There are far too many (women) who are discriminated against and far too many employers who are using every single legal argument and loophole to dodge their obligations under equal pay law

Introduction The Equality Act 2010 (EqA)[1] came into force on the 1st October 2010, replacing the earlier Equal Pay Act 1970[2], with the aim of offering greater certainty. Despite this, there is largely a replication of the terms of the 1970 Act and there remain difficulties in enforcing the fundamental rule of equal pay for equal work, which is set out in Article 157 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union[3] (TFEU). This has several elements which can potentially be argued by employers looking to discriminate against women, two of which areas will be looked at here, in order to confirm or deny the statement made at the outset that employers are using the legal argument to dodge their obligations. For the purposes of arguing this point, two issues will be considered, in more detail: the need for a comparator and the material justification defence. Comparator The sex equality requirement prohibits pay discrimination based on sex and therefore a woman looking to bring a claim of this nature will need to be able to compare her contractual terms with a comparable or sufficiently similar male comparator. This notion of a comparator is used across the whole area of discrimination however it is treated somewhat more stringently in the case of equal pay. In accordance with the EqA, it is necessary for the comparator to be actual. Unlike other areas of discrimination where the comparator can be hypothetical, it is necessary for the woman in this situation to find an actual comparator. It is also necessary for the comparator to be in the same employment, i.e. employed by the same employer or at least an associated employer. The comparator must also be a current or former employee, but cannot be a successor and the comparator is fundamentally the claimant’s choice. Bearing in mind all of these requirements, it is possible to see that there a re several options available to the employer, when it comes to arguing the validity of a comparator. In the case of Macarthys in 1980, it was held that there needed to be an actual comparator with the judge stating: â€Å"Comparisons are confined to parallels which may be drawn on the basis of concrete appraisals of the work actually performed by employees of different sex within the same establishment or service†[4]. It is noted that this is not the case with a direct pay discrimination claim, where a hypothetical comparator may be allowed for the purposes of evidencing sex discrimination and less pay for the same work. A similar difficulty emerges in the area of working in the same establishment. In the case of the City of Edinburgh Council, 2012[5], where the Inner House of the Court overturned the previous decision of the EAT that had previously argued that the terminology â€Å"establishment† could have a broad meaning. Instead, the Inner House restricted this substantially by saying that the comparator had to work at an establishment that was largely in the same geographical area. An employee looking to claim that they are being paid less will also need to find a comparator who is broadly employed on common terms (as stated in Section 1(6) of the 1970 Act and restated in EqA). For example, in the case of Leverton (1989)[6], it was possible for female nursery nurses to argue that they were being paid less than their comparators who were male clerical staff. All staff had a â€Å"purple book† of terms and conditions and this was sufficient to argue that they had common terms. Finally, there is the time frame over which the comparator has worked, with the ability of the claimant to look at a predecessor but not a successor. This was supported by the case of Walton, 2008[7], where it was held that a successor could not be used, as this would require the courts to hypothesise as to whether the comparator would have been treated differently, had they been employed at the same time. This is based on the argument that by looking into the future this would be hypothetical situation and impossible to consider how the employer would act in the future. It can therefore be seen that there are multiple issues involved in locating a comparator, which can potentially make it easier for an employer to escape their obligations and to allow them to look at ways of paying female employees less, either directly or indirectly, or at the very least making the matter difficult for an employee to prove, in the absence of an obvious and exact comparator. Material Justification Another area which presents a real opportunity for the employer to look at escaping liability is the use of the material factor defence contained in both the EqA and the 1970 Act. This defence allows an employer to pay an employee less than a comparator for whom they would otherwise be required to ensure equal pay, due to some non-discriminatory reason. There is non- specific requirement to deal with the notion of material defence, after the issue of equal pay has been discussed and it may be that the tribunal will in fact consider the material justification defence, at the outset, when looking at whether the jobs were of equal value[8]. The material factor defence is dealt with in Section 1(3) of the 1970 Act, where it is stated that the employer would have a defence, if they could show that the difference in salary â€Å"is genuinely due to a material factor which is not the difference of sex†. This is a genuine requirement and allows for employers to have a distinction between pay where it is required for the business need. An employer can show that they have a material factor defence where they can prove the following. Firstly that the explanation is genuine, secondly that the reason for less favourable treatment was down to that explanation, thirdly that the reason was not considered to be the difference of sex and finally that the reason is a significant and relevant difference between the man and woman in the instance[9]. When looking at the genuineness of the situation, the House of Lords stated in Bury Metropolitan Council that tribunals should not become too concerned over the issue of genuineness and should instead simply look at the facts surrounding the situation[10]. In this case, it was also stated that the difference will only be a sham, if it â€Å"has been deliberately fabricated in order to present things otherwise than as they are†. Crucially, it is also necessary for the factor to be material meaning, in accordance with Rainey, 1987, where the difference is significant and relevant, but this could be with reference to external factors, such as the market and not necessarily simply down to the skills and knowledge of the individuals in question[11]. When it comes to material justification, the burden of proof shifts from party to party in such a way that offers a real opportunity for the employer to escape liability. Once the employee has shown that there is a prima facie case for an equal pay claim, the employer then has the burden of showing a material factor defence, before the burden then travelling back to the employee to show that this was not genuine or in error in some way. For example, it may be argued, as was the case in Cooksey and Others (2011)[12], that the use of an on call allowance had the impact of men getting paid more than women, due to men being typically more available to undertake such work; this was sufficient to constitute a material factor defence and the case was allowed, with the employer being culpable. Conclusion It is concluded here that the original statement made that employers have been able to use legal argument and loopholes as a key way of escaping liability under the equal pay legislation is not merely a theoretical argument, but one that is supported and shown time and time again through the tribunals and court system. It is argued here that by just looking at the area of identifying a comparator and the area of a material factor defence, there is a multitude of complexities that can be used by the employer to evade liability. This area needs to be revisited carefully, if there is to be sufficient protection offered to women, in the future. As it stands, all but the most obvious of discriminatory scenarios are likely to evade the full extent of the legislation and this matter requires review, as a matter of urgency. Practicality is such that there are a variety of factors which may lead to a discrepancy of pay yet this needs to be addressed to ensure that any differences are material ly justifiable and are appropriate in all circumstances so as to reduce the overall pay gap as far as possible. Bibliography Bury Metropolitan Borough Council v Hamilton and other cases [2011] IRLR 358 City of Edinburgh Council v Wilkinson and others [2012] IRLR 202, Cooksey and Others v Trafford Borough Council and others UKEAT/0255/11 Equality Act 2010 Equal Pay Act 1970 Forex Neptune (Overseas) Ltd v Miller [1987] ICR 170, Glasgow City Council v Marshall [2000] ICR 196 (HL) Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Leverton v Clwyd County Council [1989] IRLR 28 (HL). Macarthys Ltd v Smith [1980] IRLR 210 Prentis D, Unison. 2013. commenting on North and ors v Dumfries and Galloway Council 2013 SC 45 Rainey v Greater Glasgow Health Board [1987] ICR 129 Walton Centre for Neurology & Neuro Surgery NHS Trust v Bewley [2008] IRLR 588

Kate Chopin, the Awakening

The Awakening by Kate Chopin 1st half: Page 1-60 Plot Summary: Leonce Pontellier and Edna Pontellier take their children to Grand Isle to spend their summer vacation. While on that trip Edna learns how to swim which becomes a huge revelation to her, in a sense of gaining some control over her life. Also Edna makes a great connection with Robert Lebrun, a charming man who pursues to obtain Edna's attention and affections.As he flees to Mexico, the narrative of the story shifts to Edna’s complexed feelings towards Robert and her search for social freedom. With the summer being over and Edna going back to New Orleans with her husband, Edna gradually re-evaluate her priorities and takes a more active role in her own happiness, as she starts to withdraw from some of the duties traditionally associated with motherhood and as a house-wife. Themes: * Self-destruction: The illusion of being able to control oneself, while being controlled by society and other circumstances around you wi ll eventually lead to self-destruction. Edna the protagonist is in search for social liberation, and fundamentally ends up self-destructing herself by taking an action she believes can only be controlled by herself. ) * Femininity: The restrictions and expectations put on a woman are purely on stereotypical and repressive images about a societally accepted idea of femininity. (In the era that Edna lived in, the gender roles were set in stone, men would work and women would be set to be home and take care of the kids and house, women like Edna were seen as possessions and trophies. * Identity: Dissatisfaction with the labels put on individuals can result in the loss of identity and the desire for independence outside of society. ( The discontent with the labels Edna has as ‘wife†, â€Å"mother† has resulted in the loss of her true identity, however the desire to gain back her identity leads her to social alienation and many controversies. ) Characters: * Edna Ponte llier: The protagonist of the novel, was described as â€Å"She was rather handsome than beautiful.Her face was captivating by reason of a certain frankness of expression and a contradictory subtle play of features. Her manner was engaging† (4). Wife of Leonce and a mother. Is presented as a complex and dynamic characters that develops throughout the story. Edna a very preserved individual who follows the attributes of society, develops quite aggressively from being a conserved young women to an individual who violets all of the morals that were set in her society. Robert Lebrun: A complex character who encounters himself in a love triangle with married woman, he plays a big part in Edna’s awakening. As he escapes to Mexico to flee from a relationship that was not allowed to happen, leading the novel to hit the climax of the story. * Leonce Pontellier: is described as â€Å"wore eyeglasses. He was a man of forty, of medium height and rather slender build; he stooped a little. His hair was brown and straight, parted on one side. His beard was neatly and closely trimmed. (1) Edna’s husband, Leonce plays a big part in the novel, he is a man who treats women as properties and values, very materialist and spends his time away from home doing business. Setting: * The Awakening is set in the late nineteenth century on Grand Isle, off the coast of Louisiana, where the summers are spent. It continues to New Orleans where Edna and her family live, in a relative luxurious house in the French quarters, â€Å"a very charming home [†¦] it was a large, double cottage with a broad front veranda, [†¦] the house was painted a dazzling white. (49) * Society in the nineteenth century was very repressed, women had to obey their husbands and duties, as Edna become more ‘awakened† and self-dependent, her society begins to isolate her. Literary Devices: * Children: The imagery and verbal illusion of children are present throughout the nove l. Edna is often symbolically seen as a child, her undergoing a form of re-birth as she sees the world from a fresh perspective. * Water: symbolic, water represents re-birth. Edna awakened while swimming where she realized that she could be the only one who can control her own movements. Birds: The caged birds symbolically represent Edna’s entrapment in society, as well as the women in the nineteenth century in general. â€Å"A green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside. †(1) Other Critical Approaches: * Archetypal Approach (Metamorphosis/change): Edna undergoes a sudden but dramatic transformation, going from a conservative role to an independent woman. (As Edna obeys her husband and follows the rules of society, but transforms into a woman who goes by her own rules, and dismisses every task given to her. )

