Contemporary Disaster Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Contemporary Disaster Management - Term Paper Example The studies and researches done by Centre of Research of the Epidemiology on Disasters confirm that natural catastrophes such as flood, windstorm, surge, and other water-related disasters have killed approximately one million people in the past 20 years. Furthermore, these water-related disasters have affected the livelihoods of more than 300 million people. According to EM-DAT, these natural disasters have directly damaged the global economy and countries around the world have lost more than $US 800billion. Researches have also revealed that regions characterized by the monsoon climate are the most vulnerable. Disasters are also common in areas with large population and where economic development is quite rapid (Brown, & Duguid, 2000). Barton (1999) argued that disaster management has been a problem in most countries of the world hence the impacts of the phenomena are recurrent. Nations all over the world have joint efforts in aid to reduce the effects of these disasters on the livelihoods in the next coming years. Through Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 and the Hashimoto Action Plan: Compendium for Action, countries have established strategic goals and the appropriate global actions that reduce the effects of disasters on the economic system. Asia is one of the countries among others which have been affected negatively by water-related disasters. Asian-Pacific countries have established Asia Pacific Water Forum, a body which is primarily concerned with policing water-related disaster management programs. There are very many bodies emerging all over which would diligently improve the quality of life of populations affected by disasters. These organizations are expected to facilitate disaster management strategies in addressing effective disaster reduction solutions in the most stricken areas (Epstein, 2000).  

Chain of Command Essay Example for Free

Chain of Command Essay The main focus of Article II of the United States Constitution is the executive branch and the role that it plays in the government. By definition an executive is â€Å"a person or group of persons having administrative or supervisory authority in an organization.† The President, who is elected, is the head of the executive branch and the US government’s chain of command. Second in command is the Vice President who must also be elected. Article II is broken down into four sections in the Constitution and outlines who the qualifications to run, the term that a President can hold office, as well as the duties, responsibilities and powers that he has and the grounds for impeachment. Section 1 Section one of Article II outlines the executive power in 7 clauses. Clause 1 and Clause 2 support each other. Clause 1 states that the President of the United States shall hold office for a term of four years with a Vice President who must be elected for the same term and that executive power shall be vested in the President. Clause 2 describes the appointment and qualifications for presidential electors. In Clause 2, it says that each state shall appoint a number of electors equal to the whole number of senators and representative to which the state may be entitled in the congress but no senator or representative that hold office under the United States can be appointed as an elector. This means that each state chooses electors equal to the number of representatives, representing them in congress, but no senators, representatives or federal officers can become an elector. It then goes on to describe the original method of electing the president and vice president. Originally, an elector would cast two votes for the president, one at least one vote had to be from a state different than the elector’s and who ever had the majority of votes became the president and the vice president would be the runner up. If there was no person who received the majority of votes the House of Representatives could have chosen one of the five with the greatest number of votes. If there was a tie, the House of Representatives could have chosen one of the candidates. When the House would vote, each state representative would cast one vote, and a quorum of two-thirds applied in both houses. One member from two thirds of the States, and a member from two thirds of the states and a majority of all the states were necessary to choose a President. If two or more candidates tied, the senate broke the tie. This was superseded by the twelfth amendment which made some significant changes. Now, electors cast one vote for president and one for vice president rather than two votes for president. If there is a case where no presidential candidate receives the majority, the house chooses from the top three instead of the top five. In addition, the amendment requires the senate to choose the vice president from the candidates with the two highest figures if no vice president candidate receives the majority of electoral votes. The twelfth amendment also specifies that to be vice president, a candidate must also qualify to be President. Clause 3 states that congress may determine the time of choosing the electors and the day for casting their votes. Clause 4 states the qualifications for the office of the president. According to the clause, the president and vice president must be at least 35 years old, both must be a natural born citizen of the United States, and both must have been a U.S. resident for 14 years. The twelfth amendment required the vice president to meet all the qualifications of an eligible president and the twenty-second amendment prevents a president from being elected more than twice. The 5th clause states that in the case of removal of the president from office, or his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of office, the vice president shall assume his duties. In the case that both the president and vice president were removed, resigned, deceased, on unable, then congress, by law would declare which officer would act as president until the removal, death, resignation, inability were to occur or a president was elected. This caused much controversy when President William Harrison died in office. A debate occurred on whether vice president John Tyler would become president, or just be the acting president. Tyler felt like he had a right to become president, and eventually took the Oath of Office, while set the precedent for vice presidents, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Chester Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson to ascend to the presidency. Because of this, the Presidential Succession Act was adopted in 1947 which established the line of succession of the office of the presidency in the event that the President or Vice President becomes unable to fill the vacancy. The Presidential Succession Act makes clear that only someone serving as Vice President can ever succeed to the title â€Å"President of the United States† and anyone who takes office under its provisions can only act as President† even if they have to act for 4 years. Clause 6 of Article II states that the President shall be compensated, at stated times for his services. This compensation shall never be increased or diminished during the period he is elected and also during that period, he also shall not receive any other compensation from the United States meaning federal and local government. The Presidents salary is currently $400,000 a year. Clause 7 states that before he enters office, the president shall take the following oath or affirmation: â€Å"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.† Section 2 Section 2 of Article II outlines the President’s powers while in office. Clause 1 of Section 2 states that the President shall be commander in chief of the army and the navy of the United States. Although he is the commander in chief, Article One gives Congress the right to declare war, not the President. The President may require the principal officer in each of the executive departments to give their advice in writing. Additionally, the President may grant pardons or reprieves for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment. Clause 2 of Section 2 is also known as the advice and consent clause. The President exercises the powers in the clause with the advice and consent of the senate. The President can enter the U.S. into treaties but they aren’t effective until they are ratified by a two thirds vote in the senate. The President may also appoint judges, ambassadors, consuls, ministers and other officers with the advice and consent of the Senate. However, by law Congress may allow the President, heads of executive departments, or the courts to appoint inferior officials as they see fit. Clause 3 of Section 2 gives the President the power to fill vacancies that may occur during the recess of the senate by granting commission that expire at the end of their next session. Section 3 Section 3 of Article II outlines the Presidents responsibilities while in office. While in office, the President must â€Å"from time to time† give congress information on the State of the Union and recommend to congress’s consideration measures that he judges as â€Å"necessary and expedient.† The President may, in â€Å"extraordinary occasions† call one or both houses into session. If both houses disagree on the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them at a time he thinks is fitting. The President receives all ambassadors and other public ministers. Most importantly, â€Å"he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all the officers of the United States.† The President commissions all officers including military and foreign service and although the President has discretion in how and when to enforce laws, he cannot refuse to enforce constitutional law. Section 4 Section 4 of Article II allows impeachment. Section 4 states â€Å"The President, Vice President, and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from the office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors. â€Å" The President, Vice President, executive officers as well as judges can all be impeached by the House of Representatives and tried in the Senate. If an official is convicted by impeachment, he is immediately removed from office and remains liable to trial and punishment in court for civil or criminal charges. The trial, if any is separate from the impeachment itself. There have been two U.S. presidents that have been impeached by the House of Representatives, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton but they were acquitted at trials that the senate held. The House Judiciary Committee voted on Articles of Impeachment for President Nixon, but he resigned before the full House of Representatives could vote, therefore he was never impeached. Why is Article II important? Article II is important because it establishes the office of the President and the Vice-President, and sets their terms to be four years. It defines the job that the President has to do and the rules that he has to follow. In a sense, it’s his job description and prevents him from overstepping his boundaries. Not only does Article II make the President Commander in Chief, it allows cabinet to aid him, and make treaties with other nations as he sees fit to protect us. It commands him to keep the Union informed about the status of country through the State of the Union address and to most importantly to enforce all laws.

Negative Effects of Media Violence on Children Essay -- Television Viol

Americans have felt a growing uneasiness from the growing problem of youth violence with teens from the ages of twelve to eighteen. It is a controversial subject that is an increasingly rising with families and the in the government. Some people believe that the reason behind this national problem is because families are no longer a united unit and are not home to take responsibility of watching their children. There are others who believe that it is the influence of the media and technology. The issue this paper will examine whether youth violence has risen from unattached parenting or because the lack of censorship and influence of the media. Through the presentation of documented support, it will be shown the rising rate of youth violence is the result of the lack of censorship of the media. According to psychologist Craig Anderson, research shows that violent video games, films, television, and music in the media increase the probability of violent and aggressive behavior in long-term and immediate situations within youth (81). In the start of this decade it was estimated that 46 percent of all homes with children have accesses to at least one television set, gaming console, a personal computer or both (â€Å"Violence and the Media† 267). However, this percentage has changed and is growing everyday with the advancement in technology and because it’s easily accessible. The Federal Trade Commission reports that companies’ media and marketing plans advertise their products targeting media outlets most likely to reach children under 17. Using outlets such as commercials during the most popular programs such as South Park, websites such as Mtv.com, and teen hangouts such as pizza parlors or ... ...010. â€Å"New Technology and Youth Violence.† Cdc.gov. Usa.gov, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2010. Raspberry, William. â€Å"Violence on Television Begets Real Violence.† Times Union [Albany] 4 Feb. 1994, Three Star ed.: A11. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 1 Dec. 2010. Spencer, Terry. â€Å"Boy’s Murder Defense: Pro Wrestling Made Me Do It.† Charleston Gazette 14 Jan. 2001, sec. A: 5. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 2 Dec. 2010. Strahota, Hilary. â€Å"Facebook Partnership, Tip Line Add to Growing List of Anti-bullying Tools.† States News Service [Washington] 12 Nov. 2010, sec. B12: n. pag. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 2 Dec. 2010. Surette, Ray. â€Å"Media, Violence, Youth, and Society.† World & I 9.7 (1994): 370+. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 5 Dec. 2010. â€Å"Violence and the Media.† Congressional Digest 78.11 (1999): 266+. Academic Search Premier. Web. 22 Nov. 2010.

