry Ford to create the first assembly line (smallbusiness.chrono.com). Taylor also used his expertise and applied it to moving pig iron. He increased the amount moved from 12.5 tons per a day to 47.5 tons of pig iron a day. This leads to another point of Taylor’s theory and it was that he believed that you had to choose the right people for the task. Relating the example just mentioned, Taylor said that not all workers were fully capable of moving 47.5 tons of pig iron per a day, perhaps only 1/8 of the pig iron handlers were capable of doing that. This is because their physical capabilities were well-suited for moving pig iron. This is Taylor’s point, that workers should be picked according to how well they suit a particular job. Taylor also had a motivational theory, called the economic man (Business Studies). This was that workers were motivated or encouraged by money alone and the only factor that could stimulate further output or work was the chance of earning extra money (Business Studies). Taylor always said that workers should be paid a ‘fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work’ and that the pay should be directly linked with output (Business Studies). This leads to a further point of Taylor’s, and it is called ‘piece rate’. To encourage this, workers were pay by each unit that they produced, and the first unit were paid at a low rate and the more the worker produced that higher the pay they received. He also believed that incentive wages were of no use unless they were coupled with efficient tasks that were carefully planned and easily learned (www.stfrancis.edu). Thus is Taylor’s main motivational suggestion; to link pay with output. Taylor also standardized the role of management. This included setting managers apart from operations and giving them more authority to set the tasks workers do (smallbusiness.chrono.com). Taylors’ attitudes toward workers were laden with negative bias â€Å"in the majority of cases this man deliberately plans to do as little as he safely can.† The methods that Taylor adopted were directed solely towards the uneducated (Vincenzo Sandrone). Taylor believed that the secret of productivity was finding the right challenge for each person, then paying him well for increased output (www.stfrancis.edu). He believed that incentive wages were no solution unless they were combined with efficient tasks that were carefully planned and easily learned (www.stfrancis.edu). Throughout this passage it is evident to see what a work Taylor accomplished. He is the father of scientific management and the one who spurned off time study. Taylor spent his whole life increasing efficiency in the workplace, working with making people and companies, most notable, Henry Ford. He and many others of his time like Henry Ford did work that put the United States on the leading edge during the Industrial Revolution. Bibliography 1. Frederick Winslow Taylor, Mary Ellen Papesh, www.stfrancis.edu/content/ba/ghkickul/stuwebs/bbios/biograph/fwtaylor.htm 2. Britannica, Frederick W Taylor, www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/584820/Fredrick-W-Taylor. 3. Herzberg Taylor’s Theories of Motivation, Lisa Magloff, Demand Media, www.smallbusiness.chrono.com/herzberg-taylors-theories-motivation-704.html 4. Frederick W Taylor: Master of Scientific Management, www.skymart.com/resources/leaders/taylor/asp 5. Business Studies second edition, Peter Stimpson and Alastair Farquharson, Cambridge University Press 2010

Commercial Risk in International Business

Commercial Risk in International Business What is International business ? International business is a term used to collectively describe all commercial transactions (private and governmental, sales, investments, logistics, and transportation) that take place between two or more nations. Usually, private companies undertake such transactions for profit; governments undertake them for profit and for political reasons. A multinational enterprise (MNE) is a company that has a worldwide approach to markets and production or one with operations in more than a country. An MNE is often called multinational corporation (MNC) or transnational company (TCN). Well known MNCs include fast food companies such as McDonalds and Yum Brands, vehicle manufacturers such as General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Toyota, consumer electronics companies like Samsung, LG and Sony, and energy companies such as ExxonMobil, Shell and BP. Most of the largest corporations operate in multiple national markets. Areas of study within this topic include differences in legal systems, political systems, economic policy, language, accounting standards, labor standards, living standards, environmental standards, local culture, corporate culture, foreign exchange market, tariffs, import and export regulations, trade agreements, climate, education and many more topics. Each of these factors requires significant changes in how individual business units operate from one country to the next. The conduct of international operations depends on companies objectives and the means with which they carry them out. The operations affect and are affected by the physical and societal factors and the competitive environment. Objectives of International Business: sales expansion, resource acquisition, risk minimization. What are Risk In International Business ? Companies doing business across international borders face many of the same risks as would normally be evident in strictly domestic transactions. For example, * Buyer insolvency (purchaser cannot pay); * Non-acceptance (buyer rejects goods as different from the agreed upon specifications); * Credit risk (allowing the buyer to take possession of goods prior to payment); * Regulatory risk (e.g., a change in rules that prevents the transaction); * Intervention (governmental action to prevent a transaction being completed); * Political risk (change in leadership interfering with transactions or prices); and * War and Acts of God. * The risks that exist in international trade can be divided into two major groups: Economic risks . Risk of insolvency of the buyer, . Risk of protracted default the failure of the buyer to pay the amount due within six months after the due date . Risk of non acceptance . Surrendering economic sovereignty * Political risks . Risk of cancellation or non renewal of export or import licences . War risks . Risk of expropriation or confiscation of the importers company . Risk of the imposition of an import ban after the shipment of the goods . Transfer risk imposition of exchange controls by the importers country or foreign currency shortages . Surrendering political sovereignty  · Exchange rates * Price for which the currency of a country can be exchanged for another countrys currency. Factors that influence exchange rate include (1) interest rates, (2) inflation rate, (3) trade balance, (4) political stability, (5) internal harmony, (6) high degree of transparency in the conduct of leaders and administrators, (7) general state of economy, and (8) quality of governance. Risks in international trade can be divided under several types, such as: Economic risks: * Risk of concession in economic control * Risk of insolvency of the buyer * Risk of non-acceptance * Risk of protracted default i.e. the failure of the buyer to pay off the due amount after six months of the due date * Risk of Exchange rate * Political risks: * Risk of non- renewal of import and exports licenses * Risks due to war * Risk of the imposition of an import ban after the delivery of the goods * Surrendering of political sovereignty Buyer Country risks * Changes in the policies of the government * Exchange control regulations * Lack of foreign currency * Trade embargoes Commercial risk: * A banks lack of ability to honor its responsibilities * A buyers failure pertaining to payment due to financial limitations * A sellers inability to provide the required quantity or quality of goods Others Risks : * Cultural differences e.g., some cultures consider the payment of an incentive to help trading is absolutely lawful * Lack of knowledge of overseas markets * Language barriers * Inclination to corrupt business associates * Legal protection for breach of contract or non-payment is low * Effects of unpredictable business environment and fluctuating exchange rates * Sovereign risk the ability of the