Zulu Kingdom Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Zulu Kingdom - Research Paper Example Shaka was an illegitimate son of king Senzangakhona and he was responsible for allegiance that resulted into massive wars with the neighboring communities. As a young man, he joined the army of Dingiswayo and soon became a high-ranking commander. With the Dingiswayo army behind his back, he led aggressive missions that resulted in the expansion of the Zulu kingdom. The rural Zulu community adopted different modes of subsistence for their survival. This paper will therefore, discuss the effects of Pastoralism, Kinship, Sickness, and healing, Beliefs and Values of the Zulu community. The Zulu community relied on the natural vegetation to feed their animals. The vast grasslands provided good grounds for these activities. Men and boys were supposed to graze the cattle in open field while women tilled land to produce crops. This means that transhumance Pastoralism was practiced in the Zulu land. The community mainly depended on their animals that were supplemented with the food grown by their women. A herder was considered mature and able to make serious decisions on where to graze without any consultation. He was also expected increase his herd aggressively through all possible means. Men from the same locality grazed together in small groups that were based on mutual relationship. In the Zulu community, Large Herds of cattle were not only considered as a source of income but also prestige, power, and respect. This is because the bigger the herd the more one was considered brave. Pastoralist conquests were frequent and in most cases, herders emerged gained victory over the farming communities. This increased their respect in the community. For example, Mongols, who were horse herders, were given great tribute for centuries after winning such battles. According to O’Neil (2011), the Zulu community gained a lot of fame from such battles in the 1830s before the British army defeated them in 1879. A very unstable economy characterized Zulu community. Herds of cattle are biological assets that are prone to change making it difficult to determine their future value. They can only be measured using the fair value method of measurement with many underlying assumptions. A biological asset undergoes the process of growth, reproduction, ageing, and procreation. In this case, there is no clear market set for such assets and there are no guidelines to determine how long this should be reviewed. According to Hlaciuc, et al (2008), â€Å"The measurement of biological assets is less reliable than the fair value method since sometimes the coupled products and coupled costs can generate situations where inputs and outputs are not correctly defined.† With these limitations in the measurement of a biological asset’s value, it was difficult for a Zulu person to define the value of their assets at a particular time. During the dry season, the Zulu’s economy suffered great losses due to animal deaths resulting from lack of water and feeding foliage (Leeuwis, 2000). Some contagious diseases like yellow fever and anthrax could wipe out an entire flock. This means that their economy, which was based on herds of cattle a major source of income, was unstable. Movements in search of pasture too contributed to the unstable economic status e xperienced by the Zulu community. Pastoralist’s communities did not build permanent residence since they relied on temporally seasonal shelters, which implied that the community realized little developments. A brave soldier from the Zulu community had to increase their cattle to gain power and prestige over the other community. This resulted into endless battles that caused political instability in the region stagnating economic developments. The first qualification of a herder

Hun Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Hun - Essay Example Similarly Ishtar’s lover Tammuz died and this lead Ishtar to visit the underworld during which she removed her attires at the gate and entered while naked. This is the source of many ancient depictions of Ishtar as a naked woman. Her figure, lips, and beauty assert her as the goddess of fertility, sex and love. As the goddess of fertility, Ishtar the Babylonians believed Ishtar controlled the menstrual cycle and birth. This made all humans subject to Ishtar as their mother god. Ishtar gave kings the authority to rule and her prowess is represented by a lioness and a woman holding bow and arrow. Astarte was the love goddess of the Armenians. When Tammuz died, Ishtar descended to the underworld and threatened to break down the doors. Her relationship with Ereshkigal, the queen of the underworld was strenuous and Ishtar was imprisoned and made sick (Bray 15). Since Ishtar was the god of sex, all sexual activity in the world halted during her stay in the underworld, asserting her authority among other gods. Additionally, Ishtar nursed Tammuz which is similar to Isis the Egyptian goddess who nursed Horus. This comparative mythology demonstrates the importance of goddess Ishtar in the ancient religions. Ishtar was part of a secondary astral triad together with Shamash and Sin, the gods of the sun and moon respectively. Ishtar was the protector of prostitutes and her temples featured temple prostitutes. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Ishtar is portrayed as a bad tempered lady who has been spoiled by her father. Ishtar asked Gilgamesh who was the king of Uruk to marry her but he refused since all the lovers Ishtar took ended up dead. Ishtar threatened her father the god Anu after Gilgamesh refused to marry her. This depicts Ishtar as a bully and her need to assert herself above other gods is clear. The goddess Ishtar has influenced modern day religions particularly Christianity. The Jews interacted with

Aggregate demand and its components Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Aggregate demand and its components - Essay Example This essay is an attempt to figure out the constituents of aggregate demand and how they interact to determine the national income. The main focus of this essay is Keynesian economics and how aggregate demand is determined in Keynesian economics. A basis proposition of Keynesian theory is that the equilibrium level of income and output depends on the economy’s aggregate spending for output. If aggregate spending is excessive, it results in inflation. My goal in this essay is to figure out how national income is determined through aggregate demand and what is the impact of aggregate demand on other major macro economic variables. Introduction In national income determination, aggregate demand plays a vital role. The first major objective of any economy is to increase and sustain its national income, an analysis of aggregate demand is very important. By controlling the aggregate demand, you can control the major economic variables. Aggregate demand is the total demand in an econ omy for all the goods and services produced. It consists of : Consumption expenditure, Investment expenditure Government expenditure Net export Aggregate demand = C+ I+ G+ (X-M) The following sections analysis each of these variables in detail: Consumption Expenditure Consumption expenditure depends on the real income of the house hold. An increase in the real income of the household leads to an increase in the consumption expenditure and a reduction in the real income of the household results in a reduction in consumption expenditure. ... tion expenditure, Keynes gave priority to consumption function which is a mathematical function showing the relationship between consumption expenditure and income. As income increases, people set aside a portion of their income for their future needs. In other words, as income increases, savings also increase. Even though the consumption increases as the income increase, the rate of increase is less. But, as the income increases, the savings increase at an increasing rate. It means, the individual set aside a larger portion of his income for savings and a smaller portion of consumption. Keynes considered consumption function as constant in the short term. The change in consumption is always greater than zero and less than one. It means, whenever there is a change in income, people won’t spent the whole amount on consumption. Investment Expenditure Keynes gave more importance to investment demand than consumption demand. The investment demand depends on two things: 1) Marginal efficiency of capital 2) Rate of interest Out of these two, rate of interest is usually stable in the short run (changes based on the policy of the central bank). So the investment demand depends largely on marginal efficiency of capital. The marginal efficiency of capital means the expected rate of profit that the investor hopes to make from the investment in capital assets. The marginal efficiency of capital depends up on the replacement cost of capital goods and profit expectations of investors. As there is no replacement in the short run, the investment in short run mainly depends on profit expectations. To increase national income and employment, government should take those measures which increase investment. So, the investment demand depends on the marginal efficiency of capital and

