CAFS IRP Project Plan Essay

1. In your own words briefly explain what you understand is required for the Independent Research Task? It is expected that within our research task we answer/ create findings on a certain topic or question. We need to be interested in the topic in order for it to be a successful and fully finished research task. We are to use primary and secondary research methodologies and are to reference any work/ information that is not our own. For primary research we can use methodologies such as surveys, interviews and observations, and for our secondary research methods we can use literature review, news programmes, statistics etc. For most of this assessment we need to complete it in our own time, but we are also given much class time to formulate questions, hand in drafts, ask questions and work on our research plans individually. 2. Describe your research topic. Be specific as possible. After much deliberation I have chosen my topic, in which I am going to formulate my research task on, it is: What are the factors affecting body image amongst adolescents aged between 13 and 17? This will focus on how the 3 main factors are exposing adolescents to negative body images, these factors include: a) The Media b) Psychological c) Cultural 3. Which course topic areas is the focus of your IRP? Individuals and groups 4. Rewrite your topic area as a research questions i.e. A hypothesis / or statement? Adolescents aged 13- 16 body image interpretations of what is good and bad is influenced by three specific factors, they include psychological, cultural and the influence of the media. These specific factors are evident in both girls and boys. 5. Why are you interested in this topic? I believe that body image and the affects that it has on adolescents is a growing concern within today’s society. I have also known a person that has struggled with body image issues and had found herself in hospital many  times due to this. I find the idea of chasing unattainable perfection to be a mental focus that some people cannot break and I would find it intriguing to research the idea of body image from the perspective of 13 – 16 year old teenagers. 6. Outline the methodologies you hope to utilize for your IRP. Include literature review as a methodology. Explain why you are using each method. Literature Review To gain secondary data Insight into other findings on the topic Inspiration for any follow up questions that aren’t answered Surveys To gain an idea of perspective from adolescents aged 13 – 17 I can then use these surveys to compare different age categories Get more information on how important body image is to young people but also how it influences them Compare the information to see if it parallels secondary data Interviews I am planning to interview various workers from the retail industry to see what stories or experiences they have from the influence of the media and how it has affected their workplace 7. Who and where (people and organisations) do you hope to gather your primary data from? I plan on gathering my primary data from various sources, these include: Year 7 students at CCAS Year 10 students at CCAS I also plan to have open conversations and ask various open ended questions to school councillors to see whether they have ever had any cases where body image has been an issue. 8. List some resources (at least four) that you can use as secondary data. These will contribute to your literature review. These might include textbooks, newspapers, articles, websites, statistics etc. State how each one is relevant to your IRP. YOU MUST VARY YOUR SOURCES OF SECONDARY DATA. Don’t just use google! I plan on using: Magazine articles Magazine covers Newspaper Articles Internet websites And Statistic information that has been gathered from other people. 9.   Week Details of What is to be done 1 Brainstorm questions and topics in which I am interested in and begin to gain information and articles about the topic 2 Begin writing up surveys and organise interviews 3 Hand out surveys and collect data 4 Draft Project Plan Due Friday 31/10/14 5 Project Plan Due Friday 7/11/14 6 Diary Due 14/11/14 – For checking 7 Complete collecting all data needed and begin writing up report sections for final draft 8 Begin to finalise all writings and finish all referencing whether it be in text, appendix or bibliography 9 IRP and Diary Due no later than Friday 5/12/14 10. Identify any potential problem areas you think you may encounter? I believe that it may be hard to get the particular age category in which I have chosen to open up about their opinions and thoughts on the topic, because it can be one that is held quite close to them. I also believe that getting somebody to interview can be difficult, this is because counsellors may not want to or be allowed to display any information referring to a person currently at our school. 11. Any other comments? I think this is a very interesting task and it will be a challenge to make sure all information is conveyed correctly, but it is much more interesting than taking a test on research methodology because we are not just learning fact, we are putting that fact into practise in a real life situation.

Phases of the Moon Essay

Sunlight is shown coming in from the right. The earth, of course, is at the center of the diagram. The moon is shown at 8 key stages during its revolution around the earth. The moon phase name is shown alongside the image. The dotted line from the earth to the moon represents your line of sight when looking at the moon. The large moon image shows what you would see at that point in the cycle. For the waning gibbous, third quarter, and waning crescent phases you have to mentally turn yourself upside down when imagining the line of sight. When you do this, you’ll â€Å"see† that the illuminated portion is on your left, just as you see in the large image. One important thing to notice is that exactly one half of the moon is always illuminated by the sun. Of course that is perfectly logical, but you need to visualize it in order to understand the phases. At certain times we see both the sunlit portion and the shadowed portion — and that creates the various moon phase shapes we are all familiar with. Also note that the shadowed part of the moon is invisible to the naked eye; in the diagram above, it is only shown for clarification purposes. Finally, please realize this diagram is only meant to demonstrate how the phases work; the small inner moons in the diagram do not show the fact that the same side of the moon always faces Earth. So the basic explanation is that the lunar phases are created by changing angles (relative positions) of the earth, the moon and the sun, as the moon orbits the earth. If you’d like to examine the phases of the moon more closely, via computer software, you may be interested in this moon phases calendar software. Moon Phases Simplified It’s probably easiest to understand the moon cycle in this order: new moon and full moon, first quarter and third quarter, and the phases in between. As shown in the above diagram, the new moon occurs when the moon is positioned between the earth and sun. The three objects are in approximate  alignment (why â€Å"approximate† is explained below). The entire illuminated portion of the moon is on the back side of the moon, the half that we cannot see. At a full moon, the earth, moon, and sun are in approximate alignment, just as the new moon, but the moon is on the opposite side of the earth, so the entire sunlit part of the moon is facing us. The shadowed portion is entirely hidden from view. The first quarter and third quarter moons (both often called a â€Å"half moon†), happen when the moon is at a 90 degree angle with respect to the earth and sun. So we are seeing exactly half of the moon illuminated and half in shadow. Once you understand those four key moon phases, the phases between should be fairly easy to visualize, as the illuminated portion gradually transitions between them. An easy way to remember and understand those â€Å"between† lunar phase names is by breaking out and defining 4 words: crescent, gibbous, waxing, and waning. The word crescent refers to the phases where the moon is less than half illuminated. The word gibbous refers to phases where the moon is more than half illuminated. Waxing essentially means â€Å"growing† or expanding in illumination, and waning means â€Å"shrinking† or decreasing in illumination. Thus you can simply combine the two words to create the phase name, as follows: After the new moon, the sunlit portion is increasing, but less than half, so it is waxing crescent. After the first quarter, the sunlit portion is still increasing, but now it is more than half, so it is waxing gibbous. After the full moon (maximum illumination), the light continually decreases. So the waning gibbous phase occurs next. Following the third quarter is the waning crescent, which wanes until the light is completely gone — a new moon. The Moon’s Orbit You may have personally observed that the moon goes through a complete moon phases cycle in about one month. That’s true, but it’s not exactly one month. The synodic period or lunation is exactly 29.5305882 days. It’s the time required for the moon to move to the same position (same phase) as seen by an observer on earth. If you were to view the moon cycling the earth from outside our solar system (the viewpoint of the stars), the time required is 27.3217 days, roughly two days less. This figure is called the sidereal period or orbital period. Why is the synodic period different from the sidereal period? The short answer is because on earth, we are viewing the moon from a moving platform: during the moon cycle, the earth has moved approximately one month along its year-long orbit around the sun, altering our angle of view with respect to the moon, and thus altering the phase. The earth’s orbital direction is such that it lengthens the period for earthbound observers. Although the synodic and sidereal periods are exact numbers, the moon phase can’t be precisely calculated by simple division of days because the moon’s motion (orbital speed and position) is affected and perturbed by various forces of different strengths. Hence, complex equations are used to determine the exact position and phase of the moon at any given point in time. Also, looking at the diagram (and imagining it to scale), you may have wondered why, at a new moon, the moon doesn’t block the sun, and at a full moon, why the earth doesn’t block sunlight from reaching the moon. The reason is because the moon’s orbit about the earth is about 5 degrees off from the earth-sun orbital plane. However, at special times during the year, the earth, moon, and sun do in fact â€Å"line up†. When the moon blocks the sun or a part of it, it’s called a solar eclipse, and it can only happen during the new moon phase. When the earth casts a shadow on the moon, it’s called a lunar eclipse, and can only happen during the full moon phase. Roughly 4 to 7 eclipses happen in any  given year, but most of them minor or â€Å"partial† eclipses. Major lunar or solar eclipses are relatively uncommon. Moon Software If you want to follow the phases of the moon, you should definitely take a look at QuickPhase Pro, our flagship moon software product for your personal computer. This attractive and fun software covers thousands of years of past and future moon phases and is easy to use.

