Monday, September 30, 2019

Research project would †Library System Essay

First and foremost I offer my sincerest gratitude to our professor Mr. Marlon M. Sumait who has supported me throughout my thesis with his patience and knowledge. In my daily work I have been blessed with a friendly and cheerful classmate and friends who helped me in the field of data collection and programming my system. Special thanks to my cousin Richard S. Pasuquin (Web developer at IT Easy software Solution at Quezon City Philippines) for the providence in my thesis in the field of codes and some encodings made. INTRODUCTION Schools set the various pedagogical changes to achieve the current level of education in other countries. Because of the growing numbers of computer users, this became an effective medium to demonstrate the knowledge and skills of the students. From the traditional searching process for the books in the libraries, the interactive usage of computers can be now addressed as part of the library system. Background and Problem Statement In the aim of the universities to supply the necessary materials to their students, the idea of library management system is introduces. This involves the utilization for processing, accessing and retrieving the information that can effectively support the process of student’s learning, decision- making and scholastically approaches. Because of the organized approach and systematic management of the information, the accessibility and retrieval in the library can be easy. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER TITLE PAGE Title Page – i Acknowledgement – ii Table of Contents – iii Scope And Delimitation – iv I. Introduction – 1 1.1 Relevant Findings – 2 1.2 Statement of the Problem – 3 Objective (Significance of Study) 1.3 Methodology – 4 II. Structure of Thesis 1.4 Data Flow Diagram – 5 1.5 Case Study(Library System Codings)- 6 1.5.0 LOG IN FORM CODINGS – 7 1.5.1 MAIN FORM CODINGS – 8-9 1.5.2 BOOK LIST – 10-11 1.5.3 ADDING BOOKS – 12-13 1.5.4 CHOOSE STUDENT – 14-15 1.5.5 BORROWING BOOKS – 16-19 1.5.6 EDIT BOOKS – 20-21 1.5.7 RETURNED BOOKS – 22-23 1.5.7 ADDING USER’S – 22-23

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Nazi police unit

In Ordinary Men, Christopher Browning uses the example of one particularly brutal Nazi police unit in occupied Poland to explain how a group of seemingly normal individuals could participate in some of World War II’s worst atrocities. By examining the mixed reactions they showed as they carried out their orders, Browning rejects the most common arguments as to why they complied with the Final Solution and asserts that a combination of factors motivated ordinary men to become mass murderers.Reserve Police Battalion 101, a unit of the German Order Police (or â€Å"Orpo†), played a significant role in the Final Solution by serving as an occupation force in eastern Europe, rounding up Jews and political enemies of the Nazis, helping deport them to labor and death camps, and killing over 38,000 Jews between early 1942 and the end of 1943 (191). Its ranks grew from 56,000 in 1933, when the Nazis assumed control and created an extra tier of internal security, to over 300,000 b y 1942, when the Final Solution was implemented (4-7).Browning makes clear that the unit, which formed in Hamburg in early 1942, was not comprised of fanatical Nazis, rabid anti-Semites, or marginal members of society. The officers were mainly middle-class merchants and professionals (with some party members and only two members of the SS among them), while the ranks comprised blue-collar men who were not devout Nazis. Clearly, the men who committed mass murder were not marginal, violent criminals but solid citizens who were somehow transformed. The â€Å"Community† (Battalion 101)The battalion’s early operations reveal its ambivalence about its mission in Poland. The unit’s commander, Major Wilhelm Trapp, initially anguished over the orders to kill rather than simply deport Polish Jews, and its first major atrocity, the Jozefow Massacre of 13 July 1942, was hardly a coldly efficient operation by steely-nerved Nazis. The event, in which a Polish village’s 300 able-bodied Jewish men were deported to a labor camp while its 1,500 Jewish women, children, and elderly were gunned down, handled it inefficiently and with significant emotional division.Beset by drinking and sloppy methods, the unit took much of the day to carry out their orders and was initially ambivalent about the entire premise of their mission. Trapp even gave his troops the choice to refrain from the killing, which twelve did; over the next year, about twenty percent of the unit either never killed Jews or initially did but stopped. Browning remarks that the few who bowed out did so for a variety of reasons.They were so unprepared for the mission that they found it easier to follow orders than to think about their actions; many feared being labeled as â€Å"cowards† or â€Å"weak† by refusing to kill the unarmed; and, though few claimed to be avowed anti-Semites, â€Å"they had at least accepted the assimilation of the Jews into the image of the enemy . . . [that] was killing German women and children by bombing Germany† (73).Trapp adapted to his men’s emotional chaos by sending much smaller groups to kill, avoiding the division and discord and thus making Battalion 101 a more efficient killing operation. Another of its operations, a massacre at Lomazy on 17 August 1942, proved Trapp’s wisdom; the unit’s Second Company, with help from â€Å"Hiwis† (Slavic collaborators with the Nazis), slaughtered 1700 Jews in much less time than the Jozefow killings took.Browning comments, â€Å"Like much else, killing was something one could get used to† (85). Gradually, many of Battalion 101’s members became desensitized and some, like brutal, heavy-drinking Lieutenant Hartwig Gnade, actually came to enjoy their role as murderers. Even the worst were not monolithic Nazi madmen; they were still essentially normal men who struggled with their consciences but ultimately chose to become monsters.Still, despite the unit’s large number of murders and increasing prowess at killing, it was never wholly united and some members, like Lieutenant â€Å"Heinz Buchmann† (a pseudonym, which Browning uses for many of the principal figures), made no secret of their opposition to their actions, but Trapp never disciplined him, even giving Buchmann a transfer and a favorable recommendation later in the war. Also, some of the enlisted men refused to participate, facing some indirect punishments like taunting and unpleasant duties, though none faced serious disciplinary action for their dissent.Browning writes, â€Å"As long as there was no shortage of men willing to do the murderous job at hand, it was much easier to accommodate Buchmann and the men who emulated him than to make trouble over them† (103). In his final chapters, Browning makes clear that the battalion’s members did not consider their actions monstrous; they simply considered it a matter of following orde rs, and a few even thought that the Jews brought their fate on themselves by accepting it so passively.Others believed that murdering unsuspecting victims was humane, because â€Å"a quick death without the agony of anticipation was considered an example of human compassion† (155). When trying to find reasons for why such seemingly average men without violent histories had become such bloodthirsty, ruthless killers, the author weighs the most common of historians’ claims (racism, excessive obedience, the role of propaganda, war’s brutalization, and the bureaucratic division of labor) and argues that none was alone sufficient to cause the unit’s transformation.Instead, he implies that those factors’ combination, along with what author Primo Levi deemed a â€Å"gray zone† of â€Å"ambiguity which radiates out from regimes based on terror and obsequiousness† (187), allowed otherwise normal individuals to be transformed into murderers â⠂¬â€œ and it could possibly happen again to another group of equally â€Å"ordinary† men. REFERENCES Browning, Christopher R. Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Accounting a Level A2 Specimen Paper