Responsibility in World Business Research Paper

Responsibility in World Business - Research Paper Example The paper states that responsible business requires business leaders to account for the obligations and true costs of the activities of the business, both financial and non-financial. It should do this through reflection, responsibility, reporting and resilience. Responsible business entails four key attributes that are essential for its dispensation. Its main constituents are business acumen, global knowledge, ethical compass and committed citizenship. Business acumen A business organization must have a high degree of professionalism and skills to demonstrate business acumen. This would enable the business organization to enhance the values of both shareholders and stakeholders of business on a long-term basis, and create wealth. Sadly, not many business organizations attain business acumen because several have failed due to dishonesty, greed and lack of managerial competence. One of the ways of attaining business acumen is engaging in social enterprise and corporate social responsi bility. These will equip the business organization with relevant skills and professionalism (Sarkar, 2005, p. 152). Global knowledge Any serious manager of a responsible business must have a high level of refined knowledge. This knowledge should be gained from many years of experience and transcends beyond many boundaries across the globe. A responsible business leader must dedicate his listening to the opinion of other business leaders across the globe, and seek to expand knowledge on the prevailing economic circumstances and their relations to the business. However, not all business leaders want to pursue this attribute. A case in point is the knowledge of Chinese language. Despite the fact that China has emerged one of the greatest global business potential of the 21st century, many CEOs and members of their boards of management do not know the Chinese language (Bomann-Larsen, 2004, p. 87). One sure way of ensuring that businesses tap into this opportunity is to learn and acquire diplomacy and skillful policies that involve all parties. Responsible business leaders must seek the global knowledge on key business opportunities in a peaceful way. Therefore, they must raise their voices to oppose such acts as war and terrors that would ruin their business prospects. The business leader should be a renaissance person, with humility and intelligence to learn and rely on others for the achievement of the global knowledge. It is only through this strategy that the business leader can cope with the highly complex and integrated business world (Horrigan, 2010, p. 194). Ethical compass The polarity of the world concerning innovation, trade, manufacturing and finance must be useful to any business leader. Unlike in the past when the western countries dominated the economy, today all corners of the globe are experiencing rapid expansion of their economic realities. Additionally, the expanding economies also have unique cultures and values that govern their business dire ctions. Orienting to these multi-facet cultures and values is a big challenge and dilemmas to several business organizations.

Business Models and Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Business Models and Planning - Essay Example Remarkably, VCs consider diverse factors before deciding to invest their funds in various business opportunities. There are three major factors the VCS would evaluate to ascertain the viability of the business opportunities. The factors include market size, management team and technology, as outlined by Roberts and Barley (2004). The first factor that VCs consider when investing in a new business is the management team. Regarding the management team, the VC must evaluate the ability to adapt to prevailing marketing environment. In essence, it is the ability of the business to cope with the dynamicity and complexity of the business environment. VCS would consider whether to continue with the existing marketing team or employ more workforces. The management team should consist mostly of a focused team of entrepreneurs whose primary objective is the success of the business (Roberts & Barley, 2004). The second factor that VCs consider before venturing in the new business is the ‘market’. The market is the strength of every business. Either the market is the physical location of the business or any other platform where the exchange of goods and services take place. The entrepreneur should access the market size and formulate viable marketing strategies in order to evaluate the accessibility and the possibility of expansion and developing the market niche. The penetration of the business’ products is a great factor in marketing that is the ability of the products to compete in new markets. The third critical factor considered by VCs when investing in a new market is technology. Notably, technology is a current trend in the world of business. Most business operations, today, require technology to enhance the efficiency and productivity of the company. Technology facilitates speed and accuracy in the production process. The application of the technology in various departments would enable the company to limit the chances of

Minnie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Minnie - Essay Example In the first stanza it is described about how the "sweet and cute" little Minnie becomes a responsible sister "at the age of four". In spite of her tender age since a baby boy is borne after her she has to take care of him. The line 'you are the big sis' connotes that the caring attitude and attention of the elders is now diverted from the girl child to the baby boy. Not only that, the girl is considered as big enough to take care of her little brother. The girl succumbs to the pressure of the elders and makes "compromises" throughout her childhood. Here "compromises" means the character Minnie has abandoned her rights of being loved and cared in her playful days for the reason that she is borne as a girl child and there is a boy already there who deserves more attention as per social norms. The second stanza provides a good continuity to the narration where Minnie, the character of the poem is in her youthful years. By the line "Wedding bells and diamond ring" it is intended that a girl in her nubile age can be of very romantic and contemplative about the beauties of everything. She dreams of love, romance, and an understanding life partner. The beautiful days, she dreamt of are not so long lasting for her. After marriage she hears from everybody that she has grown up to a "wise woman" and she should make adjustments with her husband, with the in-laws and with every situation. The line "Prudent Woman, respect man" is intended to the voice of the society which clearly speaks of male dominance and their presence at the helm of affairs. The allusion of male chauvinism can be very well deciphered from the above line. The third stanza typically describes the plight of woman particularly during her old age. Minnie is now completely alone. She has her children but has been deserted by all. Though she has poured her love, affection to all members of her family but those are hardly remembered by them. A widow who has not learned to face the challenges of the outer world often cries in the lone life. But what she can do except accepting the situation as they are and making compromises. The poem reiterates the prevalence of gender discrimination in the contemporary society, where woman has to take a backseat in the social hierarchy. Least importance is being given to their cause and comfort. Throughout their life they suffer by adjusting to the adverse situations. A Short Story: Independence Day It was an early awakening for Zayed. He sat and looked at his Grandpa's photograph. Usually, he wakes at six (of course after Mama's yelling), keeps his bedding and sleeping mat in proper place, brushes in few seconds and goes out to bring a pouch of milk. Everyday Zayed used to

Data analysis and discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Data analysis and discussion - Essay Example Thus, the responses from the participants greatly varied according to one’s opinion on a particular question. The variance and standard deviation for all the baseline variables is relatively low. For instance, a standard deviation of 0.41 for the first question implies that the data points are very close to the real mean. On the other hand, the seventh question’s standard deviation of 0.50 implies that the data points are far apart from each other; spread out in larger ranges of the variables. Looking at the correlation matrix from excel sheet 3, a number of baseline variable have a correlation of 1 whereas others have -1. For instance, variable 1 and 2, 1 and 7, 1 and 5, 1 and 6, 2 and 5, 2 and 6, 2 and 7, 3 and 8, 4 and 8, 5 and 6, 5 and 7 have a correlation of 1 which implies that they have a strong positive linear relationship. Other combinations have a strong negative linear relationship as shown in excel file. It has six questions or variables that seek to know the level of self-efficacy on students’ performance. Just like locus control, this was done on 35 participants (students) who gave different responses for the baseline variables; as shown by their means: 6.43, 6.66, 6.51, 1.97, 6.40 and 6.29 for question 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 respectively. The standard deviation for the second variable is 0.48 implying that the data points in this baseline variable are close to the mean. The highest standard deviation is 1.25 for the fourth baseline variable. This shows that the data points for this variable are far from the mean. From the excel sheet 3, the correlation coefficient differ greatly. For instance, baseline variable 1 and 2 have a correlation of 1 which shows that they have a strong positive correlation. Variable 2 and 8 have a strong negative relationship, a correlation of

Evaluation - produce proposals for the possible re-branding of my school Essay Example for Free

Evaluation produce proposals for the possible re-branding of my school Essay My design brief was to produce proposals for the possible re-branding of my school. When doing this I researched what the faculties wanted and needed and so I designed a questionnaire to gather the information I required. I also researched different graphic designers, their work and various design movements throughout history such as Abram Games who is a British mid-twentieth century designer and official war artist during world war two. His style of design is very patriotic as in most of his work he uses red, white and blue; the colours of the union jack. He incorporates them very well and subtlety. I like his work because its very classic, memorable and simple. His work is landmark. I did this because it gave me inspiration, an influence and it offered a look at how previous designers worked. I did web searches on the images connected to different faculties and just asked people what images came to mind when I said a faculty name this provided me with many logo ideas. In addition I looked at existing logo designs in books wherein designers explored many different techniques, which I could use in my designs. I had many specifications that determined what my final design would look like. * Such as my target group, which was the staff, pupils and parents because of this I had to select designs that satisfy and do not displease them. * In my specification I had a running theme or image that I worked around; a smart, scholastic, classic yet modern image and I tried to portray this in my designs. I had a variety of different design ideas and when deciding on my final design I had many factors, which would govern what I would choose. For example how complicated the designs were, or how much colour was used. Such as when I had a large design dominated by black, I could not use this because of the expenses and issues that may arise with such a vast amount of ink. I dont think I did much planning that ensured success and a quality product but I did research different colours on the colour wheel and their effects and what they represent. In this project I dont think I used many new tools or materials however I did use Photoshop, Microsoft Publisher, Paint, the internet, printers, scanners and general sketching that was stressed as important by my teacher and did prove so. I did not fully answer my design brief as I was not on schedule but I did produce some sort of proposal. I have not shown my logo to the head of faculty but overall I feel it is a strong and bold logo, which is pleasing to the eye. The considerations I had were.