Management and Hr Professional Working Essay

Human Resources Profession Map The map was designed to assist HR Professionals in there career progression by describing the highest standards of professional competence that can be achieved. The Map is broken down in to three elements: Professional Areas Made up of 10 segments, these describe the areas within the HR discipline and what is required. The two core areas of the map. Strategies, Insights and Solutions This area defines that the HR person needs to have a deep understanding of the business activities, strategies and plans. The strategies created must focus on the needs of the customers and employees, and add value to the organisation. They must be aware of issues that could affect the strategy and come up with solutions to adapt it. Leading and Managing The Human Resources HR professionals need to be able to leads and manage a fit for purpose HR function, Ensuring that the function has the right capability, capacity, and organisation design, and that HR employees are fully engaged, work collaboratively to support each other, each understanding what their own role is and how it  contributes  to the overall organisation strategy. The organisation design professional ensures that the organisation is appropriately designed to deliver organisation objectives in the short and long-term and that structural change is effectively managed. Organisation Development is about ensuring the organisation has a committed, ‘fit for the future’ workforce needed to deliver its strategic ambition. It plays a vital part in ensuring that the organisation culture, values and environment support and enhance organisation performance and adaptability. Provides insight and leadership on development and execution of any capability, cultural and change activities. Resourcing and Talent Planning – The HR professional working in this area ensures that the organisation is able to identify and attract key people with the capability to create competitive advantage and that it actively manages an appropriate balance of resource to meet changing needs, fulfilling the short and long-term ambitions of the organisation strategy. Learning and Talent Development HR professional working in this area ensures that people at all levels of the organisation possess and develop the skills, knowledge and experiences to fulfill the short and long-term ambitions of the organisation and that they are motivated to learn, grow and perform. Performance and reward HR professional working in this area builds a high-performance culture by delivering programmes that recognise and reward critical skills, capabilities, experience and performance, and ensures that reward systems are market-based, equitable and cost-effective. Employee engagement In the context of organisation objectives, the HR professional working in this area ensures that in all aspects of the employment experience – the emotional connection that all employees have with their work, colleagues and to their organisation (in particular line manager relationship) is positive and understood, and that it delivers greater discretionary effort in their work and the way they relate to their organisation. Employee relation Working in this area of HR ensures that the relationship between an organisation and its staff is managed appropriately within a clear and transparent framework underpinned by organisation practices and policies and ultimately by relevant employment law. Service delivery and information Ensures that the delivery of human resources service and information to leaders, managers and staff within the organisation is accurate, efficient, timely and cost effective and that humane resources data is managed professionally. The Eight Behaviours There are eight behaviours which describe how HR people should carry out their activities. 1 Curious 2 Decisive thinker 3 Skilled influencer 4 Driven to deliver 5 Collaborative 6 Personally credible 7 Courage to challenge 8 Role model

Strengths and weaknesses on a few cultural theories Assignment

Strengths and weaknesses on a few cultural theories - Assignment Example The study aimed at finding out whether the frameworks can help managers. The study analyzed values in 47 countries with a desire to make conclusions on cultural inclinations. As a result, national differences became the basis for the organizational processes brought by managers. Greater sensitivity came to the aspect of culture in relation to decision making. However, these three frameworks have a positive and negative side that affects the perception of users (Smith, Peterson, Schwartz, 2012). This paper explains the strengths and weaknesses of Hofstede, Schwartz, and Trompenaars frameworks in relation to culture. The paper concludes that the Hofstede framework presents a logical scenario of conducting human resource research. Cultural theories shed light on the issues in a society that are valuable. Cultural theories have contributed to the field of consumer behavior and international marketing. This has become a reality by placing emphasis on the cultural inclinations of consumers and markets at large. Â  Hofstede, Schwartz, and Trompenaars denote some of the common cultural theories that help in understanding human and market behavior. Hofstede is one of the cultural theories that look at the dimensions of culture in individuals. This theory indicates that the culture of a society will have effects on the values it portrays. Furthermore, the theory tries to relate the values and behaviors of human beings in order to formulate logical conclusions. Hofstede can be used to explain differences that can be observed among different cultures (Minkov, 2007). This theory presents four dimensions to explain cultural values in society. Power distance is one dimension, and it explains the potency of a social hierarchy. Additionally, there is the dimension of individualism verses collectivism that explains the level of integrating individuals into groups. Furthermore, the third dimension, which is uncertainty avoidance, explains the extent that members of

The theoretical foundation of states regulatory response to the Essay

The theoretical foundation of states regulatory response to the financial crisis - Essay Example inancial crisis arises when the demand for money is more than the supply resulting in a liquidity problem forcing banks to borrow to make up for the shortfall and in some cases leading to a collapse of this banks. This results into a financial crisis. It is for this reasons that theories have been developed across the financial field on the regulatory response to the crisis. The following are some of the financial regulations that are being adopted by many nations across the globe in trying to control the financial crisis includes; liquidity risk management, money market operations by the central banks, bank insolvency regimes, financial crisis management, and the deposit insurance. This paper seeks to explore the theoretical foundation of states regulatory response to the financial crisis. The Deposit Insurance has been used as a way of regulating the financial institutions to control the financial crisis from inflicting adverse effects on the economy of a country. The deposit insurance is a measure used to protect the bank depositors in case of a financial crisis (Strater and Corneli 2008 p.46). It protects the investors from losing the money they invest in the banks in case the banks have liquidity problem and become insolvent. The Insurance deposits ensure that the investors recover the money. The deposit insurance operates by allowing the banks to deposit part of the money with the Insurance deposit to cushion them from any financial crisis that may lead to recession and closure of these banks. The United States for example protected the smaller banks from the poor states by adopting the insurance Deposit as a strategy to avert a looming financial crisis (McDonald 1996 p.19-23). Liquidity risk management theory is also a regulatory response theory to financial crisis. Liquidity is the ability of a bank to fund its assets and meets its long and short term obligation as and when they fall due. When a bank is faced with a financial crisis, it is not able to

International economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

International economics - Essay Example UK economy has experienced greater growth in the current century as compared to the last few decades of the twentieth century. However, the international trade scenario of UK does not seem promising with a consistent trade deficit although there has been growth in both export and import values. This is because the real value of imports remains far below than the real value of exports. The growth of service exports in developing countries has also affected UK economy as the nation has lost market for service exports in those countries especially China. In the backdrop of globalization no country can survive within the boundary of economics at national level. A country’s economy including industry, service sectors, employment and standard of living is dependant on the association with its trading partners. This association is established with import and export of goods, services, labour, technologies and investments. It is not possible to create national economic policies without considering their effect on the economies of other countries. With a number of factors like the formation of the European Union in the 1950s, the growth of multinational companies in the 1960s, the growing market strength of the oil producing countries, and introduction of euro in the beginning of twenty first century have all paved the way for interdependence of countries worldwide and evolution of a global economy (Carbaugh, 2010, p.1). In the world of business in the current century, business is the key factor in the relationships between differe nt countries. Today any business enterprise even the small and emerging ones consider every nook of the world as market for its products and services, and no business confines its activities within the national boundaries. In many companies, the annual sales level exceeds the gross national product (GNP) of some

Communization in the changing civilizations Essay

Communization in the changing civilizations - Essay Example The dangerous clashes of the future are likely to arise from the interaction of Western arrogance, Islamic intolerance, and Sinic assertiveness.†(p 183-186) Huntington’s concern to preserve and protect the superiority of the Western societies is so great that he offers concrete suggestions â€Å"to protect the cultural, social, and ethnic integrity of Western societies by restricting the number of non-Westerners admitted as immigrants or refugees.†(Huntington, 1996, p 183-186) In another context, he says about the Mexicans that they are out to reclaim their homeland from America and considers their influx (immigration to the USA) as a threat to the unity and integrity of USA. The mind of Mario Vargas Llosa swings like the pendulum elucidating the concepts of globalization, modernization etc. The author perfectly understands the complexities created by the rapid industrialization and the stunning economic growth in some of the western countries. The views of Llosa are entirely different from those of Huntington, but he also realizes the threat of cultural invasion in America and some other western countries. Llosa opines, â€Å"The most effective attacks against globalization are usually not those related to economics. Instead, they are social, ethical, and above all, cultural.†(Llosa, 2000) Here the author veers round the views of Huntington, yet maintains the distance. Huntington creates a grim picture of the weakening of the nation state. But Llosa sees the silver lining in this weakening process.

Movie Analysis Paper Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis Paper - Movie Review Example There is this unpleasant state of revolt inside him that makes him fight for his rights and be different from others having the right to make decisions and choices for oneself. During the course of the movie Z falls in love with Princess Balaand just to get sight of her switches position with his friend Weaver. This unintentional act brings Z to a point where he has to be a part of a battle that has evoked. Unaware of his fate Z embarks on this battle and apparently stands out victorious and as a hero for all the ants. Eventually Z leaves for insectopia, a place where the food surface the streets. Antz is basically a movie for adults and teenagers merely because of the use of violence and abusive language that has been incorporated in the movie. The violence in the movie might be a bit too much for children therefore it is obligatory to mention here that this movie is preferable for only adults and teens. Another reason to label this movie as an adult comedy is because of the level o f humour that has been used in the movie is feasible for adults only and can at times be quite boring for the younger ones to cope up with. "So when an unlikely turn of events marks him as a hero, Z does the last thing anyone would have expected-he rises to the challenge. And before he knows it, Z really is a hero-leading the entire worker ant colony in a revolution against conformity. Which just goes to show you: no matter how small, weak, or insignificant he might be, one ant CAN make a difference!" (Weiss, 1998) Another aspect in the movie that shows organizational culture is the totalitarian form of government that is seen initially before the occurrence of the revolt. Initially the ants were oppressed, having no say in the governance what so ever. They had to follow the norms of the prevailing society and struggle for their basic necessities. The King and the ants in power therefore had all rights over the people (ants) and used to govern the sate n such a way the fellow ants w ere generally oppressed and deprived of their fundamental rights. The story eventually changes its course when an ant who is not content with the present social state takes a step forward to change the existing system. So the concept of individual liberty has been shown in the movie. Z embarks on a journey to change the system that existed there which is all unintentional and also get his love therefore he had to switch position with his friend and take up the challenge to be part of a battle that would eventually change his position forever Labeling him as the ultimate hero and an inspiration for others who demand to change the totalitarian system. Therefore the organizational culture that prevailed initially in the movie was totalitarian with a monarch and defined rules and regulations that needed to be followed irrespective of personal will or choice. But when Z came to power things changed which sort of changed the system proclaiming a single individuals power and developing a s ense of liberty in the people. This change in a system was the basis of which the organizational cultured changed. The evolution from to totalitarianism to liberalism is drastic and something that was brilliantly executed in the movie. The violence showed in the movie is also executed in a very professional manner keeping all the minute details and the spirit of war alive. As battle and revolts is a part of the society therefore unity, mutual cooperation was shown. Apparently the violence shown was quite loud for animated movie.

