Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Parent-Child Relationships in the Poems Refugee Mother and...

In Refugee Mother and Child, the nature of relationship portrayed between a mother and child is very tender and personal. The title of this poem directly suggests a connection between a mother and child. The very first line elaborates on this idea, as seen in the metaphor; â€Å"No Madonna and child could touch, that picture of a mothers tenderness...† Here the sustained sacred love between the mother and child surpasses the iconography of Mother Mary and Jesus. This signifies that the refugee mother and child shared a distinctive kind of closeness and loving relationship, experienced by no other parent and child. Achebe creates an image of sadness and grief in the line, â€Å"For a son she would soon have to forget†. This provokes a sense of†¦show more content†¦may have influenced this poem (he was a journalist). Starvation and diseases was widespread and children died with unconcerned regularity. The poet presents a case in this poem where a mother did take care and continue to treat her child who was on the brink of death, as if he would live. The heavily autobiographical poem, Poem at Thirty-Nine by Alice Walker shows a strong bonding between a daughter and her deceased father. The poem illustrates how paternal love is appreciated by the persona. The first line reveals to us that the persona was extremely close to her father as she says â€Å"How I miss my father†. This shows how the daughter longed to spend time with her father and there is a deep sense of regret. The sentence is repeated again in the fourth stanza, this time with an exclamation mark at the end. Walker shows the daughter’s light-heartedness towards her father in this phrase. The two phrases are the only lines that appear as full sentences in the entire poem. This could be because the persona wants to dwell for a while in the memory of her father. Throughout the second and third stanzas, Walker shows the personas father teaching his daughter the correct procedures; â€Å"He taught me how. This is the

Monday, December 23, 2019

The First Wave Of Feminism - 996 Words

Feminism has been a prominent part in American literature since the late Nineteenth century. In almost every form of media today, there are female characters who are leaders, independent, and do not conform to the submissive image some individuals have of women. The first authors to introduce heroines of independent nature were Gilman, Chopin, and Wharton. They wrote stories about heroines who had their own ideas and wanted their own voice, expressed their own sexuality, and established their independence through re-marrying. Beginning in the late nineteenth century, the first wave of feminism emerged. Feminism began during the age of industrialism some twenty years prior to the Civil War. The wave officially began in 1848 and mainly included white middle class women (Rampton). The main goal of first wave feminism was to give women a voice in politics and everyday life. It also included â€Å"opportunities for women, with a focus on suffrage† (Rampton). Gilman, Chopin, and Wh arton expressed the goals of first wave feminism through their stories by writing about women who were not listened to and ultimately deserved a voice, women who felt they deserved better in terms of husbands, and women who wanted be to be treated as a woman and not just a simple house wife. To begin, Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote about the struggles about not having a voice in â€Å"The Yellow Wall-Paper†. Gilman’s main focus was â€Å"only to expose a serious and extreme lapse in medical judgment, or wisdom,Show MoreRelatedThe First Wave Of Feminism767 Words   |  4 Pagesworth 50 points Assignment – What is feminism? Describe how it has evolved in the United States and include the three phases. The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities organized activity in support of woman s rights and interests The first wave of feminism took place in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, emerging out of an environment of urban industrialism and liberal, socialist politics. The goal of this wave was to open up opportunities for womenRead MoreFeminism : The First Wave Of Feminism1267 Words   |  6 PagesFeminism is a movement calling for social change, holding to a belief that women are oppressed by American society due to patriarchy’s inherent sexism. This social movement explained quite simply started in the 19th century when women fought for the right to vote, sought to improve workplace conditions for women as well as increase working opportunities. From this initial movement, called first wave feminism, stemmed other waves that though somewhere in the same vein, they held many differing goalsRead MoreFeminism And The First Wave Feminism1651 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is Feminism? The word feminism originated in the 1800’s from the French word â€Å"feminisme†. So what is feminism exactly? Feminism is usually defined as an active desire to change women’s position in society (Kolmar pg.27). There are many ways that feminism can be described as it is a number of theories, social movements, cultural and political movements. These movements are shedding light to the inequalities and equal rights for women and also equality for everyone. Feminism is a way for womenRead MoreThe First Wave Of Feminism1230 Words   |  5 Pagessociety. Women had experienced change during the first wave of feminism and gained suffrage, but during the second wave feminism women experienced a change that greatly altered their lives and consequently, the relationships they shared with others. The first wave of feminism was concerned about suffrage and establish rights as people and equality in regards to property law (The Famous Five and the Persons Case in Canada), the second wave of feminism was concerned about equality in the workplace, amongRead MoreFeminism And The First Wave Feminism2028 Words   |  9 Pages Feminism is the movement towards women’s equality and the fight for equal gender in the social, political, cultural and economical aspects of society. Feminism also fights for equal opportunity for women in employment and education. A feminist is someone who advocates their support for women’s rights but is not restricted to only women; anyone who supports women’s rights and equality are feminists, including men. Feminism is not only about the females; it fights for gender equality forRead MoreFeminism : The First Wave Of Feminism1776 Words   |  8 PagesIn Disney’s animated children’s films, feminism greatly advocated for change in gender roles. Children often believe and develop in accordance with the kind of life and exposure they are subjected to at the tender age. In spite of the fact that Disney adopted animated film to sensitize the children on changes in gender roles, it is certain that children literally adopted the perception de picted in the films. In fact, it is exemplified that later generations are raised on Disney fairy tale movies’Read MoreThe First Wave Of Feminism1876 Words   |  8 Pagesfeminists. Feminism can be separated into three waves. The first wave of feminism was from the mid 1800s to the early 1900s. The second wave was from the 1960s to the 1980s. The third wave of feminism started in the 1990s, but its end is unclear. Some people believe it has ended and the fourth wave of feminism has started, but others believe it continues today. The different waves have been very different in some aspects, but very similar in others. The main differences between the first and thirdRead MoreThird Wave Feminism : First And Second Wave1813 Words   |  8 PagesEssay 2: Third Wave Feminism First and second wave feminists succeeded in legal and social rights. In addition, they achieved the right to vote, higher education, and the right to their own body. Although, third wave feminists obtained these rights, they differentiated from focusing on laws and political processes like first and second wave feminists did. Instead, third wave feminists strived for individualism and diversity. Unlike labeling each other as feminists, the third wave departed from thisRead MoreWomen s First Wave Of Feminism Essay1555 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1960’s first wave of feminism in literature brought about the importance of understanding and studying Women’s History, and the reasons behind origins of the Feminist theory and the feminist movement and gender binaries. Newfound research pertaining to female History helps us to better understand modern social constructs and how they were established. Starting with the late eighteenth century, which marks the transition from pre- industrialization to the emergence of economic development in EuropeRead MoreFeminism And The First, Second, Or Third Wave1272 Words   |  6 PagesWhen referring to the history of feminism in the manner of the first, second, or third wave, one is undermining the experiences that were ongoing during, in middle of, and before those waves that history defines. What ideologies of oppression were being spoken of to raise awareness and whose experience was being excluded/diminished? The articulation of feminism in using the metaphor of waves to describe how the ideologies peaked and rescinded, is incorrect because it focuses only on the voices of

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Ssm is a qualitative methodology Free Essays

