Saturday, August 31, 2019

Real GDP, unemployment rate Essay

Economic indicators measure and characterize the current state of economy. Unemployment rate, inflation rate, real GDP, and oil price per barrel form the general economic picture and show further directions of economic policies and tactics. â€Å"Real GDP is gross domestic product in constant dollars. In other words, real GDP is a nation’s total output of goods and services, adjusted for price changes† (Picker, 2007). Real GDP is often compared to nominal GDP which is always expressed in current dollars. In the third quarter of 2007, real GDP equaled to 11658. 9 billion of constant dollars, having increased 4. 9 percent as compared to the second quarter of 2007. Gross private domestic investment is one of the basic components of real GDP. In 2007, gross private domestic investment also increased to reach 1859. 9 billion dollars (GPO Access, 2008). The graph shows the historical fluctuations of real GDP in the United States: the beginning of 2007 was marked by the greatest real GDP decrease since 2005. The decrease of real GDP in the second half of 2006 indicates the start of economic recession in the United States. The unemployment rate is â€Å"the number of unemployed as a percent of the labor force† (Picker, 2007). In March, the U. S. economy was characterized by 5. 1% unemployment rate (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2008). Normally, unemployment rates should not exceed 6 percent. Thus, unemployment rates in the U. S. are kept within the reasonable limits. However, the chart shows the slight but continuous unemployment rate increase since the beginning of 2007. These trends create a picture of recession in the American economy. Inflation rate shows the increase of prices for consumer goods and services, and is counted on a yearly basis (Picker, 2007). Inflation rates are basically measured with the help of Consumer Price Index (CPI); CPI calculates the value of consumer goods and services basket which households purchase (Picker, 2007). The chart shows the constantly increasing inflation rates in the U. S. economy. In March, the average cost of goods and services basket advanced 0. 3 percent (MERIC, 2008). These trends indicate the inability of the Federal Reserve to cope with the inflation problem. Growing inflation requires that the Fed pushes up interest rates and slows down the economy, but as the Fed decreases interest rates to regulate particular markets, it puts the economy into a deeper recession. Oil price per barrel is usually counted on the basis of the OPEC or NMEX oil basket prices. At the beginning of 2008, the barrel of oil cost $90. 7; by the end of April, the price has already crossed the mark of $116 per barrel (WTRG Economics, 2008). The chart shows significant continuous increase of oil prices. During 2007, the price of oil per barrel has nearly tripled. Inflation rates, unemployment rates, oil prices per barrel, and real GDP are the four interrelated economic indicators, which determine, at what stage of business cycle the U. S. economy stands. Business cycles impact all areas of economic development; the airline industry is not an exception. In many instances, airlines develop and act according to the basic economic laws. The state of real GDP and Consumer Price Index determine consumer capability to purchase tickets and choose convenient flights. The price of oil per barrel seriously increases airline industry costs, which the industry compensates for the account of more expensive tickets. The growing energy prices contribute into the CPI growth. The growing price of oil per barrel impacts unemployment: â€Å"on average, every time oil prices go up 10 percent, 150,000 Americans lose their jobs† (Eldad, 2007). It is stated that â€Å"the cycles of the airline market are often considered to be a response to fluctuations in the evolution of the GDP and to lie beyond the sphere of the industry’s influence† (Eldad, 2007). Unemployment does not significantly impact the airline industry. The United States has been able to keep unemployment rates at reasonable levels. Inflation rates directly impact the way the airline industry performs on the market. In general, inflation indicates the growth of all costs and expenditures within airline industry. Inflation means that energy prices grow, too. Traditionally, fuel and oil costs constituted 15 percent of the airline industry expenditures, but inflation and growing prices of oil per barrel have raised this index to 30 percent (Eldad, 2007). Due to continuous inflation growth and oil price increase, airlines annually lose up to $200 million (Eldad, 2007). These are the indicators of the economic recession. Economic recession is one of the five stages of business cycle. Since 2005, the airline industry has been experiencing serious economic losses and numerous business closures. The slight increase of real GDP in the last quarter of 2007 reveals promising trends which will hopefully help airlines cope with energy prices. The recession stage of the business cycle suggests that the U. S. economy has not yet reached the trough at the very bottom of its economic decline. This is why the airline industry should be prepared to facing even more serious economic difficulties. The current economic situation is more consistent with the classical economic conditions. The state is not involved into regulating inflation rates or oil prices per barrel. In the oil market, the state acts according to laissez-fair principles of classical economic theory, which promote free business choice and minimal state involvement into economic processes. Although the state regulates interest rates and seems to make everything possible to minimize the economic consequences of recession, its strategies are aimed at regulating particular markets and not the U. S. economy in general. The airline industry is given sufficient freedom for taking economic decisions according to the changeable economic conditions in the U. S. Conclusion The current state of real GDP, inflation rates, oil price per barrel, and unemployment rates form the picture of economic recession in the United States. The airline industry experiences significant economic losses. As the U. S. economy faces the recession stage of the business cycle, airlines should be prepared to even greater economic losses before the economy reaches the trough at the bottom of its economic decline.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Increase In Poor Attendance Education Essay