The Decrease in the APE, a Decrease in the ASF and a Sudden Rise in Essay

The Decrease in the APE, a Decrease in the ASF and a Sudden Rise in GDP Demonstrated Graphically - Essay Example A demand shock - fall in APE In the diagram above, we consider the effect of a fall in APE. The immediate response from businesses is to wait to see if the APE returns to its initial height. When it does not, the output-price adjustment process is initiated which leads to falling prices, output, employment and profits until the equality between GDP, ASF and APE is restored. The fall in output and employment however will continue until prices and profits return to their initial levels. Next consider the impact of a decline in ASF. The initial funding adjustment will manifest in the form of a sharp rise in interest rates. Figure 2: Impact of fall in ASF - money and credit caused recession The following output-price adjustment process like the earlier case will involve drops in output, employment, interest rates, prices and profits until GDP=ASF=APE. Output and employment will continue to fall until profit and prices rise back up to their initial levels. At the end of the coordination procedure, output and employment will be down while interest rates will be up but prices and profits will be restored to their initial levels. Finally, consider the impact of a rise in GDP. The initial impact will be a rise in interest rates. Then, as the producers react to insufficient demands, output and employment will fall back to the initial levels. But this situation wi ll lead to a demand caused recessionary scenario which stimulates the coordination procedure described in the first case in this chapter. ... The APE line shifts out leading to excess demand which in turn leads to a rise in interest rates. However, since ASF is unresponsive to interest rate changes, this rise in interest rates will have no impact on ASF and i continues to rise until it reaches i1 which signifies the new equilibrium interest rate since at this rate, the entire rise in APE is crowded out and we once more have the equality. The opposite mechanism would have been triggered in case of a negative shock to APE hitting the system. This is shown in the diagram below. Figure 5 Thus, we see that a shock to APE only leads to a movement in the interest rate in the same direction while GDP, employment and prices are left unchanged. Thus, the classical doctrine implies that interest rates are flexible enough to accommodate for any shocks to APE such that movements in the interest rate absorbs the full brunt of the shock and GDP, employment and prices are left unchanged. Next, consider the impact of a shock to ASF. This i s shown in the diagram below. Figure 6 In this case it is actually the price level that responds while all other aspects remain the same. Interest rates change initially but they are restored back to the initial levels as price adjustments take place and the ASF line is restored to its original state. It is pertinent to note that imbalances between the aggregate demand and supply of output was assumed to be cured entirely through price adjustments since the classical economists believed that businesses maintained a particular level of output and profits which remained fixed so that whenever this level of output exceeded or fell short of funded demand, price adjustments would take place which increased or curtailed the

McDonalds Review B-TEC Essay Example for Free

McDonalds Review B-TEC Essay McDonalds is an international franchise which welcomes 58 million customers in over 31,000 different locations worldwide and over 1.5 million employees. The company serves an average 47 million customers each day throughout the 119 countries you can find McDonalds in. The franchises main purpose is to deliver products like food and drink putting it in a secondary sector. Founded in 1940 in Illinois, USA by Dick and Mac McDonald the company has since become the largest fast food retailer in the world. Although McDonalds has received a lot of criticism from people that campaign for healthy eating, the company have since introduced a healthy eating range including salad vegetables and have cut down on advertising of the more unhealthy range of foods it supplies. Along with the eat healthily phenomenon McDonalds have adopted, inspired by the new worldwide need for encouragement of keeping fit, the company have introduced R Gym which is equipped with childrens gym equipment and video games. The company has a Market Capital of around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½42 billion and (2006) profits of $3.544 billion, which was nearly a 300% rise from 2002 ($893 million). McDonalds is becoming increasingly popular in Asia (which is currently the fastest growing business region in the world) and the franchise is set to open 100 new drive-thru locations in China. McDonalds has a range of restaurants in many countries. The most popular being the counter service and drive-thru service located in many well-populated towns cities. The other types include the McDrive, simply only a drive-thru service found near highways. You will also find a walk-thru service in some downtown-areas although these are quite rare. Also, to keep up with the cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ market, McDonalds decided to introduce a Starbucks-type named The McCafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ which was started in Melbourne in 1993, being a concept of McDonalds Australia and are usually located in most McDonalds restaurants throughout the country. Sales have risen 60% in some stores with the new McCafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ look and feel and they are found at 600 different regions in 2006. McDonalds are also located at truck stops, shopping malls and in Wal-Mart/Asda stores. McDonalds products include; hamburgers, French fries, chicken sandwiches, soft drinks, breakfast meals, desserts, McFlurrys, muffins, milkshake as well as salads and vegetarian options.  McDonalds currently uses various ways of advertising, including on T.V, the radio, in magazines, newspapers through door-to-door leaflets. Throughout the U.K, they are offering a buy-one-get-one-free offer on Big Macs and happy meals which should increase sales for the short term and gain more popularity. They also advertise a healthier option to appeal to new customers looking for a healthier choice. The corporation also advertises its competitions such as the Best Win Monopoly in which customers can win prizes and McDonalds have also supplied free toys and games with the childrens happy meal. This has been known to bring in a large amount of custom. McDonalds isnt always owned by franchisees 15% of McDonalds stores is owned by the corporation itself. However, in the U.K, less than 30% of stores are owned by franchisees. The corporation earns revenue by operating restaurants, franchising restaurants, and being an investor in properties. 85% of McDonalds restaurants are run from a variety of franchise agreements joint ventures. McDonalds use a slightly different form of modelling their business; they collect franchise fees and marketing fees as well as rent which can be determined by sales. The corporation is currently sponsoring London Olympics 2012 the

