To what extent do you agree with free market economies being more Essay - 4

To what extent do you agree with free market economies being more effective than a mixed economy - Essay Example This is because governments will always want to intervene in a market, by imposing taxes for purposes of raising revenue and protecting their markets (Clarke, 2009). There is also another form of a market system referred to as the mixed market economy. A mixed economy has some elements whereby the forces of demand and supply play a role in regulating the prices of commodities, at the same time; the government has some interference with the affairs of the market (Clarke, 2009). This is through taxes and subsidies. In as much as the mixed economy was developed to solve the problems of a free market economy, it is important to denote that a free market economy is still a good form of market structure as compared to a mixed economy. The reason as to why a free market economy is better than a mixed economy is based on the fact that the market is very competitive. Companies, in their bid to attract customers and make sales, will resort to the production of high quality products and services. These companies are concerned with satisfaction of the various needs of their customers, and on this basis, the opinions of customers will be used to produce services and products for purposes of satisfying the needs of customers (Romero, 2003). On the other hand, companies operating in a mixed economy cannot effectively achieve efficiency in providing services and products without increasing their costs. This is because their prices and financial activities are regulated by the various taxes that governments charge. The costs of improving these services will in turn pass over to the customers of the organization. On the other hand, companies in a free market economy would not need to increase their prices, for purposes of adding value to their products. This is because they know that other companies will take advantage of these increases in price, and take over some of their customers (Romero, 2003). It is also cheaper to

Mushroom Fungi Nutritional Content Biology Essay

Mushroom Fungi Nutritional Content Biology Essay INTRODUCTION Mushrooms have been a component of our human diet since time immemorial. They were used as food before man understood the use of other organisms. Certainly mushrooms were one of mans most basic foods, and they were often considered an exotic and luxurious food reserved for the rich. Today mushrooms are food for both the rich and the poor. They can be grown anywhere as long as the conditions for their growth and cultivations are provided. The word mushroom may have different meanings and perspectives in different literatures and geographical territories. Mushroom is defined as a macro fungus with distinct fruit body that can be either epigeous or hypogenous and large enough to be seen with naked eye and to be picked by hand. Mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. Mushrooms, a group known as fungi, lack chlorophyll and cannot therefore make its own food. It grows on dead organic matter either parasitically or symbiotically with other living organisms. Among the various mushroom species, button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), oyster mushroom (Pleurotus species.), paddy straw (Volvariella species.), milky mushroom (Calocybe Indica) are most popular among the commercial growers. Mushroom which is a fleshy saprophyte fungus are found growing on damp rotten log of wood trunk of trees, decaying organic matter and in damp soil rich in organic substances. Edible mushroom are highly nutritious and can be compared with eggs, milk and meat. Mushrooms are rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals and called as the vegetarians meat. Mushroom proteins are considered to be intermediate between that of animals and vegetables (Kurtzman, 1976) as it contains all the nine essential amino acids which is required for human body. Mushroom has a high protein content of 25-50%, fat (2-5%), sugars (17-47%), mycocellulose (7-38%), minerals (8-12%) and vitamins such as D, C, B1, B5, B6, niacin and riboflavin. Apart from serving as a protein food, for which they are most popular in Nigeria, mushrooms are also medicinal and have some biotechnology based functions. Many of mushrooms produce a range of metabolites of intense interest to the nutriceutical and pharmaceutical (e.g. antitumour, immunomodulation agents, and hypocholesterol-aemic agents) and food (e.g. flavor compound) industries (Chang, 2007). Many Asian countries use traditionally wild edible mushrooms as delicious and nutritional foods and medicine. Wild edible mushrooms are appreciated not only for texture and flavor but also for their chemical and nutritional characteristics (Sanmee et al., 2003). Cultivated mushrooms have higher protein contents and minerals, low in fat and rich in B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin K and sometimes vitamins A and C. Because of its oyster like shape Oyster mushroom (i.e. Pleurotus species.) is commonly called as Dhengri in India. Genus Pleurotus belongs to family Tricholomataceae and has about 40 well-recognized species, out of which 12 species are cultivated in different parts of country. Pleurotus is an efficient lignin-degrading mushroom and can grow well on different types of lignocellulolosic materials. Cultivation of this Mushroom is very simple and low cost which gives consistent growth with high biological efficiency. Different species of Pleurotus can grow well in variable temperature conditions; hence they are ideally suited for cultivation throughout the year in various regions of tropical country like India. Among the Pleurotus species, P. sajor caju had been widely studied for the cultivation followed by P. ostreatus. These studies mainly concentrated on the cultivation on wastes of forest and agricultural plants. Almost, all the available, lignocellulosic substances are likely be us ed as substrate for Pleurotus species. Cultivation with slightly variation in the range and combination of the substrates in different part of world based on their availability in abundant and being cheaper in the respective region. The technology can also limit air pollution associated with burning agriculture wastes as well as to decrease environmental pollution due to unutilized agricultural wastes. Pleurotus species represents the third largest group of cultivated edible mushrooms in the world, grown on a variety of plant residues, and they have been found to be nutritionally and gastronomically important. They may be cultivated on a large number of substrates, according to local availability in different regions of the world. Most of these studies focused on the higher yield and quality of fruiting bodies of Pleurotus sp. with respect to cultivation times. The cultivation of edible mushrooms offers one of the most feasible and economic method for the bioconversion of agro-lignocellulosic wastes. One of the advantages of the Pleurotus group is their ability to grow on lignocellulosic substrates without the need for a composting or casing layer. Production techniques for these basidiomycetes are well developed and are relatively simple, compared with those used for the most commonly cultivated mushroom. Pleurotus mushrooms, commonly known as oyster mushrooms, grow wildly in trop ical and sub-tropical areas, and are easily arti ¬Ã‚ cially cultivated. They are healthy foods, low in calories and in fat, rich in protein, chitin, vitamins and minerals. They also contain high amounts of ÃŽ ³-amino butyric acid (GABA) and ornithine. GABA is a non-essential amino acid that functions as a neurotransmitter whereas ornithine is a precursor in the synthesis of arginine. Extract of P. ostreatus was able to alleviate the hepatotoxicity induced by CCl4 in rats and also the extract from P. ostreatus appeared to protect major organs such as the liver, heart, and brain of aged rats against oxidative stress. There are about 40 species of Pleurotus mushrooms and they ranks second among the important cultivated mushrooms in the world. The mushroom cultivation is a profitable agribusiness and Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) is an edible mushroom having excellent flavour and taste. It belongs to class Basidiomycetes, subclass Hollobasidiomycetidae, order Agricals. It grows wild in the forests of hilly areas and is cultivated in temperate and subtropical regions of the world. The technology of artificial cultivation of mushroom is somewhat recent innovation; incorporation of non conventional crops in existing agricultural system can help in improving the social as well as economic status of small farmers. Mushrooms are the source of extra ordinary power and virility and have medicinal properties like anticancerous, anticholesteral, antitumorous. Mushrooms are useful against diabetes, ulcer and lungs diseases. It can be grown on agricultural and industrial waste. These wastes can be recycled into food and environment may be less endangered by pollution (Hayes, 1978). Mushroom cultivation is highly labour intensive, short duration crop and land saving, can be welcomed by the poor farmers. At present mushroom production is approximately 1.5 million tons in the world. Every year about 90 tons of mushrooms are exported to Europe from Pakistan. There is need to develop diversified agriculture in the Pakistan. It is unfortune that in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir they have not caught the imagination of the public at large scale to become an important food item, perhaps the reason for not being taken up widely is non availability of mushrooms at low prices and lack of knowledge. The farmers should come forward to cultivate edible mushrooms like Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster mushroom) on commercial scale to fulfill the requirements of balance diet. The major problem associated with the transfer of technology for mushroom cultivation is the lack of technical know-how for its cultivation. During an investigation of the cultivation of mushroom on agricultural residues, it was found that rice husk sorghum stover, saw dust, cotton waste, cocoa bean shell, and sawdust Gliricidia mixture are suitable substrates for the cultivation of edible mushroom. Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus species), the third largest commercially produced mushroom in the world are found growing naturally on rotten wood material. The growing increase in consumption of oyster mushroom is largely due to its taste, medicinal and nutritional properties. Pleurotus ostreatus is one of the most produced species, cultivated mainly on sawdust. The unavailability of sawdust and the fact that felling of trees in most regions of the world is prohibited makes it imperative that other sources of substrates be utilised for its cultivation. In the tropics and sub-tropics, large volumes of unused lignocellulosic byproducts can be found. These byproducts are left to rot in the  ¬Ã‚ eld or are disposed o ¬Ã¢â€š ¬ through burning. Cultivation of mushrooms on these by-products may be one of the solutions to transforming these inedible wastes into accepted edible biomass of high market value. Oyster mushrooms are grown from mycelium (threadlike filaments that become interwoven) propagated on a base of steam-sterilized cereal grain (usually rye or millet). This cereal grain/mycelium mixture is called spawn and is used to seed mushroom substrate. Most spawn is made with mycelium from a stored culture, rather than mycelium whose parent was a spore. This is because spores are likely to yield a new strain and performance would be unpredictable. Spawn-making is a rather complex task and not feasible for the common mushroom grower. Spawn of various oyster mushroom species may be purchased from commercial spawn makers who usually provide instructions for its use. Spawn frequently is shipped from the manufacturer to growers in the same aseptic containers used for spawn production. Inoculum for spawn production is frequently produced in polyethylene bags containing a microporous breather strip for gas exchange. Most commercial spawn production companies produce spawn only from inoc ulum that has met strict quality control standards. These standards include verification of inoculum production performance before it is use to produce spawn and insurance of the spawns biological purity and vigor. Mushroom has high protein content of 25-30% and also compasses of Fat (2-5%) my cellulose (7-38%), sugars (17-47%) mineral (8-12%) and vitamins such as D, C, B ,B1 ,B5 ,B6, Nicin, Riboflavin. The known species of fungi are about 69,000 of which about 10,000 species are fleshy macro fungus and only few of these are lethal. About 2000 species are regarded as prime edible mushroom but only 80 of them are grown experimentally ,40 species are cultivated economically and only 20 species are cultivated commercially (Chang, 1999). There are numerous types of substrates used for cultivation of mushroom throughout the world but some important substrates include paddy straw, wheat straw, cotton waste, cotton boll locules, maize straw and chopped leaves etc . It has been reported that mushrooms can grow on chopped cocoa pods, cotton waste, dried chopped maize straw, oil palm (fiber and bunch) wastes, tobacco straw, used tea leaves, rice straw, sugarcane bagasse, newsprint, old rags and sawdust. Pakistan is an agricultural country having 70% of its manpower engaged directly or indirectly in agriculture sector but unfortunately we are not able to sustain our agriculture on strong basis. It requires a long term planning to increase our area under cultivation converting baron and arid areas into fertile lands. In such circumstances small cottage industry like mushroom cultivation as well as commercial cultivation will not only ameliorate the miserable conditions of our poor farmers but on the other hand will become a source of foreign exchange. Oyster mushroom is quite easy to cultivate is compared to its other relatives and has more nutritional and medicinal value as compared to vegetables. Oyster mushroom cultivation can play an important role in managing organic wastes whose disposal has become a problem Malnutrition is a problem in developing countries, Mushrooms with their flavour, texture; nutritional value and high productivity per unit area have been identified as an excellent food source to alleviate malnutrition in developing countries. The oyster mushroom Pleurotus species is a saprophytic fungus commercially cultivated throughout the world because of its tasty basidiocarp and simple cultivation technology. It is also one of the choicest white rot fungi for research scientists to investigate. Pleurotus species lignocellulolytic enzymes for bioremediation (Arisoy and KalanKayan 1997) its flavour compounds, (Mau et al., 1998). Oyster mushrooms are mainly cultivated on residues from agricultural crops such as wheat, paddy, cotton, sugar cane or soybean. Consumption of edible mushrooms as food and drug is closely related to the history of mankind. Recently, oyster has been added to the list of commercially produced mushrooms. Edible mushrooms are cultivated worldwide under various climatic conditions. Their total annual production in the world is well over 1.2 million tons. These mushrooms are grown on commercial scale in several countries. However, no systematic start has been made to grow them in Pakistan, which has varied climatic zones and abundance of manpower and agro-waste resources. There are about 5000 different species of mushrooms, of which at least 1220 are reported to be edible.

