Abstract A common trend of reduction of a state's social policy scope after a fiscal crisis has been reflected in the reform path pursued by Ireland ,and even more so ,the case of Bulgaria. The paper shows that, in both cases, the start of reforms has been triggered by a crisis, and the ongoing reform strategies are being shaped by the different economic pressures and political priorities pursued by the two countries, which are standing at different phases of economic development and integration with the European Union. The paper explains that the cases of Ireland and Bulgaria are informative of the diversity of responses different polities may adopt in the face of similar economic challenges, like fiscal imbalance. While Ireland was able to confront the situation in a framework of a broad political and social consensus, in Bulgaria, the beginning of a consistent reform process was only possible after a reform-minded party was able to collect the votes necessary to form a government. The paper also makes extensive use of tables.
From the Paper "The economic success of the country over the period covered by the first agreement (PNR) was apparently convincing enough to keep the policy to this day. Throughout the 1990s labour relations in Ireland are dealt with via three-year agreements with titles such as ?Program for Economic and Social Progress,? ?Program for Competitiveness and Work,? and (starting 2000) ?Program for Prosperity and Fairness.? The late 1980s and early 1990s were marked by a great progress in reducing deficit and attracting FDI. Unemployment however remained a major concern throughout the beginning of the reform period (standing at 17.4% in 1986); it only began to decline since 1993. Nonetheless now, more than a decade after the beginning of reforms in Ireland unemployment is also fully contained at a level of around 4% in 2000. Active labour market policies absorbed as much as 1.75% GDP in the mid-1990s."
Abstract This research paper provides an overview of the Russian Federation, focusing on the international management/business aspects, such as country-specific regulations, currency, and foreign investment. The paper also includes information on geography, climate, and economics. The paper includes tables.
Table of Contents
General Information
Geography
Climate
Population
Culture and Social Life
Business Environment
Political - Overview
Business Related Legislation
Economic - Overview
Main Macroeconomic Indicators
Foreign Direct Investment
Financial - Currency
Major Financial Institutions
Financial Markets
Banking System
Protection of Ownership Rights and Corporate Governance
Cultural Environment
People
Business Etiquette
Issues to Keep in Mind
Governmental Regulation
Taxes and Customs
Legal Requirements for Maintaining Business
Legal Reform
Recent Amendments to Bankruptcy Legislation
Advertising
Human Resources
Russian Labor Code
Termination
Employee Benefits
Unions
From the Paper "Major stock exchanges are: Moscow Stock Exchange, St. Petersbrug's Future Trading Stock, and Kazan Exchange Stock. The year 2001 also saw a breakthrough in the area of legal regulation of the stock market. Among the most important documents adopted last year in that regard were the Law "Concerning Investment Funds" and the amendments to the Law "Concerning Joint Stock Companies". These documents take into account the way in which the markets actually function and substantially curtail the scope for abuse of shareholders' rights. Another new law that emerged last year was the Law "Concerning Digital Electronic Signature", which will enable cost savings for market traders and speed up securities turnover."
Abstract The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk of 1917 closed the Eastern theater of World War I some two years before the Western armistice. Although the Treaty of Versailles traditionally overshadows that of Brest-Litovsk, the legacy of Russia's and Germany's separate peace treaty is arguably more important than Versailles's. This paper explores the personalities of the Russian leaders involved with the treaty, the internal political struggle behind the Soviet's foreign policy, and the legacy the treaty had in European affairs and Soviet policy.
From the Paper "The terms of the final Treaty signed at Brest-Litovsk were harsher than the ones dictated to Russia a month earlier. The Germans, who had also desired peace initially, had been insulted by Trotsky and the Bolsheviks to such a degree that they no would no longer act fairly towards Russia. Russia lost huge quantities of its natural resources, arable land, population and territory. For Lenin, the challenge now became getting the Congress of Bolsheviks to ratify such an embarrassing treaty."