ICBT leads in presenting Edexcel HND ‘s. However, recent observations showed HND Business Management pupils showed an addition in hapless attendence & A ; promptness, failed in ontime bringing ensuing in late & A ; non bringing of assignments, & A ; the chief ground identified for the negative consequences were, pupils hapless clip direction accomplishments. This negatively effects cardinal stakeholders such as institute, pupils, parents & A ; talks, ensuing in inability of pupils to achive good classs, incresed emphasis & A ; old ages taken to finish the HND, reduced the pattern working on deadlines, makes ICBT unable to make its mission & A ; vision, impacts the bing positive image with Edexcel & A ; the market, fades parents ends & A ; hopes, increses force per unit area upon lectors & A ; leads to demotivation as consequences are non achived as expected from pupils. Importance of a solution was recognized, & A ; identified bettering pupils be aftering & A ; forming, prioritizing & A ; end puting accomplishments improves clip managemnet accomplishments. Bettering the sead accomplishments, increses pupils on clip entry rates, capableness to work on clip & A ; reduces emphasis, enable ICBT range its mission & A ; vision & A ; maintain good name with both Edexcel & A ; the market, cut down work burden force per unit area & A ; increses motive of lectors & A ; lead parents see their kids achiving success. Key Words – Students, Time direction accomplishmentsTable of ContentssTable of ContentssList of Tables & A ; FiguresList of tabular arraiesList of figuresList of AbbreviationsICBT – International College of Business & A ; engineering LtdIntroductionEstablished since twelvemonth 2000 ( ICBT, 2011 ) International College of Business & A ; Technology Ltd ( ICBT ) has become one of the most prima private sector higher instruction offering institute in Sri Lanka offering assortment of interantionally accepted survey classs. It was observed most pupils at ICBT surveies Edexcel HND ‘s, & A ; ICBT is most popular in presenting HND ‘s as ICBT was awarded by Edexcel International ( The Sunday Times, 1996 – 2011 ) as the taking centre for Edexcel HND ‘s in Sri Lanka However recent observation showed pupils analyzing Edexcel HND concern direction shows mean hapless attendence & A ; promptness, & A ; neglect to subject assignments on due day of the months ensuing in late entries & A ; non subjecting assignments. The chief ground identified for pupils inability to subject assignments on clip & A ; hapless promptness, was pupils hapless clip managemnt accomplishments. Symptoms identified through detecting pupils which led me to look into these job was pupils classs achived, on mean pupils hapless attendence, hapless promptness, pupils ailments on capable affairs, pupils non verbal looks such as demoing less involvement & A ; concentration towards lectures, drowsiness, negative attitude towards lectures, speaking with friends while talks are being conducted within the category room, etcaˆÂ ¦ The imporatance of placing & A ; happening a sollution to these job was recognized upon placing the negative effects it could hold upon all cardinal stakeholders involved such as pupils, parents, lectors & A ; the institute & A ; the benefits it could convey to the mentioned stakeholders as discussed below. Improved pupils clip mangemnt accomplishments, will increase pupils ability to subject assignemnts on clip, which could be a criteria taking to achive high classs, cut down both emphasis degrees & A ; enable pupils to finish the HND ‘s within the clip frame of 18 months, avoid extra payments required on on late extention & A ; remodules of assignments. Further more achiving high classs would increse pupils knowledge & amp ; accomplishments degrees, which would profit in deriving & A ; constructing nucleus competences neccessry when come ining the occupation market. Besides happening a sollution to better pupils clip mangement accomplishments, would increase pupils pattern & A ; ability to mange clip efficaciously, expeditiously under presure of work while in the university, which could be extremely belived would be utile in their calling life as clip mangemnt is considerd as a critical interpersonal accomplishment in todays concern universe. Further if schemes are non implimentd to better pupils clip mangemnt accomplishments it would do it impossible for ICBT to make its mission & A ; vission as identified in figure:2 in appendix, as ICBT ‘s mission of enahancing quality of human resources available to the market, would be negatively effected as pupils hapless classs, hapless clip direction accomplishments, hapless promptness, etcaˆÂ ¦ would non ensue in an increse of qulity human resource available to the occupation market in the hereafter, & A ; it would non enable ICBT to make its vision, since hapless public presentation of pupils would consequence ICBT ‘s repute & A ; acknowledgment in both the local & A ; international market negatively, impacting both international & A ; local market growing negatively. Besides if this consequences in an continuance, there is an high possibility that ICBT ‘s quality of instruction & A ; repute in the private higher instruction could be adversly effected, ens uing in ICBT ‘s repute recognized by Edexcel International as discussed above to detoriate. Students ability to mange clip effcetively is a critical factor that could consequence a kid ability to run into parents ends & A ; hopes, such as seing childeren go throughing tests with good classs on planned clip frame & A ; being extremely educated, holding a good calling & A ; a work life balance. Further good clip mangemnent accomplishments would ensue in non necessitating to pay any extra payments to the college on late entry or re-modules ensuing in less fiscal load upon parents. Addition in pupils clip mangement accomplishments would increase pupils ability to subject assignments on clip, & A ; this would enable the lectors to finish look intoing the whole batches assignments on a perticular twenty-four hours, without the demand of transporting frontward any due cheques, seting extra presure & A ; burden upon them. Further effectual clip mangemnt plays a major function upon pupils ability to achive a Distinction standard & A ; other good classs, which could be a motivative factor for lectors & A ; act as cogent evidence of lectors high public presentation. As job was identified ICBT City campus Edexcel HND concern direction pupils, country of influence or the range of the survey was identified as the aggregation of all the current registerd Edexcel HND Business Managemnt pupils at ICBT City campus. As identified & amp ; discusssed above how pupils hapless clip managemnt accomplishments effects pupils & A ; other nucleus stakeholders such as parents, lectors, & A ; the institute, the importance of happening a sollution for these job was highlighted & amp ; by doong so it would non merely fullfil the cognition spread, but besides bring monolithic benefits to all the cardinal satkeholders as discussed below.Research ProblemWhy ICBT City campus Edexcel HND Business Managemnt pupils are inefficient in their clip mangemnt?Research QuestionsWhat is clip managemnt? What is efficiency & A ; effectiveness? What is effetive clip managemnt? What are the factors act uponing effectual clip managemnt of pupils?Research AimsTo place what is clip managemnt To place what is effciency & A ; effectiveness and why it is of import to pupils To place what is effectual clip managemnt To place factors set uping effectual clip managemnt of pupilsLiterature ReviewTime direction involves equilibrating all the activities in which a individual participates within the confines of the hebdomad ( Canyons, 2001-2012 ) . Efficiency & A ; effectiveness plays a critical function towards finding an persons ability to equilibrate & amp ; pull off all activities of a perticular clip period. Efficiency is where clip or attempt is good used for a planned undertaking & A ; efectiveness is making the right thing. Therefore effectual clip direction could be considerd as an persons ability to guarantee right things are done at the right clip, while guaranting clip & A ; attempt is good used for the planned undertaking. However factors set uping clip managemnt accomplishments of an person is discussed below. A survey done to happen the relatinship between, hold & A ; the deficiency of ability to put day-to-day modus operandis associated to academic activities ( Dietz, Hofer & A ; French friess, 2007 ) suggested that pupils be aftering is of import to forestall holds in academic work, while Drucker in 1967 recognized that planning activities & A ; undertaking does non ever guarantee completion of planned work, specially when clip presure is high. However a survey done by Gerhard in twelvemonth 2007, showed that pupil planning is merely one factor among several other factors that could consequence clip mangement, through consequences observed by both pre & A ; post preparation accomplishments observed, which focused on four criterias such as self assesment, end scene, clip mangement & A ; self ordinance, which was capable to demo a major addition or betterment in between pupils pre & amp ; station ego managemnt accomplishments. Harmonizing to Sandberg in twelvemonth 2001, stated that effectual use of clip would assist to achive ends as planned, & A ; it is the art of arrangement, organizing, programming, & A ; budgeting 1s clip for the intent is the factors that influence effectual work & A ; productiveness. Obi in twelvemonth 2003 stated that clip mangemnt involves accurately identifying undertakings to be performed, be aftering & A ; programming of activities, prioritisng activities in order, & A ; apportioning clip to tasks harmonizing to the grade of imporatane that enhances productiveness. Olaniyi in 1998 & A ; Akomolafe in 2005 argued that, there is nil to mange in clip as clip is beyond human control, & A ; what persons are capable to make is to make up one's mind what to make with the available clip & A ; how good to form activities within the available clip frame. Adedeji in twelvemonth 1998 besides came up with a strong & A ; similar statement that supports, Olaniyi ‘s & A ; Akomolafe ‘s findings, where he sead clip is an panics resource & amp ; use of clip could be achived by making the right thing at the right clip. A survey done among university pupils in the United provinces ( Macan, et Al, 1990 ) identified a four factor theoretical account which effects pupils clip managemnt accomplishments & A ; they were puting ends and precedences, planning and programming, perceived control over clip, and penchant for disorganization. Out of the four factors perceived control over clip had shown the strongest part to pupils academic and emotional accommodation. Further Macan ‘s designation that end scene could infleunce clip managemnt was besides surported by Richards in 1987 where Richards ‘s concluded that puting life ends & A ; maintaining clip logs were of import techniques for effectual clip managemnt. McCay in 1959 developed a construct for clip direction preparation programme, where the critical elements highlighted in it were, giving penetration into clip devouring activities, altering clip outgo, & A ; increasing work twenty-four hours efficiency by learning people how to do day-to-day planning, how to prioritize undertaking & A ; how to manage unexpected undertakings. A survey done by Britton & A ; Tesser in 1991, had identified that 67 % of undergraduate pupils find clip managemnt as the most hard undertaking to pull off & amp ; 36 % varience among the classs werte due to clip mangemnt accomplishments. This farther high spots & A ; proves the importance of happening why and how clip mangemnt accomplishments could be improved among ICBT City campus HND Business managemnt pupils. Figure: Conceptual Model Planing & A ; forming accomplishments Time direction Prioritizing accomplishments Gaol puting accomplishments Alternate Hypothesis identified Students planning, forming & A ; prioritizing & A ; end puting accomplishments effects clip direction Planing & A ; forming accomplishments is â€Å" the ability to pull off self and/or others, and resources including clip and environing fortunes to make a specific end † ( University of Strathclyde Glasgow, n.d ) Prioritizing accomplishments is the ability to â€Å" specify, rank, and assign degrees of importance to undertakings, activities, and/or issues and cover with affairs of higher importance foremost. Make a list of points in order in which they need to be completed or delegated. Align forces and other resources harmonizing to precedence while keeping organisational mission, vision, and aims. Determine affairs of urgency and manage consequently † ( Selection standards illustrations, 2012 ) Goal scene is the ability of an person to â€Å" set uping specific, mensurable and clip targeted aims † ( Objectiveli, 2012 ) Time direction is â€Å" a set of rules, patterns, accomplishments, tools, and systems working together to assist you acquire more value out of your clip with the purpose of bettering the quality of your life † ( Time ideas, 2004 – 2011 ) , & A ; clip direction accomplishment of an single depends upon the persons be aftering & A ; forming, prioritizing & A ; end puting accomplishments.MethodologyThe sampling frame would be derived from the current ICBT metropolis campus HND Business direction pupil ‘s registries, available from the programme organizing office, which would give a complete list of all pupils registered for the class under each batch. Out of the sampling frame, a pupil sample would be obtained in order to carry on the research. However, HND Business direction batch 38 & A ; 46 would be excluded from, the study as batch 38 has already completed the HND & A ; merely expecting for the finalised consequences & A ; batch 46 would be excluded, as the batch is the freshest HND Business direction batch, which has started on the 2nd hebdomad of September 2012, & A ; would non enable to derive needed information. In order to avoid the sampling mistake survey would be done to place the most suited trying method to be adopted & amp ; a larger sample size would be considered in the study, than the sample size demand calculated through the sample size reckoner. Table: Operational Model Standards to be measured Measurement unit Planing & A ; forming accomplishments Ability to gauge clip & A ; attempt required to finish a undertaking Ability to form systems & A ; required resources Organize personal clip to transport out duties Maintain satisfactory readying clip for scheduled deadlines Capability to develop agendas & A ; timetables with clear mileposts & A ; deadlines Ability to mensurate consequences & A ; mileposts for ego ( University of Strathclyde Glasgow, n.d ) Prioritizing accomplishments Ability to place critical undertaking & A ; arrange undertakings in logical order Establish precedences consistently & A ; differentiate between pressing, of import & A ; unimportant undertakings Ability to supervise or set precedences on a day-to-day footing Use a â€Å" to make † list, undertaking program, or similar planning devices to observe action programs, deadlines, etc. ( University of Strathclyde Glasgow, n.d ) Standards to be measured Measurement unit Goal puting accomplishments Ability to put SMART aims ( Top accomplishment, n.d ) Time direction accomplishments Students attending On clip bringing, late entries & A ; non submitted rates of assignments To mensurate the relationship of the conceptual theoretical account identified in figure: 1 an operational theoretical account had been created in tabular array: 1 above. Harmonizing to the conceptual theoretical account forming, be aftering & A ; prioritizing & A ; end scene accomplishments are considered as independent variables, & A ; clip direction accomplishments is considered as a dependant variable. Table: Logical nexus created to turn out the truth of mensurating units used in the operational theoretical