Hamlets Indecision, Hesitation and Delay in Relation to the Abuse He Suffered :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Hamlet's Delay in Relation to the Abuse He Suffered  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In recent times, a psychoanalytical approach has been taken to explain a person's behavior. Freud argued quite heavily that people have a subconscious drive that determines many of their actions. Hamlet does not differ from this. A psychoanalytical approach will find a reasonable explanation of Hamlet's actions in Shakespeare's Hamlet. His actions are characteristic of one who has been abused. Hamlet's Oedipus complex is more pronounced because of it. Other factors indicate abuse. Ultimately, his delay is due to the abuse as well. It is important to understand that he was abused as a child, which is reflected, first, in his Oedipus complex. A complex which must be understood better. An Oedipus complex is often misinterpreted as a son who is in love with the mother and truly wants to kill (or has killed) the father. The Oedipus complex is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as: a subconscious sexual desire in a child . . . for the parent of the opposite sex,usually accompanied by hostility to the parent of the same sex. If unresolved naturally, this complex may result in neurosis and an inability to form normal sexual relationships in adulthood. Hamlet clearly has some problems. He is having trouble forming a sexual relationship with Ophelia. His constant banter with her is almost ridiculous. Throughout the play, Hamlet toys with her, never quite able to just say anything or take any action. Hamlet says, "be thou chaste as ice, as pure a snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery, farewell." (3.2.. 133) He also makes some suggestions to her prior to the play within the play.: HAMLET: Lady, shall I lie in your lap. OPHELIA: No my lord. HAMLET: I mean, my head upon your lap. OPHELIA: Ay, my lord. HAMLET: Do you think I meant country matters. OPHELIA: I think nothing my lord. HAMLET: That's a fair thought to lie between a maid's legs. (3.2. 101-106) One does not have to be a genius in order to understand that Hamlet is referring to sex. No where in the play does he taken any action to initiate a relationship of sexual orientation with Ophelia. Instead, like the previous statement, he is playing with her and the notion of sex. According to Steven Bavolek, Ph. D., abuse can cause sexual tension which "may be diverted into games involving teasing, mock spanking, and wrestling" (106).

Literary Criticism Essay

The beauty about literature is that it can be interpreted in a number of ways and all those ways can be regarded as a possibility and even entirely true. No matter what angle, approach or perception a person uses to see, analyze and scutinize a literary work, that analysis will always be considered as a â€Å"possibly correct† literary crticism.However, this is also the problem regarding literary criticisms since there is no wrong analysis, anything can be true. Thus, an analysis does not necessarily help readers in further understanding the text, analyses just give readers the chance to look at a text in a different light.This is what Liane Norman gives readers when anliterary criticism was written regarding the famous work of Herman Melville—Bartleby the Scrivener with a subtitle of A Story of Wall Street. In Norman's analysis, â€Å"Bartleby and the Reader†, she gives importance on the relationship of the text, Bartleby the Scrivener, and the readers itself of the text. According to Norman, the text focused on having the reader as an important character or making the reader play an important role in the structure and interepretation of the text.This analysis of Norman is with loopholes, as with many literary criticisms. She does indeed present a rather effective and convincing judgement on Bartleby the Scrivener but she failed to point out the important of the text on its own. It is as if, the text cannot exist without the role that the reader played in the creation of the text when in fact, Bartleby the Scrivener can be seen as a creation which is intended to point something out to the reader.This argument is what will be contained in this â€Å"criticism† of a literary criticism wherein a premise is presented that Norman did deliver a good argument and judgement on Bartleby the Scrivener but she failed in delivering a good argument that should have not illicited further contestations. In Herman Melville's Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street, a scrivener (or copyist or clerk in a firm), is the protagonist while the narrator is the protagonist's boss but who, it seems, wants to be the protagonist himself.Tthe Lawyer who is Bartleby's boss gives too much information about himself and too little information on the protagonist, Bartleby. The story starts off in the Lawyer going on about how he hired and met Bartleby but not before going to great lengths as he introduces himself: I am a rather elderly man. The nature of my avocations for the last thirty years has brought me into more than ordinary contact with what would seem an interesting and somewhat singular set of men, of whom as yet nothing that I know of has ever been written:—Imean the law-copyists or scriveners.(Melville, 2006) The Lawyer and Bartleby soon venture into a rather harmonous and beneficial relationship with each other—that is until Bartleby decides one day that he has enough of being a scrivener and stops doing his job properly to the point that he does not do anything at all. The curious and perverse Lawyer just lets Bartleby be as the scrivener goes on with life doing absolutely nothing. Unfortunately, things get out off hand to the point that Bartleby is imprisoned for hanging out in the building when it is neither his home ror has he any rights to loiter in the place.This ends the story: as Bartleby refuses everything—companionship, food, water—he dies a sad death in prison, all alone. Later on, the Lawyer finds out that Bartleby has been working in the Dead Letter Office wherein he sorts the mail of dead people. The Lawyer associates this previous job of Bartleby as the reason why the scrivener has become depressed and decided to one day, to just let everything go. In Liane Norman's Bartleby and the Reader, the role that the reader plays in giving meaning to Bartleby and the Scrivener is focused on.According to Norman (1971), there is a â€Å"rigorous and demanding human tr ansaction that takes place between the reader and the story†. This transaction is the ability of the text to have meaning only when the reader wills it do so. Thus, the dialogue, lines and other descriptions in the story would be moot and pointless if the reader does not believe otherwise. In fact, the reader becomes a character in the story itself without being in it; as what Norman (1971) asserts, â€Å"the reader is both participant and judge† in the same way that the Lawyer or the narrator of the story is also the participant and the judge.Thus, while the Lawyer is one of the characters in the story, his way of storytelling wherein he is detached from the other characters makes him have the same role as the reader. This in turn, makes the reader as the Lawyer and the Lawyer as one of the readers. But more than this form of analysis, Norman takes the notch further by relating the text and the characters to a greater and more profound extent by juxtaposing it with Chr istian values or ideals and the nature of democracy—two things which are inherently, albeit subtly, presented as the themes in Bartleby the Scrivener.On the other hand, the way Norman anaylzed the literary text was correct in a way that she gives meaning to the context and the content but remiss in her ability to add too much interepretation and meaning to what could have been just simple or meaningless lines. This is perhaps a bigger mistake in not being able to see much meaning in a literary work, that of seeing too much—a case of overreading. Norman was not false in her analysis, but she was extreme in that too much interpretatation is given from too little information.Thus, her mistake was that she was not able to give importance to the interepretation of the literary text as a text itself but she instead, concentrated on the text as how it would be interpreted by the reader. Bartleby the Srivener does not become merely Bartleby the Scrivener but it becomes, instea d, Bartleby and the Reader. Norman placed too much emphasis and importance on the reader as being part of the literary work and literary analysis. But the reader is of course important, for who will analyze a text but that being the reader himself/herself?However, what Norman has done is to indicate that there is but one reading presented by the reader and that is the only correct reading while at the same time the reader is no one but herself. What Norman should have done is present the analysis on the text as being Bartleby and A Reader instead of having it as Bartleby and THE Reader. For using the determiner â€Å"the† indicates that there is only one reader and that one reader is and will always be right.Thus, Norman's analysis gives a vaild credibility to her argument—even if the argument is indeed credible, it is unfortunately not valid. Although, there is something which is admirable and commendable in Norman's analysis which is the last part of her article wher ein she gives a profound interpretation on the implication of the Lawyer's last lines regarding Bartleby's death: The deep sense of disappointment that the story inspires in the reader is a function of the aura of America's hight but impossible promises: men have not escaped their limitations simply by founding a new policy.Bartleby is the test of democratic- Christian principle. If his resistance exposes human shortcomings, his persistence reveals man stubbornly laying claim to his humanity. (Norman, 1971) Norman maginificently gives a clear idea and interepretation on Bartleby's death while at the same time, relates its implication to humanity which is humanity's tendency to gain new insights but miserably ends in not carrying out those new â€Å"policies† or insights.Over all, both Melville (in using the character of the Lawyer) and Norman are correct, society stubbornly believes in their humanity—even if it proves that their idealist views on humanity's â€Å"huma nness† is sometimes misplaced. References Melville, H. (2006). Bartleby the scrivener: a story from Wall Street. Great Short Works of Herman Melville. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. pp. 19-38. Norman, L. (1971). Bartleby and the reader. The New England Quarterly 44 (1): 22-39.