This paper is a review of John Rath's "The Viennese Revolution of 1848", which chronicles both sides of the Austrian-Hungarian revolution from its onset to its conclusion.
Abstract This paper explains that the Viennese Revolution of 1848 took place with the backdrop of liberal-conservative squabbling throughout Europe; poor living conditions and constant warring left the upper and middle classes wanting an end to the aristocratic regimes of most European nations and an increase in the people's liberties. The author points out that the original cause behind the revolution was the broad idea of liberalism, but,once the revolutionaries came into power, this broad idea took on different interpretations by different ethnic groups.The paper concludes that this polarization ultimately created problems for further unification of the revolutionaries and might have led to the final fall of Vienna.
From the Paper "The ruling regime was split on whether or not to make concessions. Metternich, Archduke Ludwig, and his cabinet were insistent that the revolutionaries be granted none of their demands, while other some of the archdukes that were more sympathetic to the cause were willing to grant reforms. The disagreements in the imperial government led to inactivity of government, and progress revolutionary activity by the liberal-leaning populace. Rath notes the proliferation of political and social calls for reform, ?As the populace became more and more agitated by the ever increasing reports of revolutionary disturbances, various liberal elements in Vienna summoned courage to demand reforms from the government, and many individuals and groups hastened to draft petitions, obtain signatures for them, and send them to the authorities.?"
Abstract The dissertation looks at the history of communism in Poland and its fall. The dissertation then looks at the economy of Poland, the main natural resources, the economy under Communism, the centrally planned economy, and the economy after the fall of Communism. The dissertation then moves on to looking at the processes of marketization and stabilization in Poland and the macroeconomic indicators for the crucial 1990-1991 period. The privatization process in Poland follows, and the subsequent structure of the economy is analyzed. The main markets supporting the economy, i.e., fuels and energy, industry, agriculture, fishing and forestry, banking and finance, and foreign trade are examined. Once the economic history of Poland has been discussed and analyzed, the dissertation then moves to looking at how Polish companies have reacted to ethical issues and changes in business standards since the fall of communism in 1989. This takes the form of looking, principally, at what constitutes ethical business in Poland, how ethical business is regulated and monitored in Poland, how changes have been made so far in business ethics in Poland since the fall of Communism, and how these changes relate to changes over the same period at an international level. A discussion of the merits of entering into the EU, in terms of business ethics, is also provided.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Poland's Economy Pre-Communism's Fall
Section 1.1. Poland's Natural Resources
Section 1.1.1. Minerals and Fuels
Section 1.1.2. Agricultural Resources
Section 1.1.3. Labor Force
Section 1.2. The Polish Economy Under Communism
Section 1.2.1. System Structure
Section 1.2.2. Development Strategy
Section 1.3. The Centrally-Planned Economy
Section 1.3.1. Establishing the Planning Formula
Section 1.3.2. Retrenchment and Adjustment in the 1960s
Section 1.3.3. Reliance on Technology in the 1970s
Section 1.3.4. Reform Failure in the 1980s
Chapter 2: Poland's Economy After the Fall of Communism
Section 2.1. Poland After the Fall of Communism
Section 2.2. Fall of Communism
Section 2.3. Marketization and Stabilization
Section 2.3.1. Required Short-Term Changes
Section 2.3.2. The Shock Strategy
Section 2.3.3. Initial Results
Section 2.3.4. Long-Term Requirements
Section 2.4. Macroeconomic Indicators for 1990-91
Section 2.4.1. Price Increases
Section 2.4.2. Impact on Productivity and Wages
Section 2.4.3. Statistical Distortions
Section 2.4.4. Agricultural Imbalances
Section 2.4.5. Causes of Decline
Section 2.5.The Polish Post-Communism Privatization Process
Section 2.6. Structure of Poland's Economy: Post-Communism
Section 2.6.1. Fuels and Energy
Section 2.6.2. Coal
Section 2.6.3. Oil and Gas
Section 2.6.4. Power Generation
Section 2.6.5. Industry
Section 2.6.6. Light Industry
Section 2.6.7. Automotive Industry
Section 2.6.8. Construction Machinery
Section 2.6.9. Banking and Finance
Section 2.7. The State Banking System
Section 2.8. Banking Reform, 1990-92
Section 2.8.1. Insurance and Securities Reform
Section 2.8.2. New Financial Institutions
Section 2.8.3. Foreign Loans and Money Supply
Section 2.8.4. Foreign Trade
Section 2.8.5. The Foreign Trade Mechanism
Section 2.9. Post-communist Policy Adjustments
Section 2.10. The Role of Currency Exchange
Section 2.11. Foreign Investment
Chapter 3: Business Ethics in Poland
Section 3.1. Introduction
Section 3.2. What is Meant (and Understood) by the Term "Business Ethics" in Poland?