Introduction Soft Systems Methodology Definition Soft systems methodological analysis ( SSM ) is a systemic attack for covering with real-world job state of affairss. Peter Checkland and his co-workers developed soft systems methodological analysis from system theory at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom. SSM is a qualitative methodological analysis and was developed utilizing action research so that it is besides treated as a theoretical methodological analysis. We will write a custom essay sample on Ssm is a qualitative methodology or any similar topic only for you Order Now The bosom of SSM is a comparing between the universe as it is, and some theoretical accounts of the universe as it might be.Out of this comparing originate a better apprehension of the universe ( â€Å"research† ) , and some thoughts for betterment ( â€Å"action† ) . ( See Figure 1 ) Use of SSM Initially, the systems can be divided into two facets: proficient and human activity systems. However, human activity systems are much harder to pattern. The people ‘s place, people ‘s action and their relationship are involved. Therefore, it is more complex and mutable. Soft Systems Methodology places an accent on human activity systems. Furthermore, SSM is peculiarly used at the analysis phase of developing information systems. It is non a methodological analysis to cover all phases of the systems development life rhythm ( SDLC ) . However, SSM is extraordinary good at elaborating political and soft, people-oriented issues. Furthermore, it refers to job state of affairs instead than jobs. lAny composite, organisational, ill-structured, fuzzed, soft, and dynamic job state of affairs The 7-Step Description 1 The job state of affairs: unstructured The purpose of first measure is to understand the job state of affairs and addition as many different positions as possible. 2The job state of affairs: expressed Then is this phase, the research worker produces a elaborate presentation, a â€Å"rich picture† , of the state of affairs. Rich pictures show stakeholders, their duty, cardinal interactions, struggles, political issues and concerns. This measure is frequently done graphically. 3Root definitions of relevant systems After that, the root definitions of relevant systems are identified. Root definitions are intended to depict both political and personal premises. The root definition is frequently produced by CATWOE checklist in order to do certain all of import points are included. Client ( people who affected by the system ) Actor ( people who convert inputs to end products ) Transformation ( the alterations that take topographic point ) Weltanschauung ( the relevant universe position or premises ) Owner ( people who has the power ) Environment ( the wider system or restraints ) 4Building conceptual theoretical accounts This measure is to pull conceptual theoretical accounts utilizing the root definition. A conceptual theoretical account exhibits the activities of the systems that represented in the root definition. 5Comparing conceptual theoretical accounts with world Compare and contrast the conceptual theoretical account with the rich image is considered in this measure. The purpose of is to look into the apprehension is right and whether the conceptual theoretical account can dress the job struggles. 6Assess whether the alterations are executable and desirable After comparing, suggested alterations are identified and evaluated.Those alterations can probably to change in desirableness and feasibleness: Desirability: Does it better technically? Feasible: Does it suit the civilization? 7Action to better the job state of affairs The recommendation will set into pattern. Analysis the Case Background Births, deceases and matrimonies ( BDM ) in Salford Council has a long history. BDM office provides services such as registry a birth, decease or matrimony certifications, and aid with following household braid. As the services are more and more popular, the Salford Online Archive and Retrieval system ( SOLAR ) is introduced. Current Existing Problem BDM staff reported trouble in covering with the clients during peek times. Long waiting lines developed at the response desk and the other service centres during popular times. Conflicts between the clients and staff happened. The contrasting demands of two different clients groups are hard to manage at the same time. Reasons why SSM is Appropriate There are five major grounds why SSM is appropriate. First of wholly, the jobs of BDM office are decidedly organisational, ill-structured jobs. Soft Systems Methodology focuses on the human activities systems. And it is good at clear uping political and soft, people-oriented issues. After that, there are many different positions of the systems their demand in BDM state of affairss. SSM is besides such a methodological analysis that can cover with complex organisational and political job state of affairss where those involved lack a common understanding good. Additionally, the assorted facets of the jobs are extremely interrelated in the state of affairs of BDM. So if alteration one facet is likely to hold a enormous impact on other facets. As a systemic methodological analysis, SSM is helpful to develop such a moderately holistically understanding of the correlativities of the assorted facets of the job state of affairs. Furthermore, the intent of SSM is to transport out betterments in a state of affairs perceived as debatable. Meanwhile, SSM does non try to work out ‘the job ‘ but to ease a acquisition procedure which allows its users to bit by bit develop a more comprehensive apprehension of the state of affairs under survey. As a consequence, stakeholders are more likely to make understandings about what alterations in the state of affairs the involved parties can populate with. Finally, SSM uses a set of specific techniques and strict tools to see a â€Å"messy† job. Techniques contains†¦ †¦ Application of SSM Phase 1 and 2 In order to develop rich image of this instance, it is critical to derive as many different positions as possible.The stakeholders consist of clients, BDM Office staff, directors of the BDM Office, the possible spouses and the advisers of Salford City council. Client: We want to bask quality service and support. BDM Office staff: We were enthusiastic about the proviso of the call Centre services because it could liberate up the specializer resources, cut downing force per unit area and assisting to cut down the waiting clip for clients. Directors: We concerned on the current bing jobs and we can merely work out these jobs every bit shortly as possible. Potential spouses: We are interested in the proposals made by advisers which can do the populace services to be organized. Advisers: We concerned on more incorporate attack for future service development which can do the public service organized. Phase 3 After set uping rich image, root definitions of two relevant systems in phase 3 should be considered. The well-known CATWOE checklist will be used to place cardinal elements of the root definition. Phase 4 Once the root definitions have been established, conceptual theoretical accounts that describe the activities should be conducted at phase 4. Therefore, the root definition of clients will be used to develop the conceptual theoretical account. Phase 5 How to cite Ssm is a qualitative methodology, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Mental Health Nursing for Schizophrenia Disorder- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theMental Health Nursing for Schizophrenia Disorder. Answer: The Birdy movie is about two friends, Birdy and Al Columbato. Birdy had a fascination for birds and flying and he had also built a new aviary in his bed. Due to certain life experiences, he always wanted to escape from reality and expressed his desire to be born as a bird. After the Vietnam war, Birdy was emotionally scarred and confined to mental hospital. He was almost in comatose state. However, his friend Al made several attempts to reduce his dissociative behavior. In the end, Birdy escaped to another level of the roof as he was found jumping off the roof of the hospital just like a bird (Birdy, 2017).. Considering this storyline of the movie Birdy, the essay provides a detailed insight into the mental illness depicted in the movie and discusses in detail about the symptoms, impact of the mental illness, nursing interventions and treatment options available for the mental illness. After the analysis of the main character of the movie Birdy, it has been found that the mental illness of schizophrenia was depicted in the movie. Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder that has an impact on a persons feeling, thinking and behavior. It is often characterized by episodes when patients cannot make differentiate between real and unreal experience. Birdy was also found to display bizarre behavior in the movie such as always imagining himself as a bird and flying. They lose touch with reality and the brain disorder is often associated with symptoms like hallucination, delusion, impaired memory, poor executive and motor functioning, disorganized speech and disruptions in normal emotions and behavior (Frith, 2014).Similar symptoms were also found in the Birdy as he often wanted to escape reality and had delusions. He imagined himself as a bird. The symptoms of schizophrenia are characterized into four categories such as positive psychotic symptoms, negative symptoms, disorganization symptoms and impaired cognition. The positive symptoms include distorted thoughts and beliefs, paranoid delusion and hearing voices. It is called positive symptoms because this feelings did not existed in patient before they were ill, however it get added to peoples psyche after the diagnosis of schizophrenia. On the other hand, symptoms like losing the ability to speak, develop plans and find pleasure in life is regarded as negative symptoms. It is named so because these symptoms exist in patients before the diagnosis of the mental illness. Confused thinking and speech are examples of disorganization symptoms and problem with attention and memory are example of impaired cognition (Fusar-Poli et al., 2014). Positive symptoms like paranoid delusion were observed in Birdy in the beginning before he went to the Vietnam War. However, other three sym ptoms was found after he returned from Vietnam War and placed in mental hospital. The Birdy has correctly depicted the sufferings and burden of schizophrenia on patients and their immediate family members. Currently the prevalence of schizophrenia is also rising worldwide. It is a devastating disorder which creates both health and cost burden for families and community. The prevalence of schizophrenia worldwide is about 1.1% of the population above 18 years (Schizophrenia Symptoms, Patterns and Statistics and Patterns, 2017).This means at least 51 million people worldwide are affected by schizophrenia. In case of UAE, it has been found that about 50, 000 people suffer from schizophrenia. This means almost 1% of the UAE population is affected by the mental disorder (Saberi, 2017).The stigma associated with schizophrenia often exacerbates the sufferings of affected people. Schizophrenia is regarded as a devastating mental disorder as it has psychological, socio-cultural and spiritual impact on patients, their family members and the workplace of patients. The diagnosis of schizophrenia is associated with great psychological impact as it leads to cognitive dysfunction in patient. The deficits in attention, memory and executive functioning have an impact on patients capability to perform daily life activities and such patients are prone to many risks in their life (Hofer et al., 2017). Hence, they rely on family members and clinical staffs to perform work as well as basis living skills. In addition, certain functional deficits in patient affect socio-cultural life of people too. This can be said because people with schizophrenia tend to have overlapping symptoms of depressive disorder. Impaired cognitive, functional disability and poor ability to concentrate reduces self-esteem and confidence of people. They often remained distressed contributing to the r isk of depression (Balci et al., 2016). They fail to cope with demands of social life and fail to fulfill interpersonal relationship with partners or work staffs. They capability for full-time is affected and they lose sexual desire too. Hence, stable relationship in social life does not exist and severely ill patients often enter into social isolation. There are even more serious impact of social isolation and if this is not addressed, patients starts developing suicide ideation too (Baek, 2014). Religion and spirituality also has an impact on the life of schizophrenia patient. The relation between spirituality and schizophrenia has influence on help seeking behavior, psychopathology as well as treatment outcome for patient (Grover, Davuluri Chakrabarti, 2014). Based on the analysis of mental illness symptoms in the movie, two nursing diagnoses have been identified. Firstly, the Birdy was found to have unreal thought process, delusion and impaired thinking pattern evident from his continuous thoughts about birds and his wish to fly like birds. He also wanted to escape from harsh realities of life. Another nursing diagnosis is that Birdy has impaired social interaction evident from the fact he failed to enter into any close relationship, had no sexual desire and has only friend. In relation to the nursing diagnosis of delusional thought pattern in Birdy, two important nursing interventions for Birdy includes active listening and communication with patient to understand the intensity and duration of such behavior and use distractive methods to prevent Birdy from focusing on delusion. Distraction strategies would serve to relax patient and reinforce positive behavior to help him concentrate. While talking and listening to patient, it will be necessary to give no judgment and just listen to identify thinking patterns and level of disorder thinking in patient. To address impaired social interaction in patient, social and coping skills nursing intervention will be necessary for Birdy. The nurse can help the client to facilitate contact with other people by developing good rapport with patient and helping him to identify alterative course of action that would reduce his suffering. In order to encourage patient to increase social contact, he will also be referred to any role model and encouraged to take part in group activities. Schizophrenia patient also tend to enter into social isolation because they lack coping skills and develop anxiety in social place. Hence, nurse can help to strengthen coping skill in Birdy by entering into empathetic communication with him and providing chance to express his fear or any expectation. On the basis of this communication, the patient can be encouraged to recognize his strength and develop their self-esteem (Jung et al., 2016). This will help Birdy to interact confidently in social group. As schizophrenia is mainly cognitive disorder, two forms of treatment are available for such patient. First treatment option is the pharmacological treatment option by providing anti-psychotic medication to patient. This is necessary for acute and long term management of schizophrenia (Leucht et al., 2013). Another treatment option is the use of cognitive therapy to treat psychosis in schizophrenia patient. Cognitive therapy is recognized as specific and effective intervention for schizophrenia patients because it mainly use cognitive rehabilitation or social skills training to reduce psychotic symptoms and modify dysfunctional beliefs of patient (Gould et al., 2015). The above two treatment options are associated with different side effects in managing schizophrenia too. Firstly, the use of anti-psychotic medications for schizophrenia patient is associated with many side effects such as dizziness, weight gain, tremors and restlessness. Hence, such side effects may further increase the issues for patients and there is a need to consider the need for medication in individual patient. In addition, the side effect or adverse impact of cognitive therapy on schizophrenia patient is that some patients may get more disturbed and their symptoms may relapse. This will increase the need for re-hospitalization of patient. Considering the above discussion on impact of schizophrenia on patients, two recommendations for clients to manage their illness includes increasing their resilience skills and taking time out to engage in other activities that distract their mind from delusions. Focusing on resilience and coping skill will help client to get back their lost motivation and emotions in activities. Engaging in extra activities will help them to come out from unreal thought pattern. The essay gave insight into the Birdy movie which effectively depicted the plight and sufferings of people suffering from dementia. Through the character of Birdy, one can easily relate to types of disorder thinking experienced by people with dementia. The adverse impact of mental disorder on psychological, socio-cultural and spiritual life of people is also clearly understood from the essay. The essay also gives insight into possible nursing interventions, treatment options and self-management strategies for client to treat the patients. Reference Baek, S. B. (2014). Psychopathology of social isolation.Journal of exercise rehabilitation,10(3), 143. Balci, G., Oter, G. B., Akdag, H. A., Bekki, A., Kisa, C., Goka, E. (2016). Factors associated with depression in patients with schizophrenia.Journal of Mood Disorders,6(2), 54. Birdy. (2017).Rcpsych.ac.uk. Retrieved 23 November 2017, from https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/discoverpsychiatry/blogzone/mindsonfilmblog/birdy.aspx Frith, C. D. (2014).The cognitive neuropsychology of schizophrenia. Psychology Press. Fusar-Poli, P., Papanastasiou, E., Stahl, D., Rocchetti, M., Carpenter, W., Shergill, S., McGuire, P. (2014). Treatments of negative symptoms in schizophrenia: meta-analysis of 168 randomized placebo-controlled trials.Schizophrenia bulletin,41(4), 892-899. Gould, R. A., Mueser, K. T., Bolton, E., Mays, V., Goff, D. (2015). Cognitive therapy for psychosis in schizophrenia: an effect size analysis.Focus. Grover, S., Davuluri, T., Chakrabarti, S. (2014). Religion, spirituality, and schizophrenia: a review.Indian journal of psychological medicine,36(2), 119. Hofer, A., Mizuno, Y., Wartelsteiner, F., Fleischhacker, W. W., Frajo-Apor, B., Kemmler, G., ... Welte, A. (2017). Quality of life in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: The impact of symptomatic remission and resilience.European Psychiatry,46, 42-47. Jung, E., Wiesjahn, M., Wendt, H., Bock, T., Rief, W., Lincoln, T. M. (2016). Symptoms, functioning and coping strategies in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders who do not take antipsychotic medication: a comparative interview study.Psychological medicine,46(10), 2179-2188. Leucht, S., Heres, S., Kissling, W., Davis, J. M. (2013). Pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia.Fortschritte der Neurologie Psychiatrie,81(05), e1-e13. Saberi, M. (2017).About 50,000 people suffer from schizophrenia in the UAE.GulfNews. Retrieved 23 November 2017, from https://gulfnews.com/about-50-000-people-suffer-from-schizophrenia-in-the-uae-1.520741 Schizophrenia Symptoms, Patterns and Statistics and Patterns. (2017).Mentalhelp.net. Retrieved 23 November 2017, from https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/schizophrenia-symptoms-patterns-and-statistics-and-patterns/

