Saturday, August 31, 2019

Is It Best to Live with Roommates? Essay

Is it best to live with roommates? Or is it best to live alone? There’s no right or wrong answer to this question — and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. It’s a personal decision that all apartment dwellers are entitled to make, and your answer should depend on what you want at the time you’re looking to rent. If you need help deciding whether to live with a roommate, consider the common reasons why people choose one route over the other. Reasons to Have a Roommate There are many good reasons to have a roommate. See if any of these reasons appeal to you: * You won’t be lonely. Even if you’re not close with your roommate, having a roommate means having someone else around, so you won’t have to feel lonely. * You’ll gain convenience. Having a roommate adds convenience. For instance, if you have different schedules, a roommate can feed your pet or water the plants when you’re not at home to do it. If you go out of town, your roommate can tell you about any important mail you receive. * You’ll save money. When you have a roommate, you’ll save money in several ways. First, you can rent a larger apartment that would give you both more room and more value. You’ll also split utility bills and the cost of groceries, among other apartment expenses. Plus, if you or your roommate cook (even if you just do the basics), cooking for two (or three or more) normally saves money over cooking for just one. * You’ll have help. With a roommate, you can split the chores needed to keep your apartment in shape. So, you won’t have to be the one to do grocery shopping all the time. Or, if you become the designated grocery shopper, your roommate can take on other errands that you would normally have to do. Sharing errands helps lighten the load for both of you. Reasons Not to Have a Roommate Many people appreciate the reasons in favor of having a roommate but feel that the reasons for living alone present a much stronger case. You shouldn’t live with a roommate if: * You want more privacy. If you live alone, you’ll almost certainly have more privacy than if you live with others. Simply stated, not having roommates means you can do what you want, when you want it. For instance, you can have guests over as you please or get home late and leave early without having to worry about disturbing a roommate. * You don’t want to risk problems. Although having a roommate can be a rewarding experience, there are many types of problems that may arise in a roommate relationship. These range from lifestyle conflicts (think of a roommate who likes to play guitar while you need peace and quiet to study or do work) to financial issues (think of a roommate who has trouble paying his share of the rent and expenses). Living alone is the only way to guarantee that none of these problems ever arises.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Environmental Pollution Essay

Environmental pollution is not a new fact. It is one of the biggest problems the world faces today. It is a big matter which is disturbing us economically, physically and our normal life. According to the Scott Forseman, pollution is defined as the addition of any substance of form of energy to the environment at a rate faster than the environment can accommodate it by dispersion, decomposition, recycling or storage in some harmless forms. Our precious earth is daily polluted in a variety of ways such as air pollution, water, soil, chemical, smoke, noise, radioactive, thermal, waste, energy, oil and urban pollution. Pollution began to draw major public attention in the United States between the mid-1950s and early 1970s, when the congress passed the clean air act, clean water act and National Environmental Policy act. (W.A Andrews and D.K Moore).It was the industrial revolution that gave the birth to environmental pollution as we know it today. Growing evidence of local and global pollution and an increasingly informed public over time have given to environmentalism and the environmental movement, which generally seek to limit human impact on the environment. Scientists believe that all cities with populations exceeding 50,000 have some degree of air pollution. In this essay I will show that how human activities are producing pollution which is negatively affecting the whole world and environment and there are also two main solutions for this problem why it needs to be addressed. Pollution is causing by a lots of activities we do every day. Global economic production creates global pollution .Burning fossil fuels to run factories, motorized vehicles and power plants are producing huge amount of pollution everyday. Motor vehicles produce high level of Carbon monoxide (CO) and major source of hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxide (NO) which is very harmful for our environment. The other major cause is fertilizers using in the crops, it also creates pollution because it negatively affect the human health, water and the plants. One another type of pollution is oil pollution in the oceans. It is release of liquid petroleum hydrocarbon in the environment due to the human activities.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Psycosocial Assessment of the Soloist

Running Head: Strengths Based Assessment 1 Strengths Based Assessment: The Soloist By Colleen Austin SOWK 587a University of Southern California Professor Brittani Morris Strengths Based Assessment2 Character Identification Describe the character you choose as your focus. Include race, ethnicity, age, religion, sex, marital status, living situation, educational level, internal strengths (coping mechanisms, skills, experience, ability to connect to others, resilience, determination, flexibility, commitment, loyalty, etc. ). Mr. Nathanial Anthony Ayers is a middle aged, black African-American man.He is spiritual but identifies with no specific religion, he does pray in the movie, saying the Our Father. He is unmarried, and is homeless. He displays signs of mental illness, most likely schizophrenic as evidenced by his paranoia and he hears voices. He began to hear voices in adolescence. At one point he thought his sister was trying to poison him, so he forced her to eat the food she bro ught to him. He lived in the basement of the home he grew up in. It wasn’t obvious, but he must have remained living with his sister after his mother died.When he went to Juilliard, he got an apartment and the voices became more prominent. There is no evidence that he was ever diagnosed with a mental illness. He has a difficult time maintain relationships with others because he is mentally ill and continually talks to himself. Nathanial has a high school education. He was also accepted and completed some classical music training from Juilliard, according to a teacher there, he just stopped showing up. What happened in his life from that point until the present is unknown. Although he is homeless, one of his possessions is a violin, which only has two strings.In doing this, Nathanial shows determination, because even though he doesn’t have a complete instrument he stills continues to play it. Strengths Based AssessmentPage 3 Nathanial shows loyalty to his music. He is a lways playing his violin and in fact talks about his loyalty to his music when he states that â€Å"he is holding on to his faith in the power of his music. † (The Soloist, 2009) Nathanial shows a lot of inner strengths. He has determination, which is evident by the fact that he continues to play the violin, although it only has two strings.He is resilient, evidenced by the fact that he has been homeless for many years, schizophrenic and yet he is surviving on the streets of L. A. Nathanial shows no flexibility. When Lopez brings him to the apartment, he says that he will play the violin there, but he will not stay there. It was not his apartment he said. II. Significant Relationships Describe 2-3 significant relationships this character has to other characters in the film, both in terms of role and in terms of the resources and/or challenges that this character offers to your focus character.Nathanial’s most significant relationship is with Steve Lopez, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times newspaper. Lopez is fascinated by Nathanial when he discovers that he is a classically trained musician, who is homeless and writes a column with Nathanial as his subject. It isn’t clear at first what Lopez’s motives are, other than to write a column that is entertaining and widely read by Los Angeles. Initially, it is obvious Lopez is using Nathanial as his focus. Lopez is divorced although he continues to have a relationship with his ex-wife who is also Strengths Based AssessmentPage 4 is boss at the Times. In fact his ex-wife tells him that there is possibly a book that could be written about Nathanial and essentially accuses him at one point in the movie of exploiting Nathanial. This relationship shifts over time. He is single and finds himself thinking about Nathanial’s â€Å"plight. † He becomes emotionally invested in Nathanial, in that he feels that he can help this homeless, mentally ill man toward a better life. What he do esn’t understand is that Nathanial is comfortable in his life. He has become accustomed to his homeless life.Lopez, although his latent motives appear to be altruistic, actually causes Nathanial a great deal of stress. He tries to convince the manager of the Lamp Community that he should force Nathanial to see a psychiatrist and be put on medication. David, the manager of the Lamp Community could be another of Nathanial’s significant relationships. He allowed Lopez to leave the cello that was donated by a reader at the facility, because that was the only place that Lopez would allow him to play it. He didn’t want him to have it on the street.David was instrumental in helping Lopez to finally learn what the best thing was that he could do for Nathanial. Lopez needed to be his friend, David told him. That was really what Nathanial needed. Someone he could trust. David was, in this sense, an advocate for Nathanial. He made Lopez understand that Nathanial didnâ€⠄¢t want to see a psychiatrist and even if he did, there were no guarantees that he would even take his medication. It is possible that Nathanial knew that on medication he would not be the same musician. Strengths Bases AssessmentPage 5Graham Clayton, the music teacher, was another character whose relationship to Nathanial was significant. He was teaching Nathanial to play music other than Beethoven, Nathanial’s favorite. In fact, there was a statue of Beethoven in a square and that was where Steve Lopez looked to find Nathanial. Not only did Clayton offer music lessons, but he also offered him spiritual guidance. He set up a recital for Nathanial, however when Nathanial showed up to play, he began to hear voices and when Clayton put his hand on his shoulder, Nathanial reacted with such fear that he nearly assaulted Clayton.Nathanial ran, which was one of his best coping mechanisms, that and playing music III. Community Analysis Describe the two most significant groups/commu nities that your focus character belongs to and/or aspires to belong to in the film. There is one significant community to which Nathanial belongs. And one community that it appears he would like to belong. The first community is the Lamp Community, a shelter for the homeless and often these homeless people are mentally ill. The other community is the music community. Nathanial wanted to be a classic cellist when he was younger.He was excited when Lopez brought him the cello and wanted to keep it with his grocery cart full of belongings. The Lamp Community offered Nathanial food, shelter and clothing. However, he spent most of his time sleeping on the streets, going to the facility only when he needed something. They did offer group sessions for the homeless, but it wasn’t clear what the topics of the group discussions were. The music community would have offered Nathanial the opportunity to advance his career as a musician, however because of the schizophrenia; the audience was a Strengths Bases AssessmentPage 6 barrier to Nathanial’s playing his cello.Lopez found an accomplished music teacher who was willing to teach Nathanial to bring him back to the level he was at when he was at Juilliard, and even brought him new music to play. Playing music and being part of the music community was something that Nathanial desired, however, his illness prevented him from becoming fully invested in pursuing it. I think the Lamp Community was a valuable community resource for Nathanial. It was a safe place for him to go, and in fact the night after the disastrous recital, Lopez found him there having a meal and David told him that he had spent the night in his apartment.When asked why he spent the night there, Nathanial alluded to the fact that he wasn’t a young man anymore and that his body couldn’t take the streets. I think that if Nathanial wanted to see a doctor and take medication, he could have gotten those resources from the Lamp Communi ty. The music community could have provided a less intimidating arena for a recital. Although it seemed to be a very relaxed outdoor atmosphere, putting Nathanial up on stage was asking for disaster. Perhaps the music community could showcase musicians like Nathanial in a much less intrusive setting.Analysis of the Symbiotic Relationship. (This wasn’t required but I wanted to add it. ) I think the relationship between Steve Lopez and Nathanial Ayers worked both ways. The scene where Lopez falls off his bike, goes to the hospital where everything is chaotic, then goes into an MRI and is claustrophobic has so many similarities to Ayers’ life it may have been purely coincidental. I think that was an experience that Lopez had to draw upon while he was trying to â€Å"help† Nathanial. Just like Steve Didn’t want the help at the hospital, neither did Nathanial want Strengths Bases AssessmentPage 7Steve’s help. The mere act of trying to get Nathanial out of his comfort zone was enough to trigger a schizophrenic episode. At the end of the movie, Steve realized that the best thing that he could offer Nathanial was his friendship. Nathanial trusted Steve by the end of the movie. When they first met, Nathanial wouldn’t shake Steve’s hand, but at the end of the movie when Steve offered him his hand, Nathanial took it. Strengths Based AssessmentPage 8 Resources Foster. G. , and Krasnoff, R. (Producer), & Wright, J. (Director). (2009). The Soloist  [Motion picture]. United States: Dreamworks Pictures.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Managing Finance assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing Finance assignment 3 - Essay Example 2. Penetration pricing- Penetration Pricing: The strategy of setting a products price relatively low in order to generate a high sales volume. The strategy is commonly associated with pricing new products that do not have identifiable price-market segments. It is used to secure rapid penetration of a market. . This is the strategy use by many Chinese companies. It priced its products very much than its Western counterparts and it is making a head way for a quite number of computer products. 3. Profit Maximization - In economics, profit maximization is the process by which a firm determines the price and output level that returns the greatest profit.. Hence, based on the above concept. The strategy requires the price combinations that would yield the highest profit. Hence, a company can use this to have higher profits. Directly or indirectly this is used my many food business like Jollibee food chains. If one enters an outlet one would observe packaging their meals into different combinations of food items. Such strategy is profit maximization. 4. Competitor indexing. It is a price setting technique used by marketers. Generally, it involves using the price of competitors products in determining the price of your own products. Its main advantage is ease of use. Extensive marketing research and statistical analysis are not required 5. Target rate of return pricing- It is a pricing method used almost exclusively by market leaders or monopolists. You start with a rate of return objective, like 5% of invested capital, or 10% of sales revenue. Then you arrange your price structure so as to achieve these target rates of return.