Philosophy of Education Essay -- Philosophy of Teaching Teachers Essay

Philosophy of Education Webster’s definition of teaching is the act or profession of instruction. But to be a teacher is so much more. A teacher must be an instructor, counselor, disciplinarian, and a role model. To be an effective teacher we must incorporate all these roles into one entity. I have read educational philosophies written by Plato, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Charles Anders Pierce, and John Dewy. These viewpoints were helpful in determining my own educational philosophy. I did not use one particular by parts of all of them. Many times they wee only a starting point and my mind would carry me in a different direction. On the next few pages I will set forth Patricia Smith’s educational philosophy. You may recognize some of the ideas and some you may not. Plato believed that humans wee predestined to possess a certain amount of knowledge. He believed there were three types of human beings. He proposed a gold type, which was the philosopher/kings, the silver that consisted of the people who make up the military, and finally the bronze, which were the laborers. He believed that students should be sorted out and taught according to their judged abilities. I believe that we each possess a certain amount of natural ability and talent. But at the same time no person has the right or ability to classify another. I do not believe a child is predestined to have a certain amount of intelligence, but that every child has the potential to be a â€Å"gold†, we just need to find the key to unlock that potential. If teachers set high expectations for their students, the students will give their best, but if teachers set low expectations, the students will not try to exceed these expectations. ... ...mentary school. At the same time, I never want to be satisfied. When I reach one goal, I’ll always set another one. I eventually want to obtain a Masters Degree in Library Science. I have a desire to learn new things and want to inspire my students to become life long learners. If I look back on my life and can say I taught a child to read, write in cursive, or the taught him/her multiplication tables I will feel like I taught. But if I can motivate a child to reach his/her full potential, I will feel like I have achieved something. In conclusion my philosophy on education is reflected in the following words by an unknown author: â€Å"A hundred years from now it won’t matter how much money I had in a bank account, how big of a house I lived in or what kind of car I drove. What will matter is that I have made the difference in the life of a child.†

Risk of Schizophrenia Essay

Over the last few decades Schizophrenia has become embedded in mainstream vernacular as any behavior or emotional response that is out of touch with reality. However even with its popularity heightened through movies and headline news stories, schizophrenia is still one of the most enigmatic and least understood disorders of the brain. With current research focused on the role of neurobiology and functioning on a cellular level, investigative analysis has merited new innovations towards its source, however a single organic cause for the disorder still eludes scientists. Although the foundation of the affliction is still unknown, its effects are well documented and over the next few pages will show the changes in the brain as the disease develops, and how those alterations impact the rest of the body and alter various other functions throughout the viscera. The term Schizophrenia was first coined in 1911 by Swiss psychiatrist Dr. Eugen Bleuler and translates from the original Greek as schizo (split) and phrene (mind), making a literal translation of split-mind, in reference to the disjointed thinking of those with the disease (Johnstone, 1994). Although the term was first used in the early twentieth century, according to scholars a ‘madness’ was described in The Ebers Papyrus, a collection of ancient Egyptian medical papers dating back to 1550 BC, which accurately depicts some of schizophrenia’s symptoms (Johnstone, 1994). With its possible documentation over three millennia ago and its symptoms documented in a myriad of medical journals throughout history, the disorder itself is very rare. Those who are at the highest risk of manifestation are offspring whose parents are both schizophrenic, although even at this rate the risk of manifestation is about forty-six percent. Globally however its prevalence is about 0.9 percent or fifty-eight million people worldwide (Hollandsworth, 1990). According to James G. Hollandworth of the University of Southern Mississippi, schizophrenia is primarily characterized by a disintegration of reality perception, consciousness, and thought process which results in a debilitated proficiency in social and professional faculties (Hollandworth, 1990). While schizophrenia can most arguably be classified as a predominantly genetic affliction, there are others factors which can contribute to its development even without a genetic predisposition. These elements include birth defects such as hypoxia and low birth rate, neuroanatomical anomalies, viral infections, along with low IQ and cerebral  atrophy (Hollandsworth, 1990). While these components in themselves are not sufficient enough to cause the disorder, they result in an increased risk for developing the disease. One theory for the cause of schizophrenia that has been studied with great validity is the dopamine hypothesis. This theory postulates that schizophrenia is caused by an overabundance of the dopamine-dependent areas of the brain causing an imbalance that affects the entire system (Hollandsworth, 1990). For this reason many of today’s schizophrenia treatment drugs inhibit dopamine receptor activity in an attempt to return it to its natural equilibrium. Although even with advances in modern science and new drugs being developed every day, the illness is still only treatable and its symptoms still emerge even with proper medication. Even with its origin unknown, scientists have discovered several chromosomes which when damaged or mutated, greatly increase the risk of developing schizophrenia. The chromosomes in particular that act as catalysts are chromosome numbers twenty-two, six, and eleven (Klar, 2004). Chromosome six contains several genes that are linked with immune response which has given rise to the belief that schizophrenia has some association with weakened disease fighting agents. While damage to this chromosome may be linked to the source of the ailment, it may only be the jump starter that kicks off the path to developing the illness. For as scientists know, a lacking immune response caused by chromosome damage can theoretically leave the body vulnerable to infection, which are facilitators that can bring about the emergence of the disorder (Hollandsworth, 1990). Chromosome twenty-two on the other hand is linked with the dopamine hypothesis as this area houses enzymes that aid in transporting neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters, mainly catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and proline dehydrogenase (PRODH) are essential for the breakdown of dopamine. Any disruptions in this particular area can trigger an overabundance or shortage of dopamine, potentially resulting in developing positive or negative schizophrenia symptoms (Chakravarti, 2002). Lastly, chromosome eleven has been associated with schizophrenia on the grounds of genetic translocation, or a chromosome abnormality caused by faulty rearrangements of various strands of DNA. These faults can occur in any number of genes, however during this process it occurs at times pivotal to cell division, making it easy for genes to be incorrectly rearranged (Klar, 2004). When this happens  it can potentially inhibit the development of lateralization of brain function and act as a precursor not only schizophrenia, but other forms of mental illness as well as cognitive impairments (Klar, 2004). Once the subject has developed schizophrenia it affects the brain in very specific ways. When the disorder itself first begins to emerge its early symptoms manifest themselves in a period called The Prodormal Phase (Neale &ump; Oltmanns, 1980). During this phase, which occurs anywhere from six to thirty months before the disease truly emerges, the person may experience social withdrawal , dysphoria, and irritability. As the disorder progresses the symptoms may become more intense, and newer or ‘positive’ symptoms may begin to surface. These positive symptoms can include visual and auditory hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thought processes. In severe cases of thought process deterioration or cognitive slippage, a person can develop schizophasia or ‘word salad’ where a person’s speech is completely incoherent with no understandable thought or message. Following the positive symptoms of the illness, ‘negative’ symptoms can appear as well. These symptoms are aspects of the person’s personality that have been negated by the disease. They are most commonly expressed by the person’s flat or expressionless demeanor, apathy, very little displayed emotion, and continued peculiar behavior (Hollandsworth, 1990). After schizophrenia has completely manifested itself, the patient is usually classified into one of four types. These types are paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, and undifferentiated. Those in the paranoid group display an obsession over their delusions or ha ve hallucinations specifically related to a certain subject or idea, and are usually the most functional of all schizophrenics (Johnstone, 1994). Disorganized types are typically ones who display little emotion and act in a disjointed and inarticulate manner, while catatonic schizophrenics are merely ones who appear in torpor and display lethargic indolence. The undifferentiated type however is hybrid of the three previous types and is a miscellaneous combination of all their symptoms combined (Johnstone, 1994). While the outward symptoms may be relatively easy to recognize, inside the brain is a totally different matter. Schizophrenia can cause structural changes in the brain even though a specific cause for these changes is still unknown. These changes in brain structure are illustrated by larger ventricles, a thicker corpus collosum, a decrease in dendrite  spines in the frontal lobe, disordered hippocampal pyramidal cells, and a shrinkage of the cerebellar vermis, which is mainly responsible for perception. In some studies malformed neuronal migration has been observed which can lead to disjointed thoughts as well as an overall shrinkage of the hippocampus and amygdala (Johnstone, 1994). Due to these changes, a person suffering from the disorder can have reduced functioning in the frontal lobe which can affect their logic and critical thinking skills as well as their ability to successfully plan ahead. This reduced functioning is displayed in the Wisconsin card sorting test, which is administered to measure possible brain damage and assess the functioning of the frontal lobe. Schizophrenics who participate in the test show an inability to successfully transfer their attention to the rules of the exam once they begin. Functional imaging has also shown a lack of activity in the right hemisphere of the frontal lobe during their partaking, which does not increase as the task is administered. It is also shown that in a study by a Dr. Nagy in 1963, that of 260 cases of schizophrenia, roughly fifty-eight percent of the group had some form of cerebral atrophy (Johnstone, 1994). On a cellular level schizophrenia symptoms are thought to be caused by an overabundance of neurotransmitters released between neurons. These neurotransmitters, mainly dopamine and serotonin, in excess can cause hallucinations and delusions which are referred to as ‘positive’ symptoms. Too little of these neurotransmitters however can result in lack of emotion and motivation which mirror the ‘negative’ symptoms of the disorder. Another type of cell affected by schizophrenia is the pyramidal cell in the prefrontal cortex, or the forehead area of the brain. These cells, which are a type of neuron that serve primarily as excitation units in the prefrontal cortex, are shown to have a decrease in basilar dendrite numbers. These basilar dendrites arise from the base of the pyramidal cell’s soma, and with a decrease in their numbers it can indicate a shortened synaptic surface area resulting in possible fallacious thought processing (Broadbelt, Byne, &ump; Jo nes, 2002). Pyramidal cells in the hippocampus are also known to be affected by the disorder can and cause many of the cells in that area to be thrown into disarray, causing cognitive malfunctions. The treatment of this disorder can vary greatly depending on the person; however dopamine inhibiting antipsychotics are a very popular remedy. Although prevalent, these  medications are not perfect and many scientists claim there is still no concrete connection that schizophrenia is exclusively a result of faulty dopaminergic transmissions (Neale &ump; Oltmanns, 1980). It has also been noted that many of the dopamine inhibiting drugs serve only to combat the positive symptoms and leave many of the negative symptoms such as emotional absence unaffected. Another treatment that is still widely used, but much less common is electroconvulsive therapy or shock therapy. This treatment is still very controversial but there has been success in treating schizophrenia symptoms completely, although many patients relapse within six months. Studies have also indicated that although this treatment can be effective there are risks of permanent brain damage. According to Dr. Peter Breggin (2008), a psychiatrist at the State University of New York, shock therapy in animal testing showed statistically significant brain structural abnormalities when compared to animals without it. His study showed the electrical shocks caused changes in the nerve cell walls causing gliosis, or a profound increase in the number of astrocytes in impaired areas of the central nervous system (Breggin, 2008). In conclusion, schizophrenia is unique disorder that affects the brain in many ways, yet manifests itself differently from person to person. As there is no tangible rubric for how the disorder will impact the person, it can be a difficult illness to treat. Its effects on the brain, from enlarged ventricles to a decline in dendrite spines, shows the major impact the illness can have on living a normal life. Although the disorder afflicts just over fifty-eight million people worldwide it is still devastating to those who are affected and while the medical community makes leaps and bounds in understanding the disease, a cure is still far from the horizon. With psychology grant money from universities being invested predominantly in neuropsychology, perhaps sometime in the near future scientists will be able to fully understand this illness and find a successful and permanent cure for it.

