Best sentencing for alcohol offenders Essay

ABSTRACT This paper will argue the fact that house arrest is the best option for alcohol offenders. It will prove through research that most alcohol offenders that have been sentenced to prison time become repeat offenders. Research will also show that offenders sentenced to SCRAMx were less likely to abuse alcohol once released. It will also show how house arrest saves the state money by making the offender pay a fixed rate for their time served on house arrest. Alcohol offenders are those who commit a crime while under the influence of alcohol. Some examples of these offenders are First-time and Repeat DUI/DWI offenders, offenders who commit homicide or assault while in an automobile, alcohol offenders who are charged with domestic violence, people on parole or probation who are known to use alcohol, minors that have been arrested for alcohol abuse, adults that take care of or oversee minors, offenders trying to reinstate their driving privileges, and licensed professionals who abuse alcohol. Most of these offenders are fined, have their driver’s license revoked and made to attend MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) meetings and MASEP (Mississippi Alcohol Safety Education Program) classes. Offenders are required to get SR22 insurance on their automobile and pay a reinstatement fee of $125 in the state of Mississippi, before they can have their license reinstated. Repeat offenders are sentenced to pay a higher fine and spend a longer time without their license. In some states third time offenders are sentenced to serve time in prison, in others, however, offenders are fined, have their licenses revoked for three years and made to spend twenty four to forty eight hours in jail. Would it not be more effective to sentence alcohol offenders to house arrest after the first offense? Some people feel that prison sentences are the best options for  alcohol offenders, however, house arrest is the best option. Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring System (SCRAMx) combines the Continuous Alcohol Monitoring system with the traditional house arrest bracelet. It provides alcohol monitoring every thirty minutes, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week instead of having to set up an appointment for the offender to come in and be tested for alcohol in his or her system. It saves the county and state in which the offender is serving his or her sentence considerable time, resources, and budgets because it is paid for by the offender and he or she is monitored continuously by GPS tracking. (AMS, Inc., 2012) It saves time and resources by letting the probation officer and other officials monitor the offender’s actions from a computer in his or her office. It saves the budget of the county and state by having the offender pay a fee for his or her time served. SCRAMx effects long-term behavioral change that cannot be achieved by incarceration. By helping the offender become alcohol free and find the reason for his or her alcohol abuse, SCRAMx is changing the life of the offender. SCRAMx offers significant advantages to the courts and supervising agencies that use it, as well as to the offenders themselves. The majority of judges hearing cases involving SCRAMx have recognized that the device is accurate, reliable, and generally accepted. The accuracy and reliability come from measuring the alcohol intake of an offender through transdermal alcohol concentrations in the sweat and insensible perspiration (oils) of the skin cells. Since these tests are done every thirty minutes it omits the possibility of the offender drinking the night before the test is set up to be done in an office setting. Courts accept these results because they are accurate and tamper resistant. SCRAMx allows probation officers and courts to manage hundreds of offender’s right from their desk. The non-invasive testing frees up time and requires no labor from the parties involved. SCRAMx helps improve offender outcomes by letting them maintain family obligations, hold jobs, and contri bute positively to the community they live in. (AMS, Inc., 2012) SCRAMx helps ease the problem of jail overcrowding by keeping non-violent  offenders out on house arrest. SCRAMx provides a cost-effective alternative to jail for those prisoners who are not a threat to the community when they are sober. County jails and prisons are populated by a high number of offenders awaiting trial. SCRAMx would reduce jail/prison overcrowding for offenders awaiting trial by providing a way for court officials to monitor and track those offenders from their offices. (Mitchell, 2012) SCRAMx helps individuals get the help they need to sober up, thus ending the revolving door of incarceration. (AMS, Inc., 20120) The revolving doors of incarceration are also known as recidivism. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, recidivism is a tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior; especially: relapse into criminal behavior. (Merriam-Webster, 2012) SCRAMx gives offenders a sense of security, continuous accountability, financial responsibility and much more. First, it helps protect public safety, and provides a sense of security for the offender often saving their lives because they stop drinking. Second, Participants of the SCRAMx program give credit to the bracelet for saving their lives. Other programs are easy to beat while drinking. SCRAMx reminds the offender that they are not supposed to drink thus for keeping them sober. Sober days are twenty four hour periods in which the offender has no confirmed alcohol consumption and no confirmed tamper attempts or circumvent testing in order to mask the consumption of alcohol. Third, financial responsibility comes from the offender having to pay for their time on the program. Offenders feel that they are responsible for their own success in finishing the program. (AMS, Inc., 2012) Some people feel that SCRAMx gives offenders too much freedom unlike prisons where they are under constant supervision. Incarcerating an offender costs prisons approximately $25,251 a year and keeps them off the streets while they serve their sentence. (Lappin, 2011) Once released from prison the offender is required to pay a fine and attend alcohol treatment related therapy. The one common program they are asked to attend is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). This type of therapy is held in a group setting where people with alcohol addictions meet to talk about their lives and the time they  have spent sober. Offenders must meet with a parole officer on a monthly basis to ensure they are meeting the terms of their parole. Most terms of probation are simple. Some examples are letting the parole officer know where you live and work and if there are any changes in residence and work, letting them know if you are going to be more than 50 miles away from home, and how long you will be away. (C DCR, 2010) There are very strict rules that offenders participating the SCRAMx program must follow. Offenders participating in the SCRAMx program have a set schedule and curfew which keeps them off the streets during popular drinking hours. Offenders are only allowed to leave when it is cleared by the probation/parole officer monitoring their sentence. Most common schedules revolve around work schedules and appointments to meet with the probation/parole officer. They are monitored by a Continuous Alcohol Monitoring system that tests every thirty minutes for alcohol levels in their system. Offenders on the SCRAMx program are held accountable for their actions so the first time they try to tamper with the device or have a bad test are returned to prison custody. (AMS, Inc., 2012) Sentencing alcohol offenders to prison sentences is the number one punishment handed down by courts of law. These sentences cost the state and counties in which the crime is committed millions of dollars a year. SCRAMx, the house arrest program for alcohol offenders, has been proven to offer a better solution for the overcrowding problem in our prison systems. It also helps the offender maintain sobriety and keep them from becoming repeat offenders. Some people feel that prison sentences are the best solution, however, house arrest is the best option for alcohol offenders. In many ways it benefits both the state and the offender. Wouldn’t you agree? REFERENCES AMS, Inc., (2012) SCRAMx for AMS, The SCRAMx System, Retrieved on December 29, 2012 from www.alcoholmonitoring.com/index/scram/the-scramx-system AMS, Inc., (2012) SCRAMx from AMS, The Benefits of SCRAMx, Retrieved on December 31, 2012 from www.alcoholmonitoring.com/index/scram/scramx-benefits Mitchell, Matt (July, 2012) NACo Passes Resolution Supporting Transdermal Testing for Pre-Trial Populations, Retrieved on December 31, 2012 from www.alcoholmonitoring.com/blog/2012/07/naco-passes-resolution-supporting-transdermal-testing-fro-pre-trail-population/#.UNCStneE21o AMS, Inc., (2012) SCRAMx for AMS, Solutions, Jail Depopulation, Retrieved on December 31, 2012 from www.alcoholmonitoring.com/index/programs/jail-depopulation Merriam-Webster, Inc., (2012) Definition of recidivism, Retrieved on December 31, 2012 from www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recidivism AMS, Inc., (2012) SCRAMx for AMS, About Us, The Offender Perspective, Retrieved on December 31, 2012 from www.alcholmonitoring.com/index/scram/offender-perspective Lappin, Harley G (February, 2011) Annual Determination of Average Cost of Incarceration, Office of the Federal Register (US) Retrieved on December 31, 2012 from www.federalregister.gov/articles/2011/02/03/2011-2363/annual-determination-of-average-cost-of-incarceration California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (2010) Division of Adult Parole Operations, Parolee Conditions, Retrieved on December 31, 2012 from http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/parole/parolee_conditions/index.html AMS, Inc., (2012) SCRAMx for AMS, The SCRAMx System, Retrieved on December 31, 2012 from www.alcoholmonitoring.com/index/scram/the-scramx-system

