Immanual Kant Ethical Contribution Essay

Born in Konigsberg, East Prussia in 1724, Immanuel Kant began school at the early age of eight years. He studied at the Collegium Fridiricianum, a Latin school that focused on classicism. Later he attended the University of Konigsberg and his major studies were physics, mathematics and philosophy. After receiving his doctorate, Kant became a teacher at the University and focused on philosophy. He was well known for his unorthodox approaches to religion and religious text that many students admired. However his radical teachings caught the eye of King Frederich William II, who barred him from any further writings. Kant obeyed the king until after the king’s death, Kant continued to write and publish his views on religion. He is famous for his deontic philosophical approach which believed actions were morally right or wrong, without the regard to consequences. Kant argued being moral was also being rational. Kant wrote the book Critique of Pure Reason in 1781 in which he investigated the limits of human knowledge and the ability to reason. Kant argued that we act morally because that is what reason demands and he analyzed the nature of reason and what it means to be rational. In 1797 Kant furthered his writings in the Metaphysics of Ethics, where he writes that reason is the fundamental authority for morality. The European Graduate School dictates â€Å"Metaphysics describes a science concerned with this inquiry, a solution to unsolvable problems set by pure reason itself, namely the concepts of God, freedom and Immortality. † Kant believed that our sense of duty, approved by reason and rationality, is considered moral. Kant believed that consequences were not important, but the processes in which people think when they make their choices. Kant argued only one thing was inherently good, and that was good will. Good will is also doing the right thing, doing one’s duty and respecting moral law. (LaFave 2006) This good will is found only in humans, not material, gives us human’s dignity and is our power of rational moral choice. (Garrett 2006) According to Kant, when we respect moral law we are doing something because it makes us feel good and we are doing it out of duty, not inclinations. Kant argues we know what the moral law is by using Categorical Imperative. The Categorical Imperative states â€Å"Act only on those maxims (or rules of action) that you could, at the same time, will to be universal law. † (Garrett 2006) Three tests must pass to for an act to be considered moral, 1) it must be amenable to being made consistently universal, 2) it must respect rational beings as ends in themselves; and 3) it must stem from and respect the autonomy of rational beings. (DeGeorge p. 64) Immanuel Kant unknowingly created what is now called Kantian philosophy with his works and studies. Not only did he have a major impact on literature and the fine arts, his biggest contribution was to modern philosophy. Kant died in 1804. Works Cited DeGeorge, Richard. Business Ethics. 7th Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print. Garret, Jan. â€Å"Kant’s Duty Ethics. † Wku. edu. Western Kentucky University, 2 October 2006. Web. 12 June 2012. â€Å"Immanuel Kant – Biography. † Eds. edu, European Graduate School, n. d. Web. 12 June 2012. LaFave, Sandra, â€Å"Kant’s Ethics. † Instruct. westvalley. edu. West Valley College, 16 August 2006. Web. 12 June 2012.

The Diaspora Studies

In diaspora studies the major component to focus on is identity. In Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist novel mainly brought out the negative side of America. Ingredients like culture, religion, food and language are important issues to deal with identity. People always identified by their culture so the presence of culture and identity mixed with each other. In this novel cultural identity has processed the main role among the characters. The character Changez struggled to enjoy stable identity for him and for his country. The readers can comprehend that America and Pakistan have some connection in regards cultural and political aspects. He sacrificed for his real identity, his Pakistani culture and his customs to follow western culture and western identity. Being in America his dual identity did not win even though he cannot forget his hybrid culture and cannot follow only one identity. After coming back from America since he taught his students about Anti- American issues. He did not abandon American life, but trying to stay connected with it. He was not happy by sacrificing his real identity since he had witnessed bitter experience. He was not comfortable and his identity remains unstable. When Changez went to America, he did shave his beard instead he protests against American society and show his indifference against America. He did not give up the original culture for the sake of safeguarding him. His social situations molded him to turn against alien country. In the novel the kite runner by Khaled Hosseini the character Amir's immigrant experience was worse and then he understands that following one's own culture was difficult and challenging in a new country. He realized that the lives of immigrant will be changing according to the changes taking place in a new country. In the novel A passage to India by E. M. Forster readers can understand the relationship east and west. If east and west follows best relationships between them there will not be any conflicts. Through A Passage to India people understand the intermingling culture of east and west always lead into the major problem and the supremacy of the west. All the western countries have the false opinion on the east and that need be changed. The component of hybrid culture plays a prominent role in the lives of people. In the novel American Brat by Bapsi Siddwah the character Feroza was the admired and influenced by American like the character Changez. Feroza's life was totally changed after the immigration experience in the west. She was easily adapted to the culture and tradition of America. When she returned to Pakistan continued to follow American culture that was many in liberation. Changez at first admired by the American dream, but at last he erased his admiration towards America. In contrary Feroza's immigrant life changes in a positive way.

Facebook- A curator or an enemy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Facebook- A curator or an enemy - Essay Example The article here is trying to address how Facebook is blocking the works of artists who are projecting it through this social networking website. Nevertheless, Facebook is trying to defend its actions by calling it a ‘mistake’. Many artists from all around the world have experienced the same. They have had their pictures and, in some cases, even their accounts blocked. This article is pointing out a recent victim, The New York University of Art, which lost its rights for uploading any images of their artwork, the reason being the violation of rules and regulations of Facebook. The works included nude images, which is against Facebook policy. The University's authority classed this, an unfair action against art; nevertheless, they raised their voice through a blog, complaining about Facebook's rules and regulations. Thesis Statement Blocking the projects of the artists on the medium where individual individuals have complete freedom to express themselves. Isn’t tha t ironic? Rhetorical Aspects of the article being analyzed Purpose, Genre and Style This article was published in The New York Times. The issue being addressed is the problem faced by an institution of art as their work is being deleted and accounts blocked by Facebook as it contains nudity. However, later, the site officials claimed that it was a mistake on their part and they had no intention, whatsoever, of hurting anyone's feelings. Moreover, they encouraged people who had lost their work to post it again. Drawing nude live models is considered the most effective way to develop the basic draftsmanship skill of an artist. Hence, it is considered to be the most important part of an artist’s work. Using Facebook as a medium, artists share their work with art lovers all around the globe. Nevertheless, Facebook blocking their work became a deterrent for these artists. Artists are more emphasizing towards the blocking of the nude content and have been concerned with the fact th at the Facebook officials must have seen that the nude pictures were actual works of art, yet, they decided to block it. The genre is complaining about the careless behavior of world’s largest social network platforms. Angle of Vision The author of this passage seems to blame Facebook for these actions but, in my opinion, if Facebook has some certain terms and conditions then they are free to apply it on all forms of work. Facebook does not allow photos which attack a person or group or images which depict drug use or contain violence or nudity. If Facebook requires it's users to follow certain rules and regulations, then we are all required to follow them as responsible individuals. If they say that a photo should not ‘contain’ nudity, then nudity in any form should be banned. Some people are of the view that Facebook is assailing artists, this, however, is a misinterpretation as according to Facebook's representative, their investigators only check those images that are flagged/reported and then according to the nature of the report (how many people find that abusing) they remove the content. Therefore, if other users are uncomfortable with that image then there is no way that that content should be kept on the site. For an institution like the New York University of Art, there are other ways of sharing their artwork with people interested in art like their own website or blogs. Secondly, seeing these types of drawings in galleries is one thing and seeing them on Facebook is another. Not everyone visits galleries, neither do they have a rule against nudity but on Facebook they do have rules. Many people, who are interested in art but are against nude forms of art, visit these pages much often. Evidence from the article The academy was at loss as their account was blocked and they

Thames Water Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Thames Water Case Study - Essay Example As regards the second, Thames’ decision to let employees go and its failure to keep wages stable in real terms, means that it does not regard its employees as stakeholders. Thames is failing to uphold both its corporate social responsibility and to define employees as stakeholders is not a sustainable situation. Certainly, the company is reporting profits at the moment, probably due to the fact that there is no substitute threat to their product but, in the long-run, the company will loose out and its profits will decline. It is extremely important that Thames redefine its employees as primary stakeholders and, directly connected to this, adopt a corporate social responsibility framework. Through a review of the theory on employees as stakeholders and the relation of corporate social responsibility to the stated, this research shall illustrate that there is an immediate connection between corporate social responsibility and the acceptance and treatment of employees as stakeholders, on the one hand, and between these two and corporate success on the other. Corporate social responsibility refers to the level of an organizations involvement in the improvement of the quality of life of its community, and its acceptance of the fact that it has an important role in improving quality of life (Margolis and Walsh, 2003). Even though there is no precise definition for quality of community life,’ since it is dependent on many factors, such as socio-political climate, the state of the economy, the type of industry attempting to identify the problems, and location of the business, among others, the fact is that it refers to the degree to which an organisation gives back to the community and regards itself as part of the community (Carroll, 1999; Margolis and Walsh, 2003). Corporate social responsibility is founded upon an organisation’s understanding of the social issues which

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and Frankenstein Essay

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and Frankenstein - Essay Example In Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the Androids are mentioned as appreciated members of the society in space colonies, although there is no proof. The novel also shows how the specials, originally humans, are looked down upon as they are deemed to have lost their humanity due to the decay of their genes. Both novels are also founded on the creatures’ search for friendship (Bendixen 29). In Frankenstein, the monster comes up with elaborate plans to increase the possibility that it could make friends with the cottage dwellers. On the other hand, Frankenstein ignores his family and friends as he works on the monster. In Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Deckard does not portray friendship to the androids when they move into his building. While humans are not concerned with making friends, the artificial humans try hard at this. Another characteristic of this foundation is the fact that humane and human is not the same (Bendixen 29). The capacity for self-sacrifice and empathy i s present in the non-humans than in humans. In Frankenstein, the non-human jumps into a river, with the objective of saving a girl from drowning while his creator does not even speak up during the trial of Justine. In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, empathy is one of the characteristics that separate the androids from the humans. Frankenstein, his creation and Walton are constantly in the search for knowledge. In Frankenstein, there is not much difference between the non-humans and the humans. In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Rosen Associates are the only ones looking for information. The humans who built the androids want more knowledge to make these androids more human. The novel does not have clear indications as to the importance of experience and knowledge to humans, unless we consider their search for methods to humanize androids. While this is important for them, it is not important to the novel. The view by Frankenstein’s monster of the world begins to cha nge during his meeting with Victor in the cave, where Victor calls out

Employment and Law of Tort Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employment and Law of Tort - Essay Example In our scenarios, it is seen that the first case deals with the aspect of tort law dealing with emotional distress caused by the employer. It must be noted that in order to establish the occurrence of intentional emotional distress, the plaintiff or the person inflicting the tort should show any of the four patterns as indicated by Biotech.law.lsu.edu (1983) Moving onwards to the second scenario, a trick played by the chef resulted in physical injury to the cashier thus breaking his wrist. This is a clear example of assault and battery. Stender and Steele (2009) mention in their study that according to the Restatement (Second) of Torts  § 18 (1965), â€Å"one is subject to liability for battery if: (a) he acts intending to cause a harmful or offensive contact with the person of the other or a third person, or an imminent apprehension of such a contact; and (b) a harmful contact with the person of the other directly or indirectly results†. Bestattorneysonline.com (2012) describes the tort of assault as the fear of the plaintiff whereby he is of the idea that the defender might cause him physical harm. In other words, the injury has not been inflicted but rather a threat has been made or action showing the intention of causing hurt has been done. On the other hand, battery is labeled as the harmful act itself, i.e. the injury has been inflicted with direct and intentional force to cause harm or damage to another person. Bestattorneysonline.com (2012)  Legal Articles - What is the Difference Between Assault and Battery? [online] Available at: http://www.bestattorneysonline.com/articles/makhsudul-islam/what-is-the-difference-between-assault-and-battery/368/ [Accessed: 17 Dec

