Thematic Analysis - 2358 Words

Thematic Analysis of an Interview Concerning Participation in an HIV Vaccine Trial According to Bruan amp; Clarke Victoria (2006), â€Å"Thematic Analysis involves searching across a data set- be that a number of interviews or focus groups, or a range of texts to find repeated patterns of meaning.† As part of a study designed to assess the preparedness of a community to participate in an HIV vaccine trial, an interview was transcribed with a member of an organisation known as Love Life. The interviewer attempted to gauge the respondent’s views on the vaccine, his willingness to participate, and the reasons behind them. They also discussed the perceptions and attitudes of those in the community and what he thought the response of his friends†¦show more content†¦It also possible that he does not want to appear like he is uninformed as it may reduce the interviewer’s opinion of him. Later, the interviewer tells him the he â€Å"felt like this vaccine will not be helping us anymore than condoms do† and asks the respondent for his opinion of the vaccine not being able to provide immunity from HIV. The respondent does not answer the question directly and proceeds to tell him that â€Å"a lot of people are excited about the vaccine† and of his general support of it. He takes it for granted that the organization would approve of him being a participant. Furthermore, he also does not consider the fact that the vaccine would make him test HIV positive. He also does not weigh the pros and cons of his decision. He immediately states that he is willing to participate. In part, he states he does this to expand his knowledge. †¦through the trial we will discover whether or not the vaccine works†¦ If it does not work I would also have learnt that it doesn’t work†¦ I am always someone who likes to prove things. This is even evident from his use of the words we and I in the above sentences. Through his involvements, the researchers will be able to determine whether the vaccine is effective but he makes this process much more dependent on himself than others might. Throughout the interview, he does not address the limitations or the risks of the vaccine and insteadShow MoreRelatedA Thematic Analysis Of An Interview Essay1495 Words   |  6 PagesResults A thematic analysis of an interview was used to help students develop an understanding of the role of an RC. This role is dynamic and challenging; it offers great opportunities to grow and work in an academic team based environment that fosters constant learning. Often RCs play a significant role in the process of bringing a project from conception to completion which requires a variety of qualifications and leadership qualities. An inductive approach to this process, beginning with dataRead MoreThematic Analysis Of The Kite Runner 1377 Words   |  6 PagesThematic Analysis of the Kite Runner John Piper once said, â€Å"Redemption is not perfection, the redeemed must realize their mistakes.† One can see an idea similar to this in Kahled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. In the story, the author sends the message that redemption can be a lifelong pursuit, and until achieved, happiness will not be obtained. The first time the reader is introduced to the theme comes at a time when Amir is feeling as though he is not deserving of his fathers appreciation. â€Å"BecauseRead MoreDutchman - Thematic Analysis Paper2165 Words   |  9 PagesWilliams, Jae`da June 19, 2012 ENC 1102 Dutchman Thematic Analysis The phrase â€Å"racial tension† is a small description of the main theme in Dutchman by Amiri Baraka. While race is a vital part of the underlying messages in the play, it stems to a much broader term. In Dutchman Amiri Baraka attempts to grasp the attention of the African American society. Baraka uses Clay’s character to show readers that complete assimilation into another culture is wrong. He wants to awaken the African AmericanRead MoreActs: Thematic Analysis Template3164 Words   |  13 PagesThematic Analysis Template |Copy and paste the down arrow ( ( ) into boxes to show that a unit of material is continuing. | |Copy and paste the left arrow ( ( ) into boxes to show where a unit of material ends. | |Paragraphs |Immediate Context |Major Points |Major Sections |Theme | |1:1–5 Read MoreThematic Analysis : Maori Culture Essay1992 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction This report is on Maori culture. So main purpose of thematic analysis it is about on Maori culture. This interview main purpose is the level of awareness of the all participants. Which is I describe different themes such as like culture, languages, religion, food. History Maori has a best culture including their tradition particular things, places, food, activity, languages, games, dance, tattoo, Maori arts, legends, forest, and everything they have. Specific culture it is differentRead MoreThematic Analysis Of Bless Me, Ultima1447 Words   |  6 PagesThematic Analysis of Bless Me, Ultima Bless me, Ultima is a book taking place in the 1940’s during world war ll in New Mexico, it is about a young boy named Antonio who is being torn this way and that by his mother, a Luna who wants solely for her son to become a man of knowledge and a priest. His father a Marez vaquero (cowboy) who wants him to be free like all the Marez men before him. Both parents are polar opposites from each other the Luna’s who represent the moon are quite, religious farmersRead MoreEssay on The Hobbit: Thematic Analysis1292 Words   |  6 Pages The Hobbit The Hobbit, written by John R. R. Tolkien, is a fantasy novel published on September 21, 1937. It was written as a prelude to the famous series, The