Progress and Prospects of Indian Engineering Goods Exports

Progress and Prospects of Indian Engineering Goods Exports INTRODUCTION The importance of exports to economic development has been well documented in empirical as well as theoretical literature. A number of studies have examined how exports are beneficial for economic development of an economy. A common point among them is that, exports may lead to greater capacity utilization, economies of scale, incentive for technological improvement and efficient management due to competitive pressure abroad. The interest in the relationship between exports and economic growth has led to emergence of two schools of thought, namely export led growth (higher export leads to higher economic growth). Although India has been following an import substitution strategy for long, exports promotion has always got the attention of the policy-makers and planners. Export promotion strategy became more pronounced in India particularly after the new economic policy (NEP) of 1991. It is a fact that although Indias share in world exports is less than 1 per cent today, its share in total GDP of the country is more than 11 per cent which is a substantial percentage that can play an important role in ushering faster economic development to the country. Exports from India constitute agricultural and allied commodities (10.10%), ores and minerals (5.29%), manufactured goods (73.40%) (Such as engineering goods, gems jewellery, chemical products and so on), crude oil and petroleum products (8.5%) and others (2.64%). Engineering industry has significance to the economic development of the country. Engineering goods industry constitutes the prime mover of industrial growth in Indian economy as it has played a pivotal role in industrial resurgence of India since the advent of independence, especially after the adoption of the Mahalanobis capital goods oriented strategy from the second plan onwards. The following facts highlight the very significance of the Indian engineering industry in Indian economy. The engineering goods industry enjoys 30.5 per cent weight in the index of industrial production, 29.9 per cent share of total investment in all industry, 33.5 per cent share in the value of output of all industry, 37.1 per cent share in valued added by all industry. 30.6 per cent share in employment of all industry, and 62.8 per cent share in number of foreign collaborations (EEPC). Further more, recently it has emerged as a major exporting sector and also provides technical know-how and consultancy services to a number of African and Arabian states. As per the data available for the year 2004-05, engineering industry has emerged as the single largest item of total Indian exports pushing aside gems jewellery export which had been dominating Indian export basket as the single largest item for some time now. Thus engineering industry is reckoned as an engine of economic development and one of the dynamic sectors of the Indian economy. DISTINCTIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE EXPORT EFFORT Indian engineering exports have shown phenomenal growth over many years and are making a distinctive contribution to the overall export effort. The up trend in the export of engineering goods during half a century of our independent existence is a reflection of the progress achieved by the engineering industry over the years. Engineering industry is now exporting an increasingly wide variety of light, medium and heavy engineering goods. Engineering goods exports have grown by leaps and bounds from a mere Rs 5.16 crore in 1956-57 to an impressive and all time high of Rs. 73,800.39 crore in 2004-05. Thus they have grown over many hundred folds in Rupee terms. They have been among the most dynamic elements of Indias exports, and have accounted for the largest increment (in constant prices) of Indias exports during 1960-61 2004-05. Besides, there has been a marked shift in the commodity composition as well as direction of engineering exports over the years. Developed market of the west now accounts for about 40 per cent of the total engineering exports in 2004-05 as against the 9 per cent in 1960-61. The progress of export of engineering goods vis-a-vis total exports from the country for select years can be better judged from Table 1 Table 1 ENGINEERING EXPORTS VIS-À-VIS TOTAL EXPORTS (in Crores) Rs. Crore Year Total Exports Engg Exports % share of Engg Exports to Total Exports 1956-57 977 5.16 0.5 1960-61 1,011.65 10.31 1.0 1970-71 1,535.16 115.76 7.5 1980-81 6,710.70 874.17 13.0 1990-91 32,552.00 4,245.00 13.0 1996-97 118,817.32 17,481.75 14.7 1997-98 130,100.65 19,580.14 15.04 1998-99 141,603.53 18,444.47 13.10 1999-00 159,288.92 22,154.23 13.91 2000-01 201,684.93 30,887.95 15.31 2001-02 209,729.06 33,193.99 15.83 2002-03 255,799.55 43,625.94 17.05 2003-04 294,143.23 56,802.83 19.31 2004-05 356,795.46 73,800.39 20.68 2007-08 133926.23 2008-09 173801.7 Increase in 2008-09 by 29.77% (Source: Ministry of commerce and industry) DGCIS, KOLKATTA. The figures in Table 1 indicate that engineering goods exports have shown commendable performance on the export front over the years and it is steadily increasing over time. The percentage share of engineering exports in total exports increased from a mere 0.5 per cent in 1956-57 to a respectable 15.3 per cent in 1992-93 and again to 20.68 per cent in 2004-05, emerging as an important and single largest item of export basket in India. All these are a reflection of increased acceptability of Indian engineering products in developed countries market, aggressive marketing strategy, entry into new markets and promotional role of engineering export promotion council and more liberal policies of the Government especially after 1991. Average Annual Growth Rate Engineering exports have been registering a much higher annual average growth rate than total exports during the decades of 1960s, 70s and 90s. The average annual growth rate of engineering as well as all Indias exports is depicted in Table 2. TABLE 2 AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH RATE Period Total Exports Engg. Exports 1956-57 to 1960-61 1.15 19.3 1961-62 to 1970-71 4.64 29.71 1971-72 to 1980-81 16.36 23.99 1981-82 to 1990-91 17.10 16.8 1991-92 to 2000-01 20.083 29.35 2001-02 to 2004.05 17.00 25.59 From Table 2 it is clear that engineering exports had registered an impressive growth rate of 29.71 per cent during 1961-61 to 1971 to 72 which marginally declined during 1971-72 to 1981 to 82. However, engineering exports sharply declined to 16.8 per cent during 1981-82 to 1990-91. This slowdown in engineering exports is accounted for by stagnation of engineering exports during the early 1980s, especially the negative growth rate of -4.78% in the year 1985-86, which was an offshoot of industrial recession on developed countries and near completion of construction activities in Middle East. However, the position improved since 1985-86. Then onwards, engineering exports have grown at a faster rate. Economic liberalization of 1991 was a major boost to the engineering exports. It has opened new vistas, opportunities as well as challenges. A few factors that gave fillip to the development of Indian engineering exports under new regime are: adoption of export policy resolution, conferring priority to exports, recognition and concession to export houses and EPZ, liberalization of imports, relaxation of investment and licensing policies, priority to software and hardware technology parks and so on. It is to be remembered that although there has been a quantum jump in the all India exports after liberalization of 1991, there has been a large slowdown in all India exports since 1995-96. After reaching peak annual growth of 20 per cent in 1995-96, it had slipped to low growth rate in 1997-98 and 1998-99. This slowdown in total exports has in fact affected engineering exports also evident from the figures for 1996-97 and 1998-99. This slow down can be explained by slow growth rate of world export demand, South East Asian financial crisis and consequent overvaluation of Indian Rupee, reducing exports to these countries which account for nearly 15 per cent of the total Indian engineering exports and also reducing the competitive edge of Indian engineering exports in the world market, since some of these countries are major competitors of Indian engineering exports. However, total exports exhibited a sharp turn around since 1999-2000. Bulk of the rise was contributed by a volume increase in exports. This acceleration in exports reflected buoyant global demand coupled with improvement in world commodity prices in 2000 and the revival of world trade following the Asian crisis. Besides various export facilitating measures announced by the Government, significant gains in selected sectors like textiles, engineering goods, electronics goods, chemicals, leather leather manufactures, ores minerals and petroleum products also contributed to this strengthening of exports. The exchange rate of Rupee remained relatively stable in real effective terms during 2000-01 suggesting a broad retention of the competitiveness of Indias exports in global market. ITEMWISE DISTRUBITON OF COMPOSITION Engineering exports now consist of a wide variety of items such as iron steel, machine tools, machinery instruments, manufacture of metals, project goods, Ferro alloys, aluminium products, transport equipment, residual engineering items, management technical services. During the initial period, Indias engineering exports consisted mainly of steel, pig iron based items, consumer products like casting, buckets, drum, tubes, trunks, hand tools, builders hardware, lock, pad lock, steel furniture, aluminium, brass copper utensils, electric fans and batteries. However, over the years there has been substantial diversification in the export of engineering products, especially after the mid seventies. A close look at the change in composition of engineering exports during 1960-61 to 1996-97 highlights the forward march of engineering industry exports. Table 3.a and Graph 1 depict the changing composition of Indian engineering exports during 1960-61 to 1996-97. TABLE 3.a CHANGE IN COMPOSITION OF ENGINEERING EXPORTS (1960-61 TO 1996-97) (US$ Million) Items Year (1960-61) % Share Year (2007-08) % Share Capital Goods 2.70 12.46 1,370.83 32.69 Primary Metals 6.69 30.85 1,406.56 33.54 Non-ferrous Metals 2.89 13.33 309.53 7.38 Consumer Durables 9.40 43.35 928.03 22.13 Management Consultancy Services 0 0 177.54 4.23 Total 21.68 100 4,192.49 100 GRAPH 1 Table 3.b exhibits the percentage of share of major engineering goods, as per the latest data available for 2004-05 TABLE 3.b SHARE OF ENGINEERING GOODS Sr. No. Engineering Goods % Share 01 Machinery and Instrument 21.30 02 Manufacture of Metals 20.00 03 Transport Equipments 17.2 04 Iron Steel bar and primary and semi finished iron steel 22.14 05 Electronics 10.7 06 Non-ferrous metals 4.6 07 Aluminium products 1.10 08 Ferro Alloys 1.11 09 Project Goods 0.29 10 ‘Machine tools 0.98 11 Residual engineering goods 0.42 From table 3 it is understood that there has been marked shift and significant changes in the composition of the engineering exports in last four decades. The most significant change has been in the export of capital goods whose share in total engineering exports increased from 12.46 per cent in 1960-61 to 32.69 per cent in 1996-97, which is a symptom of the marked progress by engineering industry. Thus, capital goods sector presently occupies a pride position. The primary steel which accounted for 30.85 per cent in 1960-61 has marginally increased to 33.54 per cent in 1996-97. On the other hand, the share of non ferrous metals has come down from 13.33 per cent to 7.38 per cent. More significantly, the share of consumer durables has declined from 43.35 per cent in 1960-61 to 22.13 per cent in 1996-97. Lastly, the management and consultancy services that account for zero percentage in 1960-61 has started making its presence felt by contributing around 4.23 per cent in the year 1996-97 . All these show the increasing significance of capital goods exports as well as management and consultancy services, while the significance of non ferrous metals and consumer durables have been reduced. DESTINATION OF INDIAN ENGINEERING EXPORTS Indian engineering products are exported to a large number of developed and developing countries of the world. A close look at the destination of Indian engineering exports shows that there has been substantial diversification in the destination of exports. Up to 1980s, the major destinations of Indias emerging exports were Asia and Africa. However, in the early eighties, the trend has changed substantially with share of Europe, Australia and North America increasing substantially. During the eighties, East European countries emerged as a big market for Indian engineering products, whose share has declined after the disintegration of erstwhile Soviet Union. Fortunately, this shortfall has been compensated by larger exports to developed countries. Region wise / Country wise export of Indian engineering goods between 1956-57 and 2004-2005 is shown in Table 4 and Graph 2. TABLE 4 DESTINATION OF ENGINEERING EXPORTS : REGIONWISE (1956-57 TO 2004-2005) (Rupees Crore) Region 1956-57 1990-91 1998-99 2004-05 Asia 3.76 (73.9) 975 (27.9) 5681 (30.8) 22041.68 (29.87) Africa 1.2 (23.3) 351 (10.0) 1410 (7.64) 3195.21 (4.33) Europe Zero 1410 (40.3) 4017.07 (21.7) 16680.99 (22.60) N. America Zero 40.00 308.34 (1.67) 834.82 (1.13) Total (incl. Others) 5.16 (100) 3500 (100) 18444.14 (100) 73800.39 (100) Note:- Figures in the brackets show percentage shares Table 4 reveals that there is a steady decline of Indian engineering exports to Asia and Africa from 96.2 per cent in 1956-57 to 34.20 per cent in 2004-05. At the same time, engineering exports to Europe and North America which were less than once per cent in the mid fifties now account for 39 per cent. This is a pointer to the diversification of market for Indian engineering products and growing acceptability of our products in he developed world. The important countries that account for the major chunk of our engineering exports in 2004-05 are: USA (16.4%), UAE (6.60%), UK (5.23%), China (4.80%), Singapore (4.52%), Germany (4.2%), Italy (3.76%), Sri Lanka (2.67%) and Belgium (2.65%). These countries account form more than 50 per cent of Indian engineering exports. Estimate of Indias Exports of Thrust Products in Thrust Markets (Unit: US$ Mn.) Thrust Markets 2004-05 2009-10 Country Imports India Exports Indias