The Kite Runner Marxist Lense Paper - 1558 Words

In the book The Kite Runner, original social status is proven to create barriers in life regarding the aspects of friendship, mindset, and adaptation to change as we observe Baba’s and Amir’s life journeys in order to discover how it affects these aspects. Amir’s friendship with his hazara servant’s son Hassan takes a sudden toll as he ultimately comes to believe that traditional and historical beliefs outweighed true friendship as he was a young child. The mindset of Baba does not adjust when he and Amir are forced to move to America, as he still believes he possesses the same amount of power as he did in Afghanistan. While living in America, Baba never fully adapts to the American culture and way of life as he continues to live and†¦show more content†¦One day Asseff rapes Hassan as an act of power, and Amir witnesses the actions but acts in a cowardly matter and simply avoids the matter by ignoring it. Amir then proceeds to cut off the relat ionships between himself and Hassan, â€Å"I actually aspired to cowardice, but the real reason I was running, was that Asseff was right. Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay to win Baba. Was it a fair price? The answer floated to my conscious mind before I could thwart it: He was just a Hazara. Wasn’t he?† Amir did it because the traditional and historical beliefs were more important than friendship. This action displays how being born in a different social class can outweigh all feelings of love and friendship with one of a different social group. As the war in Afghanistan begins, Baba and Amir flee to America where they went from being at the top of the social pyramid, to starting again at the very bottom. Baba’s mindset however, remains the same throughout his whole life. Back in Afghanistan, Baba was very proud of his possessions and the ability to afford so many luxuries, as he often would show off his fancy mustang which he bought prior to seeing it in a movie, â€Å"Then, Baba and I drove off in his black Ford Mustang – a car that drew envious looks everywhere because it was the same car Steve McQueen had driven in Bullitt, a film that played in one theater for six months..†. When Baba and Amir get to America,

