Causes of current recession Essay Example for Free

Causes of current recession Essay The America’s economy has been booming, all along before the recession, many questioned has been raised by the experts some even suggesting that, free marketplace as well as free ventures might take the effects wherever the law had unfavourable implications. The recession was first visualized when, the sub-leading mortgagees went ahead to evade on their payments since either they had no enough cash most likely for the reason that the interest rates went up or else they were at a risk of begin given a loan to start business with otherwise they choose a appalling loan whose rate was not fixed (Rigby 3). Each economist suppose that recessions are economic issues that cannot be evaded, they can only be managed to control there level of occurrences (Baveja et al 1). This is because, there are periods of high growth in a healthy economy as well as slow growth and some times no growth. The truth is that, some contracting and expanding has to occur for the economy to be healthy. However, for an economy to be considered in a recession the period for contracting is required to last for at least for two quarters consecutively in a year or a half a year. It is difficult for many people to predict the possibility of occurrence of the next recession. The exact causes of economic recession tend to be a mystery to many people but there are a number of mysteries that give information concerning the causes of economic recession. Some people tend to think that recession is brought by events that are deemed to have a great economic impact in the economy. Some of these events would involve the increase in interest rates or a decline in the confidence of a consumer.   Generally, recession is primarily seen to occur due to the actions that are taken when controlling the supply of money in the economy (Stephen et al 3). The above believe comes with different views from different people, for example, many economists in the United States have believed that economic recession is caused by Federal Reserve. This is because; it is the responsibility of the Federal Reserve to take charge in maintaining an ideal balance between money supply, interest rates and inflation in the United States. Rigby (3) advocates that failure of the Federal Reserve to maintain balance in the above areas it will result to the economy losing control. This is a case that has happened recently in the year 2007. During this year, the Federal Reserve Monetary policy that was used to bring in large amounts of money supply into the market, kept the interest rates below the expected rates but the rising of inflation continued to rise drastically. This problem came together with easy methods of borrowing money that could lead to the crisis of the economy until last year. Most of the economists have believed that America is already in recession and others that the country is heading towards a recession. However, people believe that each recession has its own cause while others believe that recession has only based on one ground. For example, bad investments by business are a single cause of recession in the country. In addition, recessions and depressions such as that of the great Depression are said to be caused by stock market crashes. A sharp increase in oil prices or even going to war are factors that inhibit short term growth in the economy (Harmesh et al 16). It is evident that globalization has changed the nature of business cycle. However, regardless of which theory one would believe in there is no definite answers to the causes of a recession. There is little evidence that recession is brought up by a number of factors. This means that there are many events that take place that result to recession. An example for numerous factor theories is the recession that had taken place after the prices of oil increased dramatically in the 1970’s (Stephen et al 3). This helps in setting off a recession since the prices set off a big economy decline in oil demand. This was because real income had been reduced due to higher costs of the imports of oil. In addition, there was more tight monetary policy that dampened the inflationary pressures which came after the increase of prices. These factors brought down the overall demand that in turn led to a recession. Currently, in America, banks are scared of giving loans to customers. The reason for this is that, the banks are terrified that giving out loans will lead to loosing the money and defaulting if loans. There is the existence of credit crunch that has caused money to be real tight and this is making many banks such as the Lehman brothers to go bankrupt. Another bank known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were bailout for the purpose of keeping it from standing bottom. This has led to the current loss of money by the stock market because of the major credit crunch that