Barriers to communication Essay

1.3 Identify barriers to effective communication A child, young person, their parent(s)/carer(s) or even a member of staff whose first language is foreign may make it harder for any communication spoken to them to be understood. They may only understand very small words of the language you’re speaking, so information will be harder to put across. For example; in my setting, there is a child who can understand what you are saying, but it seems, most of the time they seem very quiet. This may be due to their parent(s) being from a foreign country, so they may be able to communicate in their parent(s) language, but not in ours so may find it hard to communicate some of their needs/feelings. Someone may have a sensory deprivation – such as hearing or sight. This will make giving and receiving information harder to do – they may need an interpreter at all times for example. When talking to a service provider, they may use technical language that the service user may not understand which will make it harder for them to process the information and may worry what they have meant. Someone may be going through a difficult time that is making their emotions go all over the place – such as they may take things the wrong way, get upset easily, no full concentration and not trying as hard to complete/do things. Environmental/setting problems can cause a barrier for a communication – someone who may not be able to see very well will find it hard to read any written information in a dimly lit room. Or, for example, someone in a wheelchair can find it hard to communicate with someone if they are at a desk that is above the wheelchair users head.

Free Essays on A Self Reflection

So here I am, with this paper to write, and I’m being asked all these questions. My cultural heritage is very interesting. I grew up in a very closed racial society, dealing with mostly white people. My mom was really not anything in particular like â€Å"Polish†, or â€Å"Italian†, or anything at all like that.. Now if you want to talk about my grandmother, she is the definition of â€Å"Polish†. She can teach you almost anything you want to know about the polish, and she cooks great to boot. No one in my family has ever really been reach now that I think about it, they are all moderately well off but no one is really rich, mostly just middle class working Americans. No one in my family has ever really been too heavy on religion. When I was little I was in a school that made me go to church every Wednesday, which was no good for me. I really dislike religion on what I consider an epic scale. Religion to me, is a way to weaken yourself and leech strength off a principle or a belief, which I don’t believe is the right way to do things. I believe that each person should strive to make themselves stronger individuals and learn to deal with things to the fullest and not need a principle or an assertion. I was brought up to believe in respect, responsibility, hard work, and gentry. I retain a lot of those qualities to this day, but I have a very low tolerance for people that lack basic respect and compassion. I mean, if you can’t have the basic compassion to not put someone down for a tragedy in his or her life, you really need to reconsider who you are as a person. Well, that’s my opinion. My family, although teaching me well, was very dysfunctional. My biological father was and still is a psychopath. He used to have visitation rights to me every 2 weeks. Antonio Castro, such a horrible man. He is actually a registered student and attending classes at HCC this semester. He made me use firearms, pistols mostly. ... Free Essays on A Self Reflection Free Essays on A Self Reflection So here I am, with this paper to write, and I’m being asked all these questions. My cultural heritage is very interesting. I grew up in a very closed racial society, dealing with mostly white people. My mom was really not anything in particular like â€Å"Polish†, or â€Å"Italian†, or anything at all like that.. Now if you want to talk about my grandmother, she is the definition of â€Å"Polish†. She can teach you almost anything you want to know about the polish, and she cooks great to boot. No one in my family has ever really been reach now that I think about it, they are all moderately well off but no one is really rich, mostly just middle class working Americans. No one in my family has ever really been too heavy on religion. When I was little I was in a school that made me go to church every Wednesday, which was no good for me. I really dislike religion on what I consider an epic scale. Religion to me, is a way to weaken yourself and leech strength off a principle or a belief, which I don’t believe is the right way to do things. I believe that each person should strive to make themselves stronger individuals and learn to deal with things to the fullest and not need a principle or an assertion. I was brought up to believe in respect, responsibility, hard work, and gentry. I retain a lot of those qualities to this day, but I have a very low tolerance for people that lack basic respect and compassion. I mean, if you can’t have the basic compassion to not put someone down for a tragedy in his or her life, you really need to reconsider who you are as a person. Well, that’s my opinion. My family, although teaching me well, was very dysfunctional. My biological father was and still is a psychopath. He used to have visitation rights to me every 2 weeks. Antonio Castro, such a horrible man. He is actually a registered student and attending classes at HCC this semester. He made me use firearms, pistols mostly. ...