Analyze the case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyze the - Case Study Example At this point, influence shows a remarkable impact on how the entire team would be formed with it. Rita was not influential enough and less empowered to sustain order within the group. Rita also did not realize her subordinates were forming social networks where informal communications overflowed. Failure on her part to demonstrate how to manage communication within the group, Rita ended up having subordinates not willing to participate and obey her point of view. After all, the key players or executives were very territorial and possessed extreme supremacy, so they belong to a group though in a simple hierarchical structure, but still they could implement high individualistic authority based on seniority complex. However, in general, Rita was working with a kind of work group with key players ready to do well if their potentials would only have been effectively tapped. The danger in working with this group would be the failure to recognize its open system of interaction, as the external inputs it might have received would develop a certain output. In the case of Department 8101, it has its open system that from any time would possibly result to negative entropy, differentiation or integration, depending on the prevailing approach implemented for managing with change and complexity. Rita should have been aware about the communication pattern of her group as the various inputs could actually penetrate here. Her failure to recognize this resulted to disorder in the system. Rita failed to recognize general systems approach or the group’s interaction, not minding about general system concepts like input, output, cycles, negative entropy, feedback, dynamic equilibrium, differentiation, integration and etc. She overlooked the fact that the new group she was trying to work with has its own balance and influence from surrounding environment and even has its

Project proposal Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Project - Research Proposal Example These agents are known to possess a wide variety of applications, which can facilitate various non-viral systems for the introduction of DNA into the host body and enable easy and effective genetic therapy for the cure of dreaded diseases such as cancer. This study, attempts to identify and illustrate third generation polylysine dendrons as a potential source for the development of a non-viral platform for gene delivery. The study will delineate the characteristics of various dendrons to demonstrate their potential as a non-viral source of gene delivery. In addition, it will also illustrate the specific traits of third generation polylysine for potential use in gene delivery and gene therapy. To establish this, the study will comprise lab testing of mice to show that gene delivery can be efficiently be done using third generation polylysine dendrons. The goal of the research is to add value to the existing body of knowledge in this regard and to make it a more effective system for gene delivery as well as gene therapy. While the use of viral-vectors is an efficient method to introduce genes into host cells, they entail several cellular as well as extra cellular barriers. Though viral-vectors have both efficiency and high gene expression they ail from the major limitation of vulnerability to immunogenic reactions. Therefore, the medical fraternity’s interest rather slants to the alternative method of deploying non-viral methods for the delivery of genes into the host body as it entails lesser complexity. Thus, the use of dendrons or dendrimers has been gaining popularity in the field of genetic medicine, especially in its application for gene delivery and gene therapy. This is especially so because they provide a multifunctional platform by virtue of being synthetically capable of attaching tumour-targeting antibodies. Many studies confirm the validity of third generation polylysine as an effective monomer that has the potential to deliver

Information Systems in Business Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Information Systems in Business - Coursework Example Other data such a s population and demographic data that is important for forecasting can be sourced from government institutions and agencies (Paul, 2001). (ii) Data warehousing for Wal- mart will enhance decision making in the company with regards to inventory management, price control and sales monitoring. The data warehouse will provide data on a real time basis that will effectively aide in quick decision making on supply chain management and customer relationship management (Paul, 2001). Data mining which involves extraction and acquisition of data from the relevant sources to be stored in the data warehouse enables the company; to have up to date and real time data from all its retail stores. This allows real time analysis of the data and facilitates decision making that is appropriate for each store based on the data available (Paul, 2001). (iii) ECM applications are basically provides formalized techniques by which an organization can store and its documents, contents records and other content that is related to business processes and transactions. It entails strategies, tools and methods that used throughout (John, 2013). Hierarchical model where data is structured in a hierarchical manner following a sort of sequence exhibiting a tree structure. There is a root that has branches emanating from it. Network data base model that exhibits a many to many relationship. Items in this model can connect to any item in the database creating a network. Most databases that are used on the Mini and Micro computers are normally based on either hierarchical or network database model. Relational database model has data organized in two dimensional tables with rows and columns populated with related data. Most of the Database software packages available on microcomputers (PCs) are of relational model (Graham & David, 2008). Other database structure models used include the multimedia database that

Images of Power and Authority in Art Essay Example for Free

Images of Power and Authority in Art Essay Art has been used to portray figures of power and authority many times in history. Different cultures have different ways of portraying the image to have power and authority. One example of using art to portray images of power and authority is the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin. This was made to commemorate King Naram-Sin for his defeat of Lullubi. The King stands alone at the top, taller than everyone else. This shows that he is more powerful than anyone else. The King also wears a horned helmet that shows godliness. Celestial bodies shine upon him also showing him as a deity. His troops are lined up behind him in an orderly fashion, showing his control and also the discipline and organization of his forces. He and his army have complete control of the subdued enemy, showing that he and his army are superior. Art was also used to portray images of power and authority in the times of Ancient Egypt. This is shown in the Statue of Khafre. On the seat Khafre is sitting in there is an image of intertwined lotus and papyrus which symbolizes united Egypt. The falcon covering his head is Horus, the god the sky and heavens. This implies the pharaohs divine status. The pharaoh is also shaped with a canon of ideal proportions, which is suitable for someone as perfect as the pharaoh. Also the expression on the pharaohs face is calm and shows eternal strength and life. Many of the traits in both examples constitute how their cultures image of power and authority. Bibliography 1) Gardners Art Through the Ages Tenth Edition, p.50,75-76. 2) www.coco.cc.az.us/apetersen/ _ART201/old_king.htm 3) www.coco.cc.az.us/apetersen/ _ART201/akkad.htm 4) Ancient Egypt, World Book Encyclopedia, 1990. Images of Power and Authority in Art Art has been used to portray figures of power and authority many times in history. Different cultures have different ways of portraying the image to have power and authority. One example of using art to portray images of power and authority is the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin. This was made to commemorate King Naram-Sin for his defeat of Lullubi. The King stands alone at the top, taller than e veryone else. This shows that he is more powerful than anyone else. The King also wears a horned helmet that shows godliness. Celestial bodies shine upon him also showing him as a deity. His troops are lined up behind him in an orderly fashion, showing his control and also the discipline and organization of his forces. He and his army have complete control of the subdued enemy, showing that he and his army are superior. Art was also used to portray images of power and authority in the times of Ancient Egypt. This is shown in the Statue of Khafre. On the seat Khafre is sitting in there is an image of intertwined lotus and papyrus which symbolizes united Egypt. The falcon covering his head is Horus, the god the sky and heavens. This implies the pharaohs divine status. The pharaoh is also shaped with a canon of ideal proportions, which is suitable for someone as perfect as the pharaoh. Also the expression on the pharaohs face is calm and shows eternal strength and life. Many of the traits in both examples constitute how their cultures image of power and authority. Bibliography 1) Gardners Art Through the Ages Tenth Edition, p.50,75-76. 2) www.coco.cc.az.us/apetersen/ _ART201/old_king.htm 3) www.coco.cc.az.us/apetersen/ _ART201/akkad.htm 4) Ancient Egypt, World Book Encyclopedia, 1990.

MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane)

MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane) What is MSM? MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane) is a naturally occurring sulphur compound that is found in all vertebrates (including humans) and is highly effective in not only improving joint health and hair health but also in reducing pain relief significantly. It does this predominantly by reducing inflammation within the body. How sulphur is absorbed into the diet is very interesting. MSM gets into the diet through the sulphur cycle. Plankton from the ocean will release sulphur compounds into the ozone and the ultra violet light will proceed to make MSM and its precursor DMSO. These nutrients will then be returned to the earth’s surface in the form of rain. When we eat the plants or the animals that have absorbed the MSM, the benefits begin to unfold. Why is MSM so good for you? MSM is a potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain reliever) which has been most known for its effect on joint health, pain management, hair health and skin health. As most conditions are caused from inflammation, MSM is highly effective at putting a stop to and/or helping to treat these common issues. Signs of an MSM Deficiency A deficiency in MSM has been shown to result in the following: Low Energy; Chronic Pain; Allergies; Low resistance to Stress; Parasites; Tissue and Organ Malfunction; Unhealthy Hair and Skin; Low Immunity. A deficiency has also been shown to contribute to many conditions (see chapter 2 for further information on each of them), some of which include: Asthma; Arthritis; Candida; Diabetes; and Constipation. Nutritional Sources of MSM As with any nutrient, it is always preferable to get it from naturally occurring food sources before taking supplementation. Unfortunately this is not so easy when it comes to sulphur. The foods richest in sulphur are those which we tend to not consume very much of in today’s society, such as collagen or keratin. However, Paleo is possibly one plan that would promote enough sulphur in the diet, as long as it is a paleo diet that emphasises the quality of the foods as opposed to just the type of food. Bone Broth If you ever sat in the kitchen while your grandmother was making homemade chicken soup (as I did) or you remember your mum coming in with a nice pot of homemade chicken soup when you were sick (which I also did) then you would have been exposed to bone broth at some point in your life. Bone broth is basically as the name implies. It is the boiling down of bones until all of the collagen and minerals seep into the water and then you drink it. It is absolutely delicious and so good for you. One of the best sources of sulphur in our diet would be from the connective tissues in the bones of grass fed and free range animals and therefore boiling down some bones into a bone broth and drinking the broth regularly could provide you with almost enough sulphur to promote optimal health. The sulphur in the bones, as well as the amino acids proline and glycine are some of the components that make bone broth so great†¦ So to get you started with implementing MSM into your diet, how about I give you a bone broth recipe that you can get started using today†¦ Bone Broth Recipe Ingredients: 1 kg or more of beef bones from grass fed cows; 2 chicken feet if possible (just gives that extra bit of gelatin); 2 onions; 3 carrots; 3 stalks of celery and any celery leaves you have; 2 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar; 1 tbsp. Celtic Sea Salt; Any herbs of choice. Methods: Roast the beef bones in the oven for about 30 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. Place the bones in a large stock pot and pour filtered water over the bones and add the vinegar. Let this solution sit for about 30 minutes or so as the acid from the vinegar will help to make the nutrients more available. Roughly chop and add the vegetables to the pot and add any herbs and spices you are going to use. Bring this broth to a boil. Once it has come to a vigorous boil bring it back down to a simmer. To simmer beef broth leave it for 48 hours and for chicken broth leave it for 24 hours. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly. With a metal strainer, strain out all of the bones and vegetables. When cool enough, store in a large glass jar in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze until needed. Raw Foods MSM is in virtually all raw foods and is found in decent quantities in green leafy vegetables such as Brussel sprouts and kale. It is also found in garlic, onions and asparagus. However, although vegetables can contain a significant amount of MSM, it should not be your primary source due to the poor amounts of sulphur in the soil that these vegetables are grown in. Animal Sources Eggs, Meat, Poultry, Fish and Milk are all a much more reliable source of MSM than Raw Foods. Why Don’t We Get Enough Sulphur in Our Diet? There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, as mentioned above, the richest source of sulphur is found in collagen and keratin and in modern society we seem to not consume too much of these. However, thanks to more real food advocates they are becoming much better known, especially in the form of bone broths. Secondly, MSM is lost significantly when the food is processed. Cooking, drying and steaming food depletes the MSM content, as does washing our food and storing it for a long period of time. So, as you can see it is very difficult to get a sufficient quantity of MSM into your diet without a little additional supplementation, especially if you are wanting to receive therapeutic doses. Supplemental Forms of MSM MSM is able to be found in capsules, crystals, flakes, powders, tablets, lotions and gels. I prefer to use the crystals or flakes when I take it internally as it gets absorbed a lot quicker than tablets and capsules. I use lotions and gels when I require it to be absorbed through the skin (as is the case with muscle pains). If you would like to learn how to make your own lotions and gels you can go to the recipes section at the back of the book. Beneficial Supplements to take with MSM Vitamin C (Overall Health, Cell Regeneration) The number one nutrient that has been shown to work extremely well alongside MSM is that of Vitamin C. In fact by combining MSM and Vitamin C together, they work synergistically to provide the benefits listed in the upcoming chapters. When MSM is taken alongside Vitamin C you will notice particular benefits: o helps the body to build new cells; o helps reduce scar tissue and wrinkles, and helps keep the skin more elastic. o helps the hair and nails grow stronger and faster. Glutamine (Athletic Performance, Antioxidant Capabilities) When used alongside MSM this nutrient is a great recovery workout combination. L-Glutamine is the most prevalent amino acid found in skeletal muscle tissue and blood and may significantly aid in muscle recuperation as well as overall immune function. Just like MSM, Glutamine (when taken orally or intravenously) has been shown to raise the body’s natural antioxidant glutathione. Glucosamine (Arthritis and Joint Health) When taken with MSM, this supplement has been shown to provide double the joint comfort relief than either of them alone. Previously you would find most arthritis supplements would contain Glucosamine and Chondroitin alone. However, since MSM has now been recognised as essential for joint health they have started adding that too. Because of the fact that Chondroitin is so expensive studies have actually been done to test Glucosamine and MSM alone and have found some amazing results. This makes the supplement a lot cheaper for the user. To read up on this study, check out the section on â€Å"Arthritis†. Optimal Intakes of MSM As MSM is not stored in the body, a fresh supply is needed to prevent any further deficiencies developing. As you age your MSM concentrations also decrease so your requirement for it will be a lot higher. It is important to start off slowly when taking MSM and gradually increase your dosage, so as to minimise any digestive complaints that might appear. So as to minimise the chance of heartburn, take MSM with your meals. A single dose of MSM will not be a cure all but taken over time on a daily basis you will be able to start experiencing the amazing benefits of this nutrient. A good way of increasing your supplementation is by incorporating the following tiers – although everybody is different so you will just have to experiment yourself. Tier #1 Start off by taking 500mg per day and take this dosage for a week. Tier #2 Increase the dosage to 1000mg (1g) per day and take this dosage for a week. Tier #3 Every day add on another 500mg per day until you reach 10000mg (10g). Tier #4 Once you have been taking 10g per day for a couple of weeks and have made up for the years of deficiency then start to reduce it to a maintenance level. Tier #5 For most people the maintenance level will be about 4-8g per day. Note: Make sure you drink plenty of water when starting on MSM and/or when increasing your dosage of MSM. Also ensure that you do not use tap water with the MSM as the chlorine in it can cancel the effectiveness of the MSM. Toxicity of MSM MSM has been found to be safe with minimal reported adverse effects, even at very large doses. The only effects that have been reported (on minimal occasions) are loose stools, stomach upset or skin rashes, which could indicate a slight allergy to the product but these symptoms will disappear once you have stopped taking the MSM. In fact there have been numerous studies done showing that MSM is Non Toxic even at very large doses. Research (1) – Non Toxic for Pregnant Females even at extremely high amounts of 1000mg/kg/day (Animal Study) This study split the pregnant rats into 4 separate groups and were administered a variety of different dosages. There was no evidence of maternal toxicity and no significant differences in the litter viability, litter size or litter body weight upon testing. There were no foetal abnormalities seen in the MSM treated group or in any of the foetuses. Therefore the non-observed adverse effect level for both maternal and developmental toxicity was 1000mg/day. Please note that this study was done in rats and although the animal studies are generally very accurate and MSM is seen as extremely non-toxic for both the pregnant female and the foetus, it is still wise to either administer it at reasonably low doses (1-3g per day) and/or do it under the supervision of a practitioner. Research (2) – MSM has very low toxicity (Animal Study) In this study they split the mice up into separate groups. One group was given a single dose of 2.5g per kg body weight, one group was given a single dose of 5.0g per kg body weight and the other group was given up to 10g/kg body weight over a period of 90 days. They found that with these numbers there was no toxic effects. Detox Symptoms When you first start taking MSM you may experience some detox symptoms which may make you want to stop taking it. But that could be a big mistake. The symptoms you experience can range from mild flu-like symptoms to more severe symptoms. If the symptoms are not too severe try to tough it out for a few days and make sure you drink plenty of water. However, if you find the symptoms are too severe, try tiering the dosage down and take some hot baths to make you sweat more and therefore make the detoxification process go a lot quicker. Soaking in some Epsom salts is also a good idea. More information on how MSM can help with detoxification can be found here†¦ People who should be cautious when taking MSM MSM is extremely safe for most individuals and is actually about as toxic as water. However if you have kidney issues or kidney disease it may be an idea to check with your practitioner prior to taking this supplementation. Medications that are contraindicated with MSM If you are taking high doses of aspirin or blood thinning medications such as heparin or dicumarol it is advisable to check with your physician prior to taking MSM. This is because it has been observed in some clinical settings that it may have a blood thinning aspirin like effect on platelet aggregation.