accountStandards to be measuredMeasurement unitLogical nexus to turn out truth of mensurating unitPlaning & A ; forming accomplishments Ability to gauge clip & A ; attempt required to finish a undertaking Ability to gauge the clip & A ; attempt required to finish peculiar undertaking, would enable a pupil to be after in progress on future undertakings & A ; aid to place how much leftover clip is available towards accomplishing other undertakings Ability to form systems & A ; required resources Ability to form systems & A ; resources required to carry through an undertaking in progress, would assist pupils to to the full use its detached clip towards accomplishing the undertaking, without the demand to utilize that clip in happening needed resources & A ; systems which would salvage clip Organize personal clip to transport out duties If pupils have the ability to form clip to transport out personal duties in their lives, the detached clip could be to the full utilized in run intoing personal duties, where this would assist to avoid personal duties disrupting at times pupils are engaged in academic work. Maintain satisfactory readying clip for scheduled deadlines Student ‘s ability to keep satisfactory readying clip for scheduled deadlines would assist to avoid emphasis degrees of pupils, an addition their ability to carry through their ends as planned.Standards to be measuredMeasurement unitLogical nexus to turn out truth of mensurating unitPlaning & A ; forming accomplishments Capability to develop agendas & A ; timetables with clear mileposts & A ; deadlines Ability to put clear mileposts & A ; deadlines with the usage of clear agendas & A ; clip tabular arraies, would take to student motive & A ; besides highlight the marks pupils have to accomplish at each given clip or day of the month & A ; thereby enable to be after & amp ; form undertakings Ability to mensurate consequences & A ; mileposts for ego Ability to mensurate consequences & A ; mileposts for ego, would give an pupils a clear personal thought on where accommodations needs to be made & amp ; thereby assist to be after & amp ; form undertakings more accurately in the hereafter Prioritizing accomplishments Ability to place critical undertaking & A ; arrange undertakings in logical order Students ability to place critical undertakings would enable pupils to give more precedence towards accomplishing them, among other less of import undertakings Establish precedences consistently & A ; differentiate between pressing, of import & A ; unimportant undertakings Ability to precedences consistently & A ; differentiate between pressing, of import & A ; unimportant undertakings, would enable a pupil to give more precedence consequently to pressing, of import & A ; unimportant undertakings. Ability to supervise or set precedences on a day-to-day footing In general there is high possibility that sudden unexpected undertakings may originate than expected, or an unmet undertaking as planned, may be hold to shift into day-to-day undertakings. At a given state of affairs, pupil ‘s ability to accurately supervise & amp ; readapt the set programs consequently would enable to reprioritise undertakings consequently. Goal puting accomplishments Ability to put SMART aims Ability to put SMART aims would enable pupil to avoid underestimate or overestimate of work & A ; capablenesssStandards to be measuredMeasurement unitLogical nexus to turn out truth of mensurating unitAttendance Students attending records Students attending records would supply an clear apprehension on pupils promptness & A ; attending, which could be count towards clip direction accomplishments Assignment entry rates On clip bringing, late entries & A ; remoulded rates Students on clip bringing, late entries & A ; remoulded rates of assignments, would put a clear standard towards measuring clip direction accomplishments, as ability to subject assignments on clip largely depends on pupils ability to pull off clip efficaciously Students planning, forming prioritizing & A ; end scene accomplishments would be measured utilizing pre-determined questionnaire used by researches that have been capable of mensurating pupils be aftering, forming prioritizing & A ; gaol puting accomplishments. The consequences obtained utilizing the questionnaire would be compared against pupils late & A ; on clip assignment entry rates, re-module rates & A ; attending in finding if, HND Business direction pupils planning, forming & A ; prioritizing & A ; goal-setting accomplishments has an consequence upon clip direction accomplishments.Datas aggregation programNote – Questionnaire attached in the appendix Table: Data aggregation program of the studyData / Information requiredPrimary / Secondary informationsBeginning of informationsSampling frame Secondary informations Datas obtained through the programme officeof ICBT metropolis campusData / Information requiredPrimary / Secondary informationsBeginning of informationsOn clip assignment, late entry & A ; re-module rate of assignment entry of pupils Primary informations Inquirers distributed among the sample pupils Student attending Primary informations Inquirers distributed among the sample pupils Students be aftering & A ; forming, prioritizing & A ; Goal puting accomplishments Planing & A ; forming accomplishments Primary informations Inquirers distributed among the sample pupils Prioritizing accomplishments Primary informations Inquirers distributed among the sample pupils Goal puting accomplishments Primary informations Inquirers distributed among the sample pupilsSampling methods to be adoptedSimple random trying All pupils considered under the population will be listed in Excel package harmonizing to batch wise, in order to the pupil registry, & A ; a sample of pupils would be selected utilizing the, random expression provided in Excel in order to carry on the study. Simple random trying would avoid biasness in choice of pupils for the sample, enabling every pupil considered under the population to hold an equal opportunity of being selected for the study & A ; would thereby be capable to stand for the whole population. Difficulties & A ; restrictions faced in utilizing Simple random trying Although the list of pupils names are readily available at the programme coordinating section deriving entree to the list may be disputing as it may necessitate permission from a authorized personal, as the list of pupils names may be protected under certain privateness policies Efficiency of the programme coordinating section squad influence the ability to derive information on pupils names list, which may act upon the clip required to finish the research positively or negatively The list of pupil ‘s names provided by the programme office may non be readily available upon one individual papers, & A ; therefore it may be hard & A ; clip devouring to convey all information together into one individual papers or worksheet to make a concluding list from where a sample could be created. There may be a possibility that all pupils chosen to stand for the sample may hold planning, forming, prioritizing & A ; end puting accomplishments, or all the pupils chosen to stand for the sample may non hold planning, forming, prioritizing & A ; end puting accomplishments, which may make an inability in comparing the consequences of both sorts of pupils, & A ; arrive at a valid decision.Undertaking program ( Gantt chart ) of the researchActivity completed – Activity non completed – Ten Table: Undertaking program for carry oning researchUndertakingStart day of the monthFinish day of the monthLengthTask dependant onAdvancement( Activity completed/ non completed )Comments & A ; rescheduled day of the month if undertaking non accomplished as planned1 Research proposal 10/09/2012 20/09/2012 1 hebdomad 4 yearss Was able to finish undertaking before the planned day of the month 2 Fix the questionnaire 13/09/2012 16/09/2012 4 yearss Was possible to fix the questionnaire by 15/09/2012 3 Get the pupil names list required from the programme office 24/09/2012 27/09/2012 4 yearss Was able to obtain the names list on 13/09/2012 before the planned day of the month of 27/09/2012 4 List the pupil population in Excel sheet & A ; use simple random trying to choose the sample pupils 27/09/2012 30/09/2012 4 yearss 3UndertakingStart day of the monthFinish day of the monthLengthTask dependant onAdvancement( Activity completed/ non completed )Comments & A ; rescheduled day of the month if undertaking non accomplished as planned5 Distribute questionnaire & A ; acquire the feedback from all selected sample pupils 01/10/2012 20/10/2012 20 yearss 2 & A ; 4 6 Start redaction, coding, informations entry, & A ; informations analysis of informations obtained through thequestionnaire 21/10/2012 05/11/2012 15 yearss 5 7 Final research undertaking 06/11/2012 30/11/2012 25 yearss 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6DecisionICBT good renowned private higher instruction supplier, has been recognized as the taking centre for supplying Edexcel HND ‘s in Sri Lanka ( The Sunday Times, 1996 – 2011 ) . However, it observed pupil ‘s analyzing HND Business direction has shown an addition in hapless attending & A ; promptness, & A ; neglect to subject assignments on due day of the months, act uponing all cardinal stakeholders such as pupils, lectors, institute & A ; the parents negatively. The ground identified for hapless attending & A ; promptness, & A ; failure to subject assignments on due day of the months was pupils hapless clip direction accomplishments & A ; therefore imporatance of placing & A ; happening a sollution to these job was recognized. Through a elaborate literature, conceptual theoretical account was derived which displayed be aftering & A ; forming accomplishments, prioritizing accomplishments & A ; end puting accomplishments influence pupils clip managemnet accomplishments, & A ; therefore the alternate hypothesis developed was, Students planning, forming & A ; prioritizing & A ; end puting accomplishments effects clip direction. Planing & A ; forming, prioritizing & A ; end puting accomplishments was identified as indipendent variable, where it could act upon the dependant variable which is clip managemnt accomplishments. The operational theoretical account identified in tabular array: 1 lists the measurings that could be used in mesuring all the dependant & A ; indipendent variables. In order to to happen how ICBT HND Businesss Managemnt pupils be aftering & A ; forming, prioritizing & A ; end puting accomplishments effects clip managemnt, the sampling frame was identified as all the current pupils analyzing HND Business managemnt at ICBT City campus. However batch 38 & A ; 46 would be excluded from the study as batch 38 has already completed the HND & A ; batch 46 would be excluded, as the batch is the freshest HND Business direction batch, & A ; would non enable to derive needed information. Datas aggregation program in table: 3 shows the information required & A ; the beginnings of informations aggregation in garnering the required inside informations. Simple random sampling was identified as the suited sampling method to deduce the sample to carry on the study, & A ; in order to understate the sampling mistake a larger sample size would be considered in the study, than the sample size demand calculated through the sample size reckoner. Troubles in following simple random trying method are listed in page 13. Table: 4 shows the undertaking program developed to carry on the research.MentionsAdedeji, S, O, ( 1998 ) The relationship between resource use & A ; academic public presentations in vocational instruction in Osun State secondary schools An unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University of Ibadan, Nigeria Akomolfe, C, O, ( 2005 ) ‘Principals ‘ clip direction abilities in secondary schools in Nigeria ‘ Nigerian Journal of Educational Administration and Planning, vol.5, no. 1, pg. nos. 58 – 67 Britton, B. K. , & A ; Tesser, A. ( 1991 ) Effects of clip direction patterns of college classs Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 83, pg. nos 405-410 Canyons ( 2001-2012 ) ‘What is clip direction ‘ Time Management [ WWW ] Retrieved from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.canyons.edu/committees/LEAP/Team1/15tips/tip4.asp [ Accessed on: 10/09/2012 ] Dietz, F, Hofer, M & A ; French friess, S ( 2007 ) ‘Individuals values, larning modus operandis & A ; academic cunctation ‘ British Journal of Educational Psychology vol.77, no. 4, pg. nos. 893 – 906 Drucker, P, F, ( 1967 ) The Effective Executive Harper & A ; Row, New York, NY Gerhardt, M, ( 2007 ) ‘Teaching self-management: The design and execution of self-management tutorials ‘ Journal of Education for Business vol. 83, no. 1, pg. nos. 11 – 18 ICBT ( 2011 ) ‘Our Vision & A ; Mission ‘ About United statess: Vision & A ; Mission [ WWW ] Retrieved from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.icbt.lk/visionHYPERLINK â€Å" hypertext transfer protocol: //www.icbt.lk/vision & A ; mission.html † & amp ; HYPERLINK â€Å" hypertext transfer protocol: //www.icbt.lk/vision & A ; mission.html † mission.html [ Accessed on: 10/09/2012 ] ICBT ( 2011 ) ‘Welcome to International College of Business & A ; Technology Ltd ‘ About us: About ICBT [ WWW ] Retrieved from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.icbt.lk/aboutus.html [ Accessed on: 10/09/2012 ] Macan, T. M. , Shahani, C. , Dipboye, R. L. , & A ; Phillips, A. P. ( 1990 ) College pupils clip direction: Correlations with academic public presentation and stress Journal of Educational Psychology vol. 82, pg. nos760-768 McCay, J, ( 1959 ) The direction of clip Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ Mind Tools ( 1996 – 2012 ) ‘How Good is Your Time Management? ‘ Home: Time direction: Time direction quiz [ WWW ] Retrieved from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_88.htm [ Accessed on: 15/09/2012 ] Obi, E, ( 2003 ) Educational planning in modern-day Computer Edge Publishers, Nigeria Enugu Objectiveli ( 2012 ) ‘Why Goals are Key for Project Management ‘ [ WWW ] Retrieved from: hypertext transfer protocol: //objectiveli.com/blog/why-goals-are-key-for-project-management/ [ Accessed on: 12/09/2012 ] Olaniyi, W, O, ( 1998 ) Conceptual attack to educational disposal Patrick Ade Printing Press, Ondo Richards, J, H, ( 1987 ) Time direction a reappraisal Work & A ; Stress, vol. 1 Pg. nos. 73 – 78 Sandberg, J, ( 2001 ) ‘Understanding competency at work ‘ Harvard Business Review, vol.79 no.3, pg. nos. 24 – 28 Choice standards illustrations ( 2012 ) ‘Prioritising Skills ‘ [ WWW ] Retrieved from: hypertext transfer protocol: //selection-criteria-examples.com/selection-criteria-prioritising-skills/ [ Accessed on: 12/09/2012 ] The Sunday Times ( 2011 ) ‘ICBT Campus, awarded as the Leading centre for Edexcel HNDs in Sri Lanka ‘ Education [ Online Newspaper ] Retrieved from: hypertext transfer protocol: //sundaytimes.lk/110918/Education/ed024.html [ Accessed on: 10/09/2012 ] Time Thoughts ( 2004 – 2011 ) ‘What Exactly Is Time Management? ‘ Home: Time direction [ WWW ] Retrieved from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.timethoughts.com/time-management.htm [ Accessed on: 12/09/2012 ] Top Achievement ( n.d ) ‘Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals ‘ [ WWW ] Retrieved from: hypertext transfer protocol: //topachievement.com/smart.html [ Accessed on: 12/09/2012 ] Top Achievers ( 2010 ) ‘Time Management Questionnaire ‘ [ Online Downloaded PDF ] Retrieved from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.topachievers.co.uk/downloads/time-management-questionnaire.pdf [ Downloaded on: 15/09/2012 ] University of Strathclyde Glasgow ( n.d ) ‘Planning & A ; Organising Skills ‘ [ WWW ] Retrieved from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.strath.ac.uk/careers/sHYPERLINK â€Å" hypertext transfer protocol: //www.strath.ac.uk/careers/skills/generalskills/planningorganisingskills/ † kills/generalskills/planningorganisingskills/ [ Accessed on: 12/09/2012 ]