Section 3.3. Developing Standards of Business Ethics in Poland
Section 3.3.1. The Polish Transition
Section 3.3.2. Difficulties in Adjusting
Section 3.3.3. Identifying the Problem: Polish Chamber Survey Results
Section 3.3.4. Setting Ethical Standards
Section 3.3.5. Letting Market Forces Work
Section 3.3.6. The Highlights from the Polish Chamber's Sample Code of Ethics
Section 3.3.7. Western Aid In Fighting Corruption
Chapter 4: Conclusions
Bibliography
From the Paper "Poland's climate features moderate temperatures and adequate rainfall that enable cultivation of most temperate-zone crops, including all the major grains, several industrial crops, and several varieties of fruit (www.countrystudies.us/poland.htm). Crops are distributed according to the substantial regional variations in soil and length of growing season (www.countrystudies.us/poland.htm). The sandy soils of the central plains are most suitable for rye, the richer soil in the south favors wheat and barley, and the poorer soil of the north is used for oats (www.countrystudies.us/poland.htm). All parts of Poland favor potato cultivation; sugar beets, the most important industrial crop, grow mainly in the west and southeast (www.countrystudies.us/poland.htm)."
This paper discusses the history of the Cold War, the ideological, political, and economic impasse between the United States and the Soviet Union, and its effect on the American society.
Abstract This paper explains the Soviet Union's physical and ideological expansion, post-World War II, into many countries, known as the "Soviet Block"; on the other hand, the American economy was much stronger than the Soviet economy, and many countries in the United Nations were friendly toward the United States. The author points out that, during the Cold War, there was never a direct confrontation between the United States and the Soviets; however, there were conflicts between client nations, which were used to carry out the policies of the superpowers, such as Korea and Vietnam. The paper elucidates that the Vietnam War did more than any war to change the American perspective on foreign involvement
From the Paper "The Vietnam War had a significant impact on life in the United States. College campuses became center of debate and Kent State is still remembered for a campus demonstration that turned deadly. Opposition to the war had created a movement and in response to Nixon's decision over whether troops would be sent to Cambodia. A group of approximately 300 hundred students gathered at Kent State in Ohio to for a formal ceremony in which they burned copies of the Constitution. Mob mentality took over and that evening demonstrators moved into town and smashed shop windows as well as burning down an Army ROTC building. The mayor declared a state of emergency and as a result, the governor National Guard was called in to keep the peace. When students gathered for another anti-war rally, they resisted orders to disband. In response to this, the guardsmen stepped in, students then began to throw rocks at them, which in turn caused to guardsmen to fire. In the aftermath of the riot, four students were killed and nine were injured. At Jackson State in Mississippi, two students were killed at a similar protest. It is important to note that in both incidents, the students were unarmed."
Abstract Discusses Matyas Rakosi's early life and connections with Soviet Russia, the inception of the Hungarian Communist Party (HCP), the subversion of Hungarian democracy in 1945-1948, and Rakosi's strategies and brutal activities.