Business Ethics Essay -- essays research papers fc

Introduction Background The literature being studied is an article written by Hellen O’ Sullivan, the Director of Scientific Methods Australia. The article entitled â€Å"Business ethics are set to set to stage a comeback† was published on the 75th page of The Australian Financial Review on the 6th February 1990. Literature Review   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Basically, the article discussed several important issues about business ethics. One of the most prominent was the remark she made about business ethics making a comeback. The conclusion was made upon the fact that business ethics are becoming more and more popular among business practitioners as the era of ‘Me-generation’, and its obsession with greed and profit at any cost draws to a close.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Besides that, another notable issue addressed was the positive correlation between business ethics and corporate performance. She suggested that recent corporate failures resulted from a singularly motivated strategy of making profits. She also noted that the 1990’s avalanche of corporate collapse could be all attributed directly or indirectly to the decline in business ethics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The third issue raised was the role of managers or business leaders to actually uphold business ethics. She suggested that the formulation of a sound ethical code of practice should be a part of every company’s strategy and that it is the first responsibility of every business leadership. Procedures   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have made a research regarding the issues identified in the literature mainly through a computer-assisted research service - LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe at http://www.lexis-nexis.com/universe. From this particular research I have gathered altogether sixteen (16) articles. These articles are published in various journals, namely The Economist, Harvard Business Review, Time, Newsweek, Information Week, Accounting Age, PR Week, Business Mexico, The National Journal, Fleet Owner as well as Malaysian Business. All these articles are written by reputable authors, who are either academician or practitioners.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Besides that, I also did some library research. From here, I have chosen two (2) books on Strategic Management, which have sections and topics relevant to the issues addressed in the main literature. ... ...R., PR Week, 11th December. 8) George, T., (2001), Managers, Staff Differ (Slightly) on Ethics, Information Week, 19 February, pp. 140. 9) Harvard Business Review (1996), The Culture and Ethics of Software Privacy, September/October, pp. 52 10) Harvard Business Review, (1996), Values in Tension: Ethics Away from Home., September/October, pp. 48. 11) Hill, C. W. L. & Jones G. R. (1998), Strategic Management; An Integrated Approach, 4th Ed., Houghton Mifflin Company: Boston, New York 12) Klien, R., (2001), Torn Between Profit and Purity, The Times Educational Supplement, 16th March, pp. 22. 13) Malaysian Business, (1997), Eliminating the Parasites, 16th January, pp. 1 14) The Economist (1999), US Edition, Sweatshop wars, 14th February, pp. 62 15) The Economist, (2000), US Edition., Doing Well by Doing Good., 22nd April. 16) Wallace, B., (2001), Cell Phones Trigger Litigation Risks and Ethical Choices, Information Week, 19th February. 17) Wheelen, T. L. & Hunger, J. D., (1995), Strategic Management & Business Policy., Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc. 18) Zaino, J., (2001), Companies Give Back to Their Communities, Information Week, 12th March, pp. 163.

The Federal Reserve: Central Banking In The Us Essay -- Economics Econ

The Federal Reserve: Central Banking in the U.S. The Federal Reserve as we know it today was created by the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 by President Woodrow Wilson. The Fed, as it is commonly referred, is the central bank for the United States. Primarily, the Fed's job is to manage our nation's money supply. Prior to establishing the central bank, the United States did not have a money manager and the financial system was similar to the nation itself, "diverse and subject to uneven growth" (San Francisco). This led to frequent depressions and financial panics, and after the Bank Panic of 1907, which consisted of heavy withdrawal of funds, large importations of gold, and among other things, a major bank failing, the public realized a central bank was necessary (Herrick). The Federal Reserve System is composed of four basic components; the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, the Federal Open Market Committee, the Federal Reserve Banks, and member banks. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System is an independent federal agency that does not receive any funding from Congress. The Board is made up of seven members who are appointed by the president for one term of 14 years that can span multiple presidential and congressional terms. Two of the appointees are designated by the president as the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board, to serve four-year terms, subject to Senate Confirmation. The Chairman of the Board of Governors is one of the most important decision-makers in American economic policies. Even though members function independently, the Board is required to make an annual report of operations to the Speaker of the House. If the president sees "cause," a member may be removed from the Board. T... ...rable stock in their regional Federal Reserve Bank. Works Cited "Court Rules Federal Reserve is Privately Owned." Save-A- Patriot. 23 Jul 2007 . "Fed FAQs." Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. 2007. 23 Jul 2007 . Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, "FED101." The Reserve Today. 2007. 23 Jul 2007 . "The Federal Reserve System in Brief: The Nation's Central Bank." Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. 30 Aug 2006. 23 Jul 2007 . Herrick, Myron. "The Panic of 1907 and Some of Its Lessons." Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 31(1908): 8-25. Kemmerer, Edwin. The ABC of the Federal Reserve System. Fourth. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1920. Obringer, Lee Ann . "How the Fed Works." Howstuffworks. 02 May 1992. 23 Jul 2007 . "Open Market Operation." Federal Reserve Bank of New York. 2007. 23 Jul 2007 .

Construction Of The Great Pyramid Essay -- essays research papers

Of the three theories on how the Great Pyramid was built, in descending order of acceptability, the most suitable theory is Clifford Wilson’s followed by Joseph Davidovits’ and Erich Von Dà ¤niken’s argument. Clifford Wilson’s theory is the best because he illustrates how the pyramids were built and provides the evidence to prove his theory, however; this is unlike Joseph Davidovits’ theory because Davidovits does not fully answer questions that arise concerning his theory. The three theories have similar points, but contain very different ideas on the construction of the Great Pyramid. This is obvious in Clifford Wilson’s argument where he is repeatedly disproving Von Dà ¤niken’s theory that the â€Å"gods† created the pyramids, whereas in Davidovits theory the pyramids were simply casted by means of chemically mixing Natron, aluminum and silicon to produce artificial rock. These three individuals express different ideas on t he building of the building of the Great Pyramid. Clifford Wilson has the most acceptable theory compared to the other two individual’s arguments. In Clifford Wilson’s theory, he suggests that the pyramids were built with the â€Å"heave-ho† method. With the use of sleds made from wood that is easily imported from Phoenicia and rope, it is an acceptable theory on how the Great Pyramid was built. Wilson has also seen workers, using a single rope and pulley, move stones as the supervisor chants out instructions. One question that arises is how the builders were able to lift the stones into place. Wilson explains that during the construction of the pyramid, a ramp made of earth could be increased as the height of the pyramid increased. Once outer limestone blocks are fitted into place the earth could simply be removed. Clifford Wilson clearly verifies his theory with specific details, which displays that his theory is the most logical and suitable explanation of the construction of the Great Pyramid. Although Clifford Wilson’s theory is the best, there are still a few weaknesses throughout his argument. Wilson suggests that by using a system of pulleys, levers and ropes its is possible to construct the pyramid. With recent studies, it has been shown that if using a lever system as Wilson suggests, the fulcrum’s height must be increased, and at certain heights, the whole lever can become unstable. Another problem that is brought up is with the use of... ...nce. Von Dà ¤niken’s theory is clearly the worst when compared to the other two arguments, and this is particularly due to incorrect data. Even though Von Dà ¤niken’s theory is the poorest in quality, he still brings up important ideas that need to be examined. For example, the Egyptians knew the distance between the sun and the earth, and the geographical locations of other continents. This information could have been thought up, but it is more realistic to consider that Egyptians did have contact with extra-terrestrials. Despite Von Dà ¤niken’s bad theory , he still brings up key issues, but generally his theory is of no use because of the lack of significant data. Of the three theories, Clifford Wilson’s theory remains the most acceptable because he illustrates how the pyramids were built and provides the evidence to prove his argument. Joseph Davidovits on the other hand, does not fully answer questions that arise concerning his theory. Von Dà ¤niken’s theory contains incorrect and irrelevant data that makes his theory the worst when compared to the other two arguments. In conclusion, Clifford Wilson had many effective points that disproved many Davidovits’ and Von Dà ¤niken’s points.