Mnc Strategies For Growth And Innovation â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The MNC Strategies For Growth And Innovation? Answer: Introduction The main of this research is to establish the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing business functions. This would involve applying both qualitative and quantitative research designs and methodologies. However, the primary source of information will be content analysis. This will help in interpreting what other authors have written on the topic. There is no doubt that globalization has had a great impact on the business sector since its invention. The impacts range from creating a global platform for learning, changing attitudes among businessmen, communication, creating instant access to products and services. Business technology has grown to be the major facilitator and sustainer of economies in the contemporary society. It has helped some regions to be successful as well as helping others to survive hence transforming the manner in which business is carried out. Comparing the business sector today and how it was almost 20 years ago is like comparing day and night. Thanks to globalization, there has been a great revolution. Apart from increased sales and partnerships, it has created new platforms for conducting business. For example, outsourcing in business enables a business to obtain goods and services from suppliers through contract. This has both advantages and disadvantages. For example, it leads to better efficiency being that the company has time to focus on core business functions. On the other hand, the activity harbors hidden costs that threaten business profits. Project Objective The following are the objectives that the study plans to meet: To establish the advantages of outsourcing business functions To establish the disadvantages of outsourcing business functions To give reasons why businesses outsource functions. One of the ways in which this study will meet the above objectives is through literature review. The process enables one to understand what other authors have discussed regarding the topic and the gaps. Project Scope This project is limited to the outsourcing of business functions in a multinational organization. This is an enterprise that operates in many countries but is managed from one point; home country. A company that gets more than a quarter of its revenue from operations outside the home country is classified under MNC. Coca-Cola, BMW, and Total are among the most common MNCs globally (Elo 13). Through investing in other countries, MNCs have led to the growth of the host countrys economy, the flow of capital, development of infrastructure, the introduction of new technologies and creation of employment opportunities (Luca, 2015). Because of its nature of operating n many countries, a multinational organization is more prone to business functions (Wlliams, 2015). Therefore, for adequate information and better understanding, this study shall review articles and reports on the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing business functions in multinational business organizations. Literature Review Several studies have been conducted to establish reasons for outsourcing business functions n organizations. While a section of them agrees that outsourcing is a noble course, there are people who do not agree and would not advise any serious business to explore the services of outsourcing business functions. Therefore, this section provides an analysis of what other authors have written regarding outsourcing business functions. Outsourced tasks According to statistics, the number of organizations outsourcing business functions has increased. For example, in the financial year 2016, private sector organizations spent $309 billion on outsourced business functions (Andelic, 2011). This was spent on various processes as shown in the following list: Finance and accounting Human resource management Legal procedures Apple Inc. is known for its partnership with Foxconn. The latter implements iPhone blueprint. This way, Apple saves money that would have been used had it employed people to do that. Apart from giving it time to concentrate on other core business functions like marketing, outsourcing business functions help Apple Inc., to improve quality in delivering products and services (Hattersley, 2017). Advantages of outsourcing business functions Outsourcing is a process of contraction another organization to provide products/services to a particular organization. It has been cited to save costs and time taken to perform tasks that could be carried out by another party at a less costly price (Clarkson, 2016). In this section, this study provides what other authors have written regarding the advantages of outsourcing business functions. It increases business efficiency. Many organizations have turned to outsourcing functions because it has been proven that outsourced functions are helpful, meaningful and essential to the general functioning of the organization (Ling, 2015). For example, if a company is consulted for recruitment and hiring, it ensures that those chosen are qualified based on skills and experiences. Similarly, it gives organizations time to focus on core business functions. Indeed, there are numerous tasks in business that need to be executed (MIchael, 2013). However, sometimes attending to them efficiently may be hard because of time constraints (Dhar, 2013). Therefore, if a business seeks the services of another group for some tasks, it gets adequate time to perform other equally important tasks. Conversely, outsourcing has hidden costs that threaten the potential of a company to make profits. Organizations use this method to reduce business expenditures like labor costs. However, outsourcing also involves additional expenditures on legal processes (Wlliams, 2015). Moreover, is that the cost of outsourcing is not normally included in the financial report, it is hard to assess the extent to which this process affects the organizations. Also, being that the process involves sharing of a companys sensitive and confidential information, there exist data security risks in outsourcing business functions (Touboulic, 2016). For example, when a company contracts a firm to design its products, it may have to provide information that could damage it when leaked to competitors (Elo, 2015). This can cost the company opportunities for making profits from its products. Additionally, outsourcing business functions may lead to a weak management in a particular business. The main role of the business management unit is to make decisions on critical aspects of the functioning of an organization (Allen, 2012). Being that outsourcing involves another organization making decisions on behalf of the company, it makes the latter lose control. Similarly, research has also shown that outsourcing business functions may not be successful because of difference in cultural values. Multinational organizations have been cited by most authors for preferring outsourcing (R Randall, 2014). In this situation, it may involve doing business with people from a different country with a different culture (Greenwood, 2013). A clash in culture threatens efficiency and productivity. Therefore, because of a difference in culture, outsourcing may not be as beneficial to a company as one would have hoped. Justification In business, it is not possible to perform all functions without compromising quality and maintaining the schedule. Hence it is necessary to issue roles to be performed by other organizations (Gruyter, 2015). For example, a business organization can contract another to train its employees at a cost. Similarly, it can use another consultancy firm to help develop marketing strategies (Boorman, 2016). Admittedly, outsourcing business functions seem as a relief to businesses. However, there have been concerns over the extent of which this is true. Being that outsourcing involves spending both time and resources (Dhar, 2013). This justifies the need for the research. Apart from establishing the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing business functions, it also educates on the type of business rules to be outsourced (Graham, 2017). This can help business organizations in creating a plan for outsourcing business activities. Gap opportunities From the literature that was reviewed, it was clear that it inclined towards supporting that outsourcing business functions have both advantages and disadvantages. However, it was quite vague on the type of organizations that mostly outsource business functions. Further, there was not enough data on multinational companies that have outsourced business functions and incurred decline n profits. Hypothesis Outsourcing business functions increase quality, efficiency and focus on core business operations. However, it may lead to a company to lose control of the company, risk-sensitive confidential information contains hidden costs and depends on culture. Research questions The following are the questions considered to be important in tackling the topic on the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing business function: What are the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing business functions n multinational organizations? Why do businesses outsource business functions? Research Design The choice of the research design utilized in this study was informed by the nature of the data required in this case (Boorman, 2016). This section will contain a description of the qualitative research designs used in this study. Researchers have managed to develop various research designs like grounded