is making investors nervous that a major recession is on the way. A recession is considered to be the goods and services that are down from the previous two quarters or more (Baveja et al 1). The recession being experienced in America has to the number of taxpayers buying out all the dead mortgages to approximate 700 billion. This is a sign that the banks will start once more lending money freely to people. However, currently loans are still given out although at a much higher rate. According to Rigby (6) in order to make more money available and flow freely, central banks across the whole world are cutting the rates if giving loans. To add on this, the effect of crisis in many industries is great due to the consideration of banks as the major capitalist society. This leads to difficult to loan money since it becomes increasingly tight in the borrowing market. Hence less homes are bought as well as cars and even small businesses are affected in the sense that they cannot do payroll. Small businesses spend a lot of time in taking temporary small loans until they are paid for the product or service. In early 2000, there existed a deregulation that caught up greedy banks and the ways in which they were handling out credit and loans to people who cannot afford them hence leading to financial meltdown. The rise of inflation rates that creped very fast led to difficulties for people in paying back loans and credit hence creating a slow meltdown effect. America is considered to be the largest world’s economy and its economy has been seen to be weak and it’s drifting as a result of a collapse of the housing market. There is also the problem of sub prime mortgage turmoil, a severe credit crunch, high oil prices and the deep devaluation of the dollar (Baveja et al 1). Possible solutions in eradicating economic recession People can be disappointed in the fact that there is no cure for economic recession. However, some people argue that fiscal and monetary stimulus should shorten the downturn but patience is needed for it to happen. There is need for changing the legal framework governing the various aspects of economy. It is important for people in the country to be well versed with corporation and banking as well as economics to enhance education among people affected by the results of recession. Learning on the above areas makes people more educated, smart and qualified to deal with economic recession (Stephen et al 3). Recently during the Obama week, there was the introduction of the rescue gains team. In this team there are seven people known as the fixers who are in charge of rescuing the economy. In order to rescue, the teams takes into consideration various issues. During the tenth week of Obama administration, the treasury secretary Tim Geithner unveiled the next phase of the bank bailout (Baveja et al 1). A plan for overhauling regulation of the financial system was outlined by the government. The administration effort is determined to produce economic conditions that are stable. This has helped in improving the sentiment on Wall Street where stocks posted gains for the week. In Capitol Hill, the committees involved in the house and the senate largely supported the Obama plan for 2010 with positive caution. It has been a long debate in the American country to take issues concerning the solution to economic recession. The administration is also concerned with the prevention of future meltdowns through increasing the supervision of the financial markets and prevention of companies from growing too big posing the possibility of failing. The need for investing highly in health care, education and energy was also one of the long term agendas mentioned by the president for the purpose of fighting economic recession in the country The issue of drawing a budget proposal that cannot be separated from the broader themes of economic recovery and future growth was addressed. This budget is referred as laying foundation for a secure and lasting prosperity for economy. My opinion on the best way of dealing with economic recession There is need for changing the legal framework governing the various aspects of economy. It is important for people in the country to be well versed with corporation and banking as well as economics to enhance education among people affected by the results of recession. Learning on the above areas makes people more educated, smart and qualified to deal with economic recession (Harmesh et al 16). Work cited. Baveja Sign Sarabijr, Ellis Steve, Rigby K. Darrell, â€Å"Taking advantage in a down turn,† 2002, 1. â€Å"Havard management update,† leadership managing, 2001, 8-12. Hamermesh G. Richard, Dann B. Jeremy, â€Å"STT Aerospace,† 1998, 10-20. Stephen C. Michael, Pearce A. John, â€Å"strategies to prevent economic recessions from causing business failure†, 2006, 1-9. Rigby K. Darrell, â€Å"Moving upward in a down turn,† strategy and execution, 2001, 1-8.

