Paper Submisssions for Asian Economic and Financial Review

We would like to invite you to submit your research paper for possible publication in Asian Economic and Financial Review. This is a peer reviewed, scholarly journal devoted to publishing high-quality papers with an internationally recognized Editorial Board Members.

It is published on the monthly basis and covers a wide variety of topics including: Economic Issues - Growth and Development Strategies, Fiscal System and Policy, Monetary System and Policy, Income 

Distribution, Poverty, Unemployment, Inflation, Saving, Investment, Consumption, Human capital, Trade Policy, FDI, WTO, The History of Economic Thought. Financial Economics - Financial Reforms, Finance and Investment, International Trade and Finance, Asset Pricing Theory, Risk Securitization, Derivatives and Structured Financial Products, Commercial Insurance and Reinsurance, Corporate Finance, Mergers and Acquisitions, The Microstructure of the Finance Market. Industrial Economics - Islamic Economics.

Online Submission: http://onlinesubmission.aessweb.com     or
E-mail: editor@aessweb.com

The Outdoor Recreational Retreat at Lake Jennings Campground

Campgrounds and recreational areas provide opportunities for people to get away from their busy corporate lives and connect with nature in a way that helps them reboot their batteries. Lake Jennings Campground offers a number of amenities within a 35 minute drive from San Diego that may interest nature loving parties that still want to have access to data. With available water/electricity hookups, bathrooms/showers and WiFi you won't miss a step when trying to scramble through a weekend deadline.

It is beneficial to step outside of our busy lives and take some time to connect with nature. You can still check your emails and do work but have the pleasure off doing it in a natural setting. The outdoor environment may just change your perspective and help you think about things in ways you never thought possible. There are few things better than pondering your next great strategic plan while throwing another log to keep the blaze roaring.

As a bonus for people who like fitness the five mile hike around the lake is enough for most trail enthusiasts. Breathtaking views help to maintain your motivation level so be sure to bring your camera. If you are a hiking beginner, there is a smaller and much easier trail around the campgrounds that is just over a mile. All of the trails are groomed and well marked.

There is also the fishing grounds that offers an opportunity to catch up on your long overdo fishing trips. Why not bring the family and your pole? According to the local ranger Lake Jennings is stocked with catfish and is pretty easy for novice fisherman. You will still need your state fishing license and a lake pass.

Whether you are planning a personal get away, a business retreat, or some time with the family you might want to consider Lake Jennings Campground. They offer outdoor activities like hiking and fishing while not giving up on you need to stay connected to the "Net". Only a hop-skip-and-jump away from San Diego you don't need a whole lot of planning. Connect with nature, takes some great photo shops, catch your supper and get in shape.

http://lakejennings.org

6th International Conference on Economics, Finance and Management Outlooks

The Asian Research & Development Wing and Asian Economic and Social Society proudly announce the 6^th International Conference on Economics, Finance and Management Outlooks. The conference will cover important issues in Economics, Finance and Management. The purpose of this international conference is to bring together researchers from around the globe in order to present and discuss new trends in the fields of economics, finance and Management.

Conference invites work in the form of abstract, research paper, conceptual paper, and technical report addressing the timely issues and developments in economics, finance and management [more details].

Contributors can submit their papers Online or email attachment:

Submit Online : http://www.asianrdw.org/?ic=details&id=22&info=submission
or
E-mail: info@asianrdw.org, conference@asianrdw.org 

The Nature of Time-Enjoying the Motion

Life always changes so we should become accustomed to it. What was just a few moments won't be the same just a few moments from now. Time is a stream of events that that act and interact to create the world as we know it. A, influences B and their actions influence C in a stream of consciousness. Seeming irreversible we act and are acted on by time and events within that dimension.

Time is seen as a 4th dimension beyond the 3 dimensions that we use to understand the world. Newtonian Time is seen as real and part of the universe while Immanuel Kant believed that time is nothing but a human construct and can't be traveled. Time is seen more as a measurement of motion than a physical entity.

One could argue that time is just a measurement of action that has been referenced by human intellect to a standard in minutes, seconds, hours, seasons, etc... Early human understood nights and days as time measurements based on walking distance while modern man can slice time into a nanosecond. Our speed determines our perception of time.

Time is subjective to our human experience and can be seen as simple velocity (action). Time, motion, movement, points, speed, change, and finish are all different words to describe time. We know that time is limited based on the number of events we can experience in our lives so enjoy your time as much as possible to have the happiest of lives.

Time changes everything and everyone around us.

