Brazilian foreign policy

The fact that Brazil is one of the most important emerging nations can not be denied. There is no doubt that this country leads the pack when it comes to economic and political supremacy in the southern part of the American continent. This has been made possible by the desire of this country to become a regional and global power to reckon with. To this end, most of the presidents that have ruled this nation since the end of the military rule in the 1980’s have come up with foreign policies that can be viewed as assuming an international look while at the same time trying to maintain the sovereignty of this nation.Most notable of these foreign policies is the one that is adopted by the current Brazilian president. When Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took the helm of this country in 2003, he came up with a foreign policy that seemed to be in contrast in some ways to his predecessor’s. Fernando Henrique Cardoso’s foreign policy, when compared to that of Lula, shows some remarkable differences. Lula has been vocal in opposing the hegemony that is associated with American foreign policies.He tries to create an economic and political system that is independent on the American influence while at the same been recognized by America as an equal, rather than a puppet of the American government. This stance seemed to be criticized when he developed a brief relationship, a close one, with George W. Bush when he came to power in 2002. This may be the reason why his foreign policies have been regarded as been inconsistent. But he maintains a pessimistic view of the globalization phenomenon. He regards it as the tool that is used by the rich nations to stifle and exploit both the poor and the emerging nations.This paper is going to take a critical look at Lula’s foreign policy. The strong points of his policy will be reviewed, as well as the weaknesses and challenges. Lula’s Foreign Policy: Assertive? According to Hurrell (51), Lula can be descri bed as having taken a stand on international system that can be described as been mildly interesting. He views this international system with doubt, but goes ahead to say that it is possible for brazil to maintain an â€Å"activist and assertive foreign policy† (Hurrell 51).Cardoso’s foreign policy was regarded as not been assertive enough. He was once quoted saying that â€Å"creating friction with Washington is to lose† (Hurrell 53). This administration was not seen as defending the interests of this Latin American nation sufficiently. Lula sought to adapt a different style, aided by his supporters in the Workers Party. Lula emphasized the fact that the instability of the international system coupled by the centralization of powers in few hands was not a recipe for the development and sovereignty of Brazil.He was of the view that United States, together with a handful of allies, held far too much power in the international arena, such that if anything were to happen to them, it will affect most of the world’s nations negatively (Hurrell 51). He has always pointed to the current economic crisis as an example of how blunders committed by the wealthy nation of the world led to miseries of the poor nations. His disdain for the developed nations was evident when he talked down on Gordon Brown in a press conference in March 2009. He made the quote that made international headlines for days.â€Å"This crisis was caused by whiter people with blue eyes (sic)†¦. they pretended to know all about economics† (SkyNews 2009). He said this in front of Gordon brown, one his so called â€Å"white people with blue eyes†. Apart from showing how much he detested western powers, this statement was a clear indication of the fact that Lula does not fear these greedy westerners. He will stand by what he believes to be the truth, even if it did not go down well with the whites. The only other head of state that can be expected to make su ch a statement is maybe the Muslim leaders. But a president from a reportedly friendly nation to the Americans!Lula contends that the hyped global economy is more injurious than it is beneficial to the emerging nations (Hurrell 52). By this form of trade, the western nations entrench themselves in the world political and economic arena, while crises are created for the poor. A pointer to this is the current economic crisis. There is also a lot of inequality both internally and externally. This is because global trade benefits few individuals inside the local economies and few nations in the international arena. Lula’s administration has always sought to maintain the autonomy of this nation in the international arena (Hurrell 52).But at the same time, it needs to forge ties with other nations around the world. Lula has concentrated in forming ties with other emerging nations, shunning the western and developed countries (Barriaux 1). This will mitigate the external vulnerabili ties associated with disassociation with the world superpowers. That is why Lula has shunned the North American’s Free Trade Area. Instead, he has resorted to strengthening regional