Gender Stereotypes in Gary Winick’s Bride Wars Essay Example for Free

Gender Stereotypes in Gary Winick’s Bride Wars Essay 2009 has not exactly been a fruitful year—so far—for the American filmmaking industry, at least in terms of quality and originality. If the latter part of 2008, as in most years, was marked by the release of some of the most memorable films in history, the first four months of 2009 have mostly made-for-children movies, romantic comedies, and guy-bonding flicks. Bride Wars is a relatively superficial take on women’s obsession with weddings, and is currently ranked at number nine in the list of top-grossing films worldwide. Directed by Gary Winick and starring Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson, Bride Wars narrates the lifelong friendship of Emma and Liv—women in their mid-20s who, as young girls, made plans for almost identical weddings. When they hire the same wedding planner who schedules them both on the same time, day, and venue, the conflict begins and the ‘wars’ take place. A series of impossible schemes hatched by each to hinder the other’s plans ensues, yet ultimately end in happy endings for both. Despite its arguable shallowness and lack of believability, Bride Wars may still be evaluated according to specific themes inherent in the discussion of the female psyche: conforming to cultural and social traditions, particularly in terms of gender roles and expectations. The pivotal scene is revealed at the very beginning of the film, as the young Emma and Liv are shown with their respective mothers at The Plaza Hotel, an upscale location for weddings. They both witness a newly-married couple—the groom looking dashing in a suit and the bride in an exquisite gown—in a moment of utter romance and love; this singular image drives both girls to make a pact to have their own weddings in the same place. But more than the desire to be wed at The Plaza, the most notable element in this scene is the accepted—even expected—notion of marriage, without essentially considering the function of the process as a partnership. By being presented with an image that fully conforms to the traditional concept of women and their social roles, the young girls immediately associate this with their own goals and ambitions. Though later scenes show how they both pursued their individual interests—public relations for Liv and teaching for Emma—it is apparent how getting married is still their priority. The concept of marriage in this film is limited to the actual wedding, with a few flimsy forays into the discussion of sharing a life with another person. That first image set the boundaries of the ideology chosen by the filmmaker, as evidenced by the dreamlike treatment accorded to it; it sends the message of perfection and idealism as befitting women by being a bride. After all the events that had taken place, Emma and Liv kept their friendship and even resulted in Emma marrying Liz’ brother Nate. Unsurprisingly, the last scene proved to be the answer to the first—with the two women meeting after their honeymoons, and revealing that they were both pregnant. It is evident how this scene was meant to provide the punchline to the film, leaving its audience assuming that the same ‘war’ would take place later. However, it also reinforces the established parameters set by weddings, since pregnancy and giving birth is the traditional next step after the union. The happy occasion of revelation and reconnection exhibits the place of childbirth in the context of the female role, yet it fails again to make any argument regarding the personal significance of bearing children. Bride Wars, though peppered with pup culture references and modern concepts, is centuries behind in terms of gender issues and breaking free from stereotypes. Light romances and comedies are not strictly confined to such superficial subjects, which shows why Bride Wars is a film only meant for commercial objectives. How We Think, Speak, and Feel: An Understanding of Human Behavior in Three Films Visitors from another planet are perhaps the best test subjects for the assessment of texts, particularly films. Since cinema is a depiction of human behavior and portrays concepts gleaned from human experience, having extraterrestrials view films—given that they understand the language—will allow them to achieve a sense of what and how humans are. Rather than take them through a historical representation of human life through films, it would be best to introduce them to the inherent traits found in most cultures—through intelligence, language, and psychology. The three films that may be able to communicate these are A Beautiful Mind for intelligence, When Harry Met Sally for language, and Doubt for psychology and its permutations. Ron Howard’s 2001 film A Beautiful Mind is based on the life of gifted scientist and mathematician John Forbes Nash, and narrates his journey into schizophrenia and depression. But the film is also a real-life account of a man given an extraordinary amount of talent, which shows the extent to which the human mind can progress. This information would be essential to the extraterrestrial visitors, for it will let them know how humans think; whether it reveals similarities or not is the ultimate goal of the exercise. Since Nash’s expertise is in numbers and formulas, logic is the knowledge represented in the film, which may be more ‘universal’ compared to politics, economics, or other contextual topics. In the film, Nash is shown as having his own world apart from the people around him, only surrounding himself with equations and other methods pertaining to scientific and explainable phenomena. This is clearly presented in the scene where he writes his formulas on a glass window, consumed by the process and unaffected by his environment. Seeing a human engage in such intellectual activity may inform extraterrestrials of the workings of the human mind, specifically this advanced depiction of thinking processes. On top of that, Nash’s account of seeing UFOs and aliens may appear to be a point of connection with this particular audience, as it shows how human validate their existence. The 2008 film Doubt, directed by John Patrick Shanley, is set in a Catholic Church in New York in 1964. During this time, the notions of faith and religion were primarily dictated by priests—portrayed as almost immortal beings who could do no wrong. However, assumptions about the unusual behavior of Father Flynn, the parish priest, were made by the nuns tasked to care for and educate the children in the school run by the church. The result was doubt in authority and in the general power of organized religion, and eventually in the faith of the nuns in their chosen vocation. Introducing the alien guests to these concepts will acquaint them with the complex values and traditions of humans, which are directly associated with the idea of faith in a Higher Being. The image of Father Flynn is meant to symbolize faith itself, and accusing him of improper behavior—in this case, an illicit relationship with a young boy—shows how humans are capable of acting against established rules. What the aliens may glean from this could be the debate between the human need for something to believe in, whether seen or unseen, and the alternative human quality of logical analysis based on observable phenomena. When Harry Met Sally, released in 1989 and directed by Nora Ephron, is one of the most effective portrayals of the differences between men and women. Language is one of the issues illustrated by the film, and it would benefit the extraterrestrials to see how men and women think and express themselves differently. The film narrates the friendship of Harry and Sally, which eventually ended in romance after years of struggling to keep it platonic. The iconic scene where Harry and Sally are in a restaurant arguing over sexual attitudes of men and women reveals both mindset and language, as their discussion is progressed by their opposing views and the final act of Sally faking an orgasm. Aliens and non-humans will find this portrayal extremely significant, for it almost shows how men and women are of different life forms as well. It also illustrates the mating habits of both men and women, which may be similar to their own. These three films will definitely equip the extraterrestrials with enough information and knowledge to guide them toward a better understanding of human behavior. But while these films tackle some of the basic realities present in most societies all over the world, more complicated concepts—such as war and poverty—can only be understood after fully comprehending the abilities and capacities of humans, since these are effects of a misguided use of innate human traits. References Ephron, N. (Dir. ) (1989). When Harry Met Sally. Columbia Pictures. Howard, R. (Dir. ) (2001). A Beautiful Mind. Universal Pictures. Shanley, J. P. (Dir. ) (2008). Doubt. Miramax Films. Winick, G. (Dir. ) (2009). Bride Wars. 20th Century Fox.