Friday, November 29, 2019

How to Build an Amazon Affiliate Store on WordPress

Interested in launching an e-commerce store, but dont have a ton of capital that you can use to buy inventory? Heres what you can do consider setting up an Amazon affiliate store on WordPress, as opposed to a regular e-commerce store.With an Amazon affiliate store, you dont need to worry about (or invest in):Product development.Shipping.Customer service.Or other operational tasks. (For inspiration, check out this Amazon affiliate store, which made $40k+/month without relying on paid traffic, or this store, which was acquired for a cool $33 million.)Ok, were not actually promising you that youll be a millionaire  right away. But Amazon affiliate stores are definitely a viable way to make money on the  Internet.Ready to learn how to build your first ever Amazon affiliate store on WordPress? Lets get started!Amazon affiliate stores vs traditional e-commerce storesThe beauty of Amazon affiliate stores on WordPress is that they allow you to get started with e-commerce, without quite committing.With traditional e-commerce stores, you need to go all in. This means sourcing your products, importing them, packaging them, and then shipping them out when youve received an order.With Amazon affiliate stores, all you do is  publish content which will drive sales on Amazons website.Heres a demo of an Amazon link that achieves that:Your visitor browses through your site, and when they see something they like, they can click on your affiliate link and be redirected to Amazon.Because your visitor is now browsing Amazon through your affiliate link, Amazon can track their purchases and attribute them to you.If your visitor makes a purchase on Amazon within the specified time period (this can range from 24 hours to 90 days), youll get a commission.Sounds easy enough, right?Signing up for Amazons Affiliate ProgramThe first step to creating your own Amazon affiliate store on WordPress is to sign up for Amazons affiliate program.You can do that by clicking on this link!Once yo uve submitted your application, youll need to wait for Amazon to approve your profile. In the meantime, you can get started on selecting the products to feature in your store!Tips on choosing products for your Amazon affiliate storeHere are a few things to keep in mind when deciding what items youd like to promote on your Amazon affiliate store.First, you shouldnt be promoting anything thats too cheap.Theres no hard and fast rule, but I like to  stick with items which are $50 and above.  This gives you a way better margin than if you were to promote, say, a pair of socks which costs $5.Secondly, try and go with products which are high in demand.There are several ways you can gauge demandFirstly, there are tools (such as JungleScout!)  which enable you to filter products on Amazon according to demand, estimated sales, seasonality, and more.Alternatively, Google Trends  is a free tool that allows you to look at past trends and predict demand pretty accurately.Now that you know what items you want to feature on your store, lets jump into the next section getting your store up and running!Building an Amazon affiliate store on WordPressThere are a few ways to go about building an Amazon affiliate store, but the easiest (and cheapest!) way is to use WordPress.In short, youll need to set up your WordPress site,  then use a plugin to add Amazon products to your store. This link  will teach you how to do the former; once youre done, read on for the latter!Adding products to your store using the WooCommerce pluginHeres where the fun starts! Youll need to install the free WooCommerce plugin and start adding affiliate products to your store. WooCommerce Author(s): AutomatticCurrent Version: 3.7.1Last Updated: October 9, 2019woocommerce.3.7.1.zip 92%Ratings 77,312,503Downloads WP 4.9+Requires First, navigate to your Plugins page on your WordPress dashboard.Search for the WooCommerce plugin, and install and activate it.WooCommerce will now prompt you to set up your store.Fill in all the required information and once you reach the last step, youll see the Create a product button. Go ahead and click on it:Youll be taken to an Add new product page where you can input your product name, product description, and more details.Heres the important bit:Make sure you specify that this is an External/Affiliate product, instead of a regular product.Once you choose the External/Affiliate option, youll see new Product URL and Button text fields.To get your product URL, youll have to navigate to the dashboard on your Amazon Associates account. Search for the product in question, and click on the yellow Get link button. Then copy the URL, and return to your WordPress page to paste the URL in.You can experiment with your button text  further down the road, but whilst youre still getting started, I recommend sticking with something safe such as your standard Buy now or Shop now.Directly below the Button Text field are your Regular price and Sale p rice fields, which you can ignore. Amazons affiliate program policy states that affiliates should not manually enter price information, so just leave this blank.Two more steps, and then youre done:First, add your product image and product gallery images.Theres no hard and fast rule when it comes to your key product image you can either use a product shot with a white background (if youre going for a clean, minimalist look), or a lifestyle shot which features your product in a particular context.Next, add a short description for your product.This will be displayed on your stores front page, as well as its search results.Thats basically it hit the Publish button, and youll have added your first product to your Amazon affiliate store!Now, rinse and repeat till youve gotten all your products up, and youre all set.A final word on Amazon affiliate storesBecause you can get Amazon affiliate stores on WordPress up and running in no time, these are great for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to try their hand at e-commerce, but arent quite ready to quit their day job just yet.Itching to set up your first Amazon affiliate store on WordPress? Go ahead and sign up for Amazons affiliate program  now.Is there anything thats still a mystery when it comes to these Amazon affiliate stores? Feel free to ask in the comments. How to create an #Amazon #affiliate store on #WordPress

Monday, November 25, 2019

Van Hilleary. essays

Van Hilleary. essays If Van Hilleary had made it through pilot training, he might not be running for governor. Piloting aircraft is what the 4th District congressman really wanted to do after graduating from the University of Tennessee and being commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. But he didn't "juggle" multi-tasks as quickly as he needed to, he said. So when he didn't succeed as a pilot, he stayed in the Air Force reserves and completed navigational training. And therein may be the foundation of the front-runner in the Republican primary for the state's chief executive officer. He doesn't make snap decisions, explained Jennifer Coxe, his press secretary. Some might see that as a weakness. Coxe sees it as Hilleary's strongest attribute. "He takes input from everybody and weighs it. Then he makes a decision," she said. On the campaign trail, Hilleary, 43, tends to stick to issues that a new governor will face in education, TennCare, economic development and the budget. He's established task forces to advise him. But get a few moments with him and wife Meredith over appetizers and iced tea at the Tennessee Grill or a stroll around Ayres Hall on the University of Tennessee campus - two of their favorite spots - and insight into his life becomes clearer. The couple met in Washington, D.C., where she was a congressional aide. She has since obtained a master's degree in education at UT. After getting a bachelor's degree at UT, Hilleary worked briefly in the family textile business at Spring City in Rhea County, returned to UT for graduate school, then decided to go to law school at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. "I was searching for a new direction," he said. He ended up volunteering for assignments in Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the 1990s. He served as navigator on one rescue mission tha t resulted in a national award for the plane's crew, but Hilleary didn't mention that during an interview. ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