theory, ethnographic studies, historical and case studies to be employed when conducting a qualitative research study. For this study to fully answer the two research questions stated above, it would be best to use the grounded theory and case study research designs. In the first instance, data collected shall be used to develop a theory. The Case study design will be used to collect information from top managers at Coca Cola offices. Information acquired here will be analyzed and interpreted to help in testing the hypothesis. Methodology This section presents details on the overall methodology used in carrying out the research exercise. The chapter also presents the sampling procedure which involves the research site, target population, sample study population with a clear explanation of the relationship between the sample population and the target population of this study. The chapter further provides the data generation techniques utilized in this study, data analysis, validity assessment criteria and the ethical considerations touched by the research before finally concluding the chapter Scholars have defined qualitative research as a process of inquiry of human or socio-economical problems which are founded on methodological traditions (Zahra, 2016). In the process of the study, the research seeks to answer questions on the what and how of the issue (Zahra, 2016). These questions help in limiting the study to a particular phenomenon, concept or problem. Also, they help the researcher establish the effects of the issue on stakeholders in a particular system (Clarkson, 2016) Employing this methodology will help arrive at the best conclusion based on the existing information and conditions connected with the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing business functions. Therefore the research tools to be employed will be both primary and secondary sources. Approaches to reliability and validity The trustworthiness of the study will be arrived at through a comprehensive assessment by the research supervisor and the collective insights to be collected from different co-researchers who were actually fellow students. Each respondent that will participate in the study will be sampled and data collected from them using hand-picked instruments that are not general to all the respondents. This will ensure that each respondent uses the most appropriate data collection technique under the circumstances (Zahra, 2016). The researcher was able to identify the most relevant items for each one of the instruments that were utilized in the study. Sampling and sample size For the purpose of this study, random sampling will be employed. Because of the scope of the research, it was relatively cheaper, easy and manageable to meet Multinational organization leaders randomly and convince them to participate in the process of giving data. Data collection methods This study will use both quantitative and qualitative data. A close examination of the research questions informed the selection of the instruments that were used to solicit data from among the study population which comprised of shop owners, business people, taxi operators, and office workers. As such, this study utilized the triangulation method of data collection (John James, 2006). This involves using two or more research instruments in collecting the required data. The data collection tools to be used by the researcher include; content analysis, questionnaires, and interview schedule. The observation was carried out randomly without following any systematic order since the trends in business functions would in most cases be spontaneous. After obtaining permission, the questionnaires will be hand-delivered to the respondents in their respective offices/places of work. The objectives of the study will be clearly explained to the various respondents before allowing them a chance to respond to the questionnaires. These questionnaires were self-administered. There was a need to allow them the freedom to fix the questionnaires into their days schedule, given the busy nature of the time during which this study will be conducted. The questionnaires had both open-ended and closed questions and provided for standardized answers that are easy to compile. The interview method will also be used for a section of the respondents. They will be randomly interviewed and their responses tape recorded for the study. These interviews conducted on one- to- one basis. In essence, they enable a better understanding of the experiences of the respondents. Variables and specifications The following are the variables in the research: Here, the research will focus on the labor costs, efficiency, roles and outsourcing costs. Business organizations: From the literature review, t has been established that MNCs prefer outsourcing business functions. Therefore, this study will conduct interviews and questionnaires in Coca-Cola Time: The study will compare the time taken by a company to perform a task and by another outsourced company to perform the same. Research Limitations Some of the perceived limitations that I am likely to encounter in this study include: Lack of adequate time and other resources Financial constraints The lack of flexibility to use more methods Problems in terms of content or geography of the place Nevertheless, in spite of these limits, enough necessary steps will be taken to ensure the study still makes a worthwhile contribution to the business field. Time Schedule Conducting this research project will take a period of 5 weeks. This is because apart from taking time to review content on this topic, the researcher will also need to organize for interviews with managers of business organizations which outsourced functions. Criteria Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Introduce the topic on advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing business functions Forming research objectives, questions and hypothesis Organize literature to be used Review literature on the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing business functions Identify research design, methodology and data collection techniques Accumulate data from questionnaires, interviews and content analysis. Data interpretation and evaluation Conclusion and recommendations for future studies Conclusion The purpose of this study was to give the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing business functions. Here, we established that outsourcing leads to productivity, effectiveness, and enables businesses to focus on core business processes and conduct business in 24 hours. Conversely, outsourcing may lead to the management to lose control of the organization, hidden costs, risk data security and the difference in culture and pricing. The study utilized both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. Therefore, it recommends that organizations conduct a cost-benefit analysis to establish risks involved. This is because outsourcing business functions sometimes end up making companies spend more thus leading it to make losses. References Allen, R. C. (2012). Technology and the great divergence : Global economic development since 1820. Journal of Economic History , 1-16. Andelic, G. (2011). The impact of Globalization on the Insurance and Reinsurance Market of Eastern Europe. South East European Journal of Economics and Business , 95-112. Boorman, K. N. (2016). Assumptions beyond the science: Encouraging cautious conclusions about functional magnetic resonance imaging research on organizational growth. Journal of organizational behaviour , 13-20. Clarkson, M. (2016). Communication training for scientists and engineers: A framework for highlighting principles common to written, orasl, and visual communication. Professional Communication Conference (IPCC) (pp. 1-8). IEEEInternational. Dhar, S. (2013). From outsourcing to Cloud computing: evolution of IT services. From outsourcing to Cloud computing: evolution of IT services , 20-45. Elo, M. (2015). Diaspora Networks in International business: A review of emerging stream research. Handbook on International Alliance and Network Research , 13-40. Graham, J. (2017, May 3). Apple iPhone sales slip on next-iPhone hype. Retrieved May 18, 2017, from USA TODAY TECH: https://www.usatodaytech.com Greenwood, M. (2013). Ethical analyses of HRM: A review and research agenda. Journal of Business Ethics , 355-366. Gruyter, D. (2015). Starbucks Marketing Analysis. Journal of Case Research in Business and Economics , 220-253. Hattersley, L. (2017, 20 January). The 17 best Apple ads of all time: Funny, weird and embarrassing Apple adverts. Retrieved May 18, 2017, from Mac World: https://www.macworld.co.uk Ling, J. H. (2015). Emotional appeal in recruitment advertising and applicant attraction: Unpacking national cultural differences. Journal of organizational behaviour , 35-42. Luca, N. (2015, October 9). Towards a service-dominant approach to social marketing theory. Retrieved 12 November 2016, from sage pub.com: https://www.sagepub.com Michael, H. T. (2013). Information Technology Adoption in Small Business: Confirmation of a proposed framework. The Journal of Small Business Management , 25-40. R Randall, B. L. (2014). India: MNC Strategies for growth and Innovation. Strategy Leadership , 30-39. Touboulic, A. (2016). Sustainable purchasing and supply. Journal of Marketing Channels , 85-87. Wlliams, O. (2015, July 10). Apple has forgotten to sell the iPhone. Retrieved May 18, 2017, from The Next Web: https://www.thenextweb.com Zahra, S. (2016). Developing theory-grounded family business research: Some suggestions. Journal of family business strategy , 3-7.