Corporate and management accounting Specimen Paper First examination May 2005 Time: 3 hours Materials required for examination Answer Book (AB16) Items included with question papers Accounting paper (AB34) (6 sheets per candidate) Instructions to Candidates Answer FIVE questions, choose TWO from Section A and THREE from Section B. In the boxes on the answer book, write the name of the examining body (London Examinations), your centre number, candidate number, the subject title (Accounting), the paper reference (9011), your surname and signature. Answer your questions in the answer book. Make sure your answers to parts of questions are clearly numbered. Use additional answer sheets if necessary. If the accounting paper provided does not allow you to set out your answer in the way you wish, rule up a page of the answer book to suit your requirements. Information for Candidates The total mark for this paper is 100. The marks for parts of questions are shown in round brackets: e. g. (2). This paper has 7 questions. Calculators may be used. Advice to Candidates Write your answers neatly and in good English. This publication may only be reproduced in accordance with London Qualifications copyright policy.  © 2005 Revised GCE Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level Accounting 8011/9011 – Specimen Papers and Mark Schemes 23 SECTION A Answer TWO questions from this section 1. The balance sheets of Limsol Ltd as at 31 October 2003 and 31 October 2002 were as follows: 31October 2003 Fixed assets (Net) Current assets Stock Debtors Bank ? 127 500 79 500 27 000 234 000 Creditors: due within one year Creditors Proposed dividends 117 000 37 500 154 500 79 500 979 500 78 000 30 000 108 000 177 000 897 000 ? 33 500 102 000 49 500 285 000 ? 900 000 31October 2002 ? 720 000 Creditors: due after one year 10% Debentures 195 000 784 500 90 000 807 000 Issued share capital 750 000 ordinary shares of ? 1 each Reserves Share premium General reserve Profit and loss 750 000 7 500 27 000 784 500 600 000 150 000 57 000 807 000 24======================Revised GCE Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level Ac counting 8011/9011 – Specimen Papers and Mark Schemes Additional Information: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) During the year ended 31 October 2003, fixed assets with a net book value of ? 0 000 were sold for ? 37 500 and fixed assets costing ? 300 000 were purchased. An issue of one bonus share for every four shares held was made on 30 June 2003. To improve the working capital position the directors sanctioned a further issue of debentures on 1 November 2002. An interim dividend of ? 15 000 was paid on 31 May 2003. Required: (a) Prepare a statement reconciling operating profit to net cash inflow or outflow from operations. (13) Prepare a cash flow statement for Limsol Ltd for the year ended 31 October 2003 in accordance with the requirements of FRS 1. 9) â€Å"The management of cash flow is more important than profitability to ensure the survival of a business†. Explain this statement. (4) (Total 26 marks) (b) (c) Revised GCE Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level Accounting 8011/9011 – Specimen Paper s and Mark Schemes 25 2. The balance sheets of Rumba Ltd and Samba Ltd at 31 July 2003 were as follows: Rumba Ltd ? 240 000 93 750 333 750 29 625 31 050 28 950 89 625 50 250 39 375 373 125 225 000 27 000 121 125 373125 Samba Ltd ? 144 000 37 050 181 050 15 675 14 280 7 455 37 410 43 680 (6 270) 174 780 135 000 39 780 174 780 Fixed assets Premises at cost Vehicles at net book value Machinery at net book value Current asssets Stock Debtors Bank Current liabilities Creditors Working capital Financed by: Ordinary shares of ? 1 each Share Premium Profit Loss On 1 August 2003 Combo Ltd was formed, with an authorised capital of 750 000 ordinary shares of ? 1 each, to take over the assets and liabilities of both companies at book value with the exception of: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) The premises of Rumba Ltd were revalued at ? 300 000, and Samba Ltd at ? 180 000. The purchase consideration was settled by issuing to the shareholders of Rumba Ltd and Samba Ltd ordinary shares in Combo Ltd at ? 1. 50 each. Required: (a) Calculate the purchase consideration and the number of shares issued by Combo Ltd. (11) (b) Journal entries to close the books of Rumba Ltd. (Narrations are not required). An extract from the balance sheet of Combo Ltd at 1 August 2003 to show the share capital and reserves. (4) (Total 26 marks) (11) (c) Revised GCE Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level Accounting 8011/9011 – Specimen Papers and Mark Schemes 7 3. The directors of Kaslan Ltd are considering investing in one of two machines to increase production capacity. The details are as follows: Machine Y ? 300 000 120 000 140 000 60 000 30 000 Machine Z ? 300 000 45 000 75 000 180 000 135 000 Capital cost Estimated net profit: Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 The estimated profit is calculated after deducting straight-line depreciation. Both machines will have a life of fo ur years and an estimated scrap value of ? 60 000. The cost of capital is 15%. Present value of ? 1 Year 1 2 3 Q 15% 0. 870 0. 756 0. 658 0. 572 All costs and revenues occur at the end of each year. Required: (a) Calculate, for both machines, the: (i) cash flows (6) (ii) pay back period (4) (iii) net present values. (8) 28======================Revised GCE Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level Accounting 8011/9011 – Specimen Papers and Mark Schemes (b) Using your answer to (a), state with reasons, which machine you would recommend the directors of Kaslan Ltd to purchase. (5) The accounting rate of return method of investment appraisal has one advantage, it is simple to calculate. State three disadvantages. 3) (Total 26 marks) (c) Revised GCE Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level Accounting 8011/9011 – Specimen Papers and Mark Schemes 29 SECTION B Answer THREE questions from this section 4. Dynamic Ltd has an authorised capital of 100 000 ordinary shares of ? 1 each which had been issued in full. In accordance with the required procedures the authorised capital was increased to 200 000 shares. The directors deci ded to issue to the public a further 75 000 shares as follows: ? 0. 30 0. 70 0. 50 Application Allotment (Including premium) First and Final Call Applications were received for 112 500 shares. Applications for 15 000 shares were rejected and the monies refunded. The 75 000 shares were alloted on a pro-rata basis, the surplus application money was applied to the amount due on allotment. The total due on allotment was received in full. The amount due on the first and final call was also received in full. Required: (a) Show the ledger accounts to record the above transactions. (A bank account is not required). (10) Give three advantages to a company and its shareholders of making a rights issue. (6) (Total 16 marks) (b) 0======================Revised GCE Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level Accounting 8011/9011 – Specimen Papers and Mark Schemes 5. Patel Ltd manufactures three products, X, Y and Z.  · The standard time for each unit produced is: X Y Z  · 12 hours 9 hours 16 hours Labour details: Actual direct labour hours worked 9 251. Standard hourly rate of pay ? 6. Actual wages ? 55 320.  · During August the act ual output was: X Y Z 320 units 260 units 180 units Required: (a) (b) Calculate the standard hours of actual output. (2) Calculate the following variances: (i) (ii) (iii) (c) Total direct labour variance.

Friday, September 27, 2019

REGULATION, COMPLIANCE AND GOVERNANCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

REGULATION, COMPLIANCE AND GOVERNANCE - Essay Example The essay highlights on similarities and dissimilarities between the failures of Enron and Northern bank. Regulations that are introduced for addressing such corporate failures are also discussed. Enron Corporation was an esteemed energy provider company, which had its headquarters in Houston, Texas. Prior to the period of December 2001, Enron had enjoyed a prosperous position in the United States (US) and achieved the seventh position for being the most innovative firm operating worldwide. The main problem for Enron had surfaced from wrong and questionable practices followed therein. The company desired to expand its territory and operations through diversification of the products as well as introduction of online trading. Nevertheless, following its success, Enron breached the usual practices that are prevalent in the industry. Instead of acting as a broker between the sellers and buyers, the company traded in products and gas. This fact indicated that purchasers bought the products and gas from Enron directly, whereas the latter bought the same directly from suppliers (The Economist Newspaper Limited, 2014). Hence, it can be stated that continuity of business operations wa s solely dependent on proper credit rating. Eventually, when the credit rating of Enron dropped drastically, the sellers and buyers stopped the trade. The board of Enron had devised a very risky strategy, which could not be undertaken by the security of the company, given that there was a drastic slump in credit rating and consequently, in the trade (The Economist Newspaper Limited, 2014). Enron had devised another strategy by appointing Special Purpose Entities (SPEs), which were basically a third party who collected investment funds from companies and people. Even though these entities were not directly related to Enron, yet the latter was the guarantor of payment for the borrowed funds. This process was executed by offering shares to the investors. It was observed

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Human Recource Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Recource Managment - Essay Example What’s more, exchange of information is critical in creating competitive advantage for organizations. Since numerous markets are somewhat flooded with many organizations making efforts towards similar core competencies, firms are forced to enhance their information dissemination in order to produce a sustainable competitive advantage. The information age and its revolution has budged organizations away from being nearsightedly concerned with the utilization of tangible assets towards a holistic and unwavering interest in leveraging intangible assets, such as the management of information dissemination as a way of ensuring that competitive advantage is developed. Impact on business Dissemination of business information is a source of competitive advantage. Dissemination of information facilitates communication across all organizational boundaries, such that the entire business is able to seize the available opportunities and address its challenges by bringing all the stakeholde rs on board. In view of this, managers are able to use information dissemination as a tool of fostering productive and collaborative exchange between employees. With effective dissemination of knowledge, businesses are able to increase influential decisions significantly, since all the origination’s stakeholders are able to gain access to important strategic opinions, instead of holding such information on the hands of high-level management only. What’s more, by allowing employees to have access to each other, those who have the most current information are able to share it with those who derives benefit from it, rather than going through upright channels of upper management. In view of this, the organization is able to make quick decisions and implement them successfully. Integration of technology and HR Since Human Resources are one of the most critical assets in an organization, it is important that its adoption of technology is at the same level with marketing, pro duction or finance. This includes automation of performance appraisal systems, payroll, and employee benefits. Furthermore, deployment and management of technology in an effective way, means that any business organization would require knowledge workers, and it is the responsibility of HR function to manage the knowledge workers. This makes integration of technology and HR a must. Therefore, the point on adoption of technology in HR is very important because it is about efficiency of Human Resources, which is a very important tool for competitive advantage. Impact on business Integration of technology and HR facilitates harmonious, complementing and enhanced co-existing of business functions. While technology plays an important role in enhancing effectiveness of HR, adoption and managing of change is enhanced by HR that is brought about by the technology. Integrating technology and HR functions leads to successful business strategy execution, employees’ contribution, administ rative efficiency and capacity for change. All these are fulfilled through the contribution of workers, including development, staffing, benefits, compensation, highly performing teams, among others. Actually, technology is bringing about the highest number of changes in the HR market. Besides, implementing of Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) has a strong impact on business excellence, since this reduces

Opera Report-Carmen(Bizet) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Opera Report-Carmen(Bizet) - Essay Example The hall size was medium to large and has a capacity of holding 2,967 people plus has room for the orchestra pit and main stage. The theater had chandeliers and a set of fine arts accents making the event seem more formal. The audience followed through with the formal occasion and the atmosphere that was noted from the dresses worn included fancier and wealthy looking clothing. These combined aspects made the atmosphere serious and created a different setting for the event. The name of the liberettist was Nino Surguladze and plays the role of Carmen from the 1875 opera written by Bizette. The opera is set in Spain where Surguldaze plays a gypsy that smuggles items. The opposing voice is Richard Leech, who plays the tenor in the opera as Don Jose. There is also the part of Micaela, a soprano played by Talise Trevigne and which acts as the fiance of Don Jose. Wayne Tigges, the second tenor, plays the man in which Carmen falls in love with and which leads to her final tragedy. The perfo rmance forces that are associated with this include an orchestra. The opera program follows the main names of those who are in the opera as well as in the orchestra. The program is also inclusive of the main plot line and the concepts related to the performance. There is also a section for sponsors, donations and affiliations that are a part of the opera and which provided support for the presentation. ... However, the details of the performance and the various understandings of each of the musical pieces, despite translations being available, were difficult to follow because of the language differences and atmosphere of the theater. Before going to the performance, I didn’t read about the work or other information from an approved source. Most of the performance aspects were unfamiliar to me, such as what to expect, how the opera would be, what the setting would be and the approach which would be taken. The performance conventions which surprised me were based on my unfamiliarity with the opera and the plot of Carmen. I didn’t know that it would be in French or would have the amount of work which went into the various pieces. I also had assumed that opera was based more on the singing; however, this particular style used a large amount of acting and movement on the stage. This was refreshing; however, it was also unexpected. The musical and dramatic elements that were in the opera were based on the characteristics of being in Spain and belonging to the Gypsy race. This is heard from the beginning overture and leads throughout the various works. The first example of this is â€Å"Habanera,† in which Carmen announces her love to the village. The main element is the rhythm, which keeps a Spanish dance beat of 1, 3, 4 with a slight accent on the â€Å"and† between the 3 and 4. This is combined with the simplistic melody which follows over this and which is led by Carmen. During this point, the lighting is strong and depicts happiness with the dancing and announcement which Carmen makes. The second example of music which follows this characteristic is â€Å"Toreador Song† also known as the drinking song. When hearing the orchestra, there is a