Economics Commentary Essay

Sharp rise in unemployment as financial crisis hits jobs market British unemployment today posted its biggest rise since the country’s last recession 17 years ago as the financial crisis filtered through to the jobs market. Official figures showed unemployment measured by International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards rose by 164,000 in the three months to August from the previous quarter to stand at 1.79 million. The rise took the jobless rate up half a percentage point to 5.7%, also the biggest jump since July 1991. â€Å"These numbers are truly horrendous and much worse than I had feared,† said David Blanchflower, a labour market expert and member of the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee. He told guardian.co.uk his earlier prediction that unemployment would rise to 2 million by Christmas now looked conservative. â€Å"Unemployment will be above 2 million by Christmas. I am particularly worried at the 56,000 rise in the number of young unemployed people. These are school leavers who are unable to get a job or claim benefits, which is why the claimant count has not risen even faster than it has,† he said. The number of Britons out of work and claiming jobless benefits rose by 31,800 last month to 939,000, the eighth monthly increase in a row, and August’s rise was revised higher to 35,700. The City had expected a 35,000 increase for September. This so-called claimant count measure is always lower than the broader, internationally recognised ILO measure which includes people not claiming benefits, because some unemployed people are not entitled to claim benefits, or choose not to do so. The rise took the claimant count jobless rate up to 2.9%, its highest level since January 2007. The prime minister, Gordon Brown, responded to the figures this morning by pledging the government would do everything it could to create jobs in the UK economy, which is teetering on the brink of recession. The government also announced today it was making an extra à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100m available to retrain workers who lose their jobs. The employment minister, Tony McNulty, said the jobs data painted a â€Å"bad picture† of the UK economy: â€Å"But the job is to look forward and see how we can deal with any dip in employment rather than talking about the causes.† The number of employed people dropped 122,000 to 29.4million over the three-month period. The FTSE 100 fell more than 3% this morning, wiping out all of yesterday’s gains. The mood darkened after the unemployment figures, and the index of leading shares fell more than 150 points to 4235.6. The Liberal Democrats’ work and pensions spokeswoman, Jenny Willott, urged the government to turn its attention to unemployment and inflation, now the banking rescue package had beeen agreed. â€Å"Real families across Britain are suffering, not just those working in the Square Mile. As the number of vacancies shrink, it will be harder and harder to get people back into work. It will not simply be a case of retraining the unemployed if there are no jobs for them to return to,† she said. The number of job vacancies dropped by 62,000 from a year ago to 608,000 in the three months to September. And 147,000 people faced redundancy in the three months to August, up by 28,000. For many people, a bleak Christmas lies ahead as the fallout from stockmarket turmoil spreads to the rest of the economy. Brendan Barber, the general secretary of the TUC, said: â€Å"We are now seeing the effect of the credit crunch on the rest of the economy. I fear that the whole economy will soon feel the impact of the problems in the banking sector.† He urged the Bank of England to cut interest rates again to avoid a severe recession. Derek Simpson, the joint general secretary of the Unite union, said: â€Å"Government intervention should not just stop with the banks. Action across the wider economy is necessary to protect jobs and the economy in a recession.† Alan Clarke, UK economist at BNP Paribas, said: â€Å"If you look at the claimant count number, it wasn’t as bad as expected, but if you look at the ILO, it was simply awful. These numbers are falling off a cliff.† In a sign that consumer price inflation – now at a 16-year high of 5.2% – is not feeding into wages, annual average earnings growth slowed to 3.4% in the three months to August, its weakest in five years. â€Å"As for pay pressures, the average earnings numbers remain very subdued,† said Philip Shaw, the chief economist at Investec. â€Å"The labour market appears yet again not to be an inflationary threat to the economy which helps to justify the cut in interest rates last week.† Economists believe it is going to get worse. Thousands of jobs are being lost in the City, where banks have merged or collapsed, and on the high street, where growing numbers of retailers are going bust. Manufacturers laid off 46,000 workers in the three months to August, taking the total number of manufacturing jobs to 2.87million, today’s figures from the Office for National Statistics showed. Job losses are spread across the economy, with Cadbury announcing 580 job cuts this week and ITV cutting about 1,000 jobs. The Centre for Economics and Business Research estimates 62,000 financial jobs will be lost by the end of next year. Nigel Meager, the director of the Institute for Employment Studies, said: â€Å"No part of the country is spared. Much attention has focused on high-end jobs in the City. In an economic downturn, however, the real human cost is likely to hit lower-skilled workers who find it harder to move into another job and have less of a financial cushion to see them through difficult times. â€Å"As vacancies continue to evaporate, competition for any job available will become fierce and the existing long-term unemployed, as well as young people entering the labour market will be particularly disadvantaged.† Commentary One of a government’s macroeconomic goals is low levels of unemployment. Another way of expressing this is to say that governments desire full employment in its economy. Unemployment exists within an economy when there are people who are registered as willing, capable and ready to work at the market clearing wage, but unfortunately do not hold any jobs. The above article deals with the sudden fall in the employment rates occurring in Britain, affecting the stock market, the government expenditure, the redundant employees, and the Britain economy itself. This sharp rise in unemployment has been caused primarily due to the global credit-crunch. Underemployment could also be occurring in the Britain economy since workers wanting full-time jobs would be able to find only part-time employment. This would thereby result in lower wages and lower output for each worker. Demand-deficient or cyclical unemployment, which has taken place in Britain, has occurred due to a lack of sufficient goods and services being demanded, as well as a poorly operating labour market. This Demand-deficient unemployment is illustrated in the figure below: Herein, the causal factor resulting in disequilibrium unemployment is that labour markets are not working very smoothly. This is so because of the financial crisis, which resulted in companies aiming to execute cost-cutting measures, and thereby resulting in the labour resisting such wage cuts. Since workers are not passive commodities, the income wages will go up easily but will refrain from falling; this is because they are sticky downwards. In the above diagram, the demand for labour falls from ADL1 to ADL2 due to the fall in demand for goods and services. But as mentioned earlier, the workers’ real incomes do not fall to W2, so long as equilibrium is not attained. This therefore results in the disequilibrium unemployment of Q2- Q1. Structural unemployment has also occurred in Britain as the structure of its economy has undergone a severe change. With the degree of unemployment being very serious, Britain is seeing a significant loss of jobs in the real estate, Information technology, and food industries. This is very bad for the economy since this situation can remain for another few months. The Britain government may use the aid of a variety of strategies to reduce the unemployment. This government can provide some aid to the employers and also encourage trade in creating employment. Structural adjustment policies can also be designed to align labour skills with the needs of employers, such as retaining schemes and appropriate use of technology; Gordon Brown has already chosen this step by announcing à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100m for retraining. Even policies designed to stimulate the levels of aggregate demand, such as the use of fiscal and monetary policies, will prove effective in mitigating the effects of this disaster. But nevertheless, the British government will find the goal of full employment difficult to achieve. This would be to reasons such as the unavoidable occurrence of inflation when trying to reduce demand-deficient unemployment. The limitations of using Fiscal policies to raise the Aggregate demand would also hinder the act towards attaining full employment. Examples of these would be time-lags and the crowding out effect. The short-term impacts of this situation would include reduction in the government expenditure, arising due to more money being provided as unemployment benefits and also due to less tax revenue being received by them. Another short-term effect would be the opportunity cost arising in terms of output foregone and the indisputable inefficiency. The long-term impacts of this sudden unemployment include the individual and social costs born primarily by the unskilled and lowly-paid workers. These workers will certainly find it difficult to look for suitable jobs in the future. Even the impact on poverty and income distribution is enormous, due to a large majority of workers within the primary sector being made redundant. In Britain, for example, a majority of the real estate workers are being dismissed. Thus there has stemmed an unequal impact of unemployment in terms of region, urban/rural, gender, race and age. This could be particularly hazardous for in determining the racial distribution of Britain.

Life Is Easier Essay

Living today is more comfortable and easier than when your grandparents were children. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Recently, my grandparents often recall how difficult their lives were when they were young, claiming that my generation has much easier lives than they had. I agree with them. In fact, life today is much more comfortable and easier than it was in my grandparents’ youth for some reasons. First, technology has made modern-day life much more comfortable than in the past. During my grandparents’ time, life was rough and hard because all the work was done without any modern tool, so they had to do their laundry by hand, walked from one place to another by feet. Furthermore, there was limited in entertainment choices in the past. They could at best listen to the radio or perhaps watch a black-and-white movie for pleasure. Today, however, living has become a lot easier thanks to technological developments. We launder our clothes with washing machine, uses buses, subways, or cars to move around. We also enjoy home theater systems, DVDs, and video games. Technology has definitely improved our lives. In addition, people today have more leisure time than they did before. People no longer have to work very long hours like my grandparents did. Since my grandparents were farmers, they had to work in the rice field all day long even without resting on weekends. In contrast, many people today, including my parents, simply work from nine to five on weekdays and take weekends off. They therefore have much free time than my grandparents did, so they can spend more time on leisure activities. They go to the movies, go to the gym, or take trips. All these activities have positive affect on their quality of living. In conclusion, people today have more comfortable and easier lives than in the past. This is the results of technological developments and the extra leisure time available. These factors will make our live even more comfortable in the future.

