Sanitation Facilities

Sanitation generally refers to the provision of facilities and services for the safe disposal of human urine and faeces. An improved sanitation facility is one that hygienically separates human excreta from human contact. Improved sanitation generally involves physically closer facilities, less waiting time, and safer disposal of excreta. Poor sanitation is responsible for one of the heaviest existing disease burdens worldwide. The diseases associated with poor sanitation and unsafe water account for about 10% of the global burden of disease.The most common disease of poor health associated with poor sanitation is a diarrhoeal disease. Globally, about 1. 7 million people die every year from diarrhoeal diseases, and 90% are children under 5 years of age, mostly in developing countries. 88% percent of cases of diarrhoeal diseases worldwide are attributable to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene. In this essay I will analyse the economic benefits of sanitation, the eco nomic disadvantages, the link between a rise in GDP and the access to sanitation in regions all over the world including Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.I will do this by analysing data set curves which I have obtained from a various amount of sources such as national journals, reports and articles relating to this subject. I will be using data sets from the UNEP and carrying out multiple regressions. Finally I will be looking at the Environmental Kuznets model to see whether it applies to this relationship between economic growth and the access to sanitation.According to 2010 figures, approximately 2 billion people do not use improved sanitation facilities, two-thirds of which live in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. By looking at Figure 1 we can see that it is in the developed regions such as North America and parts of Europe where people have a good access to sanitation, while on the other hand it is the mostly the developing regions such as Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with th e poor access to sanitation. This figure already makes the relationship between economic development and access to sanitation vaguely clear.The Asian and African regions would be a good place to have a look at this relationship even more closely; this is because over the past few decades, countries in the Asian regions such as China have undergone a huge advance in economic growth while on the other hand there has been little or non-existent economic growth in the African regions. Asia is the world's fastest growing economic region. China is the largest economy in Asia and the second largest economy in the world.Moreover, Asia is the site of some of the world's longest economic booms and by looking at Figure 2 it is evident to see that over the past few decades there has been a dramatic rise in the GDP of Asia but very little in the GDP of Africa. Now by looking at Figure 3 which is a graph showing the level of improved drinking/safe water coverage, improved as in drinking-water sou rces such as piped water to the house or yard, public taps and rainwater collection. Improved sanitation facilities including flush or pour-flush toilets connected to a piped sewer system.By looking at this we can see that in Asia there has also been a dramatic rise in the access to unpolluted water which is a positive relation to the GDP. I gathered the data which is on Figures 2 and 3 onto excel and carried out a regression analysis for the Asian region to help understand to what extent the strength in the relationship between the dependent variable (GDP) and the independent variable (Sanitation) which is shown on Figure 4. By looking at the R squared we can see that this model has a strong explanatory power as it is very close to 1.According to the coefficient we can also see that every time the GDP increases by $50billion, there is an increase of almost 3. 4 million people with improved access to sanitation. Poor sanitation results in an economic loss as it is linked with the co sts of treatment to sanitation related diseases and income which is lost through productivity. Furthermore poor sanitation can also lead to a loss of time and effort as a result of poor facilities, lower quality of products due to poor quality of water and of course a dramatically reduced income coming from tourism as there is a great risk of disease.According to various studies from the WHO (World Health Organisation), there has been evidence that there are huge economic costs which arise from the poor sanitation. At a global level there is a loss of around $40billion per year due to poor sanitation; looking at South Asia alone we can see that in places such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia there is a loss of around $10billion a year, the key impacts of this came about from poor health and tourism, poor sanitation can affect everyone but especially effects those who are poor(Hutton, 2007). Several studies have also been conducted to estimate the economic costs associated with poo r sanitation. In Ghana and Pakistan, for example, the indirect effect on child mortality of environmental risk has added more than 40% to the cost of directly caused child mortality. If one took into account the effect of such malnutrition, they will be able to see the huge impact on impairing school performance and delayed entry into the labour market, the cost would double to around 10% of the GDP.Improvement to sanitation can bring various types of benefits to an economy, one of which are the direct benefits of preventing or avoiding illnesses as there would be no money spent on healthcare treating patients with diseases due to sanitation. There will also be indirect benefits such as a decrease in the amount of work days absent being sick and longer life, and finally and very importantly there will be a lot of time saved. As we have seen already, sanitation is also important when it comes to economic development.In Africa many young women are dying every year as they are the ones which carry the polluted water, they are also then forced to drop out of education during puberty years in order to look after their sick children as a result of the polluted water, this means that women are not able to be educated and they can even find it difficult to join the labour supply. Every 10% raise in female literacy (due to increased attendance at school) a nation’s economy can grow by around 0.3% (Dollar et al, 1999). According to Hutton (2008) there could be an estimated that annual investments of around $27million in Tanzania and Vietnam would result in benefits of around $70million for the health sector alone. Hutton also estimated that there is a potential to save around $6billion in many parts of Asia if improved sanitation can be introduced. Overall Hutton stated that there are many costs and benefits available however the benefits still do overpower the costs.Moreover, the Disease Control Priorities Project recently found that hygiene promotion to prevent diarrhoea was the most cost-effective health intervention in the world at only $3. 35 per DALY loss averted, with sanitation promotion following closely behind at just $11. 15 per DALY loss averted. This is to say that economic growth and sanitation for sure have a strong relationship within one another; this can be shown on the environmental Kuznets curve.The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) is a relationship between income and pollution which is hypothesized to have an inverted U-shape. The idea of an inverted U-shaped Kuznets curve stems from the Kuznets' work in income equality (Kuznets, 1955). The EKC hypothesis states that as income increases pollution goes up initially but after certain time pollution eventually declines. The point at which pollution level is the highest is called a turning point. This then evidently applies to developing countries as they are the ones which have the higher levels of income.Looking at Figure 5 we can see that in Europe up to the year 2000 w ater pollution was on a rise, however sometime in the year 2000 there was a turning point where the pollution of water started to decline. According to the Kuznets curve, in the year 2000 the economies within Europe produced a certain GDP and a certain GDP per capita which led to the decline of the water pollution. According to Figure 6 in the year 2000 the turning point on the Kuznets curve was at $18000 per capita, this is the level of GDP per capita needed in the European region in order to reverse the trend of water pollution.Looking back at Figure 5 we can also see that in the North American region up till 1998 there was an increase of water pollution however sometime in 1998, just like in Europe, people’s incomes were growing and GDP per capita was on a rise. Looking at Figure 6, according to the EKC, GDP per capita in North America will be at $36000 which is where there will be a turning point. Both the EKC’s for Europe and for North America are shown on Figure 7. This analysis clearly tells us that the relationship between the two is dependable on the economic stages of development.In the other regions around the world there will not be a turning point on the EKC as people do not earn enough to have this effect, good sanitation facilities are the main way in which water pollution can decrease, more developed economies around the world have the funds to invest in good sanitation, however as we have discussed, the less developed countries do not have access to these sanitation facilities therefore their economies are heavily impacted and the funds for the technology needed to provide improved sanitation are hard to come by, therefore these countries are on the upwards slope of the EKCmeaning they have not yet achieved the GDP per capita in order to have a turning point. I have aimed to show the various ways in which sanitation is fundamental to good health and also economic development. Given the data I have analysed, I can surely state tha t the investment in improved sanitation would be beneficial to an economy. Ultimately, I can say that there is a strong relationship in economic growth and access to sanitation and I can also say that the EKC does apply to the water pollution we have in the real world. Finally I can also say that the level of the turning point also depends on the stages of economic development.