Why Should I Read? Essay -- Teaching Writing

Why Should I Read? â€Å"Reading a book is like re-writing it for yourself.... You bring to a novel, anything you read, all your experience of the world. You bring your history and you read it in your own terms.† Angela Carter (1940–1992), British author. Why read? Why should I read the book before it comes out in cinema? Why is settling down with a good book better then sitting on the couch watching The Simpson’s reruns? I have often pondered the merits of reading, but you don’t realise the advantages until you actually begin reading. Until I unlocked my first real book I couldn’t have dreamed of the wonders and marvels that it opens to you. It’s just that when you do read you discover how exquisite the delights of reading are. Books can transport you to different places, worlds, times, people, anywhere you can imagine without leaving your own room. Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are. Picking up a book is like picking up a world that is waiting to be explored. Whether fiction or fact they can take you away with them, engulf you and make you apart of their environment. They can scare the wits out of you, make you cry, make you laugh, the more pages you read the harder it is to shut the book. Every book is a great adventure. Within the pages lie stories untold, places never ventured and new people to meet. No book is alike, no story the same. Reading is not strange. It seems that many people do not want to read or do not think it is necessary. They believe that people who read are â€Å"nerds†, â€Å"geeks†, or ‘bookworms’. This is not true. I read because it is something that passes the time peacefully and it alleviates ignorance. Reading for fun is normal; it improves a person’s imaginati... ...ge themselves with that. Novels are great space fillers in my suitcase whenever I go on holiday. There’s nothing like sitting on a beach with the sun blazing down on you reading the adventures of Moby Dick, although maybe Jaws wouldn’t be a good one if you intend on going swimming. Books can help pass time, at airports, on train journeys, on flights, when your grounded, anytime, anywhere you can pull out a book and become immersed in it. So bring a book wherever you go just in case you happen to get the urge to read. They’re portable, they’re handy, and they’re a whole world within a few pages and a cover. A book can take the reader places they only dreamed of, it increases vocabulary without the reader having knowledge of it, and they can teach a vast majority of subjects to alleviate ignorance. And remember a book is not just for Christmas, it’s for life.