government of a country to pay off its debts * Natural risk due to the various kinds natural catastrophes, which cannot be controlled There are many other risks which are the following. (1) Strategic Risk (2) Operational Risk (3) Political Risk (4) Country Risk (5) Technological Risk (6) Environmental Risk (7) Economic Risk (8) Financial Risk (9) Terrorism Risk Strategic Risk: The ability of a firm to make a strategic decision in order to respond to the forces that are a source of risk. These forces also impact the competiveness of a firm. Porter defines them as: threat of new entrants in the industry, threat of substitute goods and services, intensity of competition within the industry, bargaining power of suppliers, and bargaining power of consumers. Operational Risk: This is caused by the assets and financial capital that aid in the day-to-day business operations. The breakdown of machineries, supply and demand of the resources and products, shortfall of the goods and services, lack of perfect logistic and inventory will lead to inefficiency of production. By controlling costs, unnecessary waste will be reduced, and the process improvement may enhance the lead-time, reduce variance and contribute to efficiency in globalization. Political Risk: The political actions and instability may make it difficult for companies to operate efficiently in these countries due to negative publicity and impact created by individuals in the top government. A firm cannot effectively operate to its full capacity in order to maximize profit in such an unstable countrys political turbulence. A new and hostile government may replace the friendly one, and hence expropriate foreign assets. Country Risk: The culture or the instability of a country may create risks that may make it difficult for multinational companies to operate safely, effectively, and efficiently. Some of the country risks come from the governments policies, economic conditions, security factors, and political conditions. Solving one of these problems without all of the problems (aggregate) together will not be enough in mitigating the country risk. Technological Risk: Lack of security in electronic transactions, the cost of developing new technology, and the fact that these new technology may fail, and when all of these are coupled with the outdated existing technology, the result may create a dangerous effect in doing business in the international arena. Environmental Risk: Air, water, and environmental pollution may affect the health of the citizens, and lead to public outcry of the citizens. These problems may also lead to damaging the reputation of the companies that do business in that area. Economic Risk: This comes from the inability of a country to meet its financial obligations. The changing of foreign-investment or/and domestic fiscal or monetary policies. The effect of exchange-rate and interest rate make it difficult to conduct international business. Financial Risk: This area is affected by the currency exchange rate, government flexibility in allowing the firms to repatriate profits or funds outside the country. The devaluation and inflation will also impact the firms ability to operate at an efficient capacity and still be stable. Most countries make it difficult for foreign firms to repatriate funds thus forcing these firms to invest its funds at a less optimal level. Sometimes, firms assets are confiscated and that contributes to financial losses. Terrorism Risk: These are attacks that may stem from lack of hope; confidence; differences in culture and religious philosophy, and/or merely hate of companies by citizens of host countries. It leads to potential hostile attitudes, sabotage of foreign companies and/or kidnapping of the employers and employees. Such frustrating situations make it difficult to operate in these countries. CASES * October 2006 International Risk North Korea Future Implications International Risk has drawn up a report which explores the strategic thinking of the North Korean regime and their logic for conducting nuclear tests. The report outlines the likely future implications for Asia. * September 2005 International Risk Assessment: INDIA BUSINESS RISK OPPORTUNITIES India continues to establish itself as an emerging global force attracting increasing foreign direct investment. In response to the ever changing business climate, companies need to develop strategies to increase competitiveness and improve profitability. When expanding into new and developing markets, there are various elements that help make the endeavour successful as well as risks which can lead to severe disappointment. With India being touted as the new market and global player, it is critical that companies understand and appreciate both the opportunities and challenges faced by foreign investors. In short, provided companies take appropriate action to, India works. It represents a huge opportunity for the investor who has the appetite for detail, is patient and looks to the long term. International Risk, the premier international risk mitigation and investigation company, provides a strategic assessment on the risks and opportunities for foreign investors entering this exciting market. * May 2005 International Risk Macau Strategic Risk Assessment In the five years since its return to Chinese sovereignty, the former Portuguese colony of Macau has witnessed unprecedented economic growth, driven by huge investment inflows into its gaming and tourist industries and an explosion in visitor arrivals, particularly from the mainland. Whilst there are positive indications as to Macau continuing its growth as a regional gaming centre, much like its new role model Las Vegas, there are nevertheless uncertainties and risks arising from its chequered past as much as from its future under Beijings current benevolent oversight. Understanding these factors is crucial if foreign investors are to mitigate this risk. International Risk, the premier international risk mitigation and investigation company has developed a strategic review of the challenges facing Macau, the opportunities it presents investors, and the risks they could encounter. International Risk has considerable experience in discreetly assisting foreign investors who seek to enter this colorful, yet exciting environment. * April 2005 International Risk Report on China-Japan  § Political and strategic frictions between China and Japan have been growing over the past few years because of deep-seated historical distrust and an accelerating rivalry for regional power and influence between the two countries. But these tensions were previously contained and offset by close economic ties and the sharing of many issues of mutual interest, such as concerns over the rise of a nuclear North Korea.  § This calm in China-Japan relations has been damaged by a perfect storm of controversies that has unleashed pent-up passions among Chinese city-dwellers across the country. The history text-book issue over Japans war-time activity in China, Japans bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat and Tokyos decision to allocate drilling rights in disputed territorial waters are all highly charged emotional issues that strike at the very heart of Chinese popular nationalism.  § While these controversies have propelled Chinese onto the streets in their thousands, the Chinese leaderships decision to allow these anti-Japanese protests to take place is driven by deeper structural issues that suggest China-Japan ties are likely to remain volatile in the longer term. Managing the Risks of International Trade This guide provides information that will help you to put procedures in place to minimise the risks involved in international trade. You should read it if you are responsible for planning and delivering the export strategy in your company. You should make sure that the information in this briefing is read by your sales and marketing force, your finance management team, your credit manager and the sales ledger controller. What types of risks will I have to manage? Customer Risk You will need an assessment of the credit worthiness of your customer. This should include checking the following: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The identity of your customer. Do they exist as a legally established business in the country of import? Are you dealing with someone who has the authority to bind your customer; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The usual period of credit offered in your customers country; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The credit limit you are prepared to offer your customer; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The trading history of your customer. Are they a prompt payer? Have there been any changes to their normal payment patterns? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Are your exports compatible with your customers normal business profile? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Can your customer pay the bill? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Insolvency. Remember that a customers insolvency can involve you in a pre credit risk, where losses can occur if your customer becomes insolvent during the manufacturing process or at any time before or after the despatch of the export consignment. You can obtain the information needed to carry out these checks either yourself or through a reputable credit agency or credit insurer. Country Risk As well as your customer, their country can pose separate risks that you will need to manage. Country risks traditionally fall into five areas: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sovereign: The willingness or ability of the government to pay its debts. This is affected by the political climate within the country, internal and external threats to the country; international trading performance including balance of payments record; the level of national debt and the amount of foreign exchange reserves. Other political decisions can also frustrate your export sales; these include the imposition of embargoes, tariff or other quotas, and import or export restrictions. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Private: The ability of the private sector to pay for its imports. This situation is affected by the 2 SITPRO Management Guide: Managing the Risks of International Trade state of the domestic economy, the commercial institutions in the country, and the competence of banking and financial services sector. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Natural: Some regions of the world suffer from regular climactic catastrophes (for example annual flooding, drought, earthquakes and other disasters). When these occur they can severely disrupt the operations of both the business sector and the government. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fashion and Finance: International trading patterns often create a fashionable region or country as an export market. In these circumstances trade finance is often readily available, allowing you to offer good credit terms to your export customers. However, fashions change and countries can quickly go out of favour for both exports and trade finance. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Other: These include transfer risks such as the inconvertibility of the local currency; transaction risks such as late or non-payment, and transition risks for emerging markets where the threats are the effectiveness of the liberalisation programme, failure to complete economic structural reforms and any possible destabilising influences. You can obtain information about country risks by visiting the country and/or by speaking to other knowledgeable organisations such as UK Trade Investment, your local chamber of commerce or one of the major banks. Credit Risk Perhaps the first question you should ask is Can I afford to give my customers credit? To decide how much credit you are prepared to advance you must consider: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The amount of credit outstanding in your trading accounts, both overseas and domestic; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What do you know about your customer and what is the maximum amount of credit you should NOT exceed; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Can you carry any financial shortfall? What will be the impact on your business if your customer delays payment or does not pay at all? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How will you finance the credit period you offer? This means do you have sufficient money to allow you to offer credit terms in export sales contracts as part of your business cycle. Foreign Exchange Risk When you trade internationally you will most likely be dealing in more than one currency. This means you are exposed to fluctuations in the foreign exchange market. You can learn how to manage this risk by referring SITPROs guide on The Foreign Exchange Market. Other risks If you manufacture goods to order you must include in your export strategy a contingency that will help you manage the risk of a frustrated export this is when your customer refuses the goods. You should have a plan to either resell the product to another market or realise a salvage value for your goods. Managing the Risks of International Trade: You must also have procedures in place for the collection of your invoice amount. Under your contract you may have to collect your money in your customers country. This does have its risks as collection maybe more uncertain or expensive, so you will have to consider the legal system in their country. Your contract may, however, allow you to take legal steps to recover your debt in another country, including your own. How do I manage these risks? You can do the job yourself or employ the services of a comprehensive credit management and insurance provider. If you decide, for sound business reasons, to do the job in house then you must have the resources and knowledge to: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ gather credit and other trade information about existing, and potential, customers; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ research the country and associated risks; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ examine the need for credit insurance, identify the most appropriate policy and investigate competitive products and services; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ manage the credit insurance policy and maximise any benefits If you decide to go down this route, you will have to consider the financial and other impacts on your business. These include senior management ownership of the credit management strategy; The allocation of sufficient time, resource and money to do the job, and a review of your export catalogue prices. You must remember to include the costs of in house risk management and extending credit terms in your export quotes. Otherwise, a profit can soon turn into a loss as administrative costs eat into your bottom line. What types of risk management and insurance services are available? Classically, these are the approaches adopted by the business sector, based on the pattern of trade of the exporter. Type of business à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supplying goods to markets and customers on a regular basis; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A large one-off sales contract; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The supply of capital or semi-capital goods for major overseas projects; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The provision of services such as surveys or feasibility studies; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Smaller or new exporters. Products and services Depending on your type of business, the following products and services are available to you: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A partnership with a Credit Insurer to identify and assess your business prospects and cover the risks on your exports. The service can be tailored to meet your needs, by covering all Managing the Risks of International Trade. Your sales ledger, or just your accounts with larger customers, or by having a geographic limit, or by product line, or indeed in many other ways; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A specific insurance policy structured for a particular deal. Such a policy will take into account any factors unique to the sales contract which is being covered. Specific policies are ideal for contracts whose size or duration fall outside the normal pattern of your trade. Also they are suitable for the sale of capital or semi capital goods on extended credit. Insurance for individual contracts