Active Listening Essay

Listening requires focus and attention, and failure to listen is one of the key causes of miscommunication (Sole, K. (Chapter 2, 2011).Making connections: Understanding interpersonal communication. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc). I think at some point in time everyone has been guilty of believing that they knew someone better than they actually did. When we assume we know all there is to know about a friend or a loved one, I believe that we unknowingly stop listening to them. One perfect example of this would be my best friend Carla and I. Carla and I have known each other for many years, we were friends in High school, roommates in college and godparents to one another’s children, so one would naturally think that we knew each other VERY well. One year for Carla’s birthday she asked me to make her a cake, and obviously I agreed. The day of her birthday celebration I arrived with the cake and presented it to her, only to have her wind up extremely unhappy. Carla was under the impression that she had specified she wanted her favorite cake, which happened to be strawberry, but she did not, had she specified she wanted me to make a strawberry cake I would have declined because i am extremely allergic to strawberries, if I consume them I’m nauseated if I touch them I break out in a sever rash. Even after Realizing that she had not requested a strawberry cake she remained upset claiming that as her best friend I should have known she wanted me to make a specific cake and I remained upset because I felt like she either didn’t know or didn’t care about my allergies and as a friend neither of those options were ok. At some point we were able to realize that we failed each other. Had we communicated with one another we could have avoided an unnecessary fight. One way we could have avoided our misunderstanding would have been to actually say exactly what we wanted each other to know, Carla could have asked for what she wanted from me instead of assuming that since I know how much she loves strawberries, that I’d be making a strawberry cake  and I could have asked more questions about what she wanted rather than assume that because she knows my allergies she knew I wouldn’t be making her favorite cake. Another way to avoid that type of situation is to actually listen and focus on the conversation that you’re having. This is where I think active listening comes into play. We weren’t intentionally ignoring each other but I think that our long-term friendship and assumption about how well we knew each other caused us to only listen partly as opposed to completely. In the future I fully intend to be an active listener and completely engage myself in discussions that I have. References: Sole, K. (2011).Making connections: Understanding interpersonal communication. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc Active Listening Essay Active listening is one of the most rewarding skill sets that I have learned from the lesson because it has really contributed to my personal growth and my professional lives. Active listening skills refer to the skill of being fully present when you are in a conversation with someone. Very often when we are in a conversation, we are not paying any attention to what the person is saying. We are just waiting for our turn to talk. We are actually having a conversation in our own heads while the person is talking to us. It is when we are not â€Å"present† in a conversation. Before I realized the importance of active listening, the most important thing in a conversation was that people understood what I was trying to share with them. Meaning that my perspective was the most important thing in a conversation and that they had to understand me. And what I learned over the lesson, was that the best way to nurture a relationship was actually to stop caring about people understanding my point. This lesson reminds me that each of us had different experiences, we grow up with different believes, different values, different rules. And how we think and how we view everything that goes on around us are always filtered based on the environment we grew up. Throughout the lesson, I had many opportunities to practice my active listening skills by actively participating in the class discussions. After completed the lesson, I would not say I am an excellent listener, but I definitely feel that I am a better listener. I find myself paying more attention to the speaker and interpreting his/her non-verbal cues, showing that I am listening by probing and providing feedback and clarifying by asking questions. By listen closely, I am able to gain more information about what the person is sharing and to find things that peak my interest. When the person is done with the sharing, I will ask them about what that peaked my interest and let the person respond. By doing so, I am able to understand their point of view and to see things from their perspective. I will not interrupt when the person is speaking as I know that interruption always limit my ability to connect. Improving active listening skills will enable me to reshape my ideas about myself, my beliefs, and everything that are important to me. From now on, I will remind myself to be fully present and fully aware of what others are saying, instead of feeling the urge to find what I am thinking of and what my response is going to be. I will try the best I can to get rid of thinking on my own perspective and to do everything I can to understand the other person’s point of view and make them my priority.

Is Terrorism the Answer? Essay

To what extent will you go, to prove your point? Would you kill someone for it? Terrorism is defined as an act of violence intended to instill fear in the minds of people and is organized to achieve a political, religious or ideological goal. The number of assassinations and bombings in the recent years has increasingly gone up that even a 4th grader knows what a terrorist attack is. Due to the actions of a few groups of people terrorists have received a stereotype all over the world. Terrorism is often a result of oppression or is a due to views and beliefs of an individual or an entire organization. In some cases, the same group may be described as â€Å"freedom fighters† by its supporters and considered to be terrorists by its opponents. Terrorism can actually be seen as a cry for attention, and our media give them just that. The causes and effects of terrorist attacks depend on the motivation of an individual or an entire group. Nobody in their right senses would resort to terrorism. One of the main reasons for terrorism is social and political injustice. People choose terrorism when they are trying to right what they perceive to be a social or political or historical wrong, when they have been stripped of their land or freedom, or denied their human rights. Everybody believes in something and the men who proclaim war against a small society or the whole nation does so because they believe violence bring about a change. Unlike Mahatma Gandhi who believed in ahimsa (fighting injustice with peace) these men believe that a change cannot be made unless they fight for it with guns and bombs. Years of oppression and discrimination bring about a change in the beliefs and actions of many individuals, some might choose to follow the paths taken by great men in the past and some tries to make a change by terrorizing and instilling fear in society. The sanction imposed on Iraq, the presence of U.S military in Saudi Arabia and the support of Israel by  the U.S caused one of most famous terrorist attack in history, the 9/11 attack on the world trade center. Terrorist attacks are not always for the cause of a society but also due to an individual’s personal belief and sometimes it is in the form of domestic terrorist attack like the Wall Street bombing or the Oklahoma city bombing. What most people don’t think about is what happens after a terrorist attack. The men who give up their life in order to prove a point or bring about a change do not think what happens to families of the hundreds of people that are victims of a terrorist attack. Terrorist attacks cause instability in the lives of many people. Its effects the community and economy of the nation and also affects the system by which the nation function. The death and destruction caused by an attack leaves the country in ruins for months or even years. Almost every sector of the economy is affected by it. Terrorism imposes a significant economic effect on societies and will not only lead to direct material damage, but also to long term effects on the local economy. Due to a terrorist event, these economic agents suffer from impact through losses in physical and human capital. Major terrorist attacks not only creates social imbalance but also creates racial stereotypes. Ever since the 9/11 attack the Muslims have been marked as â€Å"terrorists† by people around the world, mainly the west. Since when did terrorists get a face? The same typical long bearded Muslim man with a white turban holding a bomb can be seen on every poster related to terrorism. Even after 13 years, the consequences of the 9/11 attacks are still being felt by Muslims all over the world. It is a facts that most Muslim Americans having to hide their religion, by changing their names or appearance, or by practicing their faith discreetly. A shadow of distrust and suspicion still follows many ordinary Muslims, not only in the United States but around the globe. A religion once known for its peaceful and loving nature is now associated with violence and aggression due to the actions of a group of men. Having a long beard, wearing a hijab or headscarf, or praying in a mosque are now the signs that people look for to accuse someone for terrorism. Another obvious answer to the question â€Å"what are the effects of terrorism?† is WAR. Terrorist attacks on different countries result in distrust and aggression between two countries and this eventually results in long term enmity and in extreme cases lead to war between the nations. Some of the examples for bad relationships between countries are the relationship between America and Iraq or the relationship between India and Pakistan. Although there were no major consequences or effects after the 2008 Mumbai attacks it is not a secret that India and Pakistan are not in best terms with each other. â€Å"We all have to be concerned about terrorism, but you will never end terrorism by terrorizing others† – Martin Luther King. Just like how our body fights viruses we need to fight terrorism by not letting it grow or multiply. The approach that can stop terrorism from multiplying lies in developing a long term plan, supported and financed by all nations of the world. Terrorism does not die along with the death of their leader. We need to find the root of the problem and cure it. An Individual should not be given a chance to consider violence as an option to bring about a change. I believe education and freedom are the two main ingredients to create a world without violence and terrorism.

Determining the Effectiveness of a Food Preservative (THIS IS A CASE Essay

Determining the Effectiveness of a Food Preservative (THIS IS A CASE STUDY) - Essay Example Direct microscopic counts cannot distinguish between dead and living bacteria. Dead bacteria result from the fact that the â€Å"natural environments [for bacteria] do not always resemble standard laboratory culture media† (Roszak & Colwell, 1987). Hence, death of some bacteria is expected. Standard plate counts may not be able to differentiate among the different types of bacteria but is reliable when it comes to giving information about disease-causing bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (â€Å"Swimming Pool,† 2010). Identifying the growth and metabolism of organisms such as P. aeruginosa in cottage cheese can give insights on how effective a preservative is or, more specifically, how long it will last in protecting the cheese from bacteria. Moreover, standard plate counts seem to be the method of choice when it comes to experiments with cottage cheese, as long as the laboratory environment and all other variables are properly regulated (Fedio et al., 1994). Another thing is that, P. aeruginosa forms three colony types – a small and rough one, one with a fried-egg appearance, and one with a mucoid appearance (Todar, 2011). Due to such differences in colonies, the number of bacteria will therefore obviously be relatively hard to determine through a d irect microscopic count and hence will require a standard plate count. Besides, a standard plate count is appropriate for counting colony-forming bacteria (Todar, 2009). Turbidity measurements, just like direct microscopic counts, may fail to give an accurate bacterial count because it â€Å"cannot detect cell densities less than 107 cells per ml† (Todar, 2009). This means that colonies must have approximately at least 10,000,000 cells before it can be detected through turbidity measurements. Considering that colonies of P. aeruginosa are varied in many aspects like appearance, it is possible to obtain samples where colonies would have cells less than the minimum limit that can be detected

Critical thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Critical thinking - Essay Example Public schools lack the same rigor that private schools display. Funding is important but that is not the only reason for public schools lagging behind. Some sort of competition with private schools can instill a spirit of enthusiasm and new vision in public schools. It is not correct to say that businesspeople do not do enough for society. Businesspeople not only produce wealth but also they give it back to the society. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Ford Foundation are the glaring examples in the American society of producing wealth and distributing them for the noble cause of education. These foundations work toward the improvement of the school education in poor locality. It is important to bring all nonprofit groups to scrutiny in terms of effectiveness and effectiveness must be measured in terms of students educational achievements. Public schools need to develop clear guidelines and measurement criteria of Students achievements and that is where private schools can help them a lot. This simply means public-private partnership and intensive exchange of ideas between them can improve the conditions of public schools. Adam Smith as the father of modern economics supported the creation of wealth through free-market mechanism (Smith). The large private education foundations are able to support the education system now because they have been able to create huge wealth in their line of business activities. They have created several educational institutions and centers of excellence across the US. Public schools must engage with them in improving their systems and processes so that their students are benefitted. Grants without accountability do not motivate public schools to improve on performance. Bench-mark measurements need to come from private schools and healthy competition with them on certain performance criteria must be encouraged. A school grading system can motivate them to perform better and rewards may be granted when they