Reforms by the United Kingdom

The delivery of public services has always been directly connected with the stability of a country’s economy. The more stable the economy, the better the public services. In recent years, as the world slowly adjusted to the rise of global markets, many countries began transforming their public sector management (Hughes 2003).Today, management of public services is more flexible and market-based. It has moved from public administration to New Public Management (Hughes 2003). With this paradigm shift comes a shift in the role of government in society. It also redefines the relationship between government and its citizenry.Together with this new orientation of public service management is the need for reforms in the whole structure. These reforms are required to strengthen services in protection, education, recreation and care (Flynn 2002). The stronger economies of the world have taken steps towards these reforms. The United Kingdom is one of these stronger economies that have p rogressively taken the initiative for public service reforms.Major public service reforms began in the United Kingdom (UK) in the 1980’s under the Thatcher government (Hughes 2003). The following pages will try to explain the different reforms in UK’s public service management. It will address the bigger issues that surround it. It will identify the unique qualities of the UK reform programme and present the advantages they may achieve. Through these inferences, a more objective and balanced view of UK’s reform programme will be achieved.Response to the UK Public Sector ReformsThe United Kingdom’s initiative to reform their public service programme is mainly due to fitting of the services with the changing demands of the times. The rise of living standards, coupled with the growing diversity of citizenry calls for the change in public services (Prime Minister’s Office 2002).In the 1980’s, under the leadership of then PM Margaret Thatcher, th e first major steps to public reforms were taken. At the center of these reforms is the wide-spread initiative to privatize services (Flynn 2002). Towards the end of the decade, management of basic services, gas, water and electricity, were transferred under private control (Flynn 2002). Apart from these, four other major government controlled corporations also were given up to private enterprises.Privatization was not the only way to reform public service management. Soon after the turn-over of basic services to private control the central government and the National Health Services began outsourcing many of their functions and services.In 1997 however, under the leadership of PM Tony Blair, a new campaign was launched to further reform the public service management. Public services were believed to have been suffering from under-funding (Prime Minister’s Office 2002).However a strong economy is essential for the reforms. The Blair administration then began working on buildi ng a stronger, more stable economy.The ultimate objective of the 1997 reforms is to provide everyone with real opportunity and security (Prime Minister’s Office 2002). In three years time, the UK finally experienced a sort of rebirth within the public services. In 2000, health services and education have never been better. Reform plans did not end here. Long-term goals to uplift standards in the areas of transport, education, criminal justice system and health were designed.The road to these reforms has been tough. The setbacks and controversies are inevitable. There needs to be a genuine partnership between the government and people in the front line. The desire for reforms has propelled public service in the forefront of many political and social debates (Darwall 2005).One of the biggest concerns with the current reform programme lies in policy and communication confusion (Wintour, 2007). The government is clear with its vision for reforms. However, it does not provide a co herent framework for action (Darwall 2005). While the reforms are meant to increase efficiency, the citizens do not feel this happening.Modernized civil service is actually the consistent delivery of better services and getting the best value for public funds (Darwall 2005). The question lies on accountability for the use of these public funds. The UK’s public service history shows that bad decisions made create obligations and consequences across generations.Debates arise because of this very reason. While one group sees the necessity of spending to provide better public services, the other fears that much spending may not necessarily increase the level of efficiency in delivering these services (Douglas, Richardson, and Dobson 2003).The reforms brought about the founding of different agencies (Armstrong and Ford, 2000) to handle such use of public funds. However there is growing concern about the qualifications of people managing these agencies. Public servants are not nece ssarily managers. Improvement of efficiency requires a great deal of management (Darwall 2005). Even the best policies can easily crumble in the hands of those who are not fit to handle them.The growing impression about these newly established agencies then is that they do not do not speed up delivery of services. On the contrary, these agencies, while under the supervision of less experienced managers, slow down the process of public service.In fact the popular notion about these agencies is that they rather make collaboration and cooperation more difficult. The formation of these agencies is one of the most debated issues concerning the reforms.Ethical issues are also being raised against the reforms. The shift of public service towards a market based orientation makes the definition of boundaries between what is public and what is private more difficult (Public Administration Select Committee 2002).Interface between public sector and private enterprise is becoming more evident. P rivate businesses are becoming more involved in providing public services. More and more then, ethical concerns are raised.There is growing clamor to cultivate and strengthen the ethical considerations in public service management. It is important to ensure that ethics are not lost or put aside, especially at a time when services are being delivered in new ways by new providers (Public Administration Select Committee 2002).In public service there should always be a way to check impartiality, accountability, trust, equity and probity. This is the key to keeping the ethical considerations in public service management whilst implementing its reforms.From the time of PM Thatcher in the 1980’s to the reform programme of PM Blair in 1997, the UK public sector has underwent alterations both in policy and implementation. However caution has been taken. Reforms have been worked on reforms slowly. Unrestrained expansion usually results in policy failure (Lane 1993). Both the government and its citizenry agree.There is no doubt that reforms are a welcome idea for everyone. The promise of better services being delivered more efficiently and consistently can be actualized (Public Administration Select Committee 2002). The government is confident about their plan. The have laid down the strategies to achieve them. Even then, the citizenry is skeptical. There are many issues surrounding these reforms.The government admits there are hurdles along the way of reforms. The journey towards better services is long and hard. But the government has a strategy. It addresses the questions of improving national standards, devolution of responsibility, increasing flexibility and providing better choices (Prime Minister’s Office 2002).The citizens are waiting patiently. So far, reforms have been implemented but the issues still remain. Somehow the general impression is that the strategies set by government are not being translated into actual action (Public Administration S elect Committee 2002).Some improvement in the areas of education and health has been achieved. The question is, is it enough to address the growing demands of society?The citizenry of UK sees very little results from the reforms. They seem to pale in comparison with the growing demands of an ever evolving society. Successful reforms are transformational. This only means that the impact of these reforms should be strong enough to affect all areas of life.Unique Qualities of UK Public Sector Reforms  While the UK’s reforms remains heavily debated and scrutinized, there is no doubt that it is one of the most dynamic. In public service history, the UK programme has been one of the most studied. Many parallelisms have been made on the reforms. Many other similar programmes have been initiated based on its working history.The reforms are based on the three important E’s in public service management. They are economy, efficiency, and effectiveness. This is one unique charac teristic of the UK programme.The wide-spread privatization instituted by the Thatcher administration applied this premise (Flynn 2002) in all the transactions. Before the Cable and Wireless turn-over in 1981, a comprehensive study on its advantages was conducted to prove its viability under these three considerations.Apart from this unique way of assessing possible changes in servicing, the programme has proven to be very resilient. It has withstood challenge in the past. And it continues to withstand challenges today. Even the strongest challenge against its agenda control and policy review (Parsons 1995) could not deter the progression of its reforms.In fact it is this very same resiliency that brought about a big improvement in health care. The persistence in the area of health reforms provided increase in health care workers by at least 40,000 in seven years.There are two working concepts of the UK Public Sector Reform Programme, the â€Å"best value review† and â€Å"co mprehensive performance assessment† (Harris, 2003). These two working concepts provide a basis for check and balance of the reforms.This is unique to the programme. It also sets the tone on how reforms should be made. The UK government works very closely with organizations like Reform to objectively assess the veracity of the reforms. It is through studies conducted by organizations like Reform that insures that equity and environmental impact are not overlooked in the formulation of reforms.