can be obtained from credit insurance companies but the main supplier of this service, particularly for capital goods contracts, is the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD); à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Smaller or new exporters can use a Managed Credit Insurance scheme as a way of contracting-out the credit control functions (obtaining country information, checking customer details and credit limits, chasing overdue payments and making claims). The cost of these services are often included in the premium for the scheme. Where do I obtain these services? You can approach specialist credit management and insurance providers, or your insurance adviser (broker, agent or intermediary). A list of credit insurance companies can be obtained from Association of British Insurers. Details of specialist advisers can be obtained from organisations such as the British Insurance Brokers Association. With their worldwide networks credit insurance companies have years of experience and expertise in analysing and covering the risks involved in international trade. In addition to covering commercial debts and indemnifying you if your customer fails to pay, they can provide you with guaranteed cover which could improve your cash-flow, provide confidence to maximize your export sales and may enhance your borrowing power. The use of credit insurance imposes on your company a disciplined and professional approach to trade risk management. Adopting this solution can help reduce your bad debts, improve your competitiveness in the global marketplace and increase your profitability. Are there any other options open to me? There are other financial solutions to you credit management risks: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ do nothing, and carry the risk yourself. The extent of the risk you are prepared to take will determine if this option is appropriate; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Factoring or invoice discounting; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Forfaiting.; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Secured payment terms (for example, Letters of Credit); à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Insurance-backed financial packages. Managing the Risks of International Trade How much will it cost me? Like all insurance cover (premises, employers liability, business interruption) you will have to pay for your risk management and insurance services. Policies based on a specific risk are available and premium is usually on a one-off basis. Premium is calculated according to the specific risk in question, credit period offered, your customers country and the duration of the risk from the insurers perspective. There are also credit insurance policies and managed schemes that will cover all of your export turnover. Premium is usually annual and assessed against your estimated insurable turnover (the sales on credit covered). With your credit insurer you will have to agree your target export turnover for any one year. Typically, you can expect to pay between 0.35% and 0.65% for this type of policy, dependent on your products, the number of customers and range of your export markets, your export trading experience, and your own credit management system. As with all insurance cover, you should spend time researching the market and getting quotes from a range of credit insurance providers. The costs quoted are based on typical policies available for small or new exporters wishing to cover sales with fairly short delivery and payment profiles. Costs will rise for specific policies where the horizon of risk for the insurer might be 2 or 3 years as in the case of ECGD cover for capital goods projects. Conclusion Credit insurance is an important risk management tool to help you protect the payment of your overseas accounts and unlock the full potential of your export business. You should carefully consider including it in your global trading strategy. What are the major risks for business? 1. Political risk 2. Economic risk 3. Financial risk What is the risk in the following Countries..? INDIA : In India or country risk tier (CRT) is categories in three types of risks. Political, economical financial risks. * Poverty reduction in India is heavily reliant upon high levels of economic growth, which is likely to return in 2010/11. Political Risk: High à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Income disparity in India is significant, as approximately one third of the population lives in poverty. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ National security has become a focus in India as some of the major cities have been the scene of terrorist bombings. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The bilateral relationship with Pakistan is strained, and receives worldwide attention. Efforts in recent years to make reparations have been interrupted repeatedly by acts of violence. Financial System Risk: Moderate à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The insurance industry is regulated by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Indian government is working to align its regulatory and accounting standards with international best practices. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Indian financial system has fared relatively well during the global financial crisis. Economic Risk: Moderate à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ India, with a massive population exceeding one billion, is home to the worlds 12th largest economy as measured by gross domestic product (GDP). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Indias information technology sector and business services sector have been drivers of growth as the government has supported development with improvements in infrastructure and regulation. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A notable point of weakness for the Indian economy is the worsening government budget balance. The deficit will likely reach -7.0% of GDP in 2008/09. CANADA: Economic Risk: Very Low à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Canadas economy is developed, with services and manufacturing accounting for the majority of the countrys output. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ International trade is vital to the economy as exports represent about 40% of GDP with nearly 80% of those exports going to the United States. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Economic growth in Canada began to contract in the fourth quarter of 2008 and will continue to contract until 2010. Political Risk: Very Low à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Canada is a high income country with significant natural resources and an established legal system. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Canadas economy is inexorably linked to that of the United States due to the latter countrys geographic proximity, cultural similarities and economic size. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Canadas budget has moved into deficit as the government uses fiscalpolicy to help stimulate the economy. Financial System Risk: Very Low à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Insurance companies in Canada can be licensed at a national and/or provincial level. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Federal companies are registered under the Insurance Companies Act of Canada and are regulated by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions of Canada. USA: Economic Risk: Very Low à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The United States economy is the largest and most advanced in the world with gross domestic product (GDP) of more than USD 14 trillion. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The United States has the dual advantage of being rich in natural resources, both agricultural and mineral, but also capable of producing high-end products such as computers and peripherals, medical equipment, pharmaceutical products and military equipment. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The U.S. economy is currently experiencing its worst economic contraction since at least the early 1980s with unemployment expected to reach double digits and GDP reaching negative 3% in 2009. Political Risk: Very Low à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The United States has a stable democratic political system and a strong legal system. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The United States is currently involved in armed combat in Iraq and Afghanistan which has put strain on the relationships between the U.S. and much of the international community. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The U.S. is currently using expansionary fiscal policy to stimulate the economy and this has led to a substantial increase in the budget deficit. Financial System Risk: Very Low à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Insurance regulation in the United States is decentralized and handled on a state by state basis. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The financial system in the U.S. is going through a tumultuous period with the government intervention with large corporations such as Bear Stearns, Citigroup and AIG. UK: Economic Risk: Very Low à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The United Kingdom (UK) has the second largest economy in Europe behind Germany. Service industries represent three quarters of economic production, particularly financial services and real estate activities. London is a global financial center and businesses there account for nearly half of the countrys financial services industry. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The UK economy entered into a recession in the second half of 2008 as the country has been hit hard by the financial crisis and a declining housing market. The economy is not expected to recover until mid to late 2010 at the earliest. Political Risk: Very Low à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The United Kingdom is a member of the European Union. However, the United Kingdom, along with Denmark, obtained special opt-outs from the Maastricht Treaty which allows them to not adopt the euro unless they wish. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The UK government has taken steps to counteract the effects of the current financial crisis. These steps include partial nationalization of the banking system and implementing several stimulus packages. Financial System Risk: Very Low à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Financial Services Authority (FSA) regulates the UK financial services industries, including insurance. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The UK is widely seen as a major center for international insurance and reinsurance and is home to the London Market, a wholesale market that writes risk around the world. Lloyds of London accounts for over half of the business on the London Market. JAPAN: Economic Risk: Low à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Japan, an industrialized and advanced country, is home to the second largest economy in the world behind that of the United States. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Gross domestic product (GDP) growth, which had been weak over the past 20 years, will fall sharply in 2009 as domestic demand and exports contract. The government is responding to the crisis with aggressive expansionary fiscal policies that should result in a return to modest growth in 2010. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Inflation, however, is expected to remain negative until 2011.

The Mind: Aristotle Kant And Socrates :: essays research papers

Daniel C. Dennet said in A Glorious Accident that, "our minds--if you like-- [are] just as real as our dreams"(Kayzer, 37). The implications of this statement are substantial, for if this is true--if our minds and our consciousness are just dreams or the constructs of our brain, what we perceive, our memories, and our sense of reality are nothing more than illusions. Not only is this scientifically a valid statement, but it forces us to question who we are, and what we know . It is the latter that is of interest at this moment. What I wish to do in this essay is to tie together this concept of perception and the mind with what we have read in Text and Critics, as well as to discuss the need for science to find "reality" and "knowledge." But, first, we must understand what Dennet means by â€Å"our minds being as real as our dreams†. Dennet's point is profound and a point that should not be dismissed as a whim of a philosopher but, instead, a scientific reality-- not the construct of a man's subjective mind. One is led to believe that the best way to describe the mind as an illusion is to describe it in terms of dreams. When we sleep, our external sensory input is shut down. However, our minds, when we dream, are not in a very different state than when we are awake, other than as said before that our external sensory input is shut down. Thus, we can conclude that, our waking state is just as illusionary as our dreams, though with supplementary external sources of information. When dreaming, we obviously receive sensory input that enables our minds to create dreams with sights, sounds, touch, taste, emotions, experience, and sometimes even smell. If there is no external sensory input, we must logically imply that it is coming from internal sources in the brain, the most obvious one being memory. Immediately, we can agree that memory is a subjective source of reality, as we can see in the ease in which memory fills in its missing gaps with often incorrect information (often influenced by our personal bias) as well as the ease in which memory can be altered or repressed and false memory can be created. So, immediately, by looking at S. Brown 2 dreams, we can see that one source of our perception is subject to all sorts of editing by the brain. While the subjectivity of the memories is most evident during the dream state, our memory is

Youth Sports - Little Girls Need Sports! Essay example -- Argumentativ

Little Girls Need Sports! You may have seen the ad on television. It is one of the few advertisements using the voices of little girls that isn't promoting unrealistically figured Barbie dolls or the likes. The ad starts with a 10-year-old girl in a swing set and presents a series of images of different young girls saying: If you let me play sports I will like myself more; I will have more self-confidence, If you let me play sports. If you let me play, I will be 60 percent less likely to get breast cancer; I will suffer less depression. If you let me play sports, I will be more likely to leave a man who beats me. If you let me play, I will be less likely to get pregnant before I want to. I will learn what it means to be strong. If you let me play sports. If you let me play sports. Although the product being sold is never mentioned, the ad, which was produced by Nike, in just 45 seconds delivers one of the most powerful and thought-provoking messages on T.V. about the benefits gained by girls who play sports. Women in sports is an issue that has dated back for many years. The breakthrough for women was in 1972 when Title IX, an amendment to the 1965 Civil Rights Act, was passed. It was designed to address sex discrimination in all areas of education, including athletics. Although Title IX was implemented many years ago, women and girls are still fighting for the right to play despite much evidence that sports make our girls stronger women and teach them to avoid a whole host of risk-taking and self-destructive behaviors. Research from the Women's Sports Foundation show female athletes have lower rates of teenage pregnancy, are more likely to delay their first sexual experience, and have, on ave... ...tiveness, and teamwork, skills that everyone will need in life. Girls learn that you're going to fail sometimes, but they also learn perseverance and that failure is not permanent. The Nike ad drew much attention to the female need. It helps to draw a picture in the minds of educators and parents that preventing girls from participating in sports hinders their emotional and physical growth. Sports can make girls strong and not afraid to be vocal; they can teach girls how to succeed and how to cope with failure. They can help girls to know their own physical and mental strength and build confidence and self esteem. So when a girl asks if she can play, instead of telling her no, let her play. Work Cited Goff, Karen Goldberg. "Playing For Keeps; Youth sports credited with imparting lifelong benefits." The Washington Times. 10 November 2002. 19 April 2003.