Introduction To The Perfect Competition

Introduction To The Perfect Competition Microeconomics is about economizing choices among alternatives uses of scarce resources. The choices are made up by the individuals. businesses, and government units. Scarcity can be say as the central of the economic theory. Economic analysis is fundamentally about the maximization of leisure time, wealth, health, happiness, these are all commonly reduced to the concept of utility subjects to constraints. These constraints or scarcity define a trade off. For example, we can have more money by working harder, but less time because there are only so many hours in a day, so time is a scarce. Microeconomics, which deals with individual agents, such as households and business and macroeconomics that is considered the economy as a whole, in which case it considered aggregate supply and demand for money, capital and commodities. In short, microeconomics is to study about the economics behavior of individual consumers, firms, and industries and the distribution of production and income amon g them. It can be considers individuals both as supplier of labour and capital and as the ultimate consumers of the final product. Beside that, it can be use to analysis both firms both as suppliers of products and as consumers of labour and capital. Microeconomics also helps to seek analyze the market or the types of mechanism that establish relative prices among the goods and services or allocates societys resources among their many alternative uses. Microeconomics is a very important knowledge in the study of economic theory, it has both theoretical and practical implications. Microeconomics is a great help that are efficient in managing the limited resources available in the country and it is helpful to understand the work of the free enterprise economy where there is no central control. Microeconomics is the basis of welfare economics, it is used to construct the economic models for the better understanding of the actual economic phenomena. Microeconomics also explains how thro ugh market mechanism goods and services produced in the community are distributed. Microeconomics is utilized to explain the gains from international trade, balance of payments disequilibrium and the determination of foreign exchange rate. 2.0 Introduction to Monopoly Monopoly is the market structure that exist a single seller and a very large amount of buyers and selling products that have no close substitution and also have a very high entry and exit barrier. In our country, the example of monopoly market are the TNB, Indah Water, and Telekom Malaysia (TM Berhad). If people want to subscribe home telephone services they only can go to the Telekom Malaysia ( TM Berhad ), because Telekom Malaysia (TM Berhad ) is a monopoly. The word monopoly is a latin word, where mono means single and poly means sellers. Monopoly have firms that it is the only supplier in the market, and there will be no close substitute towards the output so monopoly have no treat of competition. 2.1 Characteristics of Monopoly There are some characteristics of monopoly market. According to (www.economicsonline.co.uk) monopolies have the ability to maintain a very normal profits in the long run. As with all firms, profits are maximized when Marginal Cost ( MC ) = Marginal Revenue (MR). In overall, the profit level are well depend upon the degree of the competition in the market, which for a pure monopoly is zero. At the profit maximization, MC = MR, and the output is Q and the price is P. Given that the price ( AR ) is above ATC at Q, supernormal profits are possible ( area P,A,B,C ). Super-normal-profits Monopoly exists when there is only one seller of a product. Monopoly is the firm that only exist in the industry selling a product that has no close substitution. Monopoly market is the place where the monopoly firm operates. In short, there is no difference between a firm and an industry in monopoly as there is only have one seller. A monopolist is a price maker, price maker are defined as firm which has the market power to control the prices. Since there is only one seller or producer so they have the power to control the price of their products in the market. Monopoly firm only sell product that has no close substitute, so that consumers or buyers could not find any substitute for the product that they require. For example, electric supply from our country can only found in TNB which has no close substitute for it. In the monopoly market, there is also some strict barriers to the entry of new firm. Barriers to entry are most likely natural or legal restrictions that restrict the e ntry of new firms into the industry because it is very high cost to enter a market that can support only one business example: TNB, Indah Water and Telekom Berhad. So a monopolist faces no competition because of the barriers of entry because other producer cannot compete with them due to they dont have the resource at their disposal. Business in monopoly firm may have the copyright for its own product so it will be illegal for other producer to duplicate its product. In short, barriers to entry are designed to block potential entrants from entering a market profitably because barriers to entry are to protect the monopoly power of existing firms and therefore it maintain the supernormal or abnormal profits in the long run. Advertising in monopoly market are depend on the products that the producer sold because if products are luxury goods such as imported car, then the monopoly needs some advertisement to promote their goods so that the consumers are informed about it. Local public u tilities such as water, electricity and home phone services do not require advertisement because consumers will know where to obtain it because there is only one to get the products. 2.2 Conclusion for Question 1 In conclusion, we have learned about monopoly is a market structure that is only single seller and a large numbers of buyers and products that have no substitution. And also there is a very strict barrier of entry and exit to the monopoly market. 3.0 Introduction to The perfect competition Perfect competition is a type of market where there are large number of buyers and sellers, the sellers sell identical or homogeneous product. There is also free entry and exists of the firms. Both of the buyers and sellers have perfect knowledge of the market. 3.1 Characteristics of The perfect competition There are some necessary conditions or requirements in order to be in a perfect competition market. Being with the perfect competition market, there is an important feature of perfect competition is the existence of the large number of buyers and sellers. The market is so small compared to the overall industry where a single seller sells in the market. For example, in the poultry industry, there are thousands of duck producers in Malaysia and each firm produces only a small fraction of the total poultry industry. Another conditions for perfect competition market is that the firm must sell homogenous or standardized product because the buyers do not differentiate the products of one seller to another seller. For example, the buyers cant differentiate about the ducks that is selling in the Firm A and Firm B. Hence, the firm cant charge different prices for the same product in the market. Once the buyers notice the difference of the quality, packaging, colour or design of different sell ers, then this market is no more in the state of perfect competition market. Even the products are similar but if there is a difference in terms of the packaging and quality then the product is not a homogenous or standardized product anymore. Under the perfect competition market, there is no restriction on entry of new firms to the industry or exit of the firms from the industry. A firm can enter the perfect competition easily and exit the perfect competition anytime if the firm wants. For example when he/she has the necessary factors of production like land, labour and capital then he/she can operate the business already. If the firm suffers from losses it can leave the industry without any rules and regulations or restrictions. 3.2 Introduction to The monopolistic competition Monopolistic competition is a market structure that have large numbers of small sellers selling differentiated products but these are close substitute products and also have a easy entry into and exit from the market. Compare to perfect competition, monopolistic competition market produce different and sold different but the goods are close substitutes for one another. There are many products in the world represent monopolistic competition such as clothes, shoes, books and other items. 3.3 Characteristics of The monopolistic competition The characteristics of monopolistic competition market are quite similar with the perfect competition. Similar to perfect competition, there are large numbers of sellers and buyers under the monopolistic competition market. There are large number of firms existing in the monopolistic competition market but it is less as compared to the perfect competition market. Since the size of the firms are small, there is no individual firm can influence the market price. But, if each firm in monopolistic competition market produces different or unique products then they will have some control over the prices. Hence, each firm follows an independent price-output policy. For example, in wax industry, the prices of a 100ml wax range among brands such as gasby, mudwax, spiky and other firms as well. Product differentiation means that the product in the firm is selling or producing are not identical. In monopolistic market competition, the firms that producing the goods are different from its compet itor. Each seller will use different methods to differentiate their product from other sellers to attract the buyers and consumers. Product differentiation will gone through the packaging, design, labeling, advertising and brand name. For example, if the firm sold eggs that is in the open shelf, then the eggs will category in perfect competition market. But if the firm packaged their egg in a packaged box and labeled as Best Protein Egg, then this egg is in the monopolistic competition market. In monopolistic competition market, there is no entry and exit barriers in monopolistic competition. However, the entry and exit into the monopolistic competition market is not as easy as the perfect competition market because of the products differentiation. If any new firms that enter the industry, they have to find some differentiation with the existing brands. For example, if Chicken A1 wants to enter the soup industry, then the firm must find some difference in term of quality, taste, lab eling, and packaging in order to be in the monopolistic competition market. In the monopolistic competition market, there will be stiff competition with other firms for their products and not for the price of the product. Monopolistic competitive firms do not compete using the prices because of the products in the market are having a lot of substitutes. So, the producers or sellers uses various methods to attract the customers to buy their products. Types of non-price competition practices in monopolistic competition market are advertisements, promotion, discounts, free gifts, after-sales service and others. 3.4 Introduction to The oligopoly Oligopoly is the market structure that there are only a few enough firms selling either standardized or differentiated products and it is very restricted to enter the entry and exit from the market. Under the market structure, some or all the firms in the industry can earn abnormal profits in the long run. This is because of the entry of new firms is difficult or impossible. The oligopolistic firms can impose barriers to the entry in terms of patents or access to a certain technology in the market. The purpose of it is to control excess the production of output, which is unprofitable for the oligopolistic firms. The example of the oligopoly markets are cigarettes, automobiles, electrical equipment and cement. 3.5 Characteristics of The oligopoly The characteristics of oligopoly market are having few numbers of firms. Under oligopoly, the number of firms is small but the size of the firms is large. The market share of each firm that is large enough to dominate the whole market. Few firms control the overall industry under oligopoly. But there is also no specific numbers to control the market before becoming oligopolistic. The main important criterion to become oligopolistic is to have mutual interdependence between these firms. Under the situation like this, firms will considered the reactions of its rivals in decision making to create strategic interdependence. There will be strong interdependence among all the firms in the oligopolistic market as the number of the firms will become smaller. But if the number of the firms become larger, then the interdependence between these firms will diminish. In oligopoly market, a product that is sold under oligopoly can be either a homogeneous or a differentiated product. Example, cemen t or electrical appliances produced by one firm are identical to another firm. Firms that is in oligopolistic market always consider the reaction of other firm rivals when both are choosing price, sales target, advertising budgets and other business policies. This is the important characteristic of an oligopoly firm that differs from other market structures. Because of the number of firms is small, changes in price or output by one firm can have direct effect on another firm. Under the situation of oligopolistic market, there are plenty barriers to entry that is similar to monopoly. The oligopoly firms have restricted new entrants into the markets. The barriers are to control the certain resources, ownership of patent and copyright, exclusive financial requirements and other legal barriers. In short, large firms may take drastic actions in order to prevent the entry of new firms by flooding the market. These large firms will produce the output at excess production capacity, which wo uld drive the price down. That means new firms that is newly set up will not survive because sometimes the price are set by these large firms is below the cost price. Once the new firms are out of the market, the large firms will reduce the production capacity and increase the product price. 3.6 Introduction to The monopoly Monopoly is a market structure where there is only one firm in the industry and there is no substitution to it. Monopoly have a very high entry and exit barrier because it is very high cost to enter a market that can support only one business. Monopoly is also a price maker, which has the market power to control the price. 3.7 Characteristics of The monopoly Monopoly is just the only seller of the product. The monopoly firm will be the only firm industry that is selling product that has no close substitution at all. Which means consumers can only find the only firm that is selling the only product, consumers could not find any substitute for the product. Besides that, monopoly market have a very strict barriers to the entry of the new firm. Advertising in monopoly market is actually depend on the product it sold. Normally public utilities such as water, electricity and home phone services do not need advertisement because people will know where to go for the product unless it is luxury goods like imported car then it will be needed advertisement to let consumers know about it.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Essay -- Pregnancy Health Essays