History of olympic games Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

History of olympic games - Term Paper Example stivals, and by universal agreement, the best.†(12) What athletic prowess has to do with nakedness is not clear from the scientific perspective, and it is mostly an issue of faith. The system in vogue then was, the Spartan messages were particularly carried by naked runners and they ran between the city-states. Travel light was one of the purposes of their nakedness and also to prove that they did not carry anything unlawful except the message. Thus they were able to run one hundred miles in one day, ensuring the speedy delivery of the messages. Training athletes began with gymnastic exercises a month before the Olympics were to commence. Total nakedness was considered as homage to the gods and gratitude for the male form. It was sort of a security check that women camouflaged as males did not participate in the games. The procedure at the starting point of the race differed much as compared to the present practice in vogue. Twenty contenders stood erect with their arms extended in front of them. The race would be re-run, if the first resulted in a tie. Peace was the watchword during the ancient Olympic Games. It was known as â€Å"ekecheiria†, meaning â€Å"holding of hands.† Safety of the competitors and spectators was assured and all wars, mutual threats and capital punishment stood suspended during the course of games. The ancient Olympic Games were linked to warfare as per the specially adopted procedure. The participants would run 800 yards in full body armor. Thus it was a competition of strength clubbed with speed. That was also to remind all concerned about the physical demands of warfare. In the 3nd century AD, virgins were allowed entry to the Olympic Games as spectators. But for the married women traced watching the game, it was inviting death. They would be thrown off the cliff at Mount Trypeum. Punishment for cheating was almost instant. Judges carried a switch to beat the frauds they were able to catch. Those who indulged in malpractices were

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Water Pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Water Pollution - Essay Example Sadly, perhaps with no thought of its great value, some people unknowingly, or even knowingly, contaminate sources of this precious commodity. In some instances, such contaminations have left behind irreversible damage to the already diminishing supply. At this point, it is worth saying that this vital yet often ignored resource is water. Water pollution is a major challenge facing the world today.  All life is dependent on water, implying that there can be no life without water. Although earth is largely covered with water, it is sad that only a small percentage can be consumed. USGS.gov report revealed that only 1% of the earth’s water can be consumed by humans, 99% of which is groundwater and only 1% being lake/river water. The unusable water is either saline, or frozen in ice caps/glaziers, or is ocean water. With only a small portion being consumable, it would be prudent that this meager resource is kept as safe as possible. This is sadly not the case. Every day the mea ger sources of consumable water are depleted, thanks to acts of pollution. Such pollution occurs with or without realization. Water pollution is defined as the addition of harmful foreign elements (pollutants) to consumable water. This presentation seeks to highlight the various causes of water pollution.  Water pollution refers to the contamination of water bodies such as rivers, lakes, aquifers, oceans, and groundwater. It occurs when pollutants are directly or indirectly discharged into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds.  In numerous parts of the world mainly the developing countries, water pollution is a widespread menace which has profound impacts on the aesthetic characteristics of the environment, the health of the consumers of the polluted water and the economic and social wellbeing the inhabitants of these areas in general.  

Monday, November 18, 2019

Dynamics of Leadership Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Dynamics of Leadership - Personal Statement Example Science Group project: I was a leader in this project. My responsibilities included a selection of topic, distribution of tasks and making sure the tasks were completed in time. I was successful in it as I selected the Solar System project and everyone was happy with my selection. My group which consisted of four students other than I had previously decided which topic to choose from. We decided that we will complete the task in four days and do all the work in Science class as our teacher gave us time to work on our project. Cutting of planets, drawing, coloring, and pasting were all distributed equally. All of us participated equally in the project and it was delivered in time.   English Group Project: the class was divided into 3 groups. We used to sit in three rows so each row consisted of one group. We had a class quiz in which the team which gives most of the answers won. I always used to sit on the front desk, therefore, my teacher made me the leader. This was a difficult task for me because being a Chinese it is difficult to cope up with elective English classes. I tried to answer and make another answer but everyone was scared to do so. I got angry and could not lead my team as well as I did not know how to motivate them.   Group Task (China Day Celebration): This was a national holiday, therefore, we were supposed to decorate our school prior to it. This was a task involving all of the class. We had to make our flag and write enthusiastic messages for our country. Each class was supposed to decorate their own classrooms. The best-decorated classroom was supposed to get the reward. I observed that many students did not take a keen interest in it and tried to put their tasks on others. This added to the delay in the completion of the project and we did not come up with good work as compared to the winning class.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Economic Governance for Crisis Prevention