The Florence Baptistery :: essays research papers fc

People often try to imitate a finished product if it has become popular. When this is done after several years it is considered a revival. Usually the artist or patron has a purpose such as modeling after a powerful culture or religious significance. They may slightly change or mix other styles to make the best of past and present. In Florence Italy there stands a baptistery. It resides west of the Florence Cathedral, which was modeled after the baptistery. The Cathedral began in 1296 by Arnolfo di Cambio. Although the two resemble each other, they are considered to be from two different styles. The Baptistery of S. Giovanni is categorized as Romanesque while the cathedral is considered Gothic. The exterior of the cathedral doesn't appear to be Gothic, it's the interior that is. The baptistery possesses an octagonal structure with an extension to the west. This extension was originally an apse. There are doors to the north, south, and east sides. All of the doors are decorated with beautiful sculptures. The first doors were done by Andrea Pisano and set the standards for the next to come. The second set, the first done by Lorenzo Ghiberti, were originally hung on the east end, but were soon moved to the north side to make room for the final set. These final doors, by Ghiberti, have earned the name 'Gates of Par adise.'; The name S. Giovanni was given to the baptistery because of the remains of Piazza S Giovanni found beneath the floor in a medieval cemetery. Historians have argued the baptistery's date for a few hundred years and it is still completely unsure what is it. The first recorded documentation of the baptistery's existence was March 4th, 897. Many have come to agree that the original constructed was during the 6th and 7th centuries and much of the restoration happened around 1059. Through the years nature's forces have taken their toll upon the San Giovanni. Several restorations have been made to the exterior and the interior since the 10th century. The most drastic change done would have to be the exterior marble. Around 1293 the corner pilasters were reconstructed with alternating slabs of green and white marble. This technique wasn't ever seen in the Florentine school and was assumed to have originated in Pisa. The use of alternating marbles and the arcade sills wrap around th e entire building. It gives a sense flowing continuity.

Morality as Anti-Nature

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) was a German philosopher known for his radical critics of the classical philosophical thought and religion. Nietzsche rejected social laws, morals and religion. Nietzsche’s views on religions and morals get the best realization in his later works. In Beyond Good and Evil he explores the ethical mechanisms, which regulate people behavior and their origins. He did not believe that nature was morally neutral. He distinguished two types of morality: herd morality and master morality. Herd morality he attributed to Christianity. Nietzsche criticized both – this type of morality and religion, based on the consciousness of slaves. He correlated the appearance of the terms good and bad to the terms of Roman Empire when everything connected with warriors and cruelty. Such moral system gave week and suppressed a kind of compensation in their miserable situation and gave them mechanisms to control strong and successful members of the society.   Nietzsche states that generations of people live directed by the ethical judgments created by the generation of slaves. He believes that   using such moral principles we only distance ourselves from true liberation and fortify the continuousness of the slaves. The type of morality described above reflects â€Å"herd morality†, which dominates in the society for centuries. Another type of morality, which is contrasted to herd morality, is called master morality. According to Nietzsche this morality is realistic and reflects the real destination of all human creatures. Master morality asserts the power of successful and strong individuals, who have the right to rule the world. Nietzsche denied the morality of the nature, calling it morally neutral. â€Å"There are no moral phenomena; there are only moral interpretations. Thus, master morality speaks of â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† rather than â€Å"Good and Evil† (Nietzsche, 87).   He saw master morality as the way to overcome limitations, created by the moral judgments of slave morality. Master morality for Nietzsche becomes the way to realize the potential to will-to-power. Denying religions values, Nietzsche did not recognize rich literary prophesy of world religious. He did not see any value in religious texts and sermons. The Sermon of the Mount is an essence of all Christian teaching. It contains instructions of Jesus Christ to his Disciples. These instructions teach people compassion and patience. Speaking about afterlife, Jesus underlines that all needy will get everything they deserve after death. In his sermon, Jesus underlines the importance of seeking for the righteousness, he states: â€Å"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled† (Matthew 5:6). Principles of non-violence and obedience to the will of God are close to the ideas expressed by the majority of world religions. Jesus Christ stresses on the unconditional universal love, which he defined as a main moral principle. The Ten Commandments given to Moses on the Mount of Sinai contain the very principle ideas of Christian teaching. According to the Bible God gave these Ten Commandments to Moses in order to pass his will to all people. These Commandments became universal guidelines for all religious people. They express norms of moral behavior for all people. If we study them in greater detail we will see that these Commandments are universal and can be applied for all people regardless of their race and religion.   