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Deism as a Worldview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Deism as a Worldview - Essay Example divine revelations and holy books of revealed religion. Essentially, through the use of Reason, a belief in God is determined by the observation of the order and complexity found in nature and our own personal experiences of nature. The nature of God has been a point of contention for Deism because it has been defined as a religion that acknowledges a specific nature of God but in actuality it does not and leaves it up to the individual Deist to determine what they believe that nature to be. Overall, Deism is not a hard concept to understand as Deists use Reason and rational thought to develop their view on God, morals and life. [3] History : Deistic thinking has existed since ancient times (e.g., in philosophers such as Heraclitus and most especially Plato, who envisaged God as the Demiurge or 'craftsman') and in many cultures. The word Deism is generally used to refer to the movement toward natural theology or freethinking that occurred in 17th-century Europe, and specifically in Britain. Natural theology is a facet of the revolution in world view that occurred in Europe in the 17th century.[4] The 17th century saw a remarkable advance in scientific knowledge: the scientific revolution. The work of Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo destroyed the old notion that the earth was the center of the universe and showed that the universe was incredibly larger than ever imagined. These discoveries posed a serious challenge to biblical authority and to the religious authorities, Galileo's condemnation for heresy being an especially visible example. In consequence, the Bible came to be seen as authoritative on matters of faith and morals but no longer authoritative (or meant... Deistic thinking has existed since ancient times and in many cultures. The word Deism is generally used to refer to the movement toward natural theology or freethinking that occurred in 17th-century Europe, and specifically in Britain. Natural theology is a facet of the revolution in a worldview that occurred in Europe in the 17th century. The 17th century saw a remarkable advance in scientific knowledge: the scientific revolution. The work of Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo destroyed the old notion that the earth was the center of the universe and showed that the universe was incredibly larger than ever imagined. These discoveries posed a serious challenge to biblical authority and to the religious authorities, Galileo's condemnation for heresy being an especially visible example. In consequence, the Bible came to be seen as authoritative on matters of faith and morals but no longer authoritative (or meant to be) on matters of science. Isaac Newton's discovery of universal gravitati on explained the behavior both of objects here on earth and of objects in the heavens. It promoted a worldview in which the natural universe is controlled by laws of nature. This, in turn, suggested a theology in which God created the universe, set it in motion controlled by natural law, and retired from the scene. The new awareness of the explanatory power of universal natural law also produced a growing skepticism about such religious staples as miracles (i.e., violations of natural law) and about books, such as the Bible, that reported them.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Immigrants Health Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Immigrants Health Literacy - Essay Example Low literacy levels among immigrants increases their health risks that may lead to deformities and death. Health literacy is defined as a set of skills and knowledge that one needs to function adequately and effectively in a healthcare environment. some of the aspects included in health literacy include the ability to understand verbal and written language especially the English Language. It also encompasses the ability to interpret either verbal or written health information. Despite the importance of health literacy, there are many people who lack such skills and knowledge and it becomes difficult for healthcare providers to provide effective healthcare services for such a group. One of such groups that lack health literacy is immigrants. This happens mostly because of language and linguistic barriers. This means that most of them cannot understand or communicate in English or any other language other than their mother tongue. This presents healthcare providers with difficulty in handling this group because communication is key in the provision of quality and effective healthcare serv ices to patients, their families and communities. Low literacy levels among immigrants have been a major concern with respect to their ability and capacity to seek healthcare services. This means that it increases the risk for adverse health outcomes. In a research article, it is revealed, â€Å"Clear communication between health care providers and their patients is essential for patients to make good medical decisions, to receive effective instructions on how to take care of their illness, and to achieve desired health outcomes† (Wu et al. 1174). From the quote above, it is clear that communication is an important aspect in helping patients receives care. However, when a patient is illiterate, it is difficult for a healthcare provider to communicate with the patient in the hope of providing

Monday, September 23, 2019

Essay on a case relating to complex pregnancy Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

On a case relating to complex pregnancy - Essay Example Perceived psychosocial stress as well as the overall psychological wellbeing of a woman during pregnancy has been attributed to preterm delivery and intrauterine growth retardation (Dolatian, Mirabzadeh, Forouzan, Sajjadi, Majd et al, 2013). Empirical evidence supports the conclusion that preterm delivery is predicated by lack of social support, which increases the risk for psychosocial stress (Ghosh, Wilhelm, Dunkel-schetter, Lombardi, & Ritz, 2010); from the case study, Kylie is described as a 40 year old G6PO with her 6th IVF pregnancy who presents alone to the birth unit of the local tertiary hospital. The fact that Kylie has had 6 IVF pregnancies and presents alone to the local tertiary hospital suggests that she could be living alone, unmarried or unsupported, and without adequate social support from family or friends. Upon further enquiry, Kylie discloses experiencing anxiety and depression related to her recent separation from her husband of ten years; Kylie is referred to th e Obstetric social worker and psychologist for support since it was evident that her depression and anxiety was related to her lack of social support. Research indicates that preterm delivery is common in women of lower social class, unmarried, or unsupported mothers (Mannem, & Chava, 2011); lack of social support greatly predisposes such women to psychosocial stress. The presence of a spouse and social cycles greatly reduce the risk for psychosocial stress for pregnant women because they are able to share their fears and frustrations thereby alleviating the risk of worry and anxiety that may trigger preterm labor and delivery (Mirabzadeh, Dolatian, Forouzan, Sajjadi, Majd et al, 2013). In that respect, the lack of social support that greatly predisposes Kylie to psychosocial stress is highly predictive of preterm labor and delivery that she

Sunday, September 22, 2019

My Future Essay Example for Free

My Future Essay In the future I see myself studying The Natural Science Program, hopefully with a friend through my years in High School. After school I want to study into becoming a doctor, probably in another country than Sweden, hopefully France, which will be interesting. It will probably take up a lot of my free time but it will be worth it in the end. I will probably study alongside a friend, having him as my roommate which hopefully will make my studies enjoyable. Hopefully I’ll have a beautiful girlfriend while I’m studying to encourage me alongside my mother. I wouldn’t like to get married until I’m like 25 years old, any younger I would consider it kind of weird and I would want to enjoy the bachelor life a while before getting married On my spare time I would go out and meet some French girls and hang out with some friends. I’d like my life to be adventurous and fun, but that would be kind of hard to achieve due to the fact that studying to a doctor would take up a lot of my time. After I have achieved the job as a doctor or if I achieve it I will buy a nice house and a nice car that hopefully will attract girls. ï Å  When or if I become a father I do not want to become the over protective type just because of the fact that I don’t like when my parents behave that way for me, but I will set some boundaries. But of course I also know that it is for my own best, they do it because they love me.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Organizations Workforce Diversity And Its Competitive Advantage Commerce Essay