Bullying and Harrasment in the Workplace Essay

In hard times people tend more to be willing to find out why things aren’t working and so a growing awareness of satisfying employees lead to a more detailed picture of bullying in the workplace. Due to great changes in hotel and hospitality industry caused by the economic crisis and its cumulative effects on the behaviour of managers as well as on employees, volition emerged to do more against bullying in the workplace. This paper critically analyzes the reason for the occurrence of bullying and gives impacts on relationship between bullying, work and health. Furthermore it shows emerging problems for the hotel and hospitality industry and gives advice to find appropriate solutions to provide a bullying-free working place. Several published definitions of bullying make it hard to find the genuine meaning of it. According to the Department of Education? s article, published on their homepage www. education. gov. k in October 2010, bullying can be defined as â€Å"Behaviour by an individual or group usually repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically, emotionally or mentally†. This definition is accepted and used by various organisations in the UK for anti-bullying publications and treatment policies. Unfortunately this definition covers an array of bullying types, so Zapf D. (1996) categorised five types of bullying behaviour in the workplace to get a closer look on what bullying really is. They are work-related bullying which may include changing your work tasks or making them difficult to perform, social isolation, personal attacks or attacks on your private life by ridicule, insulting remarks, gossip or the like, verbal threats where you are criticised, yelled at or humiliated in public and physical violence or threats of such violence. Referring to those statements it is possible to critically analyze bullying by keeping in mind the definition in relationship with Zapf? s five types of bullying. Nowadays it is well-known that bullying is common in almost every Industry whether in small businesses or international companies. Especially in tourism-related businesses like hotel and hospitality industry, bullying causes capacious damage in different dimensions concerning areas like staff turnover and revenue but also number of staff away sick and motivation of employees. To avoid long-term impacts of harassment, bullying or mobbing has to be nipped in the bud according to Dolan C. (2010):1 who said that â€Å"Bullying can? survive in workplaces that won? t support it. † To provide such a workplace, is today? s great challenge for managers. Generally reasons for bullying are minor problems which aren’t obviously inflicting damage to somebody like discontent about matters, problems in private live, unintended aspersions compared to a co-worker or sometimes a harsh tone in stressful situations. In Hotel and Hospitality industry the constant contact with different people, whether new staff members or guests, provides an excellent breeding ground for such problems. It could be an annoying guest, a challenging situation or an excessive period of work strain which gets people to offend a colleague. All these minor incidents are harmful for working climate and interpersonal relationships in long-term. These problems could be categorised, in alleviated acceptation, into different types of physically and psychologically violence, referring to Fineman S. (2003), who splits workplace violence into intrusive, consumer-related and organizational violence. Intrusive violence rarely occurs in hotel and hospitality industry but is not entirely excluded. On August 21, 2010 the Intercontinental hotel in Rio de Janeiro was scene of a taking of hostages. 10 employees of the hotel were restraint for several hours until they have been released, after the police took some action towards the criminals. Attacks by terrorists against hotels and employees infrequently take place in most countries, but witnessing crime related situations could be an immense strain. A more eminent factor in tourism-related businesses is consumer related violence. Demands of customers which couldn? always be measured, are causing complaints about e. g. delays or bad handling. Especially front office employees have to deal with enormous pressure by being consistently confronted with complaints, and personal affronts from customers. Furthermore Fineman S. (2003):164 describes the occurrence of organizational violence in the workplace as a failing in the ethnically opinions of entrepreneur and characterizes this form of bullying as follows, â€Å"It translates into practices that systematically cause danger, risk or exploitation to employees. Emotionally, the employer can feel indifferent, even derisory about its workers and their psychological or physical well-being: ‘there are always more out there’. The worker may feel equally indifferent but trapped in the job. † Actually frequent occurrence of such, as in the majority of cases irrelevant sensed incidents, leads to a growth of troubles and personal antipathy against fellow-workers and employers is growing until the straw that breaks the camel? s back and physically or psychological damages are the immediate consequences. As has been proved in an array of researches by organisations dealing with the problems of bullying and harassment in the workplace, like ACAS, bullying affects a company in a tremendous variety of ways. Hotel and Hospitality industry is a very people-intensive branch primarily composed of small businesses. According to ACSA a main impact of bullying is the increase in rates of absence, especially concerning small firms where cover for sick employees is difficult to arrange. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Europe’s largest HR and development professional body, releases every year a survey report pointing out the consequences of days of absence. In 2009 the average in days of absence, concerning all business sectors, was 7. 4 days per employee per year. The amount in hotel and hospitality sector was below average with 6. 0 days per employee per year but in comparison between hotel and hospitality and other businesses, the average annual costs of absence per employee per year are superior. Relating to the CIPD the average annual costs of absence per employee per year, enfolding all business-sectors, are 692 pounds. In this area hotel and hospitality businesses are the tragic top of the table with 1199 pounds per employee per year. The survey also shows that stress (often a result of bullying) is the major cause for long-term absence. Other consequences of bullying, described by ACAS, are poor morale and poor employee relations, loss of respect for managers and supervisors, poor performance, lost productivity, resignations, damage to company reputation and tribunal and other court cases and payment of unlimited compensations. Taking a closer look on stress it is to say that in hotel and hospitality industry it is a necessity for employees to know how to handle stress because there will always be periods of strain. The big problem in coping stress is that no two people respond to the same stressor in the same way and this is the perfect point where management should intervene. According to Stranks (2005) different strategies can be considered in dealing with work-related stress, first of all it is important recognizing the evidence of stress which could manifest in sickness, alcoholism or decreasing motivation. A second strategy is to prevent stress through e. g. personal stress audits for employees to identify causes of stress, to monitor stress levels and to report and discuss stressful elements of work to identify the measures necessary at organizational level to alleviate the problem. A third way is to give employees the opportunity to develop a personal stress-tackling technique by providing training and education. Stranks (2005):113 in this point said that employees need advice on identifying their own personal stress response and the measures necessary to coping with it. † Advice to handle stress could be found from organisations like Health and Safety Executive (HSE) releasing handbooks for employees (2003, Tackling Work-Related Stress: A Guide for Employees) as well as for managers (2001, Tackling Work-Related Stress: A Manager’s Guide to improving and Maintaining Employee Health and Well-being). These strategies work very well as reported in many case studies e. g. on United Biscuits by HSE in 2007. The case study points out that United Biscuits benefited from taking action against stress in many ways. From 2005 to 2007 reports of work related stress cases decreased from 24 to 6 per year. Furthermore HRS mentions that each case where absence is prevented, it is estimated the cost of 4 weeks wages and other associated costs is saved. As a matter of fact it is a necessity to override bullying and its consequences by management to keep costs low and protect employees from physical or psychological injuries caused by bullying. As mentioned in ‘bullying and harassment at work’, an advisory booklet publicised by ACAS, the first step to provide a bully-free working environment is to set up a formal policy including a statement of commitment from management and acknowledgement that bullying and harassment are problems for the organisation. The policy could also comprise a clear statement that bullying and harassment is unlawful, that it will not be tolerated, that it may be treated as disciplinary offences and that decisions should not be taken on the basis or whether someone submitted to or rejected a particular instance of harassment. Furthermore the policy is to comprehend steps the organisation takes to prevent bullying, responsibilities of supervisors and managers and confidentiality for any complainant. The policy should involve grievance, investigation and disciplinary procedures with timescales for action. Another point should deal with protection from victimisation and the importance and possibility of training for managers to avoid bullying. Involving staff into the process of developing such a policy will help achieving additional authority. Such a policy is supported by Stale Einarsen (1999):23 in the international journal of manpower who said â€Å"If not being permitted or supported by the people in power, a bully knows he/she may find him/herself the victim of aggressive counter-attacks and severe punishment. † In reference to ACAS the second step is to set a good example in behaviour, like discussing problems and consult employees instead of a too authoritarian management style. A current negative example for this point is the discussion about Gordon Brown? s abusive treatment of staff. The Guardian (21. 2. 2010) advertised that several employees from Downing Street No. 10 contacted the National Anti-bullying Helpline which raises discussions about Mr. Browns management style. Mr. Brown is being denoted as a bully by employees including assertions that he swore at staff, grabbed them by lapels and shouted at them. Third step to deal with bullying and harassment as a manager is to maintain fair procedures for dealing promptly with complaints from employees by using clear grievance and disciplinary procedure described in the Employment Relations Act 1999. Fourth step is to set clear standards of behaviour, to provide training and information about how to deal with bullying and to communicate the organisation? s views on it. Fifth, make clear that complaints will be dealt with fairly, confidentially and sensitively. By following these five steps of ACAS it is getting a lot easier to provide a good working climate and satisfy employees. In conclusion bullying is a problem affecting all businesses with different strength, in different ways and with different consequences, but the reason for occurrence of bullying is the one constant in all companies. It all starts with recurring minor problems that aren’t recognized until they grow big, so discussing problems and communicate them will help companies save money and satisfy employees. By using a metaphor to describe bullying, the strength in which bullying affects humans as well as companies could be expressed as follows A single thunderous gust could disroot trees, but a permanent breeze transforms mountains into grains of sand.

Organisational logistics and organizational management Essay

Organisational logistics and organizational management - Essay Example Low-cost philosophy and family culture are two major shared values of the organization and these values are reflected in all the processes and systems of the organization. The company has a flat structure which allows job sharing, high employee motivation and low labor costs. The company’s adherence to low-cost carrier model appears to be a distinctive organization skill which allows the company to focus on its future growth strategies. PESTLE framework has been used to analyze the external business environment of AirAsia including the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors that influence the business. The analysis shows that political factors like increased government investments and supportive regulatory environment are favorable for the company whereas, increasing foreign government restrictions hinder future growth strategy of AirAsia. The current economic downturn, increasing fuel costs and volatile exchange rates are creating challeng es for the company however, the increasing trade within and into Asia creates opportunities for company. Social factors including population growth, customers’ willingness to accept low-cost air travel and increasing tourism positively influence the operations of AirAsia. The technological developments allow AirAsia to improve its services by providing more convenience to customers. Although AirAsia faces strong environment challenges however, adherence of company to legal requirements allows company to meet all these challenges. Following this a SWOT analysis has been done to analyze the current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of AirAsia. The successful implementation of low-cost business model, specific growth strategies, government support and skilled staff are few major strengths of AirAsia whereas, increased operational complexity, poor decision-making and cost-focused human resource management system are major weaknesses of the company. It has been iden tified that increasing travel demand as a result of increasing population growth and tourism, Open Skies Agreement and influence of social media in industry are major opportunities for AirAsia. Nevertheless, new entrants, over capacity, price war, fuel prices volatility and environmental concerns pose major threats for the company. Following SOWT analysis, four solutions have been identified for AirAsia including fuel hedging, new and standardized aircraft fleet, airport ownership and long-haul travel. Finally recommendations relevant to employee management and motivation and customer relationship management have been provided to AairAsia. Introduction AirAsia is a Malaysian low-cost airline which offers low cost travel to its customers. The company has adopted a low-cost business model and it is the Asia’s largest airline which offers no-frill services (Kurlantzick, 2007). The company was established with an aim to make flying affordable for everyone and today its network co vers more than 20 countries. The company has been able to achieve success in the highly competitive low cost aviation industry through efficient procedures and systems, innovative solutions and passionate approach towards business processes (AirAsia.com). AirAsia Group consists of associated companies which have same strategies and approach. These associated companies include AirAsia X, Indonesia AirAsia and Thai AirAsia. By

To what extent would the smoking ban affect the pub industry in Wales Essay

To what extent would the smoking ban affect the pub industry in Wales - Essay Example In 1974, 51% of men and 41% of women smoked cigarettes - nearly half the adult population of the UK. Now just over one-quarter smoke, but the decline in recent years has been heavily concentrated in older age groups: i.e., almost as many young people are taking up smoking but more established smokers are quitting. Adult smoking rates vary only slightly between different parts of the country, as defined by the Government Office Regions. For example, in the East of England 25% of people smoke, in the North West, 30%. In Scotland 31% of the population smokes; in Wales the prevalence is 27%. (Smoking statistics 2005) About 48 million people in the United States smoke an estimated total of 430 billion cigarettes each year. Until the 1940s, smoking was considered harmless, but laboratory and clinical research has since confirmed that tobacco smoke presents a hazard to health. Smoke from the average cigarette contains around 4,000 chemicals, some of which are highly toxic and at least 43 of which cause cancer. Nicotine, a major constituent of tobacco smoke, is both poisonous and highly addictive. Nicotine is an oily liquid substance found in tobacco leaves that acts as a stimulant and also contributes to smoking addiction. When extracted from the leaves, nicotine is colorless, but quickly turns brown when exposed to air. It has an acrid, burning taste. Nicotine is a very powerful poison, and it forms the base of many insecticides. Cigarette tobacco contains only a small amount of nicotine and most of this nicotine is destroyed by the heat of burning so that the actual concentration of nicotine in smoke is low. However, even a small amount of nicotine is sufficient to be addictive. The amount of nicotine absorbed by the body from inhaling smoke depends on many factors including the type of tobacco, whether the smoke is inhaled, and whether a filter is used. Nicotine has various effects on the body. In small doses nicotine serves as a nerve stimulant, entering the bloodstream and promoting the flow of adrenaline, a stimulating hormone. It speeds up the heartbeat and may cause it to become irregular. It also raises the blood pressure and reduces the appetite, and it may cause nausea and vomiting. The known health risks associated with cigarette smoking, such as damage to the lungs and lung cancer, are thought to be caused by other components of cigarettes such as tars and other by-products of smoking, and by the irritating effects of smoke on the lung tissue. Addiction to smoking is caused by nicotine itself. Stopping smoking produces withdrawal symptoms within 24 to 48 hours, which commonly include irritability, headaches, and anxiety, in addition to the strong desire to smoke. Ban on smoking in pubs Smoking bans are government prohibitions or voluntary bans decided by establishment management on tobacco smoking in public or quasi-public indoor areas such as offices, restaurants, hotels, or even outdoor public areas such as parks and sports stadiums. In most jurisdictions the sale of tobacco to minors, or minors under a certain age, is prohibited. Such laws have been introduced by many countries in various forms over the years, with legislators citing health statistics that show tobacco smoking is often