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Many studies have established that a developing organism is susceptible to exogenous and endogenous factors during certain stage of the organism’s development. The effects of ethyl alcohol or ethanol on the developing fetus, which manifest a variety of characteristic abnormalities, are collectively called Fetal alcohol Syndrome. Ethanol exposure to the fetus causes various malformation ranging from the cellular to the organismic levels with the eventual results frequently being different levels of mental retardation (3). Chick embryo studies provide a relatively good model for defining the effects of ethanol at many organizational levels of neurogenesis, cell death, neuronal migration and differentiation, cell to cell connectivity, and synaptic function When ethanol is administered to embryos on days one to three of development, the cholinergic neuronal phenotypes were markedly decreased possibly in the sparing of catecholaminergic phenotypes which were increased. This differential sensitivity of these two early neuroblast populations to ethanol may also reflect the difference in their ontogenesis: cholinergic elements are reported to be expressed as early as the primitive streak, whereas catecholaminergic elements appear later (3). Embryos on embryonic day one are most susceptible to the effects of ethanol. Embryonic day one in the chick is marked by an active process of neurogenesis and neuro-organization. The neural tube elements are made during this early embryonic period. Brodie and Vernadakis inspected the effect of ethanol on cholinergic spinal cord neurons during this embryonic period. The neuroblast during this period shows plasticity with respect to neurotransmitter phenotypes, when ex... ...s in these target organs at critical developmental periods would result in defects of these organs (5). BIBLIOGRAPHY: Abel, E. and Sokol, R. A Revised Conservative Estimate of the Incidence of FAS and Its Economic Impact. Alcoholism, 0145-6008:514-524 (1991). Bonthius, D. and West, J. Permanent Neuronal Deficits in Rats Exposed to Alcohol During the Brain Growth Spurt. Teratology, 44:147-163 (1991). Brodie, C. and Vernadakis, R. Critical Periods to Ethanol Exposure During Early Neuroembryogenesis in the Chick Embryo: Cholinergic Neurons. Developmental Brain Research, 56:223-228 (1990). Burd, L. and Martsolf, J. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Diagnosis and Syndromal Variability. Physiology and Behavior, 46:39-43 (1989). Keir, W. Inhibition of Retinoic Acid Synthesis and its Implications in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Alcoholism. 15/3:560-564 (1991).

The Impact on Culture of Islam and Christianity Essay -- Comparative R

The definition of religion has two parts in the Webster’s dictionary, the first being a simple belief or reverence in a supernatural being, the second being a personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief. The common man often sees the large religions in the simplest forms, creating obvious differences between the basic beliefs of major religions. These differences, seen in the comparison of Judeo-Christian and Islam worldviews, have had an immense impact upon each separate culture and interpretation of religion within each culture. In the current political battles across the world, government regulation determines how large the role that a given religion plays within the societal structure. American culture is a result of a strict Protestant perspective traveling the course of time and an associated governmental deregulation of religion (Burr, Religion in American Life: 16). Originally founded on the Christian religion, the United States of America still has roots in religion but is no longer the cohesive religious unit it was when at its genesis. The lack of institutionalized religion provided by the government has allowed a wide variety of religions to prosper within the borders, creating both more religious tolerance and more variations within each religion. Middle Eastern culture, on the other hand, is still strictly religious because of a continuing regulation of religion by the government in power (Jatava, Religions in Modern Society: 136). Culture and religion seem to go hand in hand, as people’s actions are affected by their spiritual beliefs, and their spiritual beliefs stem from their interpretation of their environment. Religion will always have a basis in culture as lo... ...igious Diversity A Philosophical Assessment; Ashgate Publishing Company, Burlington, VT, 2002. Burr, Nelson R.l; Religion in American Life; Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York, NY, 2004. Hinnels, John R.; The Facts on File Dictionary of Religions; Facts on File, New York, NY, 2004. Jatava, D.R.; Religions in Modern Society The Puzzling Issues; National Publishing House, Chaura Rasta, Jaipur, 2000. Lewis, I.M.; Religion in Context Cults and Charisma; Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, 1986. McCasland, S. Vernon, et al.; Religions of the World; Random House, Inc., Toronto, Canada, 2001. Wakeman, Gordon S.; The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality; Westminster Press, Philadelphia, PA, 1983. http://www.adherents.com/ - Religious Statistics. Web. 13 July 2015. http://www.factmonster.com/ - Online Encyclopedia. Web. 10 July 2015.

Biometrics :: Science Technology Essays

Biometrics For most people when first hearing the word biometrics, they have an instant reaction to tune out. Just because the term sounds complicated and somewhat boring does not mean that the information behind the term is incredibly interesting and fun! When first discussing the term with others, I too thought it would be a typical boring computer topic. It was not until I began to research the topic, that I saw computers to be intriguing. One of my favorite aspects of the topic is what it initially reminds me of. I could not help but think of spy and other technical movies that show biometrics being used. The term biometrics, refers to the automated methods of categorizing a person, based on their behavioral, and physiological characteristics. What people may not know about biometric systems, is that the basis alone is from natures oldest way of identification. By determining these characteristics in an authentication inquiry, this information can then be saved in reference, for identification to determine if the user can be granted access to any private or secured location. This particular method of recognition is preferred to those such as, passwords, or pin numbers. Although these methods are still commonly used, with biometrics we are able to make sure the person being identified is physically present, and elements the hassle of remembering several passwords. These physiological techniques could include fingerprints, retinal scanning, voice patterning, facial recognitions, DNA analysis along with hand and finger geometry. Biometrics is such a rapidly improving technology, that has been previously used for years in forensics, such as identification, and prison security. While the behavioral techniques include handwriting and voice recognition, gait, and keystroke dynamics. By having these special techniques replacing pins, we are able to feel secure about unauthorized used of ATM’s cellular phones, desktop PC’s, and other personal securities. In addition to these currently password protected areas, biometrics can also replaces keys for automobiles, such as key-less entry. Trust in these areas of secured access, is essential to a happy and healthy environment. Even though there are several ways of detecting identity, the most popular has been the facial recognition and fingerprint matching. These techniques are expected to be added in aid for homeland security identification, at places such as airports, along with helping in reliable travel documents, and preventing ID theft. Along with th e important need for reliable homeland security, biometrics are important in areas such as financial transactions, retail sales, investing, electronic banking, law enforcement, and health and social services.