The Nature of Time

The season swings,
warmer,
brighter,
sunnier.

The earth spins,
rounder,
brighter,
faster.

Life changes,
bigger,
brighter,
better.

Knowledge shifts,
wiser,
brighter,
smarter

Feedback Metrics for Training

Training without feedback is like sailing out into the ocean without a compass. That is precisely what some organizations do. Using metrics to create training feedback loops helps ensure employees are learning the "right" kind of skills, and the company is getting the maximum return on its training investment. Selecting beneficial training metrics should take into consideration the reliability and strategic focus of each measurement.

Feedback is a tool for assessment of training effectiveness. Appropriate feedback provides measurable evidence that a training program is doing what was intended. When the evidence does not support the training program, changes must be made to evolve the training program into something more advantageous.

All training programs should be aligned to the organizational objectives in a way that funnels people toward the most beneficial learning. Without this alignment, people will be expected to perform their jobs in ways that don't help the organization. When strategies change, training should also change to be more reflective of those goals.

Selecting functional feedback makes a big difference in performance. When not selected with care, the metric will have little meaning and could cause your significant harm as output and operational need become misaligned. You will be training people on the wrong type of information with the wrong objectives in mind thereby weakening the organization.

Feedback metrics should also be reliable and valid. Metrics should provide consistent and valid results that lead to greater insight. If you are seeking to improve performance on a given task, the metric must be chosen so that it is accurately reflecting what is happening in the work environment. More metrics are only beneficial if they lead to greater understanding.

There are thousands of different metrics that companies use to determine successful training. The most common are pre and post-test offered within the training. However, learning in class may not always equate to performance on the job. The best metrics integrate training with actual performance in a way that realizes tangible results for organizations.

Some Feedback Loops:

-Discipline
-Performance
-Interviews
-Cost
-Culture
-Time
-Retention Rates
-Complaints
-Sales
-Employee Satisfaction
-....any metric.

Hiking Cowels Mountain for Fitness

Cowel's Mountain is a 1,500 foot peak with well worth paths. It is used by fitness enthusiasts to help get in shape. There are people who climb it everyday using the well-worn paths and step like structures. It takes about 35 minutes to go up and 25 minutes coming down putting the whole trip at 60 minutes. If you did this three times a week you won't need to go to the gym as much. 

Three Rules that Fill the Talent Gap

Talent is where business success starts, and failure ends. It is that piece that seeps into the smallest nooks and crannies of just about every facet of corporate health. From entry level to executive positions, talent acquisition of a company separates winners from losers. Successful management of the talent gap rests on three broad rules of discovery, practice, and application.

A talent gap occurs when there is a lag between employee potential and performance needed for corporate advancement. Talent is the culmination of potential ability to take on new tasks and work assignments that lead to higher revenue. Employees who have not realized their greatest potential are not full contributors to society and their skills go untapped or lost.

There are many reasons why employees can't reach their full potential. Some of it relates to how they raised and perceived themselves while another is based on a lack of knowledge of their potential.  As people become more aware of themselves and their abilities their talent flourishes.

Companies have some responsibility in developing employee capabilities in a fiscally responsible way. From an economic standpoint, it is beneficial for society as national capacity increases. It is also a moral and ethical imperative that encourages people to live to their fullest potential. The three rules are as follows:

Rule 1: Discover Latent Skills: Discovering new talents helps employees reach their full potential. It is the manager's responsibility to uncovering hidden talents and brings them to the forefront for greater performance. Work assignments should encourage exploration of passive skills that are needed to overcome new tasks.

Rule 2: Kung-fu the Talent: Practice makes perfect. The original meaning of the word kung-fu is the learning of excellence through hard work. Practicing skills through the completion of one's tasks leads to excellence that can be applied to other workplace challenges. Consistence practice bring greater awareness of one's abilities and their appropriate application.

Rule 3: Completing a Quest: The best performance occurs when someone believes in the use of their skills to achieve a primary cause. Inspiring employees to overcome a major quest or challenge will help them perform at their highest levels. Once employees mastered a major quest, problem, or project the skill will create confidence and expectation.

Protecting Nature and Helping Sea Lions

Nature has many creatures that are part of the environment. It isn't everyday that you have an opportunity to engage and interact with sea lions. In this case the sea lions are based around La Jolla California and become a world attraction drawing thousands of visitors every year.

Is is beneficial for companies to protect the environment by moving to more sustainable manufacturing methods and reduce waste. I believe that as we reduce waste there is an additional benefit of lowering cost and helping creatures like these sea lions.