Foalktales essays

Foalktales essays A folktale is a general term for any of numerous varieties of traditional narrative. The telling of stories appears to be a cultural and universal tradition, common to primitive and complex societies alike. Folktales are demonstrably similar from culture to culture, and comparative studies of themes and narrative techniques have been successful in showing these relationships. Fairy tales are entirely fictional and often begin with such formulas as Once upon a time . Which is not the case in most folktales which useally express something common to that culture. Folktales are stories that give people a means for sharing their culture, history and values. And so was the case in Mother to Son by Langston Hughes. Hughes discussed problems common to people of color from his culture . One of the most powerful tools used by hughes is imagery . Hughes uses strong imagery to get a clear picture across to the reader. As does he uses Irony and metaphors such ass Life for me aint been no crystal stair Its had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up. HUghes work can be described as a folktale. He writes exactly to fit the definition of the word folktale. And the same formula is used my many writers ...

Architecture of the Twin Tower essays

Architecture of the Twin Tower essays The idea of the Twin Towers came about in the early 1960s by the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Development Association. By 1962, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey began plans to build the two towers. Minoru Yamasaki was chosen out of a dozen other architects. His plan included twelve million square feet of floor area, which also had to accommodate new facilities for the Hudson tubes and subway connections. After studying more than one hundred schemes in model form, Yamasaki decided on a two-tower development to contain the nine million square feet of office space. One tower became unreasonable in size and unwieldy structurally, yet several towers became too approximate for their size and 'looked too much like a housing project'; whereas two towers gave a reasonable office area on each floor, took advantage of the magnificent views, and allowed a manageable structural system. ¹ Critics claimed that the towers would Rob New York of character, ruin the skyline, disrupt television reception, and strain city services. ² They started construction in 1966. The World Trade Center consists of sixteen acres of land. In building of the Twin Towers, five streets were closed off and 164 buildings were destroyed. A total of 10,000 people were involved with the building of the Twin Towers. Sixty people died while in construction. The designs for the towers were inventive in several ways which include its elevator system and its structural system. A regular elevator known as the conventional elevator would have taken up half of the room on the lower floors. Otis Elevators developed express elevators which halved the number of shafts needed for the elevators. The structural system of the towers used an architecture called the Tube. Each tower had a structural core extending from the bedrock bottom to its roof. The cores were rectangular pillars with columns and girders. The...

Stickley Furniture. The Production Process in Supply Chain.

Stickley Furniture. The Production Process in Supply Chain. Introduction During production, raw materials are converted into finished products, and this process involves procurement, allocation of resources as well as utilization of the resources. This operational process requires that goods are produced efficiently and in the most economical way. For an organization to realize its profits and satisfy the consumers, production is a key area of focus. Production management requires decisions be made about the products design, planning and control.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Stickley Furniture. The Production Process in Supply Chain. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For the processes to run smoothly, the movement of information and materials should be consistent so as to unite the parts involved into one. This way, the goal, which is the final product, is achieved by many units working as a team. Given that the modern customer requires the products at the most conveni ent time, location, and at a low cost, an organization should perform its production process based on the nature of the targeted market. Inventory helps to ensure that the organization responds to consumer needs in the shortest time possible. The nature of the raw materials and transportation is also another area of focus in production because a lot of costs are incurred in this area. This article will discuss on operations management using the Stickley Furniture Company as the model to explain the procedures and processes involved in the production. It will further discuss how the management can efficiently improve product and service quality at a low cost while meeting the market demands (Ross, 2010). Efficient management in operations is an essential component in supply chain; it not only simplifies operations and cost but also acts as an area in which an organization can focus on so as to gain a competitive advantage. Stickley Furniture’s Production processing Production in supply chain management comprises of drivers that support the conversion of raw materials into finished products that appeal to customers. These include the procurement process, designing the supply chain, inventories, transportation of supplies and the finished products, warehousing and the collaboration of these units to work as a team. For the Stickley Company, timber is sourced from outside as well as other products such as glue and other equipment that are used in production. Its supply chain is centralized in one unit where procurement, production and distribution are operated. It has various dealers outside who are the main point of contact between the organization and the suppliers. Inventory involves the semi-finished products which are assembled and delivered once orders are received. The scheduling office is used in locating products; this is a one way form of communication in which may not involve the rest of the units (Stevenson, 2009).Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The main form of the production process in this company is a job shop in which involves companies which produce a low volume of goods that have a wide variety. Given that when timber is received, the procedure is standard, they are cut into smaller sizes using a computer controlled optimizer saw. In this case, the optimizer is a standard tool that can be adjusted to fit the required sizes. It is always the first operation performed when timber is received. Once they are cut into smaller sizes, differentiation starts and parts are produced according to the king of item required, thus the wide variety in production. The pieces are assembled so that the workers to come up with the final product. This means that the equipment used are not extremely flexible because the parts are defined and procedures required standard. For instance saws and sanders are a must u se for any product. The final product has different processing requirements, for instance some items may require carving while others do not. The function of the furniture also defines the processes to be carried out, design is not high because the variety available offers many designs changes are not frequent. To a lesser extent, the continuous product processing is also applied in this organization because the products are standardized and some workers apply low skills while others need to be highly skilled. For example, carving requires skilled craftsmen while other procedures like drilling and mortising can be performed by low to moderately skilled workers (Stevenson, 2009). In Stickley furniture the management stamps the date of production on every item, to ease tracking. Items are also stamped for identification during the assembling process. Stamping the items names and dates of production makes the assembling task simpler and the location of an item can be tracked easily. Th is is because the procedures are continuous and items made on a day have a standard period in which they are expected to be ready. If required urgently, then they can easily be retrieved from the production stage as defined by the date. Updated records are kept to ensure that those items can be matched easily with their original pieces based on aspects like wood type and the finishing. Bar code stickers are used to simplify the process because once they are scanned in the computer; they are located from the scheduling office (Stevenson, 2009). For supply chain management to be effective, this is essential because it promotes collaborative planning in which the participating partners can share information as compared to the simple exchange. In this case, the parties purchasing timber, the production workers and the inventory team should share information such that orders can be placed by just checking and updating the status from a common system. This will eliminate the long process that is followed while establishing product availability when an order is placed (Ross, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Stickley Furniture. The Production Process in Supply Chain. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More If the company received an order for 40 mission oak dining room sets, it would require careful planning, scheduling and processing to ensure that the customer needs are met at the shortest time and the right customer expectations. This is necessary because it adds value to a product. In this case, first the management would need to establish the complete parts available in the inventory. This will help them establish the exact number of pieces or items that will need to be prepared from scratch. This way, a plan is made to come up with the amount of timber that will be required to produce the deficit as well as replace the ones obtained from the inventory. Once this is accomplished, it will sche dule the timber for timber to be delivered in the workshop. Next, it will match the skills required, with the product for it to assign the workers on the task while considering the volume to be worked. This also factors in the time before delivery can be done. Once the available workers are identified the task is commenced, while some workers are working on the unavailable parts, others should be working on assembling the ready parts from the warehouse. This ensures that the products are availed at the shortest time and in the best quality because inventory saves the organization the procedures required for such an amount of furniture. Finally, distribution is organized to ensure that the products are delivered according to the customers instructions. So in this case factors to consider including; the funds required, amount of labor required and the time available (Stevenson, 2009). Stickley Company’s level production policy is convenient for this order. This is because the c ompany keeps an inventory ready for the demand period. It is likely that the order received could be furnished if the items required are ready for assembling. The fact that items can be located from the scheduling office makes, it is easy to determine what is available and what needs to be acquired. This way decision making is fast and efficient. The company has employed many workers who are utilized through preparation of inventory items. The extra human resource provides labor when demand rises. Another advantage of this system is that workers have specialized according to their skills. This causes the determination of the workers group to which the job can be assigned and scheduled. As outlined in Figure 1, the production process is the central point where the supply chain drivers interact (Stevenson, 2009). There are challenges that may arise while responding to the oak dining set order, for instance; the inventory may not be having adequate pieces that match the customerâ€℠¢s requirements. This means that the whole production process would have to be carried out, and this may take a lot of time.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another challenge can be the risk of unsatisfactory product given that the workers are responsible in making decisions about the quality of the products. A poor judgment may be done which can result in losses in case the products do not satisfy the customer. Obtaining workers readily to perform the task immediately can be a challenge if it happens to be a peak season when labor is a lot. If there happens to be a multiple of orders, then there is a likelihood of delay because job sequence is determined by the supplies on hand. If the oak wood is not available, then it is likely that it will be scheduled later when supplies are obtained. The scheduling is planned 8-10 weeks ahead, and this may disrupt operations if the order given is urgent (Stevenson, 2009). Recommendation for Stickley Furniture The company keeps track of items by keeping records as defined by the dates stamped on these items. This could be improved by specialization of the production process such that similar items are produced in the same location. This way tracking will not require a lot of record keeping because similar items are stored together. This way it will only require bar code stickers to identify the location of an item. The company has a range of low skilled workers and highly skilled ones. It would be necessary if the low skilled workers could work along the highly skilled craftsmen so that the learning process can be enhanced. Through this, innovation and creativity can be improved, and the company can acquire more workers who are skilled (Ross, 2010). The issue of quality is a sensitive one because a mistake on this can lead to substantial losses in terms of resources and business. This should have a standard measure through which products can be defined. When this responsibility is left for the individual workers, it is likely that the products offered will be inconsistent in terms of quality. The organization defines the quality standards that each worker must attain to build customer loyalty. This will eliminate the probability of a customer getting unsatisfactory products. Another area is on the issue of repair and sharpening of equipment used. This process involves the use of resources while there is no output. Therefore, such activities can be allocated down time such that the time used for maintenance can be included in planning. This will minimize waste of resources and improve efficiency, as well (Ross, 2010). The management defines the level of output expected to maximize the production capacity for the workers and the equipment used. This simplifies the planning process since the profits can be estimated by comparing the estimated output against the costs incurred. Another area of concern is the costs incurred on inventory. This could be reduced by working with the dealers by encouraging them to have inventories for the products that have demand. This way, the product is taken nearer to the consumer’s location. Once an order is placed, t he final product can be assembled and delivered faster as opposed to assembling from the company’s workshop (Ross, 2010). Warehousing is an essential aspect in supply chain; the locations determine the costs that are likely to be incurred during transportation. If the warehouses are located near the targeted markets, then the inventory costs go down. Given that Stickley furniture maximizes its production while anticipating for the demand that comes in the peak season, it is advisable that the company introduces ware houses. These can be located near the leading dealers such that when orders are placed, the turnaround time is effective. This also favors the customers who would love to purchase directly from the organization. It also familiarizes the organization to the customers because customers get to know the company’s existence and demand also increases especially for the foreign markets. For Stickley, a centralized warehousing location may not be convenient because the dealers are decentralized. Therefore, the company can opt for decentralized locations for the dealer’s convenience. It will improve the level of responsiveness and efficiency of customer service (Ross, 2010). Conclusion Efficiency in production management gives an organization a competitive advantage. This is achieved by maximizing the available resources to obtain maximum output. Today, organizations are developing strategies to improve their efficiency in operations to reduce costs without compromising the level of customer service. If an organization introduces machineries that consume a lot of power, the productivity should be much higher to cover the costs incurred. In the case of Stickley furniture, the saws and sanders used should be included during the planning process to ensure that such costs are accounted. This minimizes waste in the production process. A market-driven demand is also essential because it encourages innovation an increases sales volumes. When t he production process takes minimum resources, an organization can provide quality products similar to those of competitors at a lower price and thus increase its demand. When organizations respond to consumer needs fast, they add value to their products and this gives these organizations a competitive advantage. References Stevenson, W. J. (2009). Operations management. Boston, Mass: McGraw-Hill. Ross, D. F. (2010). Introduction to Supply Chain Management Technologies. CRC Press. Appendices Figure 1. The position of the production process in supply chain