Est. Share % India Exports Indias Est. Share % Key Thrust Markets North America USA 313.703 990 0.32% 2.359 0.36% Canada 54.333 25 0.05% 56 0.07% Mexico 12.955 30 0.23% 65 0.36% Europe Germany 116.342 261 0.22% 619 0.27% France 69.292 71 0.10% 172 0.14% UK 84.428 418 0.5% 934 0.61% Italy 48.551 134 0.28% 277 0.32% Asia China 49.345 446 0.90% 1.836 0.80% Japan 24.49 93 0.38% 261 0.58% Thailand 10.173 133 1.30% 278 1.45% UAE 9.313 321 3.45% 1.155 4.43% Singapore 5.016 114 2.27% 322 2.71% Sub-total: Key Thrust Markets 797.941 3.037 8.330 Other Thrust Markets 95.477 326 0.34% 880 0.46% Grand Total: Thrust Product Exports to Thrust Markets 893.418 3.362 0.38% 9.210 0.49% Indias Exports of Thrust Products in other non-thrust markets 1.460 3.809 Indias Exports of Thrust Products to the World (Thrust + non-thrust markets) 4.822 13.019 Est. Total Exports of Engg. Products from India 13.296 27.415 Share of Thrust Product Exports to Thrust Markets in Indias Engg. Exports 25.29% 33.59% ENGINEERING SERVICES THE EYE OF OPPORTUNITY Indian IT industry was evolving -from a low-cost, back office, destination into a preferred supplier of high-end engineering services. And firing the imagination of the Indian IT industry is the huge market opportunity that makes a compelling business case for companies to seriously evaluate the engineering services domain. With the market potential for outsourced engineering services estimated at between $ 7 and 12 billion, Indian vendors have barely scratched the surface. The value of work currently undertaken by these players is estimated to be a mere $ 400-500 million, according to Nasscom. Demystifying engineering services In simple terms, engineering services augment or manage processes associated with the creation of a product or service, as well as those associated with a product or asset. This not only includes design elements of the product or services itself, but also infrastructure, equipment and processes engaged in manufacturing or delivering them. Engineering services outsourcing is the practice of sourcing some or all of a engineering services find applications in verticals such as automative, aerospace, minerals and metals, FB, plastics and paper. â€Å"Newer verticals are likely to emerge strongly in near future. These include utilities, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment. Showing the way Four categories of stakeholders are seeking to exploit the opportunities thrown up by the engineering services market. Engineering services is not just design. Engineering services offers end-to-end services, including conversion, drafting, modelling for product definition, modelling for analysis, product design, analysis, prototyping, testing and validation, tooling and even limited manufacturing of prototypes. PLM refers to the entire product life cycle management after production to see if there are bugs or errors. The errors are then removed. Industry estimates peg the market potential for process engineering, asset management and industrial embedded systems at over $5 billion, taking the total outsourced / offshore market potential to a whopping $ 12 billion. Automative design accounts for a bulk 65-70 per cent of the market, followed by aerospace at 15 16 per cent, and electric/electronic machinery design at 10-12 per cent. Other key vertical segments considered good targets for outsourced engineering services include utilities and pharmaceutical companies. The biggest opportunity within engineering services is the automative segment where the potential offshore outsourceable components close to $ 4. 8 billion. This is followed by aerospace segment with a market potential of $1 billion, construction and heavy machinery space where the potential stands at $ 800 million. The opportunity in the medical segment is about $ 300 million. India leads the outsourcing market when it comes to auto-sourcing with 24 per cent of auto manufacturing giving it the thumbs up for outsourcing. Bigger automotive markets such as China and Mexico lag behind at 15 per cent and 13 per cent respectively, while other locations such as Brazil, Thailand and Philippines corner less than 10 per cent, of the actual outsourcing markets. Opportunities and challenges India is a significant player in the overall offshorable outsourcing market for engineering services in the Asia-Pacific region today, China and Taiwan could emerge as formidable rivals in coming years. Indias advantage lies in its reputation and ability to deliver technology services to global customers at great value and high speed. India also has a tremendous pool of engineering and scientific talent, which can be tapped for the sector. Access to cutting -edge technology through global alliances with product companies, availability of prototyping and testing facilities, and sourcing domain skills through collaboration with the domestic industry are some of the advantages Indian vendors will have. Engineering services involves significant investments in software and design tools, making more investment intensive than vanilla IT services Some areas of application Product Engineering The services offered extend from the early stages of idea generation, through engineering analysis and design, virtual simulation, documentation and conversion, prototyping and production, testing, knowledge based engineering and PLM solutions. Process Engineering Process engineering entails the use of computational tools and techniques at the plant design stage to optimise expenditures Capital or Operational and achieve efficient production of products and services. Plant automation Plant automation broadly comprises engineering design and development of automation systems that facilitate the management and execution of day-to-day production activities and their associated information to be shared across the organisation in real-time for analysis and decision purposes. Specific services offered include Control System Integration; Process and Production Optimisation; Manufacturing Execution Systems. Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) Traditionally asset management services have been restricted to managing the life-cycle cost of assets. However, technology now enables integration of maintenance activities and functions with plant control systems, MES, CAD/CAM, ERP and SCM. Today, EAM services comprise product implementation, monitoring and maintenance, process assessment and re-engineering, interface development and system integration. EAM helps companies manage physical assets production plants, capital equipment, vehicle fleets, and facilities complexes over the complete asset life cycle. In conjunction with powerful reporting and analysis, EAM capabilities enable you to reduce operating costs, better manage capital expenditure, and improve asset utilisation. PROBLEMS OF ENGINERING EXPORTS So far as the paper has dealt with a general scenario of the engineering goods exports that does not mean that engineering goods exports are free of problems. Like any other item of export, engineering goods are also facing a number of problems, prominent among them are discussed below. Stiff Competition Indian engineering exports have been facing stiff competition from other countries. China, Mexico, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Korea which have emerged as the fastest growing engineering export countries provide formidable challenges and fierce competition to Indian engineering exports. And recently, the South East Asian financial crisis which was under way since mid 1997 had put our exports at receiving end due to overvaluation of Indian Rupees, curtailment of Indian import by these countries (this is because 15% of total engineering exports is accounted for by these countries). Therefore, it has reduced the competitive edge of Indian exports in the world market. However, recently there has been tremendous improvement in export performance. This may be attributed to the revival of South East Asian economies, increase in the world export demand, etc. Technological problems Technological competitiveness of Indian engineering goods sector is low. Some of the Indian exporters are still at disadvantage in International market vis-a-vis their counterparts in terms of product design, finish, specific features, performance and raw materials substitutes. India can be product of having the second larges scientific and technical manpower in the world. But his advantage due to high availability of quality engineers and scientists is lost partly due to brain drain and partly due to stagnation of skill sets of scientists and engineers within India. Although Indian firms are capable of achieving high levels of precision, they are unable to provide high quality products due to lack of supporting process, technologies such as precision measuring, material engineering and process control. High cost of Industrial Inputs The engineering industry mainly uses raw materials of domestic origin. The raw materials price index has risen faster than the machinery price index. It is difficult of engineering manufacturers to pass on the rise in prices to the consumers thereby impacting their profitability. Similarly the quality of raw materials is also not up to the international standards and it in turn affects the quality of final products. Barriers Another major problem is protectionism by developed countries. Developed countries have always tried to block the products from developing countries through barriers both tariff and non tariff. Recent hike in the tariff of Indian steel by the US is a case in point. This will definitely affect the steel exports from India. Infrastructural Bottlenecks A recent study by CII and World Bank has found that although India has the advantage of cheap labour, this advantage is nullified by infrastructural bottlenecks. Infrastructural bottlenecks are the major problem hindering both domestic and exports production. The quality of infrastructure (transport, communication, and power) is poor, thus affecting competitive delivery schedule and increasing operating costs. The delivery time of locally made engineering goods in many cases is 1.5 to 2 times longer than in industrialized countries. Companies tend to lose orders on delivery schedule. The inland transport is slow although the rail road density is the highest in the world. The cost of electric power is comparable to that in other nations, but reliability is poor. Overall infrastructure inadequacies are estimated to translate into 5 per cent cost disadvantage of Indian engineering manufacturers vis-à  -vis foreign manufacturers. High Transaction Cost The export transaction costs for Indian engineering goods industry are among the highest in the world. Heavy transactions costs not only increase the prices of the final export products, but also result in inordinate delay in export fulfilment, thus affecting export competitiveness. According to available studies, total cost of transaction of engineering goods in India works out to be around 10 per cent of total export earnings. STRATEGY FOR EXPORT PROMOTION In the light of the discussion of numerous problems faced by engineering exports, it is necessary to evolve a scientific strategy, which should aim not only at consolidating the gains achieved so far but also in promoting higher exports of engineering products. Formulation of such strategy will enable engineering industry to sustain the extreme competition in international market. Various measures envisaged under this strategy are listed below: Engineering EPZs and SEZs There is strong need for establishing separate engineering exports processing zones and export oriented units. A few engineering items with highest potential have to be selected for development in these special processing zones. The locations of the export processing zones are to be identified where there is a large concentration of these items. We have already established general export processing zones as well as agricultural export processing zones. Establishment of separate zones for engineering products will enable them to overcome the problems of infrastructure and raw material shortage. In addition it can attract more foreign direct investment into the production and export of engineering products. Technological Up gradation Up gradation of technology and modernization of plant and equipment are prime requirement for export oriented units. New industrial policy (1991) and various announcements there after as well as export import policy provide a number of incentives such as automatic permission for foreign technology agreements in high priority industries, no permission needed for hiring of foreign technicians, foreign testing of indigenously developed technologies, liberal import of capital goods, raw materials and components, liberal import of second hand capital goods with a minimum life of 5 years without license etc. Further, a number of other steps like offering these units a deferred payment facility for purchase of capital goods and machinery (as this would reduce much of the burden of modernization), partnership with technical institutions like IITs for product adaptation and technological up gradation, accreditation of testing laboratories in India by overseas agencies to enable them to offer test inspection certificate / marking of products etc. can be thought of. Selectivity approach While most of our competitors export a few selected products, we have concentrated on too much products. For instance, China, Mexico, Korea, Hungary, Czechoslovakia which have emerged as fastest growing engineering export countries, it is observed that 85 per cent of engineering export were contributed by fewer product categories as compared to that of India. In 2002, the number of categories contributing to 85 per cent of engineering export for these countries was Mexico 10, Hungary 13, Korea 18 and China 20 while that of India was 26. Facing numerous problems due to lack of raw material and infrastructural deficiencies, most of engineering units can hardly match overseas requirement in terms of technology, quality and cost. In the light of the above, we must concentrate on selected or thrust products and give them a full policy package and incentives and other contemporary inputs required for exports production. The Engineering Export Promotion Council Strategy Paper for growth to engineering exports from 2005-06 to 2009-2010 prepared by A. F. Ferguson Co. had identified 19 engineering products as thrust products for export development. These include : commercial vehicles (luxury buse