Annual Health and Safety Paln

J Coffey Construction Ltd ANNUAL REPORT Date of Board meeting: TBC Name of Report: Annual Health & Safety Report 2008/2009 Author(s): Alyn Tomkinson Approved by (name of Executive member): James Coffey Presented by: Alyn Tomkinson Purpose of the report: To provide the Board with the Annual Health & Safety Report for 2008/2009 Overview of Performance between April 2008 and April 2009 Action required: Approval by the Board Sections 1. 2. 2. 1 2. 2 2. 3 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Standard Contents Overview Key AchievementsPolicy Development and Implementation Information Incident Reporting Performance Indicators Raising the Profile of Health and Safety Co-operation and Co-ordination Training and Competence Health and Safety Objectives Accident Summary Prohibition Notice Summary of Insurance Claims Health and Safety Annual Report 2008/2009 Report No: 2 J Coffey Construction Ltd Health and Safety Annual Report 2008/2009 1. Overview The work to continually improve Heal th and Safety has grown in stature throughout the Company since the last reporting year.Generally awareness of Health & Safety has been raised further by the Employment of a Productive Health and Safety Advisor working along side the Health and Safety Manager to ensure compliance is met through Auditing, Documentation Evaluation, Investigation works, continual training, safety meetings and various safety bulletins, as well as filtering all Supervisors and Managers (In due course) through either the SSSTS (Site Supervisors Safety Training Scheme) or the SMSTS (Site Managers Safety Training Scheme) which has enhanced the Health and Safety Culture throughout the Company.The Health & Safety Manager and Team has continued the good work within the company to ensure that Site Managers meet their responsibilities, although in some areas this has met with some resistance with some managers still failing to complete weekly document returns. Most Managers have achieved carrying out risk assess ments & reviews on existing risk assessments as well as producing Method Statements which in the past was lacking. 2. Key Achievements 2008/2009 2. 1 Policy Development and ImplementationA key objective of the Health & Safety department for this year was to continue the development and implementation of health and safety policies across the company, integrating as far as possible already established systems to ensure minimal changes to working practices. The following guidance has been ratified and implemented: ? No Lone Working – Continued from Last Report. ? Young Persons Health & Safety Risk Assessment – Continued from Last Report. ? Implementation of the Health and Safety Action Plan – Within the new Health and Safety Manual. Implementation of a Worksafe Policy – Within the new Health and Safety Manual. ? The introduction of a New method Statement Proforma, Diamond Drilling Check sheets, BROKK Daily/weekly check sheets, Concrete-Screed pump check shee ts, Plant issue vouchers and the Health and Safety Observation Cards. Health and Safety Annual Report 2008/2009 Report No: 2 J Coffey Construction Ltd The following policy matters continue to be worked on from last year: ? Guidance for Managers & Team Leaders on the HSE Management Standards for assessing Work Related Hand ArmVibration (HAVs). ? Guidance for Managers & Team Leaders on the HSE Management Standards for assessing Work Related Risk. ? Guidance for Managers & Team Leaders on Method Statements and Risk Assessments. ? Manual Handling. ? Supervisors Training. ? Asbestos Awareness. ? Training in general. 2. 2 Information The Health & Safety manual and individual site files continue to be updated and contain the following information: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 2. 3 Policies HSE Leaflets/Guidance Risk Assessment Guidance Generic Risk Assessments Minutes of Safety meetingsHealth & Safety Newsletters (HSE and Worksafe Partnership) Toolbox Talks Incident Reporting Kind of accident/incident Fa tal Major Over 3 Days Minor Total Fall from height 0 0 2 1 3 Slip, Trip, fall – same level 0 0 0 2 2 Injured whilst handling, lifting, carrying 0 0 1 1 2 Struck by moving object 0 0 0 2 2 Struck by moving Vehicle 0 0 0 0 0 Contact with moving machinery/material 0 0 0 1 1 Contact with electricity 0 0 0 0 0 Health and Safety Annual Report 2008/2009 Report No: 2 J Coffey Construction Ltd Strike against something fixed/stationary 0 0 0 2 2Exposure/contact – harmful substance 0 0 0 2 2 Other 0 0 0 2 2 Total 0 0 3 13 16 2 10 12 Below are the Results for 2007/2008 Total 3. 0 0 Performance Indicators Classically the incidence of accidents has been used as a key performance indicator for health and safety and this continues to develop, although it should be noted that there has been a rise in the number of accidents reported, this may be due to the heightened awareness of reporting procedures available to all operatives. Health and Safety Annual Report 2008/2009 Report No: 2 J Coffey Construction LtdIt should also be noted that, while important, the measurement of the accident rate is a measure of failures, not successes. However although there has been a slight rise in the reporting of accidents the Accident Incident Rate and the Accident Frequency Rate has decreased over the reporting period in relation to the number of employees to the previous year. The Health and Safety Department agrees to use the new Method Statement Proforma and all introduced check sheets to achieve uniformity throughout the company as a performance measure tool together with the new Health and Safety Table. 4.Raising the Profile of Health and Safety The Health & Safety Manager issues monthly health and safety bulletin sheet from The Worksafe Partnership Ltd and his own, providing news of new policies and other health and safety matters of interest as well as e-mailing information from the HSE Website on relevant subjects. Health & Safety HSE â€Å"Myth of the Month† are c ontinuing to be published on the Health and Safety Notice boards. The Site Managers have, and continue to be active in the way of conducting Toolbox Talks in compliance with current HSE Campaigns and relevant implementations and changes throughout the company.The Health and Safety Manager has introduced a Monthly Health and Safety Table, marking each site on their Health and Safety Performance on a variety of subjects, where the winners each month receive a Plague. The Company has now become a member of ROSPA (The Royal Society of the Prevention of Accidents). 5. Co-operation and Co-ordination Co-operation and co-ordination with other agencies has continued successfully. A good liaison link has been established with the Health & Safety Executive, British Safety Council, IIRSM (International Institute of Risk and Safety Management) and ROSPA. 6. Training and CompetenceA health and safety training Matrix has proved successful and now has a regular monthly update in line with our OHSAS 18001 Health and Safety Standard. Objectives have been set to fully update our managers to have minimum Health and Safety Annual Report 2008/2009 Report No: 2 J Coffey Construction Ltd certification in the following courses – SMSTS, First Aid, and Environmental Awareness (On-Going). Below is the list of courses under took in this reporting period between April 2008 and April 2009 – NO. TRAINING NO. OF OPERATIVES TRAINED 20072008 NO. OF OPERATIVES TRAINED 20082009 1 PASMA TRAINING 14 0 2 COMBISAFE – SAFETY NET FAN 0 3 GENERAL HEALTH AND SAFETY NVQ 2 1 0 4 MANUAL HANDLING 1 0 5 HAND HELD EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS 1 0 6 FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL 1 0 7 EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY 1 0 8 CERTIFICATE OF UNIT CREDIT – LEVEL 2 NVQ IN CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS 4 0 9 HSE FIRST AID AT WORK 11 0 10 FIRST AID AT WORK 4 0 11 CPCS CERTIFICATE 15 0 12 CSCS CERTIFICATE 25 0 13 C. SCOPE – CABLE AVOIDANCE TOOL 6 6 14 SONDE 6 0 15 SIGNAL GENERATOR SGV 6 0 16 CITB – INTERM EDIATE CERTIFICATE 1 0 17 SAFE USE AND MAINTENANCE OF GOODS HOIST 1 0 18 FIRE SAFETY TRAINING 3 0 19 IEMA ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP 1 0 20 ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS FOR BUILDERS AND SITE OPERATIVES 0 Health and Safety Annual Report 2008/2009 Report No: 2 J Coffey Construction Ltd 21 ASBESTOS AWARENESS 11 0 22 GGR UNIC – GLASS HANDLING AND MINI CRANES 4 0 23 SKID STEER LOADER 17 0 24 FORWARD TIPPING DUMPER 16 0 25 TELESCOPIC FORKLIFT 2 0 26 RIDE ON ROLLER 5 0 27 LORRY LOADER 4 0 28 EXCAVATOR 2 0 169 0 TOTAL Being Up Dated Currently by Cheryl Winter and Emma Lickley 7. Health & Safety Objectives The objectives set for the Health & Safety for 2009/2010 are those that indicate continuous improvement and are therefore a continuing set of objectives and will stand as objectives for the coming year. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The company shall impose a performance indicator on itself e. g. a reduction in reportable incidents by conducting more Courses such as M anual Handling Awareness, Safe Working in around plant and machinery Awareness to avoid reoccurrences in the last reporting period accidents. All Managers/Supervisors to achieve the SMSTS (Site Managers Safety Training Scheme) or SSSTS (Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme) Courses (On-Going). All Managers to achieve the 4 day Appointed Person First Aid Training. All Managers to be fully trained in the producing of Method Statements and Risk Assessments (On-Going).An increase of 10% to be achieved on the issue of CSCS cards (OnGoing). Continual Asbestos Awareness Training for all operatives (On-Going). Continuous update to all staff on the current HSE Campaigns and Health and Safety Bulletins (On-Going). A Clamp to arrange for Two personnel per month to attend the MACE business school for training. Health and Safety Annual Report 2008/2009 Report No: 2 J Coffey Construction Ltd Appendix 1. SUMMARIES ENTERED INTO DATABASE FOLDER OF ACCIDENTS & DANGEROUS OCCURRENCES WITHIN J COFFEY CONSTRUCTION LTD INVESTIGATED BY AN INTERNAL HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGER (APRIL 2008 –TO APRIL 2009) Fall from Height IP (Injured Party) was exiting an inlet chamber via a ladder, while carrying a staff in one hand, when he fell 5. 5m resulting in Fractures to both heals (HSE Reportable). IP was working in a riser when the plyboard protection (secured by others) gave way and the operative fell 3. 5m resulting in a Fracture of the Transverse Process Lumbar Vertebrae. IP was in the process of propping up a brickwork pier when it cracked and broke free, falling through to the next level, resulting in the operative following it and cutting his leg.Slips, Trips, Fall – Same Level IP was exiting across a scaffold bridge when one of the steps collapsed, resulting in a graze to the leg. IP stepped on a piece of plyboard when it gave way resulting in the operative reaching out a hand to steady himself cutting his right arm. Injured whilst handling, lifting, carrying IP was carryi ng a wheelbarrow up some steps when he slipped, resulting in an injured back. (HSE Reportable). IP reported muscular pain due to holding and breaking out works. Struck by moving object IP was struck by a moving gate as it swung back resulting in a cut to the heel.IP was struck by his own hammer in the hip area, as he over swung and missed his intended target. Health and Safety Annual Report 2008/2009 Report No: 2 J Coffey Construction Ltd Contact with moving machinery/materials IP was struck by a skilsaw blade when it jumped after hitting the edge of the work bench resulting in a cut to the hand. Strike against something fixed/stationary IP was breaking out concrete when he caught his right arm on a protruding piece of re-bar, resulting in a cut. IP was breaking out concrete when he caught his right arm on a protruding piece of re-bar, resulting in a cut.Exposure/Contact – Harmful Substance 2 No IP`s were trying to unblock a gully without skin protection, into cementatious wa ter, resulting in cementatious burns to their arms. Other IP blew into his safety goggles and as a result got grit/debris caught into his eyes. IP cut his big toe while having a Hilti Nail fired through his boot by another operative. Appendix 2. Prohibition Notice A Prohibition Notice was served by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) for a defective concrete pump on the 22nd October 2008, which was being used by Floorscreed Ltd on behalf of J Coffey Construction Ltd at the Audi West Project.The pump was inspected 2 days prior to the Prohibition Notice being served by our on site Manager, who did not report any defects. On the day of the 22nd October 2008 the visiting HSE Inspector Mr V Neaverson found the guard protecting the mixing blades to have been snapped off and the operation of the pump still in use, resulting in both J Coffey Construction Ltd and Floorscreed Ltd receiving a Prohibition Notice being served. Actions taken to satisfy the Prohibition Notice : the pump was remo ved from site the same day and taken to Floorscreed Ltd Plant Yard where the guard was welded back in place and a new hopper lid fitted.The pump was returned to site the next day where it was photographed for evidence of the actions being carried out and emailed to the HSE Inspector as proof, after verbal communication with the HSE Inspector he confirmed work could continue. Health and Safety Annual Report 2008/2009 Report No: 2 J Coffey Construction Ltd Since this incident J Coffey Construction Ltd`s Health and Safety Department have implemented Daily/Weekly check sheets to be completed when carrying out works with static and mobile concrete/screed pumps, which to date has proved very effective.Despite satisfying the Prohibition Notice and introducing new checking systems the Prohibition Notice will remain on record by the HSE for 5 years. Appendix 3. 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Mary Rowlandson’s “The Captive” Essay