Ideology and Social Movement in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ideology and Social Movement in China - Essay Example This interrelationship is of great significance in the development of Chinese culture, social movement and modernization. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate what happens to ideas and ideologies when they are transplanted to settings other than their own original time and context. The main focus will be on Confucianism applied to the challenge of modernization in China, modern western liberalism in pre- and post- May 4th era, and Marxism in both pre- and post- 1949 China. Until 1917, Chinese literary language was regarded as the key cultural domain or â€Å"the national essence†, and was one of the few elements of China’s tradition that did not succumb to the challenge of modernization presented by western imperialism4. The Chinese Civil War (1927 to 1949) drew to a close with the Chinese revolution of 1949, and later led to the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). By this time, traditional Chinese culture was believed to have expired, though the decline began soon after 1895. However, Mao Tse-Tung, the Chinese communist leader and others believed that modernization was â€Å"a self-renewal of China’s inherent tradition†¦of thought and culture,†5 and this was the basis on which Western sciences and technologies were transplanted into China, while rejecting the socio-political and ideological culture of the West. From the end of the 1970s, contemporary and modern western philosophical trends were gradually incorporated into Chinese ideologies, eliminating dogmatism and old traditional thought hardened by lack of reform. Confucius (551-479 BCE), the Chinese philosopher, thinker and educator, established various guidelines towards living human life optimally. Confucianism has deeply influenced Chinese philosophy and ideologies. One thousand years before the conceptualization of humanism in the West, Confucianism stressed on the value of humanity, the

Medical School Essays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Medical School Essays - Essay Example I then decided to become a doctor and to concentrate on medical research. Moreover, I have learned to value my education more, and this premium is reflected in the numerous academic accolades and scholarships that I have received during the last four years of my education. My parents are Mexican immigrants; while poor, they have lofty ambitions for their children. Because of our financial constraints, I have learned to live up to the responsibility of supporting them financially. I am able to provide my family with strength and inspiration because of my doggedness in obtaining a medical degree despite our poverty. They have also been edified by my example of struggling to learn the English language, and they too have taken courage to learn the language. I grew up in a neighborhood that was distinguished by poverty, with predominantly blue-collar workers. Because majority of residents were minimum wage earners, the neighborhood was characterized by crime and violence. I have been exposed to communities that lived in dire poverty, and I have witnessed their need for decent healthcare. This is also one of my motivators in pursuing a medical degree. This has developed in me compassion for the poor, and an authentic desire to help. My ethnic heritage has not hindered my social growth as a whole, but it had in the past affected my ambition to further my education financially. But my family’s difficult financial circumstances and my chance to witness poverty in the immediate community has given me all the more reason to work hard towards obtaining a medical degree. Perhaps, through my example, my family and my neighborhood will realize that poverty is not a reason for ignorance and for not going after your dreams. While it may be i ronic, I have taken inspiration from all these difficult circumstances that I grew up in. My

Chinas investment in Blackstone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chinas investment in Blackstone - Essay Example Governments use this method to secure the domestic market for liquidation. This implies that these assets are of highly liquidated nature and can be altered easily. The oil-producing countries have also come within its grip and are losing or rather investing their wealth in such funds. A company adopted a similar approach in the oil commodity. They then invested their wealth in holding bonds, bank deposits in a similar pattern like central banks. The alarming fact is that no company discloses the application of the funds except for the ones in Norway that provide regular data and statistics. It may be possible that these mysteriously applied investments will be very well lost in the future with no accountability. It happened in one of a developing country wherein a mushroom growth took place in the early eighties. These investment companies conned the unsuspecting public and lured them by promising huge percentage on their investments. The Government kept silent and this approach encouraged the high profit paying companies to get bolder and bolder till the public was convinced to accept them as legitimate companies. The problem further compounded due to no action by the State Bank. The margin of profits increased as the public committed their funds by selling their immovable assets. All cate All categories of people brought in their investment to these companies expecting a higher return on their deposits. Advertisements in each and every newspaper further cemented the authenticity and indisputable legitimacy of these fraudsters. The profits were rolled over and the depositor's received their profits on monthly basis, basking in the realm that a good investment had been made. The bubble burst when the government realized that the funds were been diverted from the scheduled bank and the treasury of the Government was fast losing money to these con artists. No sooner was the action taken and people in droves started to approach the managers of these companies for the return of their deposits that true facts started to stare in their faces. The higher ups evaded the public on rush to their offices and let the lower staff make excuses on their part. The public scenting fraud approached the police and cases were registered with them. Company after company stared to disappear with the savings of the unsuspecting depositors. Huge rallies were taken out to protest against the inaction of the and for the return of their savings, but all to no avail. The Government seemed helpless and the police in cahoots with the company owners further complicated the issue. Only resourceful people with clout were able to draw out some of their savings from these fraudsters. All the rest were left with taking out processions and pleas. Suits were filed in courts and the lengthy, cumbersome legal battle did little for the return of the poor common man. Nevertheless, since these funds are applied abroad so it can be controlled by political pressure and the consequences of these investments may have to be faced by the countries involved. Reference list: Economist Finance & Economics: 'The world's most expensive clubs' www.Economist.com May 24, 2007 Hong Kong Article 2 "Cleaning up" Or Clean Environment - a Global Concern The concept of

Brain Drain Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Brain Drain - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that brain drain is an issue that is of a great concern to the various countries of the world. Brain drain is also referred to as human capital flight, and it depicts the emigration of educated or talented people. This movement of educated or talented people has the capability of destroying or sabotaging the economic system of a state. Â  This is mainly because the country under consideration will lack professionals who are skilled enough to transform their domestic economies. Zweig and Chen argue that this term is on most occasions used to refer to the departure of skilled professionals such as financial experts, doctors, engineers, and scientists. When these people emigrate from the country, the country is vulnerable in two major ways. At first, the country will lose a supply of skilled labor. The second method is that there will be a reduction in spending within an economy. This is because these professionals normally earn a large sum o f money, and they use this money within an economy. This ensures that there is a circulation of money within an economy. When they move outside the country, there will be a limited circulation of money, and this may cause inflation or negative economic growth within a country. The United States is one of the leading countries that normally attract professionals of all calibers. This is because the country has one of the best education systems, and it has a stable economy that would guarantee employment opportunities to these professionals.