Organizations Workforce Diversity And Its Competitive Advantage Commerce Essay The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of leadership style over the relationship between organizations workforce diversity and its competitive advantage with mission and vision statements as intervening variable. Most organizations are adopting diversity into their policies and procedures to embrace its benefits and there is a growing recognition that it makes business sense to take diversity seriously. The demographics of working population has changed in last two decades with more mature workforce remaining in the workplace, now more female employees are seen in higher positions and there is also a variation in cultural backgrounds. Therefore, it seems beneficial for organizations to hire diverse workforce to meet the demands of customer expectations. Organizations that are flexible and responsive to a demanding marketplace require the service of multi-skilled, adaptable workforce. One clear competitive advantage for organizations having diverse workforce is that it pro vides an environment that values differences among employees and encourages them for different ways of thinking and behaving during work to fully contribute to organizational aims and objectives. Employers providing such an environment get the support of their employees and develop a positive public image. It must be understood that each member of diverse workforce holds his differences and similarities; hence, valuing and managing diversity is about recognizing the unique contribution each employee can make to the organization. It is about creating an environment in which everyone feels valued, welcomed, and able to make an important contribution toward the attainment of corporate objectives. Additionally, companies facing challenges in competing global marketplace for market share can use diversity as competitive advantage in a multicultural environment with a diverse pool of talented and experienced individuals who can bring innovation and creativity to the organization. Literature Review Diversity is not only associated to limited attributes that can be observed but also to those invisible characteristics such as differences in educational background, creativity, understanding, learning style, and problem-solving ability (Nafukho et al., 2011). So, organizational performances and processes can be influenced by an individual or a group representing different categories of diversity within a workplace. (van Knippenberg and Schippers, 2007). Diversity is defined as any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another (Giovannini, 2004, p. 22). Hence, diversity affects the organizations effectiveness and performance in terms of competitive advantage. (Joshi and Roh, 2009; Klein et al., 2011). This presumes that performance has a relation with organizations ability to achieve goals with respect to its mission or vision (Devine and Philips, 2001). In other words, performance is deemed as an outcome which is a result of some purposeful activity to achieve competitive advantage as mentioned in mission or vision statements of an organization. (Swanson and Holton, 2009). As the organization strives to achieve its goals or objectives, conflict may arise within the diverse groups to cope up the challenges of differences among them which keep them from achieving organizational performance. (Østergaard et al., 2011). Since, Human Resource Department (HRD) deals primarily with performance of individuals, groups and organization at large to achieve competitive advantage, so diverse workforce demands the attention of HRD scholars and practitioners on the issues that arise in organization. It can be observed in modern trends for companies to use diverse workforce for completing special tasks which help achieve competitive advantage (Garrison et al., 2010) and there is always potential for the occurrence of conflict among such diverse groups which can derail the organization from achieving effectiveness. Hence, it becomes the resp onsibility of HRD to address such conflicts in advance and use the knowledge of how to build the high performing and productive teams of diverse workforce who can to the overall competitive advantage of organization (Klein et al., 2011). Evidently, most companies find diversity as a way to increase business competency, to improve net income, to gain competitive advantage, to build the effectiveness to compete in global markets, to improve business performance, to achieve higher employee satisfaction, to enhance corporate governance, to attract diverse talents and skills and to retain the workforce that maintains the customer base (McCuiston et al., 2004). Moreover, culturally diverse workforce brings benefits to business economy (Ferley et al., 2003) and leads to better performance of the business (Richard, 2000). According to Adler (1997), a company with a diverse workforce has greater chances for building an innovative working environment. This statement is beautifully expressed in the words of White (1999), who states that creativity thrives on diversity. These benefits can be derived from the proper implementation of diversity-promoting policies (Jamrog, 2002). Many firms today seem to be increasingly embracing r acial, ethnic and gender workforce balance, not for legal or ethical obligations, but as a matter of taking a progressive perspective on economic self-interest (Coil and Rice, 1993). It has been recognized recently that increasing diverse workforce has presented both opportunities and challenges for organizations which are striving for efficiency, innovativeness and global competitive advantage (Barak, 1999). As the global markets are getting more complex, utilization of organizations knowledge, skills and abilities is getting even more crucial in this rapidly increasing competition where organizations want to be more creative and innovative (Ng and Tung, 1998). In order to manage the growing diversity of the work force, organizations need to implement such systems and practices so that the potential advantages of diversity are maximized and the potential disadvantages are minimized (Cox, 1994). In the past two decades several academic researches have been conducted on various issues relating diversity. Richard (2000) examined the impact of diversity on organization and its productivity while Jackson (1993) found the positive relationship between diversity and cr eativity. Diversity research has also addressed the factors involved in assimilating new employees into an organizations culture (Berry and Sam, 1997). However, some argue that by its fundamental nature, assimilating new employees to obtain greater fit between the person and organization is achieved at the expense of diversity (Powell, 1998). In other research, Tsui et al. (1992) showed that race and gender has negative relationship with diversity as compared to age. Other studies have also consistently found that observable attributes have negative effects on outcomes such as identification with the group and job satisfaction at both the individual and group level of analysis (Milliken and Martins, 1996). Further, Milliken and Martins (1996) supported the argument of Tsui et al. (1992) that racial and gender diversity can have negative influence on individual and team outcomes in some cases regardless of age. As an example, they referred to those groups members who differ from the larger group tend to show less commitment, more turnover and absenteeism while at the same time this results in additional costs, such as, group coordination cost, communication cost and training and development cost. So, according to them, diversity results in increase in coordination and control costs. Dadfar and Gustavsson (1992) found that the majority of site managers believed that managers/supervisors are less effective when managing a work group composed of several nationalities. This is because language was regarded as a major obstacle to effective communication among workers of different nationalities. However, Watson et al. (1993) argue that these negative effects may diminish with time and may be offset by better quality and more creative decisions. Having said that, it is important to understand that even for those who decide to embrace diversity as a concept, the road to diversity is not without challenges. Many businesses fail to the see the full picture of diversity or understand all of its impacts on their operations (Farrer, 2004), as leading a diverse workforce requires considerable time, energy and skill. A diverse workforce represents many challenges to management in areas such as workplace authority, trust and commitment, different work ethics, firm structure and work-life balance (McCuiston et al., 2004). Diversity challenges also include training costs, discrimination and conflicts. The increase in training cost results from the needed diversity-promoting programs which need to be administered to all employees (White, 1999). The problem of perceived discrimination arises when a certain group feels that they have been unfairly discriminated against, which leads to a sense of rejection towards the group that was perceived as having unjustifiable benefits, which could lead to an increase in conflicts. According to Jehn (1995), the increase in conflicts possibly leading to tension and animosity occurs when employees do not have similar views on a particular issue and in turn such conflicts could have detrimental effects on performance. These effects include directing the attention of employees to each other instead of the job, increasing stress and anxiety, and it can result in hostile interaction among members (Chuang et al., 2004). Leadership Leadership remained the single most important issue in annual surveys for identifying top management issues during all times (HRI, 2002a). To manage a diverse workforce, organizations need visionary leaders but availability of them is scarce. According to the study by Diversity Inc. (2002), it is forecasted that many top management of many leading companies will lose one in five top managers due to retirement. Let alone, US companies will lose 40 percent or more of their top executives till 2015 (Wellins and Byham, 2001). One solution offered to this scarcity is to develop leaders at every level and in every function in an organization (Hesselbein, 2002). For this solution, Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society (2002) advised the most effective leadership components to manage diversity, which are: Sensitivity and awareness about diverse workforce. Resources to strengthen and improve the quality of diverse individuals Inter-communication skills to solve mutual differences Strategies to maximize the effectiveness of diverse workforce. The goal should be to develop cross-cultural leaders and generate a new crop of multicultural professionals (Yukl, 2002). These leaders are provided with the required resources and authorities to manage workforce. The focus should be to enhance their listening, learning, networking, communication, and experimenting skills to manage a diverse workforce (Melymuka, 2001). Finally an effective strategy must be developed to include diversity at all levels of management, and there must be commitment to diversity at senior levels where it is strategically more important (Conklin, 2001). This strategy must be evident in organizations mission and vision statement and should involve a systemic, results-oriented, business-based approach (Fitzpatrick, 1997). Yet companies do not seek diversity unless this business competency results in increased profit and metrics that substantiate the necessity to expand the emphasis on diversity (Diversity Inc., 2002). Irrefutable measurable benefits can be de rived from properly implemented policies to promote diversity (Jamrog, 2002). The most evident measurable benefits are improved bottom line, competitive advantage, superior business performance, employee satisfaction and loyalty, strengthened relationship with multicultural communities, and attracting the best and the brightest candidates. Competitive advantage defined in diversity as, Recruiting and retaining people of diverse backgrounds who can share a common set of values. . .and approach to business is a priority for todays competitive organization (McCormack, 2002, p. 1). Jamrog (2002) suggested three-point approach to enhance effectiveness of leadership to manage diverse workforce: premise, guidelines and actions. There are three premises that leaders need to value diversity: (1) One size doesnt fit all leaders need to use different approaches for solving problems and developing workers as all situations and individuals are not the same, (2) Not everyone can be a leader organizational should focus only on individuals who have the ingredients of becoming a good leader, and (3) Leaders can be at any level or function anyone who can inspire, influence and guide others in the organization is a leader regardless of position. The five guidelines that leaders need to value diversity are: (1) Communicate, communicate, and communicate share freely your ideas, suggestions, opinions; listen to ideas of others with interest, (2) Build contact into your daily actions and duties Plan your actions, meetings, and duties so as to maximize contact with multiple p eople in the organization. (3) Manage and lead by walking around Be outside the office frequently and interact informally with others of different levels, functions, backgrounds and experience, (4) Champion diversity Bring in the contribution of everyone to increase commitment, innovation and creativity, and (5) Sponsor diversity Defend the decisions, actions and interactions while supporting everyone in the organization. Lastly, the five actions that leaders need to value diversity are: (1) Assessment of leadership potential within the organizations, (2) Provision of training and tools, (3) Inclusion of diversity at all levels, (4) measuring and rewarding efforts, and (5) encouraging the organization to be patient. Conceptual Framework: Research Methodology:

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Disturbing Role of Television in Accidents and Deaths Involving Children :: Term Papers Research

The Disturbing Role of Television in Accidents and Deaths Involving Children Imagine being a mother or a father standing in the kitchen doing dishes when out of nowhere a familiar scream hits your ears. The first thing you do is ask yourself â€Å"Where are my kids?† The phone rings and your next-door neighbor informs you that he/she has called 911 and you should come right away. You slam down the phone and in a panic you run down your walk across the street, arriving just as the ambulance backs into the drive. Next thing you know your 11-year-old son Billy, broken and bleeding, is being sped to the hospital. Far-fetched, as this story may seem it is happening more and more everyday. Billy got hurt because he and his friends were re-enacting a move they had seen on WWF the night before. Does television really influence good kids to do bad things? The answer is yes depending on the type of program and its content. At a young age children absorb everything they see and hear including things that adults see as minor, or non-influential. Television can do several things, create ideas in a child’s mind, pacify physical energy that could be used productively, tell children that unacceptable behavior is ok, and that humans are invincible. All of these ideas are false and can lead to destructive behavior and circumstances, and in some cases death. â€Å"The statistical correlation between childhood exposure to violence in media and aggressive behavior is about the same as that between smoking and lung cancer† (Atkinson, Michael. 59) (put a period after the parenthetical citation, and only include the author’s last name and page number in parentheses) We all know that for anyone who smokes a great deal lung cancer is almost inevitable, this causes great concern because most children spend much of their spare time in front of the television or playing video games. (make more explicit the connection between the effects of smoking and the effects of watching too much TV) Many childhood accidents related to television are in the form of copycat crimes says Michael Atkinson in his article â€Å"The movies made me do it†, â€Å"Copycat crimes have attained front-burner notoriety, and some day soon Hollywood’s liberty will be pitted against the perceived welfare of American children† (58). Many chil dren’s cartoons such as â€Å"X Men† and â€Å"PokeMon† tend to be very violent and anger oriented, (semicolon) therefore when children copycat what they see often times they end up hurting themselves or someone else, possibly even causing death.