Project Management Degree Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Project Management Degree - Assignment Example Therefore, the shop must look towards expanding its team of employees and creating a website that is comprehensive in terms of the details of products, purchase catalogue, and the like. The business, in its process of expansion, can include at least ten work packages, in order to breakdown the work into smaller areas of concentration. The business expansion can be broken down under these categories: The expansion of the inventory, which means the stock of each product must be expanded, in order to cater to the demand of the international market. The product quality, besides the indigenous tint needs to be maintained for an ethnic yet qualitative touch. The development of role of IT, in promoting the business. This needs to be done, keeping in view the revolution fo the internet and how e-communication sit he answer to distance-related woes! The expansion of the staff also needs to be done, by employing more professionals, to keep up the expansion plan and also to introduce more specialisation in the varied departments of the business. Physical expansion, in other words, the setting up of small offices in some important cities in regions in Asia and the United States, can be of great help in handling business in the areas. The laying down of a Product Catalogue, with the price list, by converting the currencies according to local currencies; and related operations need to be performed for better productivity. The business also needs to think about appointing local staff, in order to facilitate better penetration in local markets, across the globe. Risk Management is another area of working that needs concentration. A SWOT Analysis of the risks involved and the competencies possessed by the business to face these risks, is a must. Garnering knowledge of the markets and making the business alter according to these specifications. 3. Three work packages specifications. Environment: This is a crucial element that often affects work packages. The environment of operation of business must be altered according to the changing place of operation, to suit local markets. Human Factors: The human resources need to be managed, utilised according to needs and also channelized in the right direction, in order to cater to the demands of the busines

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The Meaning of Race in Western Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Meaning of Race in Western Society - Essay Example The south was dependent on cotton plantations and depended solely on agriculture and therefore required cheap labour in the cotton plantations. This prompted slavery in the region as a source of cheap labour. On the other hand, the north depended on industries and turned cotton into finished goods. Urbanization was also rampant due to growth of cities and immigration and did not advocate for slavery. This often brought about conflicts between the north and south prompting the civil war in 1861-1865 (Jones, 1996). The whites were considered a superior race compared to the others. Racial discrimination was therefore evident and continues to plague America in all aspects of life including social, political, economic and cultural areas. The American independence declared all humans as equal and has inalienable right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness and the constitution defended these rights. On this basis, civil rights movements were formed to fight for the rights of the minorities especially segregation and racial discrimination. The movement was particularly powerful in the south where minorities were often mistreated especially due to their conservatism nature and existence of Ku Klux Klan who were resistant to change. This paper discusses and analyzes civil rights movements operations and the varying ideas about how social, political, economic and cultural change could be achieved in the United States. In order to understand the civil rights movements, it is essential to understand the circumstances surrounding the civil war as it formed the basis for the movements. The war had the worst casualties than all the other wars that had been fought in America including the world wars. According to McPherson (1990), America was experiencing rapid growth in population, territory size and economy as a whole.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Written response; What is the purpose of Mama's retelling of familiar Essay

Written response; What is the purpose of Mama's retelling of familiar stories, specially the cuentos, during afternoon coffes - Essay Example Cofer shares the significance of Mama to her in these words, â€Å"I saw her as my liberator and my model. Her stories were parables from which to glean the Truth† (Cofer 69). The characters in Mama’s stories might be fake, but they were knit into stories that depicted the realities of life. The girls were in the age of adolescence and thus, in a state of transition from childhood to adulthood. They needed an interesting way of being informed of the challenges lying ahead in their lives, and Mama’s cuentos exactly addressed that concern. Cofer shares how she would reflect upon Mama’s stories together with Sara to draw conclusions from them in these words, â€Å"Sara and I discussed everything we heard the women say, trying to fit it all together like a puzzle that, once assembled, would reveal life’s mysteries to us† (Cofer 70). Mama’s house was a very suitable place for the cuentos to be narrated in as there was no intrusion of any sort from men in there; â€Å"Then Mama’s house belonged only to us women†¦and the women telling their lives in cuentos are forever woven into the fabric of my imagination, braided like my hair that day I felt my grandmother’s hands teaching me about strength, her voice convincing me of the power of storytelling† (Cofer 70). The stories Mama narrated depicted, in one way or another, realities of the lives of her own daughters. Storytelling not only provided Mama with a unique and interesting way of developing a strong connection and understanding with the young grand-daughters, but also of raising them into well-educated, civilized, and decent girls who would not trust the love of men until they signed the contract of marriage with them. Mama’s stories had lessons hidden in them. Giving those stories deep thoughts would lead Cofer to the realization that a woman loses to nothing and nobody but her own self by letting herself fall into love; â€Å"We understood that neither the name nor any of the facts were

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Medical microbiology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Medical microbiology - Assignment Example Some of them are insufficient media, bactericidal activity present in blood, amount of blood used for culturing, antibiotics occurrence, blood collection time. Most of bacterial cells of Salmonella serovar Typhi resides intracellulary in the patient’s blood. There is a need of reliable, rapid and sensitive methods for clinical detection of Salmonella serovar Typhi. Serological tests are available but its sensitivity and specificity is very low. The blood culture sensitivity is highest during the first week of illness but it then gradually decreases with advancement of illness. 45- 70% patients of typhoid fever can be identified through blood culturing. It depends upon the blood sample amount, bacteraemic level of Salmonella, culture medium type, length of incubation. Also the Salmonella bacteria presence in patient’s blood is very low, often below detection by blood culturing and even below detection by PCR. Difficulties become more due to limited amount of patient blood sample. Ox bile tryptone soy broth was used for blood culture; it allows blood cell lysis completely, which causes the release of intracellular bacteria. It does not inhibit the growth of Salmonella Typhi. From research it was found out that bacterial growth can be increased if blood culture media contains lyzing agents for blood cells. By performing various tests it was found out that 2.4% ox bile presence in blood culture will lyse blood cells within 1.5 hours so that the bacteria present intracellulary came out. Salmonella bacteria when kept in tryptone soya broth containing 2.4% ox bile for 3 hours will increase the amount of bacteria from 0.75 CFU per milliliter of blood. This level can be easily detectible by using regular PCR method. This blood culture PCR assay processing time is lesser than 8 hours as compared to conventional blood culture which may take 2 -5 days. Salmonella serovars patient’s blood or serum is also bactericidal