Discussion Board 7-1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Discussion Board 7-1 - Assignment Example Simply, away from psychological view and analysis, there is no standard way of describing frameworks and entities of adulthood. From psychological point of view, adulthood constitutes three different and successive stages. The stages include, young adulthood, mid adulthood and late adulthood. As described by Kail and Cavanaugh (2013), young adulthood mainly characterizes with peaking in the physical operation of the body, strength, coordination, muscle development, sensory acuity and dexterity. Individuals at this stage rarely die from diseases and have great interest in exploring various life issues. Alcoholism, smoking, poor nutrition and accidents are the main causes of poor health and death. Young adulthood may begin from late teenage into mid to late 20s. Individuals under the stage are not adolescents and partially adults. Middle adulthood is the next standard stage of adulthood recognized by psychologists. According to Kail and Cavanaugh (2013), this stage characterizes with wrinkles, weight gain, and grey hair, declining bone density, osteoporosis and arthritis in some cases. Individuals continue to enjoy active sex, but the continuous physical changes tend to affect sexual responses. As documented by Kail and Cavanaugh (2013), the last stage of adulthood development is the late adulthood. This stage characterizes with endurance, hearing, smelling and visual abilities deteriorate. Individuals are usually at high risks of succumbing to heart attack, hypertension and stroke. This stage is synonymous with people above 70 years, but may begin earlier depending on environmental and psychological conditions of an

Brain Drain Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Brain Drain - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that brain drain is an issue that is of a great concern to the various countries of the world. Brain drain is also referred to as human capital flight, and it depicts the emigration of educated or talented people. This movement of educated or talented people has the capability of destroying or sabotaging the economic system of a state. Â  This is mainly because the country under consideration will lack professionals who are skilled enough to transform their domestic economies. Zweig and Chen argue that this term is on most occasions used to refer to the departure of skilled professionals such as financial experts, doctors, engineers, and scientists. When these people emigrate from the country, the country is vulnerable in two major ways. At first, the country will lose a supply of skilled labor. The second method is that there will be a reduction in spending within an economy. This is because these professionals normally earn a large sum o f money, and they use this money within an economy. This ensures that there is a circulation of money within an economy. When they move outside the country, there will be a limited circulation of money, and this may cause inflation or negative economic growth within a country. The United States is one of the leading countries that normally attract professionals of all calibers. This is because the country has one of the best education systems, and it has a stable economy that would guarantee employment opportunities to these professionals.

The Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act of 1966 Research Paper

The Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act of 1966 - Research Paper Example However, history shows that these drugs were once deemed to have social value. The Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act was established in 1966 in order to rehabilitate the drug addicts in three programs namely pretrial civil commitment, a death sentence to those convicted and voluntary (Musto, 1999). It was enacted when social construction of a drug had begun to shift from favorable to unfavorable; people utilized the pronounced the drug’s problematic physiological and psychological effects in order to control its use. Even though these concerns were beneficial, they are not the only reasons the controlled drugs are categorized within jurisdiction of the criminal justice system. Several factors including health concerns, economic, and political factors are still unknown by the public. Drugs were first utilized in the United States in the 1800. The first drug to be used was opium, which was very popular after the civil war. Cocaine was introduced in the 1880 and was used in health drinks by the Coca-Cola Company. Although, it was not a significant concern at the time with the dependency to cocaine, doctors grew a concern about the psychological effects including hallucination, depression, and psychoses. In 1906, morphine was discovered which was used for medicinal purposes prescribed by health practitioners as a pain reliever, while heroin was used to treat respiratory illness. Over the years, there has been increased awareness that these drugs have high potential for causing addiction. At the end of the 19th century, abuse of drugs such as opium and cocaine reached epidemic proportion, and the government began prohibiting their importation. The physicians were also required to label their medicines because they were no longer seen as harmless remedies for pains. The Federal Bureau of Narcotics was formed in 1930 by the Treasury Department headed by Harry Anslinger until 1962 (McWilliams, 1990). Under his tenure, the

Planning and Enabling Learning Essay Example for Free

Planning and Enabling Learning Essay In this assignment I am going to explain my approach to the research I have carried out and summarise my findings. To plan and enable learning, as a trainer I must ensure that my training is student centred and inclusive to all. There are many theories and suggestions to consider how this should be done in an adult learning environment. In order to enhance my current knowledge I decided to use reference books, publications, journals and websites to research relevant topics. I also utilised my mentor as a sounding board for ideas and a point of discussion for areas I was unsure about. I reflected on my existing knowledge and my research for Unit One – Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector. I wanted to access new models and theories and link these into the context of my own teaching practice. To do this I searched the internet for reviews of reference material for planning and enabling learning, which I then purchased. I found that my research could be extensive. I had to remain focused and choose topics to explore that I found interesting and relevant to my learning environment and style of delivery. Adult learners need to take responsibility for their own learning. If learners are active in setting their own targets and understand what they need to achieve, motivation and self esteem will reassure their learning experience. Understanding methods of negotiation and inclusivity provides learners with the most appropriate experience, engages the whole group and builds a good rapport. This can be gleaned from the identification of needs as per Ecclestone (1996). I focused my research on the impact of initial assessment on the learning journey. From my experience initial assessment results are not used effectively and the process of initial assessment is usually carried out purely to comply with procedure. My experiences are confirmed by The Chief Inspector’s Report (2003). The Adult Learning Inspectorate found that ‘many providers are using a screening test but not following this up†¦. the results of the assessment are not being used to inform the ILP’ (Wilson, L, 2008, p.139). Initial assessment can have a huge impact on delivery of learning and can form the learner’s ideas, goals and highlight areas of support required. Scales (2008, p.178) states that initial assessment ‘should be handled sensitively to welcome learners in rather than scare with formal testing and assessment procedures’. I agree with this, however, the nature of the assessment will depend on the level and content of the course commenced. Some programmes require a robust assessment process to set parameters and determine suitability to join the course. Wallace (2007, p.154) describes the three key components that come together at the beginning of a programme – the teacher, the learners and the syllabus or specifications of the course. This makes complete sense. To deliver an effective programme and meet the learning outcomes the key elements must come together and crystallise. This will then inform the delivery of the overall programme. This led me to further explore my research around inclusive learning. I chose to continue down the route of motivation and the impact this has on learners. Petty (2009, p.55) noted that ‘Maslow showed that there is only one way of motivating your students. And that is to ensure that your students’ belongingness, esteem and self-actualisation needs are nourished through the learning activities you devise’. Using information from the initial assessment, such as learning needs or styles, resources need to be created and adapted to ensure learning is effective and relevant. Functional skills should be tested and developed when appropriate. In my research I focused on the practicalities of embedding these skills and reports published relating to post 16 education. In the training I deliver I can embed a variety of functional skills to allow individuals to maintain these skills and develop them further. Wilson (2008) suggested that incorporating ICT into teaching doesn’t always suit the teacher and/or learner. This can be the case with the types of sessions I deliver. Functional skills should naturally develop from a session; they can’t be forced into a session if they are inappropriate. Communication is the thread throughout a learning experience that encourages learning and development between the trainer and the learner. It is my responsibility to recognise potential barriers and utilise strategies to overcome these. This is the route I took with my research. I came across theories such as the Communication Climate (Adler et al, 1998) and Emotional Intelligence (Goleman, 1995). Again, I found a real link to negotiating with and including learners. Goleman (1995) believed that ‘if emotions and feelings are not recognised and managed by teachers and learners, then effective learning cannot occur’. My research has broadened my knowledge and understanding to take forward into the classroom. The brief I have provided only really scratches the surface from the extensive reading I carried out; however I will have the opportunity to explore these further within this unit.