The Benefits of Instructional Essay Topics

The Benefits of Instructional Essay Topics A Startling Fact about Instructional Essay Topics Uncovered Bear in mind a process essay isn't necessarily meant to deliver the readers with enough instruction to permit them to reconstruct the approach. Therefore, your work should serve to clarify the steps that have to be taken in the process. A process essay is a short text where the writer explains a specific process in a precise and thorough way. A process analysis essay denotes the kind of academic writing, which includes a comprehensive description of the specific process in the form of the step-by-step guide. The Hidden Gem of Instructional Essay Topics Today, a number of documents are somewhat boring and an excellent deal of function to write. The process essays are generally written for companies or people who need tutorials. Our essay writing support for a wide selection of necessity is furnished at the best aggressive cost on the internet. There are lots of essay writi ng services readily available online that's different themes to choose from and study and employ the assist. Utilizing a coordinator may help you to guarantee that the synopsis of your own article is reasonable and make certain you remain on the most appropriate track as long as you're composing your essay. Much like any report, your process-analysis report ought to have an introductory paragraph that includes a thesis statement. When you have the website, you're in a position to see sample entry essays together with scholarship essays that possess the ability to turn your program aggressive. Possessing the suitable suggestions for school documents allow you to create a far better essay. The goal of the essay might also be mentioned within the very first paragraph. Naturally, you need to use educational words within your article. Essays don't in fact have to be challenging! Creating essays is only an art a good deal of us have overlooked. You ought to make sure your essay isn't only interesting to read, but it's also thorough and actually informative for your reader. Authorship a fantastic article demands a good deal of comprehension of the issue issue. Just in the event you've articles giving you worry, you're in the right spot simply because we shall provide you article services that might help you develop writings that are initial. There may be a moment whenever you're requested to create a potent article on a matter which is quite contentious. Getting the Best Instructional Essay Topics Students are aware of what they should do, use before or after a specific class. When they are confused by what their teacher is trying to teach them, they become frust rated. The students also have the time to redo any work that they've failed to be able to obtain a better grade. They are going to learn about farming practices, have the chance to view real time infantry, demonstrating presentations, and get involved in hands-on agricultural pursuits. The essay topics are categorized in various groups only for the ease of readers. Whether there are possible problems which might be encountered during the plan of what the instructional essay describes, talk about the methods in which said problems might be overcome. All folks who understand exactly how to compose an essay may create a great essay by remembering a range of the important aspects. An instructional essay provides you a feeling of the way to carry out a specific undertaking or carry out some type of job. There are several distinctive issues you're capable to do to steer clear of abortion. Sooner or later, it's important to select topics that one feels comfortable to write on so you can do justice to them. Because schooling matters a wonderful thing. Instructional objectives are often classified based on the kind or level of learning that is necessary in order to reach them. Instructional strategies are consistent as a result of its capacity to enhance performance among students. Instructional communication is implemented everyday all over the world. It has several different contexts located within it. The Number One Question You Must Ask for Instructional Essay Topics The analysis is crucial, but a social life is also necessary. For every one who are starting to compose essays, there are special rules or ideas that may let them form a best composition. Before learning how to compose a process essay of A level, it is important to define the expression. You must have fair u nderstanding of the issue you're composing on.