Inkeepers rights to evict a guest essays

Inkeepers rights to evict a guest essays e. Objectionable character or improper conduct f. Business competitors seeking to solicit customers b. Actions to be taken under circumstances Under certain circumstances an innkeeper has the right to withdraw hotel privileges and evict a guest. Evict means to remove someone from property. A hotel can evict a guest for nonpayment of a bill, overstaying, disorderly conduct, serious or contagious illness, or objectionable character. In addition to those conditions a hotel may also evict business competitors seeking to solicit customers under certain circumstances along with non-guests (Cournoyer, p. 356). The hotelkeeper must first make certain the person occupying the room is a guest and not a tenant. If the person is a tenant, than the above reasons for evicting them must be accompanied with a court proceeding. The right to evict stems from the duty of the innkeeper to receive and provide adequate accommodations, without discrimination, to all who come in a fit condition to be received, who are willing and able to pay as long as the hotel has a room. If, after the guests admission, circumstances occur which would have justified the innkeeper in refusing to admit that person, the innkeeper has justification for evicting that guest (Kalt, p. 53). Once admitted, a guest is in a better position to demand the services of the innkeeper than when that person first applied for admission, but that alone does not secure the guest from being evicted (Sherry, p. 109). Failure to pay a hotel bill is grounds for eviction. Ordinarily, the hotel makes a demand upon the guest for the amount of the bill and requests the guest to leave by a certain hour if the bill is not paid. The hotel has the right to evict immediately as long as the person is a guest, and not a tenant. From the earliest times, the rule was that an innkeeper had the right to request payment before furnishing accommodations. By the nineteenth century...

Top Three Shakespeare Villains

Top Three Shakespeare Villains While Shakespeare is known for penning many heroic monologues from Henry V  to Hamlet, lets turn our attention toward the immortal bards darker nature. Shakespeare has a knack for giving a sharp tongue to his tyrants, traitors, and antagonists. The following is a list of the three most villainous Shakespeare characters along with their best monologues. #1 Iago from Othello Iago is  Shakespeares most sinister (and in some ways most mysterious) character. He is the main antagonist in Othello. He is Othellos ensign and the husband of Emilia, who is the attendant of Desdemona, Othellos wife. A Machiavellian conniver, Othello deeply trusts Iago, and Iago uses this trust to betray Othello while still appearing honest.   Iagos motives also remain a mystery, leading to lengthy debates between theatergoers and Shakespeare scholars alike. While some argue his motivation is to be promoted, others believe Iago enjoys destruction for the sake of it. In Act II Scene III, Iago delivers one of his most villainous monologues  as he reveals his plot to overthrow Othellos sense of reason and trust. He explains his scheme to make it seems as though Othellos wife Desdemona has been unfaithful. Here are some quotes from the monologue that exemplify Iagos manipulative and mysterious nature: And whats he then that says I play the villain?When this advice is free I give and honest.How am I then a villainTo counsel Cassio to this parallel course,Directly to his good?So will I turn her virtue into pitch,And out of her own goodness make the netThat shall enmesh them all. #2 Edmund from King Lear Nicknamed Edmund the Bastard, Edmund is a character in Shakespeares tragedy, King Lear. He is the black sheep of the family, and self-conscious because he believes his father favors the so-called good brother over him. On top of that, Edmund is particularly bitter as he was born out of wedlock, meaning his birth was with someone other than his fathers wife. In Act I Scene II, Edmund delivers a monologue in which he reveals his intention to make a grab for power that will send the kingdom into a bloody civil war. Here are some memorable lines: Why bastard? wherefore base?When my dimensions are as well compact,My mind as generous, and my shape as true,As honest madams issue?Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land.Our fathers love is to the bastard EdmundAs to th legitimate. Fine word- legitimate!Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed,And my invention thrive, Edmund the baseShall top th legitimate. I grow; I prosper.Now, gods, stand up for bastards! #3 Richard from Richard III Before he can ascend to the throne and become king, the hunchbacked Richard, Duke of Gloucester, does a lot of double-crossing and killing first. In one of his more diabolical moves, he attempts to win the hand of Lady Anne, who at first loathes the power-hungry creep but eventually believes him sincere enough to marry. Unfortunately for her, she is completely wrong, as his villainous monologue  in Act I Scene II reveals. The following are excerpts from Richards speech: Was ever woman in this humour wood?Was ever woman in this humour won?Ill have her; but I will not keep her long.Hath she forgot already that brave prince,Edward, her lord, whom I, some three months since,Stabbd in my angry mood at Tewksbury?My dukedom to a beggarly denier,I do mistake my person all this while:Upon my life, she finds, although I cannot,Myself to be a marvellous proper man.

Critical Infrastructure Security and Policy Essay

Critical Infrastructure Security and Policy - Essay Example It certainly has grabbed the USA government attentions onto it and made them obliged to take some instantly grave actions in order to prevent the impact of resulting turmoil. CFR's latest  Preventive Priorities Survey  (PPS) lists insecurity in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, an Iranian nuclear disaster, and an amplification of the European sovereign debt crisis among the most important international unforeseen event relative to U.S. national interests that has ultimately shaped as a frightening threat to the USA. Let us examine carefully all the threats that have been experienced by the USA and see the reason behind every threat (Chertoff, 2009). The outburst of Cyber Attacks Countries that attack the United States China Russia There are two countries in particular that have recently advanced their cyber attacks on the United States because of their new revival into the global economy, China and Russia. The United States had publicly accused both China and Russia of recent attacks th at the United States had experienced. This recent attack from China exposed that China was aiming 48 different defense corporations from the United States, United Kingdom, and Bangladesh (Kim, 2011). This has been an enduring theme from China, who is trying to achieve information and blueprints from countries that have better more advanced technology than they do themselves. While Russia doesn’t attack the United States as repeatedly as China does, simply because Russia doesn’t have the hackers available to attack a defense shield as the United States has, they are getting an abundance of practice on the former countries part of the Soviet Union (energy. Gov, 2012). Along with different countries that use cyber attacks to target the United States there are also terror groups that are starting to use cyber attacks and also other groups seeking to chop into government systems to gather information. It is predictable that with the physical defense of countries growing esp ecially the United States, that terrorists which rely on cyber terror attacks on the United States rather than physical attacks because it is now much convenient and effective to shake the United States dominance via cyber attacks. Threats to control systems can come from various resources, including antagonistic governments, terrorist groups, annoyed employees, and malicious burglars. To guard against these threats, it is essential to construct a secure cyber-barrier around the Industrial Control System (ICS). Now the USA digital infrastructure is vulnerable. Yet the Department of Defense can’t do everything on its own. Corporations that don’t shield themselves are putting both their bottom lines and national security at threat. Yes, cyber security standards are an imperfect response to a weird and dangerous new kingdom of conflict. At the moment, though, they’re the only thing eminence between us and the abyss (Johsen, 2011). Al Qaeda threatens to USA The fact that a catastrophic attack against America equivalent to 9/11 has not occurred over the past 11 years should not recommend that a future one is not being designed. In summer 2006, al Qaeda-linked functioning in London schemed to explode liquid explosives on board 10 transatlantic airliners flying from the UK to America and Canada. In September 2009, Najibullah Zazi and his acquaintances were detained for plotting to carry out a suicide

The Growth of World Exports Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

The Growth of World Exports - Research Paper Example Third, the strong regional developments have been accompanied by strong growths in merchant dice trade as Table 1 would show.   The strong economy of emerging countries is accompanied by strong exports and imports. Fourth, export growth the receives continued support from the world economy. As Table 1     below shows, the combined merchandise exports of major economies integrate into the strong export growth of the world of 6.5% in 2005, 8.5% in 2006 followed by a decline of 5.5% in 2007.   In   2007, the effect of the recession is starting to appear as trading slows down in most of the countries, with exception of the emerging economies that displayed its strength beyond the crisis. We have seen China, Asia and India emerged as strong exporters.  Tariff and quotas are both methods of controlling imports but the tariff is preferred over the other because of its advantages. Tariff is a tax placed on imported or exported goods while quota is a government imposed limit on th e importation of goods. Tariff is a source of revenue for the government and frequently imposed to protect domestic producers from foreign competition (Boyes & Melvin, 2000.p. 494).   For instance, a country that does not produce cars may place a tariff on imported cars. The quantity imported will be controlled because of the increase in price and the lessened demand for the cars because of the price.   The tariff has an effect of reducing importation.  The quota is another government tool that puts a limit to the quantity or value of goods and services imported and exported. A quota may be imposed through quantity quota or a value quota.   In a quantity quota, the physical amount of good is restricted. For example, the United States has a U.S. quota for its sugar importation that is set yearly that depends on their domestic needs. For 2010, U.S. quota based on quantity is 1.471 million of sugar (Bjerga, 2010). Another kind of restriction related to quota is valuing quota th at restricts the money value of the product, so instead of physical quota, the U.S. could limit the dollar value of sugar imported (Boyles & Williams, 494)

Lab report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Lab report - Essay Example The ration of the extension in length to the original length is referred to as tensile strain. Consequently, modulus of elasticity of the material is obtained by finding the ration between tensile stress and strain. The measurement of extension of a material before it snaps enables the classification of the material or specimen as ductile or brittle. The yield strength of a ductile material is obtained when the expansion is 0.2 percent. In order to understand the behavior of materials under high stress or loading rates, impact test is done. Impact tests are usually done using Izod or Charpy procedures. Impact test on steel and plastic aims at establishing their toughness. Impact test determines the behavior of a material under high stress levels that include tension/torsion and bending of the material. A specimen in impact test is broken by a single blow is a specially designed device. The energy spent in breaking the specimen in a single blow is the quality of the material or specimen. The property of a material varies with variation in temperature, thus conducting the experiment at different temperatures allows for the determination of change in properties of the material as temperature changes. Steel has a yield value of 43 ksi, which is approximately the same as the expected value. Also, the tensile strength and strain as well as ultimate strength before the material snaps are approximately the same as measured value. The modulus of elasticity of aluminum measured value tends towards 11 Msi as it approaches power six, which is perceived as equal value. The measured value for Plexiglas is very close to expected value as seen in Table 1. The temperature of the specimen affects impact test on the specimen. Consequently, in order to determine the effect of temperature on impact test, a similar specimen is tested under two different temperatures. The measured value or behavior of the specimen at two