Lord of the Rings, written seventeen years later. The Hobbit introduces the reader to an incredibly immersive fantasy world, that enriches the reader into its epic storyline. The story takes place in a land called Middle-earth, a land filled with enchanting surprises and magical wonders. It was the perfect playground for Tolkien toRead MoreThematic Analysis Of Bless Me, Ultima1580 Words   |  7 Pages Thematic Analysis of Conflicts in, Bless me, Ultima Differences in others aid to the stimulation of ideas and opinions that expresses an individual s personality. In Rudolfo Anaya’s bildungsroman, Bless Me, Ultima, the struggle between two families and their extreme differences cause numerous conflicts that are constantly present throughout his novel. In this chicano inspired novel, Antonio Marà ©z, the six year old protagonist, is perpetually faced with instances of dissimilarity throughoutRead MoreThe, The And, And The New York Times And Tehran1515 Words   |  7 Pagesstrategies in English opinion articles written by American and Iranian journalists. To this end, two of the leading newspapers in the United States and Iran, The New York Times and Tehran Times, have been chosen. Based on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of textual features and marked and unmarked themes of 12 opinion articles (6 from each newspaper), this study aims to find out how these two groups of professional writers organize their themes, into marked and unmarked ones and what effects theseRead MoreThematic Analysis Of Evangelii Gaudium 218 : Anethical Analysis1199 Words   |  5 Pages4.4 Thematic Analysis of Evangelii Gaudium 218 Evangelii Gaudium 218 falls under chapter four of the document; and it is on social dimension of evangelisation. A thematic moral theological analysis of this number is done under seven themes: Human Right and the Dignity of the Human Person, Love and Solidarity, Private ownership and Distributive Justice, Unjust Power and Social Structures, Distributive Justice and Preferential Treatment, Distribution of Wealth and Sustainable Peace, and the Necessity

Credit Risk Management of Basic Bank - 23409 Words

Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1. Origin of the report As a part of the Internship Program of Bachelors of Business Administration course requirement, I was assigned to do my internship at Bangladesh Small Industries and Commerce Bank Limited popularly known as BASIC Bank Limited for the period of three months starting from December 20, 2006 to March 20, 2007 as an intern by the Internship Placement Committee of Department of Accounting Information Systems, University of Dhaka. Here at BASIC Bank, I was assigned to work at Loans and advances Division of BASIC Bank, Moulvibazar Branch, Dhaka, Mr.Khan Iqbal Hasan, Assistant General Manager and In-charge, was my supervisor. The title of the report is â€Å"Credit Operations and Risk management†¦show more content†¦1.5 Scope of the study: The study would focus on the following areas: ââ€" ª Credit Policy of BASIC Bank ââ€" ª Credit appraisal systems of BASIC Bank ââ€" ª Supervision and monitoring of loans and advances at BASIC Bank ââ€" ª Credit Risk Management Practices Each of the above areas would be critically analyzed in order to determine the efficiency of BASIC Bank’s credit appraisal and credit risk management system. 1.6 Limitation of the study: This study report is based upon secondary source of information from the documents and databases of the Bank. Though I tried my level best to produce a comprehensive and well-organized report on the â€Å"Credit Operations and Risk Management Practices of BASIC Bank Ltd†, some limitations were yet present there: i. A period of three month was not sufficient to collect and understand the insights of credit appraisal and management. ii. Banks policy did not permit to disclose various data and information related to Credit Portfolio. Chapter 02 An Overview of BASIC Bank Ltd. 2.1 Historical Background The BASIC Bank Limited (Bangladesh Small Industries and Commerce Bank Limited) establishes as a banking company under the companies Act 1913 launched its operation in 1989. It was incorporated under the Act on the 2nd of August, 1988.The Bank started itsShow MoreRelatedRisk Management at Wellfleet Bank: All That Glitters Is Not Gold.1120 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis – Risk Management at Wellfleet Bank: All That Glitters Is Not Gold. 1. Given its strategy, what kind of risks does Wellfleet Bank face? The first possible risk would be the operation risk. Refer to Wellfleet Bank, the Group Credit Committee has a unlimited level of authority. They could approve loans of any size within the bank’s regulatory limits which means there is no supervisory group can stop the group’s decision. Furthermore, to preserve the independence of the credit-approvalRead MoreRisk Management Is Not Avoiding Or Eliminating Risk Essay1622 Words   |  7 Pageshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78c7fTnLCfc The essence of risk management is not avoiding or eliminating risk but deciding which risks to exploit, which ones to let pass through to investors and which ones to avoid or hedge. Risk management prevents an organization from suffering unacceptable loss that can cause failure or can materially damage its competitive position. Risk management should be a continuous and developing process which runs throughout the organization‟s strategy and the implementationRead MoreIn Recent Years, It Has Been Witnessed That A Number Of1150 Words   |  5 Pagespointed out that the laxity of credit risk management is one of the causes of the growth in the number of non-performing