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Today's Mother Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Today's Mother - Essay Example Being a mother in the modern world implies being capable of juggling amid family life and career life. It involves bushel of stress and sometimes results in a lot of guilt especially if the mother cannot meet the dubious societal expectations. The mothers are supposed to bear babies but requests for maternal leaves are sometimes viewed with resentment. Modern women and particularly mothers are overstrained with idealistic expectations of motherly perfection. The unrealistic expectations are inflicted by the society or they impose on themselves. The standards set for the woman to meet are unrealistic and detrimental to the mother’s personal and professional existence. A professional mother is expected to fulfil obligations such as breastfeeding without taking advantage of artificial options available. A mother who chooses to wean their children in less than two years feels guilty and inadequate since the society views such attempts with condescension. The pressure to meet the s ocietal expectations of motherhood and retain their own identity as professionals harries modern mothers. This paper focuses on how the modern demands of motherhood has challenged and undermined the identity and status of women in the society. The working mother has no choice but to act perfect and not grumble on her shortfalls to avoid being perceived as amateurish. They also have to avoid talking of any hitches they may be going through to make the word believe they can effortlessly manage between their career life and family life or else they will be disparaged (Fay, 2012). Mothers are supposed to make sacrifices on their careers, be homemakers, and become dependent on their husbands for financial needs in order to meet the societal expectations and standards. Mothers who choose to employ house helps are branded as incompetent mothers. Any misbehaviour on the children is blamed on the mother. After giving birth, the mother is supposed to ensure she retains her youthful look or el se the husband is free to be unfaithful if they are discontented with their wives. Unlike in the1950s when women did not have to work modern women have to manage both their career life and find time to be with their children as well as husbands. Lack of government policies such as paid family leave make it impossible for most mothers to breast-feed their children since most have to work in order to support their families or supplement their husband’s earnings. However, they still receive great criticism if they choose other options such as taking their children to daycares to create time to meet other obligations. Women face great challenges principally those who chose to engage in politics as they are subjected to chauvinist jokes. A woman who chooses to dedicate her life in politics is labelled a bad mother irrespective of whether she has proved otherwise (Fay, 2012). Modern women have to balance between work, love life, and family. Demand such as taking care of babies part icularly breastfeeding binds women to be homemakers. The women schedules are rigid such that it is almost impossible for them to nurse their babies and work at the same time. Having a proper social life is almost impossible for some mothers. Women have to keep apologizing to their bosses for being mothers especially when their motherhood commitments such as childbearing cannot allow them achieve their obligations at work (Badinter, 2012) Some people like Badinter blame the problem on the aspiration women to be liberal mothers. She claims modern mother can somehow be blamed for the strain they have to undergo as they try to prove to the society that they are capable of being career women and practice traditional motherhood. She claims that contemporary motherhood undermines mother’

Friday, August 23, 2019

Media violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Media violence - Essay Example Various individuals and research groups have constantly attributed the increased rate of violence among the children and youths as a result of media influence (Phillips 26). Various forms of media present violent incidences as well as games with numbers attracted towards these violent views and video games constantly increasing. It is equally important to note that other researchers attribute violent media as an outlet of aggression as opposed to source of violence among any group within the society. The paper therefore explores the reasons why violent games and videos need to remain out of blame while searching for increased rise of criminal activities among children and the youth. To derive sufficient evidence that will lead to real answers, a focus on trends as well as averages is essential as opposed to simply relying on statistical outliers to measure the extent that criminal games and videos as well as other forms of criminal forms of games presented by the media affect the society (Foster). Focusing on logical trends like where an individual goes to work on eight hours a day and then heads home to engage in other forms of leisure while a kid plays for one hour and heads for a shooting spree is essential. It is also important to recall that even if there exists a connection between violent games as well as aggressive behavior, there lacks evidence to signify casualty (Hofmann133). There is a likelihood that violent criminals may choose violent games but there is still millions of children who engage on violent games day-day out but the vast majority of these children still remain as normal and law-abiding citizens. In the U.S, the concept interrelating video game violence and young people was taken to the national spotlight in a case where a California law banned sale of some specific violent related videos and games was brought in the Supreme Court. The enforcement of the 2005 failed to take effect at the

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Globalisation and Free

Globalisation and Free Trade Essay Globalisation, also referred to as global integration is an important economic concept used to understand the economic, structural, political and cultural changes that have occurred in the world today. Globalisation is argued to have shaped the post-war world. Globalisation can be defined as the increase of interconnectedness between countries through international trade. The reduced policy barriers to trade and investment in the public sector and the reduced communication and transportation costs in the private sector are believed to be the main driving force behind globalisation (Frankel, 2006). Due to globalisation, the concept of free trade operates. Free trade is a policy where countries are able to trade freely with each other as there are no tariffs applied to imports and no quotas or subsidies applied to exports. According to the law of comparative advantage, the free trade policy allows both countries to gain mutually from trade – increasing economic growth. The increase in inequality and job losses which is occurring around the world is argued to be as a result of global logic of competitive profit-making management techniques of outsourcing and corporate migrations, atomisation, downsizing and widespread technological progress which all came about as a result of globalisation and free trade (Ukpere and Slabbert, 2007) Due to some consequences of globalisation, movements were formed against it (Krugman et al, 2012). The anti-globalisation movements argue that although globalisation increases the overall income of a country however the benefits are not equally distributed between the citizens. This widens income disparities which brings up social and welfare issues and could also limit the forces which drive economic growth as opportunities brought about as a result of globalisation may not be fully taken advantage of. Maintaining citizens support is important in order to sustain globalisation, however support shown by citizens could largely be influenced by the rising level of inequality (Subir Lall et al, 2012). The Ricardian Model of comparative advantage states that goods are produced competitively using one factor of production; labour, utilising constant-returns-to-scale technologies that vary across countries and goods (Deardorff,2007) . The Ricardian model puts forward that countries would export the good in which they have comparative advantage which is determined by opportunity cost, labour cost and labour productivity. A country has a comparative advantage in the production of a good if the opportunity cost of producing that good in terms of other goods is lower in that country than it is in other countries (Krugman et al, 2012). The Ricardian model illustrates a world with two countries, A and B which both utilise a single factor of production labour in producing good X and Y respectively. Assuming country A has comparative advantage in producing good X, then country A should specialise in the production of good X and would export it to country B. Since it is more cost effective for country B to import good X , Production of good X would decline in country B leading to a reduction in the demand for labour. As a result workers would lose their jobs leaving them with less disposable income – increasing inequality. As a result of globalisation, the cost of communication between countries is low, reducing the cost of controlling the geographically dispersed parts of an organisation. This allows organisations identify countries which have low production costs and set up branches in such countries in order to exploit the low production costs. This is referred to as outsourcing. Through this fragmentation of industry, the host countries are able to pursue their comparative advantage and maximise the use of their resources. However due to outsourcing, the movement of production to the host country causes people in the foreign country to be laid off their jobs as there is a decline in the demand for labour, increasing job losses and also the inequality gap. The factor-proportions theory stresses the importance of the interaction between the proportions of the factors of production that are utilised by countries in production and the proportion of the factors of production the country possesses (Krugman et al, 2012). The Hecksher- Ohlin model is a version of the factor-proportions theory . The model assumes that the country that is abundant in a factor exports the good whose production is intensive in that factor and can be referred to as â€Å"2 by 2 by 2†: Two factors of production, two goods, two countries (Krugman et al, 2012). Assuming we have two countries, country A and B which utilise two factors of production; labour and land to produce goods X(labour intensive) and Y(land intensive) respectively. The Hecksher-Ohlin model states that If country A has abundance of Labour and country B has abundance of land then country A would be effective in the production of good X and country B would be effective in the production of good Y. The Hecksher-Ohlin model purports that owners of abundant factors benefit from international trade and owners of scarce factor would lose from trade. Owners of the scarce factor would then be forced to lay off some workers – leading to disparities in the distribution of income which increases inequality (Krugman et al, 2012). The Stopler- Samuelson theory describes an interaction between relative factor rewards and the relative prices of goods. The theory purports that under some economic conditions (perfect competition, constant returns, equal number of goods produced to equal number of factors) the rise in market price of a good would result in an rise in the return to that factor that is most intensively utilised in producing that good whereas a reduction in the return to the other factor occurs. Due to free trade, there are reduced tariffs on imports and as a result, there is a decrease in the price of imported goods that are high skill-intensive reducing compensation of limited high-skilled workers. Also, there in as increase in the price of exported goods which the country has abundant factor, that are low skill-intensive and the compensation of low-skilled workers. In a developed country with relatively abundant high-skill factors the opposite would occur with a rise in openness resulting in higher inequality. Inequality is argued to be rising amongst countries. The differences between the global poor and global rich continues to increase (Haines, 2001). The income share of the richest quintile is increasing whilst the income share of the rest of the quintiles is decreasing. Although globalisation is argued to be largely responsible for the increase in job losses and inequality, we can also argue that technological progress has contributed to some extent. Technological progress is responsible for the increasing gap between the skilled and unskilled workforce as it puts greater importance on worker skills. As a result of this, in most countries skilled workers are paid significantly higher wages than unskilled workers as a result leading to differences in income distribution. Also, in most households nowadays, we’ll find that most people use telephones and computers, making it possible for individuals to purchase a wide range of goods and services from a global supply chain. Countries that sell goods and services at a lower price compared to other countries tend to have comparative advantage in producing the good according to the Ricardian Model. As individuals we tend to then purchase goods from the country which sells it at the lowest price when compared to other countries. These current patterns have led to a large section of the labour market withering away, increasing inequality and job losses amongst countries (Martin and Schumann, 1997). Samuelson (2004) indicated that using the Ricardian model, with two goods and two countries with different levels of productivity, technological progress in the lagging country would benefit the latter and the more developed country would end up losing from international trade. This reduces the mutual benefits from international trade – increasing inequality. In order to decrease the rising inequality and job losses the government should make providing easy and free access to education a matter of high importance. This gives unskilled and low income groups an opportunity to take advantage of opportunities which arise from globalisation as a result they would be able to lessen the disparities in income distribution and have more job opportunities (Subir Lall et al, 2012). Globalisation is believed to have significantly contributed to the increase in the overall wealth amongst countries however it has a disequalizing effect as access to wealth between the rich and poor segments of the population is unequal. Government should put in place policy reforms which are aimed at opening up access to finance, developing institutions that encourage lending to the low income groups in order to enhance the general distribution of income, which in turn helps to support the overall growth of the economy.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Barriers for Adopting Electronic Health Records (Ehrs) by Physicians Essay Example for Free