Research types and research strategies

Research types and research strategies Research Research is often described as an active, diligent, and systematic process of inquiry aimed at discovering, interpreting and revising facts. This intellectual investigation produces a greater knowledge of events, behaviors, theories, and laws and makes practical applications possible. The term research is also used to describe an entire collection of information about a particular subject, and is usually associated with the output of science and the scientific method. Research Types And Research Strategies Its necessary to choose the right type of research strategy that suits the research aim and objectives. Its considered to be very essential while doing a research. According to Saunders et al (2000) various research strategies are Survey, experimental, case study, ethnography, grounded theory, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies , action research and exploratory, descriptive and the explanatory studies. According to Collis and Hussey (2003) the research types are descriptive, exploratory, analytical and predictive research, applied and the basic research, quantitative and qualitative research and deductive research and inductive research. Before selecting the exact research strategy its important to have complete review about the above research strategies. Experiment is a form of classical type of research that which owes in natural sciences. According to Saunders et al. (2000) this research is suitable for research related to social science particularly to psychology. Survey is a form of deductive approach and this is a common strategy in business and management type of research. Survey is based on questionnaires with sizable population. Sizable population can be of any number from low numbers to large population in the city. It can be compared easily and is perceived authoritatively of people in general. The reason because why the survey based research is advised because it is understandable. It gives a good control the research process when conducting the survey based research. The data when collected by this strategy is not wide ranging as the other strategies. But however it is not the only strategy present for data collection. The prime disadvantage in using the questionnaire process is that it is not good for exploratory or othe r types of research which required large amount of open ended questions. But can be used in explanatory and descriptive types of research. Qualitative And Quantitative Methods The researcher adopts both qualitative and quantitative methods for data acquisition. Questionnaire technique is adopted for the quantitative method and semi structured interview for qualitative method. The Quantitative research methods were originally developed in the natural sciences to study natural phenomena. Examples of quantitative methods now well accepted in the social sciences include survey methods, laboratory experiments, formal methods and numerical methods such as mathematical modeling. This is primarily based on the measurements with the level of employee attitudes based on the topic. The qualitative research technique is widely used in the business management. The strengths of quantitative method are helps to state the research problem in very specific and it helps to achieve high level of reliability of gathered data due to controlled surveys and other form of research manipulations. The questionnaire is prepared by the author and distributed to the respondents to collect the data for the research. It involves the use of survey in gathering information about the groups view regarding the effectiveness of the firm. All Staffs from top management down to the junior staff participate in the survey feedback. Once the data are collected from the respondents it is organized by the researcher to used it in the research. The kind of information needed for the research is evaluated with necessary conversations with the respondents of an organization. For this research the primary research methods are used to collect data from National Food Products Company (NFPC). From different Quantitative methodologies, questionnaire method will be used for thi s research for collecting the primary data from NFPC. The questionnaire is designed based on the research objectives and it will be distributed to the staffs of NFPC for collecting the primary data of this research. Research Design A research design is the logical and systematic planning and directing a place of research. A research design is considered as the framework or plan for the study that guides as well as helps the data collection and analysis of the data. Sampling The first work of sampling is identifying and defining precisely the population to be sampled. The sample is any part of the population regardless of whether is representative or not. The most difficult task in selecting a sample is to define the population by appropriate technique, which makes sure that the sample is the representative of the population and the outcome of the data is not biased in any way. Since, it is usually impossible to select the actual sample size a generalization is used but the researcher has to make sure that the representative sample is generalization of the whole sample. Even before the researcher has started his analysis, he should not have a biased outcome in his mind because this might alter the outcome of the whole sample. In order to draw representative samples from which valid generalization can be made to the population, a number technique can be used. The most frequently used sampling technique by the student researcher is the random sample. Here, after identifying the population, a representative sample can be drawn. Here, each member of the population of the equal chance of being selected and selection of one object is independent of the selection of any other. The research sampling also involves another type sampling method of cluster sampling. Here, the sample size would include a group as a unit. The group has similarities to the representative of the whole sample. However in the cluster, sampling method is not much helpful to the researcher if it is wide spread across a huge geographical area. Both random sampling and cluster sampling i n this research, would sample representative of completely different people of the society thus, both methods are essential for the research. Data Collection And Analysis The main modes of data collection are primary and secondary methods. Primary Data The primary data are those data which are collected afresh and for the first time, and thus happens to be original in character. There are several methods of collecting primary data. Observation Method Interview Method Through questionnaires Through schedules etc. Secondary Data Secondary data means data that are already available ie: they refer to the data which have already been collected and analyzed by someone else. When the research needs secondary data, then he has to look into various sources from where he can obtain them. Secondary data may be either: Published or unpublished data or records. Company brochures and other books offering relevant information for the study Company web sites. Questionnaire Method Questionnaires will be designed and distributed to the large number of potential respondents for collecting the primary data. It will be used for collecting large number of reviews to allow statistical analysis of the results. The extraction of information from the respondents depends on the well designed questionnaire. Questionnaire is prominent method of collecting primary data. Questionnaire will contain multiple choice and open ended questions is described by Graziano and Raulin (2006). For this research multiple choice questions will be used to collect more response from respondents the success of data collection is indeed dependent on design of questionnaire and the careful selection of questions. Questionnaire is one of the most reliable forms of collecting primary data. A questionnaire is an excellent information provider. No research is complete without a well designed questionnaire. If the questionnaire is not properly structured it could lead to inconclusive information hence logical thinking, correct language and transparently of the questionnaire is essential. The Questionnaire Transcript will be attached in Appendix-I for reference. Sample Size The size of the sample chosen for survey is 60 respondents. The researcher distributed questionnaire to the employees of Grade 5 above, to know about their view on the performance appraisal conducted in the company. Universe Of Study National Food Products Company, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Topic Of Study The topic of study is entitled as â€Å"Effectiveness of Performance Appraisal System in National Food Product Company (NFPC), Abu Dhabi, UAE.† Scope Of Study The number of Samples elements for Questionnaire survey is 60, these are respect to the area of the research within NFPC, UAE. The company mainly has divided their employees in different grades. Grade 1- 4: Cleaners, Kitchen Helper, Sales Helper, Production Helper, Garage Helper, Operators (machine), Tea boys, Drivers. Grade 5 and above: Foreman, HR assistant, Secretaries, Coordinators Supervisors and Senior Accountants, Assistant Managers and above. In this report, Grade 5 and above employees are taken into consideration. The respondents were, Manager of different departments of NFPC namely MILCO, LACNOR, PLASTIC and also their supervisors and foremans. Respondents from departments namely Human Resource, Accounts, Public Relations and Purchasing were also taken. The Questionnaire will be distributed directly to the employees of the company in the printed format giving prior introduction about the research in brief. Summary As explained in this chapter the quantitative – questionnaire methods will be used in this research for collecting the primary data. In the next chapter primary data which is collected from NFPC, UAE using the selected research methodologies will be discussed by the researcher with related charts. Objectives Of The Study To study about the present Performance Appraisal system in National Food Product Company, UAE. To study about the effectiveness of Performance appraisal system adopted in NFPC, UAE. To identify the appropriate frequency considered by present performance appraisal adopted by NFPC, UAE. To find out the preferences regarding methods of Performance appraisal system adopted in NFPC, UAE in future. To draw inferences based on the study. Limitations The study is confined itself to only one organization namely, National Food Products Company, (NFPC), UAE, as such the findings of the study cannot be generalized to other undertakings because it may not be reliable as the work environment may vary from one place to another. Time constraints of some respondents forced them to give casual response without evaluating the questions seriously because of their busy schedule of given task accomplishment in the organization. The number of respondents was limited to 60 respondents because of the busy schedule of the staff and did not respond to the questionnaire. Due to companys policies, certain information was not shared. The response given by the respondents may be biased.

Creation Mythology of Africa Essay -- Myths Africa African Essays

Creation Mythology of Africa One way of examining the values and traditions of a people is to look at their explanations for how the world came to be. These stories make such wonderful tools for analysis because all cultures have some sort of ‘creation’ story. Thus to compare groups of people we may start by looking at their creation mythology. It is important to note that the downfall of comparing mythologies is that in a way it is like comparing apples to oranges. This is because not every myth portrays and explains the same elements. Five myths from throughout Africa will be mentioned throughout this essay. They are from the Boshongo, Mande, Shilluk, Egyptian, and Yoruba peoples. For a brief description of these myths please see the appendix. Please remember that these myths do not represent the beliefs and stories of all of Africa. In each of these stories, the tale of creation has been presented with a unique twist. Yet there are several important similarities among the various myths. Besides explaining creation, there is always one major creator. However, in some stories such as that of the Boshongo, the creator had helpers whereas in the Shilluk tale, Juok worked alone. In the Boshongo myth, Bumba creates nine animals and mankind. Then these animals and Bumba's three sons worked together creating everything else. In the Shilluk tale, obviously everything is related somehow because everything shares the same creator. Even in other stories where the creator has helpers, however, all of these helpers were made by the creator and thus everything is still connected. In all of these stories, mankind is created by a more powerful being. This represents the belief that... ...rican Cosmogony.† http://alexm.here.ru:8081/mirrors/www.enteract.com/jwalz/Eliade/051.html. taken from: Leach, Maria. The Beginning. New York: 1656. pages 145-6. â€Å"Creation Myths.† http://www.dreamscape.com/morgana/ophelia.htm. January 8, 2001. Crystal, Ellie. â€Å"African Creation Myths.† http://www.crystalinks.com/africacreation.html. August 1995. â€Å"Egyptian Creational Myths.† http://www.crystalinks.com/egyptcreation.html. August 1995. â€Å"Egyptian Cosmogony and Theogony.† http://alexm.here.ru:8081/mirrors/www.enteract.com/jwalz/Eliade/054.html. taken from: Piankoff, Alexandre. The Shrines of Tut-ankh-amon. New York: 1955. page 24. â€Å"Life and Death Under the Pharaohs – the Gods.† http://icvc.imago.com.au/egypt/html/the_gods.html. 1998. â€Å"West African Cosmogony.† http://www.fandm.edu:80/departments/Anthropology/Bastian/ANT269/cosmo.html. 1999.