Feminism in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre :: Feminism Feminist Women Criticism

Feminism in Jane Eyre      Ã‚  Ã‚   Feminism has been a prominent and controversial topic in writings for some time.   In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre the main character, Jane Eyre, explores the depth at which women may act in society and finds her own boundaries in Victorian England.   As well, along with the notions of feminism often follow the subjects of class distinctions and boundaries.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is an ample amount of evidence to suggest that the tone of Jane Eyre is in fact a very feminist one and may well be thought as relevant to the women of today who feel they have been discriminated against because of there gender.   At the beginning of the 19th century, little opportunity existed for women, and thus many of them felt uncomfortable when attempting to enter many parts of society.   The absence of advanced educational opportunities for women and their alienation from almost all fields of work gave them little option in life: either become a house wife or a governess.   Although today a tutor may be considered a fairly high class and intellectual job, in the Victorian era a governess was little more than a servant who was paid to share her scarce amount of knowledge in limited fields to a child.   With little respect, security, or class one may certainly feel that an intelligent, passionate and opinionated young woman such as Jane Eyre should deserve and be capable of so much more.   The insecurity of this position, being tossed around with complete disregard for her feelings or preferences, is only one of many grueling characteristics of this occupation.   However for Jane to even emerge into society, becoming a governess seemed the only reasonable path for her.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The women of the Victorian Era can be regarded as the first group to do battle for the equality of the sexes.   They lead all women to follow after them, and though their progression may not have been as vivid as the women of the 70's, they did have an effect.   Feminism was not outright spoken of in this time, rather passed through literature, such as this very novel.   Stories and novels were the primary means in which to communicate information and ideas in that time.   Without mass communication systems

Developing the Marketing Plan Case: Gillette Indonesia Essay

I. BACKGROUND In October 1995, Chester Allan, Gillette’s country manager in Indonesia, was developing his unit’s 1996 marketing plan. Once completed, it would be forwarded to Rigoberto Effio, business director in Gillete’s Asia-Pacific group based in Singapore. Each year Effio received and approved marketing plans for the 12 countries in his region, which reached from Australia to China. Once approved by Ian Jackson, Asia-Pacific group vice president, the overall marketing plan-for the region would be reviewed subsequently, along with other regional plans, by Robert King, executive vice president of Gillette’s International Group. Allan’s plan projected a 19% increase in blade sales in Indonesia in 1996 from 115 million to 136 million. This seemed reasonable given a 17% increase in 1995 over the previous year. With a population of almost 200 million, Indonesia represented an important country in the portfolio of markets for which Effio and Jackson were responsible. Effio wondered whether investment spending in marketing beyond the 1995 level of 12% of sales might further accelerate market development. Given the growth rates of Gillette’s business in other Asia-Pacific countries, Effio believed that a 25% to 30% increase in blade sales could be achieved in Indonesia in 1996. II. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM How rapidly the Indonesian market for blades and razors could or would expand. Should the Indonesian market be allowed to just move along at its own pace? If so, what would that pace be? III. OBJECTIVE Gillette’s mission was to achieve worldwide leadership in its core product categories by developing marketing plan. SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTH| WEAKNESSES| * The company emphasized geographic expansion along with research and development, advertising, and capital spending as drivers of growth. * Upgrade the market to higher value products and shaving systems.| * The poorer rural shavers cannot afford Gillette products and buy low-price, low-quality brands such as Tiger and Tatra. * Problems with customs clearances could impact the entire manufacturing cycle. * Shaving was still underdeveloped in Indonesia, but the incidence of shaving was increasing. OPPORTUNITIES| THREATS| * New-product activity and entry into and development of new markets were considered essential. * Research showed that higher-income, urban consumers were increasingly shopping in supermarkets. Most sales of Gillette’s higher priced shaving products were through these outlets.| * The production team carefully planned the timing of materials inputs. Because of distribution and transportation inefficiencies, the need for buffer inventories was substantial. * with rising incomes and improved Gillette distribution and display, consumers are moving to Gillette.| IV. ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTION 1. There was increasing awareness of Western grooming practices, especially in urban areas, as a result of exposure to foreign media and the increasing presence of multinational companies and their overseas personnel. 2. The liberalization of foreign investment policy had increased private sector involvement in the economy; the central government focused on developing infrastructure in the poorer regions and on human resources. V. RECOMMENDATIONS 3. Improving education system ensured that foreign companies would be attracted to the major urban areas, fueling further growth. 4. Gillette headquarters developed television advertisements for use worldwide, with the intent that local voiceovers and local package shots would be superimposed.