Barriers for Adopting Electronic Health Records (Ehrs) by Physicians Essay Barriers for Adopting Electronic Health Records (EHRs) by Physicians Introduction In the article, â€Å"Barriers for Adopting Electronic Health Records (EHRs) by Physicians,† researchers analyze the resistance associated with adoption of EHR systems by U.S. physicians. Current research supports the notion that electronic health records are not vastly supported in the U.S., especially in comparison to other countries. According to researchers at the Weill Cornell Medical College, â€Å"Doctors who go digital do appear to provide significantly better health care† (Nordqvist, 2012). While there are many productivity concerns around implementing a new system, this article explains why physicians are resistant to the adoption of EHRs and how those oppositions can affect the system. Analysis of Key Issues In 2012 approximately 72 percent of office-based physicians had adopted any HER system and 40 percent had adopted basic EHR systems (King, Patel, Furukawa, 2012). While there are a myriad of issues associated with the adoption of EHRs nationwide, some of the most prevalent are miscommunication, misinformation and misinterpretation. Physicians are apprehensive about the level error that could prevail with using EHRs. Joseph Conn found that, â€Å"an alarming number of clinicians are anecdotally reporting a substantial increase in the incidence of wrong order/wrong patient errors wile using the computerized physician order entry component of information systems† (2013). Clearly physician resistance to EHRs is directly related to the safety of patients as an increased predisposition for error is being revealed. Conversely, EHRs can be equally superior as they can also contribute more accuracy to the healthcare infrastructure. The Missouri Health Connection shared that EHRs can pr ovide health records universally, â€Å"improving the coordination and continuity of care and promoting informed decision making† amongst many other things (n.d.). Findings Based on the results from the study there are 20 reasons that physicians are resistant to the adoption of EHRs; stemming from cost to doctor-patient relationship. With all the viable concerns that physicians have, they  remain resistant and the acceptance rate is still low. Personal Assessment The evolution of EHRs and its impact on Obamacare and the overall healthcare system is pioneering. Obamacare is based on the perception that health care in the U.S. is more expensive than any other industrial nation because the incentive configuration is inadequate. Ideally, the government would like for Medicaid and Medicare patients to be consistently healthy and otherwise reimburse the physicians for keeping them healthy. However, for this to work the government needs instant access to patient records. With this access the government can eliminate reimbursement solely on test and procedures but incentivize for health results. While EHRs are beneficial for physicians they are equally beneficial for patients. The ability to walk into any healthcare facility and the physician have access to your medical history is substantial. As it relates to someone with health complications, this can minimize the risk of misdiagnosis or allergic reaction. Deuteronomy 15: 7-8 says, â€Å"If there be among you a poor man of one of thy bretheren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth† (KJV). As Obamacare seems to favor those who are less fortunate or helps those who need healthcare, there is a need to support this agenda. No one should go without health insurance and there are an alarming number of citizens without it today. References Conn, J. (2013). HER systems pose serious concerns, reports says. Modern Healthcare. Retrieved from www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130624/NEWS/306249952. King, J., Patel, V., Furukawa, M.F. (2012). Physician adoption of electronic health record technology to meet meaningful use objectives: 2009-2012. ONC Data Brief. Retrieved from www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/onc-data-brief-7-december-2012.pdf Nordqvist, C. (2012). Electronic health records linked to much better quality care. Medical News Today. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/251633.php.

The Glasgow Caledonian University

The Glasgow Caledonian University INTRODUCTION Glasgow Caledonian University is one of the largest universities in Scotland with nearly 17,000 students. This institution was established in 1993, as a result of the merger of Queens College Glasgow with the Glasgow polytechnic (GCU website).The institution is situated right in the heart of Glasgow city centre. There exist increasingly, a lot of activities going on within this university making a growing case for the importance of managing the environmental impacts associated with its activities, products and services. Recognising this concern that university decided to act responsibly by making serious commitments towards a sustainable place to work and study. The commitment paid off with the recent bronze award awarded to the university by Eco campus after an off-site audit. Despite this achievement, there is still a general lack of awareness about the process and there have been no visible improvement in environmental performance. Therefore, this report seeks to; identify the universitys main activities with significant impact to the environment, explain the relationship between Environmental Management System (EMS) and Eco campus, examine the role of eco campus in achieving the ISO14001 certification and finally suggest steps needed to be taken by the University to attain the next phase-silver awards presented by Eco campus. ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF GLASGOW CALEDONIAN UNIVERSITY WITH SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. â€Å"Universities are now regarded as â€Å"small cities† due to their large size, population and the various complex activities taking place in them† (Abubakar et al, 2008). Glasgow Caledonian university being one of the universities in Scotland, has going in it a complex number of activities (aspects) which could have direct or indirect impact on the environment which will result in environmental sustainability or could lead to the degradation of the environment. Such environmental aspects includes: fresh water and energy use- including electricity and heat consumption (Noeke, 2000), consumption of materials (e.g. food, paper, equipment, etc.), procurement, generation and disposal of all kinds of waste, construction (including refurbishment) and demolition activities, transport to and fro the university (Edith Cowan University, 2009), workshop and laboratory use, lectures, research and sporting activities, community support services (Abubakar et al, 2008) and finally the provision of student and staff accommodation. WHAT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (EMS) Environmental management system is a management system used by an organisation to develop and implement its own environmental policy and manage its environmental aspects (International standards organisation, 2005). It involves ; the development of environmental policy statement, implementation of that policy (through appropriate objectives/targets, clear responsibilities, organised structure, action plans and established procedures), creating awareness and training, performance monitoring and audit and lastly continuous improvement on previous policy. Denning Cycle The Environmental management system approach to the management of environmental impacts was based on the Plan-Do-Check-ACT (PDCA) cycle commonly known as the Denning cycle shown above. The â€Å"Plan† aspect involves, environmental baseline review, setting of objectives, assigning of responsibilities and the preparation of plans, programmes and procedures. The â€Å"Do† aspect involves implementation of these standards, procedures and action plans. The â€Å"Check† aspect involves environmental monitoring and auditing of the implemented procedures, action plans and objectives. Then the â€Å"Act† involves the review by management and the continuous improvement of the environmental policy. Though ISO14001 standard produced by the International Standard Organisation (ISO) in 1995 is generally accepted as the global standard for certifying environmental management systems, there still exists other standards such as; Eco Management and Audit Scheme- which is an European standard established by European regulation 1836/93 as a voluntary initiative to improve companies performance (Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, 2009) and the British standard-BSI 8555, which is a national environmental management system intended towards a phased approach to implementation. Several such national environmental management systems exist across the globe WHAT IS ECO CAMPUS Eco campus is a national environmental management system development program and award scheme developed by the higher education sector for the higher education to improve environmental performance using a phases and modular approach (Eco campus, 2009). The project is funded by the higher education funding council for England (HEFCE) and is a collaborative project between Nottingham Trent University (NTU), Loreus Ltd, Environment Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) AND Environment Campaign- ENCAMS (EAUC, 2009). Eco campus achieves improved environmental performance through the issuance of four awards which are usually done in phases. The awards include; Bronze, Silver, Gold and platinum. With each being a product of a particular phase. The bronze award is the lowest of the awards while the platinum award is the highest and is equivalent to the ISO14001 standards. Based on the released Eco campus audit criteria published in 2008, the Bronze award is given to institutions that have; shown senior management commitment to environmental management, carried out environmental baseline review of environmental aspects, developed a draft of environmental policy and are involved in creating awareness of the process. The Silver awards (being the 2nd phase award) is given to higher institutions that have; identified the significant environmental aspects of the universitys operations, identified the legal and other requirements related to its environmental aspects, developed environmental objectives and targets and have produced a finalised environmental policy document. Furthermore, the achievement of the Eco campus Gold awards is tied to the completion of the following processes, assigning roles and responsibilities towards meeting environmental objectives and targets, ensuring that the personnel involved in the implementation of the environmental policy are competent and adequately trained, developing and implementing standard operational control procedures, ensuring proper documentation and communication of processes involved and putting in place systems that will identify emergencies and respond to them. Finally, the platinum award is given only to institutions who have shown adherence to; monitoring and measurements of environmental aspects of the university, performing internal audits on universitys environmental performance and regularly review of environmental performance by management. THE BENEFITS AND LIMITATION OF IMPLEMENTING ECOCAMPUS IN GLASGOW CALEDONIAN UNIVERSITY The eco campus being an environmental management system has a number of limitations to its operation. But the benefits of implementing the eco campus environmental management system far outweigh the limitations (Eco campus, 200). These benefits may include the following: Eco campus will help the university to effectively improve its environmental performance in phases, thus helping the institution to gradually establish a standard environmental management practice. This will in the long run, facilitate its certification to standard environmental practices such as ISO14001 (Caledonian Environmental centre, 2009) and will reduce the overall cumulative impact on financial as well as human resources associated in the initial establishment of such standards. Eco campus will improve cooperation and environmental awareness among staff, student and other relevant stakeholders (Melnyk et al, 2003). This will as reported by Abubakar et al (2008) bring a change in the way the university; exploits its resources and develops its technology. Thus leading to; reduced operational cost (profitability), increased efficiency and ultimately environmental sustainability. Eco campus will enhance the universitys compliance to regulations and codes of good practice. Thereby promoting improved relationship with both the regulators and the general public. This will help reduce enforcement or civil actions and other direct or hidden legal cost associated with non compliance to regulations (GCU sustainability website, 2009) Eco campus will help the University to effectively manage the impacts of its activities on the environment and improve its environmental performance. Enviro campus (2007) pointed out that, this will enhance the reputation of the university thus encouraging high student recruitment, better public perception and more community support. Eco campus will have significant effect on cost saving through, reduction of cost associated with waste disposal, efficient use of resources (e.g. energy, water etc.), avoidance of cost associated with non compliance to legislations and reduction in insurance cost (Wikipedia, 2009) Though benefits abound there still exist a number of limitations associated with the implementation of the Eco campus Environment Management system. The Glasgow Caledonian university website (2009) suggested some to include; it takes a long time to implement and monitor and it requires proper documentation, adequate training and good communication for it to be successful. In my own opinion other limitations will include the fact that it requires high level of commitment by the management for it to be successful and that it still requires human and financial resources though little compared to the full implementation of a standard Environmental Management system like ISO14001. CURRENT GLASGOW CALEDONIAN UNIVERSITYS ECO CAMPUS STATUS AND IMPLICATIONS TO ATTAINING ISO14001 CERTIFCATION. Glasgow Caledonian University was presented the bronze award by the Eco campus director in Bournemouth University on the 1st of July 2009 (Glasgow Caledonian university website, 2009) as an award for meeting up with the minimum criteria of the Eco campus project for the bronze phase. The reports found on the Universitys website indicated the following achievements of the school to have warranted it the eco campus bronze awards. The university showed senior management commitment to the Eco campus scheme by establishing an Eco campus team (comprising of; the Caledonian Environmental centre, School of built and natural environment, facilities management arm of the university, student association and the Caledonian environmental society students group) headed by Therese Fraser, to oversee the implementation of the Eco campus environmental management system. This team went ahead to produce the draft of the Universitys environmental policy The University carried out the environmental baseline review of more than five basic management areas exceeding by far the minimum requirement set out for the bronze phase. The management area include; waste management, environmental management systems, sustainable procurement, transport, health welfare and safety, environmental policy, energy and water, emissions and discharges, biodiversity and community involvement. The university provided and is still appropriate environmental training for staff involved in the Eco campus programme. The implication of this current status to attaining its target of ISO14001 certification is that the institution is still at the planning phase. It will have to move from that phase to the implementation phase which involves; identification of environmental aspects and legal requirements, setting objectives and target, establishing standard procedures towards achieving this targets/objectives, formalising the environmental policy and its implementation. And then continuously review and improve on policies and practices. But since the university is using a phased approach-Eco campus, it thus means that, it will have to pass through the silver, gold and platinum phases before thinking of getting the ISO14001 certification. The platinum award is an equivalent for ISO14001 standard. So reaching that platinum status will facilitate the easy acquisition of the ISO14001 certification. PRACTICAL STEPS IN MOVING GLASGOW CALEDONIAN TO THE SILVER AWARDS Moving from the bronze phase to the silver phase involves meeting the criteria for the silver phases. The Eco campus audit criteria published in 2008 listed the criteria to include; identification of its significant environmental aspects, identification of legal and other requirements associated with these aspects, setting objectives and targets, producing a final copy of the environmental policy and communicating this policy to all relevant stake holders. So for the university to achieve the silver status the following practical steps have to be taken. The university has to first thoroughly identify and document all the activities of the university that has significant impact on the environment The second step is to identify and document all legal and other requirement associated with the above environmental aspects The next step is to set up and document objectives and targets in relation to managing the environmental aspects Using the information above, the university should produce a formal copy of its environmental policy which will be signed by the top management indicating the management commitment to the process Lastly, the environmental policy should be adequately communicated to the staff, students and all other relevant stakeholders in the university community. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Sacrifice in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and Rocking Horse Winner by