Essay quextions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Essay quextions - Assignment Example ndergone through historical changes way back from pre-capitalist societies, capitalist societies, mercantilism as well as neoliberalism it can also be changed to suit the changing trends in market economy. To improve on our ability to live in a multicultural world; we should have a keen attention on our consumption patterns, have knowledge on circumstances and impacts of what we consume to enable us act responsibly. This will give us room to be able to join others in challenging inequity and injustice brought about with the capitalists to laborers and consumers. This is because the intrinsic nature of man will not allow others to also benefit the same, instead, the capitalists will continue with their spirit of accumulation not considering the working conditions of the laborers and consumers not able to have the right quality of goods that they are suppose to have in the name of cultural capitalism across the globe (Sorrells 177). Since cultural and ethnic diversity is not a new phenomenon; the argument of the three scholars about difference is that people should accept the reality and desirability of diversity and then be able to structure political and economic life accordingly. The difference is only created by the few individuals whose motives are only embedded in a capitalist system that which is organized around competition over the scarce resources, domination, identity and self-centered ambitions. Therefore, what is more important is a notion of the common good to any political society; from a multicultural perspective, this common good must be generated not by transcending or ignoring cultural and other differences, but through their interplay in a dialogical, agonistic political life (Allan 52). A sense of belonging must ultimately be political, based on a shared commitment to a political community. Since commitment, or belonging, must be reciprocal, citizen will not feel these things unless their p olitical community is also committed to them and makes

Will Smith Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Will Smith - Essay Example The essay elaborates on the life story of Will Smith depicting his different phase of life and elaborating on the struggles that he has faced. Correspondingly, the paper even details out the different absurd situations he has faced that has contributed to develop him as an eminent personality. Will Smith is a famous rapper cum actor born in the year 1968. His family christened him as William Cristopher Smith Jr. He was born in an African-American family in Philadelphia. Belonging from a middle class family, he faced severe amount of struggle in his initial years. Additionally, Smith even faced severe stress of family conflict amid his parents, which made his adolescence stage of life even more stressful. However, the actor had never let his family struggle come in the way of his ambitions. Despite of facing severe amount of negative situations and challenges Smith successfully started his career as a rapper in the year 1980’s. The rapper received his first Grammy award in the year 1988. This was also the first ever Grammy awards in the field of rapping. His contributions in the field of rapping are enormous and have even initiated new horizons in this field. Furthermore, Smith started his acting career through a small role in a drama following which he got a head start for his career in the movies. The actor cum rapper got the taste of his first stardom after featuring in the film ‘Bad Boys’. This stardom was followed by his famous role in the movie the Independence Day that marked him as an important player in the Hollywood. The actor by his distinguishable acting skills and comic essence marked his presence as one of the most charming heroes of the Hollywood. Being a part of the black community the actor faced struggle in the initial years of his career in the film industry. However, with his willpower and strong mental set up the actor successfully battled against his shortcomings and developed a

Ethics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics - Coursework Example Introduction & Background Nursing is a highly critical profession and involves significant ethical implications. These healthcare issues are very complex and require concrete awareness and analytical skills to overcome them effectively. The vitality comes from the fact that the ultimate customer in this profession is a patient whose survival and life depends on quality of healthcare services. Therefore, slight miscalculation and breach of ethical duties might result in deterioration of health and, in extreme cases, death. Practicing nurses must be well trained and knowledgeable in order to perform their obligations efficiently and need to be constantly supervised and mentored to prevent errors and non-compliance. Issues and proposed solutions There are various ethical issues involved in healthcare industry and nursing practice. Caretaking of patients, coming from diversified backgrounds, requires careful consideration of moral implications. Nurses must be fair and unbiased in their d uties, giving equal service to all patients regardless of their financial status, gender or ethnicity. Limited resources must be allocated with professional judgment to each patient according to genuine needs without any personal prejudice. These patients are often not of sound mind or appropriate age during treatment and therefore nurses must protect their rights in decisions they take. If a patient is capable, nurses must provide them complete autonomy to select options for treatment and must respect their choices. Moreover, to support their decisions, nurses must provide them complete information with integrity. This is a major obstacle since revealing about some adverse diagnosis results can be upsetting for nurses and might trigger hostile reactions. During treatment, it is important that healthcare professionals cover the patient’s body properly and avoid unnecessary talks regarding some physical irregularities to avoid discomfort. Additionally, they must respect privac y of medical information pertaining to patients and keep it confidential unless essential to be disclosed for professional opinions. They should take utmost care that they do not discuss any cases of patients outside clinical premises or during informal chats with friends, family, colleagues and other patients (Fry & Johnstone, 2002). Leadership needed to promote change Professional nurses and healthcare professionals must act as catalysts that trigger change and ensure smooth implementation of transition phase. In order to establish a strong ethical framework, they must promote teamwork and engage others in devising ethical policies. Efforts of all professionals must be collaborated and directed towards achievement of ethical compliance. Teams must be formed consisting of staff from different cultures and multiple disciplines in order to support diversified portfolio of patients. A learning environment must be created and strategic objectives and codes of ethics must be made common ly known. All subordinates must be mentored and provided counseling services in stressful situations and interpersonal conflicts. Clinical atmosphere must be instituted which encourages innovation and flexibility and stifles possibilities of errors and disputes. Regular performance appraisals shall be conducted

Assignment 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

2 - Assignment Example In this regard, the moral dilemma makes many businesses stagnate when it comes to development and intended expansion (Render et al., 2011). However, for Fran’s Fries the challenge posed is the need to hire additional pair of hands or not having to hire any. This is because the business has not yet established its customer capacity hence creating the problem. In this regard, this report will zone in on the steps that Fran’s Fries should take in ascertaining whether to hire the two nieces considering that it is a new eatery. This shall be through the use of the quality control theory and the statistical control process. Total quality management In a business setting, quality service is the lasting gesture that clients experience within the execution of service in a business. It is the trait that attracts and sustains a business’ client base that makes it stand out from its competitors. In essence, quality is the degree to which customer satisfaction becomes the mot ivating factor rather the profits that a business may achieve. Subsequently, total quality management becomes an integral part of business operations that entail details the entire chain from the supplier right to the consumer. Ideally, the management of quality focuses entirely on the business’ commitment in ensuring that the products and the services rolled out exceed consumer perception (603). This commitment runs across the whole business or company hence not specified to one department of the organization. Therefore, it is essential for any business set up to ascertain ways in which it may offer quality services and products to its customers. For Fran’s case, it would be beneficial to hire the nieces in order to minimize the loss of customers because of having to stand in a queue for long before accessing her products. This means that her products are of quality because of the high demand associated to the product. However, establishing that she has low clientele would mean that she would not have to hire her nieces despite the fact that she would want to help them out by employing them. On the other hand, having a low number of customers would also mean that she would have to improve on the quality of her products so as to attract more customers. Statistical process control Ideally, the achievement of quality attributes to the standard set either by the organization offering products or services or an externally related overall governing organization. In this regard, the statistical process helps in the establishing of standards in order to measure, change, and monitor challenges facing a business. The effective achievement of this process would be during the initial stages of production. For instance, this process may apply for Fran’s Fries when preparing the food for sale to its display. This helps in making correct changes to the products on offer to ensure that they provide quality. It involves the taking of samples produced and ascertaining whether they meet to up to the required set standards. Further, the process invokes the use of control charts that are in the form of graphs that portray the highest and the lowest levels intended for the control process. Their application involves the application of prior data that portray initial performance. In Fran’s case, the older niece past work performance may be useful in establishing whether she is a suitable