Economic Governance for Crisis Prevention 1.0 INTRODUCTION The proposed research attempts to identify the critical components of economic governance in four Asian countries namely Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia. The study by employing in-depth case study analysis seeks to analyze the economic governance practices in these countries and its relationship to their economic growths. The study then attempts to investigate the links between economic governance and the Asian financial crisis in 1997, and the roles the economic governance could have played in the recovery process since the above countries had somehow recovered at somewhat different speed. Based on the identified components of economic governance considered imperative for sustainable and resilient economy, the study will develop an index namely Economic Governance Quality Index capturing the score of governance parameters by the countries during the booms and slumps of their economies throughout the period under study. Finally, the components of economic governance wil l be employed in panel data analysis to empirically determine their significance towards economic growth. Its findings then will be of significance in crisis prediction and prevention methods in which the identified key governance parameters are the core ingredients. 2.0 BACKGROUND Good governance is perhaps the single most important factor in eradicating poverty and promoting development. Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations. The concept of governance has assumed a more central focus and been given key attention not only by the officials from the United Nations Development Program, the World Bank and the International Monetary Funds, but also from the policymakers in especially developing countries, aids donors, and regional organizations of economic cooperation as well as academics fraternity. Since the beginning of 1990s, there is a strong indication of growing emphasis that good governance, together with democracy and protection of basic human rights, is indispensable for sustainable economic growth. Economic development cannot be achieved without the development of good governance, which is composed of competence and honesty, public accountability, and broader participation in discussion and decision making on central issues. In addition to traditional view of governance which is on the public governance, there is also a notable increase in the endeavors to grasp the concept of governance in a multi-d imensional perspective which includes economic governance. The relationship between governance and development is thus studied from diverse angles, especially in the vein of economic transformation, macroeconomic management and prevention of crisis as well as structural reforms. The Asian financial crisis in 1997 had somehow exposed the vulnerability of the once high-performing countries in the region, whose lack of governance practices was said as the main cause of the severe affects. 3.0 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The Asian economies success was once dubbed the Asian Miracle, and a model to be emulated by other developing countries seeking higher growth. The success had introduced a growth model with emphasis on policies of setting the prices right, liberalizing the economy and the private sector as the engine of growth. When financial crisis struck the Asian countries in 1997, and looking at the devastating effects the countries in the region had experienced following the malaise, many however started to raise questions whether the quality of governance practices in these countries had somehow contributed to the crisis. Furthermore, the fact that South Korea and Malaysia had somehow recovered rapidly from the crisis compared to Indonesia and Thailand has sparked off interests on what roles good governance could have played in the recovery process. Hence, good governance has become a topic widely studied in the aftermath of the crisis. The discussions center on two main perspectives; firstly, the absence of good governance has been perceived as a MAJOR CAUSE of the crisis, and secondly, an inference is made that good governance is IMPERATIVE for durable and resilient economy. This study hence sets out to empirically identify and ascertain the governance parameters and their significance towards crisis prevention. Since the study focuses on economic governance, and to avoid constant repetition, the word governance used in this proposal should be taken in the context of economic point of view, unless explicit reference to other perspective of governance is relevant. 4.0 RESEARCH QUESTIONS This study will attempt to answer the following questions: What are the economic governance parameters presumed as crucially importance for sustainable and resilient economy? How to capture the score of economic governance practices in the East Asian countries during the period under study? How would the significance of governance parameters be empirically ascertained for the purpose of crisis prediction and prevention? 5.0 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The study hypothesized that good governance is imperative for sustainable and resilient economy, and the absence of such would result in increased vulnerability of the economy towards declining into crisis. Therefore, the objectives of the study are: To identify the parameters of economic governance crucial for resilient and sustainable economy. To develop an index of Economic Governance Quality capturing the score of economic governance practices by the East Asian countries during the period under study. To empirically ascertain the significance of economic governance parameters towards growth via a dynamic estimation model whose findings then would be of importance for crisis prediction and prevention. 6.0 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY It would be interesting to investigate what makes good governance and how do they link to economic growth in the four selected Asian countries. Furthermore, it would be crucially important to examine, from the governance perspective, how could the countries once considered by many as the fastest growing economies in the region were severely affected by the Asian crisis in 1997. Notwithstanding that, the fact that South Korea and Malaysia had made a more swift recovery than the other affected countries, it would therefore be interesting to analyze how the governance practices in the different countries facilitated the recovery process. The findings from this study are expected to provide a significant contribution to the existing governance literatures especially from the economic perspective since it attempts to discover the critical components of economic governance that are imperative for sustainable and resilient economy. Policy makers not only from the countries under study but also from other developing countries may utilize the findings of the study to evaluate their economic governance practices and be able therefore to make necessary adjustments and required changes with the objectives of registering better growth and strengthening the economy against any possibility of future crisis. The researchers from world organizations and academic community may also be interested with the findings since the study attempts to develop a new feasible dynamic estimation model to analyze the relationship between the components of economic governance and growth, of which they could use as a basis for their future research undertaking in the similar field. In addition, the findings could also stimulate and facilitate them to search for additional approaches to counter or justify the results of this study. 7.0 LITERATURE REVIEW Good governance has become a topic widely debated by academicians and economic communities especially in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis in 1997. The discussions in this context center on two main perspectives; first, the absence of good governance has been perceived as a major cause of the crisis, and the second prognosis is drawn by inference, namely, that good governance is imperative for durable development (Lam, 2003). Therefore, to have a better understanding of the governance, this section discusses definitions and indicators of the governance, its relationship with the economic growth, how it links to the crisis and its roles in the recovery process, and finally how could these governance factors be used for crisis prevention. 7.1 Definitions and indicators of governance Definitions and indicators of governance can be found in numerous literatures. A top-down approach is best used to understand the concept of governance, where a general or broad definition of governance will be firstly explored before moving on to a more specific definition. The World Bank continuously updates key governance indicators in its regular publication of Governance Matters, a governance study encompassing many aspects like political, social, economic, legal and moral. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Funds (IMF) has been doing a great deal of works in an effort to promote governance in the financial sector management through Financial Sector Assessment Programs (FSAPs) which include regulatory, risk management and aid management. 7.1.1 Broad definition of governance From the viewpoint of United Nations Development Program (1997), the definition of governance is the exercise of economic, political administrative authority to manage a countrys affairs at all levels. It comprises mechanisms, processes and institutions, through which citizens and groups articulate their interests, exercise their legal rights, meet their obligation and mediate their differences. Good governance is, among other things, participatory, transparent and accountable, effective and equitable, and it promotes the rule of law. It ensures that political, social and economic priorities are based on broad consensus in society and that the voices of the poorest and the most vulnerable are heard in decision-making over the allocation of development resources (Abdellatif, 2003). In its report, Governance and Sustainable Human Development in 1997, the UNDP acknowledges the following as core characteristics of good governance, i.e. participation, rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, consensus orientation, equity, effectiveness and efficiency, accountability, and strategic vision. A report by the World Bank (2006) entitled Governance Matters V covering 213 countries and territories since 1996 until 2005, presented the latest version of the worldwide governance indicators, namely voice and accountability, political stability and absence of violence, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law, and control of corruption. Meanwhile, Inada (2003) discussed the governance in Indonesia where the word governance is translated as Tata Pemerintahan. It however has different meanings covering different agendas from political systems to corporate governance. They includes political democratization, reorganization of police and the military, curing the problems of corruption, collusion, and nepotism (KKN), justice reform system, decentralization, financial management, corporate governance, and state-owned enterprise reforms. Shimomura (2003) in his case study of governance in Thailand adopted pluralist democracy, accountability, transparency, predictability, and openness in the manner of exercising power, rule of law, effective and efficient public sector management, prevention of corruption, and prevention of excessive military expenditures as the standard definition of good governance. 7.1.2 Governance from economic perspective According to Dixit (2006), economic governance consists of the processes that support economic activities and economic transactions by protecting property rights, enforcing contracts, and taking collective actions to provide appropriate physical and organizational infrastructure. These processes are carried out within institutions, formal and informal. He described that the field of economic governance studies and compares the performance of different institutions under different conditions, the evolution of these institutions, and the transitions from one set of institution to another. Meanwhile, Huther Shah (1998), Gonzalez Mendoza (2001) and Mahani (2003) defined governance as a multi-faceted concept, encompassing all aspects of the exercise of authority through both formal and informal institutions in the management of resources. In other words, governance is: An exercise of economic power in the management of resource endowment of a country done through mechanisms, processes, and institutions through which citizens and groups can articulate their interest, exercise legal rights, meet their obligations and mediate their differences. According to Mahani (2003), indicators of economic governance are: Macroeconomic management à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" fiscal management, level of government debt, unemployment and inflation. Investment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" size and trend of foreign and domestic investments, capital flows and allocation of resources. Trade regime à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" trade orientation, export and import performance and balance of payment position. Financial sector management à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the banking sector and capital market. Exchange rate regime. Private sector participation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" privatization and corporate governance. Social development à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" income distribution and level of poverty. Lanyi Lee (1999) studied on various aspects of economic governance, that is, the way in which economic life is governed and regulated à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" which does not mean solely governance by the government. They first discussed the political basis of economic governance which is in their view crucial for the way in which different aspects of economic governance operate. The other aspects include the governance of macroeconomic policy making, and the interrelated issues of financial and corporate governance. From political perspective, they argued that economic governance in a market economy consists partly of direct control or indirect influence exerted by the government and of governance exercised within markets themselves on the other part; but even self-governance by markets operates within the legal, judicial and regulatory framework that has been erected and is supported by the government. The optimum role of government in this context is market-augmenting government. Furthermore, they defined macroeconomic governance as the political and administrative processes by which macroeconomic policies are formulated, implemented, and evaluated. They argued that technically the same policies can be carried out with equal effectiveness by either an autocratic or a democratic government. An autocratic government, if supported by well-trained technocrats, is likely to come up with first-class macroeconomic governance. Nevertheless, there may be factors that over time lead to deterioration in the quality of these policies in an autocratic government, as well as problems in the ability of such governments to adjust policies in response to changes in economic circumstances. The working definition of governance used for financial and corporate governance depends on the key distinction between principals and agents. In this context, they defined governance as the legal and institutional arrangements governing the behavior of an economic entity, by which owners, creditors, markets and the government compel or induce agents to behave according to the interests of the principals, or those of the broader society. In this regard, two key elements of governance are discussed. First, there is the structure of incentives and rules facing agents with regard to such matters as granting and terminating lending, bankruptcy, the rights of boards of directors, compensation structure, and the termination of employment. Second, there is the structure of the information flow from agents