The point of view of tradition in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is the normal once of year gathering on the townspeople. This gathering is held in order to pick, via a lottery drawing, to decide who in the town is going to be stoned to death. â€Å"The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o’clock; in some towns there were so many people the lottery took two days and had started on June 26th, but in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, and the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten o’clock in morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner.† (Kennedy & Gioia, 2013, pp. 251). The fact that the people gather and discuss everyday issue prior to the start of the lottery all point to the blind tradition of selecting some to be stoned to death. The author also points out in her story that no one knew when or why the tradition of the lottery began. Even not knowing Tessie Hutchinson, at first had no issues with the annual event. It was only when she â€Å"won† the lottery that she developed the point of view that was bias or judgmental. Mrs. Hutchinson protests the process of the lottery and the town’s methods, â€Å"It isn’t fair, it isn’t right† Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her.† (Kennedy & Gioia, 2013, pp. 256). The interpretation of the stoning is that the town quantifies the reason to murder to satisfy the harvest. The point of view of materialism in the Rocking Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence is the seen from inside the mind of child in the story, Paul. â€Å"He went off by himself, vaguely, in a childish way, seeking for the clue to â€Å"luck,† Absorbed, taking n... ...ing horse, her desires are never satisfied. In conclusion, both short stories you can see that they both arrive at a sacrifice of the protagonist’s from different paths. The Lottery is from the view point of blind tradition and The Rocking Horse Winner is from the view point of materialism, the love of money. Although both stories are similar with sacrifice as the end result, the sacrifices are for to completely different circumstances. Tessie Hutchinson’s sacrifice is to satisfy the harvest, which benefits the town. Paul’s sacrifice is to satisfy his mother happiness, which benefits an individual. References APA: Kennedy, X. J., & Gioia, D. (2013). Symbol. In J. Terry, K. Glynn & D. Campion (Eds.), Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing (7 ed., pp. 234-245; pp. 250-256). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Fatalism in Macbeth :: essays research papers

Fatalism: Uncontrolled Destiny People have many different ways of viewing destiny. For example, some people believe in Existentialism, which is where a persons personal choices affect the outcome of their lives. Others believe in Fatalism, which means your destiny is unalterable and preordained. William Shakespeare believed in fatalism, which is shown through many of his plays. The most distinct examples of fatalism are found in his play, Macbeth. Macbeth shows that once your destiny is predetermined it is not in your power to change it. Macbeth’s destiny is told to him by the Weird Sister’s, â€Å"All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!†(1.3.53). He comes to the realization that the only way to become king, is if he kills the reigning king. However, he has difficulty accepting this, and attempts to do away with this plan, â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business†(1.7.34). Unfortunately, he is unable to prevent the outcome of his future. His destiny was established and he could do nothing to hinder it. Macbeth is told by the witches that, â€Å"none of woman born shall harm [him]†(4.1.91-92). Macbeth, believing there can be no other kind of man, goes on with his life ignoring that detail of his fate. He does nothing to try and prevent this from taking place. When Macduff comes to fight Macbeth, Macbeth trusts that his destiny is and will remain true, â€Å"As easy mayst thou the intrenchant air with they keen sword impress as make me bleed†¦.I bear a charmed life, which must not yield to one of woman born†(5.8.12-16). He is, ironically, not afraid of Macduff, contrary to his fate as told by the witches. Macduff tells him that he was in fact not naturally born of woman and Macbeth realizes that his destiny has come true. Macbeth struggles to put up a fight but can not deny his destiny. Macbeth shows that once your destiny is predetermined it is not in your power to change it. Macbeth is evidence that your destiny, once established, can not be altered or stopped in any way. Macbeth’s destiny was told to him and even though he was in denial, he realizes in the end that destiny is powerful.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The Consequences of Peoples Obsession with Physical Appearances Essay

In this essay, I will compare people that are obsessed with physical appearance and appearances. It is not strange for individuals to worry about physical appearance. In fact, we could argue that we are living in a culture that weighs the most up-to-date trends or newest fashions more heavily than more pressing issues that affects society. As a result, many people become obsessed with their physical appearance in order to keep up with trends and fashions. People pay too much attention to appearance, it is important in some situations and the general population seems to put more of their focus on how good someone looks or what the newest trends are, instead of concentrating on greater issues at hand, which are often not discussed. For instance, there are problems with our health care system but many people have a greater knowledge of what is going on with the death of Michael Jackson. In our society where image and presentation is everything, it is impossible not to care about our appearance. We find ways to beautify ourselves, such as not eating properly which leads to anor...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Cultural Diversity within Organizations