Good Fellas Essay Example for Free

Good Fellas Essay During the years of adolescence, children tend to conjure up ideas of what life will be like as an adult. Some dream of becoming a firefighter, some a teacher, but young Henry Hill is not like most children. He dreams of becoming a mob member and spends his time fantasizing about the cars and women that will come with the title. In the film Good Fellas, Martin Scorsese uses repetitive violence and poor decisions to show Henry Hill that material possessions and status are not of importance when you are reprimanded by the law, and further, how people in society tend to become blind by fortune and do not think about the consequences they could face by their actions. Scorsese creates a strong sense of what life is like for an Italian American, who is involved in the Mafia. Between the mass amount of mob movies and the reality shows available on cable, the stereotypes of Italians are not too keen. Before meeting an Italian American, a person who is over interested in food, tan, loud, hot tempered and obnoxious comes to mind. In some cases even a visual of a mob member. In this movie, Scorsese focuses on the way the mob members dress and eat, which helps create a strong image for the viewer of what is important to these characters. Once Henry started to become involved in the mob’s activities, he started to dress like them, â€Å"You look like a gangster,† his mother was appalled by his appearance. This is the first time the stereotype of how a member of a mob dressed is acknowledged. Henry shows up on the door step of his parent’s house at a young age, wearing a pressed suit and sparkling black dress shoes. He had used his earnings from the restaurant to make what he thought was an everlasting impression and to show his growing status. Shortly after Henry marries Karen, she is invited to a mob wife’s hostess party. She shows up in a designer dress and notices that â€Å"these women appear to be wearing thrown together pants suits and wearing worn makeup,† to her disgust. Later as the movie progresses Karen herself begins to adapt to this look as well. This is scene when appearances become less important and survival according to the demands of the mob is more of a focus. The aspect that never changes is how important a good meal is no matter what is going on around them and focus on the present tense. Even when Henry and Tommy have a man in the trunk, they think nothing of parking the car in a residential driveway to have a hearty meal with Tommy’s mom. Whenever life takes a turn for the worse, all is lost and the men are in prison, they still manage to prepare a five coarse meal. It is the only thing that gives them a sense of home. The members of the mob lived on the code of respect; if this was forgotten then they were forfeiting the safety that comes with being part of the crew. They were to respect the Boss and listen to whatever advice that was given. If a member were to go against him, there were consequences, â€Å"murder was the only way to keep everyone in line, if you got out of line, you got wacked,† there was no room for mistakes. It was seldom that a second chance would be granted. Once a member of the mob worked their way to the top and proved that they were loyal, they were treated extremely well. Not only did people within the mob know their status but onlookers knew as well. Henry enjoyes the amount of respect he received, he was not at the top but still had the power. He â€Å"didn’t have to wait for [his] fresh bread at the bakery, neighbors didn’t park in their driveway anymore, and the kids in the neighborhood would carry [his] mother’s groceries home for her. † This was just the beginning because as Henry grew older, he received this kind of treatment everywhere he went. Life was good. The luxuries Henry had did not come from volunteering within the community or going to college to earn a degree. These men were well known but not for their good doings. Henry explains it as being as an easy job, â€Å"if we wanted something we just took it, if someone complained they got hit so bad they didn’t again,† violence and crime was the only way to go for them. The people within the community feared them and if the police came after them, they would just pay them off or murder them and dispose of the body so it could not be pinned back on any of them. In order to become completely untouchable from the outsiders as well as the members within the mob, although, they needed Pauly. These members would go to Pauly for help, when they could not go to the police. The only problems with this is Pauly is not cheap and they needed to play by his rules. If his help was needed, he was to be paid weekly and no excuse was good enough for not having his cut when it was due. Scorsese uses violence and crime to show there was more to life than the money and fun that came along with it. It takes a bit of dirty work to get high end items if the hard work isn’t done to allow for the high end job. The members of the mob and their wives see life a bit differently than the typical working American. Henry’s wife Karen addresses this by saying â€Å"Our husbands are not Brain Surgeons; they were blue collar guys who go out and cut a few corners. † She did not see anything wrong in what Henry does as long as he comes home and treats her with all the luxuries she has become accustomed to, nothing else mattered. Henry and his accomplices did not think anything was wrong with how they lived. They enjoyed themselves and were aware of the consequences, but did not fret about them, â€Å"no one goes to jail unless they want to,† Pauly offered protection and as long as the rules were followed there was nothing to worry about. In order to get by, Henry would do everything from boot leg cigarettes, steal cargo, deal drugs and would kill anyone who gets in the way. The two that must be followed were, do not kill a Made man, which is a boss, unless you have permission and make sure you pay Pauly. Henry was living a fabulous life until he started making some bad decisions, got careless and broke the rules. Now the consequences that have been threatened have caught up with him and are starting to give him a rude awakening of what life really can be like for the average person, who does not belong to a powerful family, such as his. Henry was living life day by day and getting by doing whatever he pleases. He had the respect, the power and the wealth that he dreamt of as a young boy. But in the end it didn’t add up, he was left with nothing. All due to a few bad decisions, the materialistic rubbish and money caused Henry to be blinded from what truly should be important in life, he had cut off relationships with all of his real family and now had no one to turn to. Pauly had warned him not to get involved in the scandal that his two close accomplices Tommy and Johnny were getting involved in, but after Henry gets put into prison, he runs out of resources and needs money fast. â€Å"When you go away you are on your own,† because Pauly did not help Karen, while Henry was in jail he decides that instead of asking Pauly for help when he gets out he would take care of this misfortune of his own. He doesn’t feel as if he owes Pauly anything because Pauly did not offer help when he needed him the most. Henry locates Tommy and Johnny and creates a multimillion dollar plan. The problem that surfaces is that it will be hard to keep everyone involved quiet and some of the help decided to spend their cut of the money right away which started to draw some unwanted attention. Tommy and Johnny cannot have this become an issue, so â€Å"months after the robbery, they were finding bodies left and right, â€Å"it was obvious that there was something going on and it was starting to catch up with Henry. Pauly eventually caught up with them and had his men kill Tommy. Henry began to notice he was being followed and he thought he had everything under control but he was wrong. The Federal Government caught up with him â€Å"and now it’s all over, I am and average nobody. † In order for Henry to stay out of prison he had to become a victim of the Witness Protection Program and confessed everything, from the beginning, involving everyone and every detail. He no longer had the power or money he once had. None of it mattered anymore and he now regrets the poor decisions he had made that lead him in this direction. If he would have just listened to Pauly, he may still be living the life he once had. The director uses this end result of regret as the main theme of the movie. It holds as a message, a man may be blessed with good fortune but one bad decision can turn it all around. This film was based on a true story. The main character relives the life of the real Henry Hill to show the general public that it is okay to live life day by day and enjoy what comes with it but make sure that the consequences are acknowledged and be prepared for the outcome of the actions taken. All can be lost by a few bad decisions and there is no going back.