From the Paper " This essay summarizes the life and career of Matyas
Rakosi (1892-1971) (Rakosi). After experiencing the harsh privations of life as a professional revolutionary between 1917 and 1944, Rakosi served as Hungarian Communist Party (HCP) boss ..."
Abstract The paper discusses the October 1917 Revolution as put forth by Geoffrey Hosking in his book on Russian history. It examines the background of the abortive 1905 Revolution and the establishment of a Soviet by proletarian and military factions.
From the Paper "This research provides a condensed account of a portion of Hoskings's First Socialist Society. The background of the October 1917 Revolution was the abortive 1905 revolution, during which proletarian and military factions established a soviet in St. ..."
Abstract This paper presents some information of the culture of Serbia. The paper explains that Serbian theater is more than eight centuries old, beginning and continuing throughout the middle ages, to modern times. The first modern Serbian play was the school drama entitled "Traedokomedija", written by Manuil Kozacinski in the late 1600's. The paper also looks at the work of some of the more well-known Serbian playwrights.
From the Paper "At the end of the nineteenth century, the influence of French theatre strengthened. Before the World War I, this was the influence of Comedie-Francaise and Paris Boulevard theatres, rather than new theatre trends in France. Recent styles of European dramaturgy and theatre (Naturalism, Symbolism, Expressionism) - and not only French - were sensed in Serbian dramaturgy and theatre. Borisav Stankovic introduced new sensitivity and new poetic tones in the Realist approach into the already worn-out genre of popular folk plays "with singing", with his work Kostana (first performed in 1900), which has a cult following among Serbian theatres and audiences."
Tags: film, play, drama, french, influence, theatre, european, east
This paper examines the economic wisdom of the nation of Oman participating in the consideration of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a regional political and economic group, to unify their currencies.
Abstract This paper explains that, although there are differences between the regions, the EU, which has already unified its currency, can be used as an example for the GCC. The author points out that the high level of economic heterogeneity in Europe is one of the reasons the euro-zone has done well; the corresponding lack of economic heterogeneity in the GCC states may prove to be a significant barrier for these nations in achieving the kind of economic stability and success desirable in pursuing currency unification. The paper uses quantitative analysis to suggest that, vis-?-vis other nations in the GCC, Oman stands to benefit to a relatively higher degree from the planned currency unification. Tables. Statistical analysis.
Table of Contents
Overall Effect of Currency Unification on the EU
Economic Heterogeneity
Applicability of European Union to GCC
From the Paper "One indication of the mixed fate of the European Union countries since the introduction of the euro is the trade sector, an arena that should have been positively affected by the introduction of the euro. And indeed, trade has been positively affected in terms of reduced tariffs; however, the larger economic picture (as well as to some extent the internal dynamics of the situation in Europe itself) has also been harmful to the European Union's trade position, producing a trade picture that is mixed. The change in value of exports varied widely, from a drop of nearly 7 percent to an increase of 34 percent with an average overall increase of 11 percent. Imports increased on average by 13 percent. The trade balance ? the difference between exports and imports ? narrowed (or, in cases of deficits, widened) by nearly 14 percent on average."
Abstract This paper discusses two views on the causes of the Cold War: Russian treachery and a long history of lack of trust. The author points out that the roots of the Cold War go much further back into history than the events of World War II. The paper concludes that Russia's clear attempt to do what Hitler had failed to do, dominate Europe, made the Cold War inevitable.
From the Paper "The United States and its Western allies saw this as little more than the colonization of Eastern Europe. These countries knew first hand what the U.S.S.R. was doing. As the Soviets emerged as a world power, they were expanding their economic base just as many Western powers had done in the previous three - four centuries -- by conquering other lands and people."
This paper discusses the 'age of globalization?, which is characterized by a post-industrialist paradigm that demands supranational integration and cooperative politics.