Television Soaps: The Cultural Construction of Gender and Representation :: essays research papers

Television Soaps: The Cultural Construction of Gender and Representation Soaps but more importantly music videos can be said to interrogate the cultural construction of gender and representations of identity. The video suggests a set of images to the viewer and usually these are a blurring of gender and identity. Music videos predicate on the representation of female gender experience. The two interrelated sign systems- access signs and discovery signs- will be discussed. Music clips that will be focused on are Madonna's ‘Burning Up', ‘Express Yourself', and ‘Justify My Love'. The singer, who has been labelled ‘Our Lady of MTV', has an amazing video appeal due to her play with gender and identity. No other single artist has produced as many mixed images as she has. Television soaps tend not to interrogate the construction of gender and the representation of identity. They do not seem to cross any boundaries. People watch soaps to relax and somehow relate, so if they were to experiment with the theatre of gender, it may be seen as a threat to viewers. Soapies usually have the males in typically male dominated occupations such as doctors, car salesmen and chefs. Women in soaps are usually secretaries or housewives. There does not seem to be any attempt for a switch of roles. Females are feminine, males masculine. There has been one exception, which was Kylie Minogue's character, Charlene, on Neighbours. She was a mechanic and tomboy. This is one of the few occasions where a soap has interrogated the cultural construction of gender and representation of identity. A music video is footage that accompanies a song. They can have a storyline related to the song, displays of images or simply focusing on the artist/s performing. Music video is forever crossing the lines of gender and identity. It is able to do this as it is seen as a form of art, therefore there is no threat to viewers. It is ironic that Boy George has said that â€Å"video was the worst thing to happen to music†, when he himself looked and acted like he was crossing the lines of gender and boundaries back in the 1980's. Madonna is most famous for creating videos with no boundaries for gender or identity. Most of the time, she deliberately plays with surfaces and masks. Madonna visual style engages and hyperbolises the discourse of femininity- she has bleached hair with dark roots, street smart image yet glamorous. Gender play is the mix and match of styles that flirt with the signifiers of sexual difference, and Madonna is always doing that. The three music videos of Madonna to be analysed Television Soaps: The Cultural Construction of Gender and Representation :: essays research papers Television Soaps: The Cultural Construction of Gender and Representation Soaps but more importantly music videos can be said to interrogate the cultural construction of gender and representations of identity. The video suggests a set of images to the viewer and usually these are a blurring of gender and identity. Music videos predicate on the representation of female gender experience. The two interrelated sign systems- access signs and discovery signs- will be discussed. Music clips that will be focused on are Madonna's ‘Burning Up', ‘Express Yourself', and ‘Justify My Love'. The singer, who has been labelled ‘Our Lady of MTV', has an amazing video appeal due to her play with gender and identity. No other single artist has produced as many mixed images as she has. Television soaps tend not to interrogate the construction of gender and the representation of identity. They do not seem to cross any boundaries. People watch soaps to relax and somehow relate, so if they were to experiment with the theatre of gender, it may be seen as a threat to viewers. Soapies usually have the males in typically male dominated occupations such as doctors, car salesmen and chefs. Women in soaps are usually secretaries or housewives. There does not seem to be any attempt for a switch of roles. Females are feminine, males masculine. There has been one exception, which was Kylie Minogue's character, Charlene, on Neighbours. She was a mechanic and tomboy. This is one of the few occasions where a soap has interrogated the cultural construction of gender and representation of identity. A music video is footage that accompanies a song. They can have a storyline related to the song, displays of images or simply focusing on the artist/s performing. Music video is forever crossing the lines of gender and identity. It is able to do this as it is seen as a form of art, therefore there is no threat to viewers. It is ironic that Boy George has said that â€Å"video was the worst thing to happen to music†, when he himself looked and acted like he was crossing the lines of gender and boundaries back in the 1980's. Madonna is most famous for creating videos with no boundaries for gender or identity. Most of the time, she deliberately plays with surfaces and masks. Madonna visual style engages and hyperbolises the discourse of femininity- she has bleached hair with dark roots, street smart image yet glamorous. Gender play is the mix and match of styles that flirt with the signifiers of sexual difference, and Madonna is always doing that. The three music videos of Madonna to be analysed

Globalization †Has Globalization Made The World More Or Less Secure Essay

The world is evolving and in the last few decades, some of the major changes have taken place in the world. Out of the many changes, one of the major transformations that have taken place is what is referred to as globalization. Globalization has taken over the world by storm and reduced large distances; it has resulted in many changes in the last decade and has been supported and promoted by the advent of technology. The world has turned into a global village which is so small that distances no longer carry much importance. Globalization is not a single concept but one which has various aspects like technological, economical, cultural and social and each one of its dimension has a broad scope. Since, the world is now interconnected because of globalization, this has facilitated and created opportunities in different aspects, but has also resulted in increased competition and many insecurities. In this essay, we first discuss globalization and explain what it is, discuss briefly some of its drivers, then discuss some of the non state actors and the impact of globalization on the world in terms of security. Globalization Globalization can be defined in various ways. It is the process where extension of connections takes place on a global basis, creating a social connection of life at a global level and resulting in the fusion of global societies. The term is comprised of different large processes; the definitions thus also vary according to what is emphasized in the description. With respect to the true meaning of the word, there is difference in opinion as to what it actually refers to as it may indicate actual processes as they take place in life, thoughts which validate the course of action or simply the manner in which people form perception of these processes. Globalization is thus understood through the different definitions that exist and each of these definitions articulate diverse considerations of global change brought about by the phenomenon of globalization (Lechner, 1, 2001). Globalization generally is considered to be a procedure that increases the interconnectedness and inter reliance amongst the business and markets of the world (INVESTOR 2008). Thus, globalization results in bringing the markets and businesses of the world closely linked to each other, but the term is not limited to just an economical dimension, therefore, it would be more appropriate to inculcate in it the aspects of politics, social, culture and ethics. Globalization may also be considered as a practice of a social nature where the diminution of the limitations of geography on provisions of cultural and social nature occurs and people are more conscious over time of the fact that limitations are diminishing (Waters, 9, 1995). Drivers of globalization Globalization has been driven by a number of factors which have broadened its scope even more. The increased pressure on costs causes companies to move their resources to such places where they are more cheaply available. Many products have reached a certain level of market saturation in their respective markets, therefore, giving rise to the need to search for new markets. Customers have become more savvy and quality conscious which has resulted in globally increased demands that have to be met. Governments at different places have introduced policies to promote globalization such as levied taxed and allowing open markets. There is development in technology every other day and many of these technological changes facilitate globalization (Briscoe & Schuler, 14-15, 2004). There are a number of trading blocs existing in different regions that place different rules for trading among countries and pave way for open trade amongst them. The advent of internet has resulted in world wide communication and flow of information which makes information available at fingertips to be accessed at any time. The different cultures are more closely integrated and boundaries have become blurred because of global communication and availability of different products and services like music, food, clothing etc. the workforce is now more educated across the world and thus is able to meet the demands of globalization. Trade barriers have decreased and markets have become more open resulting in increased competition and thus searching for opportunities in overseas market to keep up with the competition. Finally, E-commerce makes a business global, the very moment it hosts its website online, making it available to customers across the globe (Briscoe & Schuler, 14-15, 2004). The major contribution to globalization has been made by technological advances which have paced up the process considerably in the last two decades, thus, facilitating traveling, communicating and conducting business on an international level. Amongst the many drivers of globalization, two major ones are advancement in telecommunication infrastructure and internet, which are a result of technological development (INVESTOR, 1, 2008). Non state actors Governments have a vital role to play in the process of globalization, they should be able to plan and implement vital policies and negotiate important international bodies for expressing the views of their nations and obtain benefits by stressing their national interests. Though the states are important but there are different non state actors, among them are organizations which support globalization. Among these, World Economic Forum and World Trade Organization are the two most prominent ones. The World Economic Forum lacks the authority to make decisions yet it has great influence and high importance. This foundation has played its part in providing a forum for the networking needs of governments, business and non-profit leaders on a global level. On the other hand, The World Trade Organization is an entity which was created with the objective of defining rules that will oversee global trade and capital flows by taking consent of its members and make sure that the established rules are adhered to by supervising the concerned acts of the member countries (INVESTOR, 1, 2008). The formation of WTO was meant to revolutionalize the scope of issues related to global trade and to assure the conformity of to its principles of international trade and settle conflicting disputes of the concerned domain by its dispute-settlement mechanisms (UN, 1, 2000). Another important non state actor is the UN which has a vital role to perform in globalization on the basis of its multilateral system, which is necessary for working globally as there is a need for cop operation with each other across the globe. The multilateral system is important for the making of international policies that reflect shared values within the boundaries of law (WC, 1, 2004). But the UN has delegated its power of dealing with social and economic subjects to WTO, WB and IMF. The WTO has such approach that often leaves out developing countries in the decision-making. The decision making policy of the UN need to have more participation from the developing matters at least in the issues pertaining to them so that they may efficiently serve the needs of such nations. The economic and social powers that were shifted to other bodies are over burdening these bodies and resulting in inefficient mechanisms, therefore, these powers should be brought back with the UN but with proper policies and rules that may benefit all nations (Khor, 1, 2000). Implications of globalization Globalization is now a common feature of the world economy but it is not accepted by everyone with open arms. Though globalization results in opportunities and competition for everyone across the globe and provision of opportunities is good and if viewed positively, even competition is good as it results in more efficient production. But on the other hand, globalization cause deprivation for specific groups of people who do not have sufficient resources to cope with it. Consequently, in the increasing pressure of competition brought about by the inter-connection of their economies with the rest of the globe, these people are incapable of functioning efficiently and thus stand at a disadvantage (INVESTOR, 1, 2008). Globalization requires economic, social and political adjustments for people of different societies, areas or regions to accept and characterize their culture with an aim to integrate it with that of the rest of the world. It endorses global integration significantly and asks for elimination of existing barriers between different cultures. Those who support the process justify this kind of integration by resembling it with that of the significant technological information devices like satellites and computers. The critics argue that the proposed integration of cultural is in fact aimed at cultural invasion and will result in the degeneration of cultural identity and its spirit whereas those who support it deem the declining of cultural boundaries as an ample indicator of improved communication processes, combination of societies and a signal of capacity aimed at amalgamation of civilizations. There is evidence of how the global socioeconomic forces belonging to the industrialized West have invaded these poorer countries and may eventually cause them to lose the characteristics of their religion and society. It is observable that the means which assisted in bringing cultures nearer to each other may also have caused the exhaustion of many of these global cultures (Moussalli, 1, 2003). An overlook of the governance of globalization shows that it is dictated by strong players and countries, proper rules and institutions to regulate the different aspects like trade or finance are lacking and poor people and countries stand at a clear disadvantage as they are unable to reap the benefits of the phenomenon (WC, 1, 2004). Globalization has not helped in equitable development as there is an increase in disparities and poverty. Politically, even though the national boundaries are growing blurred but upon closer observation, we get to know that it is not a result of the free choice of people but a model imposed by stronger powers (Sabourin et al. , 56, 2000). The focus of globalization has stayed on the aspect of economy and business for a long time but it is about time to realize its effects on the personal and professional life of people. Although problems like poverty, human rights violation, unemployment were present even before globalization took over but these have been fuelled by globalization along with added disadvantage of social exclusion for many poor nations of the world. Deduction from many of the studies related to globalization shows that it is someway responsible for the growing inequality as the poor usually do not get to derive their share of the benefits offered by the phenomenon; among such nations, the developing countries are most affected. But there are also studies that suggest the benefits availed by the poor from globalization when facilities are provided to the poor like credit access, technical know-how, social safety nets as income support and well targeted food aid (Nesvisky, 1, n. d. ). With respect to employment, we see that there has been a decline in labor intensive jobs which has consequently led to lower demand of unskilled labor and resulted in lower earnings for this group as compared to the skilled group of workers. Another phenomenon is that low-skilled jobs are moved over to countries which offer labor at lower wages; this results in low demand for low-skilled workers. Liberalization of economy is of great concern to the developing countries, which have a motive to derive benefits from increasing trade and investment flows, yet they yield increased unemployment and inequality (Lee, 1, 1996). The phenomenon of child labor is deeply interwoven within the context of the societies or households where it exists, it was present even before globalization in the developing countries and it is in these countries that the practice has increased even more because of globalization. In the developing countries, mainly those of the poor and consequently the pressure and need for working for women and children has increased and in certain cases become vital for survival. Due to inflation and decreasing social sector budgets, children have to work either to substitute for the working mothers domestically or to add to the family income by working outside (Raman, 1, 1997). Global insecurities The economic, technical and social changes brought about by globalization have greatly affected the lives of people. Global insecurities have been brought about by the fast spreading of information and growth of the media industry globally which has affected existing identities and resulted in decline of social cohesion and cultural diversity. Globalization is guided only by a few powers and works in their favor, the strategies established by them doesn’t seem to work and benefit the great majority of the people around the world. This has resulted in insecurity and ambiguity for the poor and the middle-classes (Raghavan, 1, 2000). There has been unsustainable development, excessive use of resources, negative impacts on existence of original communities, and a growing gap between the rich and the poor. Consequently, there are insecurities and social tensions coming from international and intra-national inequalities (Dass, 1, 2002). The insecurities are also attributable to the international bodies, which are explicitly in absence of state influence as these are non state actors. Their rules are designed and implemented on a basis which considers regulation of the global activities in various aspects of life by and under the control of such influences which are not considerate towards the smaller powers and play by their own rules without having a respect for the weaker associates who are exploited (UN, 1, 2000). The insecurities have also been created due to a lack of widely available social services for every country and social class. Global insecurities are also related to hindrances towards the development of low income groups and therefore it is vital to erase distortions like inequalities and take measures to encourage the productive potential of low-income groups. Globalization definitely has its benefits but they are accompanies with new vulnerabilities, for this reason, there is confusion in the voice of public opinion about globalization. Taking steps to reduce global insecurity and equally distributing the benefits may help in creating a sustainable support for the phenomenon (Brookings, 1, 2001). Conclusion: Though globalization may be considered to be a positive phenomenon which has resulted in various opportunities for people in the form of increased trade, choices of goods, improved lifestyle, enhanced communication and other benefits. But, globalization has also created many adverse impacts upon the life of people like increased poverty in poor nations, unemployment and low wages for low skilled workers, turning education into a commercial activity and cultures losing their individual identities. There are non state actors like international organizations which integrate the different nations together and formulate rules to guide their path in the light of globalization, making the process a little smoother but on the same lines, the same bodies result in insecurities for people magnified by globalization. Thus, globalization is a phenomenon which apparently may look beneficial to all but actually benefits only the dominant powers and that too at the expense of weaker ones and unless something is done to stop the exploitation and mutually benefit everyone, insecurities will continue to grow.