Design of a SCADA System

Design of a SCADA System 1. Introduction: The main purpose of this assignment is to design a simple SCADA system to monitor and provide supervisory control of a Bytronic Associates Industrial Control Trainer (ICT) through an Allen- Bradlley Micrologic 1000PLC using the Sistemi Winlog Pro software. From the design of PLC ladder logic program which was developed using RS-logic for the ICT, this assignment of the system will add a higher level of control through software and provide a beginning to the industrial SCADA systems. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA): SCADA is Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition. In 1993, SCADA system was required to examine the site for the distribution systems and also for the electrical supply. There was a discussion on the SCADA system that which system would be more a suitable for the site. Almost for each and every packaged systems are combined with the complete SCADA system purchase which is different to the method of basic component as when it is used in single meters. As we are aware of placing both the meters into the switch gears at the substation and also in building switchgears. It is more effective estimated for the SCADA systems to examine the status of electrical power supply systems. In 1994 using the Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs)and a DOS based SCADA software package are utilized by the Utility department to start the installation for the SCADA systems. The energy management department is one of the departments in the Utility division required to collect the data from the building meters. The IDEs which provide a communication to the SCADA software as well as an analogue output signal (KW) that can be read by the building energy management system. In this building energy management system, it records the signal to track the electrical energy demand and Kilo Watt Hours (KWH). The SCADA software is a graphical package using a Window NT Operation System. This system is manufactured by the Power Measurement Ltd (PML) provides the programming required to include real AutoCad site map, a diagram and also to present the accurate time information on the header of the graphical conditions. Objects like switch status, all the power system parameters, alarms and so on. Additionally, this system also allow the facilities operations like utility system, bitmap to achieve the big pictures to set at the background, and also the channel down to the single line as required. SCADA system automatically generates an alarm and can also easily expandable as per the application required. The new systems can easily expandable and flexible to the use as IDEs meter are added. The following are the function that are utilized more and more as the SCADA system is expanded. Automatic reporting will be taken with the replacement of manual meter reading. They need to respond quickly when the real time alarms and data operators the information. The Utility Department can be practical in providing the customers about the quality information. The main benefits of using the SCADA software are Switching and Paralleling Operations: Verification of the physical change in the switch operator position was not accessible while using of remote SCADA applications Power Quality: As needed, generally after a result or upon query from building users the power quality reports are requested. Hospital and Medical School Emergency Services Status: From the Cogeneration Plant, Hospital Emergency Power Feeders are monitored to verify the accessibility of the services, on a continual basis. This prevents the remote possibility that the service is not available or available. Outage Record: Position incident analysis is essential to avoid reoccurrence of similar outages and power failures. Substation Security Fires and Door Alarms: Early on in the design of the SCADA application, it was determined that fire/smoke detectors were required in all substation switch gear rooms. This utility, along with the door alarm contacts, provides the system operators with the ability to respond immediately to these types of actions. 2. System Description: PLC Diagram Description: In PLC the programs are fabricated based upon the ‘gates simultaneously with the inputs, timers, counters, outputs, internal memory bits, analog inputs, comparators, analog output etc. Inputs: The physical connections that are connected to the PLC are switches, pushbuttons, sensors and anything which acts like a switch or signal to the state of ON and OFF position. The voltages that accept to some of the devices are 24V DC and some may not; it may vary. The switch when it is in ON state, then status of the device bit is ‘1 and when it goes to OFF state the status of the device bit is ‘0. Output: The result that appears from the input devices is the communication between the PLC and other terminals. They are used to control the solenoids, sensors, and connectors etc to on and off position. In the PLC, there are 8 sensors and 5 actuators were used. The result from each sensor response the actuators and other sensors to perform the task. These eight sensors has different task they are Sensor1: It detects the presence of peg in the upper sort area. Sensor2: It detects the components in front of the solenoid at the upper sort area of the ring chute. Sensor3: It detects the presence of ring in assembly area. Sensor4: It is used to commence assembling. Sensor5: It is used to terminate the assembling. Sensor6: It is used to detect the complete assemblies. Sensor7: It is used to detect the components at the lower sort area. Sensor8: It is used to detect the components and assemblies near the reject area solenoid. The purpose of 5 actuator which are used in PLC area are Actuator1: It drives the upper chain conveyor motor. Actuator2: It drives the lower chain conveyor motor. Actuator3: It knocks the ring in the ring chute. Actuator4: It releases the ring into the assembly area. Actuator5: It rejects the unassembled components. Relay: A relay is a switch which is operated on the electromagnetic. Counters: when a pre-assigned count value is reached, the digital counters are in the form of relay contact. Timers: Timer consists of internal clock, a count value register and an accumulator which is used to count the time. When peg and ring moves in the upper sort area, the peg moves into to the peg chute through the detection of the sensor1 and the ring moves into the ring chute through the actuator 3. And the actuator 4 is to allow the ring in to the space where the sensor 3 detects the ring for the assembling the ring into the peg in the lower sort area. The sensor 6 it to detect the complete assembled components. The actuator 4 has some delay time for allowing the ring in to assembling area. The sensor 8 is to detect the unassembled component and the actuator 5 is to reject the unassembled components. Sensor number Sensor type, location and function. PLC Input 1 Download-looking reflective IR sensor at the upper sort area. Detects the presence of a peg near to and in front of the solenoid at the top of the ring chute. I: 0/4 2 Sideways-looking reflective IR sensor at the upper sort area. Detects a component in front of the solenoid at the top of the ring chute. I: 0/1 3 Reflective IR sensor at the assembly area. Detects the presence of component at the very bottom of the ring chute beyond the rotary solenoid. I: 0/0 4 Black pushbutton. Used to commence assembling say. I: 0/18 5 Red pushbutton. Used to terminate assembling, say. I: 0/19 6 Capacitive sensor, near the lower sort area. Detects the presence of passing complete assembles near the reject solenoid at the motor end of the lower conveyor. I: 0/6 7 Reflective IR sensor at capacitive sensor near lower sort area I: 0/3 8 Reflective IR sensor at the lower sort area. Detects the presence of components and assemblies in front of the reject solenoid at the motor end of the lower conveyor. I: 0/2 9 Through-beam IR sensor, just after the assembly area. Detects components on the lower conveyor leaving the assembly area. I: 0/5 Actuator No. Actuator type, location and desired function PLC Output 1 Upper conveyor motor. Drives the upper toothed chain conveyor O: 0/3 2 Lower conveyor motor. Drives the lower plain belt conveyor. O: 0/4 3 Solenoid at upper sort area. Knocks rings into the ring chute. O:0/0 4 Rotary solenoid at the bottom of the ring chute before the assembly area. Releases rings into the assembly area. O: 0/1 5 Solenoid at the reject area. Rejects unassembled components before the complete assembly collection tray. O: 0/2 Using the winlog Pro software, the PLC system can be operated through the ladder program by shutting down the RSlogix and assigning the sensor input pins to the digital gates and actuator output pins to the digital gates. These functions are performed by four kinds of SCADA components: Sensors (either digital or analog) and control relays that directly interface with the managed system. Remote telemetry units (RTUs): These are small computerized units deployed in the field at specific sites and locations. RTUs serve as local collection points for gathering reports from sensors and delivering commands to control relays. SCADA master units: These are larger computer consoles that serve as the central processor for the SCADA system. Master units provide a human interface to the system and automatically regulate the managed system in response to sensor inputs. The communications network that connects the SCADA master unit to the RTUs in the field. 3. Requirements: The minimum requirements for the SCADA to perform and control the operation of PLC manually are By replacing the physical push buttons, providing start/stop to control the ICT from the SCADA. Display the state of all sensors and actuators using the digital gates displays such as LED or animations. Display the count of the number of rings in the chute at any time (this may also extend to the number of completed assembled and rejected components. Provide a means of resetting the ring count a value among 0 to 5 (in the event of malfunction). Create a template with a background bitmap that is either a schematic diagram of the ICT or the actual photograph of the kit. At least one alarm condition example when a component is rejected or the ring in the chute is more than four. Constraints: In the numerical gates of winlog pro, the LED components cannot be kept because these are used only for counting the rings in the chute and also for the rejecting the components in the chute. In the digital gates of winlog pro, the sensors, actuators, LED and switches are kept. It does not accept the counts. 4. SCADA System Design: The design of a simple control application based on the micrologix DF1 protocol, but the design of more complex systems can be solved using the SCADA. It is easy to understand and approach the winlog Pro software and also to communicate the other devices. For every new application, the system has to know the external devices, addresses and communication protocol to communicate from one device to the other devices. In PLC, the program runs between the one of two states for every second in order to maintain the count. According to the SCADA, for each state the LED will be shown and also for the count will be shown. The PLC program will be started and stopped by using the switch on SCADA. For creating the variables database devices in the gates of Winlog Pro software, we have to consider the numeric, digital and event alarms according to our applications. Numeric gates consists of all the variables that refers to the analogue quantity like counts, set points and so on that can expressed in the form of a bytes, a word, a double word, an integer or by a floating point variable. In this application, the numeric gates are used for the counting, rejecting components, complete counts and also for resetting of both complete and reject counts. Digital gates consists of all the variables that refers to the digital status like alarm conditions, sensors, actuators, configuration option and so on. It can be expressed by a single bit. In this application, the digital gates are used for the input sensors, output actuators and for solenoids and also for switches and pushbuttons. Event/alarm is also used in this application for the purpose of showing the rings in the chute if the rings in the chute are more than four. This configuration is used for the intention of activating the solenoid. The following table shows, the numeric variables configurations are made according to the applications are; Continuation with the table The following table shows, the digital variables configurations are made according to the applications are; The following table shows the event/alarm gates configuration are made according to the applications. And this gate cannot read from the devices but the status will be displayed while at runtime. This gate is provided for the attention of the ring in the chute if the ring in the chute is more than four and we also can create more alarms using this gate configuration. After creating of the gates configurations, we must save it and create the new templates in order to get all the gates for the application and these gates are used for each and every achievement to perform the operation on the particular gates configuration. After adding all the gates, insert all the active label objects like LED, switch and so on and also include the gate to each label to perform the operation when the gate is used in the ladder program. After completion of adding all the gates, label, chart and bitmap, save the complete configurations. And execute the program. After the completion of the template design, we must assign the simple code using the name as â€Å"Main† in the Winlog Pro code. It is used only for the function that will open for the main template at the application startup. The following figure shows the final template design thats required for the applications are; The above figure represents the complete design of template after arranging all the gates and chart and bitmap. 5. Testing: After the creation of the templates and Winlog Pro code in the software, close the Winlog Pro and run the RSLogix 500 to create the program and download the Micrologix 1000 ladder program listed in the section. After downloading, go to the Run mode and shutdown the RSLogix 500 and also RSLogix service. Restart the Winlog Pro software, to run the project in project manager and select Execute from project menu. Then after executing the project, it will moves in run mode to start the project according to the application requirements. Winlog Pro samples variables from devices and processes the results in graphical representations. When the project that where done by the users to startup then it automatically achieves the main templates. By clicking the switch object label, we can start and stop the execution of the program. When the program is in running mode, we can see the number of rings that the actuator 3 pushes into the chute and the peg that enter into the peg chute by the detection of the sensor 1 And if the ring in the chute is more than four then the alarms will be in active (blowing condition) mode that informs the ring cant allow into the ring chute more. The count display the number of ring in the ring chute and edit box is to editing the value that enter in it. By clicking the toggle switch, we can reset both the completed assembles and rejecting components. We can select the chart to show the graphical representation of the counts and digital like pushbutton and switches. The chart also displays the group of variables that we want to display. The below figure displays the switch button is in ON condition and the counting of ring in chute is 5. If the ring count is more than four in the chute then the alarm blows. And resetting all the completed assembles and rejected assembles. The chart 1 describes the switch buttons (black color) and pushbuttons (blue color) when it is in ON condition. The chart 2 describes the count of the rings in the chute (green color), completed assembled components (lite blue color) and rejected components (red color). The below figure shows the counting of rings in the chute (green color), completed assembled components (lite blue color) and rejecting the components (red color) when the switch button is in ON condition. 6. Discussion: Utility System Operators need to be able to continue to remotely and instantaneously, identify electrical Power System Failures at any location in the distribution system. Accurate real time alarming and historical information is needed to continually meet the needs of a diverse community of energy users. A continuation of the demands for high reliability and accurate performance and trending data is paramount is the long term benefits of the SCADA systems. Approaching the SCADA system design for an application is the first time and in particular Winlog Pro software, it can be easily to communicate with other devices using the RS-232 9pin connector. Winlog Pro software can accessible easily and understand quickly to the external devices. For different applications, the design of the system for each device should be addressable and the list of all the variables can read or write to the devices. And for the applications the gates configuration should be addressable. Depending on the ladder program the address should be made and we can design different templates. Without any restrictions of all the winlog pro licenses software, it can provide the functions, development tools and communication protocol. The software toolbox acknowledges the continuous efforts of sielco sistemi to make the winlog pro more competitive and attractive. This powerful, low cost and easy to use SCADA software is indeed collecting increasing agreement among Italian and international users. Winlog Pro is simple, flexible and more economical in real time applications. It provides the differ tool like gates builders, templates, code builders. It allows the drivers to interface and communicate with all the electronic devices like PLCs, I/O modules and so on. Conclusion: Using the Winlog Pro software, the results that are required for the project are achieved. Using this software, we are assigning all the object labels to the gates configuration. The counts the numbers of rings are assigned to the numeric gate and the digital gates like LED, sensors and actuators and solenoids are assigned to this gate. For each and every gate the address will be allocated. The ladder program that where written in RSlogic 500 should be downloaded and switch it to run mode. Close the RSlogic and execute the project that was done in winlog Pro software project manager. Thus, the program and the logic were tested and the results are achieved successfully without any error. References: Referred notes by J.G.Pierce. http://www.sielcosistemi.com/en/products/winlog_scada_hmi/