Freedom Writers Essay Essay

What life holds for us is determined by how much we are willing to sacrifice. In the movie Freedom Writers, Ms. G is the main character. Her way of viewing life gives hope to the people surrounding her. In this essay, I am going to compare her willingness to sacrifice with the sacrifice I was once asked to make. Ms. G dedicated herself to teaching a difficult group of students. California had integrated the school system, which resulted in a culture of conflict and violence. She spent a lot of her time and gave up a lot of her family life in order to help people that she barely knew. Her desires to make a change were clear and honest. For example, she took evening and weekend jobs in order to buy books and take her students on trips. She also made herself available to help students with personal issues. She had a strong desire to help her students understand that they were worthwhile, and that whatever challenges they faced, they could make their lives better. As a result of these efforts, her students learned to trust her and became united with each other. They began to feel hope for their future. Even though Ms. G. experienced success and satisfaction in helping others, she faced opposition. Her marriage was jeopardized. Her husband could not understand why she spent so much time and energy with her students, and he often felt second in her life. He did try to cope with this lifestyle, but it was too much for him to deal with and he finally left the relationship. I also embarked on a similar adventure. In June 2002, I was called to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Denver, Colorado. While on my mission, I taught the gospel to Spanish speaking people. Like Ms. G, I was dedicated to a good cause working with Hispanic people. I also immersed myself in helping those people to overcome personal and family challenges. I sacrificed two years of my life to serve people I had never met. I did it with all my heart. I knew that teaching people how to apply correct principles in their lives was the best way for them to achieve happiness. My goal was to help others to understand the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Teaching people the principles I knew to be true helped them to improve their lives and find joy as well. For example, I remember one person I taught; his name was Enrique. He was addicted to drugs and alcohol. When I found Enrique he told me that, from using drugs, he had lost his sense of taste and his body was no longer able to produce sweat. He also shared with me that his life had no purpose. He would go to work to get money to buy drugs, which created an endless cycle. I felt deep sorrow for him and wanted to do something to help him. I taught him about how to overcome his addictions to drugs and alcohol. Eventually, Enrique was able to overcome these addictions. I helped him to learn English and he began school at a University. Later, he told me how grateful he was for the new direction that his life was taking. Not only was my service similar to Ms. G’s, but my challenges were also. My family was upset about me going away for so long because while I was away, I would not be able to help them financially. They told me that if I went, I might as well forget about them. â€Å"It’s either a mission or us,† they said. I knew that I could not abandon my commitment to serve a mission. I pled with my family to understand my decision, but they reluctantly dismissed me. Once I was in the mission in Colorado, I tried to write to my family to let them know I was okay and that I was making a difference in the world by helping people to overcome many of the challenges that tear individuals and families apart. My family never answered my letters. I knew that what I was doing was right, but having my family reject me in those difficult years made me feel abandoned. Nonetheless, I was determined to continue working to help the people in Colorado. Certainly, my experience was a much shorter period of time than Ms. G’s and eventually my family embraced me again, while Ms. G’s husband never returned. Also, she taught the same group of people for four years, whereas I traveled around and met new people. Nevertheless, during the time I served my mission, I, like Ms. G, learned what it means to give everything for a good cause regardless of the adversity. As Ms. G and I both persevered in doing what we felt was right, we discovered great meaning in our lives and the work we were doing. In conclusion, our ability to fulfill our duty is not determined by our environment or surroundings. Ms. G and I have shown that if people’s hearts are in the right place, their rewards can be greater than what they lose. Our service, strength, and willingness can make a difference in the world regardless of who we are, or what we are standing for.