Non-Western Music and Medicine Essay Topics

Non-Western Music and Medicine Essay TopicsWriting a thesis, which has to be written in the field of science and medicine, is a very complicated task. Moreover, if one of your teachers suggests that you study non-western music and medicine, you would most likely hesitate and lose interest in your subject of study.However, learning from Western music and medicine shows that these subjects are more important than learning one's native language, and requires many other important factors to be taken into consideration. This is also true when learning these subjects with an aim to enter into graduate school. Do not think that a person who studies non-western music and medicine only needs to focus on foreign language.You should understand that studying music and medicine as a western music and medicine student will make a lot of difference to the final result. To make things clearer, here are some non-western music and medicine essay topics that would help you on your path to success.Have you thought about getting into graduate school in music and arts, if you are a music enthusiast? Or maybe you are a musician who loves Indian musical instruments such as the vagina, Bali, guggulu and prayer, and understands them so well. If this is the case, you might want to take up a course on music and medicine.It would be interesting to find out if you are willing to learn some of western music and medicine that relates to Eastern instruments. This could prove to be an excellent first step for your entry into a doctorate program.For example, studying western music would teach you a lot about Western music theory. This would definitely come in handy for your doctorate student application.Another non-western music and medicine essay topic are learning about many of the Indian instruments and their meanings. For example, getting acquainted with various types of musical instruments such as the sarangi, Martha, ragak and manual would be a good way of learning about the many Indian in struments that were created to take the place of Western instruments.In short, it would be very helpful to learn about Western music theory, Western instruments and how they fit into Indian music. Also, as far as the word or phrase of Western music goes, it is important to know that it originated from various civilizations in the East.

Use Clip Art to Write an Essay

Use Clip Art to Write an EssayYou have probably seen the new writing a one-minute essay format and wondered if you could use clip art to write an essay. Although it does not have all the bells and whistles of the traditional essay, it can still give you a nice little feature that you can use for your essay to add some flair to it.The truth is that the essay form is not for everyone. Some people find it difficult to make their essays flow and be a pleasant read. This is where using clip art comes in handy.With the one-minute essay format it is easier to just write a topic that will outline the thesis of the essay. This is easy enough but many of us do not want to waste that much time doing this. That is when you are able to put together a couple of lines of interesting visual and writing snippets to try and pad out the length of the essay. This is also an excellent way to add some personality to the essay.In the one-minute essay format you can also add some writing about the subject. If you do not feel like you can write about the subject, you can always say something as to why the topic is important to the overall essay. Many people will say that they need to write about something because they want to build their portfolio for a particular profession. This is an excellent way to add some flair to the essay by using a real life example of how the subject fits into the larger picture.Adding clip art is also another way to show the reader what is in the essay. In this way the essay can get more attention than it might otherwise get. When the reader is not looking at the actual sentences but rather is looking at the paragraphs surrounding the sentences, it helps to draw the eye.Many times you will find that paper clip art is included in many of the flash games that are available. In fact, you can get some really good uses out of these. These games are great because they are so simple to use and you are not going to waste hours of your time trying to get something t o happen.There are many other places where you can get printable clip art but if you want to use it in an essay you will probably want to use a professionally designed graphics program. This is especially true if you use clip art to write an essay you can avoid many of the errors that can occur when using the built in graphics editors.