Human Resource Strategy and Operational Planning

Human Resource Strategy and Operational Planning Introduction: I will explore the theoretical and practical sides of the relationship between the   and development in the retail and hospitality industry, in order to determent an overall view of the subject. I will draw upon many cases, researches, and literatures to get the best possible knowledge that is necessary for an independent evaluation of this topic. I will take Tesco, Hilton and Holiday Inn as an example of todays average but highly successful corporation and investigate the companys past and current human resource strategies and the reasons behind their strategic decisions. Through the essay I look into the human capital management, business performance, model of comparative SHRM, strategy evaluation, HR links between missions and goals of the organizations and further related topics. Strategic human resource management can be defined as the linking of human resources with strategic goals and objectives in order to improve business performance and develop organizational culture that foster innovation, flexibility and competitive advantage. In an organisation SHRM means accepting and involving the HR function as a strategic partner in the formulation and implementation of the companys strategies through HR activities such as recruiting, selecting, training and rewarding personnel. My first area of focus is on how to accurately staff, manage, and organize a business trough human resource function. First of all by recognizing the portfolio of the corporation at the, operational, managerial and strategic level. Than arrange the human resource department to reflect the, strategic, managerial and operational requirements of the organization. The most important structural variations of the corporation also stand on the corporations recruiting procedure. Position posting, succession forecasting and management development offer the HR department a chance to bring a measure of integration to the recruiting procedure and to have power over the internal movement of the corporations human resources. It is especially significant that staffing for all level of position and the domestic movement of employees be coordinated with the strategic concerns of the business. The portfolio of the business will make a significant input to the progress of a businesss recruiting strateg y if it turn out to be the driving force in the staffing, promotion plans programs development and selection. Management between the businesss recruiting ways and its strategic plans can improve the businesss ability to get used to environmental conditions. However the business is likely to recruit with folks who have the similar characteristics to those managers who are presently working within it. Little conscious attention is paid to identifying the characteristics most congruent with different organizational configurations. (Galbraith and Nathanson,1978). Many businesses including local shops in Edinburgh owned by the Asian community has face the challenge of developing greater confidence, solutions finding, initiative, and trouble solving capabilities among their employees which is a enormous problem as those convenient stores are the backbone of the economy (Dr Rita Welsh). Businesses need employees at every levels to be more resourceful, independent, creative and self sufficient. These behaviours allow employees to function at superior strategic level, which makes businesses more competitive and productive. Peoples efforts generate greater results. Its what every business attempt to accomplish. Although conventional skills training provides employees new methods and techniques, it will not build their belief, maturity or courage, which is necessary for the development of strategic and managerial capabilities so HR departments often do presentations and workshops regarding the above mentioned topics. As I said earlier companies try to train their staff to be more self-sufficient so less supervision would be required, in other terms empower them. Employee empowerment is a expression used to express the ways in which employees without managerial positions can make independent decisions without the need of confirmation from a boss/manager. These independent decisions can be large or small depending upon the level of power with which the organization wants to invest the member of staff. Personnel empowerment can start with training as I have mentioned above and converting a whole business into an empowerment model. On the other hand it may simply mean giving staff members the ability to make a few decisions on their own. When people feel they have option and allowed to make direct decisions, this does frequently show the way to a better feeling of self worth. In a representation where power is directly attached to sense of self, having some power is a priceless thing. A staff member who does not feel continuously criticized and watched is more likely to consider their workplace as a positive environment, rather than a negative one. The behavioural research, carried out by a group at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University, recognizes the aspects that most possible to affect 21st century staff well being, productivity and commitment. They established that loyalty is mainly influenced by ones sense of purpose, general trust in the business and feeling of individual impact. Productivity is largely affected by the quality of human relationships including cooperative, social group moods and interaction. The results of the research lead me to conclude that workplaces that provide positive environments that foster interpersonal trust and quality personal relationships create the most committed and productive employees. Productivity is mostly affected by the quality of human relationships including cooperative, social group moods and interaction. The results of the research lead me to conclude that workplaces that offer positive environments that encourage interpersonal trust and quality personal relationships generate the most loyal and productive employees. So if an employee who does not feel constantly watched and criticized is more likely to consider his or her workplace as a positive environment therefore he/she feel more committed to the organization which would increase their productivity so in conclusion cut cost for the organization. Last year I have worked as a part timer for a very well respected five star hotel called Hilton Caledonian. From week one they required me to work 75 hours even so I had a contract for 25 hours per week. I could not do anything about it as it was very clear if I do not like my schedule I am free to find another job. By the end of the 3rd month when my training finished I had enough so I have left the Hilton group for their leak of flexibility. Flexibility is essential for both the employer and the employee; flexibility of employee skills, employee behaviours, and HR practices represent critical sub dimensions of HR flexibility and are related to superior firm performance. Results based on perceptual measures of HR flexibility and accounting measures of firm performance support this prediction. Whereas skill, behaviour, and HR practice flexibility are significantly associated with an index of firm financial performance, many experts find that the only skill flexibility contributes to cost-efficiency. Hilton has recruited me because they were looking for people who go the extra mile, people who are flexible but they never gave anything return therefore I left however as my worth has increased as the result of the trainings they gave me they lost money. A number of writers have argued that strategic HRM and human capital management (HCM) are one and the same thing, and indeed the concept of strategic HRM matches that of the broader definition of HCM quite well as the following definition of the main features of strategic HRM by Dyer and Holder shows that strategies involve decisions about key goals, major policies and the allocation of resources they tend to be formulated at the top. Strategies are business-driven and focus on organisational effectiveness; thus in this perspective people are viewed primarily as resources to be managed toward the achievement of strategic business goals. Strategies by their very nature provide unifying frameworks which are at once broad, contingency-based and integrative. They incorporate a full complement of HR goals and activities designed specifically to fit extant environments and to be mutually reinforcing or synergistic. This argument has been based on the fact that both HRM in its proper sense and HCM rest on the assumption that people are treated as assets rather than costs and both focus on the importance of adopting an integrated and strategic approach to managing people which is the concern of all the stakeholders in an organization not just the people management function. However, the concept of human capital management complements and strengthens the concept of strategic HRM rather than replaces it. Hence both HCM and HRM can be regarded as vital components in the process of people management and both form the basis for achieving human capital advantage through a resource-based strategy.   Business or corporate strategy for service firms in sectors such as hospitality, tourism retail etc. has to comprehend a range of varying stakeholders interests and conciliate these within a strategy framework acceptable to them all. SHRM has had a part to play in the consolidation of staff within the pattern ascertained by the most cogent internal stakeholders senior managers. SHRM is thus part of the wider reticulation of corporate administration and business strategy. The drive to fulfill external stakeholders and the people intensive nature of service sector environments leads to a stress on people management both operationally and strategically. Customer service and related concepts of superior companies have led hospitality and retail businesses to a more conceptual discernment of people management. In the long term if this remains to be seen whether the strategic management of human resources has been more regulated by soft HRM (focusing on the management of culture, employee attitudes, empowerment) and hard HRM (focusing on measurable outcomes) (Megginson 1999). Mayfair London lies at the heart of British Tourism Hospitality Industry and Bass group is a leading hospitality chain Johnson (1999) observes that senior managers at Holiday inns undertook a training project that encompassed spending short periods at operative levels. This exercise led to an actualization that if front-line staff were not given authority and autonomy to resolve non-routine problems as they arose, their customers opinion of quality and service would be badly impaired. It is important to recognize the linking together of senior executives, front line staff, empowerment of staff to take responsibility for customer care satisfaction and quality management issues. All these point to the central them in SRHM. The organization then commenced training initiatives to equip workers to take additional responsibility for quality and problem-solving as well as enforcing fresh recruitment s trategies, such as auditions for food and beverage staff to distinguish candidates with the right attitudes. The right attitudes hints that management is looking for staff with culturally specified social skills-eg attribute that are often arduous to appraise. These soft or tacit skills, abilities to execute intricate relationship roles and functions while at the same time, execute technical (or hard) tasks. The distinction between tacit soft skill and explicit technical hard task oriented- skills lies at the heart of our discussion of SHRM. Managers also recognized that the effectiveness of the new strategies would reckon on a genuine dedication to the interests and welfare of employees. The hotel gained Investors in People recognition in 1995. This is an excellent example to show how everything in linked together. I have talked about empowerment, flexibility, commitment, training, customer service and many more as this example states every single area of human resource management is effecting the entire business progress just as much as one area effects the other one. Conclusion: It is useful for all organisations to management their people within a planned and coherent framework which reflect the business strategy. They can ensure that the various aspects of people management are mutually reinforcing in developing the performance and behaviours necessary to achieve business success. There is not a single HRM strategy that will deliver success in all situations. Organisations need to define a strategy which is unique to their own situation in terms of context, goals, and the demands of organisational stakeholders.