Risk Management: Trends and Developments

As time evolves organizations must continue to grow and evolve. The demographics and territories of organizations change as time evolves. As a result the risk management trends and developments become extremely important to the long-term success and survivability of organizations. Risk management trends exist at the corporate, business, and project levels of organizations. At each level of the risk management process stakeholders are identified and encouraged to actively participate in the process (Merna & AL-Thani, 2008).This has a positive effect on any future challenges that may arise and helps insure that the risk mitigation of trends and developments are beneficial to everyone involved. In this assignment three new trends and developments such as technology, culture, and government regulations will be examined, along with their future challenges. Each trend, development, and challenge will be summarized and the pros and cons and implications of each in the business environment w ill be discusses as well.The use of technology and e-commerce has become widespread especially for organizations that conduct business over the internet. Many organizations have adapted to selling their products to consumers and distributors through the internet. This helps businesses grow by reaching international customers or customers in different territories. Online sites such as PayPal have created a faster and safer way to pay bills online virtually at any location and at any time. This feature has allowed consumers and organizations to pay their bills in a more efficient way.More consumers have adopted e-commerce to pay for personal bills such as car payments and utility bills. The benefits of this technology perk are the efficiency and convenience of having the ability to transact anywhere, anytime, and in any way, it saves consumers time and fees. The immediate transfer of funds benefits businesses because buyers are more willing to make purchases if the process is quick an d easy. The downside of paying bills online is the security hazards. Businesses will not be able to protect themselves against all the security threats when creating an online payment system.Businesses should be aware of malware and other various hacking attempts that can track their keystrokes stealing usernames and passwords to access financial information. This trend could lead to challenges for risk management because of the security threats the trend poses. The challenge for risk managers would be keeping up with security threats and keeping their systems secure from hackers. Every business strives to be successful, and keeping up with the ever-changing cultural habits is an important risk management trend businesses should take into consideration while working on international projects.Globalization has increased the importance of cultural risk management, and if this trend is not taken seriously it could prove to be very costly for organizations. Cultural differences can affe ct many parts of an organization. One example is the difference in managerial approaches between an international and domestic management team. A proactive approach in the beginning of an international project will help mitigate the differences in managerial approaches. Networking and negotiations are two main issues that should be taken into consideration when deciding on an international project.Networking is a critical stage for organizations looking for international business opportunities. The process of bidding for potential projects worldwide seem to be similar, the difference is in the lead-time given to bidders in certain countries. Domestically projects are advertised openly, giving anyone interested a fair opportunity to bid on the project. Projects in some international cultures are first spread by word of mouth, giving some bidders time to prepare and research their bid.This would give international bidders a heads up on potential future projects and would give them ade quate time to prepare before the bidding became public. Negotiations were found to have different meanings in different cultures, the styles were culture dependent. Different cultures may perceive the definition of negotiation differently so it is important to risk managers to understand the different cultures and how they perceive the term negotiation in business. Understanding cultural differences will help businesses become successful when operating internationally.On the other hand if risk managers are not aware of the cultural differences it may lead to misunderstandings and could have negative effects on the business. The U. S. government sets business regulations to hold organizations accountable for the amount of power they have; they also protect employees and the environment. Businesses are expected to abide by governmental regulations and should do so to stay out of trouble. Business regulations are different for different industries. It is important for organizations to be aware of the business regulations affecting their industry.Government regulations should always be considered when running a business. There are regulations for state, local, and federal taxes as well as financial reporting requirements presented by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Business regulations for international organizations include an additional range of rules regulating international trade. Importers must deal with regulations relating to import quotas, tariffs, and prohibition. Business regulations could be a challenge for businesses that do not which regulations to follow; they could be faced with costly fines if they do not comply.Because of business regulations consumers can feel safe about the products they are purchasing off of store shelves. If there is a product that could be a threat, government regulators would take quick action to remove it from the marketplace. Government regulations can cause disadvantages for both consumers and businesses. If busin esses do not comply with government regulations they could be faced with large fines, and because of the increased cost of doing business consumers would be affected by paying higher prices.Businesses may not always be able to manage every risk they run into but being aware of the trends and developments will help eliminate most risks. For those involved with managing risk, risk management should be used to generate new ideas and to promote good business practices. The business trends and developments discussed in this paper relating to technology, culture, and business regulations are just a few business trends that should not be ignored.