Amenorrhea Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Amenorrhea - Case Study Example According to the paper, tumors on the pituitary gland, low estrogen levels, high testosterone levels, and overactive thyroid glands cause hormonal imbalances. Testosterone contributes in the growth and development of reproductive tissues in women and excessive supply of it has been associated with irregular or absence of menstrual periods. Hormonal birth control can contribute to secondary amenorrhea. Drugs and medical treatments such as chemotherapy and antipsychotic drugs can also induce secondary amenorrhea. Polycystic ovary syndrome is associated with weight changes that are an important lifestyle factor in secondary amenorrhea. Overweight and body fat that is less than fifteen percent are some of the things that can stop menstrual periods. The National Institute of Health (NIH) records that extreme diet has causal links with secondary amenorrhea. Emotional stress is a non-physical element that can cause secondary amenorrhea. Derailed menstrual cycle is one of the ways that the b ody uses to respond to extreme stress. Mild hypothyroidism is one of the conditions that could precede presentation of dysmenorrhea and irregular menstrual cycles. However, mild hypothyroidism is associated with hypermenorrhea and oligomenorrhea more than with amenorrhea. Treating hypothyroidism restores menses but it may take months. Cushing’s disease is the hyperactivity of adrenal glands and can combine with hypothyroidism to cause amenorrhea. Outflow tract obstruction, hyperandrogenic chronic, anovulation are some of the conditions in a patient’s history that can be helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of dysmenorrheal. Asherman’s syndrome is a common cause of outflow obstruction in secondary dysmenorrhea. This syndrome is a scarring and an intrauterine synechiae that results from curettage or infection.  

Time Management in College Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Time Management in College Education - Essay Example Proper time management in college may involve future planning, monitoring the allocation of available time, goal setting, and prioritizing tasks. Numerous tools, skills, and techniques will help the students to accomplish their goals and tasks within the set deadlines. Such methods may include goal setting, prioritizing tasks, monitoring the academic pursuit, creating a list, organizing a work schedule, and limiting procrastination. Through effective time management, college students will enjoy certain benefits that may include good performance, establishing a conducive learning environment, and focusing on priorities. Indeed, since there are numerous non-curricular commitments that limit the available study time, traditional students should embrace time management in their academic pursuit to ensure that they maximize the available study time. Indeed, the research paper will focus on the significance and direct association between time management and the provision of a college educa tion to first year traditional students.Ahmad, F. (2009). Time Management in Higher Education. Education, Business, and Society:The author in this peer review studies time management in higher education with reference to the credit hour system. In this context, the author explores in-class teaching time and course scheduling in Jordan's universities as seen in Jordan's higher educational system. Moreover, the author relates to time management with effectiveness and increased academic performance and productivity.

Competitive and Strategic Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Competitive and Strategic Analysis - Case Study Example A critical analysis of the case shows that disposable income is concentrated in urban areas among the middle class. However, it can also be noted that this class is comprised of people between the ages of 25 and 40. On the other hand, it can be seen that India’s population is regarded as one of the youngest in the world. For instance, it has been observed that as of 2000, about one the country’s population was below 15 years. Whilst this is the largest group, it can be seen that these people have less disposable income hence they may not afford the luxury to go to coffee shops. The average age in India is pegged at 29 compared to other countries across the globe. The majority of the people in India are those still working to so they cannot afford to visit coffee shops. This is likely to impact on Starbucks’ endeavour to establish business in India. However, Starbucks recently partnered with Tata Global Beverages Ltd to open a store in New Delhi. The financial per formance of the company in this country is not yet fully ascertained since it is still on the stage of penetrating the market. Apart from being an emerging economy in the world, India faces numerous constraints that are likely to pose a challenge Starbucks when it intends to enter this market. For instance, country has poor infrastructure and this may impact negatively on Starbucks. The regulations in this country are also stringent such that they may pose a challenge to this company when it plans to penetrate the market. The company should comply with rules and regulations of the country if it intends to successfully launch a business. In case of India, it can be seen that it is open to foreign investors to start business but the problem is that some of the regulations may not be favourable to the company. The other problem characterizing global retail index of India is that the industry is not that lucrative compared to other international destinations. As of 2006, India had a sco re of 55% in terms of risk of opening business there. When there is high risk in a country, it may not be wise for the company to open business in that particular area. Therefore, this may not go down well with Starbucks and this is the reason why it is procrastinating in terms of starting business in this country. The company may experience unprecedented loses if the level of risk is very high. Therefore, it is important to carry out feasibility studies in order to establish the level of lucrativeness of the industry. Failure to do so may impact negatively on the company. India’s market is saturated though it is attractive. This entails that competition is very high and it may be difficult for Starbucks to operate viably in this market. It can also be noted that there are other substitute products like tea which are very popular in this country. There are also other beverages that can be consumed by the customers in place of coffee. When there is stiff competition in the mar ket, it may be difficult to attract many customers during the preliminary stages of the product in the market. However, if the product is well received in the market, it may quickly gain popularity among the customers. This can help the company in the long run but as it stands, it seems that Starbucks is facing numerous challenges that can impact on its endeavour to penetrate the Indian market. When competition is high, the players in the industry compete for the same customers. Other established companies can

Book review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Book review - Essay Example After her sister Rosa dies from being poisoned, Clara becomes a hermit. Esteban, Rosa’s fiance, is busy making a fortune and sexually exploiting peasant girls because he feels that he is entitled to due to his financial status. Upon deciding to visit the old del Valle house, Esteban meets Clara and they quickly become engaged and marry. After they are married, Ferula, Esteban’s sister, moves in with them. A year later, Esteban and Clara give birth to their first child, a daughter named Blanca, who, as she gets older, falls in love with Pedro Tercero. By the end of that summer, Clara finds herself to be pregnant with twins, boys to be named Jaime and Nicolas. Before the birth of her boys, Clara’s parents die in a car accident, resulting in the beheading of her mother, Nivea. Clara isn’t immediately told of what has happened to Nivea, in fear of complications with her pregnancy, but she still finds out. She sets out to find the head, aided by Ferula. During this devastating time, Ferula and Clara become really close; eventually, Ferula and Esteban are fighting for Clara’s attention and love. One day, Esteban comes home to find Ferula and Clara in bed together, and he hastily kicks Ferula out of the house, but not before she can curse him with a lonely life. As time goes on, Blanca and Pedro’s love deepens, though they know that Blanca’s father would never approve, as Pedro is from a different class. Years later, Esteban finds out about his daughter’s love affair by Jean de Satigny, who only wants to secure himself in Esteban’s financial life either as his business partner or his son-in-law. In an attempt to separate his daughter from her lover, Esteban tries to kill Pedro, harming his own wife in the process, who then establishes a silent relationship between her and her husband. However, years down the road,

Great Achievements Essay Example for Free

Great Achievements Essay Every individual has a goal of achieving their own dreams. Just like them, I am an aspirant who wishes to attain success in my career. As an upcoming Entertainment design student, I always look ahead to my goal and use it as my motivator to keep moving forward. Like others, I have also undergone obstacles in my life that I successfully faced and resolved One of the obstacles that I experienced was when I prepared my admission portfolio. It was 3 months before the deadline that I got interested in going to Art Center. Since I wanted to apply immediately, I worked hard to spend the remaining three months creating my portfolio. I knew that a high quality portfolio would give me a greater opportunity to be accepted so I went beyond my limits and used all the available resources to create my best work. My determination and willingness to learn and develop my talents pushed me to produce 30 pages of high quality portfolio in 2 1/2 months. Perhaps, doing such work in a limited time is difficult but for me, any person can do it so long as there is the passion and right attitude towards work. As a person, I believe that perseverance, diligence, open-mindedness and confidence count a lot in achieving success. During the preparation, I knew that the admissions only required a few pages of work but since I wanted to create the best portfolio, I did my best to accomplish the most number of quality work. Of course, it was difficult for me but it was my faith that helped me attained my goal. Furthermore, it was my family and friends who helped me maintain high expectations. There were times when I wanted to give up but it was them who taught me never to say `I can’t` at anything. I focused myself on my work and kept in my mind that there were no limitations so long as it is for my dreams. I also learned that any individual cannot achieve anything without taking any risk. In my case, one of the biggest risks that I have taken is switching my major and transferring to another college. I was a graduating ASU student and scholar back then in my college. Despite my good academic standing, I realized that I was not happy with what I was studying. It was then that I found out about the program taught at Art Center College of Design just 3 months before the application’s deadline. My interest and passion for the career pushed me to make some big sacrifices and worked non stop for two and half months. Fortunately, my work was paid off and I got accepted in the best design school in the US. Now that my dream goal is already within my reach, the only thing that hinders me is my financial restriction. I believe that through your institution I will be able to resolve this problem and continue my journey towards my success.