George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four 1984 Essay -- essays research pa

Nineteen Eighty-Four is a compelling novel, written in the period just after W.W.II. It details the life of one man, Winston Smith, and his struggles with an undoubtedly fascist government. The book is set approximately in the year 1984, in which Winston's society is ruled by a governing force known as "The Party". At the head of this government is a fictional figure known as Big Brother, to whom all citizens must love and respect. In this society, privacy and freedom do not exist. People are constantly monitored by telescreens, and subjected to a constant barrage of propaganda. Any devious thought or action is dealt with by cruel and deadly punishment. Winston is a worker in one of the government agencies. His job: to rewrite the past so that The Party, specifically Big Brother, appears to be omnipotent. From as long as he can remember, he has despised The Party and what it stood for, although he doesn't reveal his true feelings to anyone around him. When Winston begins a torrid love affair with one of the young women in his agency named Julia, he finds someone else who shares in his beliefs. The two have several meetings throughout the book, in which they discuss their hatred for the government. They join a secret alliance called The Brotherhood, who's specific purpose is the end of The Party. Through the literature of The Brotherhood, they learn about the inner workings of The Party and how it accomplishes its stronghold on the people. The world as Winston knows it comes crashing down when he and Julia are arrested by the thought police, a faction of the government which deals with those who do not agree and abide by the ways of The Party. They are taken to a prison unlike any other. Winston is constantly tortured and beaten, until he confesses to crimes which he didn't commit or never even happened. If the party just killed Winston right away, they might run the risk of making a martyr out of him. Instead they re-educate him with the morals of The Party, using such techniques as pain, starvation, and using Winston's greatest fear against him. Once re- educated, he is introduced back into society. But he is not the same person, just a hollow shell. Winston had once said in the novel that if he could die hating Big Brother, then he would have won. But when Winston is finally killed, the only thing he can think is that he love... ...ten path in search of a greater truth. The novel also caused myself to reflect upon how important it was that such tyrannical dictators such as Hitler have been stopped, sometimes with great costs, from making life unbearable. Reading this novel gave me a great sense of hope for human kind, as we have been able to keep totalitarian movements under control. Maybe sometimes people can get carried away with a lust for power, but it will always come back to living in a society that is tolerable to everyone. It is safe to say that a Utopian society will never exist, but we must make an effort to get as close as we can. Many disputes which occur today are because of petty differences between people. Although there are some flaws in human nature, we have always been able to keep from digging a grave too deep to climb out of. It is scary to think how close the world could have come to having a society like the one in Nineteen Eighty Four, and know that we as humans have to gain a better understanding of one another. I enjoyed reading this book because not only did it give the reader something exciting to read, but it also was able to put an interesting perspective on life itself.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Philosophy :: essays research papers

The philosophy of Tae Kwon Do is to build a more peaceful world. To accomplish this goal Tae Kwon Do begins with the foundation, the individual. The Art strives to develop the character, personality, and positive moral and ethical traits in each practitioner. It is upon this "foundation" of individuals possessing positive attitudes and characteristics that the "end goal" may be achieved. Tae Kwon Do strives to develop the positive aspects of an individual's personality: Respect, Courtesy, Goodness, Trustworthiness, Loyalty, Humility, Courage, Patience, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-control, an Indomitable Spirit and a sense of responsibility to help and respect all forms of life. This takes a great deal of hard training and many do not reach far enough to achieve perfection in all of these aspects. However, it is the physical, mental, and spiritual effort which the individual puts forth that develops the positive attributes and image of both the individual and how he or she perceives others. By helping mold an individual into a well-rounded and responsible person, the individual can pass onto others, through both his teachings and his personal actions, the principles he has learned through his Tae Kwon Do training. Individuals unite and become a family, families come together and form a community, communities merge and develop into a nation, and nations are what make up our present-day world. In order to help build a more peaceful world, Tae Kwon Do starts with one person at a time. Gradually groups form, dojangs (schools) emerge, organizations develop, until Tae Kwon Do's philosophy has influenced, in a positive way, enough persons, families, communities, and nations, to someday bring about, or at least help bring about, the unification of nations dedicated to helping each other. The task is not easy. Just like the metamorphosis an individual goes through from white belt to black belt and eventually Master, so the transition of the unification of nations united by laws of peace, is a long and hard task. Tae Kwon Do strives for this unification. Race, creed, and nationality have nothing to do with Tae Kwon Do. They are all one in the same. Tae Kwon Do reaches toward the total development of the individual and the founding of a peaceful world. No matter what color a persons skin, no matter what his religion, no matter where his national boundaries we all seek one thing, Peace. This peace can only be achieved if each person has found peace within himself.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

No man has a natural right to commit aggression

The United States Constitution is a document considered almost sacred by many Who live in this country.   Liberty and freedom are often considered our greatest resources (Burns, Peltason & Cronin p10).   However, while the idea of â€Å"liberty and justice for all† stands optimistically in its citizen’s minds, the reality is much more complicated.   Questions arise such as; does freedom of speech include yelling fire in a crowded theater?   When one person’s rights infringe upon another, whose liberties take precedence?   In some cases, the question has even arisen, does â€Å"all men are created equal† really apply to all men?   What about women? In creating the United States, a fine balance has been created between the majority and the minority.   Obviously, for a functioning democracy to work, the majority vote would rule.   As Abraham Lincoln said â€Å"Unanimity is impossible; the rule of a minority, as a permanent arrangement, is wholly inadmissible (Rejai p70).†Ã‚   However, he also commented that the majority must be constrained â€Å"With deliberate changes of popular opinion and sentiments (Rejai p70)† in order to remain a free people. Still it was important to the founders of the United States for the importance of the individual to be retained.   The Bill of Rights, especially the first amendment, was written to remove government’s ability to limit those rights (Burns, Peltason & Cronin p11).   The authors understood that freedom of speech, the press and religion were major rights and needed extra protection from repression. Over time the government was also used to prevent individuals from impeding on the rights of other persons.   For instance, Amendment 26 in the Bill of Rights states â€Å"The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States of by any other State on account of age.†Ã‚   Upon reaching adulthood, it was determined that everyone should have their equal vote (Burns, Peltason & Cronin p 14) and no one should be able to deny an individual that right. Minority rights continue to be an issue, however, despite the passing of several amendments to protect such rights.   In some cases, this is done because it has been determined that the protection of society is more important than the rights of the individual.   The fourteenth amendment, for instance, states â€Å"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.†Ã‚   However, in many cases, laws are passed that interfere with the right of sexual predators by forcing them to declare themselves to law enforcement and/or their neighbors. In other cases, despite the goal of â€Å"liberty and justice for all† minorities continue to be discriminated against for religious or political reasons, or simply because they are minorities.   Homosexuals, for instance, continue to be denied the right to marry in the majority of states (Nava & Dawidoff pxii).   In this case, the vote of the majority continues to outweigh the minority despite the loss of civil liberties and despite that fact that this has no direct effect on the majority. On the other hand, in certain cases when the rights of the minority and the majority clash, the minority-member is given precedence, due to past injustices done to the minority as a whole.   This is the case in affirmative action, where minorities are given preference over the majority due to their past lack of status.   The practice seeks to make up for previous lack of economic and educational opportunities, often at the expense of those classes who have had them. The balance between the society and the individual, majorities and minorities is a difficult one.   In forming the Constitution, attempts were made to appease all sides and amendments were made as society’s ideas of what were important changed.   This pendulum continues to be in constant flux, with the majority or minorities occasionally taking precedence over the other as elected officials see a need.   It remains a vital process however, since the entire foundation of the United States is dependant on this equilibrium. How can we maintain the proper balance between liberty and order, between diversity and uniformity, between individual rights and collective needs?†¦The problem, then, is how to balance individual rights against collective needs, remembering always that individual freedom   and social order are necessary to each other.   ( Burns, Peltason, & Cronin p124) Bibliography Burns, J.M., Peltason, J.W., & Cronin, T.E.. (1975). Government by the People, 9th Edition.   Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey:   Prentice-Hall, Inc. Nava Michael & Dawidoff, Robert.   (1994). Created Euqal:   Why Gay Rights Matter to America.   New York:   St. Martin’s Press. Rejai, M..   (1976).   Democracy: The Contemporary Theories.   New York: Atherton Press. Shein, Lori (ed).   (1998). Inequality:   Opposing Viewpoints to Social Problems.   Dan Diego, CA: Greenhaven Pres, Inc.   