Mastering listening

There are five basic senses that human beings have in order to perceive society and in order to interact with one’s surroundings.   The sense of touch is often the way to feel what an object is like.   The sense of sight is the manner by which human beings perceive their environment.   The sense of smell is another way of getting acquainted with the world because it allows one to get a whiff of the air in one’s environment.   Another sense is that of taste which allows man to savor the delicacies that are available in the world.   Finally, and perhaps the most underrated of all senses, the sense of hearing by which a person can hear about what goes on in the world. The sense of touch is a great gift because with it a person can feel what objects are like and it allows people to differentiate between textures and feels.   The sense of smell is another wonderful gift because it allows people to have an olfactory experience that introduces man to the many scents of nature.   The sense of sight is also very useful for without it a lot of what man has right now would never have been invented. The sense of taste is also an amazing gift because it allows people to taste the wonderful foods that are available in the world.   While all of these senses have their own advantages, it is only the sense of hearing that allows a person to know how another person is feeling.   It is the only sense that allows a person to find out what is happening in another part of the world.   It can actually see farther than our eyes and allow us to know accurately what goes on in other places. The gift of hearing and the skill of listening is a talent that many people disregard or take for granted.   Not many people realize that the way to find the window into the soul of another is not through any of the other senses except the sense of hearing.   By listening to another person and allowing that person to bare his or her soul, one can learn so much more about another and arrive at a better, deeper and more complete understanding of who the person really is. The intricacies of the soul are revealed when one actually listens to another.   It has been established at this point that the sense of hearing is actually a very important sense as it is the main way by which a person can listen to another.   The next question that must be addressed is the relevancy of listening as a skill. All the senses of the human body are designed to do one thing, receive input that the brain will eventually process.   The listening, as a manner of exercising the sense of hearing, is a manner by which a person is able to gain input with regard to his surroundings and more importantly other people.   People communicate mainly through speech. While there are some traits, feelings, emotions and thoughts that can be conveyed through other means, the primary mode of communicating still remains to be through speech and the only way of understanding speech is by listening.   Communication is the method by which people interact with others.   It involves not only an exchange of ideas but also involves a certain degree of trust or confidence.   That is the reason why listening is so relevant because it allows people to communicate with each other.   Speaking is but one part of the communication process.   The other part is listening. There is certainly no doubt that listening is a skill that many people are capable of doing but is sadly something that not everyone does.   While most humans are equipped with the sense of hearing, there are still those who can hear but cannot listen.   They may be able to hear every single word that has been said to them but they cannot always be considered as listening.   The next question that must be asked is how one can actually listen or become a better listener. Listening is not simply nodding one’s head and hearing what another person is saying but requires that a person actually pay careful attention to the words of another.   It requires that the listener to do more than just absorb whatever the speaker has to say but in certain instances requires that the listener react in such a way as to encourage the speaker to bring out more.   Listening is a way of reassuring the speaker that there is somebody for him to talk to who listens to him.   It is a way of communicating various feelings to another person without the use of words. In order to become a good listener or to develop one’s listening skills, it is not important that the person is genuinely interested in the other or what the other has to say since the purpose of communication and listening is indeed to come to a better understanding of another person.   The thing that is required in order to develop good listening skills is in being able to know when to simply just â€Å"shut up and listen.†Ã‚   There is a certain timing that is needed in listening because listening may often be confused with boredom or disinterest by certain people.   One has to know when to simply just nod one’s head or smile instead of opening one’s mouth to say something.   This is the most important step at becoming a good listener. It is hard to imagine a world where nobody actually listened or paid any attention to other people.   It would probably be a sad world filled with the endless monologue from the unending conversations of people who have nobody to listen to them.   The people of the world would arguably be much sadder too since there would be nobody to listen to their problems or help them vent their frustrations. It is not hard to see just how important the skill of listening is.   It is also thankfully not hard to become a better listener.   The next time somebody says something, try not to respond right away.   Think, learn and feel first and by doing do listening to what the other has to say.   If man had learned this skill earlier, think of all the wars and bloodshed that mankind could have avoided by simply listening to what the other had to say.