Mass School Shootings in the U.S. Essay -- Mass Shootings, School Shoo

In the United States of America the right to bear arms gave birth to a phenomenon called the â€Å"gun culture,† the term coined in 1970 by a historian Richard Hofstadter, which describes America’s heritage and affection for weapons(1). Not only did gun culture become an inseparable part of American democracy, but also it is considered to be synonymous with independence and freedom, the most important values for American society. Even though the crime rate and murder rate in the U.S. is higher than in any other developed country, U.S. citizens oppose every attempt made to pass gun control legislation(2). However, it may sound like a paradox, but the crime level in the most liberal states, when it comes to gun ownership, is the lowest in the whole nation according to FBI statistics(3). In fact one of the major drawbacks of free access to weapons is the murders committed by juveniles. School shooting is the problem which origins are deeply rooted in the family background and the upbringing of children as well as in the free approach to carrying weapons. To understand the concept of gun culture one have to be born in the U.S. but living outside American society is significant to provide subjective criticism of the acts of violence such as school shootings. The horrible massacres at schools are definitely not a new phenomenon; they are part of gun ownership policy. The first recorded school shooting occurred in 1764 in the present-day Greencastle, Pennsylvania, the attempt was a part of the so-called â€Å"Pontiac’s Rebellion† -the rebellion triggered by Indian tribes and aimed against British colonies. According to the story told by the one student who survived the massacre Indians constrained and scalped eleven students of the Pennsylvani... ...07532_1088608/?_refineresult=true&facet=category%3AShotguns 16. Great Dreams. â€Å"For students shot at Oklahoma Schools.† Accessed February 1, 2014. http://www.greatdreams.com/gibson.htm 17. Reuters. â€Å"Boy, 12, opens fire at New Mexico school, wounds two students.† Accessed February 2, 2014. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/14/us-usa-shooting-newmexico-idUSBREA0D11Q20140114 18. NBC News. â€Å"Gunman went bowling before Arpahoe High School shooting, police say.† Accessed February 2, 2014. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/30/22112064-gunman-went-bowling-before-arapahoe-high-school-shooting-police-say?lite 19. Wikipedia. â€Å"Columbine High School Massacre.† Accessed February 1, 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbine_High_School_massacre#Firearms 20. Wikipedia. â€Å"Cassie Brenall.† Accessed February 2, 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassie_Bernall

A Feminist Reading of Pauls Case Essay -- Feminism Feminist Women Cri

A Feminist Reading of Paul's Case  Ã‚   At first glance, it may be considered difficult to give a feminist interpretation of "Paul's Case" by Willa Cather, because there is not much mention of women in the text. However, this fact alone gives good reason for a feminist reading of the story. The lack of the presence of females in this story supports the idea that women were not considered an important part of society during Willa Cather's lifetime. In "Paul's Case," the story revolves around a young male. He is the main character. There are very few mentions of women, however, when they do come into the story they are only mentioned briefly, or they play minor, secondary characters. Paul's mother and sisters are spoken about once during the entire story, while there are four references to his father. The females in his family are mentioned only in passing and remain flat characters, while his father is referred to several times, each time involving an action or comment which exhibits an aspect of his father's personality which makes him a more rounded character. Other references to women in this story involve stereotypical characterizations of them. In "Paul's Case," women are often made out to be weak, in contrast to the references to men who worked and performed physical labor. Two instances in the story effectively demonstrate this stereotypical weakness. First, one of Paul's teachers commented, "I happen to know that he was born in Colorado, only a few months before his mother died out there of a long illness." This remark makes Paul's mother fragile and sickly; since she is a weak woman, she is overtaken and killed by her illness. Another example of this stereotype is when Paul includes his sister in his lies, "hi... ...t the Venus of Milo as he passed her on the stairway." Paul may have had probable cause to dislike his teacher, however, the statue had done nothing to provoke him aside from being female. The distasteful gesture he made towards the statue embodies his attitude towards the entire female gender. "Paul's Case" is clearly product of the influences of a patriarchal society. Women are not allowed a prominent role in any part of the story, which is evidence of the influential patriarchal society's oppression of women. When women are actually mentioned in the story, it is in a stereotypical and/or demeaning manner. Although the gender of the narrator is not discernible, this story was written by a woman who's views were heavily effected by the opinions of the society in which she lived, which is apparent through the actions, views, and attitudes of her characters.

Rites Of Passage :: essays research papers fc

Rites of Passage When an individual experiences movement, or a change from an affixed position in society to another position, that individual can easily describe their change as a passage into a new realm of living. A new realm of living is the way in which the individual and society views, acknowledges, and proceeds with their life. Their changes are monumental not only for the individual, but for his/her society as well. Many changes take place during the span of a persons life. They become rites of passage and rituals of initiation-which are more than just simple changes. A plethora of come with these rites and are found in all corners of the globe. Going on vision quests, by the plains Indians of North America, to circumcision by certain Australian cultures, rites of passage present a vast table of religious comparisons(Eliade, p. 287-88). This essay will examine two rites of initiation, by comparing and contrasting their importance to each culture, and discussing how that importance affects that particular individual as well as their society. Finally, the essay will explore possible reasons as to why these initiation rites hold a deep meaning in their respective societies. The Kurnai of Australia have an initiation rite for the sons of married men in their perspective villages. Within a section by A. W. Howitt, in Eliade's book, From Primitives to Zen: A thematic Sourcebook of the History of Religions , a ceremony known as the "Showing the Grandfather" is described(Eliade, p. 288) In this initiation the Kurnai have a formal way of bringing a man's son into the highest, and most secret realm of their religion. By incorporating the use of the father and son relationship, this particular ritual involves the revelation of the central meaning, or "mystery" of their religion. The men and women are separated. Secrecy is one the most important traditions in this initiation. The initiation is not revealed to the women, or anyone else not of their society. The sons, or "novices" as Howitt calls them, are taught the proper religious traditions that they need to know for the ceremony, and for the rest of their lives, as this initiation will conclude their step into religious righteousness, and manhood. This all takes place the day before the ceremony, while other men, who have already been through the ceremony, prepare by hunting for food and arranging a site, not too far from the village, where the initiation will take place. The next morning, a new day at hand, the novices are taken to the site at which time the ceremony commences.