Monday, September 16, 2019

Individual Report on Econometric Models

Context This report pertains to the selection of an academic paper (Caporale et al., 2009) which is examined based on its aims and results, citing new insights offered by its analysis. It also involves another paper (Oshio et al., 2011) that cited that of Caporale et al. (2009), explaining the kind of data being used for the analysis. The report also includes a description of the economic model adopted by the authors to analyse the issues, as well as a critical reflection of the issues that are likely to arise with the use of these specific econometric models. a.Summary of the selected paper The selected paper in this report is that of Caporale et al. (2009), which was centred on income and happiness across Western and Eastern Europe. The authors utilised data from the European Social Survey (ESS) for 19 European countries, whereby they examined the association between income and subjective well-being. The aim of their study was to find out whether income can buy happiness. Happiness and life satisfaction served as the dependent variables in the study, which were likewise contained in the ESS data. These variables were tested for whether social comparisons and reference groups wielded a relevant influence on the subjective well-being of individuals in the countries involved, which likewise served as the sample. The findings revealed that for all these countries – despite the positive correlation between income on one hand and happiness and life satisfaction on the other – a negative effect was being exerted by reference income on individual well-being, a result that harmonised with the relative utility hypothesis. A separate analysis was conducted by the authors for some countries in Eastern Europe in which they were able to discover some evidence that supported a so-called ‘tunnel effect’, which was suggestive of a positive impact caused by reference income on subjective well-being. The findings maintained that situations characterising stable income and employment have income serving as the basis for social comparisons. In social comparisons, the authors posited that reference income served as the informant for future status expectations. Further, empirical findings revealed a tendency for males to report lower satisfaction than their female counterparts. The authors also cited that the literature holds robust pattern that mirrors the life-cycle areas of people’s social, economic, and family situations. The findings also suggested that happiness perception was positively related to being married, whilst a negative relationship was suggested for divorce. Moreover, the presence of children had a negative effect on happiness perception whilst good health fostered a significant positive association. There was shaky evidence on the likelihood of university qualifications to cause a negative impact on happiness. In addition, a positive effect was indicated by previous employment occurrence on the perception of happiness, which was more deep-seated for more recent unemployment occurrence. The distress accompanying a recent unemployment occurrence may diminish the aspiration value of the presently employed individua l. As the study’s sample was dominated by countries with liberal social welfarism, the influence of the welfare systems on individual’s happiness may also be indicated by the positive impact of unemployment on life satisfaction during the time of joblessness. The new insights offered by the analysis include an apparent wedge between countries in Western Europe and Eastern Europe, which clearly showed that the pursuit of life satisfaction has become embodied in countries’ political framework, serving as a source of valuable insights in policy development concerning welfare reforms. b. A paper citing the selected paper A paper that cites the selected paper here is that of Oshio et al. (2011) whose aim was to examine the effects of relative income on well-being in China, Japan, and Korea based on nationwide surveys in these countries and comparing them with that of the United States. The various factors for which control was undertaken at the individual level were age, gender, and marital status, to name a few. The results were parallel to past researches the same topic involving Western countries. The study exhibited a significant relationship between a person’s income and that of the reference group on one hand, and perceived life satisfaction on the other. In China, individual income showed stronger relationships between relative income and life satisfaction compared to family income, whilst the opposite was demonstrated for Japan and Korea. The comparisons of income within the reference group were necessary for evaluating life satisfaction, particularly when family income was used. Additi onally, Yitzhaki index was used to determine the relative deficiency within the reference group, which was found to have a negative relationship with life satisfaction. Oshio et al. (2011) used Caporale et al. (2009) as a cited paper in their study in that the former utilised it in its claim that apart from the absolute income levels, the happiness of a person is reliant to comparisons with those of others, particularly those with similar socio-economic distinctiveness. Oshio and colleagues also used Caporale and colleagues’ findings on relative income proposition, whereby both found a positive effect fostered by absolute income on both happiness and life satisfaction. Further, both Caporale et al. (2009) and Oshio et al. (2011) used regression analysis to analyse the findings on income and perceived happiness. The apparent difference that could be cited in their studies was the nature of the countries on which their studies were emphasised – Western and Eastern European countries for Caporale et al. (2009), and Asian countries and the United States for Oshio et al. (2011). The former was also more extensive as it used 19 countries f or a generalisation of income-happiness hypothesis, whilst the latter involved only four. The comparison in Caporale and colleagues’ study was between Western European and Eastern European countries, whilst that of Oshio and colleagues was between three Asian countries and the United States. If the cross-country findings in Caporale and colleagues demonstrated a political agenda (i.e. social welfarism), those of Oshio and colleagues were focused on the level of the individual, such as people’s precautious outlook on individual income than family income in China and the United States, leading to the influence of culture for income perception (e.g. individual-orientedness vs. family-orientedness).Whilst Caporale et al. (2009) asserted a positive relationship between income and happiness, Oshio et al. (2011) declared stronger correlations between individual income (rather than family income) and life satisfaction in China, which was not true in Japan and Korea. c.Data used, structure of the data set, and manner of data collection The ESS data in Caporale and colleagues’ (2009) study contained information about a set of demographic and employment characteristics, which the authors utilised as controls in their regressions. Some of these controls were education, income, and position in the labour force, to name a few. The data set also involved information on previous unemployment encounter, which was used in assessing whether a person’s perception of present economic situation was influenced by previous income shocks, commonly due to unemployment. The structure of the data set included all individuals possessing similar levels of education, age brackets, and current countries of residence. The sample was also limited to employees earning full-time salaries. Alternatively, in Oshio and colleagues’ (2011) study, the data were collected from the countries’ (Japan, China, Korea) General Social Survey (GSS), from which data were downloaded. The GSS of these countries were originally gathered by a research office at the University of Chicago. The basis of their empirical analysis was the GSS of these countries which were recorded in 2006, with widely similar survey questionnaires. The results were compared with those of the United States. All income data were converted into logarithms to enable comparing the results across models and countries. In addition, the authors used sampling weights from GSS and made a computation of standard errors to provide correction for any possibility of heteroscedasticity. It may be inferred that even though both studies aimed at determining happiness and life satisfaction vis-a-vis income, their methodologies and approaches were however different but were appropriate to the nature of their hypoth eses. d. Econometric models used by the authors In this section, the econometric models used by the authors are described to analyse the issue. Caporale et al. (2009) used ordered probit model, which they deemed appropriate for their study, given the ordinal nature of the happiness variables. This model enabled a close correlation between happiness and life satisfaction, in which the authors were able to indicate a high level of happiness or satisfaction amongst the research participants. A clear skewness towards the high end was exhibited by the distribution on happiness. Some variations began emerging with the investigation of the level of happiness across the countries involved, with Denmark achieving the highest score, and Portugal, amongst others, recording the lowest scores. Reference income was used as an explanatory variable in the regressions. The estimated coefficients also showed a general consistency with those of previous studies. On the other hand, Oshio et al. (2011) used the ordered logit model to explain perceived happiness across the three countries involved in their study. The model contained an assumption of care amongst individuals in relation to their individual (or family) income when making a comparison of their income with those of others. Family income was included in both specifications, with an assumption that it represents material living standards. It was expected that the coefficient ? was significantly positive in each specification, given the relative income hypothesis. e. Critical reflection of the issues relating to the econometric models The econometric models used in each of the study of Caporale et al. (2009) and Oshio et al. (2011) were appropriately justified and carried out to suit the aim and expected results of each. The use of the ordered probit model in Caporale and colleagues’ study was suitable as this model was able to deal with the variables in ordered categories, which were present in the dataset. According to Jones (2007) and Gailmard (2014), ordered probit model is utilised in the modelling of a discrete dependent variable with ordered multinomial results. Similarly, Caporale and colleagues also noted fixing some of the threshold values, which Jones also pointed out as a characteristic of the model. The study was able to generate the specific results with the utilisation of this model, which is likewise used in a range of the social and behavioural sciences, as emphasised by Aldrich et al. (2007) and Gill (2008). Using other econometric model for the study of Caporale et al. (2009) might not ge nerate similar results, since the study involved an analysis of more than two outcomes of an ordinal dependent variable (i.e. happiness and life satisfaction). In the same manner, Oshio and colleagues’ (2011) use of the ordered logit model was suitable as the study involved a survey that aimed to find out how well responses to questions can predict a response to one question, to which the model was appropriate. In the study, the model was used for dichotomous dependent variables (happiness and life satisfaction), in which more than two response categories were enabled.Apparently, the study adopted proportional odds assumption, to which the model was applicable, as Sadler (2008) and Allegrezza and Dubrocard (2012) also pointed out. Moreover, the model clearly pursued an estimate for multiple equations in the study, whereby the number of these equations were tantamount to the number of categories minus 1. The study also showed that each equation modelled the odds of being in a category, which is consistent with the ordered logit model (Sadler, 2008; Allegrezza and Dubrocard, 2012). It is important to note that the use of the aforementioned models for the two studies was consistent with their intention to quantify or measure variables in order to come up with objective and systematic results for the relationship between income and happiness. Both studies opted to use data from established data sets (ESS and GSS) to apparently facilitate generalisation of findings, with which they were successful. It may be pointed out that Oshio and colleagues’ (2011) results were congruent with Caporale and colleagues’ (2009), reflecting the validity of the latter’s findings. References Aldrich, J. H.m Alt, J. E., and Lupia, A. (2007) Positive Changes in Political Science: The Legacy of Richard D. McKelvey’s Most Influential Writings. Michigan: University of Michigan. Allegrezza and Dubrocard (2012) Internet Econometrics. Hampshire: Palgrave MacMillan. Caporale, G. M., Georgellis, Y., Tsitsianis, N., & Yin, Y. P. (2009) Income and happiness across Europe: Do reference values matterJournal of Economic Psychology, 30(1), 42-51. Gailmard, S. (2014) Statistical Modeling and Inference for Social Science. NY: Cambridge University Press. Gill (2008) Bayesian Methods: A Social and Behavioral Sciences Approach, Second Edition. NW: Chapman & Hall/CRC. Jones, A. (2007) Applied Econometrics for Health Economists: A Practical Guide. Second Edition. Oxon: Radcliffe Publishing Ltd. Oshio, T., Nozak, K., and Kobayashi, M. (2011) Relative income and happiness in Asia: Evidence from nationwide surveys in China, Japan, and Korea. Social Indicators Research, 104 (3), 351-367. Sadler, A. M. (2008) Determinants of Entrepreneurial Behavior among Immigrant and Non-Immigrant University Scientists in the US: The Impact of Cultural Predispositions and Learning. MI: ProQuest LLC.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Bank of America Company Profile