Addressing Cultural Diversity within OrganizationsTeg does non hold a diverseness direction plan or policy in topographic point. Cultural diverseness within organisations has been known to heighten productiveness and good inter-relationship between the employees. Examples of cultural diverseness are multicultural dialogue, communicating, direction every bit good as in other concern patterns such as enlisting. This sort of diverseness has gained significance in the current planetary economic system. However the cultural differences constructs and their effects on making concern and communication are complex and have several viing footings in usage. This paper seeks to set up the footings for cultural differences every bit good as analyze their impacts on an industry such as Target Engineering Group ( TEG ) . The paper besides seeks to set up the cultural diverseness plans that can be developed at TEG.The footings inter-cultural and multi-cultural are chiefly used when mentioning to th e integrating of different civilizations from different states. In every bit much as this may be true, cultural diverseness besides embraces several local facets such as the ratio of adult females to work forces in a workplace. In Helen Sharp ‘s ( 1995 ) work â€Å"Challenging Students to React to Multicultural Issues† , there are two instances that query the possibility of an American working in a foreign land. Besides, the footings in cultural diverseness are non merely synonymous to international integrating, but besides to gender, race, generational or socio-cultural issues. Understanding the significance of diverseness is the initial measure towards turn toing the issues related to diverseness. The universe in which we live demonstrates a perfect illustration of diverseness. There is a diverse universe of the Moon, Sun, stars, planes and other organic structures with each holding its ain bound way every bit good as its intent fro being. Since the people who live in this universe are of diverse gender, race, cultural and geographical entities the industries and companies such as TEG must absorb and acculturate these constructs. The employees in a company are diverse in category, gender, faith every bit good as diverse states and backgrounds. For successful operation of TEG, it must follow civilization variegation to suit each of the above listed diversenesss. Cultural diverseness may be defined as the assortment of civilizations or human societies in a peculiar part – in our instance the TEG. Cultural diverseness besides refers to the cultural differences that exist between persons such as linguistic communication, frock and traditions, art and interests, moral and spiritual every bit good as the disparities in the manner societies organize themselves. Cultural diverseness is nevertheless hard to quantify but on the other manus it is easy identifiable. There are certain facets of cultural diverseness that deficiency at TEG on top of the deficiency of a diverseness direction plan. TEG does non hold a diverse group of the black employees every bit good as adult females on their staff. This is evidenced by the low per centum of black employees in this company. TEG has besides non taken the advantages that come with the acceptance of cultural diverseness despite being really successful in supplying professional technology services in t he tri-county parts of West Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade. Besides the Human Resource at TEG does non concentrate its attempts on seeking the services of the minorities particularly when advertisement for a occupation place. The occupation advertizements are placed on the web sites or the newspaper ( Keyton, 2005 ) . The companies that have developed cultural diverseness are making really good despite being in the same concern as TEG. The PBS & A ; J is one of those companies that extremely values diverseness. Another illustration of a company that upholds diverseness is the Associated Engineering. This company has a enlisting scheme in topographic point that embraces diverseness by the periodic enlisting thrusts. These thrusts are geared towards capturing the services of immigrants from foreign part such as South Africa, Asia or Australia. In order to turn to these cultural lacks at TEG, the intercessions made must clearly place the demand, prosecute clear aims, make full a legal nothingness, every bit good as supply the appropriate accomplishable solutions by puting assorted norms and criterions. It is hence prerequisite to guarantee that each of the above demands is met for our instance in point-TEG. There are several facets that have led to the cultural diverseness lack at TEG. One of these facets is the deficiency off comprehensive vision on the effects of globalisation on cultural diverseness. In every bit much as TEG may be successful in the proviso of technology consultancy services, the company does non continue the diverseness of cultural look with respect to the mounting globalisation of the economic system. The attack taken by TEG does non encompass cultural diverseness and may be termed as disconnected. This relates to human rights, linguistic communication rights, heritage protection, international cultural cooperation, cultural policies, cultural pluralism every bit good as rational belongings rights. TEG requires understanding on all these demands as it strives to make diverseness within the staff ranks. The company should concentrate on enrolling the minority groups more so the immigrants. These persons have diverse cognition that would be used to the advantage of T EG. The article by Replicon Inc. merely wholly supports this position in â€Å"Employers Embrace Diversity: Immigrants go basis of company growth† . Due to the deficit of engineers and technology professionals TEG is bound to concentrate on the foreign chances for enrolling staff. The system has been adopted by Associated Engineering and it is really working to their advantage ( Hellriegel and Slocum, 2009 ) . Another challenge that could be confronting TEG and could besides be a possible cause of the cultural diverseness lacks realized is the trouble in turn toing the civilization issue caput on. The company seems to be more focussed on the commercial facet as opposed to the cultural diverseness facet. In order to accomplish a reconciliation between the commercial and cultural facets there is demand to openly show the cultural positions. Teg might be enduring from fright of the liberalisation of trade in the universe being hampered by developing cultural diverseness saving policies. However, cultural diverseness look will be critical in the capableness of the company following the alterations that come with globalisation. Therefore the company should subject the commercial issues to civilization jussive moods and therefore prevent commercial facet from ruling the concern. It is merely by cultural diverseness that the company can be able to recognize the commercial facets efficaciously. Teg can be able to advance cultural diverseness guided by the rules discussed below. The company must acknowledge the being of cultural diverseness as an of import tool for accomplishing the commercial aims of the company. Therefore, the company should confirm and acknowledge cultural diverseness at the local, regional and international degrees every bit good as reflecting on the policies brought by this diverseness towards recognizing the ends of the company. The company must besides advance participatory democracy. This means the publicity of heritage representation while including the active input of all the stakeholders. This would be achieved by the usage of dialogue, audience every bit good as engagement. Heritage representation particularly of the employees will actuate them to unwrap their diverse civilizations towards doing the company more successful. TEG must besides concentrate on coordination and cooperation. This means that the company should portion undertakings and promote cultural exchanges in a position of cooperation and coordination. This will guarantee that the company is maximising resources and the available expertness both at a planetary and regional degree. For TEG to accomplish cultural diverseness it must ship on community edifice and peace devising. TEG is bound to acknowledge and appreciate the sense of individuality and topographic point of the diverse persons it may enroll. By appreciating their diverse heritages and furthering a shared position, the spirit of rapprochement and assurance on the multi-cultural employees is built. This will climax in effectual occupation productions and broadening of the concern. Cultural diverseness is besides realized through capacity edifice. The company should be directed to transform and alter as per the multicultural societies that exist about. Finally the company should guarantee the resourcefulness of the diverse cultures it may hold in the signifier of staff. This will guarantee that the company can maximise on the variegation of the resources available to turn to the concerns of cultural economic sciences every bit good as cultural equity. The civilization of an organisation guides the members on how â€Å"work† of the organisation should be conducted. The civilization besides entails the grounds foe being and the aims of the company. Finally cultures in organisation order how persons should associate to each other at the workplace every bit good as to those outside the topographic point of work. As Cox ( 1991 ) illustrates, bias is the look of negative personal attitudes towards persons affiliated to a peculiar cultural group. Discrimination on the other manus involves the discernible inauspicious behaviour directed to members of a peculiar cultural group. Therefore, TEG must guarantee that it protects its resource of diverse cultured employees from these actions. This will take to peaceable and confident working countries. There are several dimensions to cultural diverseness non needfully established at TEG. These are: ethnicity, age, household position, income, Gender, military experience, educational background, sexual orientation, race, Work experience every bit good as societal category. All these dimensions must be considered in the event that TEG might desire to incorporate cultural diverseness by using staff from different civilizations. This is because of the fact that a heterogenous group of persons can merely work together and efficaciously through cooperation and consensus. The company must besides non bury about enrolling the local persons who are qualified for the occupation. This will guarantee the care of civilization within the part where the company operates. Two persons do non needfully have the same sentiment by virtuousness of being in the same cultural group. Therefore in every bit much as variegation should be encouraged integrating with more of the local cultural groups will besides turn out successful. In order to deduce maximal end product from the rich cultural backgrounds, TEG must set up degree playing Fieldss for the different cultural groups. Two qualified persons form the Black community and the White community should hold similar wage bundles as per their makings and occupation experiences. Besides the adult females employed in the company holding similar makings as the work forces should besides be given equal wage bundles. This will advance civilization equality that will heighten occupation production since no cultural group will experience inferior to the other. In any company, the first stage of deducing maximal benefits from diverseness is the development of a conjunct attempt towards what signifiers of cultural diverseness issues within an organisation. The recognition of the being of assorted persons and groups of persons with different cultural backgrounds is an of import measure in this initial stage. The assorted cultural dimensions that exist in PBS & A ; J every bit good as Associated Engineering will be discussed in order to turn to the cultural diverseness issue amicably. PBS & A ; J Corporation has been in the front line in encompassing cultural diverseness within its environments. The inclusion of a web page known as diverseness in their web site will decidedly work good for the advantage of the company. The web page consists of information on diverseness preparation, diverseness consciousness, and affinity groups every bit good as the CDAC-supported professional organisations web pages. This has enabled the company to offer bes t solutions to their patronages and at the same clip increasing their productiveness. The company besides offers diversity developing plan that include a one-day workshop. It is a known fact that the acceptance of cultural diverseness has its ain portion of disadvantages. There will be struggles, nerve-racking state of affairss and sick feelings originating from the acceptance of sub-cultures in these companies. Therefore it is necessary for all the persons to pass on about their cultural differences. However, it is hard to discourse cultural differences without fall backing to stereotypes. In ideal nature, stereotypes do non be. This is because no person is absolutely similar to another and no member of a cultural group can be a ringer of another. Besides, as cultural diverseness develops, the challenge of communicating besides arises. This leads to the necessity for greater attempts that will harbour improved and effectual communicating accomplishments. Therefore, PBS & A ; J Corporation should follow effectual communicating schemes to be use by their multi-cultural employees. This will guarantee that there are no cultural struggles or favoritisms on the footing of civilization. Discussion and consciousness nowadayss a clearer image of cultural diverseness, understanding and appreciating cultural diverseness does non needfully bespeak digesting differences amongst the individuals in a group but it besides involves fostering and back uping them. By back uping and fostering diverseness within the cultural groups, the company will heighten its other aims through sharing of information, thoughts, issues every bit good as civilizations. It has been established that fostering diverseness creates chances for development of character through learning regard and tolerance for persons and advancing the concern for equity. For the company in inquiry to perpetuate and boom, it must back up a culturally-diverse squad that values and esteem all persons from different backgrounds. The acceptance of the position quo of cultural diverseness may confront some challenges but it does non function as alibi for avoiding passage ( Nestor, 1991 ) . The traditional thaw theory has two positions on immigrants who have settled in America. The scheme of immigrant has been adopted by Associated Engineering Corporation and it is working good. There is a high possibility that the immigrants will reside the characters and ways of their old states and intermingle absolutely with the new environment. However there are two false beliefs that are presented by this theory. The first one assumes that the colored Americans will endeavor to be like the white Americans. The 2nd 1 is that the colored people will non happen any importance in following the civilization of the new universe. Those false beliefs nevertheless have been marred by rejection and a batch of contentions. This is because of the impairment of the individual monoculture in today ‘s universe. Many organisations are following a pluralistic work force that continues to germinate through cultural influence and integrating. The Associated Engineering Corporation should guara ntee that the immigrants hired from different civilizations blend good with the dominant Whites civilization in the company. Another facet that was seen as a cultural diverseness lack in TEG is the issue of gender penchant. The company has adult females employees as compared to the work forces population. Therefore, TEG should increase the qualified female employees in their staff. There are other factors that impact the bounds to which diverse civilizations integrate with the bing 1s. The ground for in-migration of the recruited employees influences a batch. The vicinity or background of the immigrants must besides be established. Some immigrants come from cultural or non-ethnic vicinity that might act upon the attitudes of these persons towards cultural diverseness. The socioeconomic position, instruction and the upward growing of these persons should be evaluated so as to set up how good they adapt to the different civilizations they may confront. TEG ‘s mission is built to react to the client ‘s demands by supplying quality services through better direction of the personal resources. Theref ore, to guarantee that this mission is realized, the company should ship on publicity of diverse civilizations.MentionsCox, T. ( 1991 ) . The Multicultural Organization: Academy of Management Executive, vol.5, no.2, pp.34-47. Helen, S. ( 1995 ) . Challenging Students to React to Multicultural Issues: Journal article by Janice Tovey, vol.60, pp.10-11. Hellriegel, D. & A ; Slocum, J.W. ( 2009 ) . Organizational Behavior. Mason, Ohio: South-Western. Nestor, L.G. ( 1991 ) . Pull offing Cultural Diversity in Volunteer Organizations: Voluntary Action Leadership. New York: Springer. Keyton, J. ( 2005 ) . Communication and Organizational Culture: A Key to Understanding Work Experiences. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Lord of the Flies †Character Analysis: Piggy Essay