Abstract This paper explains that globalization refers to the rapid change in technological developments, which result in redefining the economic impact of worker skills, human capital, and distribution of income. The author points out that free-trade marketing, agricultural subsidies, the opening of borders for immigration, emigration for purposes of employment, and the need to comply with environmental policies are among the most pressing issues in dealing with the globalization and modernization. The paper relates that some people see globalization as an intensification of the consciousness of the world rather than as an intensification of economic, political, social, and cultural relations across borders.
From the Paper "James Kurth points out that there are two ways of looking at international relations, "One tradition (realism) emphasizes such ideas as the autonomous actions of sovereign states, the anarchy of international relations, the importance of national power, and the pursuit of national interests. ? The other tradition (liberalism) emphasizes such ideas as the necessity for states to engage in international cooperation, the harmony of interests, the importance of international economic exchanges, and the erosion of the nation-state.""
Abstract This paper explains that the downfall of the Soviet Union was, in part, due to the labor policies such as the promise of work, the compulsory labor policies and the promise of equal pay to many people regardless of their work. The author points out these labor policies created an apathetic attitude about productivity and success that led to an inability to stir the nation into growth, which was the cause of the ultimate downfall of the Soviet Union. The paper contends that, as the nation rebuilds, it is important that it allows a policy of free market competitiveness.
From the Paper "The Red Army of Workers simulated what Americans know as "Unions". The difference was that the Red Army of Workers was actually controlled by the government and given freedoms that the government felt were allowable. This again wiped out any hope for motivation or drive and those who belonged simply went through the paces. The government allowed the workers to be given the right to participate in the government structure and to practice religion but later years removed such rights. The laboring masses were then nothing but workhorses who went each day, performed their duties, and did not have anything to wish for or hope for."
This paper discusses the on-going generational warfare for Chechnya and how the presence of Islamic fundamentalist terrorists makes the political state of Chechnya more volatile than that of other bordering Russian republics.
Abstract This paper explains that the small nation of Chechnya has demonstrated its inability to achieve an orderly government and, instead, has been a revolutionary and destabilizing influence in other republics throughout the region. The author points out that the military, Islamic fundamentalists, which have ties to Al-Qaeda, have little desire to balance their goals with the goals of other tribes that have lived in the area for centuries. The author feels Moscow should keep Chechnya under its 'iron boot' until the people decide that the time has come to exercise self-restraint and learn to govern themselves.
From the Paper "During the next 6 or 7 decades, the control of Chechnya changed hands a number of times, until the ascension of the Soviet Union to between the world wars. At different periods during these 7 years, the state's citizens were forced onto collective farms and Russia made efforts to restrict their religious practices. The Chechens suffered under these policies and fought fiercely for their beliefs, and their cultural heritage. Just before WWII, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin accused the Chechen's of collaboration with the Nazis and deported them (again) to Central Asia. The republic was abolished and was not restored until 957, when its former inhabitants were allowed to return from exile."
Abstract This paper examines how East and West Germany were two very different places for people coming from the same ethnic background. The Cold War created two different societies. It explains how, when Gorbachev came along, he attempted to reform the USSR and provide "New Thinking" that would give the crumbling regime a new lease on life. The policies were very slow to take hold, but when they did, events moved at a dizzying pace. It discusses how Perestroika and Glasnost effectively gave the East German people the ability to rise up against their Communist leaders and end the Cold War.
From the Paper "When Gorbachev took control of the Soviet Union on March 11, 1985, he inherited an institution filled with corruption and cynicism. The Soviet Union's industrial equipment and transportation was obsolete and the rate of economic growth had declined. For a global super power, the living conditions were deplorable. Employees were often drunk or neglected to show up for work, which resulted in low productivity, and lower quality consumer goods. Consumer goods were as well, in very short supply. With the Soviets computer technology lacking in comparison to that of the Americans, it seemed as though the USSR was loosing its grip as a global superpower."
Tags: superpower, communism, regime, new, thinking, gorbachev, Glasnost, cold, war