In the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries of America, many settlers and colonists were taken captive by the Native Americans, commonly known as Indians. The Native Americans had many reasons and motives for capturing the settlers or colonists. Captives were often taken to be traded, ransomed, or â€Å"adopted,† which Native Americans did to replace tribal members who had passed or who had been killed. Two very famous captivity narratives are those of James Smith and Mary Rowlandson, whose stories are very different due to their captors, gender, and religion. James Smith was 18 years old when he was captured by the Indians just miles above Bedford. Smith was captured by three Indians, one was a Canasatauga and the two others were Delawares. With the exception of being flogged, Smith’s experiences with the Indians were not terrible. He was essentially treated as an Indian. This stems from the fact that he was adopted by the Natives. James Smith was given man y freedoms. Smith was very trusted by the Indians. They allowed him to hunt with them or on his own, they expected him to act as an Indian, and they also trusted him to take care of them when needed. Smith also had the option to leave whenever he pleased. He did not have to remain with the Indians for the four years, 1755-1759, that he did. These experiences are very different compared to those of Mary Rowlandson. Mary Rowlandson’s hometown of Lancaster, Massachusetts was destroyed by the Indians in King Philip’s War and she was taken captive during the destruction. Mary Rowlandson was captured in 1676 and remained a captive for three months before the requested ransom was paid. Rowlandson had very different experiences from James Smith with the Indians. At her capture, she witnessed the Indians killing or harming many in her family. Rowlandson, herself, suffered a gunshot wound. James Smith was also harmed when first captured by the Indians; however, he had been aided by French doctors. Mary Rowlandson dealt with her gunshot wound on her own. She also had to carry her sick child for six days before the child passed away. Rowlandson was not able to read freely in front of the Indians, she was not given a fair share of th e food, and was often forced to find other Indian tribes to spend the night with, or to receive food from. Rowlandson was sometimes allowed to go and meet with family members who were with neighboring tribes. Compared to James Smith’s experiences, Mary Rowlandson had it tough when she was a captive of the Indians. Gender had a major effect on how the captives were treated. Native Americans often captured women because they were easier to capture, could bring in more ransom, and the Indians also believed that the women would be easier to control. Mary Rowlandson had to make clothes for others in order to either trade with them or to get money that she could then use to obtain food with. James Smith, on the other hand, was able to go out and hunt for the food he needed. The food that he and his fellow Indians gathered was evenly divided amongst the tribe. Rowlandson, however, was treated better by some tribes than the one she was being held captive in. Some Indians from other tribes would offer her food or opportunities to get money or goods that she needed. This was likely due to the fact that women had more powers and were more respected in some Indian tribes. Smith was expected to help and fend for himself while Rowlandson was often provided with food, though it was not a fair share and was often not of the same value that Smith’s was. Overall, Mary Rowlandson was treated disrespectfully, unfairly, and as though she was inferior. Rowlandson had to fight harder to live, as her food was often stolen and her religion, her greatest hope and strength, was frowned upon during her captivity. Religiously, Mary Rowlandson was affected more than James Smith. Mary Rowlandson was very religious. Rowlandson was married to a minister of Lancaster. Mary Rowlandson’s faith and religion were the only things that kept her going during her captivity. The only thing she had to look forward to was reading her bible, though she had to do it secretly because once, her mistress caught her reading it, grabbed it out of her hands, and threw it ou tside. Rowlandson recovered her bible, but from then on she read it more secretly. Mary Rowlandson believed that all of the trials that she survived and the blessings that she received were from God. Rowlandson wrote of leaving her captivity, â€Å"I have been in the midst of those roaring lions and savage bears that feared neither God nor man nor the devil, by night and day, alone and in company, sleeping all sorts together, and yet not one of them ever offered the least abuse of unchastity to me in word or action; though some are ready to say I speak it for my own credit; but I speak it in the presence of God, and to His glory. God’s power is as great now as it was to furnace. Especially that I should come away in the midst of so many hundreds of enemies and not a dog move his tongue.† Mary Rowlandson often quoted bible verses, one being Psalsms 27: â€Å"Wait on the Lord.† Rowlandson used this particular verse to persuade another captive against trying to escape and run away. and metaphorically related her experiences to stories of the bible .Mary Rowlandson depended upon her religion to survive her captivity. Without, her faith, religion, and God, Mary Rowlandson would have had no hope, no reason to go on, or no encouragement to persevere through her captivity. James Smith was not extremely religious. Unlike Mary Rowlandson, James Smith did not depend upon religion to survive his captivity with the Indians. The Indians that Smith was with did not mind him practicing his own religion and they did not force their religion upon him. James Smith was, towards the end of his captivity, traveling with an Indian by the name of Tecaughretanego and his son Nunganey. After Smith laughed at Tecaughretanego’s religious ceremonies, Tecaughretanego said to him, â€Å"Brother,–I have somewhat to say to you, and I hope you will not be offended when I tell you of your faults. You know that when you were reading your books in town I would not let the boys or any one disturb you; but now, when I was praying, I saw you laughing. I do not think that you look upon praying as a foolish thing; I believe you pray yourself. But perhaps you may think my mode or manner of praying foolish; if so, you ought in a friendly manner to instruct me, and not make sport of sacred things.† Smith learned a lot about the Indians’ religion through his experiences with them and learned to respect their beliefs. Though the experiences of James Smith and Mary Rowlandson were very different, neither story will ever be forgotten. Perhaps that was their purpose for recording their exploits. The differences in their stories can be attributed to their sex, religion, and captors. Had Mary Rowlandson not been female, religious, or captured by the Indians she was, her story may have been very different. Also, for James Smith, had he not been male or taken by the Indians he was his story would have been completely altered. The qualities, beliefs, and characteristics of Mary Rowlandson and James Smith were essentially what saved their lives.

Weekly summary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Weekly summary - Assignment Example Dysfunctional conflicts, however, inhibit performance as they suppress employees’ abilities. Therefore, organizations should change their view that conflict is always bad, and embrace functional conflicts that promote organizational performance. Given that most organizations operate through teams, many team dynamics arise as employees work together. This process brings many people together, who possess different views on similar issues. Consequently, conflicts dominate teams on a daily basis. However, the leadership of these teams contributes significantly to shaping the outcomes of the conflicts. The team that the U.S government hired, for example, displayed conflict. Some members shed light on the possibility of Osama not being in the target area, while others were optimistic that he could be found there. This conflict made the team to invent creative ways of dealing with the mission. They planned the operation in a manner that considered the two possibilities, leading to an effective venture (Robbins & Judge 2013). As a manager, this incidence provides me with invaluable insight. I appreciate the involvement of teams in solving organizational problems. I realize that many hands can be better than one, and taking into account the opinions of other employees’ yields great results. More to these, I believe that functional conflicts play a productive role in the work place as long as the leaders handle them

Samsung Marketing Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Samsung Marketing Principles - Essay Example The present research has identified that the principles that marketers work with are together with product/service quality and value, competitiveness in innovation, the value of a brand name, understanding the competitors and consumers as well as better market research. The Samsung Corporation specializes in electronics among other products and has been viewed as among the global ‘giants’ in the industry together with the likes of Apple Corporation and others. The corporation has grown to command a global effect since its formation with much of its strength being noted in strategic and effective ‘product life cycle’, effective ‘pricing mechanisms’, high rates of diversification as well as improved and better quality products. Besides, the corporation has been very strategic in marketing practices which have enabled the company effectively capture a global market segment through wonderful and high quality in products, high levels of innovation, h igh brand value and the better understanding of prevailing market environment through market research. Moreover, the corporation adopts great advertising slogans which include the Galaxy ‘S’ slogan ‘The Next Big Thing is Already Here’ and the ‘just like you have been there’ which have been most effective in marketing the company’s products across the globe. Over years, the company has effectively been designing and introducing to market advanced products as seen through the product evolution of the company. In the early years of the formation of Samsung group, it specialized in the production of black and white TVs, later came the color and later incorporated the digital productions. Besides, the corporation has diversified on the product line to include not only the TVs but also fridges, phones, and computer applications among others. Nevertheless, as a global player, it is worth noting that the company has had to brave stiff pressure b y competition from other players in the industry such as the Apple Corporation, for the mobile telephones.

Firm Growth and Competitive Advantage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Firm Growth and Competitive Advantage - Essay Example Firm growth may refer to a company’s rate of increase in a broad form of the economy with the ability to increase revenues that are helpful to the industry for a period of time. One time surge in form of revenues cannot be considered as the growth of a firm as this firm growth has to be demonstrated over long periods of time Whenever the discussion about firm growth is started, attention is drawn to major issues such as the theoretical research besides empirical research on the growth of the said firm. The said research further points out that expected rates of growth are quite independent, according to the Gibrat’s Law, from the size of the firm. Different factors have been proved to determine the dynamics of a firm. Firms should, therefore, play a major role in taking a forward step towards growth. More recent studies have pointed out that for the industrial revolution to be facilitated, then learning more about firm growth should be given the center stage for better results. Firms should, therefore, invest more in these learning activities that have a long-lasting effect on the organization’s well being. Ericson and Pakes’s model further states that just staying in the business also proved to provide the firm with relevant information on what exactly they are capable of during their inactive moments. Given the amount is seen from empirical work, the major point of concern should, therefore, be in dealing with some of the problems that arise from the selection of samples and the subsequent processes of censoring these samples after exiting of the firms.

Discuss the usefulness and limitations of financial ratios in Essay - 1

Discuss the usefulness and limitations of financial ratios in evaluating the performance and management of companies - Essay Example 300). The most common ratio is the current ratio/working capital ratio which represents the ratio of current assets to current assets. This ratio shows the company’s capability to meet its short term bills and expenses. Current ratio which is greater than one is more preferred since it means that the company has more current assets than current liabilities. A ratio which is less than one is unfavorable because it means that the company has more current liabilities than assets (Whittington 1980, p. 222). A high current ratio indicates a safety cushion and increases the flexibility since some of the stock items and receivables in arrears may not be easily be converted into cash. Entities can improve current ratio by the conversion of short term debts into long term debt, collecting promptly its receivables, buying inventory when only needed and necessary and paying down all debt. Current ratio is given by: This ratio is often termed as a more stringent liquidity test as it indicates whether a firm has adequate short-term assets to cover for current liabilities and this excludes selling inventory. A ratio of 1:1 shows that that an entity can pay its expenses without being forced to sell inventory (Barnes 1987, p.484). Working capital is a measure of cash flow and for an entity to be running well, this ratio must always be positive. This ratio measures the amount of that has been invested in resources subject to quick turn over. In most cases, lenders use this ratio to evaluate and ascertain the ability of the company at hard times (Whittington 1980, p. 219). In the financial year 2013, easy jet plc had the following liquidity ratios namely, current ratio of 0.89, quick ratio of 0.89 and a cash ratio of 0.75. All these ratios were positive thus favorable for the entity. One major limitation of the liquidity ratios is that they do not focus much on the

Central Banks & other International banks Assignment

Central Banks & other International banks - Assignment Example In some cases, the central government may place restrictions con how to hold and use foreign exchange or how to dispose local currency. 2. What did the central banks do to stabilize the financial systems in 2007–2009? In order to stop the financial crisis, central banks across the world followed plans that were almost parallel inaction. The eurozone, US and Britain central banks cut interest rates almost to zero, injected capital in the markets (through massive stimulus programs) and guaranteed bank lending (Allen, 2008). These actions were taken in a bid to restore investor confidence and liquidity. In some nations, the central governments have endeavored to coordinate debt issuance with an aim of avoiding the destabilization of their financial markets. 3. In an effort to stabilize the financial system how much money, in U.S. dollar equivalent and as a percentage of the country's GDP, did the European Central Bank, Bank of England, Bank of China, and the Federal Reserve put i nto the economy in 2008 and 2009? The Central banks responses to the financial crisis were quick and dramatic. The US pumped close to one trillion USD in total in 2008 and 2009 in two massive stimulus packages. In the final quarter of 2008, the European Central Bank and the US Federal Reserve purchased about 2.5 trillion USD worth of government debt and private assets from banks (Spiegel, 2008). Today, the US has spent about 11 trillion USD to the financial crisis about 9.8 trillion USD going to troubled US corporate entities including JPMorgan Chase and General Motors. About 1.2 trillion USD has been set for use in the countries stimulus programs. Of the 9.8 trillion USD, about 6.4 trillion USD is set to be used in Federal Reserve Rescue Efforts. The Bank of China in 2008pledged to release 586 billion USD in the domestic market to stimulate the country’s economy (Morrison, 2009). 4. How well did each country's efforts work at stabilizing the economy? The central banks of mos t countries have worked in coordination with their counterparts elsewhere cutting short term interest rates. Even the People's Bank of China joined the major economies in cutting interest rates. The central bank interventions worked positively for all the countries in mitigating the effects of the financial crisis. In fact, the effects of the crisis have continued to dwindle over time. 5. What appears to be the major constraint that the central banks used to determine the limits of the monetary injections into the economy? The US assumed a most proactive role in tackling the financial crisis. The Federal Reserve has mainly applied interest rate changes to stop the financial crisis from having greater effects on the economy – more than any other central bank. The bank’s interest rate has been reduced from about 5.3% in September, 2007 to about 1.4% over the last couple of months (Senanayake, 2009). 6. Did the United States use the same or different criteria? Through thi s action, the bank has managed to shelve away worries related to high inflation rates. The US applied interest rate reduction, stimulus packages and a relaxed monetary policy like the other central banks albeit more proactively. By lowering interest rates, the supply of money in the market got to increase thereby reducing inflation and panic in the market. 7. To what extent to do you agree/disagree with the actions of

Net neutrality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Net neutrality - Research Paper Example In 2010, the FCC imposed network neutrality regulations on both wireless and wired broadband-access providers (Hazlett 1). The agency claims that the design of the internet was such that there would be no â€Å"gatekeepers†. Despite there being disputes, the FCC has moved ahead to vote in new rules that will affect the regulation of broadband internet in the U.S. (Kovach). The FCC’s proposal is bad because exercising of unfettered control over people’s use of the internet creates risks to economic and technological growth, and it poses a real threat to freedom of speech and the future of the United States’ democracy (Hazlett 1). Kovach argues that we have two sides in dispute concerning net neutrality. Providers aim at regulating their broad band so that they can utilize it to pursue their own interests to favor their own internet service provision. On the other side, there are the proponents of â€Å"internet neutrality† who believe that in order to foster economic growth and innovation; the government should regulate the internet. The FCC chair’s proposal says that companies which stream content, if they wish, they should be able to pay internet providers for direct access to customers. This will result in increased streaming speeds. The proposal goes ahead to protect companies that cannot or do not want to pay for the direct access to customers. This means that internet service providers (ISPs) will be prohibited from slowing down the streaming speed for those who eat up more bandwidth and treat those services like any other data. This is not the right solution because it gives huge compani es with a lot of money an advantage over the start up companies, which cannot be able to afford paying for direct access to internet users. According to Gustin, the young firms must rely on the certainty of rules that do not discriminate for them to grow, build new technologies and create jobs. In addition, the consumer will also suffer

Struggle and Survival in Colonial America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Struggle and Survival in Colonial America - Essay Example The harsh natural environment in which the native American Indians had lived upon at that time required them to band together for their ultimate survival. This communal basis of society in the native Americans had remained, while the settlers disintegrated. Their concept of a community hinged on common ownership of their lands and common membership in the sacred natural order (Sweet & Nash 18). On the other hand, the European concepts of private property (or termed as a private enterprise) and the individual exploitation of nature for one's own profits, did not allow for the collective modes of behavior observed in native American Indians. The settlers forced the natives to adapt to this lifestyle and forgo community living. The arrival of the first white settlers at the tidewaters of Virginia had divided a tribe of Indians termed collectively as Powhatans. The tribe at Virginia at that time were known as the Algonquian Indians the most famous of which is Pocahontas who had been immortalized in history and literature. Her tribe welcomed the new arrivals, as exemplified by her father but this generosity ushered the decline of their tribe, eventually. It weakened the formerly strong and politically stable Indian settlements of the Powhatan tribes such that they were displaced and marginalized to the point of near extinction (Fausz 21). Some natives tried to resist the Europeans but were soon defeated by the superiority of the white settlers weaponry. The Algonquians were not unanimous in their acceptance into their midst the new settlers like what Opechancanough did.     