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Case of Apple Suing Samsung in America-Free-Samples for Students

In the year 2012, the multinational telecommunication brand Apple had filed a case against Samsung for violated the provisions of Patent. It has been alleged by apple that Samsung has sold smart phones and Apple owned tablets and the patent of the same specifically. According to Apple, Samsung had not informed Apple while using their patents. It has also been alleged that apple had already in the patent war with another telecommunication brand Motorola regarding the patent and Samsung had breached the provision of patent while the war was going on (Lee, 2015). Apple had filed case against Samsung by alleging that the South Korea-based company had made infringement regarding three utility patents and four design patents. The Jury held Samsung liable in 2012 by observing that the company had willfully made a violence regarding the utility pattern that are solely owned by Apple and penalized the company. The main issue that has been cropped up in this case is whether Samsung has made any infringement regarding the patents that are owned by Apple or not. It has been alleged by the Apple that the lawsuit that has been filed against Samsung affected the market of Apple and the company had to face loss due to the same. Muellar (2015) that the company has taken many steps to strengthen its base on technical patents has stated it. It has been alleged by the company that the Galaxy Nexus set has infringed the patent of Apple and use the Android 4.0 software that has been particularly labeled with Apple. The main dispute is that if Google change the program code of Nexus model, the world will know the fact that an infringement has been made and that is the apple of discord between the two leading cell phone brands. The main allegation of Apple against Samsung is that the later has made a patent infringement against the former. The term patent infringement denotes an activity where a party uses the patent invention of another without informing the sole owner of the patent. Patent is a part of the Intellectual Property Act. In most of the cases, the alleged parties are infringing the patent provisions to gain illegal profits by commercial activities. It has been alleged by apple that Samsung has made an infringement regarding the ‘647 patent which helps to detect information in messages automatically. Further, ‘721 patent helps to unlock the home screen by the help of motion sensor. According to apple, Apple exclusively authorizes all these patents, Samsung has used these patents in their smart phones, and tablets and they did not inform Apple regarding the same (Shin et al., 2015). Certain products of Samsung such as Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Tab 2 and so on. However, after a diehard process, Apple has able to obtain an order of injunction on the alleged models and obtain a compensation of $120 million against Samsung (Spulber, 2018). Lee, J. H. (2015).  U.S. Patent Application No. 29/430,414. Mueller, J. (2015). Remedies for Patent Infringement: Enhanced Damages and Willful Patent Infringement. Shin, H. S., Park, J. H., Yoo, H. G., & Ahn, S. (2015).  U.S. Patent Application No. 29/425,927. Spulber, D. F. (2018). Finding Reasonable Royalty Damages: A Contract Approach to Patent Infringement.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Lev S. Vygotsky's Sociohistorical School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lev S. Vygotsky's Sociohistorical School - Essay Example aradigm in psychological research, which would surpass narrow objectivism of behaviorism and subjectivism of James’ and Wundt’s introspective psychology. It focuses on human development in order to make a general conclusion about the work of the mind in active state. Vygotsky and his followers focused on non-adaptive nature of character and mechanisms of development of higher mental functions. Defining the main purpose of psychological observations as the objective study of human consciousness, members of Vygotsky’s school discovered a role of cultural considerations and cultural mediators such as a word, sign, symbol, myth, in the development of higher mental functions, personality development and its phenomena. According to his socio-historical theory, the main difference between a man and animal is conditionalism of human behavior and development due to socio-cultural factors. There are two types of human mental functions, â€Å"natural† - organic and â€Å"higher† - social and cultural. The first are predominantly determined by genetic factors, while the latter are formed on the basis of the first under the influence of a social impact. The importance of socio-historical conception of Vygotsky is not so much in justifying symbolic determination of human consciousness, as in the attempts to understand a sign, symbol, text as a tool for expanding consciousness into socio-historical perspective which is not imposed on a subject by society, but is chosen, in a varying degree of self-consistency, from

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Culture in American Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Culture in American Society - Essay Example Culture can be judged by means of religion, lifestyle, literature, music, foods, arts, and architecture, language, fashions, behaviors, rituals, and symbols employed by individuals of a society (Tyler 1974). The culture is shifted from generation to the other generation and keeps on changing (Kroeber and Kluckhohn 1952). The topic, which interests me the most, is the association of culture to the development of society and individuals of a society. American society has developed not because of one culture but it has many cultures behind its origin. America is a multicultural society in which, people from different societies develop and add their own cultural values to this multicultural society (Schlesinger 1991). Because of the existence of multiple cultures in America, the society as a whole is affected (Schlesinger 1991). I want to do research on American society and the role of multiple cultures and individuals from those cultures on the development of the society as a whole. I w ant to analyze whether the multicultural impact on the society has come up to be advantageous or disadvantageous and how has the society developed because of the migration of individuals from multiple cultures. Culture is an important part of our lives, which is responsible for shaping our personalities (Dabaghian 1970). It enables us to develop into the individuals as we are. People from different cultures are different because of the different social values that are there because of culture (Tyler 1974). With the help of culture, the development in a society can be judged. With the passage of time, the culture of a society goes through various transactions that are the outcome of change in cultural values because of many reasons (Dabaghian 1970). This aspect can be better judged in American society that has gone through many transactions since its development.  Ã‚  

Monday, August 26, 2019

The Bird Flu in the United Kingdom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Bird Flu in the United Kingdom - Essay Example Sturcke and Batty (2006) report stated that as many as 46 countries have recorded bird flu cases in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. Aside from being a health risk, the bird flu is also a massive economic threat. Freeman (2005) stated that "the UK has about 120 million poultry, including chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese, worth 1.3 billion a year. About 25 per cent of the egg-laying flock are kept outdoors and about 10 per cent of chickens raised for meat are free-range." (Sturcke, J. & Batty, D., 2006. Q&A: Bird flu [online], The Guardian, 27 April, viewed 14 May, 2006, http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story/0,,1591620,00.html) Boseley and Watt (2005) reported that after a meeting of EU veterinarians on the problem of bird flu, the British Veterinary Association's President stated that bird flu is inevitably going to arrive in the UK[and] there is a small but real danger that migrating wild birds could bring us a highly dangerous strain of the virus. (Boseley, S. & Watt, N., 2005. Vets say arrival of bird flu in UK is inevitable [online], The Guardian, 26 August, viewed 14 May, 2006, http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story/0,14207,1556846,00.html) In a 2006 report, Sturcke and Batty stated incidents of the bird flu virus in the United Kingdom. A dead swan was found in Cellardyke and a parrot died in an Essex quarantine zone. Both incidents occurred in 2005, and both birds were found to have died from the H5N1 virus. In a farm west of Norwich, a number of chickens were found to have tested positive of the less deadly H7 strain of bird flu, which also infects humans. (Sturcke, J. & Batty, D., 2006. Q&A: Bird flu [online], The Guardian, 27 April, viewed 14 May, 2006, http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story/0,,1591620,00.html ) Needless to say, the alarm and threat of a widespread bird flu infection has prompted the UK government to take various measures in an attempt to prevent such a pandemic. BBC News (2006) reported that one such step was the UK's ban on imports of live chickens from Croatia, Turkey, Romania, Russia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Laos, Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Malaysia, South Africa, and North Korea, where bird flu outbreaks have occurred. (BBC News, 2006. Britain's bird flu preparations [online]. viewed 14 May, 2006, .) The finding of dead swans in Fife and in Scotland prompted government to create a huge exclusion zone to prevent any further spread of the bird flu virus. Henderson, Macleod and English (2006) reported that a 1,000 square mile exclusion zone was set up, stretching from the Forth Road Bridge, north of Edinburgh, to Stonehaven in the north east and Perth in the north west. It greatly expands the 3km (1.8 mile) radius protection zone and 10km (6.2 mile) surveillance zone established around Cellardyke. (Henderson, M., Macleod, A., & English, S., 2006. 1,000 sq mile exclusion zone set up to combat risk of virus spreading [online], The Times, 07 April, viewed 14 May, 2006, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,25149-2122749,00.html) Within that exclusion zone, there are found around 3.1 million domestic birds kept on about 175 poultry farms and would require that owners of 48 free-range farms will have to bring their

Dissertation proposal Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Dissertation - Research Proposal Example This is to facilitate communication and formulation of superior performance policies that focus on the participation of everyone. Employee engagement remains a hot issue with most professionals posting diverse opinion on its suitability in measuring performance in institutions. One school of thought reports that employee engagement indices criteria form a fundamental element that provides relevant incentives for measuring performance. It acts as a scorecard guideline that measures the satisfactory level of employees and consumers in service delivery. However, another school of thought faults its use since it fails to provide clear benchmarks that can be applied to facilitate credible measurement of performance. Ideally, employees hold the requisite capacity of influencing performance in institutions (Macey, Schneider & Barbera, 2009, p. 224). To ensure superior innovation and creativity in product development, proper employee engagement is essential. It ensures adequate sharing of id eas and formulation of policies with innovative ideals. It is crucial to note that, employee performance can be achieved when their morale is enhanced through adequate engagement in diverse aspects. Over the past two decades, the term employee engagement has gained increased popularity. ... Most of the previous studies on this subject have addressed a number of aspects that are related to it; others have been very general, while others have addressed the particular aspects relating to the subject (Attridge, 2009). Over the years, management practitioners and management scholars have reiterated the need of coming up with the actual measures and indicators of specific management practices in order to evaluate their relevance (Markos and Sridevi, 2010). It is in the light of this view that it is important to evaluate the relevance of employee engagement indices as a performance measure and indicator in institutions. This evaluation will be fundamental in establishing how relevant these indices are, and whether there is need of changing them in order to make them more relevant. This paper evaluates the imperativeness of employee engagement as a performance measure and advancement of cordial relations in business institutions. Background The fact that modern business demands more efficiency and higher productivity than in the past cannot be disputed. This situation has come about as a result of various factors that affect the business environment (Ologbo and Saudah, 2011). These factors include technological advancements, increased competition, and heightened customers and shareholders’ expectations among others. Organizations are making a lot of efforts to improve their performances in order to remain competitive, make more profits and survive in the turbulent business environment. Several studies have shown that one of the critical ingredients of organizational success is employees (Harter et al, 2002). More satisfied