Bank of America is a global financial services company headquartered in Charlotte, NC. It is one of the world’s largest financial institutions. Bank of America serves over 53 million customers. They serve these customers through 5,500 retail banking offices. Bank of America is known as a leader in the online banking world. Online alone the company services 30 million active users. The company serves customers in all 50 states and more than 40 countries. The company has numerous different lines of business and employs over 260,000 people. (Bank of America 2012) Historical Perspective The entire banking industry is made of mergers and acquisitions. The history of Bank of America is no different. Bank of America’s earliest predecessor was called the Massachusetts Bank. Boston petitioners wanted the right to start a bank. They were armed with $300,000 in capital and had many supporters. 15 of the original shareholders were woman. Among the founders and first customers were names like; John Hancock, General Henry Knox, and Paul Revere. That branch opened for business on July 5th 1784. This happened before the US Constitution had even been adopted. John Hancock was the governor of Massachusetts. In 1784 he signed the banks charter making it only the second bank to receive a state charter. In 1786 Massachusetts Bank financed one of the earliest sailings of an American ship to china. This opened up the china trade. The bank continued to grow throughout America. Expanding to new states and changing names like Pacific National. It is believed that the Easton National Bank, one of the predecessors to Bank of America, was the first pay interest on deposits. Offering numerous financing to significant projects through history, one of the most notable is in 1815. After the fires that devastated the capital, the bank financed the reconstruction of the capital. Fast forward over a century to 1998. NationsBank merges with Bank of America. This move created the first coast-to-coast retail banking franchise. (Our Heritage, 2010) Bank of America continues to grow acquiring financial service companies like US Trust and Merrill Lynch. With a storied history in the financial services sector, and building of our country, Bank of America is the most fitting name. Lines of Business Bank of America focuses on 3 customers. They focus on the people, companies, and institutional investors. They are the leading provider of checking, savings, credit and debit cards, and home equity lending. Bank of America is the nation’s largest loan servicer offering numerous different home mortgage options. Bank of America is a strong hold in Global Corporate and Investment banking. The Bank also has a strong focus on financial advising and wealth management. The addition of Merrill Lynch has put Bank of America as the leader in Financial Services. Financial Position Bank of America, or BAC, is often one of the most popularly traded stocks. In April, the share price of BAC declined over 5% to $11. 63. (Oleinic, 2013) As interest rates start to bottom out, the bank must constantly adjust to keep revenue up. Currently the 52 week range of BAC is $6. 90 – $13. 99. Although it has a larger 52 week range, the company is still somewhat stable. It has achieved this by building a strong balance sheet. In 2012 Revenue in millions was reported at $84,235 while Net income was reported at $4,188. Compared to 2011 revenue dropped almost $10,000 however Net income increased from $1,446. As far as the shareholders are concerned, BAC has an EPS of $. 2. Overall the company is positioning itself to remain strong during the current downturn. (Bank of America 2012) Bank of America must constantly adhere to stricter policies from the SEC; while still maintain a positive image in the consumers mind. As the bank continues growth it must remain competitive against its 3 competitors; Citi, Wells Fargo, and Chase. Conclusion Bank of Amer ica plays a major role in the global market place. From its beginning in the late 1700’s, the bank has seen the value in financing international trade. Centuries later the same remains true. Any company as large as Bank of America will be influential in the Global market place. As mentioned above, with 260,000 employees, the company has certainly left a very deep foot print in the global economy. The unique thing with Bank of America in the global economy is the amount of other global businesses that depend on the stability of the company. It is a company that finances several other global companies. For this reason, I think Bank of America will be here for a long time. It has positioned itself to grow during an economic downturn. We will have to wait to see if it has been good growth.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

How Does Black History Month Relate to Education ?

The very essence and importance of Black History Month is to the whole world. It is of importance to educate the world and make sure that everyone is aware of the trials and hardships that we had to go through starting with slavery. There are various way that you can tie this significant month with education. Most Africans American do not realize how you need education to learn about these significant events that we lead up to today. Black History Month is celebrated during the month of February each year. Black History Month is not just a month but each day is a celebration for what our ancestors went through.During Black History Month, there days where we look at the things that all our ancestors and famous African Americans did for us like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, and the Little Rock Nine. All of these people had a special affect on the lives of African Americans today. They all had one thing in common also which was standing up for what they believe in. Rosa Parks allow ed for us to sit in front of the bus, Martin Luther King Jr had a dream which we are still working on, and the Little Rock Nine allowed for the schools to become integrated.Schools, churches, and the community help with this celebration. Most schools celebrate Black History Month especially predominately African American schools because without the events that African Americans went through, there would be no integrated schools, teams, or even jobs. Some might think that we still would have been slaves, not have the ability to interact with other races, or even still living without freedom or respect. Some would also say that we as African Americans would still be treated disrespectfully or like an untamed animal.Not knowing about this month, would not allow for us to have freedom or even our rights. We as the a society need to make sure that we keep educating people especially African Americans on what we have been through and what we fought for especially with the people that foug ht for us including our ancestors. People take our rights and the freedom that we gained for granted. Without black history, we would not have a month, rights, freedom, or even equality.They all went through disrespectful trials to make sure African Americans now can have the comfort to live. These events led us up to today with African Americans having the ability to go to school and to gain an education. African Americans and other races need an education to take them to follow their dreams on what ever they want to do. Now we are at the year 2013, where there are many African Americans succeeding and taking over the world such as our President Barack Obama.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Feminism in Much Ado About Nothing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Feminism in Much Ado About Nothing - Essay Example From the feminist perspective, the relationship between the two main characters reflects greatly on the overall feelings of the sexes in general. In the play Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice and Benedick's opinions regarding love and relationships, and the presentation of the concept of love and relationships in the play, both demonstrate how Elizabethan times mistreated the female role, emphasizing the concept of radical-cultural feminism, and also how the male code of honor can bring a man do collapse and devastation. The Radical-Cultural feminists believe that women should encompass their femininity because it is better than masculinity. Mary Daly advocates finding the "wild female within". This type of radical feminist sees sex and penetration as male dominated. They see a link between sex, female subordination, porn, rape and abuse. These must be eliminated, according to Cultural-Radical feminists. Yet another opposing view is that reproduction is the source of power for women. They believe that men are jealous of women, and that they try to control reproduction through means of technology. In order to set the stage for the initial criticisms of marriage, Shakespeare first introduces his audience to the set of conventional lovers, Claudio and Hero. These two characters undergo a relatively predictable and acceptable type of courtship. However, another important aspect is presented in this relationship, that reflects on the concept of feminism. The progression of Claudio and Hero's relationship demonstrates to the audience how women were very much dominated by men. For instance, Claudio states, "can the world buy such a jewel," when referring to Hero. This metaphor is important because it reflects Claudio, the male's, perceptions of the female, Hero, as an object, and not as an actual living, breathing individual. Even Hero's father refers to her as an object to be owned. For example, Hero's father, Leonato, states: 'If the Prince do solicit you in that kind, you know your answer." This demonstrates the fact that Hero has no control over her own life; even if she does n ot like the Prince, she must agree to a marriage. Hero, however, is the typical dutiful Elizabethan daughter; during this time, and considering her status, she was a mere pawn in this patriarchal society. According to Eleanor Bron: Elizabethan women were expected to bring a dowry to the marriage. A dowry was an amount of money, goods, and property that the bride would bring to the marriage. It was also referred to as her marriage portion. After marriage Elizabethan women were expected to run the households and provide children. Large families were the norm as the mortality rate for children and babies was so high. Many Elizabethan woman made arrangement for the care of their children in case they themselves died during childbirth. Thus, she must do and say as her father says, and then later, as her husband says. She is therefore not allowed to think for herself; she is simply told what to do and expected to do what she is told. This presentation of Hero's character and situation

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Effective Team and Performance Management Assignment