Wartime Rape Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Wartime Rape - Research Paper Example ence of the victims themselves, if what has been reported is any indication, then the escalation in the number of wartime rapes during 20th century wars alone has increased to appalling proportions. As suggested by data on the wars in France and Germany during the second World War, the number of wartime rapes has increased by up to four times (Morris, 2000) and even a few thousand times over during the wars in Berlin (Brownmiller, 1975). With the number of wartime rape victims reaching to staggering numbers and victims continuing to hold their silence about the atrocities committed to them and most importantly, the derisory serving of justice to perpetrators of these crimes of war, more and more people’s attentions have been captured by the rape of civilians – mostly women and children. Perhaps, what makes the study of wartime rape more remarkable is the number of theories and theses that writers have come up with trying to explain the sexual carnage perpetrated during wars and its physical, emotional and economic consequences (Arcel and Kastrup, 2004). Many authors have offered their own rationalization of the act of wartime rape, but one of the most extensive explanations on the functions of rape was proposed by Seifert (1994) where these were broken down into five possible reasons of wartime sexual violence. Each of them has their own merits points of consideration. Raping the women of the enemy is a natural consequence of war. It is nothing but a part of the unwritten rules of the games of war – to the victor belong the spoils (Askin, 1997). Seifert proposes that war is a seemingly systematic activity with well established set of rules. In times of peaceful existence, sexual violence against women is a criminal offense. When wars broke out, certain conventions such as this no longer applied. Instead, a different set of rules came into play: overpower the enemy, take over their territory and destroy their possessions – including the women they

Leading in a changing word Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leading in a changing word - Essay Example The leadership styles should be capable of responding to changes in customer demands, economic changes, political changes and changes in the expectations of the employees (Judge and Piccolo 2004: 755-768). According to the competency framework of leadership development, leaders are expected to deliver, build and drive organisational success. Leaders should create a plan and make decisions with confidence while managing ambiguity (Ibarra & Hansen 2011: 71). The leader should also drive change, innovation and make initiatives that unlock new business opportunities in order to satisfy customer changing needs. A leader should coach and mentor the subordinates while encouraging feedback and performance evaluation. Adair’s leadership model is an action-centered leadership model that asserts that leadership can be applied like a tool and concentrates on the ability of the leader to inspire a shared vision. (Adair 1973). According to Adair (2003: 04), the leader should provide directi on, build effective teams and set an example for the followers. This model asserts that the leadership style will depend on the character of the leader and unique situation including the needs of the followers and level of task differentiation. The leader should build the team spirit, ensure team cohesiveness and establish proper communication channels (Ibarra & Hansen 2011: 75). Transformational leadership model also provides the guidelines of leading in a changing business environment (Judge and Piccolo 2004: 755-768). This model of leadership requires the leader to intellectually stimulate the ideas of the followers through articulating a clear vision and expressing confidence (Mullins, 2010). Individualised influence and inspirational motivation of the leader ensures that the employees express their creativity. In addition, the leader acts as an example thus modeling the behaviour of subordinates. On the other hand, the model fails in supporting the unique cultural background of the diverse workforce since employees have different norms and values depending on their cultural norms (Judge and Piccolo 2004: 755-768). The above challenge can be addressed by ensuring that the leader gains the trust of followers and cordial working environment in order to support teamwork (Mullins, 2010: 378). Another leadership style is the situational leadership style that combines task behaviour and relationship behaviour. According to this theory, there is no one acceptable model of leadership. Ideally, this model asserts that leaders should change their leadership approach depending on the unique tasks and relationship with followers (Lord and Brown2001: 133-152). The model is acceptable since leaders need to cultivate enabling relationship with the followers. In addition, some tasks may be clearly defined thus requiring minimal leader intervention. In the changing business environment, leaders will be required to change their leadership approach depending on the underlyin g situation such as the level of relationships, the degree of task differentiation, the use of controls such as rewards and punishments in the organisation (Judge and Piccolo 2004: 755-768). The other model of leadership is transactional leadership. Transactional leaders emphasize on the task outcomes and mainly rely on power systems and control in order to attain the desired goals. This style is fair to all employees since everybody is expected

SEE THE ATTACHMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

SEE THE ATTACHMENT - Essay Example Due to factors of its formation, hydraulic fracturing has faced critics between different groups of scientist especially the environmentalists and the miners of the United States of America. A number of bills have been passed to criticise and support this kind of method. I guess it is time for a push for these bills to be passed since manufacturers and miners have caused a lot of health complication and environmental degradation but a proper punishment have not been given to these polluters. Discussion First call; supportive argument Surely by now people living around mine field’s area none of you can deny that hydraulic fracturing has been the major cause of air pollution. Institution like the University of Arizona is supporting the use of hydraulic fracturing. In Beijing on 27th of November 2013, authorities in the capital destroyed more than 500 open air barbecues due to small particulate matters in the air that can enter deep into lungs causing health difficulty (abc News) . In a survey published by environmentalists group, 86% of those polled said that air pollution have caused health complication, 40% reported that environmental degradation have been highly caused by hydraulic fracturing. ... The university group can therefore develop various ways to improve the air quality while maintaining the hydraulic fracturing method. The environment department of the university call consider bringing together a group of experts to participate in the discussion of the risk involved in hydraulic fracturing. Â   Scientific research team from the group recently formed in the University of Arizona, the GREEN (Greening Research, Education and Environment Network) can develop research study that can help determine the impact of hydraulic fracturing and its effect to air and water pollution. The group can come up with various proof as to what cause the environmental air pollution apart from the hydraulic fracturing at the same time they can determine certain element that pin hydraulic fracturing as the source of air pollution. They as well can figure out the fact found in the research carried out in 1997, where an important study appeared in the New England Journal of medicine, the author s, Donald Redelmeier and Robert Tibshirani studied around 700 volunteers who made health as a study subject to the hydraulic fracturing effect to the environment. The participants agreed to report any non-fatal collision in which they were involved in during the research; the researchers then assessed the dangers involved with air pollution. The result was that people who were close to the mines and industries were highly exposed to the effects of air pollution fracking. Groups have argued differently, the scientist from different countries have argued that the reservoir stimulation through the hydraulic fracture is a critical element in unlocking geothermal potential energy

Leading in a changing word Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leading in a changing word - Essay Example The leadership styles should be capable of responding to changes in customer demands, economic changes, political changes and changes in the expectations of the employees (Judge and Piccolo 2004: 755-768). According to the competency framework of leadership development, leaders are expected to deliver, build and drive organisational success. Leaders should create a plan and make decisions with confidence while managing ambiguity (Ibarra & Hansen 2011: 71). The leader should also drive change, innovation and make initiatives that unlock new business opportunities in order to satisfy customer changing needs. A leader should coach and mentor the subordinates while encouraging feedback and performance evaluation. Adair’s leadership model is an action-centered leadership model that asserts that leadership can be applied like a tool and concentrates on the ability of the leader to inspire a shared vision. (Adair 1973). According to Adair (2003: 04), the leader should provide directi on, build effective teams and set an example for the followers. This model asserts that the leadership style will depend on the character of the leader and unique situation including the needs of the followers and level of task differentiation. The leader should build the team spirit, ensure team cohesiveness and establish proper communication channels (Ibarra & Hansen 2011: 75). Transformational leadership model also provides the guidelines of leading in a changing business environment (Judge and Piccolo 2004: 755-768). This model of leadership requires the leader to intellectually stimulate the ideas of the followers through articulating a clear vision and expressing confidence (Mullins, 2010). Individualised influence and inspirational motivation of the leader ensures that the employees express their creativity. In addition, the leader acts as an example thus modeling the behaviour of subordinates. On the other hand, the model fails in supporting the unique cultural background of the diverse workforce since employees have different norms and values depending on their cultural norms (Judge and Piccolo 2004: 755-768). The above challenge can be addressed by ensuring that the leader gains the trust of followers and cordial working environment in order to support teamwork (Mullins, 2010: 378). Another leadership style is the situational leadership style that combines task behaviour and relationship behaviour. According to this theory, there is no one acceptable model of leadership. Ideally, this model asserts that leaders should change their leadership approach depending on the unique tasks and relationship with followers (Lord and Brown2001: 133-152). The model is acceptable since leaders need to cultivate enabling relationship with the followers. In addition, some tasks may be clearly defined thus requiring minimal leader intervention. In the changing business environment, leaders will be required to change their leadership approach depending on the underlyin g situation such as the level of relationships, the degree of task differentiation, the use of controls such as rewards and punishments in the organisation (Judge and Piccolo 2004: 755-768). The other model of leadership is transactional leadership. Transactional leaders emphasize on the task outcomes and mainly rely on power systems and control in order to attain the desired goals. This style is fair to all employees since everybody is expected