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Hominin study guide Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hominin study guide - Coursework Example They are close the human relatives. This is from the fact they have some features that are close to the modern man. Their body has been shorter just as of the modern man. However, theirs were relatively shorter to that of the modern man. They used sophisticated tools and they made use of fire to warm them, to scare away animals and even to cook their meat. Their skulls have been found in various parts of the world, thus resulting to their various names. The following is a list of their names, characteristics and location they were found (Sawyer 357). As their names, suggests they are considered wise because of how they manipulated the environment to their advantage. They are referred to as anatomically modern human from the fact that some members of this group had physical features that are analogous to those of the human beings. The following are subgroups and their characteristics (Sawyer

Saturday, August 24, 2019

I wrote into the assignment criteria box Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

I wrote into the assignment criteria box - Essay Example orm of foreign direct investment, the companies buy controlling stakes in domestic firms and then reenergize the whole structure of the firm to make it more profitable and competitive. Their strategy have been quite simple as even a layman would believe in putting money in those areas or economy where the market if not growing at some astronomical rate but at least have a positive growth despite sluggishness (Krugman, 1998). The merger movement around the world has caused massive effect with growing rate of cross-border mergers and acquisitions. Being termed as an important tool for investment from industrial nations to developing ones, these merger and acquisition are relatively small size in if compared with mergers as compared to those in advanced countries, it gives the receiving developed nation a much needed boost to the economies of their nations. The involvement of transnational companies in the domestic market also provides the developing nation an environment of technologic al and managerial efficiency. The major bane in the growth of developing nation has been the lack of modern approach in management practices and use of technology. The indigenous research of the government and other agencies has been either lagging behind or has failed to yield any result. The need of the hour for the government is to adopt newer policies and its approach to engage transnational companies in its territory would yield higher growth in GDP and per capita income. The capability of domestic companies also gets strengthen in a pro-growth environment. As a whole the government’s agenda of creating an era of growth and prosperity gets fulfilled in various phases. The purpose of government selling its controlling state in public sector units or state enterprises is for strengthening the support system of the nation. Support system in this scenario is actually the infrastructure that would provide the base to individuals, investors and other enterprises in delving the nation

Friday, August 23, 2019

World Politics Trend and Transformation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

World Politics Trend and Transformation - Essay Example Waltz on expressing his neorealist conceptualization of the determinants of international behavior claims: "international structure emerges from the interaction of states and then constrains them from taking certain actions while propelling them toward others"1. The analysis of modern economic and integration processes occurring in it allows to allocate two basic tendencies. One of them is quantitative growth of the countries incorporated in the various international economic unions and other international economic alliances that is the evidence of increase of globalization of economy. The other tendency is continuous perfection of forms and methods of realization of world economic integration that speaks about deep qualitative changes occurring in this process. At the present stage the international economic integration has reached global scales. Globalization of economy represents the maximum form of the international economic integration. ...ic integration have had only one form of its realization - the international trade, the stage of globalization alongside with it assumes moving of labor, capital, scientific and technical knowledge, and information in planetary scale. Thus, at a stage of globalization the international economic integration gets not only more significant quantitative characteristics, but also new more developed forms. Globalization is a complex and developing process, which present stage represents only its initial level of development. Today within the limits of globalization there is a formation and organization of the international economic alliances, and alongside with it is creation of the international (transnational) corporations and financial centers. Let us try to summarize the reasons for the rapid development of integration processes in economy on a boundary the 20th and 21st centuries. From a number of the reasons and factors it is possible to allocate three core reasons: 1. The amplified competitive struggle caused by essential growth of scales of manufacture compels business to "cross" its national borders in searches of the best conditions of activity. 2. The favorable political circumstances, which have developed in second half 20th century: the disintegration of the colonial system, which have caused necessity of an establishment in the world of the new economic order, and the termination of Cold War, the period of opposition of two social and economic systems, allowed to consolidate the world community and to consider the world as complete system. Â  

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Two Variable Inequality Essay Example for Free

Two Variable Inequality Essay a) Let ‘c’ be the number of classic maple rocking chairs and ‘m’ be the number of classic maple rocking chairs that Ozark Furniture Company make. b) Here we have given that a classic maple rocker requires 15 board feet of maple, and a modern rocker requires 12 board feet of maple. We have ‘c’ classic maple rocker, so total maple required for classic maple rocker chair = 15c board feet. And we have ‘m’ modern maple rocker, so total maple required for classic maple rocker chair = 12m board feet. We have total maple available is 3000 board feet. Hence we can show this condition as: 15c + 12m ≠¤ 3000. This is the inequality which is showing the given situation. c) Graph for this inequality: d) Here this is a less than and equal to inequality, so we need to take the area which is below to the line 15c + 12m = 3000 and this will be a solid line on the boundaries. The region lies between origin to x and y – intercepts. Each point which is in the first quadrant and under the shaded area is a solution for the given inequality. So, if (x, y) is a point in the shaded region then Ozark Furniture Company can obtain x number of classic and y number of modern maple rocking chairs. So, x – axis is showing number of classic maple rocking chairs and y – axis is showing the number of modern maple rocking chairs. i) Consider the point (50, 100). This point is indicating that company is making 50 classic and 100 modern maple rocking chairs. So, c = 50 and m = 100. So, 15c + 12m = 15(50) + 12(100) = 750 + 1200 = 1950. Total board maple available = 3000 board feet. Hence, total remaining maple = 3000 – 1950 = 1050 board feet. So, (50, 100) point, which is within the region showing that the company is making 50 classic and 100 modern maple rocking chairs and using 1950 board feet of maple. In this case total waste of maple is 1050 board feet. So, the company can fill the order easily. ii) Consider the point (200, 100). This point is indicating that the company is making 200 classic and 100 modern maple rocking chairs. So, c = 200 and m = 100. So, 15c + 12m = 15(200) + 12(100) = 3000 + 1200 = 4200. Total board maple available = 3000 board feet. Hence, extra maple required = 4200 – 3000 = 1200 board feet. So, (200, 100) point, which is out of the region showing that the company is making 200 classic and 100 modern maple rocking chairs and need 4200 board feet of maple. In this case the company needs 1200 board feet of maple. So, company cannot fill this order with the available maple. iii) Consider the point (100, 125). This point is indicating that the company is making 100 classic and 125 modern maple rocking chairs. So, c = 100 and m = 125. So, 15c + 12m = 15(100) + 12(125) = 1500 + 1500 = 3000. Total board maple available = 3000 board feet. So, here the company has exact amount of required maple. So, (100, 125) point, which is exactly on the line showing that the company is making 100 classic and 125 modern maple rocking chairs and need to be very careful because company has exact amount of maple available to complete this order. So, company can complete the order. f) Here the order is of 125 classic rocking chairs and 175 modern rocking chairs. In terms of point we can show this condition as (125, 175). So, we have c = 125 and m = 175. So, 15c + 12m = 15(125) + 12(175) = 1875 + 2100 = 3975 board feet. Total maple available = 3000 board feet. So, Ozark Furniture will need 3975 – 3000 = 975 board feet of lumber. So, Ozark Furniture is not able to fill this order because the point is outside of the shaded area and company will need 975 board feet of lumber to fill the order. Conclusion: This was a real life example that how to use inequalities in our business. By the use of this we got to know that we will able to fill any order or not and if not then how much more raw-material we need to complete the order. This was very interesting question and we discussed all the 3 possible cases in this. References Dugopolski, M. (2012). Elementary and intermediate algebra (4th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Publishing.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Employee of the Month Essay Example for Free

Employee of the Month Essay Zack Bradley, a box boy at Super Club, a Price Club/Costco/Sam’s Club type store. He’s more than content with his life as a box boy. He lives with his grandmother, hangs out with his buddies in their homemade lounge in the center of the store’s shopping racks, trades away dented goods, and gets along with just about everyone. In fact, there’s only one person Zack can’t seem to get along with: lead cashier Vince Downey (Dax Shepard), the epitome of retail world brown nosing. Vince has been employee of the month at Super Club for seventeen months straight and winning the eighteenth time means big prizes (including a â€Å"newish† Chevy Malibu) and a promotion. Usually that title wouldn’t mean anything to a slacker like Zack, but when the new hot cashier Amy (Jessica Simpson) appears on the scene with rumors that she goes for employee of the month, Zack decides to give Vince some competition. This is, at its heart, an underdog film, which I almost always enjoy to some degree. Zack is constantly trod upon by Vince’s overwhelmingly good luck. Even when Zack and his friends try to get the best of the big suck up, something good happens for the egotistical wonder that allows him to come out ahead. It’s a real testament to the power of positive thinking once you learn that Vince sees his job as a big success (â€Å"why climb a mountain when you can win the land race? † he asks) while Zack knows his job sucks but took it as a way not to hurt anyone after a business failure cost his grandmother her retirement savings; Vince thinks well so he does well, Zack doesn’t. But really it’s a way of making the audience really want Vince to get his comeuppance, and feel a great sense of satisfaction once he begins to. With a cast comprised of stand-up comedians, singer turned actors, and former Ashton Kutcher â€Å"Punk’d† assistants one doesn’t exactly expect Oscar caliber acting from Employee of the Month, however the performances aren’t terrible either. Dane Cook acts as a subdued Ryan Reynolds which is exactly what this role needs. Reynolds’ normal antics would be too much for the tempo of this movie. Jessica Simpson only has the demand of being attractive and an object of desire; a role she fills perfectly, although a few of her lines are still wince-worthy. Dax Shepherd is a bit over the top in the villain role, but it works. The true standout performances come from the supporting comedic roles, filled with actors like Andy Dick, Harland Williams, Brian George, Tim Bagley, and Napoleon Dynamite’s Pedro, Efren Ramirez. With a cast able to capture laughs in just about every direction, the film keeps the audience snickering, if not making them laugh a little louder. Indeed, Employee accomplishes more chuckles with a little subtlety than with its attempts at the big laughs, although there are more than a few of those. Observant audience members will notice just how much the employees of Super Club abuse the store’s merchandise, from using broken products as bargaining chips to having gallon buckets of ice cream and massive bags of chips in their homes. People willing to consider the movie even further will find hilarity in the way the employees of Super Club treat their retail jobs so seriously, as if cleaning up that spill or the speed of a cashier’s pass-through rate really matters. Dane Cook and Dax Shepard may not offer the best underdog comedy this year, and the movie certainly doesn’t stand up to Wedding Crashers (which shared the same producers as the advertisements are more than happy to remind everyone) but it’s still an enjoyable, silly little comedy. Consider it along the same guilty pleasure lines as Jingle All the Way or Dodgeball or a more viewer friendly version of that Steve Carell comedy. It’s good for lighthearted fun, just don’t expect any life changing experience watching two store clerks competing for the grand title of Employee of the Month.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Three Fundamental Functions Of Business Organizations Management Essay