loans. It is necessary, therefore, to work out a method to improve the efficiency of credit risk management. This thesis examined five large commercial banks in China and studied their credit risk management processes. This study intends to develop an up-to-date understanding of Chinese banking industry, covering some aspects of credit risk management, banking profitability and competitionRead MoreRisk Management For Islamic Banks1717 Words   |  7 Pageshighlighted the Risk management for Islamic banks in different countries and the differences between them and Conventional banks. Where [21] conducted a field study of risk management and Islamic banks, where a study on 17 Islamic bank in 10 countries (including Bahrain, Egypt, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates). And suggests that Risk Management for Islamic banks include three basic components: Establishing Appropriate Risk Management Environment and Sound Policies and Procedures, Banks must haveRead MoreDifferent Theories Of The Credit Risk Management1732 Words   |  7 Pagesdiscuss the different theories of the credit risk management .The first chapter will be divided into two parts; the first part will be the theoritical review of the c redit risk management. The second part will be studying the importance of credit riskmanagement within an organization; we will see credit risk functions and effectiveness. The purpose of the chapter is to understand in the best way possible the credit risk management and its importance within a bank. The theoretical framework or theoreticalRead MoreThe Concise Encyclopedia of Management1645 Words   |  7 Pagesstems from the Latin word movere, which means to move. Motivation is some driving force within individuals by which they attempt to achieve some goal in order to fulfill some need or expectation It is clear from the case study that Commonwealth Bank applies a spectrum of motivational theories to promote good customer service. The behavior of people is revealed by what motivates them. Performance is the result of both ability and motivation: Performance = function (ability x motivation). ThereRead MoreBanking Industry : An American Multinational Banking And Financial Services1478 Words   |  6 Pagescivilization in some form for thousands of years. In the modern world, banks/financial institutions have become foundations of our economy for several reasons. They transfer risk, provide liquidity, facilitate both major and minor transactions and provide financial informatio n to individuals and organizations. Citigroup Inc. or Citi is an American multinational banking and financial services and as of January 1st, 2015 is the third largest bank holding company in the US by assets headquartered in ManhattanRead MoreA Research Project On Credit Risk Management Basic1515 Words   |  7 Pagesin their book â€Å"Credit risk management basic† in order for banks to ensure a good credit risk management and to maximize its profitability it is very important that banks pays particular attention to four practices. Those practices are the selection of a solvable counterparty, limitation is to fix a limit risk exposure regarding the counterparty, diversification spread the credit risk in order to avoid a concentration on credit risk problem this will allow the bank to not bear the risk alone and finallyRead MoreBasel 2 is the second Basel after Basel Accords known as Basel 1. By using Basel 2 in Australia,1100 Words   |  5 Pageswith the single risk profiles of financial institutions, a ban k with greater exposure to the risk of peers who will hold more capital, while the less exposed to the risk that will hold less capital. Picture 1.1 Picture 1.1 shows that Basel 1 (Accord) has a risk-weighted at one hundred percent with $100 loan to the corporate entity and a total capital charge of $8. Beside that, through a standardized approach of Basel II, the corporate entity is rating AA, generate credit risk capital charge ofRead MoreApplication of Raroc Model in Bank System Literature1165 Words   |  5 Pagesapplication of RAROC model in bank system literature 1.introduce The loan pricing based on RAROC is a comprehensive risk pricing method. RAROC takes safety and profit as the goal of the banking business, matching the price and dynamic risk of the loans, reflecting different treatment between the difference of risk degree of loans. This is conducive to the optimization and the rationalization to risk of bank loans. This paper focused on the improvements of RAROC Pricing and its application

Providing Quality Services Young Children â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Providing Quality Services Young Children? Answer: Introducation Knowledge, skills, values, and practices of the early childhood educator play a vital role in providing quality services to the young children. This essay has been conducted for the purpose of explaining the different practices adopted helps in promoting professional knowledge, accounting, values, and relationships within the early childhood setting. Different practices are being adopted by a professional for performing the roles and responsibilities assigned to it in a better manner. This essay will discuss four practices which are ethical practice in the early childhood center, self-esteem, and confidence, collaboration in teams and effective communication. These practices will be discussed in regards to their impact on the professional knowledge, practices, values, and relationship of a professional in early childhood setting. For the implementation of these practices, there is a need to adopt strategies. These strategies will be discussed in this essay. Early childhood settings