Contracts Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Contracts - Coursework Example The consultant’s documents were submitted on time, planning permissions gained and quotes received from various contractors. The project was awarded under NEC3-ECC conditions of contract. The Project duration was agreed to be 26 months and payment to the contractor through interim valuations. The project was delayed due to late payment, lack of workmen on site, work behind schedule and late project administrator’s instructions. The contention between the parties was about payment, contractual standing of contractor’s program and principle guiding claim and dispute resolution. The project ran into great difficulties after the 10th month, accusation were exchanged, agreed payments not made and the workmen were pulled off site by the contractor which led to dispute. Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 General Principle of Construction contracts 4 Dispute resolution guidelines 5 Comparable Analysis of NEC3-ECC, JCTO5 SBC/Q 6 NEC3- ECC 8 JCTO5 SBC/Q 9 Clear Difference 10 Recommended Approach 11 References/Bibliography 14 Introduction AOS Development is a national housing development company in Edinburgh and has embarked on eighty housing units developments in Skye, Scotland. The consultant’s documents were submitted on time, planning permissions gained and quotes received from various contractors. ... The project ran into great difficulties after the 10th month, accusation were exchanged, agreed payments not made and the workmen were pulled off site by the contractor which led to dispute. It should be noted that the case did not specify the order in which the causes of delay accrued on the project site. Given the facts of the case each item will be taken in seriatim or in the order by which it was stated in the case. To illustrate: The case stipulated that the delay â€Å"was due to late payment, lack of workmen on site, work behind schedule and late project administrator’s instructions†. For purposes of this paper, it would be assumed that the delay in payment was the sole and primary reason for the lack of workmen on the site, since the amount that was due which would ideally be used to compensate the workers were not credited to the account of the contractor. This would leave the contractor no choice but to let go of the workers to prevent further losses in his co mpany. As a result of the delays in payment, which in turn resulted in the lack of workmen on the site, work will definitely be behind schedule. General Principle of Construction contracts Construction contracts define the relationship of all the parties concerned with the sole purpose and aim of completing the project on time or sooner while following the specification with fealty. In fine contracts not only define the relationship of all the parties concerned but contract also define the parameters of the obligation of each parties. As predicated contracts defines the relationship and the obligation of each party arising from the contracts (Savage & Jones Mitchell,

Discussing Total Quality Management standards

Discussing Total Quality Management standards Many authors have discussed TQM Standards. Samuel K. M. Ho in the article Is the ISO 9000 Series for Total Quality Management? wrote that the philosophy of Total Quality Management is that of promoting continuous improvement in an organization and focuses primarily on total satisfaction for both the internal and external customers, within a management environment that seeks continuous improvement of all systems and processes. He added that the philosophy is based on an intense desire to achieve victory. Achieving victory is a challenge for todays companies. Competition is intense and senior managers and CEOs thrive to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage over their competitors. Though some people see TQM as something necessary to reach competitiveness and emphasize the relation between TQM and success (eg U/s GAO, 1991; Becker, 1993; Ghobadian and Gallear, 1996), others claim TQM to be merely a management fad and point out that many companies have failed to implement TQM (eg B inney, 1992; Harari, 1993; Hachman and Wageman, 1995) (Ulrika Hellsten and Bengt Klefsjo) As Hellsten and Klefsjo mentioned in their article there are different opinions of TQM. The goal of this assignment is to analyze the different views of TQM and identify whether TQM standards do help companies promote quality. It also analyzes whether TQM standards vote for the satisfaction for both the internal and external customers as said by Samuel K. M. Ho, or else they are diminishing the real scope of quality by constraining innovation and creativity in todays businesses. Studies by different authors both for and against TQM will be analyzed to understand whether TQM standards improve or lessen quality of products and services. It is important to add that various authors discussing TQM mentioned that there exists different descriptions of TQM and also (Boon O K, Atumugam V, Hwa T S (2005) said that surprisingly, a limited amount of rigorous research has been done towards identifying the effects of soft TQM practices on employees work-related attitudes. To start with it is vital to understand what is meant by TQM and its purpose. Definition of Total Quality Management In order to define quality one has to first consider who the customer is, and subsequently consider what the requirements of each different customer group are at any one time. (Leicester 2007:1.3) The Total Quality Management book of Leicester says that it is important to remember that when the level of quality the customer expects is perceived by him as being exceeded by the level of quality he has received, then an opinion of good quality is formed. Vice versa the level of quality is said to be poor when the customers expectations of the level of quality he should receive exceed the level of quality the customer perceives he has actually received. Therefore for companies to succeed it is important to understand the level of quality that the customer is expecting. There are various definitions which have been identified by different authors such as; Fitness for purpose Conformance to requirements Zero Defects Though the above phrases of quality all have different meanings in general they all have common characteristics such as; aim of satisfying the customer, provide best quality at the lowest possible price and should be companywide strategy. A definition which gathers the meaning of TQM has been defined in a website of Lean Manufacturing Concepts. TQM is a process and philosophy of achieving best possible outcomes from the inputs, by using them effectively and efficiently in order to deliver best value for the customer, while achieving long term objectives of the organization Anon (2009). This sounds an appropriate definition of TQM since it emphasizes on the value received by the customer and in return the organization attains its objectives. TQM Standards and BS EN ISO 9000 TQM started in 1927 with Elton Mayos Hawthorne experiments through 1932. Later in the 1950s Edward Deming taught statistical methods and Dr Juran taught quality management techniques to the Japanese. Many of the Total Quality Management theories were originated by Armand Feigenbaun. TQM continued evolving. New methods were introduced to support TQM such as Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma. Broughton (2009) Also organizations can become certified to ISO 9000. Various ISOs have been developed for different sectors such as ISO ISO9001, ISO9002 and ISO9003. ISO standards have been set up to focus on business planning, quality management and continuous improvement. Broughton (2009) Broughton said that the key concepts of TQM are; Structured system for exceeding customer expectations System that empowers employees Drives higher profits Drives lower costs Continuous improvement Management centered approach on improving quality As mentioned above the concepts of TQM are all centered for the benefit of the company and to satisfy the needs of the customer and ensure customer satisfaction. However, what are the impacts of TQM standards on creativity and innovation? Do TQM standards really focus on processes rather than employees thus affecting business innovation? In the next section some arguments for and against TQM standards will be discussed. Literature Review Arguments For and Against TQM standards As Wood and Peccei (1995) stated, TQM is widely agreed as a way of managing organizations with the notion to enhance employees attitudes. Quality practitioners such as Deming (1986), Crosby (1979), Juran (1991) and Feigenbaum (1983) have written much on the idea of TQM philosophies and methods. Surprisingly, a limited amount of rigorous research has been done towards identifying the effects of soft TQM practices on employees work-related attitudes. (Boon O K, Atumugam V, Hwa T S (2005) In an article namely Does soft TQM predicts employees attitudes? it is mentioned that a survey of the literature reveals that several TQM proponents believe that the soft aspects of TQM are essential to the success of TQM (Juran, 1964; Ishikawa, 1985; Deming, 1986; Aubrey and Felkins, 1998; Dale et al., 1992; Cruickshank, 2000). Powell (1995, p. 15) concluded that organizations that acquire the soft elements of TQM can outperform competitors without the accompanying TQM ideology. Evidence from the grow ing literature on TQM failure emphasizes the neglect of the soft side of quality management wherein the HR and organizational behaviour aspects of quality management are not given their deserved emphasis (Lowery et al., 2000;Wilkinson et al., 1998; Cruickshank, 2000). TQM, which has been adopted by leading industrial companies, is a participative system empowering all employees to take responsibility for improving quality within the organization. Instead of using traditional bureaucratic rule enforcement, TQM calls for a change in the corporate culture, where the new work climate has the following characteristics: An open, problem-solving atmosphere; Participatory design making. Trust among all employees (staff, line, workers, managers). A sense of ownership and responsibility for goal achievement and problems solving. Self-motivation and self-control by all employees. TQM requires that management, and eventually every member of the organization, commit to the need for continual improvement in the way work is accomplished. Business plans, strategies, and management actions require continual rethinking in order to develop a culture that reinforces the TQM perspective. The challenge is to develop a robust culture where the idea of quality improvement is not only widely understood across departments, but becomes a fundamental, deep-seated value within each function area as well. Anon (2009) On the other hand Crawford (1998) argues that one of the main reasons for the present economic stalemate being experienced in Japan is the obstacle to innovation which is presented by the mindset of continuous improvement. He considers that this mentality reflects, in the main, a wish to avoid the embarrassment resulting from potential failures associated with radical change. The point is also made that a strategy of continuous improvement does not necessarily work in markets which constitute high risk investment, such as pharmaceuticals and microprocessors. These types of arguments tend to imply that TQM is not a valid paradigm in a world where changes are becoming increasingly frequent and need to be made at a faster pace. Martinez Lorent A.R, Dewhurst F, Dale B G (1999) It continues that though TQM is seen as business innovation it does not necessarily mean that it promotes business innovation. Martinez Laurent, Dewhurst and Dale said that TQM tends to lessen business innovation such as improving processes and improving the way in which people are managed with the aim of adapting to the changing environment. On the other hand Curry and Clayton (1992), Imai (1986) and Miller (1995) said that progressive business innovation can be achieved by TQM through continuous improvement. In the article TQM and business innovation it is also mentioned that Companies following TQM approach can more easily assimilate innovations imported from other situations due to the willingness of its employees to accept new ideas as a result of the continuous improvement ethos promoted by TQM Martinez Lorent A.R, Dewhurst F, Dale B G (1999) It is evident from the literature reviewed that TQM is becoming a major requirement for organisations to be successful and gain a competitive advantage. As time goes by customers are becoming more demanding and companies have to focus on identifying customer needs to achieve customer satisfaction. In an article of TQM on the web it says that the views of todays companies of TQM include characteristics such as an open problem solving atmosphere and participatory decision making. Anon (2009) This is an evidence that it is not true that TQM focuses on processes and neglects the people aspect. To adapt to the changing of customers needs and this changing environment TQM promotes employee involvement and as mentioned above participatory decision making. This would also lead to employee satisfaction and motivation. Though it is claimed that TQM has various benefits various companies have claimed that TQM implementation resulted in a failure. Thus it is necessary that companies manage TQM efficiently and effectively. The next chapter of this assignment will outline some of the aspects which need to be considered for the successful implementation of TQM. Successful implementation of TQM Before applying any TQM standards a company should have a well defined strategy and mission in place. Having a strategy in place means that the company has pre defined set of objectives to achieve. The operational and management structure should be adopted to achieve the set strategy. The mission statement should reflect the values and beliefs which underpin all corporate activities. (Leciester 2007:4.5) A mission statement has to be well communicated to the employees and has to inspire people with the aim of achieving the goals set by the company. Last but not least a company should set value statements. Value statements should guide the way people within the organization function and as such should be a substantial influence on the development of a total quality culture. (Leicester 2007:4.8) Helsten and Klefsjo believe that before applying any TQM standards a company has to start with core values and only then the techniques and tools are selected as shown in the diagram below. Increase external and internal customer satisfaction with a reduced amount of resources. Techniques Core Values Tools The techniques and tools selected will then have to be adopted. For instance an example mentioned by Hellsten and Klefsjo, the core value Let everybody be committed can be implemented by techniques such as improvement groups and quality circles. The tools might be Ishikawa diagram, Pareto diagram and histograms. Core values characterize the organization and as these change overtime the techniques and tools will have to fit these values. Robert Dunn says that most importantly before implementing BS EN 9000 one has to be thinking about quality in the company and in all its activities. It is useless implementing the standard just for the sake because purchasers want the certification. (Dunn R 1995:11) Today, developing quality across the entire firm can be an important function of the human resource management (HRM) department. A failure on HRMs part to recognize this opportunity and act on it may result in the loss of TQM implementation responsibilities to other departments with less expertise in training and development. The ultimate consequence of this loss is an ineffective implementation of the TQM strategy. Thus, HRM should act as the pivotal change agent necessary for the successful implementation of TQM. Based on this customer first orientation, organizational members are constantly seeking to improve products or services. Employees are encouraged to work together across organizational boundaries. Underlying these cooperative efforts are two crucial ideas. One is that the initial contact with the customer is critical and influences all future association with that customer. The other idea is that it is more costly to acquire new customers than to keep the customers you already have. Exemplifying TQM here would mean that the HR department would need to train itself, focusing on being customer-driven toward other departments.   Anon (2009) The effective use of quality improvement teams, and the TQM system as a whole, can be reinforced by applying basic principles of motivation. In particular, the recognition of team accomplishments as opposed to those of individuals, and the effective use of goal setting for group efforts, are important in driving the TQM system. The HR department is in a position to help institutionalize team approaches to TQM by designing appraisal and reward systems that focus on team performance.    For many companies, the philosophy of TQM represents a major culture shift away from a traditional production-driven atmosphere. In the face of such radical operational makeovers, a determined implementation effort is vital to prevent TQM from becoming simply just another management fad. Senior management must take the lead in overt support of TQM.  Anon (2009) Part of HRMs functional expertise is its ability to monitor and survey employee attitudes. This expertise can be particularly important for a TQM program, since getting off to a good start means having information about current performance. Thus, a preparatory step is to administer an employee survey targeting two primary concerns. One involves identifying troublesome areas in current operations, where improvements in quality can have the most impact on company performance. The other focuses on determining existing employee perceptions and attitudes toward quality as a necessary goal, so that the implementation program itself can be fine-tuned for effectiveness. Beyond communicating the TQM philosophy, the specific training and development needs for making TQM a practical reality must be assessed. Basically HR professionals must decide the following: What knowledge and skills must be taught? How? What performance (behaviours) will be recognized, and how will we reward them? HRM has faced these questions before and can best confront them in the TQM process. Training and development that does not fit within the realm of these questions will more than likely encounter heavy resistance. However, training and development does fall within the realm of these questions probably will be accepted more readily. Testimonies from Various Companies TQM standards help you clarify and identify customers requirements. Furthermore TQM help a company deliver what the customers order and on time, spot product deficiencies and improve processes and also improve competitiveness. Alan Davis from Ind Coope Burton Brewery highly believes that the company is committed to a total quality culture. He adds that with this approach all parts of the company are involved in continuous improvement in return this gives the assurance of quality to the customer. He also added that the company will soon be ready to seek registration of its quality system to BS 5750. (Moritiboys Oakland J 1994:35). Acorns Nurseries of Cardiff which is a child care centre claimed that by seeking registration under BS EN ISO 9002 they would be able to demonstrate the quality of their service thus would inspire confidence in their customers. Acorns said that the advantages of having a documented system are; Ensure standards are throughout amongst all their sites. Well kept records, stock control ensures consumables are available and parents concerns are replied quickly. Most importantly the efficient management system allows the nursery nurses to get on with what they are best at looking after children. (Dunn R 1995:7) Below are some of the benefits of TQM standards by Robert Dunn; Motivate staff to improve performance Define key roles in the company Consistent in orders and delivery Good management of customer complaints Continuous improvement Glossop Carton a company which achieved certification in 1992 says that since the certification gross profit has risen and when things go wrong, they can now pin point where they have gone wrong. Therefore then they can adjust accordingly and learn from mistakes thus promoting a better quality product for the customer. Conclusion In the book of Leicester in an article by Moritiboys Oakland it is mentioned that The International Standards Organisation (ISO) Standard 9000 Series sets out the methods by which management system, incorporating all the activities associated with quality, can be implemented in an organization to ensure that all the specified performance requirements and needs of the customer are fully met. In the article Implementing BS EN ISO 9000 it is said that the standard is flexible and companies big or small can adapt it to their needs and be compliant. A proof of this is the write up by Pat Martin founder of Stelmax a business employing 12 people. I used to think BS EN ISO 9000 was just for the big fish in the sea. She emphasizes that quality is important to all firms no matter the size. She says that the quality of the products improved which is highly required factor in this increasingly competitive market. (Dunn R 1995:6) It is evident from the literature reviewed that TQM standards are important for organizations and as time passes its popularity is increasing considerably. TQM standards are also required to outcompete competitors in this increasing market. However for a successful implementation and to promote innovation and creativity it is necessary that organizations primarily identify the core values and also do not neglect the human resources aspect. Training and development, setting up TQM focus teams, support from senior managers, involvement in decision making, communication and rewards are the essence of successful TQM implementation. These all lead to employee satisfaction and in return will ensure customer satisfaction which is the fad of TQM. Last, TQM is necessary because it works. The pioneering firms in TQM include American Express, IBM, Xerox, 3M, Toyota, Ricoh, Canon, Hewlett-Packard, Nissan and many others. Samuel K.M (1993)