School Dietary Restrictions Analysis

School Dietary Restrictions Analysis Americas government is helping kids lives by having dietary restrictions in school cafeterias. Just like you need to put fuel into your car or recharge your phone, your body needs to be fed food that provides it with energy every day. Giving your body tones of sugar, or lots of calories a day is not healthy for you. Food like soda, candy, and fatty foods dont do well for your body. It makes your body gain weight and have unnecessary fat. Your body needs certain things that should be incorporated into your daily intake. Men/boys and women/girls have certain needs but not quiet the same. Men need an average of 2,400 calories per a day to maintain a healthy body weight.(sfgate.com). Women need between 2,000-2,200 calories per a day. (sfgate.com). Your body needs five main nutritional needs daily. Fiber, can lower risk of diabetes and heart disease. Which fiber can be found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes which is a member to the pea family. Vitamin D, which your body needs everyday. Easiest way for your body to produce vitamin D is through 15 minutes of sun exposure. Essential for healthy bones and neuromuscular function. This one is a no brainer which is water, the most important thing to intake each day. The health authorities commonly recommend 8-ounce glasses, which equals 2 liters, or half a gallon a day. Which this is called the 88 rule which is easy to remember. Also depending on your overall hea lth, activity level, and where you live depends on how much water you should drink daily. Calcium, is important for proper growth also development of the skeletal system, which the average persons body stops growing around the ages 18-24. Calcium, can aid in weight loss. Calcium also prevents certain cancers like colon cancer which is a cancer of the rectum and colon. It often begins as a polyp-a tissue growth in the colon or rectum. Rich foods like milk, bean curd, or dried apricots all have calcium. Which is crucial for brain and heart health. Sources of Omega-3 include fish oil, and certain plant/nut oils, reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and lowering blood pressure which many kids in school suffer from low/high blood pressure. As there are many things that your body needs, your body also doesnt need many things as well. There is a long list of bad things for your body. One of the main things that you should never start your day with is sugar! Sugar is the devil to your body. Sugar has many bad effects to your body especially that you dont need during school. Sugar can cause anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and causes crankiness in children. Sugar can cause tooth decay, also can weaken eyesight. Many kids in school suffer from obesity. About 30% of America are obese. From the slightest to the largest. Sugars are proven to make us fat, sugars also contribute to heart disease. What most humans eat day to day without thinking twice about it is fried foods. Fried foods dont just damage your body but also your brain in many different ways. Just as a car needs good oil to run efficiently and not break down, your body needs food that can be digested properly and not clog the one and only machine you have for your entire life. Fried foods do many things to your body it can clog your arteries, also can clog your veins which can lead to heart attacks. Fried foods leads to obesity. Obesity, basically means people are storing fried foods and carbohydrates as body fat. First lady Michelle Obama launched a campaign to end childhood obesity entitled the lets move campaign the goals are to, improve school food quality, making healthy foods affordable and accessible, focusing of physical education and getting parents informed about nutrition and exercise. By empowering childrens parents and caregivers the information and tools they need to make good choices for themselve s and their families. They will help our children develop lifelong healthy habits, which will bring us closer toward becoming a healthier America. Schools need to improve food quality. Not just to make them healthier, but also to make the portions larger. Many kids in school only eat at school because, they cant afford food at home. An abundant amount of kids rely on one meal a day, which is at school. There should be larger portions, because when kids dont have proper nutrition they lack focus. Everyones body is different and we all need the same needs in most cases but in all different portions. All depending on your weight, height, and much more. Learning portion control can help with obesity as well. Kids who are over weight are usually getting too many calories or, arent active enough, or both. When calories are a problem, it can be that they are drinking too much whole milk, juice, soda, or eating high-calorie foods, high-fat foods, and junk foods too often or in portions that are too large. Good nutrition means eating the right kinds and amount of food. It keeps you in good shape by limiting the amount of calories. To keep children in school from getting too many calories, understanding portion sizes can be a good place to start. Kids in school need a daily intake of vegetables, fruit, and calcium. To have a balanced meal throughout the day. Several studies show that nutritional status can directly affect mental capacity among school-aged children. Provide a balanced diet for better behavior and learning environments. Promote diet quality for positive school outcomes. School cafeterias need to balance out their food proportions, and what children should have a daily intake of. Nutrition is the process of consuming food and having the body use it as raw materials for growth, fuel, and function. But there are various parts that comprise overall nutrition, including actual nutrients, reasons to eat healthy, ways to eat smart, and much more. There are many benefits to eating healthy. Healthy eating can help individuals achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, consume important nutrients, and reduce the risk of developing health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and iron deficiency. Healthy eating in schools is important for proper growth and development also to prevent various health conditions. The 2015-2020 dietary guidelines for Americans recommend that people aged two years or older follow the healthy eating pattern that includes varieties of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, variety of protein foods, and oils. There are many different ways schools need to change their food. Since there are many students that have allergies, also are many vegetarians, religious believes where students can only eat certain things, and many students have diseases where they cant eat various of things. The government doesnt realize what they need to provide for their students in school. Also the procedures that teachers and staff members need to train on if there is every an emergency, like if there is a student having a severe food allergic reaction. Many schools dont realize is that many kids in school have severe allergies and cant eat various things. One in every 13 children have severe food allergies. Very small amounts of food allergen can cause anaphylaxis (severe, life threatening, allergic reaction). (Michael Pistiner MD,MMsc). To prevent accidental exposure those responsible for students must effectively read labels, prevent cross contact, use efficient cleaning strategies, and communicate clearly with others. Those responsible for students must be able to recognize a allergic reaction, have treatment of choice for anaphylaxis available, know when and how to use it, and know to contact emergency services immediately. These strategies are always necessary. Educating and understanding school communities (nurses, administration, staff, cafeteria workers, parents, and students) can create safe and supportive environments for children with severe food allergies. Especially letting the cafeteria workers know that a student has a severe food allergy can help the student avoid contact with the allergy reactant. By having a separate area in the cafeteria where students with severe allergies can sit and get different care thats needed. Care thats needed for children with severe food allergies would be having a different food line than others, that can help with there allergy needs. By doing this and changing the cafeteria food to help others with their allergies will reduce emergency allergic reactions in schools. There are many diseases that children in school have. Celiac disease is one of the top diseases in school that students have, which the immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barely and rye. This causes bloating and diarrhea. (The editors of encyclopaedia britannica). Which making school food in the cafeteria all gluten free will help students with this disease eat what theyre able to eat. Students have there different religions not everyone believes in the same things. Many religion like the religion Judaism, are restricted from eating unclean foods like the pig. Also the Hindus dont eat beef because, the cow is a sacred animal. By the school having different food lines to provide students with meals or having a paper/sign to tell the students with this disease or different religion what they can and cant eat will help them greatly. By doing this it will help outbreaks of their disease. Many students have daily encounters of foods that theyre not able to consume. By having dietary restrictions in school cafeterias, itll help students lives by helping them with their daily needs. Just by changing the menu slightly will help students in various of ways. Students with allergies that arent able to eat certain things will be able to have more choices. Just by adding more food lines in the cafeteria to avoid encounters of nut allergies will help with less allergy breakouts. Also by helping students with certain diseases and giving them a daily chart of whats in the cafeteria, or making all foods gluten free will help their daily lives. Just by making these simple changes in school cafeterias it can help change the world. (Michael pistiner MD, MMsc) www.allergyhome.org Very small amounts of food allergen can cause an anaphylaxis (severe life threatening, allergic reaction) (The editiors of encyclopaedia britannica) www.britannica.com immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barely, and rye. This causes bloating and diarrhea. www.sfgate.com Men need an average amount of 2,400 calories per a day to maintain a healthy body weight. www.sfgate.com Women need between 2,000-2,200 calories per a day

Education for Sustainable Development Essay -- Education

Sustainability development has three components: environment, society, and economy. If you consider the three to be overlapping circles of the same size, the area of overlap in the center is human well-being. As the environment, society, and economy become more aligned, the area of overlap increases, and so does human well-being. Therefore, education for sustainable development (ESD) is the use of education as a tool to achieve sustainability. Simply put, ESD is a way to make the world a safer, healthier, and more livable place for us and future generations (McKeown, 2002, pgs 7-9). Population Children in grades 3 through 5 are moving from "learning to read" to "reading to learn" and from "learning to write" to "writing to communicate". Students learn to work independently. They learn to read words and make mental pictures. Third through fifth graders also learn to write paragraphs, short essays and stories that make a point. The curriculum becomes more integrated. "Reading to learn" helps third through fifth graders better understand the scientific method and how to test hypotheses about the physical world. Additionally, "reading to learn" aids students in graphing and calculating scientific observations and then writing up their conclusions. Third grade science class will open new worlds of wonder and invite curious mind to explore (Williams, 2012). Children in grades 3-5 are highly social. They learn more about values and respect. Students are also encouraged to develop their written communication skills via diaries, journals, or short stories. They work quickly and have a limited attention span. Third through fifth graders are very competitive. This age group works well in small groups or with partners. The... ...e&_&ERICExtS earch_SearchValue_0=EJ774626&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ77462 6. EPA. (n.d.). What is Sustainability? Retrieved May 9, 2012, from http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/basicinfo.htm. Macnagthen, P. & Jacobs, M. (1998). Public identification with sustainable development: Investigating cultural barriers to participation, Global Environmental Change, 7(1): 5-24. Retrieved May 13, 2012, from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378096000234. Lange, J.M. (2012). Education in Sustainable Development: How Can Science Education Contribute to the Vulnerability Perception?, Research in Science Education, 42(1): 109- 127. Retrieved May 13, 2012, from http://web.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/ehost/detail?sid=1eb64274-ccca-4b62-b915- 2ea35d8a0d1e%40sessionmgr15&vid=1&hid=24&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ %3d%3d#db=eric&AN=EJ949568.

Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda :: History of Osama Bin Laden

Osama Bin Laden who is better known as Al Qaeda's Emir-General was born on July 30, 1957 in Saudi Arabia to Muhammad bin Judah bin Laden and Humid. He was the seventeenth child out of fifty-two. Osama went to Kin Abdulaziz University where he began studies in economics and management but left college in his third year. While at the university he learned Islamic studies and became very intrigued with this religion. Osama's father always urged his children to refrain from politics and religion debate, but Osama seemed interested in government and international politics. In 1973 Osama focused his time and energy on resources and advancement of Islam and Islamism. He also gained higher knowledge in mujahid fighting with wealth and sake for Allah. Osama is well established among the Afghan people. He is one of the scholars of the Jihad as well as being the main commander of the mujahideen worldwide. Dr. Abjullah Azzam leading Islamist influenced Osama for the next 10 years. Together in 1984 the two set up the Afghan service Bureau. Osama's first cam, al-Ansar, in Jaji in Afghanistan's Pakita province was built. In 1982 Essam al-Ride, a flight instructor, joined al Qaeda where he served as procurement officer and Osama's personal pilot. During this time Osama's father died and he inherited a huge sum of money, which he invested. He began to build several training camps and quest houses for the Arab mujidian's. In the mid 1980's Osama began to import machinery, building roads, cave complexes, and supervising the blasting of massive tunnels. Osama then began to win over the Afghan people by becoming humble and starting to live a simplistic life. He seemed to have the ability to befriend and communicate with fighters and live with the Afghan peasants. During his stay on the Afghan-Pakistan border his religious convictions began to deepen. In 1987 what was known as the Lion's Den Operation occurred, exposing Osama to Soviet poison gas. He suffered minor injuries from this attack. This in turn upset him and his dislike of the soviets grew. Osama's wealth and influence made him a natural leader of the Arab Mujahidin people. Osama spent much of his time after this on the front line while Azzam was the one who conceptualized Al Qaeda.

Watergate Scandal and President Nixon Essay example -- American Preside

What kind of person commits three major violations of the national law and gets away with it? Well that person is Nixon. President Richard Nixon was one of the most famous presidents in the United States. He was mainly renowned for his huge role in the Watergate scandal. The Watergate scandal was important because Nixon and his cabinet arranged to get people to spy on the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate building. After it became clear Nixon was responsible, he manages to resign before he was going to be impeached. President Nixon was involved with the Watergate scandal and should be sentenced to jail because he organized it, which then got leaked out and finally led to his resignation. Nixon was the mastermind behind the mission and the main reason he organized it was to find out secret information of the Democrats. He organized a committee to help him ensure his victory in the elections. â€Å"The committee to reelect the President† (CRP) used unfair tactics to get what they wanted. They organized a group of thugs – â€Å"Plumbers† to sneak into the Watergate and plant listening devices. The plumbers, James W. McCord, Bernard Barker, Virgilio Gonzalez, Eugenio Martinez, and Frank Sturgis however, were caught by the police. Nixon didn’t want anyone to find out about the break in. He said shortly after the plumbers were caught "In all my years of public life, I have never obstructed justice. People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook; I earned everything I've got." Nixon lied through his teeth just to get the public attention on something else. What he didn’t realize was that it was th e beginning of his demise. Although many Americans didn’t care about the little scene in the ... ...r’s mission, people got infuriated with the scandal, and he resigned to get away with his mistakes. He got impeached because he violated of constitutional oath, prevented, obstructed, and impeded administration of justice, and concealed those responsible of prison. He violated the constitutional oath because he did not serve his country the way he is supposed to. He obstructed, prevented and impeded administration of justice because lied that he was not responsible for the scandal. He concealed those responsible of prison because he didn’t tell the authorities who else was involved in the scandal. John Srica, Carl Woodward, and Bob Bernstein did an amazing job uncovering the scandal and who was behind it. Nixon should go to jail because everybody else who was responsible did. However, he escaped the wrath of jail because the next president, Gerald Ford pardoned him.

Death and Absurdism in Camus’s The Stranger Essay

In his novel The Stranger1, Albert Camus gives expression to his philosophy of the absurd. The novel is a first-person account of the life of M. Meursault from the time of his mother’s death up to a time evidently just before his execution for the murder of an Arab. The central theme is that the significance of human life is understood only in light of mortality, or the fact of death; and in showing Meursault’s consciousness change through the course of events, Camus shows how facing the possibility of death does have an effect on one’s perception of life. The novel begins with the death of Meursault’s mother. Although he attends the funeral, he does not request to see the body, though he finds it interesting to think about the effects of heat and humidity on the rate of a body’s decay (8). It is evident that he is almost totally unaffected by his mother’s death – nothing changes in his life. In other words, her death has little or no real significance for him. When he hears Salamano, a neighbor, weeping over his lost dog (which has evidently died), Meursault thinks of his mother – but he is unaware of the association his mind has made. In fact, he chooses not to dwell on the matter but goes to sleep instead (50). It is when he is on the beach with Raymond Sintes and M. Masson and they confront two Arabs (who have given Raymond trouble) that Meursault first seems to think about the insignificance of any action – therefore of human existence. He has a gun and it occurs to him that he could shoot or not shoot and that it would come to the same thing (72). The loss of a life would have no significance – no affect on life as a whole; and the universe itself is apparently totally indifferent to everything. Here he implicitly denies the existence of God, and thus denies morality, as well as the â€Å"external† meaning (if it may be so distinguished from the internal or individual existential meaning) of life and death. (This latter, existential meaning is later affirmed, as we shall see. ) Meursault kills one of the Arabs in a moment of confusion, partially out of self-defense, but does not regret it eve though it means going to prison and, ultimately, being executed. He has the fatalistic feeling that â€Å"what’s done is done,† and later explains that he has never regretted anything because he has always been to absorbed by the present moment or by the immediate future to dwell on the past (127). In a sense, Meursault is always aware of the meaninglessness of all endeavors in the face of death: he has no ambition to advance socio-economically; he is indifferent about being friends with Raymond and about marrying Marie; etc. But this awareness is somehow never intense enough to involve self-awareness – that is, he never reflects on the meaning of death for him – until he is in prison awaiting execution. Of course, the â€Å"meaning† of another’s death is quite difference from the â€Å"meaning† of one’s own death. With the former, one no longer sees that person again; with the latter, one’s very consciousness, as far as we know, just ends – blit! – as a television picture ends when the set is switched off. Death marks all things equal, and equally absurd. And death itself is absurd in the sense that reason or the rational mind cannot deal with it: it is a foregone conclusion, yet it remains an unrealized possibility until some indeterminate future time. The â€Å"meaning† of death is not rational but, again, is existential – its implications are to be found not in abstraction but in the actuality of one’s life, the finality of each moment. Before his trial, Meursault passes the time in prison by sleeping, by reading over and over the newspaper story about the (unrelated) murder of a Czech, and by recreating a mental picture of his room at home in complete detail, down to the scratches in the furniture. In this connection, it must be admitted that he is externally very sensitive and aware, despite his lack of self-understanding and emotional response. This is evidence by his detailed descriptions. He is especially sensitive to natural beauty – the beach, the glistening water, the shade, the reed music, swimming, making love to Marie, the evening hour he like so much, etc. He even says that if forced to live in a hollow tree truck, he would be content to watch the sky, passing birds, and clouds (95). After his trial (in which he is sentenced to be executed), he no longer indulges in his memories or passes the time in the frivolous way he was accustomed to spend Sundays at home. At first, he dwells on thoughts of escape. He cannot reconcile the contingency of his sentence (Why guilt? Why sentenced by a French court rather than a Chinese one? Why was the verdict read at eight pm rather than at five? etc. ) with the mechanical certainty of the process that leads inevitably to his death (137). When he gives up trying to find a loophole, he finds his mind ever returning either to the fear that dawn would bring the guards who would lead him to be executed, or to the hope that his appear will be granted. To try to distract himself from these thoughts, he forces himself to study the sky or to listen to the beating of his heart – but the changing light reminds him of the passing of time towards dawn, and he cannot imagine his heart ever stopping. In dwelling on the chance of an appeal, he is forced to consider the possibility of denial and thus of execution; therefore, he must face the fact of his death – whether it comes now or later. One he really, honestly admits death’s inevitability, he allows himself to consider the chance of a successful appeal – of being set free to live perhaps forth more years before dying. Now he begins to see the value of each moment of the life before death. Because of death, nothing matters – except being alive. The meaning, value, significance of life is only seen in light of death, yet most people miss it through the denial of death. The hope of longer life brings Meursault great joy. Perhaps to end the maddening uncertainty and thus intensify his awareness of death’s inevitability (therefore of the actuality of life), or, less likely, as a gesture of hopelessness, Meursault turns down his right to appeal (144). Soon afterwards, the prison chaplain insists on talking to him. Meursault admits his fear but denies despair and has no interest in the chaplain’s belie in an afterlife. He flies into rage, finally, at the chaplain’s persistence, for he realizes that the chaplain has not adequately assessed the human condition (death being the end of life) – or, if he has, the chaplain’s certainties have no meaning for Meursault and have not the real value of, say, a strand of a woman’s hair (151). Meursault, on the other hand, is absolutely certain about his own life and forthcoming death. His rush of anger cleanses him and empties him of hope, thus allowing him finally to open up — completely and for the last time — to the â€Å"benign indifference of the universe† (154). He realizes that he always been happy. The idea of death makes one aware of one’s life, one’s vital being – that which is impermanent and will one day end. When this vitality is appreciate, one feels free – for there is no urgency to perform some act that will cancel the possibility of death, seeing as though there is no such act. In this sense, all human activity is absurd, and the real freedom is to be aware of life in its actually and totally, of its beauty and its pain. ALBERT CAMUS’ THE STRANGER WHAT IF THE PAST HAS NO MEANING AND THE ONLY POINT IN TIME OF OUR LIFE THAT REALLY MATTERS IS THAT POINT WHICH IS HAPPENING AT PRESENT. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, WHEN LIFE IS OVER, THE EXISTENCE IS ALSO OVER; THE HOPE OF SOME SORT OF SALVATION FROM A GOD IS POINTLESS. ALBERT CAMUS ILLUSTRATES THIS EXACT VIEW IN THE STRANGER. CAMUS FEELS THAT ONE EXISTS ONLY IN THE WORLD PHYSICALLY AND THEREFORE THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF MEANING IN ONE’S LIFE IS ALONE REVEALED THROUGH THAT EVENT WHICH HE OR SHE IS EXPERIENCING AT A PARTICULAR MOMENT. THESE THOUGHTS ARE PRESENTED THROUGH MEURSAULT, A MAN DEVOID OF CONCERN FOR SOCIAL CONVENTIONS FOUND IN THE WORLD IN WHICH HE LIVES, AND WHO FINDS HIS LIFE DEPRIVED OF PHYSICAL PLEASURE–WHICH HE DEEMS QUITE IMPORTANT–WHEN UNEXPECTEDLY PUT IN PRISON. THE OPENING LINE OF THE NOVEL SETS THE TONE FOR MEURSAULT’S DISPASSION TOWARDS MOST THINGS. THE NOVEL IS INTRODUCED WITH THE WORDS: â€Å"MAMAN DIED TODAY. OR YESTERDAY MAYBE, I DON’T KNOW† (3). ALTHOUGH THE UNCERTAINTY ORIGINATES WITH AN AMBIGUOUS TELEGRAM, IT SEEMS THAT THE TON†¦ †¦ MIDDLE OF PAPER †¦ †¦ OR THEIR EMOTIONS IN GENERAL. HE DOES NOT FOLLOW ‘CONVENTIONAL’ SOCIAL BELIEFS NOR DOES HE BELIEVE IN GOD, NOR SALVATION. MEURSAULT HOWEVER LOVES HIS LIFE. IT IS A PURE LOVE DERIVED FROM ENJOYING HIS EXISTENCE ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, RARELY LOOKING BACK AND NEVER LOOKING FORWARD. HIS LOVE IS NOT DEPENDENT ON DOING WHAT SOCIETY OR SOME RELIGION HAS DEEMED CORRECT, BUT ON WHAT HE FEELS HE WANTS TO DO DESPITE WHAT MOST WOULD CONSIDER COMMON. WORK CITED CAMUS, ALBERT. THE STRANGER. TRANS. MATTHEW WARD. NEW YORK: VINTAGE INTERNATIONAL, 1989. IN ALBERT CAMUS’ â€Å"THE STRANGER† THE â€Å"STORY OF AN ORDINARY MAN WHO GETS DRAWN INTO A SENSELESS MURDER† IS TOLD. TAKING PLACE IN ALGERIA THIS MAN, MEURSAULT, IS CONSTANTLY IN A CLIMATE OF EXTREME WARMTH, AS ARE ALL THE INHABITANTS THEREIN. THE SUN, THE SOURCE OF LIGHT AND THE CAUSE OF THIS WARMTH, IS THUS A VITAL AND NORMAL PART OF HIS LIFE. IT BRINGS WARMTH AND COMFORT YET IT CAN ALSO CAUSE PAIN AND SICKNESS. THROUGHOUT MOST OF HIS LIFE MEURSAULT HAS LIVED WITH THE CONFLICTING FORCES OF THE SUN AND LIGHT, AS A FRIEND AND FOE. HOWEVER IN CHAPTER 6 THESE FORCES BECOME UNBALANCED AND THE SUN BECOMES AN AGGRESSOR CAUSING MEURAULT PHYSICAL PAIN AND JOLTING HIM INTO VIOLENT ACTION. ALTHOUGH THE SUN BECOMES INCREASINGLY AGGRESSIVE AS THE NOVEL TRANSPIRES, IN THE BEGINNING ITS FORCES WERE BALANCED CAUSING SOME GOOD AND SOME BAD EFFECTS. THE MOST EVIDENCE OF THE SUN AS A FOE IS FOUND DURING MEURSAULT’S MOTHER’S WAKE AND FUNERAL. DURING THE WAKE MEURSAULT IS CONSTANTLY â€Å"BLINDED† BY THE BRIGHT LIGHT. THIS COMBINED WITH â€Å"THE WHITENESS OF THE ROOM† â€Å"[MAKES HIS] EYES HURT. † HOWEVER, THIS SAME LIGHT ALSO CREATES A â€Å"GLARE ON THE WHITE WALLS†¦. MAKING [HIM] DROWSY† AND ALLOWING HIM RESPITE FROM THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS MOTHER’S DEATH. SO, ALL AT ONCE LIGHT WAS GOOD AS WELL AS BAD FOR MEURSAULT. AGAIN, DURING THE FUNERAL â€Å"WITH THE SUN BEARING DOWN† THE HEAT WAS â€Å"INHUMAN AND OPPRESSIVE,† CAUSING MEURSAULT GREAT PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT. YET, IN THE SAME TOKEN, THE HEAT IS ALSO â€Å"MAKING IT HARD FOR [MEURSAULT] TO †¦ THINK STRAIGHT† THEREBY ALLOWING HIM AN ESCAPE FROM HIS MOTHER’S DEATH. NOT ALL OF THE SUN’S EFFECTS HAVE A FLIP SIDE HOWEVER; THROUGHOUT THE NOVEL â€Å"THE SUN [DOES MEURSAULT] A LOT OF GOOD,† BY WARMING HIM AND MAKING HIM FEEL ALIVE. THUS, ALTHOUGH BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SITUATIONS COME FROM THE†¦