Carvers Realism From Fires Essay examples -- essays research papers f

How does Carver create precision of reality with his characters, focusing on Fires? When looking at the works of Raymond Carver, one can feel a sense of autobiography, that the characters in his stories are struggling against the same circumstances that Carver himself once struggled through. How true this is, is marginal to say the least, for Carver tells us in Fires that anything from a phone call to living in a seedy apartment in Jerusalem for four months is cause to influence his writing. But taking this as subject of influence for his stories, one must then look at his characters, who at times more than closely resemble a certain element of Carver himself in a certain situation that Carver has since been in. The essence of the characters make Carvers stories all the more realistic, as you can sense the trials and tribulations that these people have gone through, and are being faced with as we read each page further. In looking at Carvers Fires, a collaborations of essays, poems, and stories, we can see the realism of each character, and in doing so, reflect them upon Carver for some likeness. But is this truly where the characters come from? Are they just a reflection of Carver and his life? In private desperation, Raymond Carvers characters struggle through their lives, knowing, with occasional clarity, that the “good life'; they had once hoped would be achieved through hard work, will not come about. In many ways, Carvers life was the model for all of his characters. Married to Maryann Burke at nineteen, and having two children in the space of seventeen months, the Carvers life was decided for years to come. Early on Carver felt, along with his wife, that hard work would take care of nearly everything. We had great dreams, my wife and I. We thought we could bow our necks, work very hard, and do all that we set our hearts to do. But we were mistaken. (Fires, p. 31) Somewhere in the middle of this life of dead end jobs and child raising, he realised, very much like one of his characters, that things would not change. He recounts one of the strongest of these moments in his essay on writing influences, Fires. He was at the laundromat washing clothes and, at this point in the essay, waiting for a dryer: When and if one of the dryers ever stopped, I planned to rush over to it with my shopping basket of damp clothes. Understand, IR... ...it feels like, by virtue of having lived it myself for so long,'; he said. “Half my family is still living like this. They still don’t know how they are going to make it through the next month or two';. (Gentry, p.138) The precision found in Carver’s writing comes from Carver himself, his experiences, his rises, and his downfalls. Carver’s stories changed with his life, and his characters reflect this. We can say a certain percentage of his stories dealt with the working poor, or alcoholics out of work, or adulterers. Or we can say that overall he dealt with people who had no hope, or little hope. He once said, “It’s strange. You never start out life with the intention of becoming a bankrupt or an alcoholic or a cheat and a thief. Or a liar.'; (Gentry, p.38) At one time Carver was all of these. And so were his characters. Bibliography Carver, R (1997) Fires: Essays, Poems, Stories The Harvill Press: London Gentry, M.B., Stull, W.L., eds.(1990) Conversations with Raymond Carver University Press of Mississippi: Jackson Nesset, K (1995) The Stories of Raymond Carver-A Critical Study Ohio University Press: Athens Pp.1-8

The Affliction in the Middle Ages :: Diseases Medical Health Essays

The Affliction in the Middle Ages Disease and death are most often associated with the Middle Ages because of the widespread plagues and ignorance of medical knowledge during that time period. It is difficult, however, to ascertain the true nature of illness in the early Medieval Ages because in some written sources, the author’s standpoint distorts the presentation of the disease or cause of a person’s death so that the biological cause is skewed and unattainable. Gregory of Tours, for example, writes about two priests of Sidonius Apollinaris who rebelled against him. Both of these priests died very close to the same time of Sidonius’ death. The first priest died while in the lavatory and the second priest died while listening to a servant’s vision. For the causes of both deaths Gregory gives the credit to God, saying â€Å"the Lord passed this earthly judgement on those two unruly priests† (135). Details about the deaths are not given, but according to Gregory, they are irrelevant because the deaths were acts from God. For the first priest, he writes, â€Å"he went off to the lavatory and while he was occupied in emptying his bowels he lost his soul instead† (134). Moreover, he compared the death to that of Arius’, who was considered a heretic and â€Å"in the same way emptied out his entrails through his back passage in the lavatory,† which signifies that Gregory thinks both men died due to heresy ag ainst God (134). Gregory even says that â€Å"God in his clemency did not permit this insult to go long unpunished† (134). It is evident that the affliction, according to Gregory, is due to God’s hand. Gregory is writing from a Christian standpoint and is a bishop who greatly admired Sidonius, described here as â€Å"saintly† and an â€Å"angel†. Gregory’s agenda is such that he would want to publicize the sins of Sidonius’ enemies while also glorifying God. This may lead him to give transcendent causation for the deaths of these priests. Since the priests and Sidonius died at around the same time, one would think that there is a possibility that they could have died from the same kind of illness. Also, since Arius and the first priest both died while emptying their bowels, it is not entirely improbable that they had been suffering from some type of intestinal or digestive disease that may have been prevalent in the time period.

Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire

The people known as the Aztecs (who referred to themselves as the Mexica or Tenocha) originated from a place called Aztlan, somewhere in North or North west Mexico. Sometime in the 12th century they embarked on a period of wander- ing and in the 13th century settled in the valley of central Mexico. About 1345 they founded the town of Tenochtitlan. The Aztecs of Tenochtitlan ruled by Montezuma II became the greatest power in Mexico. The city of Tenochtitlan formed an alliance with the neighboring cities of Texcoco and Tlacopan but later became the dominant partner and gained total control of the entire valley.Conquering city after city, Moctezuma and his warrior empire took food, luxury goods, exotic raw materials and war captives. The prisoners of war were saved for sacrifices to the gods. Embarking on a journey of his own in search of gold, General Hernando Cortes lead his group of Spanish troops into the path of the powerful Moctezuma monarchy. After meeting face to face, both men seemingly viewed the other with mutual respect after a friendly exchange of greetings. Trust was not to be gained quite as easily as each leader kept their warriors on constant alert.Even after General Cortes and his troops were settled into luxurious apartments and given a sumptuous meal, they remained very cautious. By placing their cannon into position and readying the cavalry and infantry, they could be ready in a moment s notice. Moctezuma remained alert as well, and had even gone so far as to have his secret room of riches and treasures cemented. He was still uncertain as to whether Cortes was god or man, friend or foe. There is no doubt that the Spaniards viewed Montezuma as mighty, great and wise.I m certain they were astonished and awed over his great fortune, works of gold, jewels, magnificent arts, architecture, and the like. He was definitely not lacking in pomp and splendor. Everything Montezuma owned was excessive and everything he did was carried to the extreme. He su rrounded himself with guards, servants and beautiful women. Great respect was shown to him even though all of his empire did not think he was deserving of it. Cortes and his men surely did not agree with Moctezuma s political ways.He controlled conquered people and his empire was held together by mere force rather than loyalty. The state controlled every aspect of life. Of course, Cortes himself was a conqueror, but his people were not controlled and forced as the Aztecs were. Many of the Aztec people looked upon the Spaniards with curiosity. They did not know how to judge these strange people. Some thought Cortes to be the legendary ruler Quetzalcoatl, whose return to earth had been prophesied. In fact, that may be the only reason Cortes was not met with stronger initial opposition.The Aztecs also resented the kindness and favors their king bestowed upon the general and his men. The Spaniards had freedom that they did not, so I m sure that they viewed them with envy. If they had sp oken out against their king, it would have meant instant death. Other people of the Aztec empire saw the Spaniards as powerful allies against Moctezuma and his imposed rule. Many of the Amerindian people had already began to form allies with Cortes on his way into the capital city of Tenochtitlan. In Aztec Mexico, religion was ever present.The Aztecs worshipped a multitude of gods, each of whom demanded offerings and sacrifices. They considered themselves the chosen people of Huitzilopochtli, the sun and war god, in whose name they were destined to conquer all rival nations. Huitzilopochtli occupied the main temple at Tenochtitlan. He was worshipped daily with offerings of human blood and fresh throbbing hearts, torn from the bodies of sacrificial victims. It was during a tour of the temple that General Cortes tried to convey to Moctezuma that he was being deluded by his idols of evil.Cortes request to erect an image of the Virgin Mary was angrily denied. The Europeans very much bel ieved in the Christian religion and were totally appalled by the Aztec customs. They earnestly wanted permission to build a church there and introduce Christianity. After days of watching the Aztec people build an almost humanlike statue of their sun and war god, the Spanish troops were provoked into an attack. Their mission all along was to invade and assault the Aztec empire, but it was momentarily put on hold when Moctezuma welcomed them.The Spaniards chose to capture Moctezuma and attack the Aztecs during their annual festival of worship and sacrifice to their gods. This festival was equivalent to the Christian version of the Easter holiday. The Spaniards caught the Aztecs off guard and immediately slaughtered many warriors, but the Aztecs quickly revolted against the invaders and killed 53 Spanish prisoners for sacrifice. Moctezuma was killed in the uprising. Cortes, with new troops from Cuba, along with the aid of thousands of Indian allies, finally conquered the Aztec in 1521 .Legend would have us believe that Hernando Cortes was totally ruthless and did nothing but conquer, rape and plunder (rather than trade), but eye witness accounts of the Aztec conquest are few. Some say the conquest was a bloody massacre, others say it was a glorious conquest. Seemingly during that era of time, it was every man for himself. Personally, I do not think Cortes had much of a choice once he was inside the empire because Moctezuma would have inevitably come after him. He could have chosen not to go but, at that time it was take or be taken.Their is no easy way to wage war and under the circumstances Cortes probably did just as other warriors before him had done. The Aztec empire collapsed almost instantly after the conquest. The warriors and noblemen who were not killed immediately died later from rampant smallpox and other diseases. The conquest of the Aztecs marked a significant period for the Spanish. It opened new doors by broadening economic and political gain. In s hort, the European expansion paved the way for a new age, a new beginning, and a major turning point in history.