have been expected to provide high-quality educational experience to children of different sections of the society, engaging the children belonging from different abilities and background and establishing relationships with the families. Teachers and training provided to them determine the quality of the pre-school provision. Different practices are being adopted by a professional for enhancing the knowledge, values, and relationship within the early childhood setting. As an early childhood educator, one is working with the most vulnerable group of the society which is young children. There is a need to adopt practices, values, knowledge and establishing a healthy relationship for providing quality services to this group of the society (BUPL, 2015). According to Sheridan, et. al. (2009), ethical practices are being adopted in early childhood center for performing the roles in a right manner. Ethical practices adopted by the early childhood educator helps in establishing a healthy relationship between the educator and children. The interaction between the children and early childhood educator helps in enhancing the relationship between them. It is the ethical obligation of the early childhood educator to provide better services to the children for a better future. Ethical practices and attitude are being promoted by different authorities for enhancing the knowledge, practices, and values adopted by the early childhood educator. The motive behind promoting these ethical practices and attitude is to monitor the professional practices of early childhood educator. Eight principles can be adopted by the educator in the early childhood setting. These principles include promotion of health and well-being of the children, caring attitude, adoption of appropriate practices, adopting integrity, working in partnership with parents and colleagues, focus on enhancing human dignity and professionally competent. These principles are reflecting the ethical practices which will help me in developing my professional knowledge, practices, values, and relationship with the children, parents, and colleagues (ECEBC, 2008). Ethical practices guide the efforts in the right direction by focusing on the well-being of the children. Ethical practices shape the values adopted by an individual as an early childhood educator. As an early childhood educator, I have to adopt fair values for enhancing the quality of the services provided to the children in the early childhood setting (Martyniuk Tucker, 2014). Another important practice for an early childhood educator is self-esteem and confidence which has the potential to create an impact on the professional knowledge, values, practices, and relationship of the educator with children, parents, and colleagues. One must respect itself for respecting others. One must realize its worth for valuing others. As an early childhood educator, an individual need to value the different stakeholders for providing better quality services to children. This group is vulnerable as it may get affected at large due to the low-quality services. Values, practices, and relationship within the early childhood setting determine the values, actions, and attitude of the children. As an early childhood educator, I have to value myself as well as others for enhancing my professional skills and knowledge. I have adopted a positive self-esteem for realizing the worth of myself as well as of the others. This positive self-esteem has helped me in providing better servi ces and contributed towards professional knowledge and developing a healthy relationship within the setting (Perso, 2012). Confidence is an important element which helps in performing the roles in a better manner. I have focused on enhancing my confidence level for utilizing my professional knowledge, values, and practices for developing confidence and self-esteem among the children. Confidence level has helped me in communicating with the children, their parents, and colleagues in a better manner. For enhancing confidence among the children, I have engaged the children in self-esteem activities. Basic knowledge developed among the children shape their views for the rest of the life. Developing self-esteem and confidence among the children contributes towards developing a better environment for education and learning. Self-esteem and confidence have helped in adopting values and applying professional knowledge for developing the knowledge of the children (DCCC, 2012). In the words of Raver Childress (2014), collaboration in teams is required as different individuals need to work together with the help of sharing information and supporting each other for the attainment of the operations. Teamwork helps in enhancing the performance as well as enhancing the quality of the services offered. In the early childhood setting, teamwork needs to be promoted and collaboration needs to be developed among the educators. Developing this collaboration among the early childhood setting will help in enhancing the professional knowledge, practices, values, and relationship within the early childhood setting (Garvis, et. al., 2016). The collaboration will help in sharing information among the educators for taking proper care of the children. Collaboration enhances the effectiveness as well as promotes sharing of professional knowledge. I have enhanced professional knowledge with the use of collaboration. Collaboration in teams has helped in enhancing the values, pr actices, and relationships in the early childhood setting. It has affected the behavior of the educator towards the children and other stakeholders of early childhood setting (Alsalman, 2016). The benefits of