Defending the Meat and Poultry Industry

In the article â€Å"They Die Piece by Piece† Joby Warrick of the Washington Post tells a dramatic story of how animals are slaughtered and strongly advocates for further regulations on the meat and poultry industry in order to better protect animal rights. Thesis: While it may seem like the moral high road to support animal rights regulations, upon evaluating the effects of the proposed solution on our economy it will prove that the status quo remains the most viable option. In order to further understand this situation it is important to evaluate the impact the meat and poultry industry has on the United States economy, the effects of imposing further regulations upon it and the counter arguments to the issues presented by the animal rights movement. Body 1: impact the meat and poultry industry has on our economy Since the end of the second world war the United States has been the world's predominate super power with the efficiency of meat and poultry industries begin a driving factor in maintaining this status. As the world's super power the citizens of the United States have enjoyed an unprecedented amount of opportunities which are often over looked and taken for granted. The United States has an annual gross domestic product of over $15 trillion, the largest in the world and approximately 25% of the global economy (International Monetary Fund). As result of this the possibilities for entrepreneurs and changes in social-economic class are larger then anywhere else in the world. In order to achieve and maintain this level of dominance it is essential for the United States to continue and support its thriving industries. Currently the meat industry in the United States employes 6. 2 million people, totally $200 billion in wages and generates over $83 billion in federal and states tax revenue annually. Additionally, the economic impact of the meat and poultry industry equates to $864 billion annually, approximately 6% of United States' entire GDP (The American Meat Institute). To put this into perspective, Exxon Mobil, the largest company in the world produces $482 billion annually, only about half of the impact of the meat and poultry industry (Forbes). Were we to more tightly regulate the meat and poultry industries it would have a dramatically adverse effect on the United States economy and transitively on every American. Body 2: the effects of imposing further regulations upon it Were further regulations to be imposed on the meat and poultry companies, these added measures will increase overhead costs and these companies will be forced to lay off employees and increase the prices in order to maintain their currently level of profitability. This will adversely effect the economy and well being of America in two ways. First the newly unemployed people will no longer contribute income taxes which work to fund schools, hospitals, police and fire departments, along with ever other public service. Additionally these unemployed people will receive unemployment benefits and welfare which will further drain tax dollars away from essential programs. The second adverse effect will be the rise in food prices. Currently people in America spend less money on food then any other country in the world (Economist. com). As a result people in America have more disposable income to spend on unessential items and help the economy maintain its level of superiority. Rising food costs will effect every single persons level of disposable income and will effectively depress spending on every single other industry. In turn reduced consumer spending will force more layoffs and downsizing of companies and further perpetuate this cycle. As our government continues to collect taxes in a deficit compared to spending they will be forced to cut funding to social programs such as schools and hospitals and the general welfare of people will be effected. A perfect example of this concept is the 2013 Sequester following the failed fiscal cliff negotiations in which the federal government cut $83 billion in funding to national security and domestic programs including â€Å"health, education, drug enforcement, national parks, Hurricane Sandy relief and other programs† (Green). After reviewing the consequences of these proposed regulations it is apparent that well being of humans in America is far more important then the humane treatment of meat and poultry. It is also important to evaluate who will benefit most from these proposed regulations. If American meat and poultry companies are forced to raise there prices due to an escalated cost of production it will create an opportunity for foreign companies to penetrate into the US market. Meaning if regulations were imposed, consumers would switch to purchasing foreign meat and poultry. These foreign companies will be impossible to regulate and the goal of the proposed regulation will not be achieved. Additionally, US companies may move their operations outside of the country which will result in a massive rise in unemployment and loss in tax revenue. Body 3: counter arguments to the issues presented by the animal rights movement. Now lets evaluate the counter arguments to the issues presented by the animal rights movement. The first issues is that animals suffer during the slaughter house process. Human are carnivores and kill animals and eat them, which will obviously require some suffering on the animals behalf. Additionally, regardless of how nice the animals are or how nicely they are treated ultimately all of them are killed. It would be a waste of resources to invest in a product that is facing guaranteed destruction. It would not make sense to give a car a brand new paint job before crushing it at a recycling plant. It may seem unsettling to think about the slaughter house process but understand that life is not all sunshine and rainbows. Many industries practices far more shocking business practices and receive drastically less media attention. For example Foxcon the Chinese company that Manufacturers Apple products such as the iPhone and iPad, has been forced to install safety nets because workers are committing suicide as a result of overbearing work conditions (Moore). Realize these are real people dying and not livestock, yet activist seem to care far less as they write tweets from their apple iPhones. While this information is unsettling it is important to understand these are the measures necessary to maintain the lifestyle that Americans are accustom to. The United States has achieved its super power status by embarking on these efficient processes and without it we would be unable to enjoy the luxuries this country has available. The second issue proposed by animal rights activist is that meat and poultry plants are unsafe for workers. In Joby Warrick's article he says, â€Å"Improperly stunned animals contribute to worker injuries in an industry that already has the nation's highest rate of job-related injuries and llnesses† (Warrick 323). While worker safety is a very important issue, it is in the meat and poultry companies best interest to work to improve the safety of their employees. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that â€Å"Over the last 20 years, injury/illness rates in the U. S. meat industry have improved by nearly 80 percent, as efforts t o enhance workplace safety have taken effect† (Bureau of Labor Statistics). While it is impossible to prevent all work place injuries, a reduction of 80% is a very impressive figure and shows that these companies are actively working to improve safety conditions. Additionally, a portion of the responsibility falls onto the employees who are aware of the dangers of working in a slaughter house presents. For the last 60 years the United States has been the world's predominate super power. We have achieved this level of success by supporting our thriving industries and creating the world's largest and most powerful economy. While the humane treatment of animals appears to be a strong ethical issues upon evaluating the side effects on our economy and the well being of our citizens it is apparent that further regulations should be avoided.

Speech Fast Food

McDunn Persuasive speech outline Eating Fast Food Introduction Relevance: You all have probably experienced fast food sometime throughout your life. Credibility: The first thing that comes to mind when mentioning fast food is greasy, oily, unhealthy garb, yet most of us consume junk food on a daily basis anyway. There are over 300,000 different fast food restaurants in the US. People frequent them because of convenience (quick and usually cheap). In such a fast-paced society, people are eating more fast food than ever before (Stefanov, Sebastien).Purpose: To persuade people not to eat fast food. Preview: I am now going to inform you about what fast food is, what a typical meal contains, why fast food is unhealthy. Body I. A. What is fast food? 1. Fast food is any food that is quick, convenient, and usually inexpensive (Fast Food Facts). a. Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. The term â€Å"fast food† refers to precooked foods such as fries or pizza that typically must be used within a few hours, or they become dried out and unpalatable (Ali, Sam). b.Fast food places like McDonalds, Burger King, Jack-in-the-box, Wendy’s, Whataburger, etc. , are all considered fast food restaurants. II. A. A typical meal and some facts 1. According to the â€Å"Nutritional Facts† that are posted on McDonald's web site, one Big Mac contains 540 calories and 29 grams of fat, which is 45 percent of the national recommended daily value based on a 2,000-calorie diet, according to McDonald's. One large order of fries contains 500 calories and 25 grams of fat, which is 38 percent of the recommended daily value. The 32-ounce Coca-Cola Classic adds another 310 calories (Ali, Sam). . Harvested potatoes contain about 80 percent water. What makes them into fries is when most of this water is removed and replaced with fat. Americans, on average, eat 30 pounds of these fat-enriched potatoes per year (Ali, Sam). b. The new KFC D ouble Down sandwich, which debuted in April, features two fried chicken filets in place of bread, two pieces of bacon, two melted slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese and Colonel's Sauce. The Double Down contains 540 calories and 32 grams of fat. It also has 1,380 milligrams of sodium (1,430 milligrams grilled).That's approaching the American Heart Association's recommended daily limit for adults of 1,500 milligrams of sodium (Ali, Sam). 2. Facts about fast food a. Did you know that most Americans eat three burgers a week and that 81% of Americans consume junk food while driving? It comes as no surprise, since people spend more time on the road nowadays (Stefanov, Sebastien). b. Each day, 1 in 4 Americans visits a fast food restaurant (Fast food facts). c. McDonald's feeds more than 46 million people a day – more than the entire population of Spain (Fast food facts).Transition Sentence: Fast food is very dangerous towards your health and can lead to many harmful eff ects. III. A. Why fast food is unhealthy 1. However, while these products might look appealing and tasty, they contain a wealth of hidden heath hazards which are not only dangerous if eaten in large quantities but are a major cause of obesity, especially in children (White, Janice). a. You are doing the following things to your body by consuming fast food (White, Janice): †¢ Raising your blood pressure Increasing the levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol †¢ Delaying your metabolic rate (the rate at which you digest, process and eliminate food) †¢ Weakening your immune system †¢ Destabilizing your blood sugar levels †¢ Reducing the ability of your colon to function properly b. The effects of fast food include nutritional deficiencies, obesity, increased cholesterol levels, cardiac problems and many other threatening heath hazards (Manohar, Uttara). c. Eating fast foods can also lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. d.Eating fast food and leading a sedentary lifestyle lea ds to obesity. Obesity leads to other complications like increase in the cholesterol level, blocking of the arteries, the increased risk of coronary diseases, in addition to the general physical discomfort posed by the extra weight. Fast food is also addictive and hence it is very difficult to give up on their greasy and fatty foods and carbonated drinks and switch to healthier options (Manohar, Uttara). Transition sentence: Fast food can cause many concerns to your body and lead to a unhealthy life.Summary: Overall, fast food can damage your health and shorten your life. Eating fast food can lead to clogged arteries, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and many other health concerns you could not even think of. Concluding Device: If you are on the road, and want to stop to get a bite to eat, try to protect your health and not eat fast food. Works Cited Sam Ali – Apr, and 2010. â€Å"What Is Fast Food? – DiversityInc. com. † DiversityInc – Cultural Dive rsity – Diversity Management – Workplace Diversity – Workforce Diversity. N. p. , n. d. Web. 23 Apr. 2011. â€Å"Fast Food Facts. † Center for Young Women's Health. N. p. , n. d. Web. 23 Apr. 2011. . â€Å"Fast food facts from the Super Size Me Web site . † The VivaVegie Society, Inc. . N. p. , n. d. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. Manohar, Uttara. â€Å"Fast Food Facts: Effects of Fast Food. † Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. N. p. , n. d. Web. 23 Apr. 2011. . Stefanov, Sebastien. â€Å"fast food calories – AskMen. † AskMen – Men's Online Magazine. N. p. , n. d. Web. 23 Apr. 2011. . White, Janice. â€Å"Why Fast Food is Bad for You. † HubPages. N. p. , n. d. Web. 23 Apr. 2011. .