Three Fundamental Functions Of Business Organizations Management Essay BMW stands for Bayerisch Motoren Werke AG established in 1916. The company was first known as a manufacturer of aircraft engines. In 1928, it started focusing on car manufacturing with the purchase of the Eisenach motor vehicle factory. The BMW 3/15 which was a version of the Austin Seven, from British automaker Austin was the companys first passenger car. It operated with a 15 horsepower engine and had a top speed of 45 miles per hour. BMW began to design and build its own cars in the 1930s. The company developed its own engine plant that allowed BMW to build both sports cars and sedans without using engines made by other companies. The 327, 328 and 335 models were advanced technologically that made BMW be recognized as a major European automaker. During WWII BMW was forced to produce motorcycles and engines for the German army. They had to stop car production until the 1950s. After WWII, BMW had to restart their car production from zero. In 1952, they began producing the large 501 luxury sedan. It was the first car to be mass-produced in the West Germany. The successful 501 was followed by the 502 sedan in 1954 and the popular 507 roadster in 1956. This series help the company regain the prominent position for sports and luxury cars. Today BMW cars is recognized as a worldwide luxury brand with a high reputation for quality and by their marketing slogan, The Ultimate Driving Machine. BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce are three of the strongest premium brands of BMW nowadays. BMWs car is a superior product in terms of aesthetic appeal, dynamic performance, technology and quality. It underlines the companys leading position in innovation and technology. BMW Group Production Network currently includes 29 production and assembly plants in 14 countries on four continents with a network of more than 12,000 suppliers all over the world. The integration of production and logistics systems within the individual BMW Group locations provides advantages for the customer. Higher efficiency in the supply of production materials helps accelerate the delivery of cars to customers. Each plant contributes to the smooth operation of the global production network. The main locations of BMW Group Production Network include: USA: Spartanburg, South Carolina. Germany: Dingolfing, Berlin, Eisenach, Landshut, Munich,  Regensburg and Wackersdorf Brasilia: Manaus. Italy:   Cassinetta India: Chennai Great Britain: Goodwood, Hams Hall Oxford Swindon Austria: Graz, Steyr. Indonesia: Jakarta Russia: Kaliningrad Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur Thailand:   Rayong South Africa:   Rosslyn China: Shenyang (Dadong) and Shenyang (Tiexi) (Adapted from www.bmwgroup.com; BMW group (2011); http://www.ehow.com/about_5145304_bmw-cars.html ) Operations management as a set of decision making 2.1. What resources will be needed and in what amount? 2.1.1. What resources will be needed? The production process is concerned with transforming a range of inputs into those outputs that are required by the market. This involves two main sets of resources the transforming resources, and the transformed resources. Transformed resources include those that are transformed in some way by the operation to produce the goods or services that are its outputs. Three types of resource that may be transformed in operations are: materials the physical inputs to the process (manufacturing) information that is being processed or used in the process customers the people who are transformed in some way (common in the service business) Transforming resources include those that are used to perform the transformation process. The two types of transforming resource are: staff the people involved directly in the transformation process or supporting it (labour) facilities land, buildings, machines and equipment (capital) (http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-transformed-resources-and-vs-transforming-resources) In the case of BMW group, the resources necessary for their car production can be summarized in table1 Resources Types Notes Transformed Iron, Steel, Aluminum, Rubber etc Energy Car Body Paint Engine Other parts For the production of car body, bolt, rivet, wire, seat and other parts etc Transforming Land Engine production plants, body shops, paint shops and assembly plants Automated machines and other related machines Equipment and tools -Computers and supportive software Workers, managers, supervisors, inspectors -To build different types of car manufacturing plants 2.1.2. In what amounts? The amounts of resources required for car manufacturing largely depends on the demand of the product. The number of the goods/ services the company intends to produce and deliver to customers and the variety of products to be produced will determine the amounts of resources needed within a defined production system. To make decisions on the amounts of resources needed for manufacturing the product(s), operations managers should consider carefully two elements: selection of production process (operations strategy) and forecasting of demand of products/services. Selection of production process: There are three basic types of production methods or process: Make-to-stock (mass production): this method commonly goes along with line-flow strategy in which high volumes of products of relatively few standardized products are manufactured base upon relatively accurate anticipation of future demand for those products. This requires the firm to hold products in stock for immediate delivery. The competitive priorities of this method are stable quality and low cost. Since the demand for the products have been well anticipated so does the amounts of required resources (Krajewsky et al, 1999). Make-to-order: this method is commonly used by firms with flexible flow that produce low-volume, high-variety of goods/services according to customer specifications. In this direction, high level of customization is the major competitive priority of this method (http://www.web-books.com/eLibrary/NC/B0/B66/098MB66.html) Assemble-to-order (mass customization): this method is used to produce goods/services with many options from a relatively few number of assemblies and components in line with the customers specific order. Assemblies and components are held in stock until specific orders arrives. Then respective products will be assembled with appropriate assemblies and components. This method is relevant to high volume and relatively high variety of good/services (Krajewsky et al, 1999). Forecasting: In order to determine more accurately the amounts of resources needed for the product/service the organization is to offer to the market, it is vital to forecast the demand of this product/service. Demand forecast is usually developed by the marketing department and its accuracy will be the crucial element of the success of capacity management plans implemented by operations. Forecast provides a strong basis for determining the capital invested in the plants, machines and equipment, purchasing the right amount of materials and employing the right amount of labour (Albert Porter, 2010). Production methods and capacity planning of BMW group as means to define amounts of resources needed. In terms of production method, BMWs leading production principles includes horizontal and vertical integration of functions, team work organisation, visual management, built in quality processes, pull system of procurement and continuous improvement. This can be seen as a hybrid production system with a strong German element in product, production technologies and quality standards, a strong part of Japanese principles in process and work organisation and an American part of vertical management hierarchy. BMWs production approach is characterized with high quality, high productivity and high product flexibility which is closed to the mass customization model of production (Ludger Pries, 2002). With this production approach today BMW produces at least 80 percent of its vehicles to customer orders. (http://www.bmwgroup.com/e/nav/index.html?../0_0_www_bmwgroup_com/home/home.htmlsource=overview). With regards to capacity planning BMW develops a well-elaborated strategic-planning process where products and sales are forecast before production capacity planning. Derived from the results of market research, planners decide on the set of future products and estimated sales figures during their life cycle for different geographical markets with the necessary flexibility reserves (i.e. difference between expected demand and available capacity based on their experience). This serves as data for plant loading in which planners allocate the products to the plants and determine the required production capacities including future amount of resources needed and the way to procure them (Bernhard Fleischmann, 2006). 2.2. When will each resource be needed? When should the work be scheduled? When should materials and other supplies be ordered? When is corrective action needed? All those above questions are connected with materials management, scheduling and quality control the operations manager should carefully consider once the production process is put in place. Master Scheduling Plan and Work Scheduling Forecast of future demand of sales helps companies set up an overall production capacity plan which in turn tailored into Master Scheduling Plans (MSP) with an intermediate timeline where the quantity of specific end-products and the time to produce them are defined. It is the major control of all production activities. To create an MSP, it is important for managers to know where materials are located and how they flow at every step in the production process. For this purpose, they determine the routing of all materials-that is, the work flow of each item based on the sequence of operations in which it will be used (Anil Kumar et al, 2009). On the other hand, as it is necessary for managers to control the timing of all operations, they have to build work schedules for this purpose. Scheduling allocates resources over time to perform specific tasks (Krajewsky et al, 1999). Managers determine jobs to be performed during the production process, allocate tasks to work groups, set timetab les for the accomplishment of task and ensure that resources are to be adequately provided when and where they are in need. Two most popular techniques used in scheduling are Gantt and PERT charts (http://www.webbooks.com/eLibrary/NC/B0/B66/098MB66.html) Inventory control It is disastrous if a manufacturer runs out of the materials it needs for production. However, keeping large inventories of materials is wasting money because the firm has to pay for those materials in stock and find places to store them. Therefore, to remain competitive, firms have to manage inventories efficiently. They need to ensure the availability of materials for production and at the same time not to waste money due to large inventory. Achieving the balance between those two risks rests on the inventory management and control. There are three types of inventories including (i) raw materials; (ii) purchased goods and (iii) finished parts and components. The various types of inventory to maintain the continuity in the production process is illustrated in fig 1. Inventory Raw materials Process Inventory Parts + Purchased items Process Finished products Market Inventory Fig 1: Inventory of materials (www.newagepublishers.com/samplechapter/001386.pdf) There are two common inventory-control methods as follows: Just-in-Time It is seen as the modern concept of inventory planning where the materials should be purchased and brought in the stores just before it enters the production or sold out so that inventory cost is negligible. The zero inventories are the ideal planning because the costs of holding inventory are significantly cut. JIT, however, requires considerable communication and cooperation between the manufacturer and the supplier. The manufacturer has to know what it needs, and when. The supplier has to commit to supplying the right materials, of the right quality, at exactly the right time (Albert Porter, 2010). . Material Requirements Planning However, in the present situations in any of the organization particularly manufacturing organization, it is not absolutely possible to keep no inventory of materials required for production. Another inventory control method is commonly used called Material Requirements Planning (MRP). The MRP is a technique relies on a computerized program both to calculate the quantity of materials needed for production starting from the raw materials, finished parts, components, sub-assemblies and assemblies as per Bill of Materials (BOM) and to determine when they should be ordered or made to support a Master Production Schedule (MPS) (Krajewsky et al, 1999; Anil Kumar et al, 2009). The basic MRP focuses on material planning, but there is a more sophisticated system-called Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II)manufacturing resource planning (MRP II)System for coordinating a firms material requirements planning activities with the activities of its other functional areas.-that goes beyond material planning to help monitor resources in all areas of the company. Such a program can, for instance, coordinate the production schedule with Human Resource managers forecasts for needed labor (www.newagepublishers.com/samplechapter/001386.pdf) Quality control Quality control of materials The quality of the product largely depends upon the quality of the materials used to produce that product. Therefore, it is a very important for the firm to purchase the right quality of materials. Quality control of materials aims at delivering product at higher quality with lower cost. It also helps decide the selection of suppliers and the relationship between buyers and suppliers. In quality control, the quality assurance is decided by inspection and checking. The various properties of materials are decided by the standards they should follow. (www.newagepublishers.com/samplechapter/001386.pdf) Total quality management Today, quality is an efficient weapon firms use to compete with their rivals in the market. Total Quality Management (TQM) or quality assurance includes all managerial steps that firms take to ensure that its goods or services are of high quality to adequately meet customers need). TQM encompasses the following three principles: Customer -driven definition of quality: firms encourage customers to tell them how to make the right product. Firms also track customers feedback about their products (via surveys and other methods) to know what they need to improve. Employee involvement: commitment of employee in ensuring quality of their tasks and in detecting and correcting quality problems is very important. Training and other tools will help employee be actively involved in quality assurance process. Continuous improvement: the commitment to making constant improvements in the design, production, and delivery of goods and services ((Krajewsky et al, 1999). A range of tools have been developed to control quality and indentify areas of improvement such as Statistical Process Control, Benchmarking and Taguchi`s Quality Lost Function method. In addition, a set of standards called ISO has been devised by the International Organization for Standardization to help companies comply with quality documentation standards and get recognition worldwide. There are a set of standards: ISO 9000 family for quality management and ISO 14000 for environmental management. (http://worldacademyonline.com/book/applied_operations_management_manufacturingand_services/). Materials Management and Quality Management at BMW BMW forecasts their new products and demand of sale for capacity planning and allocate the products to their plants worldwide. Each plant then develops the MSP based upon the new orders and demand of sales. The MSP determines explicitly the quantity and the time of the resources (materials and capacity) needed based on the sequence of operations. In terms of inventory management, since BMW adopts a hybrid production system, MRP is used to calculate the quantity of materials needed for production and to determine when they should be ordered or manufactured with the integration of JIT principle to reduce inventory. In each location, BMW manufacturing plant establishes a network of first tier suppliers located nearby, for instance the Spartanburg plant has 18 first tier suppliers that are located in the nearby industrial park and committed to provide ordered materials and components with high quality and right in time. E-orders and purchasing are used to communicate and do the transacti on with its suppliers. As a result, buffers between body shop and painting is18 units and between painting and assembly is120 units. The suppliers are forced to recompense the rigidity of the production system with their own and extensive buffer (Ludger Pries). This mixed inventory control method allows BMW to develop a mass customization production system characterised with high quality, high productivity but also high flexibility. Quality is the strongest competitive advantage of BMW cars. For BMW to achieve premium quality, it is important to recognize any defects/mistakes before production begins and to correct them. Therefore the company has adopted sophisticated computer-aid quality inspection technology to control the quality of purchased parts, engines and all the semi-products and components going from the press, body shop to the final assembly with start-of-the-art inspection device such as 3D CAD, mobile optical TRITOPCMM system (http://www.capture3d.com/file-capture3d-bmw-assemblyline.pdf). Computer-aided inspection systems contribute significantly to saving rework time, optimizing processes and thereby reducing production costs. BMW group also complies to ISO 9000 and IS014000 for quality and environmental management system ((Ludger Pries, 2002). 2.3. Where will the work be done? The selection of plant location or facility location is a key strategic decision for an organization. The location decision is costly and time consuming to change. This is because large investment is made to buy the land and to construct buildings. Companys competitiveness will be affected by its location since it will impact costs such as transportation and labour. Improper location of a plant may lead to loss of competitiveness, and eventually waste of all investments put in land, buildings and machinery. Therefore, before making decision for the selection of a plant location, long range forecast about the future demands should be made. The plant location should be based on the firms expansion plan and policy, diversification plan of products, changing market conditions, changing sources of raw materials and other resources and many other factors. The key following factors are seen important for location decision: Proximity to customers (extremely important in service business) Proximity to suppliers Proximity to labour Infrastructure and transportation availability (Albert Porter, 2010; Anil Kumar et al, 2009). BMW group and its worldwide plant locations Needless to say, BMW group has seen the development of its plant location worldwide network as a key strategic planning to enhance its competitiveness in the automobile global market. From their dominant position in Europe with their plants located in strategic countries such as Germany (its headquarter), Britain, Austria and Italia, the company spread their manufacturing to strategic countries of all over other continents (except Australia) for instance the US for North America, Brasilia for South America, South Africa for Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thai for Southeast Asia, India for East Asia and recently China for North Asia. In each country, BMW has meticulously identified most suitable area for the location of their strategic manufacturing plant corresponding to their expansion plan and policy and the diversification of their products. Proximity to suppliers, labour and the land, infrastructure and labour availability are factors the group always considers when making plan loc ation decision.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Upon Westminster Bridge by William Wordsworth and London by William Bla