Climate Change Essay

Once, I visited a hospital for my health checkup,there I saw a man with shattered skin,rashes all over the body;clearcut it was the case of allergy.Doctors are rushing and making report on it.After a week I again visited that hospital for my scheduled checkup,then I came to know a shocking news-that allergy case was the case of Ganga bath!! Alas! Holy river Ganga, ancient river Ganga ,that Ganga which takes away all the sins from mankind, today causing allergy,irritation,skin rashes!!! that man has to pay price for his religious belief†¦ Also scientists got some samples from Ganga from specific places having disease causing microbes. This small case itself indicate the change we have made in our nature. Change is the law of nature,change is inevitable and change is evergoing process,but Climate Change is one of the most complex,multifaceted and serious threat that the World face. Whether you are adding your bit to the heap of garbage piling up in your locality or not become meaningless when the garbage begins to rot-the stench will reach your nose too,Climate Change induced by global warming works much the same way. World famous scientists all over the country had evaluated climate change and came to conclusion that Greenhouse Gases ,CFC, Carbondieoxide and many other toxic gases are the cause of environment degradation.Though it is true scientifically,the root lies elsewhere;that is in the greed of human being.Our greed led to adavancement of technology and led us farther from peace and prosperity of all. Increasing consumption of electricity due to intiation of several new industries,disposal of garbage without treatment to maximize profit,use of environment hazardious substances like polythene in our daily life are concrete examples of human greed. People have been influencing the Biosphere for at least 8000 years,since the invention of Agriculture,but Climate Change has proposed a threat over our Agriculture.The most affected area of Climate Change will be Agriculture and its biodiversity. The first and foremost impact of climate change is in biodiversity specially Islands biodiversity.nearly one –fourth of the worlds countries are Island and they are treasure trove of biodiversity.Also they provide food,fresh water ,wood,fibre,medicine,fuel and other raw materials. But increasing sea level has given a alarm threat to them,The New Moore Island of India in Sunderbans has been consumed recently by rising sea,many other Pacific atoll nation Island of Kiribati,Islands of Vanuatu also submerged in early history.we are loosing huge . biodiversity;these are initial cases†¦ Rather IPCC has warned that a rise in sea levels of between 18 and 59cm by 2100 would be enough to submerge many other big islands, including Maldives and make them unhabitable,also of the 724 recorded animal extinctions in 400 years about half were Island species .also climate change will bring degradation of coastal environment and natural resources on which poor rural people depend.Higher rates of erosion and coastal land loss may vanish our islands In context of Agriculture,sea level rise will also cause increased salinity due to encroachment of the sea and saltwater intrusion into freshwater lenses,contributing to an increasing shortage of water supply and loss of agriculture land.The most vulnerable section will be the poor and marginal farmers with small landholdings because ‘extreme weather events’will specially occur in tropics,fundamental changes in rainfall pattern together with rising temperature will shorten growing season and reduce crop productivity . Acco.to World Bank 75% of 1.2 billion people are trapped in extreme poverty,so they will fail to adopt new rotation practices and thus most vulnerable to climate change. World wide farming is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions accouting for 20% of total emissions.Atmospheric concentration of methane has more than doubled during the past 200 years.Natural wetlands,fossil fuels related to natural gas,coal mines coal industry,electric fermentation,rice fields,biomass burning,landfills accont for 75% of methane production in our environment. thus major source of greenhouse gases is agriculture itself. Rice fields are the most significant contributors of atmospheric methane accounting for 11-13% of the world’s total methane production. Also, rice production will need to expand by around 70% over the next 25 years to meet the demands of fast growing human population whose food demand is expected to double in developing world in next 40 years. Thus if we increase our crop area specially staple crop area in near future then the problem of global warming is likely to increase. Already in today’s era 800 million people are unnourished, in India only 30 million people suffer hunger,46% children are underweight and 17000 people are dying per day due to hunger on an average. Thus in near future we are going to face a great threat not only of climate change but also of food security†¦. However, Not all effects of climate change on agriculture are expected to be negative, most of the major food crops are C-3 plants including staple food like rice ,wheat, oat, barley will show increase in yield ranging from 25% to 64% due to increased CO2 level, also most of the noxious weed are C4 plants and their growth will be checked. But this is only one side of the coin ,increased temperature due to increase in CO2 level may rise the pest attack up to 25% and fungal disease attack up to 20% and also disturb our monsoon pattern.In an overview it can be said that it will create more and new problem rather than benefits because the worst sufferers would be farmers of Rainfed agriculture which cover 60% of all cultivable lands. Today humanbeings have become dependent on technologies which are dependent on non -renewable resources and produce illeffects in long run.nowdays we say that glaciers are shrinking;may be shrinking but more that the heart of the people and their philosophy is shrinking too.while the drastic effects of global warming has been discussed in many scientific circles,had their run on T.V. and even had well meaning Hollywood films but the need of the hour is to change ourselves,to reduce our luxurious wants. The need of the hour is to develop a) True sustainability,there should be synergies between climate mitigation strategies and development policies in areas of energy efficiency,fuel substitution,renewable ,afforestration,and land and waste management. b) The planning should not be for temporary economic gains and support,but for sustainability in future as well.There should be partnerships with communities,individuals,and private sector to frame effective measures to reduce the impact the effect of climate change. Today we all peoples of the world need to change our habbits ,not only in Agricultural practices but also in our daily life practicices†¦ Switching of fans and light before leaving room ,efficient use of water at home , proper garbage disposal at micro level, though seems to be a very minute step but the huge building of true sustainability will only form above these basic steps because this will be the 1st step against our greed, so step ahead and realize your own responsibility ,because it is not the time to curse the darkness but to light a small lamp. References: 1. â€Å"Know climate change† by Tanya Agarwal 2. â€Å"Global climate change† by Arnold J.Bloom 3. Science Reporter (CSIR) 4. IPCC website