Ethical and Socially Responsive Business Essay

Some of the key areas of Chipotle’s code of conduct that are of significant importance to the business is the integrity statement and the anti-discrimination, harassment and sexual harassment policy. In the Chipotle’s Ethics and Conflicts of Interest Policy of the Integrity Statement, integrity is about being real and being honest. It means doing the right thing even when no one is watching. That means that you should do the same thing when your manager or co-workers is around or if they aren’t around. No matter what, each of them must accept personal responsibility for doing the right thing. Whether that means when someone is around or not. It also states that they should not accept gifts from competitors, suppliers, vendors, potential vendors, or business entities with which they are conducting business on behalf of Chipotle. When accepting gifts: they should never accept a gift unless it meets all of the following criteria: (1) it is not a cash gift; (2) it is consistent with customary business practices; (3) it is not excessive in value (i.e., is under $150); (4) it cannot be construed as a bribe or payoff; and (5) it does not violate any law or regulation. If you are not sure whether a gift or proposed gift is appropriate, please discuss it with your Manager/Director, who may, in isolated cases, approve your acceptance of a gift that may otherwise have violated criteria (2) or (3). Each year, employees in management positions should be prepared to submit a statement disclosing any entertainment, gifts, or services that they or members of their staff have accepted. Any items that have been accepted must be reported at that time, regardless of whether they were previously discussed with your Manager/Director. Your Manager/ Director will determine if you may keep the gift, return it, or whether it should more appropriately become Company property. You should never offer, give, or provide a gift unless it meets the following criteria: (1) it is not a cash gift; (2) it is consistent with customary business practices; (3) it is not excessive in value (i.e., is under $150); (4) it cannot be constructed as a bribe or payoff; and (5) it does no t violate any  law or regulation. Just like when receiving gifts, if you are not sure whether a gift or proposed gift is appropriate, discuss it with your Manager/Director, who may, in isolated cases, approve your giving of a gift that may otherwise have violated criteria (2) or (3). I think that this is important when receiving or giving gifts because you don’t want to lose your job over something so small. It is also a good idea to have something like this written down because for someone who doesn’t know any better, it will help them out a lot. You may accept entertainment invitations, such as business meals, if they are in line with accepted business practices, could not be constructed as potentially influencing your business judgment or creating an obligation on your part, and if public knowledge of your participation would not embarrass you or Chipotle. When such business activities occur frequently, such costs should be shared or paid for on reciprocal basis. You should always be professional. Act professionally and conscientiously when making business decisions. Personal relationships should never interfere, or give the appearance of interfering, with business actions, judgments, or decisions. When making decisions, weigh all factors impartially and without prejudice and make all decisions solely based on merit. You should honor your agreements and do not encourage or interfere with other parties’ contracts or agreements. Avoid legal speculation or conclusions in your communications. And you should not discuss areas beyond your knowledge or expertise. This is really important because I think that you should act and be professional on any job that is out here. The Anti-Discrimination, Harassment and Sexual Harassment Policy states; Chipotle believes in the value of a diverse workforce, equal opportunity, and a workplace free of discrimination and all forms of unlawful harassment. Chipotle prohibits unlawful discrimination, harassment, and sexual harassment. Employees who violate this policy may be disciplined up to and including termination. Chipotle strongly believes that employees and applicants for employment should be treated without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other prohibited basis. This applies to all employment practices. At Chipotle, no form of harassment is acceptable. This includes joking remarks or other abusive conduct (including verbal, non-verbal, or physical conduct)  that demeans or shows hostility. Sexual harassment is also prohibited because it may be intimidating or an abuse of power and it is inconsistent with their policies, practices, and management philosophy. Discrimination or harassment of an employee-whether by another employee, supplier, vendor, or customer-is strictly prohibited. This policy I think is the most important because without this policy, so many people can harassed and scared to tell someone about it. Also the anti-discrimination policy is important because of the fact that a lot of women are discriminated against a lot of jobs out here because the mangers think that they aren’t fit for them. Some of the key steps that Chipotle should take to ensure that employees follow the code of conduct would be to have them read it when they are first hired. And then every 2 or 4 months they could give them tests on it to make sure they know and understand it. They can also make sure the managers are up to date on the code of conduct as well. Some ways in which Chipotle can engage in socially responsive activities in the community within it is operated. They can donate all their unused food to homeless shelters. They can do special deals for the senior citizens and for veterans other than Veterans Day. They can build customer relationships. They can do that by having loyalty programs. They must have good customer service or their customer’s will not return. Resources (1) Chipotle Code of Conduct (2) http://www.grouponworks.com/merchant-blog/marketing/four-easy-ways-to-build-customer-relationships-resturant/ (3) http://smallbusiness.chron.com/rules-conduct-resturant-employees-18671.html

Feedback: What can go wrong? Essay

When identifying a problem in the performance appraisal process, managers need to focus on the employee rather than on the performance (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & and Cardy, 2010, p. 218). Focusing on the employee’s development helps keep a sense of objectivity. If the manager focuses on the performance, instead of on the employee development, the employee may become defensive. If this happens, the effectiveness of the feedback will decrease because the employee may become self conscious. It’s better to direct feedback toward skill improvement rather than toward the employee performance. Encourage the employee to discuss their feeling and ideas about the problem. If the employee feels they are not a part of the discussion and that they are just being lectured to, the feedback may not be taken as seriously. Getting the employee actively involved in the feedback process helps ensure they take an active role in the process. In addition, making sure to accurately define the problem helps in developing a solution. If the problem is not accurately identified and defined, then the right solution will be very difficult to determine. Furthermore, if the feedback from the manager is vague or wishy-washy, the employee may not understand what the manager is trying to say. This miscommunication can diminish the effectiveness of the appraisal process. Make sure to plainly state the problem and be clear about the desired solution. A performance appraiser may not identify what you are doing well as an employee. As a result, her feedback to you highlights your flaws. You may feel that no matter what you do, your employer cannot be pleased. If you receive a performance appraisal with feedback describing your faults. In addition, make sure to communicate to the employee that they are in control of their solution. If the employee feels empowered, they will be more active in fixing any performance problems they are faced with. If they don’t feel empowered, they may not understand that the solution to the problem is in their hands. Managers need to help employees understand they are accountable for solving their performance problem with the help of the manager. The pre-appraisal checklist and preparing for the appraisal. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://hrweb.berkeley.edu/performance-management/cycle/assessment/tips/supervisors/checklist-prep Paulding, B. (2012, 04 09). Performance appraisals: Post-appraisal activities. Retrieved from http:http://human-resources-payroll.knoji.com/performance-appraisals-postappraisal-activities/

Cigarette smoking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cigarette smoking - Essay Example Further, it showed that 17% of youth in university and colleges used tobacco products in 2011. It is significant to understand that cigarette smoking causes various illnesses. Therefore, unless Americans change the habit of smoking cigarette, they will eventually die because of the illnesses associated with the use of tobacco. Cigarette kills more American citizens than suicide, AIDS, illegal drugs, car accidents, and alcohol combined. For instance, cigarette smoking accounts for more than 80% of lung cancer mortalities. Cancer of the lungs is the main cause of deaths related to cancer in both women and men and is one of the difficult cancers to cure or treat. Apart from lung cancer, other health problems that cigarette smoking brings include stroke, bronchitis, and heart diseases. In addition, cigarette smoking can destroy a woman’s reproductive organs or even lead to infertility since the use of tobacco is associated with greater risk of miscarriage and decreased fertility. Cigarette smoking implies that the smoker will die young than those who do not smoke. For instance, the CDC found out that cigarette smoking shortened women smoker’s life by 14.5 years and male smokers by 13.2 years. Summarily, the effects of smoking are many in that they pose many health problems to the smoker by damaging all important body organs, which eventually leads to death. In order to curb the increasing rate of cigarette smoking, people should be educated to understand the risks of tobacco products.

Are Robertson's 10 principles easier or harder to apply in the context Essay

Are Robertson's 10 principles easier or harder to apply in the context of a network - Essay Example It prompted evolution of new software which has universality-provided by portable executable content, ubiquity-by making established user interface, and accessibility-by making vast quantities of corporate data. NCC is economical, because applications and data are downloaded from servers on demand and maintenance can be done at one central location. It makes the software available over the net, which enables to change user interface, and the database could be accessed through a Web browser and intranets without changing the underlying software base. End users also gain by increasing their productivity as they are not responsible for application installation, system administration, and troubleshooting tasks. Studies conducted by International Data Corporation revealed that the use of intranets enabled the companies for â€Å"rapid deployment on heterogeneous platforms, widespread acceptance and use due to the ease of using the browser technology, and the realization of the promise of openness and ability to replace components at will† and to take advantage of new enterprise strategies (Weiderman et al, 1997, p.23). Intranet is used as the primary vehicle to share information within an organization despite being located in geographically dispersed locations. This makes the Intranet the only source of specific information for making bulk of the staff more comfortable using it, thereby ensuring and preserving the culture of an organization. Intranet reduces paperwork and helps transferring information from â€Å"looking for any copy of guidelines on any drive† to â€Å"always finding the latest version on the intranet†. (Global Intranet Analysis Report, 2007, pp. 29-30 ). It is observed that â€Å"most organizations are not satisfied with search, nor do they make the necessary effort to optimize search,† and â€Å"the primary obstacle keeping the intranet from

History of Mathematics High School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of Mathematics High School - Essay Example The rods are placed in columns with the rightmost column representing the units, the next column representing the tens, then the nest representing the hundreds, and so on. Red rods represent the positive numbers while black rods represent the negative numbers. For example, the number 25 will have a representation using the rods where 5 will be placed in the rightmost column and 2 will be placed in the next column. An empty column represents zero (Chinese Rod Numerals (Counting Rods)). The rods were carried in a pouch and placed on a counting board which had compartments corresponding to the ones, tens, hundreds place and so on. Each compartment was split into two parts. The right part is for the heng (1 to 9) rods and the left part was for the tsangs (10 to 90) rods. Whole numbers are represented by combining these two types of rods. After the rods were placed in their rightful compartments, they were then manipulated by repositioning and reforming them as required by the arithmetic operation. The first evidence of the existence of zero is from the Sumerian culture in Mesopotomia some 5,000 years ago (Wallin). This was in the form of cuneiform symbol for numbers where a slanted double wedge between two cuneiform symbols indicates an absence of a number or zero. Over time it became a positional notation form in the Babylonian Empire.