collaboration in teams can be seen on the enhancement in the communication process, promoting regular contact between the different entities, developing professional respect, shared goals, and adopting changes, enhancing the relationship between the children and educators, professionals and parents, enhancing support for others and developing understanding. I have focused on applying collaboration in teams for enhancing the quality of the services, developing healthy relationships in the early childhood setting, enhancing professional knowledge and values adopted. Team approach promotes better care to children. Collaboration in teams is required for meeting the needs of the children. Full participation is required from the different entities for the attainment of the objectives. The motive behind using this practice is to eliminate the delay in providing services to children. The focus of the educator is on overall development of the children. I have gained knowledge regarding the manner in which services offered to the children can be improved (Anderson, 2013). In the words of Kolucki Lemish (2011), communication is an important aspect which enhances the flow of information. Communication enhances the interaction between the educators and children within the early children setting. Effective communication helps in identifying the needs of the children. Communication process adopted by the educator needs to be age-appropriate and child-friendly. Effective communication channels will promote better communication between the children and educators which ensure that information is exchanged effectively. Lack of communication affects the flow of information and interaction between the educators and children. Communication helps educators in gaining knowledge which contributes towards the professional knowledge. Children may feel hesitant in communicating with the educators which affect the quality of the service. Educators need to adopt values and practices which ensure that educators are fulfilling their responsibilities within the early child hood settings. Communication will contribute towards the development of the healthy relationship in the early childhood setting. Colleagues will exchange the information with each other with the help of communication. Effective communication will enhance the exchange process of information (Samuelsson Kaga, 2008). I have learned that communication plays a vital role which enhances the services offered. Effective communication helps in interacting with the children in a better manner. I have developed communication skills for providing better services to children. Communication has helped in implementing my professional knowledge for providing services. I have used my communication skills for sharing and exchanging the information. I have used communication skills for communicating the rights and developing knowledge of the children for providing proper care to them. Communication needs to be done in an effective manner for resolving the issues which are being faced by the children. Effective communication has enhanced the well-being of the children (Kolucki Lemish, 2011). Different strategies can be adopted for the implementation of these practices within the early childhood setting. These strategies will enhance the implementation process of these practices and results in better quality services to the children. These strategies include conducting training sessions, a platform for interacting with different entities effectively, allocating team tasks, setting team objectives or goals, conducting regular meetings and monitoring performance. All these strategies will help in implementing ethical practices, self-esteem and confidence, collaboration in teams and effective communication (Sun, et. al., 2015). Training sessions can be conducted for enhancing the communication skills of the educators. Training sessions can be conducted at regular intervals for ensuring that these practices are adopted by the educators for providing quality services in the early childhood setting. Training will enhance the knowledge and skills of the educator which can be applied for enhancing the quality of the services offered to the children. Training can be provided for developing values and ethical practices in the educators for ensuring that they are meeting the expectations of the service users. Training sessions will not only contribute towards knowledge and skills but will develop confidence among the educators. Platforms can be created for facilitating communication between the educators with the children, parents, and colleagues (Jiban, 2013). Team task can be allocated to the educators for enhancing the professional skills and promoting team work. Team tasks will help in enhancing the relationship shared among the educators with the other entities. Team objectives will enhance the flow of information and sharing of knowledge and information among the educators. The focus will be on enhancing the performance by supporting each other. Regular meetings can be conducted for the analysis of the performance of the individual. Practices can be discussed with the educators in the regular meetings. Regular meetings develop the coordination and promote collaboration among the teams. Performance of the educators needs to be monitored for analyzing the issues. Monitoring will help in analyzing the issues affecting the performance of educators. For overcoming the issues faced, training can be provided (Sun, et. al., 2015). Thus, it can be concluded that these four practices are important in the early childhood setting. These four practices have enhanced the professional knowledge, added to