Sample Critical Approach Essay - 3 Reasons To Take A Sample Prep Course

Sample Critical Approach Essay - 3 Reasons To Take A Sample Prep CourseFor students who have a tough time writing a critical approach essay, a sample FFTCE critical approach essay can help. This particular curriculum is not an easy one to do, but it is a lot of fun if you know what you are doing. This specific curriculum will be taking about four hours to complete, and there are many benefits of this specific curriculum that make it worth it for some students.This curriculum is very focused on getting students to gather and present objective information. It is actually the theory alone that is used for this specific curriculum. Students will need to do some reading about planning for the future in a world that has become so globalized. The students are going to be able to create a timeline of some kind for the course as well.Students will also need to look at some trends that have come into play in their lives. Many students don't realize that some trends are changing, and that some trends aren't even going to last. There are some students who might be feeling like their life is just passing them by, and there isn't much they can do about it. They need to do something about it though, and that is where the FFTCE critical approach essay comes in.The students are going to be using some writing samples from people that are not themselves, but they are already living the situations. These are ones that are on the surface level to get students to see what they are doing right now and to help students start on their own thinking processes. This is just a quick look at some of the benefits of this specific curriculum, and then the students will be able to look at how they might want to start their own plan for the future.The students are going to be able to review what they learned from the history of the world, and the many different things that have come into play in the history of the world. Some of these include past societies, and how people have done in those so cieties.This is going to be a very useful piece of critical approach essay for students to take, because it provides them with some very valuable information. Students will also be able to see the levels of success in their life, and see why they are in the situations they are in, and why it is that they are feeling the way they are feeling. The students will also be able to see if they are on the right track and where they want to go, and where they want to end up.The whole system works because it is completely engaging, and students will be able to find out things they weren't able to when they were first entering high school. That is what makes this curriculum really fun, and it is one of the better ones out there.

Social Impact Assessment free essay sample

Definition SIA first emerged in the 1970s in the U. S, as a way to assess the impacts on society of certain development schemes and projects before they go ahead for example, new roads, industrial facilities, mines, dams, ports, airports, and other infrastructure projects. It has been incorporated since into the formal planning and approval processes in several countries, in order to categorise and assess how major developments may affect populations, groups, and settlements. SIA is often carried out as part of, or in addition to, Environmental Impact Assessment, but it has not yet been as widely adopted as EIA in formal planning systems, often playing a minor role in combined environmental and social assessments. As to standard definition Social impact assessment includes the processes of analysing, monitoring and managing the intended and unintended social consequences, both positive and negative, of planned interventions (policies, programs, plans, projects) and any social change processes invoked by those interventions. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Impact Assessment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Its primary purpose is to bring about a more sustainable and equitable biophysical and human environment. (International Association for Impact Assessment) A substantial academic literature has developed around the techniques and the application of SIA, and it is widely taught and practiced. Major consultancy firms offer SIA expertise (which could be offered to developers, governments, or campaign organisations). They, and individual skilled practitioners and academics are often called upon to produce SIA reports, particularly in advance of proposed new infrastructure projects. The academic backgrounds of SIA practitioners are diverse, but may include applied sociology, anthropology, geography, development studies, and planning. SIA overlaps substantially with the current interest in monitoring and evaluation (ME). ME is carried out after a project or development has gone ahead, to assess impacts and to see how well its goals were met. Evaluation is particularly important in the areas of 1. public policy, 2. health and education initiatives, and 3. international development projects more generally, whether conducted by governments, international donors, or NGOs. In all these sectors, there is a case for conducting SIA and evaluations at different stages. There is a growing concern that projects of all types (from large dams to the work of small rural development NGOs), are efficiently conducted, do not disadvantage local people, and do not generate negative social and environmental impacts. Increasingly, there is also a concern that non-experts and local people participate in the design and implementation of proposed developments or programmes. This can be achieved in the process of doing an SIA, through adopting a participatory and democratic research process.