World governments are become more concerned about consumption and pollution and are seeking to limit environmental impact. For many construction and development projects, environmental studies are necessary to ensure our actions don't damage future sustainability.

La Jolla Sea Lions

Happy 4th-The Multiple Forms of Patriotism

Our service members have risked their lives to keep our freedoms secure. They are a blessing to the nation and set an example to ourselves. Patriotism can come in many forms and range from the smallest act to that which transforms our lives. Any American can engage in patriotic acts that further the cause of their great nation without being in the Service.

The first criteria for patriotism is that it is an act done for the benefit of one's nation. This means it is done so that society can receive a benefit. There are people everyday who do patriotic things for sheer moral value of doing so. For example, police officers who do a kind act and protect someone are engaged in one form of patriotism.

Patriotism doesn't only mean the use of force. Those who protect the civil rights of people also engage in acts of patriotism that pressures the larger system to become better and change in a way that supports the cause of the  nation. Acts that help make society a better place are patriotic acts that have practical utility.

The feelings associated with patriotism are deep and are often tied to our language, culture, and belief systems. There are many different viewpoints of what America is, who is an American, and where America should go. People are actively engaged in that debate and are contributing to a definition that is workable for a nation as diverse as ours.

Acts of patriotism could be the cleaning of a park, helping a neighbor, speaking out about abuses, and even reporting a crime. There are some who have devoted their lives to patriotic acts that help society but have not asked for anything or received any positive encouragement. As you celebrate independence remember those who stood for something greater than themselves.

Why it is Important to Diversify an Economy?

Economic diversity is important for keeping cities, states, and nations adaptable and capable of competing. There is a balance between focusing on what the country does best based on its personal competencies and what is needed to keep enough variability to ensure the country can change and adapt when crisis occurs. Building stronger platforms creates a more adaptable and viable economy.

Small countries have a hard time diversifying their economies because they have a limited amount of resources and capabilities. Larger countries like the U.S. and China have greater access to resources and can create competencies in multiple areas. They can be masters of a number of different markets.

The problem we face through our political structure is that large corporations often influence economic decisions. They encourage politicians to decide on courses of actions that are advantageous to their positions. As more government resources and legislative action mobilizes in the direction of campaign contributions opportunities for diversification become limited.

It is important for governments to encourage the general platforms that lead to greater business growth without curbing political action to specific industries. It isn't that the needs of large corporations should be ignored but that the needs of the entire economy should be encouraged so that industry diversifies based on market forces.

When the platform is right where small and large businesses can compete a truer form of Capitalism exists. This system, when not manipulated, can provide great benefits and advantages to their people. Diversifying the economy is about protecting our current and long-term economic viability as the country moves into an era where globalizing forces will put pressure on American's ability to adapt.

Living Life by the Importance of Today

Every day is part of another day that could be our last. We hope it isn't and we hope that our lives go on for a long time but we never truly know when that time and date will come. We do know that it will eventually catch us and therefore we must make a choice to live the rest of our lives with a positive or with a negative outlook. Living each day as your last can lead to greater enjoyment and fulfillment that makes its way into your career.

There are three types of people in this world. There are those who are chronically negative,those who are in the large middle and a few who find a positive way of looking at the world. People with negative outlook are miserable while those in the middle have a mix of good and bad days depending on their moods. Those who have a positive outlook see their lives more vivid and beneficial than others..

We sometimes think that our life has something to do with the amount of money we make or the job we have. True enjoyment in life is based in how we perceive our lives and whether or not we are taking a positive inspiring approach to life or one in which the world is always moving to something worse. Our outlook will impact how we see the world around us and how we plan on living it.

I have met people who look back over their lives and almost never say I wish I made more money or that I pleased my bosses more. They do look back and wonder if they were genuine and truly enjoyed their lives. They wonder about their children and the people they once knew. They search for meaning in their lives and try and be fulfilled.

Sometimes they find it and sometimes they don't. Your chances of finding meaning become much more likely if you live each day as though it were your last. Do your work but also enjoy as much time as possible on those things that interest you. Make sure that you are expressing your true self to both yourself and the world around you.

It sounds hokey pokey but it is part of what makes contentment. We should balance our needs and make sure we are not neglecting any part of ourselves. Find good people to share your time, enjoy your families, get involved in those hobbies that interest you, and express yourself as much as possible. You might be surprised that you actually like work and being more creative and productive.

The Danger of Metrics

Metrics are an important part of doing business in today's world. They help ensure departments and people are doing the jobs they said they are doing and become useful statistics for understanding the entire organization. Sometimes metrics don't really measure what is going on and administrators should be concerned over the information being presented.