Examine the significance of the character Piggy in the novel â€Å"Lord of The Flies† consider his purpose, key role and relationship with the other boys at important points in the novel. To mimic men’s actions and lost of civility in times of war and need, William Golding, narrates a story in which all characters are boys, with the intention of taking the reader through the journey made by those who descend to savagery when facing certain conditions. This essay is going to explore and explain the symbolism behind one of the novel’s main characters and how his presence influences other characters’ actions and the way things turn out. Piggy is a Short and heavyset boy who wears spectacles and is disadvantaged by asthma. At first he appears to be a desperate childish boy by panicking over the rest of the world’s lack of information regarding his and the boys’ whereabouts, – while the others see this as an opportunity to be free and independent – which makes him seem like a dependable, desperate young boy. However, as the story unfolds we come to understand that his worrying at the beginning is related to his analytical way of thinking. And even though the other boys put him down due to his physical appearance, we come to learn how necessary he is on the island as a source of intelligence and insight. Due to his unfortunate looks and his nickname, the boys on the island refuse on sympathizing with Piggy and collectively make fun of him, making him an outcast – â€Å"The boys were a circle of sympathy with Piggy outside†. Bullied and brutalized by Jack, he maturely shields away the mocking and focuses on increasing their chances of being rescued and meanwhile living in an organized environment. However, as soon as his intellectual side starts to show, and his critical thinking becomes a crucial part in assembling a new community, – â€Å"I expect we’ll want to know all their names,† said the fat boy, â€Å"and make a list. We ought to have a meeting. † – he slowly begins being accepted. His clever ideas introduce important concepts to the rest of the boys. For example, the use of the conch: the power to speak and be heard given to whoever held it in hands. The way he thinks endears him especially to Ralph who starts to admire him. â€Å"Piggy rubbed his glasses slowly and thought. When he understood how far Ralph had gone towards accepting him he flushed pinkly with pride. †- Thankful for being accepted, Piggy shows loyalty and respect for Ralph. At a certain point, Ralph questions his leadership skills and compares himself to Piggy who stands up for him – â€Å"You said Ralph was chief and you don’t give him time to think. Then when he says something you rush off†. He protects Ralph and reminds the others that they all collectively chose him to be their leader. Once again, Piggy shows he hasn’t lost his values and instincts. Although he might not entirely fit in with the others, he manages to get his point across with Ralph’s help. His ideas frequently lead to innovation and his way of thinking is what gets them by the first stages of civilized survival. He represents democracy by presenting his ideals to the others and hoping to come to a mutual agreement on the way of executing things; and clings onto civility throughout the whole novel, by pointing out whenever one of the other boys take a step away from civilization. Underestimated by many at the beginning, Piggy’s role in the story carries a very important meaning and stands for great attributes found in men. The sensible understanding of reality shown by the character stands for the rational scientific side of civilization. His maturity differentiates him from the others – â€Å"With the martyred expression of a parent who has to keep up with the senseless ebullience of the children† – and becomes essential in avoiding savagery and barbaric behavior from the boys. His character is related to a great part of the symbolism used by Golding and has a very important role in preventing the descent from civilization to savagery, however, he sadly he witnesses the turnover. Piggy’s glasses represent many different ideas. The initial importance of the specs is that they represent the ability to make fire, which they hoped would provide the rescue they needed. Piggy’s glasses also signify Piggy’s ability to see literally and figuratively. Without them, he is helpless and blind. He is unable to serve as well as Ralph’s right-hand man and voice of logic. When Piggy is â€Å"blinded† it symbolizes the blindness of the Jack’s tribe to the evil to which they are succumbing. Piggy’s murder completes the boys’ lost of sight (figuratively speaking) and forces them into total darkness, which leads to the hunting of Ralph. When his glasses are broken and he tragically dies, so does what is left of order and civilization in the island. Of all the forms of symbolism present in the book, Piggy’s character carries a relation to many of them. To being with, his nickname isn’t only related to his physical structure, but it also suggests vulnerability, like the pigs on the island that rapidly become Jack’s targets. Another important symbolic element related to Piggy is the conch he and Ralph found at the start of the novel. They used it to call the boys and assemble them. After the conch is crashed along with his body, the boys divide themselves representing the loss of the civilized instinct once present in each and every boy. Piggy is significant in the novel not only because he is one of the main characters, but also because his purpose is directly related to the main theme of the story: civilization vs. savagery. Although he wasn’t able to make the concept of civilization permanent, he spends the whole novel trying to get his values across, and reminding the others of who they were and how they were expected to behave. His intelligence gives him the voice of sanity and reason.