the values adopted and practices followed and helped in enhancing the relationship with children, their parents, and colleagues. The discussion has been made regarding the contribution made by these four practices. Different strategies have been discussed which can be adopted for the implementation of these practices. These strategies will contribute towards knowledge gained. These strategies include team tasks, setting team goals, effective communication, regular meetings and conducting training sessions. References Alsalman, Amani S. (2016). Building Successful Collaborative Practices Among Early Childhood economics: Understanding the Role of Educator Preparation Programs. Dissertations. Paper 325. Anderson, E. M. (2013). Preparing the next generation of early childhood teachers: The emerging role of inter-professional education and collaboration in teacher education. J. Early Child. Teach. Educ, 34: 2235. BUPL. (2015). Ethics for Early Childhood Educators. BULP. DCCC. (2012). Supporting Every Childs Right to Early Education. DCCC. ECEBC. (2008). Code of Ethics. ECEBC. Garvis, S., Kirkby, J., McMahon, K., Meyer, C. (2016). Collaboration is key: The actual experience of disciplines working together in child care. Nursing Health Sciences, 18(1), 44-51. Jiban, C. (2013). Early Childhood Management: Implementing Effective Practice. NWEA. Kolucki, B. Lemish, D. (2011). Communicating with Children: Principles and Practices to Nurture, Inspire, Excite, Educate and Heal. Unicef. Martyniuk, O. J. Tucker, P. (2014). An exploration of Early Childhood Education students knowledge and preparation to facilitate physical activity for preschoolers: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. Perso, T.F. (2012). Cultural Responsiveness and School Education: With particular focus on Australias First Peoples; A Review Synthesis of the Literature. Menzies School of Health Research. Raver, S. A. Childress, D. C. (2014). Collaboration and Teamwork with Families and Professionals. Brookes Publishing. Samuelsson, I. P. Kaga, L. (2008). The contribution of early childhood education to a sustainable society. UNESCO. Sheridan, S. M., Edwards, C. P., Marvin, C. A., Knoche, L. L. (2009). Professional Business Development in Early Childhood Programs: Process Issues and Research Needs.Early Education and Development,20(3), 377401. Sun, J., Rao, N. Pearson, E. (2015). Policies and Strategies to Enhance the Quality of Early Childhood Educators. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

Perestroika Essays - Economy Of The Soviet Union, Soviet Phraseology

Perestroika Emergence of the Modern World Gorbachev and Perestroika In 1985, Soviet leader and Communist Party General Secretary Mikhail S. Gorbachev announced perhaps the most far-reaching plan for his country's economic restructuring. This plan, called Perestroika, was a set of strategies aimed at resolving the gap in scientific and technological development with the West by initiating economic reform in the Soviet Union. The meaning of Perestroika was best defined by the Party Plenum of January 1987: Perestroika is the decisive defeat of the processes of stagnation, the destruction of the braking mechanism, the creation of a reliable and effective mechanism for increasing the pace of the social-economic development of society. The main idea of our strategy is to unite the achievements of the scientific-technical revolution with a planned economy and to bring into action the entire potential of socialism. What this means is that Perestroika was an effort to keep up with the Western world by initiating what was to them drastic economic reform. They tried to implement basic capitalist structures and means of production. However, it couldn't reconcile itself with the power structures of Soviet Communism. The whole idea of Communism is all people are equal and all needs are taken care of. It did not work that way. Under Soviet Communism, all are poor, and there are a privileged and rich few that call the shots and keep the opposition under its thumb. The economy was failing and people were unhappy. Perestroika would try to change that. According to Gorbachev in his 1987 book Perestroika: New Thinking for Our Country and the World, In the past 15 years, the [Soviet] economy had declined by more than one-half...and had fallen to a level close to economic stagnation. There were two main reasons why the Soviet economy was doing so poorly. First, there was the chronic overspending on the military-over 18 percent of the GNP by 1980! This was partially due to the Cold War's arms escalations, but also to quell any potential opposition. Second, the Soviets could not keep up with the widening technological gap with the West, due to the fact that they never did adopt modern production strategies. These strategies, known as Toyotism, provides for a profit oriented economy where things are only produced when they are needed and there was to be no stock reserves. It is a production system dictated by demand. It went against the basic tenets of the Soviet political economy, which involved mass stockpiling of such things as arms to protect against potential enemies. It failed, not surprisingly, because you can't completely change the main tenets of the old system and yet try to keep the skeleton of it still in place. Traditional Russians today who look back on the 'good old days' blame Gorbachev and Perestroika for his part in the collapse of the Soviet Union. They think him as sort of a villain who reversed seventy or so years of hard work and started the dismantling of the Marxist-Leninist-Stalinist totalitarian state. But looking back, it was doomed to fail anyway. Social Issues