Let me give you an example. Let us assume an instructor must actively engage in online classroom forums. If you don't engage in 3 days you will get a message from an administrator saying you are not fulfilling your contract. However, if you check your course every day but students have posted over the first few days of the week because the class has low enrollment, its a holiday, and students are working on finals.

The metric isn't reflective of what is actually going on. The instructor might be checking in every day, which exceeds the requirements, could be reviewing course materials, etc... To fix this problem and not receive a notice would mean the instructor would just have to stick some artificial posting in there to a student that hasn't yet responded.

There are other times when metrics are poorly designed and are actually encouraging poor behavior. The metrics are designed to ensure certain activities are done that are profit driven but forget all the other things that make those activities possible. Employees might skip corners so they get high metric numbers and earn higher pay. Bubbles of work occur that could be a detriment to the organization as non measured activities are ignored.

Metrics should be well thought out, take into consideration the possibility that they are not always accurate or beneficial, and will need continuous adjustment. These metrics are like research variables that need validity and actually measure what they say they are measuring. Employees will be paid and rewarded based on these metrics and they should not be the only evaluative tool. Your company will be defined by these metrics.

When to be Subtle and When to be Direct

There are times when the best approach is to be subtle and discuss issues without actually discussing them while at other times it is most important to be direct and up front. The difference can be hard for people to distinguish but can be easier to decipher when a few rules are applied to the overall assessment of a situation. Knowing the difference can get your point across without risking open conflict.

People have needs and wants and will naturally push those onto others. Sometimes it is acceptable while at other times it is necessary to communicate where your boundaries lay. The message can be subtle or it can be direct. In most cases subtle should be preferred than direct as a method of slowly encouraging others to understand your needs.

Sometimes people don't know they are asking too much or wanting something that is inappropriate. Letting them know in a subtle way allows them to think about the request and whether or not it is truly appropriate. It also allows you a nice way of communicating without jeopardizing friendship or an open argument.

Subtle is not passive aggressive because you are willing to deal with the issue directly but prefer to have the person come to their own awareness. If a person doesn't understand multiple subtle hints then it is necessary to deal with the issue directly by stating the behavior and what you would like to see. You will still need to use tact but it will force the issue into the open.

Remember, it isn't always beneficial to do this. Most people will pick up on the hints and then change their course of action. When they don't they are stating that either they truly believe they are entitled to their behavior or don't respect your boundaries. Forcing the issue into discussion puts them on the spot to come forward with their wants and allowing you to draw a line.

Michigan Residents Seem to be Confident about the Economy

According to a study conducted by Michigan State University 56.9 respondents felt the economy is good or excellent. Another 30% called it fair and 12.9 % called their circumstances poor.

Another positive result from the survey found 43.8% believed they were better off, 30.4% around the same, and 25.9% in worse condition. 

The numbers indicated that most people in Michigan feel they are doing pretty darn well. Their lives have improved in some ways and they are optimistic about their futures. 

Of course that doesn't mean everyone is doing well but that the majority of people are satisfied with how things are turning out. Detroit's resurgence as a leading city and the positive press that goes with that may make a difference.

Learning Teamwork Through Sailing

Sailing is an excellent skill that keeps you focused and in the moment. It is also a great sport to teach teamwork skills. Crews are often 3 to 4 people and include 2 for the job, one for the main and the skipper. Each has their own job and the ship sails at its best when all members are working together. With practice the team will get into a groove and understand how their part impacts the rest.

When tacking the ship will swing into the wind in an attempt to change its course of direction. It moves across an area called the dead zone where the sails can pick up no wind. It it stays too long in that area the ship will eventually come to a stop. It is imperative to get the ship across the dead zone and optimized on the other side as quickly as possible.

The skipper will often yell, "ready to jive" and the crew will respond "ready" and then the skipper gives the command "jive ho". Within seconds one member is releasing the jib line, on the other side the other brings in their jib line, the person on main sail seeks to optimize wind coverage by adjusting direction. As a team works together it gets faster and the ship becomes more optimized.

Consider that over the past few races I have been with different crews and we seem to come in last. However, when working with the same crew a few times the ship speeds up and we come in at a higher ranking. At one point we ran neck and neck for first place based on the practice and skill of the members.

As an exercise it can be helpful to put executives through a course on sailing in a way that forces them to work together. They will eventually come to understand that without all people talking and working together the ship won't be at its best. The same can be said for organizations when executives work in silos, don't communicate, and the entire organization suffers.