Jane Lewsi Case study Essay -- essays research papers

The Situational Leadership Model and the Jeanne Simmons Case Introduction: The Situational Leadership Model   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The situational leadership model is based on certain assumptions. One of these assumptions is that there are different levels (or situations) in which a leadership style is played out. In the same way that there are four different levels of readiness on the part of staff or â€Å"followers†, there are also four leadership styles. On the whole it is the level that the followers are to be found that is most important element in the equation when a leadership style is seen to be to be the appropriate style and is chosen from among four possible styles. According to this idea leaders can choose to lead in any one of four styles and within that style can operate through directive behavior (strong leadership) or supportive behavior (employee developing leadership). The four levels of â€Å"followership† can be listed and annotated as follows: D1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Low competence / high commitment D2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some competence /low commitment D3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  High competence / variable commitment D4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  High competence /high commitment The essence of the situational leadership idea is that each different â€Å"situation† of employee readiness to follow calls for a different type of leadership. For example, if we are talking about a Walmart â€Å"associate† training class we might be talking a...

Personal Narrative: My Experience in AP US History Essay -- Narrative

â€Å"Your final exam will be in three parts: multiple choice, primary source analysis, and three major essays. I won’t be allowed within 2 miles of you when you take the exam.† The words of Mr. F, my AP US History teacher, reverberated between my ear drums. He either didn’t notice or didn’t seem to care: â€Å"The AP US History exam will be on a Saturday in mid May. It’s graded on a scale of 0 to 5. Zero being the lowest possible score, 5 being the highest.† A student in the front row raises her hand, interrupting our baptism by fire. Mr. F motions for her to speak. â€Å"Are you related to Stephen King?† I didn’t realize it at the time (because let’s face it, I didn’t voluntarily read anything that wasn’t a motorcycle magazine until my senior year of high school) but Mr. F bore an uncanny resemblance to the best selling suspense author. Even their eyeglasses were similar. â€Å"He’s my cousin.† the teacher nodded, pausing to recollect his thoughts. â€Å"The test is pretty simple, but it’s probably more difficult than anything you’ve taken before.† I had yet to learn the eccentricities of the oxymoron, but that fact didn’t hinder Mr. F as he grinned slyly while he mouthed the previous statement. â€Å"The Regents exams have 4 possible answers. The AP has 5, and they’re usually more difficult to discriminate between. The primary source section will be basically the same thing you run into on Regents Part 2s: political cartoons or other documents accompanied by a set of questions. The essays are probably going to be the biggest hurdle for you. You are required to write three instead of the usual one or two on a Regents exam. Like the Regents, you will be given a limited choice between essay topics to write on, and at least one of the essays will probably... ... feedback, he had to show me what the AP would think of my essay. Mr. F wasn’t flawed. The whole process was - pardon the shamelessly obvious pun - flawed (you had to see that coming since the first 2 lines of the paper). Especially after having read Peter Elbow’s book on the teacherless writing class, thinking about that year of AP US History is absolutely appalling. The whole writing process was turned on its head. It wasn’t about learning to write or how to improve writing. It was about what to do in order to pass. I can only imagine how a member of the Iroquois Nation must feel about living in 21st Century New York: join us or be left behind in poverty. Write this way. It is the only way. Indians are subhuman. Be a man: become an American. No, a real American. Write this way. It’s the only real way to write. And then again . . . maybe I just don’t like US history.