to principals, that is, the rules and incentives affecting accountability, transparency and disclosure of information. In both cases, the government plays a key role in setting the rules by which private actors operate. Meanwhile, Das Quintyn (2002) in their study on the role of regulatory governance in crisis prevention and crisis management have identified four main components of the regulatory governance practices, namely independence, accountability, transparency and integrity. The study explored the quality of regulatory governance based on the financial system evaluations under the Financial Sector Assessment Programs (FSAPs). Introduced in May 1999, FSAPs is a joint effort by the IMF and World Bank aims to increase the effectiveness of efforts to promote the soundness of financial systems in member countries. Supported by experts from a range of national agencies and standard-setting bodies, works under the program seek to identify the strengths and vulnerabilities of a countrys financial system; to determine how key sources of risk are being managed; to ascertain the sectors developmental and technical assistance needs; and to help prioritize policy responses (IMF the World Bank, 2005). Regulatory governance applies to those institutions that possess legal powers to regulate, supervise and/or intervene in the financial sector, which include agencies like central bank, sectoral regulators and supervisors, deposit insurance agencies, and in systemic crisis situations, restructuring agencies and asset management companies. Regulatory agencies need a fair degree of independence from the political sphere and from the supervised entities to achieve good regulatory governance. Agency independence increases the possibility of making credible policy commitments and improves transparency and stability of the output. Independence goes hand in hand with accountability. Accountability is essential for the agency to justify its action against the background of the mandate given to it. Independent agents should be accountable not only to those who delegated the responsibility à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the government or legislature à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" but also to the public who fall under their functional realm. Transparency in monetary and financial policies refers to an environment in which objectives, frameworks, decisions, and their rationale, data and other information, as well as terms of accountability, are provided to the public in a comprehensive, accessible, and timely manner. Global integration of financial markets and products require greater degree of transparency in monetary and financial policies, and in regulatory regimes and processes, as a means of containing market uncertainty. Increased transparency supports accountability, protect the independence and eventually increase commitment to prudent behavior and risk control in the financial business. The final component of regulatory governance is integrity which reflects the mechanisms that ensure that staff of the agencies can pursue institutional goals of good regulatory governance without compromising them due to their own behavior, or self-interest. Independence, accountability, transparency and integrity interact and reinforce each other. Independence and accountability represent two sides of the same coin, while transparency is a vehicle for safeguarding independence and key instrument to make accountability work. Transparency also helps to establish and safeguard integrity. 7.2 Governance relationship with development and growth Economic governance is often studied through its role in the promotion of growth. This is done by setting policies, incentives and institutions that create an environment conducive to sustained stable growth through efficient management of a countrys resources. It means managing a countrys resources in a way that is accountable to, and representative of, the community; transparent, that is, open and predictable; and efficient and equitable in terms of the use, and distribution of, resources. Hence, good and effective governance requires government policies that encourage and efficiently manage investment and economic growth, support a fair and efficient public sector, strengthen the rule of law, protect human rights, and foster public participation and representation in decision making. Among the many studies that have examined the economic governance and growth nexus is such as that of Barro (1997). He studied the concept of growth based on the conditional convergence hypothesis which centers on the speed of economic growth in a country towards its steady-state level. He had empirically identified that more schooling, better health, lower fertility rate, less government consumption relative to GDP, greater adherence to uncorrupted rule of law, improvements in terms of trade changes, and lower inflation all go hand-in-hand with faster economic growth. Furthermore, he also explored on the interplay between economic and political development, and found that there is nonlinear relationship between democracy and growth. According to his findings, in countries with low levels of political freedom, a marginal increase in political freedom is associated with an acceleration in growth. However, at high levels of political freedom, a marginal increase in political freedom is associated with a slowing in growth. Huther Shah (1998) also studied the relationship between governance and growth and found that countries that practiced good governance have also enjoyed high growth. They developed a governance index featuring four sub-indices, i.e. citizen participation index (CP), government orientation index (GO), social development index (SD) and economic management index (EM) and each of the sub-indices has several components. For the Economic Management index, its components are outward orientation, central bank interdependence, and debt-to-GDP ratio which were used to assess trade policy, monetary policy and fiscal policy respectively. Gonzalez Mendoza (2001) argued that Southeast Asia provides ample evidence that there is a remarkable connection between administrative guidance and economic upturn. They compared the average growth rate of national output during the last decade against the quality of country governance and found that the high-performing economies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Singapore and Malaysia à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" have the edge in public management. Those left behind, such as the Philippines and Indonesia, have poor management structures. A study by Inada (2003) on Indonesia governance showed the importance of political stability and effective economic management as key elements for sustainable economic development among many governance factors. Bordo (2007) provides a good qualitative analysis on the possible determinant of emerging market crises from the perspective of balance sheet approach, which then put at center stage the importance of financial development. Though he never mention the word governance itself, he outlines the deep institutional determinants of financial development à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" including the governance parameters such as the rule of law, protection of property rights, political stability, and representative democracy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" towards achieving financial stability. He further conjectures about the ways countries learn from their financial crises to improve their institutions and grow up to financial stability. 7.3 Governance link to crisis and roles in recovery process Lanyi Lee (1999) presented a strong case that governance issues were important in the East Asian crisis. They hypothesized that transparency and accountability in macroeconomic policymaking, in the operation of the financial system, and in corporate governance do serve to lessen a countrys vulnerability to financial crises and to strengthen the ability to deal with crises when they occur. They also hypothesized that a democratic political system, in which leaders are held accountable to their electorate by both direct election of the executive and an elected legislature à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" as well as by an independent judiciary and a free press and civil society à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" is less likely to collapse in the face of economic and financial difficulties than is a country run by an autocratic government, which imposes severe restraints on the public expression of opinion and dissemination of information. On the political basis of economic governance, they have suggested a hypothesis regarding the kind of political regimes likely to produce an effective, growth-enhancing, market-augmenting government. It is the type of political regime that is especially effective in the early stages of economic development may be less suited to fostering the creation of a full-fledged, sophisticated market economy at a later stage. They argued that there certainly seems to be some indications of this in the Asian experience, where authoritarian regimes fostered rapid growth when these economies were at relatively low income levels, but seems to be evolving toward more democratic models to deal with demands for greater market autonomy. They however suggested that even if a case can be made for the desirability of democratization as a market economy becomes more sophisticated, the varied historical examples warrant the need to find out more about the conditions under which either an autocratic or a democratic government can be market-augmenting, or not. They further highlighted that it would be useful to find historical examples of, and develop plausible scenarios for, the transition from discretionary (an autocratic government) to arms-length (a democratic government) approaches to state economic governance, and to define the most effective ways in which the international community might assist with this transition. Furthermore, they believed that empirical work on macroeconomic governance would need to tap into the huge literature on macroeconomic policies and their effect, and link existing work with variables that reveal the quality of governance. Unfortunately, such variables are hard to quantify; but perhaps a classification of regimes together with a classification of the way macroeconomic policy is organized, could yield ways of exploring the relationships between the political and administrative variables, on the one hand, and the more familiar economic variables on the other. In other words, it would be interesting to look how the macroeconomic policies are formulated, implemented and evaluated through the governance perspective, to understand whether adherence to, or lack of, the governance practices could influence the outcome of the macroeconomic policies, as well as to determine conditions that would lead to good quality policies which would eventually identify the appropriate type of market-augmenting government as the market economy progresses. Besides, they also made preliminary attempts to trace the relationship between empirical indicators of financial and corporate governance with some governance variables that have been developed by others. They however suggested that one needs to look more carefully, perhaps through case studies, at the realities of financial and corporate governance in particular cases and the linkage between indicators of these types of financial and corporate governance with the more carefully articulated classification of political regimes. Specifically with regard to the adjustment of most severely affected countries to the Asian crisis, they suggested that it would be interesting to examine the reasons why recovery in Korea has been more rapid than in the Indonesia and Thailand. Similarly, it would also be interesting to investigate Malaysias speedy recovery from the crisis even though the country did not subscribe to the IMF recovery prescriptions. Mahani (2003) highlighted that after the rapid recovery of the Asian economies in 1999, discussion of the causes of the crisis has been centered on the quality of economic governance in these economies. The East Asian economies success was at one time a model to be emulated by other developing countries, but after the 1997 financial turbulence, doubts were raised about the quality of economic governance in these Asian countries. Questions were raised whether the governance in these economies contributed to the crisis when countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and South Korea experienced sharp economic contraction during the crisis. She further highlighted that questions on the quality of governance centered on the issue whether or not the same economic governance that produced high growth also weakens the economies and makes them vulnerable to external shocks, whether the economic governance fails to avoid market failures in pursuing its high growth strategy, whether the conditions for good governance always the same irrespective of the stage of economic development, and whether the crony capitalism a result of the governance failure since it was among the widely acknowledged factors contributing to the crisis. To know whether economic governance had made the economy vulnerable to a crisis, it is crucially important to examine the causes of the crisis and to link them with the economic weak points. Was the crisis due to the imprudent economic management or due to external factors? Although external factors have been recognized as the key cause for the crisis, domestic shortcomings were also responsible for deepening or aggravating the impact of the crisis. Furthermore, Malaysias own crisis remedies and the rejection of the IMFs standard crisis solutions open the debate on what is good economic governance. She argued that the 1997 Asian experience showed the economic governance framework by the IMF and the World Bank has some weaknesses, namely unfettered short term capital flows, lack of long-term and broader macroeconomic objectives when growth is driven by the private sector, and minimal attention given to socioeconomic issues such as income distribution. The rapid recovery by Malaysia and Korea, which adopted different strategies shows that there are alternative ways to respond to a crisis, implying that there is also no single definition of economic governance. Policy flexibility arising from good economic governance before the crisis made it possible to Malaysia to take response measures specially tailored to its need and situation, and rejecting one-size-fits-all prescriptions by the IMF. 7.4 Governance roles in crisis prevention The rapid pace and spread of globalization pose stiff challenges to economic governance as new criteria and developments may impose a heavier governance burden on the government and economy. One of the biggest challenges is the increasingly volatile international flow of capital that makes economic governance much more difficult as economic fundamentals are not the only factors that determine performance. Global integration also limits the choice of measures that are available to a country in making its response. Yet good governance is essential for sustained economic growth. The challenge is to determine what good governance consists of under these changing conditions. Ever better economic management is called for, to preserve economic resilience and prevent external shocks from turning into crises. Thus, a close and critical evaluation of the new economic governance parameters and institutions is essential. 