Upon Westminster Bridge by William Wordsworth and London by William Blake Upon Westminster Bridge was written by William Wordsworth on September 3rd 1802. William Blake wrote London between 1757 and 1827. Both poems are about London, but they have very different views of the city. Wordsworth sees the good about the city and doesn't pick up any negatives. Blake however expresses a negative feeling and shows how it is felt by all. Wordsworth was the son of a lawyer called John Wordsworth. His father was the personal attorney of the Earl of Lonsdale, the most powerful and hated man in the area. He had three brothers and one elder sister. He wrote this poem in the year that the Earl died when he and his siblings could finally receive the inheritance of their mother and fathers deaths. Little more than a month later after writing the poem he married his childhood sweetheart Mary Hutchinson. This could have had some effect in his views and prospects in life after all he had suffered when he was a teenager. Blake was the son of a successful hosier and was the third of five children. He only went to school long enough to read and write and then worked in his fathers shop until he was fourteen. At 25 Blake married Catherine Boucher. A follower of Emanuel Swedenborg, who offered a gentle and mystic interpretation of Christianity, Blake wrote poetry that largely reflects Swedenborgian views. Upon Westminster Bridge has a very positive view on London. He describes how calm and clear it is and how you could not walk by without noticing its beauty. ?Dull would he be of soul who could pass by? He continues to say that the city wears the royalty that is part of it and how special it is to see this place. H... ...hing as if it is human, even the people seem to be explained as just a sum or thing. To also use more collective terms gives the poem a very negative outlook, which is just what Blake was trying to achieve. Both poems have very different views on London. Wordsworth?s was very positive and Blake?s seemed to pick out everything unpleasant and depressing. I personally prefer Blake?s poem as it seems to be more realistic and if you took a second to think deeper into your town or city you could probably highlight more bad than good points. However I feel that Blake was very harsh and a lot of the things that Wordsworth said are also very true and relevant but are a bit like living in a daydream. If I were to write my own poem I would write one more similar to Blake?s because I found it more compelling to read and it was a lot more interesting and dramatic.

To Kill A Mockingbird - Who Is The Most Guilty :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

Who is the most guilty? Review the involvement’s of the characters in the novel and evaluate weather or not they were guilty, and if so how guilty? In the classic novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee there is an abundance of characters that could be proclaimed to be the guilty party, but who is truly the guiltiest one of all? The definition of guilt is as follows; the state of having done something wrong or committed an offense; a feeling of self-reproach from believing that one has done something wrong. My job is to examine the characters closely and determine who is the most guilty in the involvement’s of Tom Robinson’s prosecution, conviction and ultimately his death. As I stated, there is an abundance of characters that could be guilty, from Mayella and Bob Ewell, Heck Tate, to the jurors and Atticus Finch. All of these characters play a roll in the story, and a roll in the events that happened to Tom Robinson. The story is an interesting one, but guilty parties are found throughout. The story is set against the background of nineteen thirties Southern life. The Finches are a family that once ran a large, successful plantation. Their ancestors had been aristocratic ladies and gentlemen of the south. Now they are reduced to gentle poverty. Atticus and his family live in a town named Maycomb, he is a career layer. He has a son named Jeremy and a daughter named Jean-Louse. They also have a cook named Calpernia, she is a Negro but they respect her greatly. Racism in Maycomb is evident almost where ever you look, and Negro peoples don’t have a chance to succeed. A family that played a huge roll in the novel are named the Ewells. They live on the out skirts of town by the dump, near the Negro dwellings. The family consists of Bob, whom has a daughter named Mayella and several other siblings. In the context of the book, they are seen as no better than the Negro’s. There is a sheriff named Heck Tate, he is the one and only police officer in the small town, and a judge named Taylor, who in the end hands down Tom’s punishment. To Kill A Mockingbird deals with many primal and basic lessons in human nature. The book expresses many issues that affect people throughout there lives. The novel deals with what you feel inside, and I think that some of the characters, or at least, they should be feeling guilt inside.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The Pleasure of Drugs Essay -- Pleasure Drug Abuse Essays