African-American Lynch Mob Essay

Author David Horowitz has written an article called African-American Lynch Mob. In the article Mr. Horowitz is expressing his frustration with the way African –American civil rights leaders, namely Reverend Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are inciting a lynch mob mentality in regards to the death of Trayvon Martin. Trayvon Martin, who was a 17 year old African-American male, was shot to death by George Zimmerman who happens to be Hispanic. Mr. Horowitz believes that the lynch mob racist, Reverend Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are leading the way for the African-American community to insinuate that George Zimmerman is a racist without any facts. First I take issue with Mr. Horowitz fallacy calling Reverend Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton racist. Is it racist for an individual or group to stand up and fight against inequality and injustices? For many decades Reverend Jackson and Reverend Sharpton have helped those African-Americans who could not help themselves when the odds were stacked against them; providing a strong voice for the law and lawmakers to listen to, when the voices of the African-American citizens were not heard. Doing this does not make one a racist. As mentioned previously, Mr. Horowitz states that Mr. Zimmerman is being labeled a racist without any facts; this is a fallacy and not exactly true. Recently audio has been discovered that has Mr. Zimmerman’s making racial slurs, along with eyewitnesses stating that they personally heard him making racial slurs. The impending investigation will prove whether Mr. Zimmerman is a racist or not; however even in this early stage, investigator will have enough reasons to not rule out the cause of death by race crime. Mr. Horowitz belief that the evidence is irrelevant to the so call lynch mob is unfounded. The African-American protesters are only protesting because they believe there is enough evidence to warrant an arrest of Mr. Zimmerman. However, instead of being arrest Mr. Zimmerman is walking free. Mr. Horowitz calls the display of racial outrage over this case a national disgrace, and I disagree with that statement. The display of racial outrage over this case is not a national disgrace; the fact that African-Americans still have to protest because of injustice is a national disgrace. As I concluded the article it was pretty evident that Mr. Horowitz view point was a bit slighted. It seems to me that the views he has taken are based on his dislike for Reverend Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, and their way of obtaining justice for those who they lead and represent. Mr. Horowitz dislike for both of the reverends probably goes a long way back, and because of this, any point that he makes in regards to these two reverends should be taken with a grain of salt.

Hitchens’s Concepts of Religion and Politics Essay

One of the most controversial man, Christopher Hitchens, in his letters, â€Å"Letters to a Young Contrarian† (2001), implies that people of the contemporary society should avoid thinking other than for themselves by taking on the pathway of being a contrarian. His purpose is to help â€Å"individuals on how they think, and not what they think by making them a more independent and questioning person† (63). The letters take us through a pathway of what is means to be a contrarian. He uses great personal and current examples to explain why individuals should have a voice for their own. Two of the most important topics in which he heavily discusses about are religion and racism. Throughout Hitchens letters, he uses pathos and logos appeals to create arguments in which defy religion and racism in an effective manner. One of the most debatable topics in Hitchens’s letters is about religion.Hitchens argues his point on why he is against religion using an ethos approach. He gains credibility with the audience by mentioning, â€Å"I can speak with more experience of the Christian propaganda, since I was baptized ass an Anglican, educated at a Methodist boarding school with compulsory religious instruction and was once received into the Greek Orthodox Church for reasons that are irrelevant here.† (59) While I do agree that he has gained some credibility being that he once experienced a life of what it’s like to be a believer of God, I don’t think it makes his argument any stronger. In this way, Hitchens argue his beliefs and appealing to the audience’s emotions. â€Å"In some ways I feel sorry for racists and for religious fanatics, because they miss the point of being human, and deserve a sort of pity. But then I harden my heart, and decide to hate them all the more, because of the misery they inflict and because of the contemptible excuse they advance for doing so. It especially annoys me when racists are accused of discrimination. The ability to discriminate is a precious faculty; by judging all members of one ‘race’ to be the same, the racist precisely shows himself incapable of discrimination.† (110)

Analysis of “Can-can” by Arturo Vivante

The story under the title â€Å"Can-can† was written by Arturo Vivante. Born in Rome in 1923, Arturo Vivante graduated in 1949 and practiced medicine in Rome until 1958 when he ended his medical career and moved to America to pursue a career as a professional writer. Vivante has since been on the faculty of several American universities and is now retired and living in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Though Vivante writes in English and has lived in America for much of the last 35 years, his Italian heritage has an undeniable presence in his fiction.His short stories often read like reflections or memories of a distant and foreign past that a reader of Vivante cannot help but link to the life of the transplanted author himself. The plot of the story under the discussion is quite interesting and I dare say close to our reality. A man is going to the secret meeting with the other woman, leaving his house, wife and children. Suddenly it occurs to him that he wants to stay, but the date is already arranged.So, having arrived to the summer cottage he finds himself thinking of his wife and that surprises him greatly. The problem raised by the author is quite clear: the husband intends to have a love affair and is already unfaithful to his wife. However some feeling of upset, comprehension of the fact his wife is still a sweet cherry, not broken by a small stuff, a woman able to give him love and firmness – doesn’t let him stay calm.Awaiting the woman at the cafe he hopes she wouldn’t come and he would return home easily and happily: â€Å"How strange he should be hoping for her absence. † Even spending time with the lover he misses his wife and thinks of her. How is that possible? Let’s characterize the wife. First of all we should say she is fairly a wise woman. We see she loves her husband and wants to have a happy family as any woman does: â€Å"she felt safer with him at home, and he helped look after the children, especially the baby. â€Å"

If Crime is Normal why is so much Effort Devoted to its Control Essay

If Crime is Normal why is so much Effort Devoted to its Control - Essay Example Every human being has free will and free choice, they have the mentality to know right from wrong and they choose what path to take. This, from a sociological and psychological perspective is considered to be normal behavior in society. Thereby criminal intentions and actions are norms in the world even though they go against the very morals that societies have established. This is perhaps why law enforcement attempts to control and minimize these adversities even though they are everyday forms of existence as well. Again, even though crime is an existential part of existence, it is considered by many to be similar to a plague that has not been able to be washed away from society completely and therefore has remained for decades. Because of this many theorizations about crime have developed to analyze why it exists, why it has become something that is looked upon as normal, and what the causes of it actually are as well. Dolan, a criminological researcher, and writer (1994) claim that crime has become something so familiar in society, basically due to the classical socioeconomic causes of it. This can be traced as far back as the 15th century in England, when a crime was at times rampant and extremely violent, more so than it even is today. Crime in the 1500's took on the form of petty treason among servants and sometimes even the owners of these servants as well. From this it developed into more severe atrocities in society, sometimes becoming murder where the deceitful wife killed her husband as he slept, and even on to more dramatic forms of crime that took England by storm such as the crimes of "Jack the Ripper" (Valier 2003, pg. 34). The issues of crime in society are at times spell-binding and even terrifying as they take many forms and have the capability of taking place anywhere at any time, again placing them as a severe adversity in society, but quite normal activity among human beings all over the world.  

Stress & Its Relation to Heart Diseases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Stress & Its Relation to Heart Diseases - Essay Example The paper tells that depending on the nature of the work of an individual, stress due to work may be acute or chronic. Over the years, if chronic stress is allowed to eventually damage a person’s health, it will lead to metabolic syndrome or a combination of medical disorders which may include cardiovascular disorders. This will then develop into coronary heart disease. Low control over decisions regarding the work of people with high stress activities will facilitate health deterioration including the deterioration of arteries and other parts of the heart. Thus, the employers should take precautionary measures for these groups of people who have high work demand and low control over decisions about their work. Perhaps there can be rotation of duties and responsibilities to allow for workers to recover from too much stress while a less affected group substitutes for the purpose of training themselves to become more resilient to higher stress or more stress factors. Rewards sho uld compensate for more difficult jobs. Too much work stress over an extended time can result in damages to the cardiovascular system. But this is also true for the absence of jobs for people who need jobs. Stress can be in the form of job insecurity. It can also be chronic if a person experiences prolonged joblessness and experiences of failing to secure the job they can work on. It can cause depression. With depression comes the common response of the body to develop weak immune system, high blood pressures, frequent irritability, sleepless nights, sour relationships, and other unfavourable response.

Production And Perfect Competition - Megamergers and Oligopoly Coursework

Production And Perfect Competition - Megamergers and Oligopoly - Coursework Example The common market structure is either perfect or imperfect competition. Agricultural products are traded in a perfectly competitive market structure. For example, milk producers supply processed and non-processed milk products to the market for the consumers. The milk market is characterized by large of number of sellers and buyers who are involved in this exchange. In addition, the market is unregulated by the government hence a free-market with no government intervention. Owing to the large numbers of milk traders, the effect of a single seller/buyer may go unnoticed as each trader’s contribution is insignificant (Siegfried, & United States, 2010). Both the seller and buyer are price-takers in the market as the exchange price for milk products is determined by the market forces of demand and supply; therefore, each trader has limited influence on effective market prices (OaShaughnessy, 2005). The milk products traded in the market are homogeneous and undifferentiated. However, the sellers and manufacturers attempt to create a difference in the products through branding and packaging. Being a perfect competitive market, there are no barriers to exit or entry into this market. The buyers and sellers would leave or enter the market at will. Under this market, the milk products are similar in shape, size, quantity, and quality, hence, infinite cross elasticity of demand for milk products (OaShaughnessy, 2005). The buyers are therefore indifferent to all the milk brands and products in the market. Being a perfectly competitive market, milk market is characterized by perfect information symmetry. All the participants in the market have perfect information on all the prevailing market conditions, thus, no seller could benefit by charging abnormal prices for milk. Finally, the single unit price of the milk market is not affected by