For many centuries the Ten Commandments have been the foundation for moral system of Western Civilization. It is difficult to doubt such universal truths, as: Honour thy father and mother Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal (Exodus 20:2-17). It is had to imagine a person, who would disagree these Commandments. The Ten Commandments are designed in order to regulate not only relations between God and humans. They also contain guidelines for person to person interactions and social behavior. Night Journey or Al-Isra wa Al-Miraj of 24th Rajab 619 CE is a story from Qur’an, which describes the journey of the Prophet Mohammed to Jerusalem and his meeting with God.   This story describes Prophet’s journey through seven heavens and his conversation with God. On his way Mohammed meets a lot of characters from religious texts. After his conversation with God he gets the message that it is necessary to pray God five times a day. Often people, who read this story understand it literary and see it only as a message about the necessity to pray. In reality the message of this story is much deeper as it speaks about such important themes as faith in God, individual responsibility, right faith, avoiding evil and sacredness of life. This passage from Qur’an raises the questions of human freedom and responsibility.   Mohammad passes not only the message about the necessity to pray God. He also speaks that each person should be responsible for his actions. Nietzsche’s critique of religion has an aesthetic nature. He also denies morals.   For Nietzsche religion is only an ugly form, weak people use as compensation for their weakness.   The cult of weak and miserable was established for centuries and it included the denial of everything beautiful, healthy, strong and powerful, including human body. Nietzsche states that â€Å"Christianity, which despised the body, has been the greatest misfortune of humanity so far† (Nietzsche, 119). For him religion along with morality serves only for the justification for weak and powerless, who have no other means to express their right for living. Calling for revolt and setting up the morality of master Nietzsche deprives week of their right to live and realize themselves. â€Å"God is dead† is a phrase from his writing which reflects his radical attitude to religion and ethics. Nietzsche stated that religion, philosophy and what is most important – humanity – were killed by the traditional values of society. The way of life and social organization have lead to the destruction and depreciation of moral values and basic human qualities. As he states: â€Å"Morality, as it has so far been under stood, it has in the end been formulated once more by Schopenhauer, as â€Å"negation of the will to life† is the very instinct of decadence, which makes an imperative of itself. It says: â€Å"Perish!† It is a condemnation pronounced by the condemned† (Nietzsche, 154). Nietzsche wanted to create a generation on new human beings – supermen or Overman – free from the false morality.   â€Å"Our moral judgments and evaluations†¦are only images and fantasies based on a physiological process unknown to us† – he states to prove the relativity of the moral norms and principles. Nietzsche believed that the society’s traditional way of thinking and morals were life-denying and destructive. Traditional morals gave a rice to â€Å"slave morality† which suppresses all impulses to creatively and free will of the humans and makes them to adopt a â€Å"herd mentality†. It makes people believe that thing which is good for the majority is good for everyone. That is the reason people put themselves into the strict limitations and boundaries of the predefined good and evil. â€Å"Slave morality encourages conformity; national, racial, gender, and religious bigotry; and unthinking patriotism† (Soccio, 114). The world was defined by Nietzsche to be dead. He put all the burden of responsibility for this on the traditional Christian morals accepted by the vast majority of the western world. According to Nietzsche, traditional moral values, such as self-sacrifices, humanity, love, compassion have killed everything natural. The only way out Nietzsche saw in crossing the line, getting out of the moral limitations and restrictions of good and evil and following only â€Å"the will to power†. That would place the humans on the other, higher plane of existence. Nietzsche is an influential philosopher, famous for his critics of Christian morality. His critics of all religious doctrines is a brave attempt to overcome religious dogmatism and domination. Despite his teachings contain a lot of innovative ideas and strong arguments I think that rejecting Christian morals and religious moral in general he rejects not only bad things, but also rich prophesy created through the centuries. Nietzsche regards religion as a source of suppression of human will. He counts on conscious individuals, who are directed by inner moral, which regulates all their thoughts and actions. Unfortunately, modern society consists of different people, who are not always driven by higher moral standards. In this case religion, social norms and regulations become those defensive mechanisms, which help to avoid bad consequences.   Rejecting their norms and regulations can bring harm to the society and human race in general. Works Cited Nietzsche, Friedrich On the Genealogy of Morals. trans. Walter Kaufmann and R.J. Hollingdale, in On the Genealogy of Morals and Ecce Homo. New York: Random House, 1967. Nietzsche, Friedrich Beyond Good and Evil. trans. Walter Kaufmann. New York: Random House, 1966. Nietzsche, Friedrich, Thus Spake Zarathustra, tr. Thomas Common, London: George Allen and Unwin, 1999. Nietzsche, Friedrich Beyond Good and Evil:   Prelude to a philosophy of the future, tr. R.J. Hollingdale, Harmondsworth, Middlesex:   Penguin Books, 1973. Nietzsche, Friedrich, The Twilight of the Idols and The Anti-Christ: or How to Philosophize with a Hammer, Penguin Classics, 1990. Soccio, Douglas J. Archetypes of Wisdom: An Introduction to Philosophy, Belmont, CA : Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2004.