The process of International Assignments Essay Example for Free

The process of International Assignments Essay Human resource management (HRM) is a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organization’s most valued assets: the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives. â€Å"HRM aims to help the organization to achieve success through people. As Ulrich and Lake (1990) remark, ’HRM systems can be the source of organizational capabilities that allow firms to learn and capitalize on new opportunities’. HRM is concerned with both meeting human capital requirements and the development of process capabilities: in other words, the ability to get things done effectively†1. These strategic goals and objectives are most important and mandatory in a world which becomes more and more global. To be successful, companies have to keep up with their competitors, which usually mean that getting things done effectively is crucial in everything they do. Globalization has brought remarkable developments in the diversity and complexity of International Human Resource Management (IHRM) and management of the global workforce is a critical dimension of companies’ international business. 2 1. 2 Objective of the term paper According to Harvey and Moeller3 there are currently 850,000 subsidiaries of multinational corporations operating globally. Furthermore, 65 per cent of Multinational Companies (MNCs) surveyed in a GMAC global relocation survey are expecting expatriate manager numbers to rise steadily over the next decade. Expatriate managers continue to be a viable means for exercising control over foreign operations and they can therefore have a direct impact on organizational performance. 4 Furthermore, international assignments are also the single most expensive per-person investment a company makes in globalizing its workforce, and unfortunately, most firms are getting anaemic returns on this investment. To improve their return, managers must understand the best practices, thinking, and scientific research on international assignments. 5 According to the above fact and the current worldwide growth of the expatriation missions worldwide, this term paper should give an overview of the Process of International Assignments and its importance for internationally operating Companies – with special focus on the Repatriation of Expatriates. 1. 3 Approach First of all, the question is answered on who should be recruited and how the best person possible for the job can be acquired. If a company is not able to find the right candidate internally, personnel are often recruited externally. But this brings along some other problems which should not be left behind, as insufficient commitment or lack of corporate identity and boundaries to the parent company. 6 Once some appropriate candidates for the vacant position are found, companies have to sort out according to the required characteristics and qualifications as well as the official job description, if available. Next, a number of objectives must be incorporated in the design of expatriates’ pay packages when it comes to negotiating and setting up contractual conditions for the future employee. Chapter three therefore deals with elements a contract should consist of as well as compensation itself. If the contract is finally set up and signed, training for the respective employee and proper preparation regarding the international assignment is fundamental. This can ensure the employee’s success as creating a global mind, overall understandings of the expatriates’ coming tasks as well as differences in local and domestic culture are only some of the toughest tasks an expatriate has to face during his international assignment. Preparation and support given by the company are therefore urgently needed, not only in giving information about host country, upcoming tasks and the stay itself but also in regards to questions related to family, friends, home-flights and all other social questions arising. The last stage of a foreign assignment is the process of repatriation. This phase is the most difficult and unpredictable one. The expatriate not only has to arrive and settle down at home, but also in headquarter where things, positions and people might have changed. â€Å"Often when they return home, expatriates face an organization that does not know what they have done for the past several years, does not know how to use their knowledge and does not care†7. As the process of international assignments is very complex and this term paper limited, each chapter only gives a short and simple overview of the single topics summing up important facts and figures submitting general conspectus. 2. Personnel recruitment and selection 2. 1 International staffing strategies Key question to international staffing regards the selection of one of the four different staffing strategies: ethnocentric, polycentric, geocentric or regiocentric. 8 Choosing the right strategy generally depends on different influencing factors like the characteristics of the parent company or foreign company, conditions in the host country as well as individual characteristics of the employee. 2. 1. 1 Ethnocentric staffing The ethnocentric approach usually indicates that companies are satisfied and happy with the strategy of the headquarter and they now try to implement their domestic standards also in the host country. 9 Home personnel are educated to lead worldwide. This means that key positions in domestic and foreign operations are held by Parent Country Nationals (PCNs). 2. 1. 2 Polycentric staffing The polycentric orientation stands in direct contrast to the ethnocentric orientation, being more variable and independent. Evaluation and control is determined locally and therefore a high level of autonomy can be found in those subsidiaries. 10 Local personnel, Host Country Nationals (HCNs), are educated to lead locally. 11 2. 1. 3 Geocentric staffing Following the geocentric staffing approach organizations are generally complex and interdependent worldwide like McDonalds or Apple. Universal standards for evaluation and control apply and nationality does not matter in favour of ability. The best talent educated to lead worldwide. 12 This also implicates working with Third Country Nationals (TCNs). 2. 1. 4 Regiocentric staffing The fourth staffing strategy is a mixture of the polycentric and the geocentric approach. Managers are generally selected on the basis of being the best in the region, with international transfers generally being restricted to regions. This kind of strategy has become more and more popular during the last years with many MNCs choosing to organize operations regionally. 13 2. 2 Personnel recruitment General target of personnel recruitment is to find an appropriate candidate for the right job. This process may be either conducted from outside or inside the company. Both ways of recruitment possess of advantages and disadvantages, but these can only be named exactly in a concrete recruitment case. 2. 2. 1 Internal recruitment There are different ways of internal recruitment. Personnel may be transferred or promoted to the job as an example. Another form is an apprenticeship of young people, having the advantage to shape future personnel right from scratch. Employees may also perform an on-the-job training for their future position or responsibility. 14 According to Scherm recruitment for international assignments within the company is mostly done by above-mentioned promotions or relocation of staff from one facility to another. 15 The advantages of internal recruitment are on hand. Companies know their potential expatriate longer, are used to their behaviour, thinking, skills and company as well as product specific knowledge. This reduces the risk of selecting the wrong candidate. According to the Global Relocation Trends Survey 200916, only 11 % of the expatriates expected to go abroad have been newly recruited externally. Due to the high selection risks, internal recruiting dominates. As basis for the recruitment decision performance measurements, personal reports, interviews with the employee as well as career plans are taken into account. 17 2. 2. 2 External recruitment If qualified personnel cannot be found internally, recruitment is done outside the company. This is also the case if the company is not able to qualify their personnel within a set time frame or due to lack of experienced staff. It is most important that companies know the relevant job market if they want to succeed in recruiting employees externally as well as doing this in an economically way. External recruitment can then be divided into two segments, passive and active external recruitment. Whereas active external recruitment means addressing potential candidates through e. g. different institutions, media or by using social networks, passive external recruiting companies set their emphasis on spontaneous, speculative applications of respective candidates or mouth-to-mouth propaganda of their great company image. 18 In case recruitment for an international assignment is done externally the risk for selecting the wrong candidate is often minimized by outsourcing the task to an external consultant or agency as they generally have more experience. 19 Nevertheless, the traditional ways of searching for the right candidate, e. g. simply advertising the vacancies in the local newspapers or online, employment centres or job fairs, are still applicable. Candidates from outside the company may bring in new ideas and may have a wider range of experience due to their former tasks but the selection process might take longer, might require extensive personnel resources and might be more expensive (e. g. advertising and interview process, personnel consulter). 2. 3 Personnel selection For an international assignment to become a great success for both, company and expatriate, selecting the right candidate out of several is one of the most important steps of the whole process. Several selection strategies are used and quite common but failure situations in individual assignment cases are widely spread in MNCs. 20 In order to make sure that the candidate possesses the right characteristics, qualifications, and skills a detailed job description and information about coming management tasks can be very helpful during this process. Unfortunately, these proper specifications are often not available or only give a rough overview of upcoming challenges. 21 2. 3. 1 Selection criteria A first impression about the population of expatriates provides the demographic data study of the Bookfield Global Relocation Trend Surveys. 22 For 2009 it is stated that 75 % of all expatriates have been aged between 30 and 49 whereas 80 % of them have been male. Only 9 % have had prior experience as international expatriates. 27 % have been single and therefore sent without partner and almost half of them have been sent off together with their kids. 23 Usually the HR Manager selects the expatriate according to the following criteria: A specific or subject-related qualification as the expatriate often has no other specialist on site. Personal characteristics like motivation, discipline, patience, endurance, and readiness to take on responsibility. Cultural openness, willingness to learn and experience new things, open-minded, no resistance to change. Family-related criteria The single criteria may overlap to a certain point. In literature different weightings for all of these criteria exist but they all agree to the fact that Family and Cultural openness should be most taken into account. 24 2. 3. 2 Final selection process and instruments Generally, there are no other specific selection processes or criteria used for finding a candidate for an international assignment than the ones used in national context. Among selection process and criteria four are widely known, starting with the general application documents. Job requirements and the matching candidate personal profile decide in first instance who is to be invited to a personal interview. If it is decided to recruit a candidate internally, generally the previous career and the internal development of the employee are taken into account. Often, prior to an invitation to a personal interview, candidates have to successfully take part in an assessment centre focusing more and more on intercultural competences like empathy, cultural understanding, behaviour etc. 25 It is seen as an advantage of the external assessment of intercultural competence in intercultural assessment centres that the requirement regarding the behaviour and orientation are high and the candidates will be evaluated by several observers over a longer period. 26 In addition to this, personal interviews, together with wife or husband of the respective expatriate are increasing as it is important that they support and understand situation and coming tasks. They can help the expatriate to stay grounded and sometimes they even move with the expatriate to the new country. Last, tests can be used as a selection technique ranging from general mental ability tests to psychological tests. Finally, neither in literature nor in practice a general opinion which of the above mentioned selection processes and criteria are most appropriate or useful in regards to international assignments or the identification of intercultural competent employees exist. 27 3. Contractual conditions of the employment abroad 3. 1 Objectives of a contract No matter if a company operates nationally or internationally, the contract of an employee should be compliant with labour law standards, offer transparency and motivate staff in order to decrease fluctuation. Further, it should provide the legal and financial frame work of the working relation and last but not least should be economical and cost effective for the company. Protection of human life, health, and comfort by creating a strong and cohesive culture as well as safe working environment should been given highest priority and objective of contracts. 3. 2 Compensation Depending on the international orientation of the company as well as kind and duration of the international assignment there are three different compensation policies which can be differentiated, following below. 3. 2. 1 Ethnocentric compensation policy The Ethnocentric compensation policy is often used in combination with the Balance Sheet Approach: During a short-term assignment (delegation, 1 to 5 years)28, the employee retains his residence in the home country. His family usually stays back there, as moving those with the expatriate would exceed costs. The salary is paid by the parent company in the currency of the country of origin and charges can be passed on to the foreign company if applicable. The employee remains employee of the parent company and retains his employment contract. A supplementary agreement to this contract is set up for all specialties such as tasks, duration, home flights, remuneration vacation etc. 29 About 60 % of German companies are using this compensation policy for their assignments. 30 Advantages are on hand: The expatriate can maintain home country living standards and generally receives a surplus for the additional future challenges and efforts. Therefore, this approach is accepted by most employees. Disadvantages for the company are sometimes massive compensation differences within a country e. g. the salary of a PCN might be considerably higher as that of a HCN. This fact might de-motivate local employees. Furthermore, the ethnocentric compensation policy is complex in administration. 31 3. 2. 2 Regiocentric compensation policy The Regiocentric compensation policy is often used in combination with the Going Rate Approach: During long-term assignment (relocation, 1 to 5 years)32 compensation is based on the Host Country. As the term ‘relocation’ already says, the employee gets directly involved in the foreign company. Usually, the family moves with the expatriate to the hospitable country and the salary is paid in the local currency directly by the foreign company. However, there are ways to still pay out a part of the salary in the currency of the home country, if desired. The existing contract with the parent company is brought to rest. The employment relationship however is not cancelled just like during military service or parental leave. At the termination of employment abroad the contractual ties between employee and parent company come back to life again. 