Library system Essay

Chapter I Introduction The world of Information Technology transformed and made the life of human beings easier through the innovation of different machines and software applications. Faster and reliable sources have been offered by search engines which are all over the web. But even though this is the case, many schools and universities are still requiring their students to use library materials in their researches and school works. From the statement of purpose, the compute’rized library system: meeting information needs of the people of Saint Michael College of Caraga, Nasipit, Agusan del Norte. Our proposed system, the Saint Michael College of Caraga Library Management System, is a system wherein there is no need of manual library transactions. This will carry out different processes such as searching books, keep records of the books, borrowing of books and return of books. Hence, at present, Saint Michael College of Caraga is maintaining the School Library in a manual basis. Handling bulky records in a manual method is very difficult. And the process of updating could not be done easily and  accurately. Likewise, a manual procedure of handling bulky record is very slow and is prone to manual errors. Consequently, it is proposed that Saint Michael College of Caraga shall maintain an electronic data base management system (DBMS) for the purpose of maintaining the records of the School Library for easy, fast and accurate processing and maintenance of these records that will enhance management decisions and for the improvement of its services to all the stakeholders of Saint Michael College of Caraga. Library is regarded as the brain of any institute; many institutes understand the importance of the library to the growth of the institute and their esteem users (students). Library Management System of Saint Michael College of Caraga supports the general requirement of the library like acquisition, cataloguing, circulation that offers many flexible and convenient features, allowing librarians and library users to maximize time and efficiency. Library System gives the all detailed information about students, staff and books. It will track on the how many books available in library and books issued to the students. It shows popular book among the students. It will provide book lost in library. It keeps the record of the suppliers and book binders. It generates MIS reports for management. Our software is customizable for any library requirement. In this chapter we take opportunity to consider changes in the library services, not in terms of minor, short term change in equilibrium of the sort just noted above, but in longer term. There has been continuing concern about the future of the libraries. Given the extent to which the provision used and the libraries are influenced by the social environment, and given possibilities by the use of new information technology; it would be unreasonable to expect libraries to remain static. But if not, what would be the nature of the change? The issue is not whether there is a change but what will be the change. If we are to make a claim to understand the nature of library services, the surely we ought to have notions, some forecasts, about how library system might change. Purpose and Description In setting up a library, one aspect that should be considered, what are the resources the library has and what are the ways to provide a better service to the students? Well, one of the easiest ways is having a system to  organize all the transactions in the library. A library system is software that will handle basic and systematic organization of function in the library. The system would provide basic set of features to add/update student’s information, add/update books information, search for books and manage check-in/check-out processes. In this application we can maintain the records of students and books and enable to determine how many books are issued and likewise determine the available books in the library. The proposed library system will greatly improve the efficiency of the school library. This study has the following hypothesis: The profiles of the respondents taken are their names, Student ID Number, Year and Course, and Title and Author of the Book Borrowed. The manual system is very time consuming, inconvenient when it comes to recording, organizing and retrieving borrower’s record in the log book. There are few solutions but many a times, we â€Å"making them works† by finding â€Å"ways to work around† system inadequacies. Moreover we have limited staff resources, these â€Å"work around† waste time, effort, and skills that should be spent on user services. solutions do not keep up with the technological changes and hence prove to be time wasters. Library Management system is a small footprint software suitable for personal /individual Libraries. You can store the information about the books and other material and control the movement of the same. Silent Features †¢ Control the movement of books and other material and avoid losing the same. †¢ Search if you have a specific book in your collection based on t he title, author etc. †¢ Print the spine labels for the book. †¢ Find what a specific person has borrowed from you. Objectives The main objective of the application is to automate the existing system of manually maintain the records of the Book Issue, Book Return from the student, Stock Maintenance, and Book Search to be computerized. And to develop a database which stores user details and book details, give reliable search facility for the user, create an easy to understand user friendly environment. So the Book Issue, Return, Searching will be faster. This  application can be used by any Library to automate the process of manually maintaining the records related to the subject of maintaining the stock and Book Issues. The general objective of this study is to design and develop a library system that will serve as a proposal to help librarians save time with the automation of its daily operation. Specific Objectives: To computerize records keeping of books; To allow librarians to retrieve complete information of the book and its borrowers. To check the availability of the books and penalties. To search, issue and return of books. It can only be utilized by the librarian Scope and Limitation The study only focuses on the Information Technology Library Management System of Saint Michael College of Caraga. Without computers, as some libraries are, all of them are dependent on paper work. When compared to computerized systems, data backup and data retrieval systems are inefficient and labor intensive. Users of a paper based system become almost wholly reliant on the librarians, for all levels of service, whether they are enquiries about existing books, inter-library loans, or the availability of books. There is additionally no real involvement of a user in the entire process. The transactions that the system accommodates are the attendance of every student that enter the library, book registration and deletion, updating book information and searching thesis references, Borrowing of books, and keeping the record of transaction. Review of Related Literature This chapter contains the relevant outline of literatures related to the study of Library system. This study composed of programming languages, Database and Graphical User Interface (GUI) that is used in the system. This system would be used by members who may be students or professors of that University to check the availability of the books and borrow the books using automated device, and by the librarian to update the databases. The purpose of this document is to analyze and elaborate on the high-level needs and  features of the Library Management System. It focuses on the capabilities and facilities provided by a Library. The details of what all are the needs of the Library Management System and if it fulfils these needs are detailed in the use-case and supplementary specifications. Automated book monitoring system helps to reduce the effect of entering the wrong quantity and the amount of staff time devoted to repetitive activities. Related Studies According to ACRL (1994) suggested that institution should be prepared to utilized new technologies for accessing information as they are developed. This is why operating the library operations is quite a welcome idea. According to Jeff Kaplan (05/08/2007 A new generation of automated network management software and services is helping in-house staff address this challenge. These let network professionals establish regular patch-management procedures to safeguard against escalating security threats; and create system monitoring routines to identify load imbalances, which could cause service disruptions or performance problems. They also discover, inventory and track assets to make sure that hardware and software licenses are up-to-date and that problems can be resolved faster. According to Voustin Sweere (Aug.2001) Nowadays every book keeping system used in practice is automated. Most book keeping software an integrated information system are based on database. In this paper, we develop a conceptual book keeping model which is not based on manual techniques, but which is applicable in database environment. Technical Background In this chapter, it provides an overview of all the overall system design, features and functionalities. The system is design to implement a computerize library management system in Saint Michael College of Caraga. This system consists of one user, the administrator. The administrator can  access the system by having first the login security which they have to input his/her user name and password. Once the inputted username and password did not match, the required/registered information it displays â€Å"Invalid Username and Password†. If the username and password match the registered information, the next form will display depending on the role of the administrator.

A Haunted House

â€Å"Here we left it,† she said. And he added, â€Å"Oh, but here tool† â€Å"It's upstairs,† she murmured. â€Å"And in the garden,† he whispered. â€Å"Quietly,† they said, â€Å"or we shall wake them.† But it wasn't that you woke us. Oh, no. â€Å"They're looking for it; they're drawing the curtain,† one might say, and so read on a page or two. â€Å"Now they've found it,' one would be certain, stopping the pencil on the margin. And then, tired of reading, one might rise and see for oneself, the house all empty, the doors standing open, only the wood pigeons bubbling with content and the hum of the threshing machine sounding from the farm. â€Å"What did I come in here for? What did I want to find?† My hands were empty. â€Å"Perhaps its upstairs then?† The apples were in the loft. And so down again, the garden still as ever, only the book had slipped into the grass. But they had found it in the drawing room. Not that one could ever see them. The windowpanes reflected apples, reflected roses; all the leaves were green in the glass. If they moved in the drawing room, the apple only turned its yellow side. Yet, the moment after, if the door was opened, spread about the floor, hung upon the walls, pendant from the ceiling–what? My hands were empty. The shadow of a thrush crossed the carpet; from the deepest wells of silence the wood pigeon drew its bubble of sound. â€Å"Safe, safe, safe† the pulse of the house beat softly. â€Å"The treasure buried; the room . . .† the pulse stopped short. Oh, was that the buried treasure? A moment later the light had faded. Out in the garden then? But the trees spun darkness for a wandering beam of sun. So fine, so rare, coolly sunk beneath the surface the beam I sought always burned behind the glass. Death was the glass; death was between us, coming to the woman first, hundreds of years ago, leaving the house, sealing all the windows; the rooms were darkened. He left it, left her, went North, went East, saw the stars turned in the Southern sky; sought the house, found it dropped beneath the Downs. â€Å"Safe, safe, safe,† the pulse of the house beat gladly. ‘The Treasure yours.† The wind roars up the avenue. Trees stoop and bend this way and that. Moonbeams splash and spill wildly in the rain. But the beam of the lamp falls straight from the window. The candle burns stiff and still. Wandering through the house, opening the windows, whispering not to wake us, the ghostly couple seek their joy. â€Å"Here we slept,† she says. And he adds, â€Å"Kisses without number.† â€Å"Waking in the morning–† â€Å"Silver between the trees–† â€Å"Upstairs–† ‘In the garden–† â€Å"When summer came–† ‘In winter snowtime–† â€Å"The doors go shutting far in the distance, gently knocking like the pulse of a heart. Nearer they come, cease at the doorway. The wind falls, the rain slides silver down the glass. Our eyes darken, we hear no steps beside us; we see no lady spread her ghostly cloak. His hands shield the lantern. â€Å"Look,† he breathes. â€Å"Sound asleep. Love upon their lips.† Stooping, holding their silver lamp above us, long they look and deeply. Long they pause. The wind drives straightly; the flame stoops slightly. Wild beams of moonlight cross both floor and wall, and, meeting, stain the faces bent; the faces pondering; the faces that search the sleepers and seek their hidden joy. â€Å"Safe, safe, safe,† the heart of the house beats proudly. â€Å"Long years–† he sighs. â€Å"Again you found me.† â€Å"Here,† she murmurs, â€Å"sleeping; in the garden reading; laughing, rolling apples in the loft. Here we left our treasure–† Stooping, their light lifts the lids upon my eyes. â€Å"Safe! safe! safe!† the pulse of the house beats wildly. Waking, I cry â€Å"Oh, is this your buried treasure? The light in the heart.†