How The Taiwanese Developed their Government

According to Thomas Gold Taiwan offers a text book case of an elite-led revolution leading to social transformation. The stability of hard authoritarianism of the Taiwanese government laid the groundwork for Taiwanese development. The KMT's cohesiveness and political domination plus the economic development aid supplied by the United States also helped to provide good conditions for Taiwanese growth in the beginning. Once the KMT gained control of Taiwan they redistributed the land and launched a program of rehabilitation and industrialization. This period was responsible for the nationalization of many businesses formerly owned by the Japanese and the start of industrial production in Taiwan marked by a shift away from agriculture to industry. During the early period of industrialization Taiwan tried to create domestic markets for its goods. During the period from 1960 to 1973 Taiwan pursued export expansion in the area of industrial goods. During this period U. S. aid directed at Taiwan declined as did the islands geopolitical significance. To make up for this decline Taiwan focused on increasing its exports. The rowth of the Taiwanese economy during this period according to Gold laid the ground work for the growth of opposition movements and loosening of the KMT†S grip on power. According to Gold this was because the changes in the Taiwanese economy brought about a middle class, a better educated populace, and a dispersion of industry through out the country. The Period from 1973 to 1984 Gold calls the time of industrial upgrading and the emergence of a political opposition. During this period Taiwan faced the oil shock, and increase in export prices due to a labor shortage that doubled workers alaries, a further loss of geopolitical prestige, and the growth of dissent and political opposition. Taiwan industrially during this time improved the quality and quantity of its exports. The Taiwan industrial model was that of a elite run bureaucracy that tightly controlled its nations citizenry in authoritarian ways. This authoritarian government was able to effectively channel the energies of Taiwan toward modernization. This authoritarian government became a victim of its own success because as living and education standards rose the citizenry demanded a shift Taiwan is not a very good industrialization model for other countries to use outside of East Asia. This is because many of the factors that allowed Taiwanese industrialization were unique to Taiwan. First, Taiwan was colonized before 1950 by a developmentalist power, Japan to which is had close ties even after 1950. Second, Taiwan was the recipient of financial aid during its critical early years because of a inter-core competition for hegemony between China and the United States. Third, Taiwan benefited by having a implacable foe with a very different vision of development. Fourth, Taiwan was given breathing space following 1949, this enabled Taiwan to revive production and consolidate power without foreign powers interfering. All these factor make Taiwan unique from other nations that would try to copy it. One of the elements that nations should not copy from the Taiwan Model according to Gold is Taiwan's harsh authoritarian government which was much too strictly authoritarian and had a hard time changing as the attitudes of the Taiwanese people changed. (Gold's book was published years before the 1996 democratic elections n Taiwan) But Gold does say that Taiwan's development model does have some lessons that could be copied in other nations seeking to industrialize. These are a official commitment to development, land redistribution, fostering of agriculture, creation of extra-ministerial ministries to guide development, strategic credit allocation, collection and efficient management of data concerning the economy, investment in infrastructure and human capital, and proper allocation of foreign assistance. Taiwan's development model was a combination of an orwellian state and effective ways of industrializing.

American Contibution to the Philippines Essay

Contribution of American to the Philippines 1. Independence – America helped the Philippines to eliminate the Spaniards in the country thus helping the Filipinos to end the suffering from the Spanish reign. This was the first step of the country to stand on their own and start a new beginning. 2. Government -we adapted and patterned some of our constitution with the Americans’. 3 Sports – Filipino favourite sport had been basketball, and other foreign sports instead of the national sports which is sipa. 4. Western style of clothing – this was also adapted as it is evident with the radical change from the conservative Maria Clara to the daring trends of fashion of the modern era 5. Communication – The Americans brought English, the lingua franca of the modern world 6. Principles – progressive liberal ideologies such as egalitarianism, democracy and equality 7. Education – they endowed an educational system patterned after that of the U.S. They sent educators in the Philippines which are known as Thomasites. However, American style of re-education was amero-centric in nature, causing Philippine society to self stigmatize itself in favor of American-centered products and ideologies. Effects of American Colonization in the Philippines. Effects of American Colonization in the Philippines.The effects of American imperialism on the Philippines are numerous. Some, however, stand out, most notably the installation of an American-style democracy and the prevalentattitude that anything American is â€Å"good†. Many of those in lowland Philippines, and most of the Christian population, for that matter, grew up in an increasing Americanizedsociety. The following American influence in the Philippines says it all: 1. Government -Partisan politics was one of the influences of the Americans on our government. Partisan politics means a politics that is devoted to or biased in support of a certain party, group or cause. Another effect of Americans in the government is the implementation of municipal elections. But after the creation of bicameral legislature, the election in the Philippines turned to be like the election of the Americans. Electors began to spend a lot just to win the election, and they began to think of their own personal welfare instead of the welfare of the Filipino people. Thus many of the American’s political practices were soon found in the Philippine archipelago. But this doesn’t mean that Americans contributed negative effects on our government but instead we learned the intricate machinery of the government, we learned how to make and governs laws. 2. Religion -During the Spanish colonization, the Filipino people were forced to convert their religion into Christianity (Roman Catholic). But after the colonization of the Spanish, Americans came and changed the religion into Protestantism which was the religious beliefs of the Americans. But later on, the Americans adopted the Roman Catholic Christianity after its invasion in the Philippines on July 4, 1946. Another is the establishment of the Iglesiani Cristo Church by Felix Manalo. And Jehovah’s Witnesses started to preach from one house to another. 3. Economic and Livelihood -The economic development of the Philippines under the Americans can be attributed to free trade relations that the Americans imposed upon the country. Philippine products were also allowed to enter American markets free of duty within quota limits. 4. Arts, Culture and Tradition -Filipino people began to adopt the American fashion statement using hats, long sleeved clothes and long sleeved polo inside it with matching neck ties for men. Another is the art of Oil Paintings which is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil. Red Blood Paint was also introduced which is a dark paint, also known as alizarin crimson school. 5. Transportation -A lot of transportation was introduced by the Americans to the Philippines, some are submarine, caretellas, railways, ancient bull carts, cars, etc. 6. Social Structure -Americans introduced the three class-models which includes the rich (wide array of elite groups), middle class (ambiguously defined social classes) and the poor (group that suffers from poverty). 7. System of Education -Schools were built for the Filipino citizen that teaches about the good formation including the rights and responsibilities of each person. American Colonial Policy – They promised to train the Filipinos in Democracy and Self-Government. They want the Philippines to stand on its own as a free and independent nation. – They shared power with the Filipinos in the government. Human Rights were protected. They developed the economy, improved hygiene and sanitation, and introduced the public school system. Contribution of Americans to the Philippines 1. Ecomonic Progress: – Population Explosion – New Land Policy – Agriculture Increase – Free Trade America – Business Flourished – New Industries – Improvements of Transportation and Communication – Better Budget – New Banks – International Exhibitions and Meetings Economic Problems( NEGATIVE) – We sold our raw materials cheap and bought expensive manufactured goods from America. – Colonial Mentality – Labor and peasant unrest spread in 1920s and 1930s – American Capitalists and businessmen controlled the new companies. – Filipino values like â€Å"pagmamano† was replaced by saying HI or HELLO. – Filipino food like â€Å"bibingka and suman† were replaced by American food like hotdog and French fries. Other American Contributions – Religious Freedom – Training in Democracy – Free Education – Better Health Service – Introduction of the English Language – Free Press – Democratic Family Life and Social Classes – Emancipation of Women – Recreation, Movies, Theater, Arts and Science ______________________________________________________________________________ Contribution of Spanish to the Philippines – Education- Science – Entertainment – Agriculture- Manner of Dressing- Architecture – Spanish Names (Trece Martires, La Trinidad,Aurora, La Union,Nueva Ecija) – Arts, Music and Literature (folk dance) – Language(nanay/nantl, tatay/tatle,abokado/avocado) – Religion(roman catholic) – Food (afritada,Estopado,Escabeche, pastel de lengua) – Spaniards introduced different forms of entertainment like: – Cockfighting- Flores de Mayo – Moro- moro- Santacruzan – Zarzuela- Duplo – Balagtasan- Different form of card games Reasons for Colonization: The 3 Gs (Spanish) GOD – the conversion of natives to Christianity GOLD- accumulation of gold or wealth GLORY- supremacy of spain over potugal as a superpower Social and Cultural Influences of the Spanish – The natives refused to cast off their indigenous cultural heritage and accommodated European art, literature, rituals and practices only after some modification. – Use of Gregorian calendar – Alphabet- dressing- burial pratices- wedding practices – Changes in names- adoption of fiesta-cuisine – western architecture (cottas or fortress, churches †modified Romanseque style†, antillen house – Language( chavacano,cebuano) – Literature – Painting (Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo) – Sculpture (retablos, relleves â€Å"carved images in relief†) – Graphic arts (estampas, La Illustraccion Filipina) Negative features of the Spanish Colonial Government in the Philippines The indigenous population was relocated into settlements while conquistadors, friars and native nobles were granted estates in exchange for their services to the King, They were given the privilege to collect tribute from its inhabitants. In return, the encomienda were to provide military protection to the inhabitants; however, the system was abused and was largely replaced by administrative provinces by 1700. The encomienda system of government used by Spain was disliked by the inhabitants, which resulted in uprisings. A system of forced labor was also a result of the encomienda system of government. Encomienda – was a legal system that was employed mainly by the Spanish crown during thecolonization of the Americas to regulate Native American labor.