8.0 OVERVIEW ON THE STUDY OF GOVERNANCE 8.1 Development of the study of governance Inada (2003) outlined the development in the study of governance over the last 10 years which can be categorized into several types: Identifying factors of governance: what factors are the governance factors that affect the performance of the economies of developing countries? Example à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" World Bank (1992) documented such factors as accountability, transparency, predictable legal framework, efficiency of the public sector, etc. Categori Economic Governance for Crisis Prevention Economic Governance for Crisis Prevention 1.0 INTRODUCTION The proposed research attempts to identify the critical components of economic governance in four Asian countries namely Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia. The study by employing in-depth case study analysis seeks to analyze the economic governance practices in these countries and its relationship to their economic growths. The study then attempts to investigate the links between economic governance and the Asian financial crisis in 1997, and the roles the economic governance could have played in the recovery process since the above countries had somehow recovered at somewhat different speed. Based on the identified components of economic governance considered imperative for sustainable and resilient economy, the study will develop an index namely Economic Governance Quality Index capturing the score of governance parameters by the countries during the booms and slumps of their economies throughout the period under study. Finally, the components of economic governance wil l be employed in panel data analysis to empirically determine their significance towards economic growth. Its findings then will be of significance in crisis prediction and prevention methods in which the identified key governance parameters are the core ingredients. 2.0 BACKGROUND Good governance is perhaps the single most important factor in eradicating poverty and promoting development. Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations. The concept of governance has assumed a more central focus and been given key attention not only by the officials from the United Nations Development Program, the World Bank and the International Monetary Funds, but also from the policymakers in especially developing countries, aids donors, and regional organizations of economic cooperation as well as academics fraternity. Since the beginning of 1990s, there is a strong indication of growing emphasis that good governance, together with democracy and protection of basic human rights, is indispensable for sustainable economic growth. Economic development cannot be achieved without the development of good governance, which is composed of competence and honesty, public accountability, and broader participation in discussion and decision making on central issues. In addition to traditional view of governance which is on the public governance, there is also a notable increase in the endeavors to grasp the concept of governance in a multi-d imensional perspective which includes economic governance. The relationship between governance and development is thus studied from diverse angles, especially in the vein of economic transformation, macroeconomic management and prevention of crisis as well as structural reforms. The Asian financial crisis in 1997 had somehow exposed the vulnerability of the once high-performing countries in the region, whose lack of governance practices was said as the main cause of the severe affects. 3.0 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The Asian economies success was once dubbed the Asian Miracle, and a model to be emulated by other developing countries seeking higher growth. The success had introduced a growth model with emphasis on policies of setting the prices right, liberalizing the economy and the private sector as the engine of growth. When financial crisis struck the Asian countries in 1997, and looking at the devastating effects the countries in the region had experienced following the malaise, many however started to raise questions whether the quality of governance practices in these countries had somehow contributed to the crisis. Furthermore, the fact that South Korea and Malaysia had somehow recovered rapidly from the crisis compared to Indonesia and Thailand has sparked off interests on what roles good governance could have played in the recovery process. Hence, good governance has become a topic widely studied in the aftermath of the crisis. The discussions center on two main perspectives; firstly, the absence of good governance has been perceived as a MAJOR CAUSE of the crisis, and secondly, an inference is made that good governance is IMPERATIVE for durable and resilient economy. This study hence sets out to empirically identify and ascertain the governance parameters and their significance towards crisis prevention. Since the study focuses on economic governance, and to avoid constant repetition, the word governance used in this proposal should be taken in the context of economic point of view, unless explicit reference to other perspective of governance is relevant. 4.0 RESEARCH QUESTIONS This study will attempt to answer the following questions: What are the economic governance parameters presumed as crucially importance for sustainable and resilient economy? How to capture the score of economic governance practices in the East Asian countries during the period under study? How would the significance of governance parameters be empirically ascertained for the purpose of crisis prediction and prevention? 5.0 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The study hypothesized that good governance is imperative for sustainable and resilient economy, and the absence of such would result in increased vulnerability of the economy towards declining into crisis. Therefore, the objectives of the study are: To identify the parameters of economic governance crucial for resilient and sustainable economy. To develop an index of Economic Governance Quality capturing the score of economic governance practices by the East Asian countries during the period under study. To empirically ascertain the significance of economic governance parameters towards growth via a dynamic estimation model whose findings then would be of importance for crisis prediction and prevention. 6.0 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY It would be interesting to investigate what makes good governance and how do they link to economic growth in the four selected Asian countries. Furthermore, it would be crucially important to examine, from the governance perspective, how could the countries once considered by many as the fastest growing economies in the region were severely affected by the Asian crisis in 1997. Notwithstanding that, the fact that South Korea and Malaysia had made a more swift recovery than the other affected countries, it would therefore be interesting to analyze how the governance practices in the different countries facilitated the recovery process. The findings from this study are expected to provide a significant contribution to the existing governance literatures especially from the economic perspective since it attempts to discover the critical components of economic governance that are imperative for sustainable and resilient economy. Policy makers not only from the countries under study but also from other developing countries may utilize the findings of the study to evaluate their economic governance practices and be able therefore to make necessary adjustments and required changes with the objectives of registering better growth and strengthening the economy against any possibility of future crisis. The researchers from world organizations and academic community may also be interested with the findings since the study attempts to develop a new feasible dynamic estimation model to analyze the relationship between the components of economic governance and growth, of which they could use as a basis for their future research undertaking in the similar field. In addition, the findings could also stimulate and facilitate them to search for additional approaches to counter or justify the results of this study. 7.0 LITERATURE REVIEW Good governance has become a topic widely debated by academicians and economic communities especially in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis in 1997. The discussions in this context center on two main perspectives; first, the absence of good governance has been perceived as a major cause of the crisis, and the second prognosis is drawn by inference, namely, that good governance is imperative for durable development (Lam, 2003). Therefore, to have a better understanding of the governance, this section discusses definitions and indicators of the governance, its relationship with the economic growth, how it links to the crisis and its roles in the recovery process, and finally how could these governance factors be used for crisis prevention. 7.1 Definitions and indicators of governance Definitions and indicators of governance can be found in numerous literatures. A top-down approach is best used to understand the concept of governance, where a general or broad definition of governance will be firstly explored before moving on to a more specific definition. The World Bank continuously updates key governance indicators in its regular publication of Governance Matters, a governance study encompassing many aspects like political, social, economic, legal and moral. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Funds (IMF) has been doing a great deal of works in an effort to promote governance in the financial sector management through Financial Sector Assessment Programs (FSAPs) which include regulatory, risk management and aid management. 7.1.1 Broad definition of governance From the viewpoint of United Nations Development Program (1997), the definition of governance is the exercise of economic, political administrative authority to manage a countrys affairs at all levels. It comprises mechanisms, processes and institutions, through which citizens and groups articulate their interests, exercise their legal rights, meet their obligation and mediate their differences. Good governance is, among other things, participatory, transparent and accountable, effective and equitable, and it promotes the rule of law. It ensures that political, social and economic priorities are based on broad consensus in society and that the voices of the poorest and the most vulnerable are heard in decision-making over the allocation of development resources (Abdellatif, 2003). In its report, Governance and Sustainable Human Development in 1997, the UNDP acknowledges the following as core characteristics of good governance, i.e. participation, rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, consensus orientation, equity, effectiveness and efficiency, accountability, and strategic vision. A report by the World Bank (2006) entitled Governance Matters V covering 213 countries and territories since 1996 until 2005, presented the latest version of the worldwide governance indicators, namely voice and accountability, political stability and absence of violence, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law, and control of corruption. Meanwhile, Inada (2003) discussed the governance in Indonesia where the word governance is translated as Tata Pemerintahan. It however has different meanings covering different agendas from political systems to corporate governance. They includes political democratization, reorganization of police and the military, curing the problems of corruption, collusion, and nepotism (KKN), justice reform system, decentralization, financial management, corporate governance, and state-owned enterprise reforms. Shimomura (2003) in his case study of governance in Thailand adopted pluralist democracy, accountability, transparency, predictability, and openness in the manner of exercising power, rule of law, effective and efficient public sector management, prevention of corruption, and prevention of excessive military expenditures as the standard definition of good governance. 7.1.2 Governance from economic perspective According to Dixit (2006), economic governance consists of the processes that support economic activities and economic transactions by protecting property rights, enforcing contracts, and taking collective actions to provide appropriate physical and organizational infrastructure. These processes are carried out within institutions, formal and informal. He described that the field of economic governance studies and compares the performance of different institutions under different conditions, the evolution of these institutions, and the transitions from one set of institution to another. Meanwhile, Huther Shah (1998), Gonzalez Mendoza (2001) and Mahani (2003) defined governance as a multi-faceted concept, encompassing all aspects of the exercise of authority through both formal and informal institutions in the management of resources. In other words, governance is: An exercise of economic power in the management of resource endowment of a country done through mechanisms, processes, and institutions through which citizens and groups can articulate their interest, exercise legal rights, meet their obligations and mediate their differences. According to Mahani (2003), indicators of economic governance are: Macroeconomic management à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" fiscal management, level of government debt, unemployment and inflation. Investment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" size and trend of foreign and domestic investments, capital flows and allocation of resources. Trade regime à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" trade orientation, export and import performance and balance of payment position. Financial sector management à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the banking sector and capital market. Exchange rate regime. Private sector participation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" privatization and corporate governance. Social development à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" income distribution and level of poverty. Lanyi Lee (1999) studied on various aspects of economic governance, that is, the way in which economic life is governed and regulated à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" which does not mean solely governance by the government. They first discussed the political basis of economic governance which is in their view crucial for the way in which different aspects of economic governance operate. The other aspects include the governance of macroeconomic policy making, and the interrelated issues of financial and corporate governance. From political perspective, they argued that economic governance in a market economy consists partly of direct control or indirect influence exerted by the government and of governance exercised within markets themselves on the other part; but even self-governance by markets operates within the legal, judicial and regulatory framework that has been erected and is supported by the government. The optimum role of government in this context is market-augmenting government. Furthermore, they defined macroeconomic governance as the political and administrative processes by which macroeconomic policies are formulated, implemented, and evaluated. They argued that technically the same policies can be carried out with equal effectiveness by either an autocratic or a democratic government. An autocratic government, if supported by well-trained technocrats, is likely to come up with first-class macroeconomic governance. Nevertheless, there may be factors that over time lead to deterioration in the quality of these policies in an autocratic government, as well as problems in the ability of such governments to adjust policies in response to changes in economic circumstances. The working definition of governance used for financial and corporate governance depends on the key distinction between principals and agents. In this context, they defined governance as the legal and institutional arrangements governing the behavior of an economic entity, by which owners, creditors, markets and the government compel or induce agents to behave according to the interests of the principals, or those of the broader society. In this regard, two key elements of governance are discussed. First, there is the structure of incentives and rules facing agents with regard to such matters as granting and terminating lending, bankruptcy, the rights of boards of directors, compensation structure, and the termination of employment. Second, there is the structure of the information