Operation management tma worksheet

Second, Hazelwood has made investments in plant; they build a manufacture in London with 1 million productions of sandwiches per week but when they invest more by building Manton Wood they produce more by 3 million sandwiches. Also with new powerful machines, they could reduce the human resources costs because fewer tasks need to be done . Also the stock levels will be reduced so that this will be successful for the company.Third reasons lead Hazelwood Sandwiches to make investments in the product that customers are looking for quality, different types of Sandwich to compare it when they are abroad, So Hazelwood try to provide a high quality, healthy and delicious sandwiches in order to meet the customer demand. In addition providing different types of sandwiches to satisfy all types of tastes and modify old items or create new ones. Over all, there are many other reasons that lead Hazelwood to made capital investment . ln fact they are trying to gain competitive advantage to maximiz e the wealth of owners.They use different techniques to evaluate the investment opportunities, and then choose the best project. Moreover, Hazelwood maintain a brand name because of its sandwiches, Actually every company should investment in people, product and plant. Question 2 Hazelwood's investment decision techniques Investment decisions are important for the growth of the business because an investment includes financial resources for purchasing assets such building or equipment's which will bring economic benefit for the company. Those decisions are difficult and expensive to refuse once it has been ventured.Actually Hazelwood's uses various capital investment appraisal techniques to measure which project is more profitable. First method is Payback period which is the length of time that the investment takes to pay back the net cash inflows form the project. Projects will be selected according to the period the business sets and the shorter ones are preferred. The advantages o f this method that it's easy and quick to calculate or understood by users, avoiding risks and its good for the startup business to calculate the time needed to prepay the original investment.The disadvantages are that it onsiders about the time not the value of money, the relevant information such as the cash flows beyond the payback period are ignored and it doesn't consider maximizing the wealth of owners because it looks for the short project periods while longer beneficial project might be ignored. The second is Net Present Value includes all the money of an investment; It calculates the benefits from the investment against all the costs of this investment with allowance for the timing of them. The rule is to choose the project with the higher value and the positive ones not the negative ones.For its advantages, it considers about the objects of the business, maximizing the profits, it takes all the relevant cash flows in account and the timing of cash flow. For the disadvantag es, there are some risks for example a machine doesn't works, or that interests may lost in investment, also the problems of inflation which consider the loss in the purchasing power of money. The third is the Accounting Rate of Return which calculates the average operating profits over the average investment to earn those profits in the form of percentage.It's about achieving the target with higher ARR projects. The advantages that it represents a percentage and it consider the performance before it has performed. The disadvantages about using the accounting profits to measure the performance over the life of product, also different sizes of investments competing and using of average investment cause problems. Over all, those are the three investment decision techniques that Hazelwood uses in evaluation the investment opportunities.Each method ranks projects according to some compared features. With those techniques the most profitable project will be chosen. Question 3 Invest in p eople Investing in workforces is the lifeblood for any business, actually it's important to make investments in human resources because they are the main role of the business and attects it pertormance. Also well trained and experienced employees give advantage for the company because they are the workforce that a control the process in which the business operates.So the company should ensure that their employees are well trained, motivated and loyalty to their Jobs. Additionally maintain the satisfaction of the employee will raise the employee performance and focus to achieve the business objectives. Also this will improves their skills in doing the tasks. On one hand, Hazelwood provides flexible working environment: include the induction program which introduced the new employee to the organization and to its role, also programs that make the new employees feel they are a part of the team.Second, Family-friendly HR practices to understand the employee's circumstances such as the w orking hours for the mothers to look for their families and offers a paid time off for pregnant women's. Third, providing training and development opportunities which will enhance the commitment and improve the skills in doing the asks as fast as possible, also opportunities to take National Vocational Qualifications relevant to the food industry. Hazelwood try to provide facilities in the Job environment by providing gyms, hair dressers, shops, restaurants and cleaning services.In addition, the employee's expectations about the nature of work should be met. On the other hand, Hazelwood plain and monitor the performance of its employees to give them reward packages for their high performance. With those methods Hazelwood achieved to be the employee's brand that it's the choice of the employees because they know how to take care of their employees offer them good ay packages. As a result, Hazelwood decreases the labour turnover and reduces the levels of absenteeism also the costs of recruitment.Beside of Hazelwood there are other companies that invest in people in such as the National Bank of Kuwait; they believe that investing in people will benefit them in future. Actually 1800 Kuwaitis has been trained in 2012 and it will always provide training and developments opportunities to encourage their employees. Also ZAIN Company provides programs of training such as ongoing coaching, sending employees outside to complete their high education and induction. Last but not least T;D Team provides training and developments for the employees in order to improved their skills, performance and knowledge.Question 4 Workforce greatest assets For all businesses workforces are the role assets; In fact they are the people who achieve the company objectives. They should be looking after them starting from the managers, suppliers, employers, employee and all of them. Actually investing in people adds value to the organization especially for innovation companies such as Google be cause they rely on the experience of their human resources rather than nything else. The importance of workforces has different points of view. First the HRM function perspective which considers about managing people and carrying out their activities.It's responsible for ensuring that the people are in their right places with right skills by recruiting, selecting, developing and monitoring. HR believes that people performance affects the business performance so they provide training and development opportunities to maximize their performance. Also monitor the performance to ensure that they are on the right track and provides them with feedback. Moreover they provide reward systems to encourage them to achieve their targets and make sure that they are satisfied, motivated, appreciated and loyal to their Jobs.Moreover, this will build the organization's reputation as a social, ethical and responsible organization in order to gain a competitive advantage. Second the accounting functio n which considers about the financial accepts of the business. To achieve the HR function activities, the business should be able to afford the costs associated with those activities. Here the workforces are important because they guarantee bringing money to the business. But before going a step the business should think of the investment returns and risks.As if sending an employee to take English courses, how much of benefits this will bring in the future benefits. Moreover developing the skills of employees will raise the production levels as they have experience, finish the tasks on time and do it perfectly . So they will be able to develop or create new products or advanced technology. Also maintaining a positive reputation that will help them to raise money in the market and the financial advisors will advise the investors to invest in the business. Additionally, the company will gain a brand name which will decrease the costs of recruitment and advertising.

Learning Team Deliverable Essay

Measuring Domestic Output and National Income – Ch. 24 Topics comfortable Kris is comfortable with the concept of gross domestic product (GDP) as it is the dollar value of goods and services in a country during a set period. Walter is comfortable with the GDP concept and understands that is the economic thermometer of the country’s current financial status. Topics Struggle Kris still has to wrap his head around nominal GDP and real GDP when it comes to the GDP Price Index. So calculating real GDP is dividing nominal GDP by the price index. What is the difference between real GDP and nominal GDP? Walter also struggles with the concept of nominal GDP, and how it interacts with inflation. If GDP goes up and inflation goes down†¦it seems to be my understanding of the formula for calculating the nominal GDP that is holding me back. Application of topic GDP is fluctuates with whatever final good or service is bought by a customer. Living through life affects the GDP. If the GDP declines for too long, economists normally label the economy as being in a recession. Business Cycles, Unemployment and Inflation – Ch. 26 Topics comfortable Kris is comfortable with the different business cycles and measurement of unemployment. These items also affect the GDP. Walter is comfortable with the different symptoms of a recession, a period of decline lasting more than six months in total output. Of which high unemployment rates is another tell of a recession. Topics struggle Kris struggles with the concept of inflation and how it affects money today compared to money values in the past. Walter is struggling with defining a recession’s severity. Two examples given were the Great Depression and the recent recession in the last few years, Is the intensity or length of time that the recession lasts that makes one more severe than the other? Application of topic The business cycle is very familiar in Kris’ organization as the company goes through yearly contractions and expansions based on the demand from consumers in the market. The business cycle is also something Walter is familiar with in the hotel industry. The hotel industry goes up and done depending the current state of the economy. The Aggregate Expenditure Model – Ch. 28 Topics comfortable Kris is comfortable with the concepts of equilibrium GDP and disequilibrium GDP. Equilibrium is the point where goods produced equals goods purchased. Disequilibrium is any situation where goods produced are greater than goods purchased and vice versa. Walter is comfortable with the concept of GDP equilibrium, The basic premise of this equilibrium being that supply meets demand. Topics struggle Kris did not struggle with any concepts in the chapter, as they were all straightforward and easy to understand. Walter struggled with the concept of disequilibrium and how often, or what circumstances causes this to happen. I assume it is the opposite of the equilibrium and that demand supply exceeds demand but do not feel comfortable enough with the concept to say for sure. Application of topic As such, Kris cannot think of a time where there was equilibrium GDP. In reality, consumer tastes vary and it would be difficult to reach equilibrium Walter thinks that when the economy is doing well the equilibrium can be met because consumers are finically settled to continue purchasing products and business continue to produce according to demand. Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply – Ch. 29 Topics comfortable Kris is comfortable with aggregate demand in which it shows the real GDP that consumers desire to purchase at different price levels. Aggregate supply shows the relationship between the price level and the output of producers. Walter is comfortable with the concept of aggregate demand, and how consumer spending and government investments play into that calculation. As prices increases, consumer demand decreases and vice versa. Topics struggle Kris did not struggle with any concepts in this chapter. Walter struggled with understanding why aggregate supply is not affected by price levels. Application of topic Supply and demand is central to the market and economics in general. Consumer tastes always affect supply and demand. When the economy is bad and underemployment is high the demand for hig priced products decreases. Fiscal Policy, Deficits, and Debt – Ch. 30 Topics comfortable Kris is comfortable with fiscal policy, deficits, and debt as it affects his organization. Market rates are affected by the fiscal policy of the government. More or less spending affects the company’s contraction or expansion. Walter is comfortable with the concept that the fiscal debt and deficit show the governments current financial state. Topics struggle Kris struggles with the concept of automatic or built-in stabilizers. As the text states that a built-in stabilizer is something that increases the government’s budget, what kind of items constitute as a built-in stabilizer? Walter did not struggle with any of the general concepts in chapter 30. Application of topic The budget deficit affects all citizens as the government does not wisely use the tax payer’s funds properly. There is a lot of waste that keep the  government in debt. Walter notes that when the fiscal debt is higher so are taxes and fines. The misspending of the government is then the burden of the people.