Effective Team and Performance Management - Assignment Example They must be able to suggest solutions to problems and take control of situations by being initiative. They must have the self-confidence to be willing and able to lead others and to set an example. A team leader should be able to take command of others and to push through ideas and policies to their conclusion will assertiveness and determination. With energy and enthusiasm they must set high standards of effort and involvement so that others are encouraged to act in a similar way (Stimpson, Borrington 2006). Some basic roles of managers include strategic planning like setting aims and targets beforehand for the future as they give a sense of direction and purpose to any team work. This will be common feeling among the team members of having something to work towards. It is a manager’s responsibility to organize people and resources effectively with the process of delegation, because a team leader cannot do everything on his own. Some tasks need to be delegated to subordinate s or team members. Delegation means giving a subordinate the authority to perform particular tasks. However, it is important to remember that it is the authority to perform a task which is being delegated and not the final responsibility. A manager can be very good or planning and organizing but may have failed to coordinate or bring people in the tem together just like what happened in the case study. This can be a real danger with the functional form of organization or structural problems as this leads to haphazard aims and not a shared vision. A good leader must therefore make sure that all team members are working together to achieve the plans originally set by the leader. Managers or team leaders must know the right way to command by guiding, leading and supervising people and not just telling them what to do. They must make sure that instructions and deadlines are being met on time. It is their responsibility that tasks are carried out by all team members effectively. Team lea der must also try to evaluate and measure the work of all individuals to make sure that they are on target. There is little point in planning and organizing when leaders fail to check that the original aims are being met. Disciplining staff is also part of their responsibility (David, R. 2005). So, if the team leader does not possess all these roles, then the teamwork is going to lack a sense of control and direction. There would be no coordination between team members which will lead to wastage of effort. Control of team members and organization of resources is vital for productive output and results otherwise; the team project will drift and eventually fail. Different styles of leadership call for different management styles. A good leader will adopt the style of leadership that suits his situation the best. Leadership styles are the different approaches of dealing with people when in a position of authority; autocratic, laissez-faire and democratic. Autocratic leadership is where the leader is expect to be in charge if the project and have his orders followed. They keep themselves separate from other members of the team; they make virtually all the decisions. They will only tell people what they need to know. Communication is the business is mainly one-way and other people have little or no opportunity to comment on anything.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

A study on John Calvin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

A study on John Calvin - Research Paper Example His father's intention was to bring his sons to the priesthood. John turned out to be smarter and more quick-minded than his brothers, and by the age of twelve he already served as bishop's clerk. Furthermore, Gerard Cauvin managed to engraft John into the home of one of the best Noyon families, the Montmors where he "received a more thorough classical grounding, and acquired a polish of manners to which he must ever have remained a stranger had he grown up under his father's humble roof"3. The Montmors helped John get enrolled at the Collge de la Marche in Paris, a school where he took his first formal studies4. Upon finishing the school in 1525, Calvin entered philosophy faculty of the Collge de Montaigu, the second of Paris' two universities in those days (Sorbonne was the first one)5. At the university, John focused on the study of philosophy and logic for BA and MA degrees. The discipline practiced by Calvin's tutors was literally iron while the schedule was exceptionally tough. Thus, a typical day began at four o'clock in the morning, and the first lecture lasted until six. However, Calvin was so intent on studying his majors that missed mealtime and even "long after others were locked in sleep, he was still awake; he would be pouring over the pages of schoolman or Father until far into the morning"6. Despite impressive progress made by John in his philosophic endeavou... Despite his personal reluctance, Calvin obeyed his father and spent three years studying law from brightest lawyers of those days, Pierre de L'Estoile. In 1529, John entered the University of Bourges to continue his legal education. It was there that Calvin became interested in the ideas of Andreas Alciati, an outstanding humanist lawyer. During his one and a half years in the University Calving learned Greek which was necessary for reading and studying the New Testament8. During the period 1529 and 1533, Calving focused upon studying Greek, Hebrew and theology. It was here too that his prowess as an evangelist and teacher of theology was first recognized. God-fearing, harassed Protestants in the city clamored for his refreshing exposition of Scripture. Almost daily, men and women were "added to the church" as a result of the visits of Calvin to humble homes in the city. Before him stretched, he was convinced, a vast and profitable field for labor9. By 1532, Calvin received his diploma in law and published his first work, which was a commentary on Seneca's De Clementia. The year of 1533 saw gradually increasing tensions at the Collge Royal between the humanist/reformist and conservative wings of faculty members. Rector of the University, Nicolas Cop, represented the humanist wing and on 1 November 1533 he delivered his inaugural address emphasizing the need for reformation and renovation of the Catholic Church. Entitled "Christian Philosophy", the address included a scholarly statement of the doctrines of grace and immediately produced huge effect in the city. After Cop's speech, Catholic priests left the university hall muttering "Grace, pardon of God, Holy Spirit; that's all this speech is filled with. Nothing about

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Colombia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Colombia - Essay Example Colombia, a country in northern South America, borders the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean and is situated between Panama and Venezuela. Encompassing more than one million square miles, Colombia is ranked currently as the 26th largest country in the world, slightly smaller than twice the size of Texas (Central Intelligence Agency, 2011). Its climate is tropical along its coasts and plains, but in the Andes Mountains it is slightly cooler, and it has a population of 44,725,543 people as of July 2011 (Central Intelligence Agency, 2011). Its government, overall, is a republic with elected officials, with a judicial system that has numerous national and district courts as well as a court of appeals, along with a House of Representatives and a Congress in its legislative branch and a duly-elected President in its executive branch. Colombia was originally colonized under Spanish rule. The Spanish sailed along the north coast of Colombia as early as 1500, but their first permanent settlement, at Santa Marta, was not made until 1525. In 1549, the area was established as a Spanish colony with the capital at Santa Fe de Bogota (Winslow). During the period before Spanish colonization, the area was inhabited by indigenous peoples who were primitive hunters or nomadic farmers, and out of the various Indian groups that were there, the area was dominated by The Chibchas, who lived in the region of present-day city of Bogotà ¡ (Winslow). Columbia actually had its first social movement in history in 1810, when on July 20th of that year the citizens of Bogota created the first representative council in defiance of Spanish authority and to attempt a try for their independence. Over the next three years, they fought for independence, which was proclaimed in 1813, and in 1819 the Republic of Greater Colombia was formed. Simo n Bolivar was elected its first president and Francisco de Paula Santander, vice president. However, just like any other movement, soon conflicts arose between the two leaders and their visions. From their views, two political parties grew and branched out, coming to dominate Colombian politics even today (Winslow). Bolivar managed only to keep authority until 1828, and then everything fell apart. In 1830, Venezuela and Ecuador became separate nations. Through the 19th century and into the 20th century, both political unrest and small, usually unremarkable social movements to combat the social unrest were popular. Strong parties developed along conservative and liberal lines; the conservatives favored centralism and participation by the church in government and education, and the liberals supported federalism, anticlericalism, and some measure of social legislation and fiscal reforms (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2007). The structure of Colombian society in the 1980s, which was always str ongly influenced by traditions inherited from sixteenth-century Spain, was highly stratified, having well-defined class membership, pronounced status differences, and limited vertical social mobility. The urban sector was characterized by a more flexible social system, a growing middle class, and greater participation of the population in national politics. Rural society in all but a few regions was organized in rigidly hierarchical structures in which change of status was very difficult. Only in the coffee-growing departments of Caldas and Antioquia were there sizable segments of the population exhibiting the traits of a rural middle class (Colombia: National Front). Various social movements existed in the 1960s and 1970s, and even well into the 1980s that eventually formed into armies. In 1964 the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group was born. It was followed by other groups, such as the National Liberation Army (ELN) on January 7, 1965, the Popular Libera tion Army (EPL) on July 1967, the Quintin Lame Movement (MAQL) in 1984 and the 19th of April Movement (M-19). (Colombia: National Front) Currently, there are still social movements in Colombia. Some groups make political statements their main

Monday, September 9, 2019

People Environment and Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

People Environment and Business - Essay Example This confirms that natural resource exploitation has the capacity to cause imbalances in ecosystems as wells other effects, which may not be reversible. This informs this study on possible environmental effects that Iran experiences in the process or because of exploiting oil. General issues that are of concern to Iran have been vehicle gaseous emissions, operations by refineries as well as effluents by industries, which together contribute towards air contamination, water sources pollution as well as general environmental degradation. For instance, the city of Tehran in Iran ranks among the most polluted cities across the globe. Among other major environmental concerns, that are of great importance and which are being analyzed in depth are issues of environmental pollution from exploitation of oil as a natural resource in the country (Narimisa and Basri, 334-337). The world is increasingly in need for oil and associated products, which causes the rate of exploitation of this natural resource to increase as days go by. The ever-increasing uses into which oil is put into raises the demand of this non-renewable resource. It is widely used for industrial purposes, as a source of fuel to both domestic users as well as industries, in production of electricity as well as for locomotives, which accounts to the highest use into which oil is put. In studies on assessment of social impact associated with exploitation of oil in Iran this study projects future affects the environment in continued exploitation of the resources. Iran is however ranked among the great producers of oil and has amassed great economic wealth through the exploitation of oil globally. In concentrated efforts to study the case in Iran, we investigate oil refinery at Tehran, which has major environmental effects on emissions of gasses, solid wastes, industrial effluents, odor, aesthetic and visual complains as well as noise. However, it is worth understanding that the case study of Tehran oil refini ng is a representation of many other industries within the larger Iran. Air pollution within the country as associated with oil exploitation result from firing processes, furnaces, steam boilers, compressors as well as distillation towers among many others. The major air pollutants from oil exploitation and refining include carbon oxides, oxides of nitrogen and sulfur, ammonia as well as hydrocarbons among others. Water pollution emanates from discharging of the industrial effluents into the water sources either directly or indirectly through contaminating underground water, which later contaminates the surface waters. The process of producing sludge, coke, cracking as well as the process of separation of water and oil produces solid wastes which without proper disposition results to degradation of the environment. Over and above all the adverse effects on environment, that exploitation of oil in Iran brings about is the demolition of ecosystems. Evidence shows that the exploitation causes mass marine as well as land environment degradation through excavations, which are associated with destruction of aesthetic value of the country. In conclusion, despite