flow from agents to principals, that is, the rules and incentives affecting accountability, transparency and disclosure of information. In both cases, the government plays a key role in setting the rules by which private actors operate. Meanwhile, Das Quintyn (2002) in their study on the role of regulatory governance in crisis prevention and crisis management have identified four main components of the regulatory governance practices, namely independence, accountability, transparency and integrity. The study explored the quality of regulatory governance based on the financial system evaluations under the Financial Sector Assessment Programs (FSAPs). Introduced in May 1999, FSAPs is a joint effort by the IMF and World Bank aims to increase the effectiveness of efforts to promote the soundness of financial systems in member countries. Supported by experts from a range of national agencies and standard-setting bodies, works under the program seek to identify the strengths and vulnerabilities of a countrys financial system; to determine how key sources of risk are being managed; to ascertain the sectors developmental and technical assistance needs; and to help prioritize policy responses (IMF the World Bank, 2005). Regulatory governance applies to those institutions that possess legal powers to regulate, supervise and/or intervene in the financial sector, which include agencies like central bank, sectoral regulators and supervisors, deposit insurance agencies, and in systemic crisis situations, restructuring agencies and asset management companies. Regulatory agencies need a fair degree of independence from the political sphere and from the supervised entities to achieve good regulatory governance. Agency independence increases the possibility of making credible policy commitments and improves transparency and stability of the output. Independence goes hand in hand with accountability. Accountability is essential for the agency to justify its action against the background of the mandate given to it. Independent agents should be accountable not only to those who delegated the responsibility à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the government or legislature à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" but also to the public who fall under their functional realm. Transparency in monetary and financial policies refers to an environment in which objectives, frameworks, decisions, and their rationale, data and other information, as well as terms of accountability, are provided to the public in a comprehensive, accessible, and timely manner. Global integration of financial markets and products require greater degree of transparency in monetary and financial policies, and in regulatory regimes and processes, as a means of containing market uncertainty. Increased transparency supports accountability, protect the independence and eventually increase commitment to prudent behavior and risk control in the financial business. The final component of regulatory governance is integrity which reflects the mechanisms that ensure that staff of the agencies can pursue institutional goals of good regulatory governance without compromising them due to their own behavior, or self-interest. Independence, accountability, transparency and integrity interact and reinforce each other. Independence and accountability represent two sides of the same coin, while transparency is a vehicle for safeguarding independence and key instrument to make accountability work. Transparency also helps to establish and safeguard integrity. 7.2 Governance relationship with development and growth Economic governance is often studied through its role in the promotion of growth. This is done by setting policies, incentives and institutions that create an environment conducive to sustained stable growth through efficient management of a countrys resources. It means managing a countrys resources in a way that is accountable to, and representative of, the community; transparent, that is, open and predictable; and efficient and equitable in terms of the use, and distribution of, resources. Hence, good and effective governance requires government policies that encourage and efficiently manage investment and economic growth, support a fair and efficient public sector, strengthen the rule of law, protect human rights, and foster public participation and representation in decision making. Among the many studies that have examined the economic governance and growth nexus is such as that of Barro (1997). He studied the concept of growth based on the conditional convergence hypothesis which centers on the speed of economic growth in a country towards its steady-state level. He had empirically identified that more schooling, better health, lower fertility rate, less government consumption relative to GDP, greater adherence to uncorrupted rule of law, improvements in terms of trade changes, and lower inflation all go hand-in-hand with faster economic growth. Furthermore, he also explored on the interplay between economic and political development, and found that there is nonlinear relationship between democracy and growth. According to his findings, in countries with low levels of political freedom, a marginal increase in political freedom is associated with an acceleration in growth. However, at high levels of political freedom, a marginal increase in political freedom is associated with a slowing in growth. Huther Shah (1998) also studied the relationship between governance and growth and found that countries that practiced good governance have also enjoyed high growth. They developed a governance index featuring four sub-indices, i.e. citizen participation index (CP), government orientation index (GO), social development index (SD) and economic management index (EM) and each of the sub-indices has several components. For the Economic Management index, its components are outward orientation, central bank interdependence, and debt-to-GDP ratio which were used to assess trade policy, monetary policy and fiscal policy respectively. Gonzalez Mendoza (2001) argued that Southeast Asia provides ample evidence that there is a remarkable connection between administrative guidance and economic upturn. They compared the average growth rate of national output during the last decade against the quality of country governance and found that the high-performing economies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Singapore and Malaysia à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" have the edge in public management. Those left behind, such as the Philippines and Indonesia, have poor management structures. A study by Inada (2003) on Indonesia governance showed the importance of political stability and effective economic management as key elements for sustainable economic development among many governance factors. Bordo (2007) provides a good qualitative analysis on the possible determinant of emerging market crises from the perspective of balance sheet approach, which then put at center stage the importance of financial development. Though he never mention the word governance itself, he outlines the deep institutional determinants of financial development à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" including the governance parameters such as the rule of law, protection of property rights, political stability, and representative democracy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" towards achieving financial stability. He further conjectures about the ways countries learn from their financial crises to improve their institutions and grow up to financial stability. 7.3 Governance link to crisis and roles in recovery process Lanyi Lee (1999) presented a strong case that governance issues were important in the East Asian crisis. They hypothesized that transparency and accountability in macroeconomic policymaking, in the operation of the financial system, and in corporate governance do serve to lessen a countrys vulnerability to financial crises and to strengthen the ability to deal with crises when they occur. They also hypothesized that a democratic political system, in which leaders are held accountable to their electorate by both direct election of the executive and an elected legislature à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" as well as by an independent judiciary and a free press and civil society à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" is less likely to collapse in the face of economic and financial difficulties than is a country run by an autocratic government, which imposes severe restraints on the public expression of opinion and dissemination of information. On the political basis of economic governance, they have suggested a hypothesis regarding the kind of political regimes likely to produce an effective, growth-enhancing, market-augmenting government. It is the type of political regime that is especially effective in the early stages of economic development may be less suited to fostering the creation of a full-fledged, sophisticated market economy at a later stage. They argued that there certainly seems to be some indications of this in the Asian experience, where authoritarian regimes fostered rapid growth when these economies were at relatively low income levels, but seems to be evolving toward more democratic models to deal with demands for greater market autonomy. They however suggested that even if a case can be made for the desirability of democratization as a market economy becomes more sophisticated, the varied historical examples warrant the need to find out more about the conditions under which either an autocratic or a democratic government can be market-augmenting, or not. They further highlighted that it would be useful to find historical examples of, and develop plausible scenarios for, the transition from discretionary (an autocratic government) to arms-length (a democratic government) approaches to state economic governance, and to define the most effective ways in which the international community might assist with this transition. Furthermore, they believed that empirical work on macroeconomic governance would need to tap into the huge literature on macroeconomic policies and their effect, and link existing work with variables that reveal the quality of governance. Unfortunately, such variables are hard to quantify; but perhaps a classification of regimes together with a classification of the way macroeconomic policy is organized, could yield ways of exploring the relationships between the political and administrative variables, on the one hand, and the more familiar economic variables on the other. In other words, it would be interesting to look how the macroeconomic policies are formulated, implemented and evaluated through the governance perspective, to understand whether adherence to, or lack of, the governance practices could influence the outcome of the macroeconomic policies, as well as to determine conditions that would lead to good quality policies which would eventually identify the appropriate type of market-augmenting government as the market economy progresses. Besides, they also made preliminary attempts to trace the relationship between empirical indicators of financial and corporate governance with some governance variables that have been developed by others. They however suggested that one needs to look more carefully, perhaps through case studies, at the realities of financial and corporate governance in particular cases and the linkage between indicators of these types of financial and corporate governance with the more carefully articulated classification of political regimes. Specifically with regard to the adjustment of most severely affected countries to the Asian crisis, they suggested that it would be interesting to examine the reasons why recovery in Korea has been more rapid than in the Indonesia and Thailand. Similarly, it would also be interesting to investigate Malaysias speedy recovery from the crisis even though the country did not subscribe to the IMF recovery prescriptions. Mahani (2003) highlighted that after the rapid recovery of the Asian economies in 1999, discussion of the causes of the crisis has been centered on the quality of economic governance in these economies. The East Asian economies success was at one time a model to be emulated by other developing countries, but after the 1997 financial turbulence, doubts were raised about the quality of economic governance in these Asian countries. Questions were raised whether the governance in these economies contributed to the crisis when countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and South Korea experienced sharp economic contraction during the crisis. She further highlighted that questions on the quality of governance centered on the issue whether or not the same economic governance that produced high growth also weakens the economies and makes them vulnerable to external shocks, whether the economic governance fails to avoid market failures in pursuing its high growth strategy, whether the conditions for good governance always the same irrespective of the stage of economic development, and whether the crony capitalism a result of the governance failure since it was among the widely acknowledged factors contributing to the crisis. To know whether economic governance had made the economy vulnerable to a crisis, it is crucially important to examine the causes of the crisis and to link them with the economic weak points. Was the crisis due to the imprudent economic management or due to external factors? Although external factors have been recognized as the key cause for the crisis, domestic shortcomings were also responsible for deepening or aggravating the impact of the crisis. Furthermore, Malaysias own crisis remedies and the rejection of the IMFs standard crisis solutions open the debate on what is good economic governance. She argued that the 1997 Asian experience showed the economic governance framework by the IMF and the World Bank has some weaknesses, namely unfettered short term capital flows, lack of long-term and broader macroeconomic objectives when growth is driven by the private sector, and minimal attention given to socioeconomic issues such as income distribution. The rapid recovery by Malaysia and Korea, which adopted different strategies shows that there are alternative ways to respond to a crisis, implying that there is also no single definition of economic governance. Policy flexibility arising from good economic governance before the crisis made it possible to Malaysia to take response measures specially tailored to its need and situation, and rejecting one-size-fits-all prescriptions by the IMF. 7.4 Governance roles in crisis prevention The rapid pace and spread of globalization pose stiff challenges to economic governance as new criteria and developments may impose a heavier governance burden on the government and economy. One of the biggest challenges is the increasingly volatile international flow of capital that makes economic governance much more difficult as economic fundamentals are not the only factors that determine performance. Global integration also limits the choice of measures that are available to a country in making its response. Yet good governance is essential for sustained economic growth. The challenge is to determine what good governance consists of under these changing conditions. Ever better economic management is called for, to preserve economic resilience and prevent external shocks from turning into crises. Thus, a close and critical evaluation of the new economic governance parameters and institutions is essential. 8.0 OVERVIEW ON THE STUDY OF GOVERNANCE 8.1 Development of the study of governance Inada (2003) outlined the development in the study of governance over the last 10 years which can be categorized into several types: Identifying factors of governance: what factors are the governance factors that affect the performance of the economies of developing countries? Example à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" World Bank (1992) documented such factors as accountability, transparency, predictable legal framework, efficiency of the public sector, etc. Categori