Credit Card Security Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Credit Card Security - Research Paper Example is known as the Fraud Protection Guarantee, wherein the card holder is free from any fraudulent charges whether the credit card is used on the internet or not. It promotes maximum security because of its secure encryption technology that keeps the cardholders information strictly confidential (americanexpress.com, n. p.). For secure and safe online shopping, MasterCard has its MasterCard Secure Code; it works as having a personal code only known to the cardholder. Visa on the other hand, is also cooking up its own scheme of credit card security measure. counterfeit credit card, which makes up 37 percent of credit card frauds. Criminals who make fake credit cards employ the latest technology to "skim information" that are embedded on the magnetic stripes of the credit card and pass security measures, like holograms ("Credit Card Fraud Statistics and Facts," n. p.). In other words, using credit card online makes you susceptible to all kinds of credit card fraud. One interesting question is how criminals get a hold of your information. Although the most common perception is that credit card info is intercepted once the card is used online. That is an interesting theory, but experts explain that e-commerce has created an environment where anonymity is practiced; meaning cards are being used even without identifiers (Faughnan, n. p.). This could be the one problem that big credit card companies try to address with the code systems of their new security measure program. Another way of stealing a cardholders information is using a particular online business as a front to get credit card info. One common and enticing site is pornography site. Such is designed as a legitimate business, thus can easily asked for a persons credit card information once that person is interested in one of the sites services. This is what is identified as selling information because these are vendors and purchasers that only deal with information and need no physical a ddress for

In what ways can the philosophy and practice of cultural proficiency Essay

In what ways can the philosophy and practice of cultural proficiency offer solutions to unequal health outcomes for Indigenous Australians - Essay Example They still struggle against discrimination in all areas including health and social care. Australia’s Aboriginal population teaches two contrasting truths: â€Å"the crucial significance of culture in people’s lives† (O’Hagan, 2001, p.93), and the cultural insensitivity among those in authority including health care professionals towards minority cultural groups. According to the RACP (2004), the inequality in health status of indigenous populations in Australia is directly related to systemic discrimination. Health inequalities can be corrected only by achieving fundamental changes in the dominant Australian population’s behavior towards Aboriginal people. Ensuring equality in the indigenous groups is vital for the improvement of their health. Thus, â€Å"racist treatment should be recognised as a social determinant of health† (Larson et al, 2007, p.322), leading to inequalities in well-being and protection from diseases. (CSDH, 2008). Together, the conditions of daily life and the structural determinants consisting of distribution of power, income, goods and services, and the consequent unfairness in access to basic amenities such as health care are the major reasons for health inequities among indigenous groups (CSDH, 2008). Appropriate and adequate provisions are required for health care. For example, Kildea et al (2010) state that poor maternal and infant health outcomes can be improved for indigenous populations through an intensive, coordinated strategy to close the gap between the requirement and the provision of facilities to fulfill the requirement. Further, there is a lack of sensitivity to the crucial cultural philosophies and practices of the indigenous groups, with attempts to compel them into the mainstream population, while depriving them of access to basic amenities. Since the health outcomes of the indigenous

International and Comparative Human Resources Management Essay

International and Comparative Human Resources Management - Essay Example Choy (2007) suggests that the increasing role of multinational HR managers as trainers, counsellors, guides, and succession organizers is increasingly becoming irreversible. The role of HR managers is also sidling towards promoting and championing the ideals, ethics, concepts, and spiritual elements of their multinational organizations, especially with regard to handling cultural diversity at the workplace (Choy, 2007). HR managers for multinational companies grapple with numerous challenges in their line of duty, problems brought about by globalization (Mongiello, and Harris, 2006). These include; workplace diversity, low employee morale and productivity; and complicated planning options in certain markets. However, with an open and strategic approach to management, the managers can show effective leadership for their organization and manage the resources well (Choy, 2007). Globalization Globalization has tailored the significance of HR management in multinationals to reflect the to wering global scope and value (Escobar and Vredenburg 2011). Today’s HR managers have to deal with the transfer of workforces and responsibilities across countries. Additionally, globalization has enhanced the need for human resources to interact with sophisticated technologies in order to accomplish various HR tasks: these include; ensuring more competition among skilled employees at all organizational levels; more convoluted and strategic talent sourcing and nurturing pipelines (Jain, and Singh, 2013). In particular Darrag, Ahmed, and Hadia (2010) have noted the presence of a highly rigorous advertising, communication among various corporate fields and... This essay stresses that an effective HR manager of a multinational should apply controls and measure the outcomes of each employee’s productivity. Such a manager ought to carry out organizational appraisals on issues like remuneration, benefits, and condition of the workplace environment among other issues on a regular basis to evaluate the status of the organization for long-term planning initiatives. Additionally, there is need to implement performance matrix for gauging the effects of cultural diversity programs on the business operations through feedbacks. This report makes a conclusion that the mandate of a HR manager should be tailored to suit the changing requirements of the organization in relation to the dynamic global market. An effective HR manager transforms his organization into a more adaptable, strong, and consumer-oriented business. Within such an environment, the leader must learn and deploy effective management strategies such as being able to plan, organize, lead and manage the human assets in an evolving and competitive market environment. To manage the challenges that couple the enforcement of various HR initiatives in multinational corporations, organizations should promote cross-cultural communication among the diverse workforce to achieve teamwork. It is important to also embrace technology as a way of improving better interaction with customers, employees, suppliers and shareholders.

Market Opportunity Analysis - Walmart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Market Opportunity Analysis - Walmart - Essay Example Changing demographic data such as growing population, ethnic diversity, income, percentage of single parents and percentage of people living in metropolitan triggers four prospects—more food for growing population, more easy-to-prepare foods for single parent households, more variety of products for diversified people and more upgraded foods for individuals with higher incomes. (Umberger, Thilmany and Ziehl p9-13) Nowadays, consumers are changing their buying patterns to be online because of lower prices and available 24/7. Consumer tastes can be different based on another demographic factor: age. For example, consumers under 35 years old are most likely to be interested in domestics (73.3%), lawn & garden (71.4%), stationery (66.7%), personal care appliances (65.5%) and glasses and dishware (60.0%). (Negley) And the willingness to switch brands also depends on the age groups—for instance, consumers over 50 years old have strongest loyalties. Jennifer Negley also claimed that the loyalties of consumers were falling down. It could be seen in groceries and canned food products which possessed 84% loyalty in 1993 and shifted to 73% in 1997. Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the world, is operating in the highly competitive retail industry in both local US market and international market. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is based in Bentonville, Arkansas, and comprises of four separate retail segments namely Wal-Mart Supercenters, Discount Stores, Neighborhood Markets, and SAM’S CLUB. As of January 31, 2010, the company operated 2,612 Supercenters ,891 Discount Stores, 153 Neighborhood Markets and 602 SAM'S CLUB warehouses and in the United States. (Wal-Mart Annual Report, p 14) There are 3,615 Wal-Mart units outside US including countries such as Mexico, Canada, Brazil, UK, China and Germany. The retail products available at Wal-Mart include general merchandise such as household goods, apparels, jewelry, health & beauty products, electronics, toys, fabrics, shoes, garden appliances and crafts. Along with other retailers in the industry like Kmart and Sear, Wal-Mart is facing the changing consumer buying patterns and prefere nces. The essence of Wal-Mart’s success is its ability to purchase a huge amount of goods and re-sell them to customers with lower prices. It also intends to sell quality products at the same time. So, it would be a high risk if it could not predict correctly on which items to be purchased to meet the changing consumer tastes. As we learned that consumers from different places prefer separate items, it may affect on setting localization strategy for each international unit. Next, as Wal-Mart is selling many products across several product lines, it is more inflexible to change compared to its competitors who only focus on one or two product lines. If consumers change their tastes in one product line, the competitors can adapt with customers’ preferences more easily than Wal-Mart can. Moreover, it is vital to catch up with changing consumer’s online behaviors for the effects can be critical for how Wal-Mart’s online store should be shaped. 2. How well are these changes in customer tastes and preferences being reflected in competitive strategies in the industry? Changes in customer tastes and preferences are reflected in competitive strategies pursued by different retailers in the industry. Competitive strategies help an organization to build a competitive advantage which is the result of having superior performance over competitors. (Hill) And that advantage makes a

Cloning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Cloning - Essay Example According to Sir Johns, cloning humans will be the same as making an identical twin which is just like copying what nature has already produced (Collins). This can be used to relieve suffering among people who have lost their loved kids. Research has shown that about 60 % of the people asked to express their views towards cloning are in favour of it. However, cloning has been criticised as a result of various reasons. For instance, the Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy argues that cloning raises a wide range of moral and ethical issues. For instance, embryos are destroyed for stem cells and this is seen as a serious moral wrong. An embryo should be treated as a human being. Cloning is also labour intensive and it is very expensive to carryout and this is one of the main reasons why it is criticised by many people. It is feared that the rate of still births can increase if cloning is done on human beings since this reproductive process would be different from the natural way of foetus development in the womb. Critics of cloning also argue that identity and personality of cloned individuals will be compromised and this can affect their social growth and development. There is a general feeling that cloning undermines human dignity which is enshrined in different international conventions about human rights. In my own opinion, I think cloning should be banned since the off springs produced are not original in nature. For instance, research has shown that the off springs are not 100 % perfect so there are likely chances that they will be affected by different health complications. I also feel that cloning undermines the dignity of people in different societies. This contravenes the law of natural life where it can be argued that it is only God who can create human beings. Cloned species would not be original and this is the reason why I am also against the idea of cloning human beings