Moral Development

The elementary years can be considered as a crucial point when it comes to the character formation of a person. This is where he faces new things; knowledge and information that could greatly affect his life in the future. This is the time in the child’s life where he or she develops a concept about what’s good or bad. Because of this, adult intervention is necessary; parents as well as teachers should do their best in supervising every step of development their children undergoes. In Kohlberg’s theory, the time when children enter elementary school is his second in three broad levels of moral development (Boeree, 2003). This is the conventional morality level, wherein the definition of right and wrong would usually depend on â€Å"what the people would say† (Colman, 2001). This part is what requires most adult attention, since they are the ones the children look up to, being the basis of what they would follow in the future. This stage is further divided into two sub-stages. The first stage is the good boy/good girl stage, wherein children try to live up to what others expect them to be, as well as seek their approval in everything they do. It is important for adults to show them the â€Å"right things† because everything they do becomes a basis of the children’s actions. Another sub-stage is the law and order stage, where children now takes a perspective that involves the social system as well, taking into consideration the rules and laws of the society they are living in, as well as the authorities they have to follow. At these elementary years, we can address the teaching of moral development in schools by devising or structuring out what should be taught to these children (Nucci, 2002). At this stage, they should be already provided with the basic laws and regulations that they should follow as a â€Å"good citizen†. These could start by introducing the school laws and regulations and relating it to the laws of the society. Another concern also would be about their teacher. These children’s teacher should be a model they could look up to as a person, so that their concept of conventional morality would depend on what their teachers show them. References: Boeree, C. G. (2003). Moral Development.  Ã‚   Retrieved November 10, 2007, from http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/genpsymoraldev.html Colman, A. M. (2001). Conventional Morality. In A Dictionary of Psychology: Oxford University Press. Nucci, L. (2002). Moral Development and Moral Education: An Overview.  Ã‚   Retrieved November 10, 2007, from http://tigger.uic.edu/~lnucci/MoralEd/overview.html       Moral development According to the Social Learning Theory, our moral behavior is shaped by the reinforcement and punishment stimuli through the process of learning. It means that if a child was punished in the past for a certain behavior and is faced with such a situation again, he/she will avoid this behavior. As a social being, a person lives within a group or a community and â€Å"tends to perform actions and behave in a manner conducive to community approval†. The greatest criticism of this theory is that â€Å"it does not provide a proper overall personality assessment†. â€Å"It focuses more on the factors perceived as negative by the learner – it does not account for what may be considered positive.† (Social Learning Theory) According to Kohlberg’s theory of moral development, â€Å"there are six identifiable stages of moral development† which could be classified into three levels. (Kohlberg’s stages of moral development) The pre-conventional level. In stage 1, â€Å"people behave according to socially acceptable norms because they are told to do so by some authority figure†. â€Å"This obedience is compelled by the threat or application of punishment.† Stage 2 â€Å"is characterized by a view that right behavior means acting in one’s own best interests†. (Barger, Robert N. A Summary Of Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stages Of Moral Development) The conventional level. In stage 3 individuals â€Å"seek approval from other people’. Stage 4 is â€Å"oriented to abiding by the law and responding to the obligations of duty†. (Barger, Robert N. A) The post-conventional level. Stage 5 is â€Å"an understanding of social mutuality and a genuine interest in the welfare of others.† Stage 6 is â€Å"based on respect for universal principles and the demands of individual conscience.† (Barger, Robert N. A) It appears that people rarely reach stage 6 of this model and Kohlberg â€Å"had difficulty finding participants who use it†. (Kohlberg’s stages of moral development) â€Å"One criticism of Kohlberg’s theory is that it emphasizes justice to the exclusion of other values† and â€Å"may not adequately address the arguments of people who value other moral aspects of actions.† Carol Gilligan has argued that the theory is â€Å"male-centric† and â€Å"did not adequately describe the concerns of women†. (Kohlberg’s stages of moral development) Kohlberg claimed his  six stages are cultural-universal. Simpson (1974) argues that â€Å"Kohlberg’s interview employs analytic and theoretical modes of thought and language such as â€Å"justice, equality and reciprocity at a high level of abstraction† which are not valued by many cultures†. According to Bergling (1981), Kohlberg’s stages 1 – 4 are â€Å"empirically supported in western industrialized countries but findings from the Bahamas and British Honduras fail to support even a stage 4†. (Ma, King Keung Problems In The Cro ss-Cultural Study Of Moral Judgment Development) BIBLIOGRAPHY: 1. Barger, Robert N. A Summary Of Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stages Of Moral Development, (August, 23 2005) 2. Kohlberg’s stages of moral development,   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohlberg's_stages_of_moral_development (August, 23 2005) 3. Ma, King Keung Problems In The Cross-Cultural Study Of Moral Judgment Development, http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:LAHMEA0UqdAJ:sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/hkjo/view/33/3300251.pdf+weak+points+in+Kohlberg%60s+moral+development+theory+&hl=uk (August, 23 2005) 4. Social Learning Theory, http://www.termpapergenie.com/SocialLearningTheory.html (August, 24 2005)                Moral development According to the Social Learning Theory, our moral behavior is shaped by the reinforcement and punishment stimuli through the process of learning. It means that if a child was punished in the past for a certain behavior and is faced with such a situation again, he/she will avoid this behavior. As a social being, a person lives within a group or a community and â€Å"tends to perform actions and behave in a manner conducive to community approval†. The greatest criticism of this theory is that â€Å"it does not provide a proper overall personality assessment†. â€Å"It focuses more on the factors perceived as negative by the learner – it does not account for what may be considered positive.† (Social Learning Theory) According to Kohlberg’s theory of moral development, â€Å"there are six identifiable stages of moral development† which could be classified into three levels. (Kohlberg’s stages of moral development) The pre-conventional level. In stage 1, â€Å"people behave according to socially acceptable norms because they are told to do so by some authority figure†. â€Å"This obedience is compelled by the threat or application of punishment.† Stage 2 â€Å"is characterized by a view that right behavior means acting in one’s own best interests†. (Barger, Robert N. A Summary Of Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stages Of Moral Development) The conventional level. In stage 3 individuals â€Å"seek approval from other people’. Stage 4 is â€Å"oriented to abiding by the law and responding to the obligations of duty†. (Barger, Robert N. A) The post-conventional level. Stage 5 is â€Å"an understanding of social mutuality and a genuine interest in the welfare of others.† Stage 6 is â€Å"based on respect for universal principles and the demands of individual conscience.† (Barger, Robert N. A) It appears that people rarely reach stage 6 of this model and Kohlberg â€Å"had difficulty finding participants who use it†. (Kohlberg’s stages of moral development) â€Å"One criticism of Kohlberg’s theory is that it emphasizes justice to the exclusion of other values† and â€Å"may not adequately address the arguments of people who value other moral aspects of actions.† Carol Gilligan has argued that the theory is â€Å"male-centric† and â€Å"did not adequately describe the concerns of women†. (Kohlberg’s stages of moral development) Kohlberg claimed his  six stages are cultural-universal. Simpson (1974) argues that â€Å"Kohlberg’s interview employs analytic and theoretical modes of thought and language such as â€Å"justice, equality and reciprocity at a high level of abstraction† which are not valued by many cultures†. According to Bergling (1981), Kohlberg’s stages 1 – 4 are â€Å"empirically supported in western industrialized countries but findings from the Bahamas and British Honduras fail to support even a stage 4†. (Ma, King Keung Problems In The Cro ss-Cultural Study Of Moral Judgment Development) BIBLIOGRAPHY: 1. Barger, Robert N. A Summary Of Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stages Of Moral Development, (August, 23 2005) 2. Kohlberg’s stages of moral development,   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohlberg's_stages_of_moral_development (August, 23 2005) 3. Ma, King Keung Problems In The Cross-Cultural Study Of Moral Judgment Development, http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:LAHMEA0UqdAJ:sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/hkjo/view/33/3300251.pdf+weak+points+in+Kohlberg%60s+moral+development+theory+&hl=uk (August, 23 2005) 4. Social Learning Theory, http://www.termpapergenie.com/SocialLearningTheory.html (August, 24 2005)               

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Drugs and there effect on society Essay

We opened the chapter with the story about an outdoor company, and we end it with a story about another outdoor company. The company we’re discussing this time, based in Portland, Oregon, was the brainchild of a small group of executives who left big times jpbs at Patagonia, Nike, and Adidas. These individuals shared a belief that ‘ in addition to generating a profit, companies have an equal responsibilities to create positive social and environmental change.’ Putting their beliefs into action, the group formed Nau (which is Maori for ‘Welcome! Come in†). and Nau id not just another outdoor company! When deciding what Nau was going to be like and how it was going to do business, the founders knew they didn’t want to do things the way they’d always been done by traditional businesses. CEO Chris Van Dyke said, â€Å"We started with a clean whiteboard. We belived every single operational element in our business was an opportunity to turn tr aditional business notions inside out, integrating environmental, social, and economic factors.† From design to sales to finances, Nau is driven by these factors. Everything in Nau’s operation had been approached with sustainability and social justice â€Å"filter.† In the design area, the company, in partnership with its suppliers, developed 24 of its 32 fabrics to be more sustainable and to combine performance and visual appeal. Each supplier, manufacturer, and even Nau itself is bound by a code of conduct. To ensure that all parties are living up to the standards, their actions are overseen by an independent, nonprofit auditing and research firm. In the sales area, the way the company retails its products is also unique. Using a concept it calls a â€Å"Web-front,† Nau has combined the efficiency of the Web with the intimacy of a gallery like boutique. In the â€Å"store†, customers can try on clothes, but they use self-serve kiosks to purchase from the Web. Because in-store inventory is greatly reduced, the stores are small 92,400 squares feet compared to the standard 4,000 plus square foot outdoor retail store) . This approach saves operating expenses because less energy and fewer materials are used. Good for the planet†¦..good for the business. Finally, Nau has a unique financial approach it calls â€Å"aggressive altruism†. The company has pledged 5 percent sales to charitable organizations dedicated to solving crucial environmental and humanitarian problems. The â€Å"philanthropic  gold standard† is 1 percent of sales, and the average among all corporations is 0.047 percent. But although the amount it gives is unusual, what happens with Nau’s dollars is really exceptional: Nau puts the giving decision in the hands of its customers. They’re asked to indicate which â€Å"Partners for Change† they’d like their 5 percent to go to. Using this â€Å"conscious choice† process, Nau is â€Å"calling its customers out, daring them to connect the dots.† Discussion questions 1. What do you think of Nau’s approach to doing business? Is it being ethical and responsible? Discuss. 2. Will Nau’s approach have a limited appeal, or do you think it had staying power? What drawbacks might there be to what Nau is doing? 3. Is it a business’s responsibility to get customers to â€Å" connect the dots’ and make choices about social issues? 4. Are there lessons here for other businesses? Discuss. INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Students are required to form a group of 4 (FOUR) to 5 (FIVE) persons. One of the group members should be assigned as the group leader. Deadline: Submit your report in Week 5, which is 18.04.2014 (FRIDAY) before 12pm. * Late submission will not be entertained and you should bear the consequences.