Acquiring the existing firm Essay

Abstract 1. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of acquiring the existing firm, and continuing production in Korea through acquisition for Zip-6. 2. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of re-purchasing the licensing agreement and either establishing Zip-6 subsidiary through Greenfield venture and producing in South Korea, exporting the product to Korea, franchising to another firm or relicensing to another firm. 3. State your choice of options to pursue and reasons for this choice. Answers: 1. If you get it right, there can be many good reasons why buying an existing business could make good business sense. Remember though, that you will be taking on the legacy of the previous business owner, and you need to be aware of every aspect of the business you are about to buy. Advantages are: Some of the groundwork to get the business up and running will have been done. It may be easier to obtain finance as the business will have a proven track record. A business plan and marketing method should already be in place. A market for the product or service will have already been demonstrated. There are maybe established customers, a reliable income, a reputation to capitalize and build on and useful network of contacts. Many of the problems will have been discovered and solved already. Existing employees should have experience you can draw on. Disadvantages are: Zip-6 will often need to invest a large of amount up front, and will also have to budget for professional fees for solicitors, surveyors, accountants etc.. It will probably also need several months of working capital to assist with cash flow. If the business has been neglected Zip-6 may need to invest quite a bit more on top of the purchase price to give it the best chance of  success. Ravi and Keith may need to honour or renegotiate any outstanding contracts the previous owner leaves in place. They also need consider why the current owner is selling up and how this might impact the business and they are (Zip-6) taking it over. It is possible current staff may not be happy with a new boss, or the business might have been run badly and staff morale may be low. 2. I will define licensing agreement: in this case we are talking about an international licensing agreement which allow foreign firms, either exclusively or non -exclusively to manufacture a proprietor’s product for a fixed term in a specific market. Licensing is a relatively flexible work agreement that can be customized to fit the needs and interests of both, licensor and licensee. Advantages of using an international licensing agreement are: Is highly attractive for companies that are new in international business. Obtain extra income for technical know-how and services Quick expand without much risk and large capital investment. Reach new markets not accessible by export from existing facilities. Political risk is minimized as the licensee is usually one hundred percent locally owned. Retain established markets closed by trade restrictions. Pave the way for future investments I the market. Disadvantages are: Low income than in other entry modes. Risk of having the trademark and reputation ruined by an impotent partner The foreign partner can also become a competitor by selling its production in places where the parental company is already in. Loss of control of the licensee manufacture and marketing operations and practices leading to loss of quality. Franchising agreement compare to licensing agreement tends to be longer and the franchisor offers a broader package of rights and resources which usually includes ,equipment, managerial systems, operation manual, initial  trainings, site approval and all the support necessary for the franchisee to run business in the same way it is done by the franchisor. Franchising is limited to trademarks and operating know-how of the business. Advantages of the international franchising are: Low political risk Low cost Allows simultaneous expansion into different regions of the world. Well selected partners bring financial investment as well as managerial capabilities to the operation. Disadvantages are: Franchise may turn into competitors. Demand of franchisees may scare when starting to franchise a company, which can lead to making agreements with wrong candidates. A wrong franchisee may ruin the company’s name and reputation in the market. Comparing to other modes such as exporting and even licensing, international franchising requires a greater financial investment to attract prospects and support and manage franchisees. The key success for franchising is to avoid sharing strategic activity with any franchisee. Especially for Zip-6 Co they do have a secret ingredients to their soft drink. Sharing those strategic activity may increase the potential of the franchisee to be their future competitor due to the knowledge and strategic spill over. Greenfield investment is establishment of a new wholly owned subsidiary, its often complex and potentially costly, but it is able to provide full control to the firm and has the most potential to provide above average return. Greenfield is more likely preferred where physical capital intensive plants are planned. It is high risk due to the costs of establishing a new business in new country Zip-6 may need to acquire knowledge and expertise of existing market by third parties, such consultant, competitors, or business partners. And also this entry strategy takes much time due to the need of stablishing new operations, distribution network, and the necessity to learn and implement appropriate marketing strategies to compete with rivals in a new a market. 3. My option will be Acquisition because its quick access and it offers the  fastest, and largest, initial international expansion of any of the alternative. It is also a way to achieve greater market power. It is lower risk than Greenfield investment because of the outcomes of an acquisition can be estimated more easily and accurately. In overall, acquisition is attractive if there are well established firms already in operations or competitors want to enter the region. Of course there are many disadvantages and problems in achieving acquisition success. But where there is risk there is also success. References: http://www.export.gov/foreign_market_entry_modes. https://www.business.qld.gov.au/business/†¦/business†¦/buying. Retrieved from: Global Business Today, 8th Edition (Charles W. L. Hill 2014). 2012 books.lardbucket.org/books/challenges-and-opportunities-in-international-business/s13-exporting-importing-and-global.html.

Kindergarten Essay

Kindergartens were started in the early 19th century in the belief in children’s inherent goodness. The founder emphasized on the importance of stories, nature study, music and play in addition to symbols. He advocated for the use of occupations and gifts among young children. In America, they started in the late 19th century and were mostly found in private institutions. They took half day and were mostly free. The educational goal then was not to impart children with reading and writing skills but it aimed to educate the children as a whole. This goal involved a wide range of activities inclusive of cleaning the children, feeding and clothing them (Saracho & Spodek, 2002). Changes in the curriculum goals and objectives The curriculum goals and objectives of kindergarten have changed significantly over time. Initially, kindergarten was characterised by fun, art, playtime, music, recess, story time, circle time and naptime. However, the current goals of kindergarten are learning and children are always assigned work to do. It is concentrating on learning more than having fun. In today’s curriculum, children are expected to learn science, social studies, writing, reading, math and even a second language. A whole school day is focused on instruction and the child is helped to learn in preparation for first grade. Children are also required to learn faster and cover more contents. By the time the kids are going to first grade, they are expected to have started acquiring reading skills (Saracho & Spodek, 2002). Current academic escalation in Kindergarten as a necessary evolutionary change School stakeholders have mixed feelings regarding the current academic escalation in kindergarten. Some feel that the children have not developed fully to understand all the contents they are made to cover. On the other hand, some are opinionated that the current world has many demands and therefore it is important to impart the necessary skills in children early enough. However, I feel that children should be let to grow and learn skills when their cognitive development can allow them to. This means that the changes are not very necessary since they are more academic oriented rather than fun directed and children are not ready for this. Reference: Saracho, Olivia N. & Spodek, Bernard, (2002), Contemporary perspectives on early childhood curriculum, ISBN 1930608276, 9781930608276, IAP.

EU and the transport policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

EU and the transport policy - Essay Example Furthermore, the creation of one market or single market like the EU needs a well developed transport industry. Policies play an important role in shaping a transport industry which will increase the economy of the countries involved. The EU Transport Policy The policy adopted by the EU seeks to find ways of creation of an economical transport sector so that it can curve in major challenges in the industry like road congestion, barriers to transport systems and emission of green house gases such CO2. Additionally, the policy helps in the creation of infrastructure for the transport industry, investment in the industry and innovation. Furthermore the use of fossil fuels by the machines in the transport sector is also addressed by the policy. The policy was meant to tackle challenges facing EU nations with regard to the transport sector like road congestion and cross-border tariffs. This paper will address the policies made by the EU for the transport industry and the achievements they have made since the creation of such policies (Rodenburg et al 2002). The European countries came together with policies for transport systems such as roads, rail and inland waterways. The EU common markets pushed for a common transport policy because they encouraged free movement of goods and people throughout Europe. The policy signed in 1957 called the treaty of Rome was meant to allow free movement of goods and people across all the nations in Europe but the policy was not taken seriously until 1980 (Ionescu, 2012). The policy was only put into use after a court process which took place in 1983 involving the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. This increased the process of the formation of a single market involving European countries with the inclusion of transport in the act which was signed. Ionescu (2012), shows that the signing of the single treaty made many changes in the transport industries which also gave a chance for Europeans countries to work together a cross different states. The treaty signed was also meant to address cases of environmental degradation caused by pollution. The policy was for the development of rail, road and waterway structures. This is because there had been disparities in transport systems in European countries with most Western countries having better and well developed transport systems, mostly high-speed rail systems, than that of the Eastern European countries. Furthermore the policy was made to address environmental challenges as mentioned above. The main target of the policy was to address the development of the rail system, roads and waterways. The combination of the three transport systems is referred to as the Transport European Networks (TENs). The European Union transport policy was made to tackle the creation of transport infrastructure which would link Eastern and Western Europe. This was later addressed in a white paper singed in 2004. The policies in the white paper were later changed in 2011 to make three changes by 2050. For example, the EU is to stop the use of more fossil fuel and find alternative energy, increase the use of the rail system, and use fuel in the aviation industry producing less than 40% carbon. The policy was meant to ease movement of freight and people across national boundaries hence the border tariffs would be removed (Ionescu 2012). The EU is committed in applying the set policies and has so far achieved the set targets. Goals of the EU policy The reduction of