The Pleasure of Drugs The Oxford Dictionary defines pleasure. It is a feeling of satisfaction or joy. It is enjoyment. It is a source of pleasure or gratification. It is formally a persons will or desire. Finally they define it as sensual gratification. Now if we put these all together in one sentence, pleasure is something that brings an overall feeling of satisfaction and gratification while fulfilling desires. If that doesn’t sound good, what does? We have already determined that people naturally are drawn to altered states of consciousness. Its a fact that we are drawn to that which feels altered. It starts at a young age and hypothetically we realize the world of drugs and their ability to enhance normality by young adulthood. When we add in the pleasure principle to that already sought out feeling, you get something that feels so amazing, and is also potentially addictive. It is important to acknowledge the overpowering seductiveness and appeal of drugs. Because some drugs directly affect the way that the brain works and operates, the ecstasy that results can be overwhelming. This is exactly where society comes into play. If someone can only feel that sort of pleasure from the high of heroin or that calmness from a cigarette, why would they want to stop? What would their alternative be? It would be the pain of withdrawal and the numbness that they felt before they discovered the high. I can only liken my drug theory to a circle, because in reality there is no one who is really sober. There are things that make us all feel better. It can range from chocolate to caffeine to crack, but whether it be hard or soft, legal or illicit, a drug is something that makes us feel something other than â€Å"normal†. (Not that there is even a set normality.) The circle theory is that even if you are a heroin addict and get sober, the likeliness of you finding something else that makes you feel better than normal is high. It might not be heroin again, but chances are it will be something. It all comes back to the inherent human nature to find a plane of reality other than this one. We remember what feels good to us. It is something that our brain does for us. Because sex feels good, there is a natural desire to participate. We remember which foods we like best and how they make us feel when we eat them. It is a system i... ...ual. It has more to do with how our society dictates we should live. Everyone needs to be rich and own a BMW and marry a model and be happy all the time. For those who cannot live out that American Dream, there is an easy and more affordable dream: Drugs. We have to remember that they key to a healthy drug relationship is to use drugs in moderation, and not for the wrong reasons. It is important to keep in mind that drugs effect the body and the mind as well. Addiction is prevalent when the user can’t simple walk away from the drug and not miss it in some way or feel some type of withdrawal. We have to also understand that it is ok to feel the pleasure that drugs give to us. I will never condemn the use of drugs for recreational purposes, however we must each individually take responsibility for our own health and know when it is time to step away from a drug. Drug use does not always lead to addiction, but because pleasure is such a powerful drug within itself, it is easy to become dependent on something synthetic. Rather than relying on drugs for that pleasure high it is important to seek out other things besides drugs that induce the same types of pleasure. The Pleasure of Drugs Essay -- Pleasure Drug Abuse Essays The Pleasure of Drugs The Oxford Dictionary defines pleasure. It is a feeling of satisfaction or joy. It is enjoyment. It is a source of pleasure or gratification. It is formally a persons will or desire. Finally they define it as sensual gratification. Now if we put these all together in one sentence, pleasure is something that brings an overall feeling of satisfaction and gratification while fulfilling desires. If that doesn’t sound good, what does? We have already determined that people naturally are drawn to altered states of consciousness. Its a fact that we are drawn to that which feels altered. It starts at a young age and hypothetically we realize the world of drugs and their ability to enhance normality by young adulthood. When we add in the pleasure principle to that already sought out feeling, you get something that feels so amazing, and is also potentially addictive. It is important to acknowledge the overpowering seductiveness and appeal of drugs. Because some drugs directly affect the way that the brain works and operates, the ecstasy that results can be overwhelming. This is exactly where society comes into play. If someone can only feel that sort of pleasure from the high of heroin or that calmness from a cigarette, why would they want to stop? What would their alternative be? It would be the pain of withdrawal and the numbness that they felt before they discovered the high. I can only liken my drug theory to a circle, because in reality there is no one who is really sober. There are things that make us all feel better. It can range from chocolate to caffeine to crack, but whether it be hard or soft, legal or illicit, a drug is something that makes us feel something other than â€Å"normal†. (Not that there is even a set normality.) The circle theory is that even if you are a heroin addict and get sober, the likeliness of you finding something else that makes you feel better than normal is high. It might not be heroin again, but chances are it will be something. It all comes back to the inherent human nature to find a plane of reality other than this one. We remember what feels good to us. It is something that our brain does for us. Because sex feels good, there is a natural desire to participate. We remember which foods we like best and how they make us feel when we eat them. It is a system i... ...ual. It has more to do with how our society dictates we should live. Everyone needs to be rich and own a BMW and marry a model and be happy all the time. For those who cannot live out that American Dream, there is an easy and more affordable dream: Drugs. We have to remember that they key to a healthy drug relationship is to use drugs in moderation, and not for the wrong reasons. It is important to keep in mind that drugs effect the body and the mind as well. Addiction is prevalent when the user can’t simple walk away from the drug and not miss it in some way or feel some type of withdrawal. We have to also understand that it is ok to feel the pleasure that drugs give to us. I will never condemn the use of drugs for recreational purposes, however we must each individually take responsibility for our own health and know when it is time to step away from a drug. Drug use does not always lead to addiction, but because pleasure is such a powerful drug within itself, it is easy to become dependent on something synthetic. Rather than relying on drugs for that pleasure high it is important to seek out other things besides drugs that induce the same types of pleasure.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Colonization of Africa

Conquests, colonization, the slave trade, and the spread of consumerist society have shaped and formed the grounds for which developing countries find themselves today. The countries of the developing world subjected to colonialism have been faced with a number of impediments throughout the years which have hindered social and economic growth, and laid the foundation which bred cultural conflict. Colonialism, however, too bought Western civilization and all its attractions to underdeveloped countries during the process of colonialism.The following essay will highlight the effects of colonialism on the developing world from an economic, political and social perspective. The colonization of Africa has a long history, and can be explained as being set in motion as early as 200 AD, with the migration of Bantu speaking Africans from central Africa to the south of Africa due to the agricultural boom and overpopulation of tribes, known as one of the largest human migrations in history (ref) . Following the migration of the Bantu language group was the spread of Islam from 750 – 1500 AD, which was first accepted in West Africa by the Dya’ogo Dynasty.Following this spread, the establishment of empires throughout the continent transpired which created extensive trade networks throughout North and West Africa, allowing a peaceful medium through which Islam could broaden through the merchant class (Akosua Perbi, 2001). The Trans-Saharan and internal trade occurring in the same time period contributed to the diversity of inhabitants as a result of the ongoing slave trade through Ghana from the 1st to the 16th century. The first stage of European colonialism occurred during 1500 – 1880, and was based on the gold and slave trade.The Portuguese arrived on the coast of West Africa in 1471 to find a rapid trade in slaves and other goods between Ghana and its neighbouring coastal countries (Akosua Perbi, 2001). Portugal then continued to partake in the trade, and for 100 years were the only European country which traded directly with Ghana and its neighbouring countries (Kimble, 126). Wars often waged between neighbouring countries, with which captives were possessed as slaves and traded in Ghana for gold (Kimble, 126).The most important phase of colonialism, known as the European scramble for Africa, occurred during the 19th and 20th century following the collapse of the slave trade and the expansion of the European capitalist Industrial Revolution (Iweribor, 2002). It appears that three factors drove the push for European Imperialism, including economic, political and social motives. Driving the economic factor, the demand for assured sources of raw materials and the search for guaranteed markets and profitable investment outlets were the catalysts to the European scramble and the resultant conquest of Africa (Iweribor, 2002).The political force derived from the impact of inter-European power struggles between Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Spain too played an important role in the process of colonisation. To exhibit superiority, acquisition of territories around the world including Africa was essential to national pre-eminence. The social factor presented the third major element in the push to colonise. As a result of industrialization, extreme social problems appeared in Europe that included unemployment, poverty, social displacement and homelessness as not all people could be absorbed by the new capitalist industries (Iweribor, 2002).The acquisition of colonies enabled European countries to send this excess of population into what would then be established as settler-colonies in Algeria, Tunisia, South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Angola and some central African areas like Zimbabwe and Zambia (Iweribor, 1). The interplay of these economic, political and social factors led to the crazed attempts by European agents to declare and establish a share in African territory for trade and claims to control of waterways and commercial routes throughout parts of Africa.The extremity of the scramble forced the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck to convene a summit of European powers to avoid the possibility of inter-imperialist conflict, known as the Berlin Conference held from November 1884 to February 1885 (Stilwell, 2002). The conference fabricated the Berlin Act, a treaty with provisions to lead the conduct of the European imperialist opposition in Africa. This treaty, drawn up without African participation, provided the grounds for the successive separation, invasion and colonisation of Africa.It presented European powers an open market for trade that bought more from colonial power than it sold overall (Shillington, 2005). From this stage, African territory was divided randomly between the European countries. France and England had a significant influence in reshaping the colonies. Britain as well as Germany utilized the idea of ‘Imperial Monachy’, while t he French struggled to incorporate Africans into republican traditions (Grinker, 2010). During this process, some of the local values and institutions were replaced by more modern/western ones.Furthermore, colonisation obstructed the internal process of state formation and development in Africa, leaving legacies of corruption and political instability (Tangie, 2006). Africa experienced extreme cultural clashes which were resultant from the influence of political, economic, social and religious factors on the indigenous societies of Africa. Along with the occupation, the Europeans brought with them traditions and religions to implement and utilize as a justification for their presence in Africa at the time (Tangie, 2006).The effects of colonialism can be reflected in the changes touching various aspects including cultures and institutions. The exploitative utilization of Africa as a means of economic prosperity for the superior minority projected Africa as an inferior race. Colonizat ion was a means of displaying racial arrogance that humiliated African leaders and their people (Toyin, 2005). It encouraged competition and conflict between ethnic groups based on the ideals and principles that had been implemented in the various countries. With violence, colonialism created new frontiers and developed new economic and political objectives.New governments expressed their desire to maintain the colonial boundaries created during the colonisation period, however, it appeared that governmental institutions, good governance skills and experience to rule lacked. These boundaries created back-up zones for guerrilla groups to harass legitimate governments, and also made it impossible for internal unity and identity to be generated among African states (Jacobson, 2007). The imposition of a western system of governance has created many problems that have been difficult to solve over the years.The western system deviated from the culture and traditions of Africa, which were inherently dictatorial, starting from the family system and ending with the government. A gap was created between the tradition system of governance and that of the Western model, with minimal or no effort made to create a blend between the two. Therefore, as a result, all efforts were towards replacing the traditional systems that were identified as primitive, which veered off from the tradition and cultural norms of the people, contributing to a loss in identity (Jacobson, 2007).After the end of colonialism, a border dispute has become one of the most critical causes of conflict in Africa, particularly manifested in the boundary disputes between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and Nigeria and Cameroon as examples (Teshome, 2009). These lengthy periods of conflict and war, along with famine and droughts detrimentally affected the economy as well as the populations well-being. As a result, the output per head in Africa is the lowest of any major world region, and has expanded slowly only sinc e 1960 (Teshome, 2009).The negative effects of colonialism on education can be identified in some colonial countries such as Ethiopia. The Ethiopian educational system faced many obstacles due to the history of educational traditions, as for a long period of time religion was spread by Christian and Islamic missionaries. When Italy invaded Ethiopia, the educational system collapsed and the government was forced to rebuild the system from scratch, and by 1974 only 15. 3 percent of children were attending primary school.The main issues were related to the problems of quality, equity and relevance (Teshome, 2009). Another example relating to education is that of the Senegal case, which illustrates how little is possible when the education system has been affected. According to statistics, two thirds of children enrol in primary school and of that almost a quarter drop out later on (Teshome, 2009). While literacy for children was 49. 1 percent in 2004, in the same year the literacy for adults was only 39. 3 percent (Jacobson, 2007).Over half of the population are unable to read and write, which means over half of the population are unable to acquire jobs. Although colonialism created various obstacles to economic growth, it too introduced integration to the international system for Africa, abolishing the popular slave trade that existed in Africa preceding colonisation (Siemensen, 1999). Colonialism also created a rich diversity in Africa, with a mixture of people, languages, religions and customs which has created the ‘rainbow nation’ that we are identified with today.The process of colonialism also introduced many Western ideals and practices that are still implemented today that have positively influenced economic growth and social welfare. In conclusion, it can be identified that the effects of colonial rule over African countries has contributed significantly to the issues facing developing countries today in relation to economic growth, educatio n, development as well as war and conflict created through policies and ideals implemented during the process of colonialism by European countries.