Readings in Jazz History Essay

Jazz, the music which was born and blossomed in New Orleans at the turn of the twentieth century, later traveled all over the country acquiring new features and forms. The New Orleans jazz style included polyphonic music in which different musical instruments simultaneously play different variations on a particular piece of music and which includes freer rhythmic improvisation. Usually the musical instruments included trumpet, clarinet, and trombone all playing different melody at the same time. Starting from New Orleans jazz traveled to Chicago, Kansas City, New York and others and made them its centers for a certain period. Kansas City jazz flourished in the 1930s, when the town was an entertainment capital during the Depression. The city’s unique sound was largely defined by the reliance of its bands on blues, fast tempos, and simple riff structures. Local bands developed to a high degree in relative isolation from outside influences. The top quality of African-American origin of jazz mattered to many other cities, but did not reach Texas until the middle 1920s. And the impact of the representatives of New Orleans style, so decisive in other parts of the country, was less strongly felt in this region. In contrast, the sound of the blues was pervasive in Texas. Kansas style, distinguished by the rise of larger dance bands, was characterized the inclination for the blues. The Kansas City style as it evolved in the 1920s and 1930s incorporated an informal â€Å"head chart† style relying on simple memorized parts. Among the pioneers of Kansas City jazz were Count Basie band (featuring Lester Young) and Jay McShann band (featuring Charlie Parker). One of the most influential of the Kansas City players from the 1930s was Lester Young. Among his achievements was the change of melodic improvisation in jazz, where he offered an alternative to the hot, syncopated style. Jazz style became distinguished by flowering of cool jazz, a supple manner of phrasing across bar lines, a greater sensitivity to intervals that underlay harmonies, and emotional elevation. Lester elaborated the techniques of jazz improvisation and broadened the music’s emotionality. Among other prominent players was Count Basie whose band worked on refining swing style, music which largely derived from the blues, relied on formal, syncopated arrangements to support soaring, improvised solos. It was propulsive music, infectious and irresistible. Murray’s thesis on the return of Kansas City jazz to its roots in New Orleans seems to be more like nostalgic view. If to look at jazz of the 1930ies more attentively, it will become obvious that it was rather the reconsideration of the true nature of jazz than a throwback. Kansas City jazz again returned to improvisation, to free performance, but improvisation now was intentional, the true jazz musician was that who could play without scores, who could improvise with melody and create off hand. However, if to return to New Orleans’ improvisation, it was predetermined by the lack of education. The musicians of that time were not professionals and many of them just reproduced on the stage the music the way they felt it. So the difference in the grounds for improvisation is the key factor that does not allow the assertion that Kansas style is the throwback to the initial form of jazz to be feasible. â€Å"I can’t stand to sing the same song the same way two nights in succession, let alone two years or ten years. if you can, then it ain’t music, it’s close-order drill or exercise or yodeling or something, not music. † (96) – these words of Billy Holiday convey the general attitude towards the jazz that existed among prominent musicians and jazz critics in the 1930s. The survey of the ideas on jazz music and its nature expressed by such musician as Louis Armstrong, Billy Holiday and Duke Ellington as well as jazz critics Robert Goffin and John Hammond leads to the conclusion that all of them meet in the view on the nature of jazz. Though with different approaches and interpretation both musicians and critics stand up for the idea that real jazz is the music which is not written down and played all times in the same way. In other words all of them uphold the opinion that improvisation is the only key feature of true jazz what makes it easy music. However, as it was mentioned there are still some variances in approaches. Thus, Goffin for example, uses the term â€Å"hot jazz† to define improvised form and claims that â€Å"hot jazz, [is] otherwise known as improvised jazz, a type of music that was in existence long before it was formally tabulated. The epithet â€Å"hot† is applied to any passage â€Å"in which the executant or executants abandon the melodic theme and develop an imaginative structure on the basis of that theme and incorporated with it. † (83) At the same time he points to the problems related to the setting jazz tunes within fixed scores that result in nothing but poor resemblance of real music. He contrasts melodic jazz to hot jazz in favour of latter: â€Å"Melodic jazz has contributed nothing to music and will only be remembered for its unspeakable insipidness; whereas hot jazz is a creative principle which can scarcely fail to affect the music of the future in the most original and unexpected directions†. (84) Special attention Goffin pays to Louis Armstrong, whom he considers â€Å"the supreme genius of jazz† (85). Speaking about Louis Armstrong, he also defends the idea of improvisation to be the true music. He, actually, differentiates between swing and jazz, attributing latter to the contemporary commercialized music. Swing for Armstrong is exactly that type of free music based on improvisation which was practiced in New Orleans thirty years before his time. The same as Goffin does Armstrong rebukes the practice of writing down music, and explains that tendency by the quest for profit of record companies. At the same time, John Hammond distinguishes African-American musical traditions from the popular commercial phenomenon which he refers to as swing that is played predominantly at this time by white bands. He accuses people involved in music business of commercialization of jazz and deprivation it of any value: â€Å"Not the least of the despoilers are the commercial gentlemen, who produce all kinds of ridiculous recorded jazz under the caption â€Å"Swing,† and who are directly responsible for the stunt music that great men like Armstrong play these days. In this society there are always Breakfast Food people to sell their wares by tying them up with something popular†. (103) Hammond stands out in this team by the most fervent wish to surmount racial conflicts in jazz realm. He constantly points out to the fact that Black musicians suffer from being prejudiced by audience and record companies, despite the fact that the jazz is originally black music. Therefore, considering these ideas, we can arrive to the conclusion that all of mentioned participants of jazz world have common understanding of improvised nature of real jazz, and all of them acknowledge that with putting music in the frames of scores the musicians deprive it of its emotional load, feeling and originality. While, the tendency to written scores existed and evolved there must have been an explanation to it. The professionals discussed above agree in view that the main threat to the jazz was the commerce, practiced by record companies that tried to gain maximum profit from popular music of those days. And, as it usually occurs, such practice contributed to the simplification of music. However, looking back, this tendency did not have lethal effect for jazz, while today we can see that jazz did not stumbled in its progress and continues its development appearing in such modern forms as acid jazz, nu jazz etc. Works cited list Walser, Robert. Keeping Time: Readings in Jazz History. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999