33 Currently, approximately 11 % of German companies are using this compensation policy for their assignments. 34 Advantages are quite obvious: As the salary of the expatriates is linked to the salary structure of the host country salaries might be less costly in low-wage countries. Further the approach encourages equality between locals and expatriates and the identification with the host country. Due to an expected change in the living standards as well as huge variation between the expatriates’ salaries in different countries this approach is often very low accepted by expatriates. 35 3. 2. 3 Global compensation policy The global compensation policy neither considers the standards of the parent country nor those of the host country. Compensation is set globally and independently from other countries. This approach should provide the basis for an international remuneration policy. It should fit into corporate identity and should give international expatriates of MNC the opportunity to gain international experiences on the same level, offering transparency and the same salaries worldwide. Although corporate guidelines for a compensation policy often exist, they can hardly be found in the above described pure form but are being mixed up as due to costs and laws in the host countries compensation policies often require adjustment. 36 4. Preparation and support In order to make the international assignment a huge success for both the candidate and the company there are several measures which can be taken to prepare and support the expatriate. Support is an on-going process and done by superiors, responsible persons or agencies. It does only end after repatriation whereas the preparation phase should start directly after recruitment and ends with the expatriate departing. According to Festing, training and support have to take the process of cultural adjustment into account, and can therefore be divided into the phases described below37. 4. 1 â€Å"Pre-Departure† Training Preparation and training can help to improve the ability to interact effectively and adequately with foreigners in working and non-working environments38. An ideal pre-departure preparation is therefore quite necessary. This preparation should enhance knowledge about cultural, political, legal, economic, and social conditions of the host country and provides the expatriate with all general information. If the expatriate is not fluent in the host country language, foreign language instructions and trainings should be offered. Other practices of pre-departure training include look-and-see-trips, orientation by lectures and briefings, cross-cultural trainings in order to understand why foreign partners think and behave in different ways as well as briefings by returnees who can give the expatriate valuable and important insider information. These pre-departure trainings should be extended to the expatriates’ family wherever possible and necessary. 39 4. 2 â€Å"Start-upâ€Å" Training After departure of the expatriate, the start-up training in the host country begins. The parent company helps the expatriate and his or her family in different forms (coping with the adaptation to a foreign environment, accommodation, school for children, safeguarding the interests of the expatriate in the parent company etc. ) and continues to be present. The intensity of the support varies depending on the resources and systems the different MNCs have implemented. A mentor system is most common and should ensure that each expatriate has been assigned a senior executive at home or on-site, who has a â€Å"parent† function. 40 Furthermore, a detailed employee orientation plan for the new position in the host country can be helpful for the expatriate to find his or her way around. The continuous and direct contact to the headquarter during this stage is crucial as the expatriates should still feel connected to the company and not be left behind. Often expatriates continue to learn the language of the new country in local courses, receive specific further trainings or coaching either by experts from the parent company or by local trainers. 4. 3 â€Å"Cultural shock preventionâ€Å" Training As adoption of new thoughts and behaviours of a new culture and situation requires more time than any cross-cultural training program can offer the expatriate in advance during this stage the expatriate requires extensive support. As expatriates tend to see everything more from a touristic point of view first, they finally arrive in the host country. They easily get frustrated or disappointed by a variety of things (language barriers, behavioural differences, climate etc. ) during this stage and the experience of unpredictability in combination with the feeling of abandonment and isolation possibly comes over the expatriate and his or her family. Helpful during this stage is the assigned mentor. The expatriate can talk with the mentor about his or her feelings and share information and experience. An information exchange with other expatriates is also advantageous as they often understand problems, feelings, and thoughts better as the mentor. If the expatriate is accompanied by his or her family and the spouse does not work during the international assignment, cultural adaptation difficulties are quite more problematic and more intense than the expatriates’. 41 5. Repatriation 5. 1 Reintegration Generals â€Å"When the expatriate is sent abroad he expects the new, unknown situation and the problems involved. But when he returns to his home country, he encounters it completely unexpected†42. This statement of Adler still describes the situation an expatriate often has to face when returning to the home country very well. They have left with a special task or order to complete but when they return they often do not exactly know how their position in the headquarter and their life will look like. Further problems are often connected to the duration of the assignment, the expatriates personal experiences made in the host country, cultural differences on-site and abroad, the expatriates personal situation as well as the repatriation support. 43 Therefore, it is hard to find a general recipe for successful reintegration planning. Individual solutions have to be found and every international assignment and expatriate has to be looked after individually. â€Å"The repatriation of staff into the parent company already starts with the selection and preparation decisions for the foreign assignment. The reintegration does not end with the return to the parent company and is not completed until the staff has been introduced to its new position in the company’s headquarters, performs effectively and feels comfortable with his job†44. In order for the expatriate to reintegrate successfully and not to quit the company after the assignment and a consequent loss for the mother company of investment and expertise (human capital), the reintegration process should be divided into the three stages following below. 5. 2 Before expatriation Already before the international assignment has taken place it should be discussed with the expatriate what he or she expects of a future position, how the expatriate would like to develop, how the expatriate sees the future career as well as tasks. This is often done by the mentor of the expatriate for the international assignment. As the expatriation program is very expensive and time consuming for a company, failure rate or the possibility of the expatriate leaving the company after the assignment should be eliminated. Generally, an employee, who is willing to work and live for probably years in a foreign country, with all personal consequences, should be integrated into an internal performance program, right at the beginning of the assignment. Setting up an agreement outlining the type of position expatriates will be placed in upon repatriation, the compensation and a general idea of their future job description should be arranged prior to going abroad. 45 Another possibility to limit reintegration problems is the idea to limit the assignment in its duration in advance to about 3-5 years. This limitation should prevent the expatriate from getting too attached to the way of living, behaviour, values, and culture of the host country and facilitate repatriation upon return. 46 It is seen as advantageous that the expatriate is able to foresee a concrete end to the assignment. 47 5. 3 During expatriation During the assignment, it is important that the expatriate has continuous contact and an on-going information exchange with the home office. This can be done by the mentoring program itself, regular home flights, company newsletters, information exchange platforms, and media like intranet or weekly telephone conferences with superiors and colleagues. 48 The expatriate should feel as a part of the company and should also be able to develop a worldwide network, learn to think global, and actively exchange information, knowledge and experience with other colleagues and expatriates. There should never come up the feeling to be forgotten or left behind. 5. 4 After expatriation As indicated by Johnston, from the repatriate’s perspective problems associated with reintegrating into the home country are loss of status, loss of autonomy, loss of career direction, and a feeling that the company undervalues international experience. 49 In order to avoid these problems, most MNCs offer a reorientation program where their repatriates take part in. These reorientation programs can provide immediate help in most of the work-related questions arising after expatriation. The repatriate is given information on new products, organizational changes, personnel, corporate culture, market and new strategies and developments. Sometimes also an experience exchange with former expatriates takes place in order to facilitate reintegration and manage the reverse culture shock as well as sudden change in lifestyle. The former expatriates can help the repatriates to cope with their new experiences as they have been mainly through the same. Additionally, repatriates are often used to train and coach colleagues that are about to begin their assignments to share their experience and give the expatriate the perception that their work and international expertise is valued, recognized, and needed. This should avoid professional disappointment and under-utilization of newly developed global skills of the expatriates. The new position of the repatriate should fit to newly developed skills and experience or the former position should be extended but not restricted to nine-to-five work. Career deficits upon returning should be compensated by HR training methods. Social repatriation measures also include support in the adjustment back to social lifestyle, status, housing, financial counselling, and tax assistance, school systems and children’s education as well as spouses new job search, if applicable. 50 6. Conclusion 6. 1 Target achievement â€Å"Expatriation is an important step towards becoming a global leader†51. Furthermore, an international assignment is a powerful experience in shaping the perspective and capabilities of effective global leaders. People are the key to success; they are the ones behind the strategy. Developing and retaining human capital becomes more and more important nowadays. â€Å"During expatriation, managers find the opportunity to acquire and/or master their coping, cross-cultural communication, conflict resolution, negotiation, networking, and coaching skills. They also develop business, technical, and managerial competencies while overseas, where they have to adapt to a variety of roles such as integrator, balancer, change agent, mentor/motivator, and talent developer. If international assignments are important to global leadership development, then this opportunity should be given early in a manager’s life†52. Additionally to give mangers and/or employees the opportunity to international assignments they have to be prepared and supported to become successful. This term paper points out that cross-cultural training, support, preparation, and repatriation training can make a difference in the history of successes of international assignments of MNCs, although it is mainly underestimated. Employees are hired everywhere in the world, wherever the necessary skills, training and experience can be found. Due to time pressure, employees are often sent to foreign countries on very short notice. Furthermore, there is still a prevalent belief that intercultural knowledge and skills are not really essential to success when collaboration with foreigners. In addition to this ignorance, there are doubts about the training effectiveness. Managers are frequently not convinced that cross-cultural training is really an effective means for gaining control of the complex issues of international cooperation. These facts make it somehow quite difficult to progress in the international assignment process. 53 6. 2 Prospects Today, an international assignment is more than only vacation abroad. The learning-by-doing approach had become outdated. In order to keep up with internationalization, companies should focus on developing global leaders and therefore structure their IHRM process quite well. This includes a strategic expatriation and repatriation policy as losing repatriates to the competition will sooner or later create a huge competitive risk and already costs the company quite a lot of money. In order to progress and ameliorate the international assignment process however, companies have to conduct further research in some fields. This starts with selecting the right candidate for the job. How does the job look like in detail and which requirements are set? How long should the assignment exactly take and what are the specific goals? A concrete job description is one step forward to a structured IHRM process. If the expatriate e. g. is accompanied by the spouse, which possibilities does the company have to find an adequate job for both in the same region (dual career couples)? If it would be possible to enhance satisfaction of the spouse of the expatriate, this might also reduce the risk of failure of the assignment. The same question is to be asked upon their return. Furthermore, research is also needed with regard to the question of how the allocation of the position the expatriate will receive upon return can be planned and implemented in the long run. The expatriate should have the impression that career planning is well structured and thought-out. Another question could be how expatriates are able to successfully pass on their knowledge generated abroad, in their home company. Organisational learning should be most important as otherwise the expensive purchased knowledge is lost and worthless. The above named questions are only several which could arise during each company’s individual research and amelioration process. List of references Adler, N. J. (1986): International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior, Boston 1986 Armstrong, M. (2003): A handbook of human resource management practice, 9th edition, Kogan Page Limited, London 2003 Bergemann, N. , Sourisseaux, A. L. 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(2002): Toward the boundaryless career: a closer look at the expatriate career concept and the perceived implications of an international assignment, in: Journal of World Business, 2002, 37. Jg. , Nr. 3, pp. 216-227 Trends Survey 2009: Toronto et al. : Brookfield Global Relocation Services Wagner, D. , Zander, E. , Hauke, C. (1992): Handbuch der Personalleitung: Funktionen und Konzeptionen der Personalarbeit im Unternehmen, Munchen 1992 Weber, W. , Festing, M. , Dowling, P. , Schuler, R. (2001): Internationales Personal-Management, 2. Auflage, Wiesbaden 2001 Declaration in lieu of oath I hereby declare that I produced the submitted paper with no assistance from any other party and without the use of any unauthorized aids and, in particular, that I have marked as quotations all passages, which are reproduced verbatim or nearby-verbatim from publications. Also, I declare that the submitted print version of this term paper is identical with its digital version. 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