cooperation with neighbors like Uruguay, Paraguay and others across the continent like South Africa, china and India (Fitzpatrick 1).Lula has started to give Washington jitters when it became obvious that he was intent in developing Brazilian nuclear technology (Hurrell 52). His administration is engaged in industrial secrets. But at the same time, he is wise enough to maintain friendly relations with the nuclear inspection teams that have been deployed to Brazil. Lula’s Foreign Policy: Successful? His policies have been hailed by many people as been a success story. This is considering the fact that countries which have tried to defy the western superpowers have fallen by the way side.But Brazil blazes ahead, albeit jerkily, even after defying America Washington and London. But still, some critics have been opining that Lula’s foreign policy is inconsistent. But maybe, the consistency of Lula’s foreign policy lies in its inconsistency. Perhaps the strength of his foreign policy lies in these so called inconsistencies. Brazil has always maintained a tough stance when it came to global trade. She was defiant that no dumping of low quality goods from foreign economies will be done on her economy.This was contradicted when Lula’s administration acknowledged China as a â€Å"market economy† (Fitzpatrick 1). This was in 2004. What this means is that Brazil can not stop the flow of low quality goods from China. China is known for her tendency to flood the international economy with her cheap, low quality goods. This is death sentence to the local industries. Brazil has resisted this until this point in time. China refused to back Lula in his bid to get a permanent slot at the United Nations’ Security Council (Fitzpatrick 1). This was seen as inconsistency in Lula’s stance of an autonomous nation.However, in 2009, Lula was in Beijing. This was perhaps payback time for China. While he was there, he signed a deal with Hu Jintao that would see Brazil export a total of 200,000 barrels of crude oil to Beijing (Barriaux 1). Also, a loan was offered to him from the Chinese government that was to spur development in Brazil. This was in excess of 10-billion dollar (Barriaux 1). He took his disdain of the American regime there when he said that plans were underway to abandon the American dollar as the medium of exchange when the two countries were conducting trade.This is the consistency of Lula’s inconsistent foreign policy that the writer is talking about. Lula, by signing the contract with the Chinese government, expressed his desire of cementing ties with other nations apart from the West. Brazil is a gross exporter of agricultural products, and this is the backbone of her economy (Fitzpatrick 1). When Lula an d his lieutenants take the pessimistic and negative regard of the global market, one is left wondering where Lula plans to sell the entire Soya from this country.However, Lula has been calculative as ever. He led a boycott of the Doha round table talks in 2003, leading a group of developing nations out of the venue until the developed nations addressed their concerns. Celso Amorim, the foreign minister, led a successful crusade against subsidies that the European Union and America offered to their farmers (Fitzpatrick 1). All this was geared towards safeguarding the agricultural exports of the country. Lula has worked hard to revive Mercosur, the regional trade bloc of the Latin American nations (Hurrell 55).This is assign that he is interested in asserting regional control and influence in this region. Been a member of this organization, Lula will be able to bargain with the Americans and Britons when it comes to trade matters. This has given Lula leverage such that he is able to s hun the western nations and at the same time make himself relevant to them. He has opted for this organization while at the same time resisting the Free Trade Area espoused by United States. Conclusion Lula has adopted a foreign policy stance that is bold but at the same time risky.He has sought to assert the presence of the Brazilian nation in the global arena while at the same time refusing to ride on the tail coats of the developed nations, like America. He has a pessimistic view of the global economy. This is risky considering the fact that Brazil is an exporting economy, and thus has to rely on the global market for success. Lula has tried to forge coalitions with other emerging nations like India and China. This way, Lula has eliminated the external vulnerability that the western countries would have taken advantage of by alienating Brazil with the rest of the developing nations.References Barriaux, M. C. Lula Signs Financial Agreements with Beijing. Retrieved from http://news . yahoo. com/s/afp/20090519/wl_asia_afp/chinabrazildiplomacytradecurrency_20090519162806, on 13th June, 2009. Fitzpatrick, J. K. Inconsistency of Brazil’s Foreign Policy. Retrieved from http://www. brazzil. com/2005-mainmenu-79/159-december-2005/9491. html, on 13th June, 2009. Hurrell, S. A. Lula’s Brazil: A Rising Power, but Going Where? Oxford: Oxford University, 51-57. SkyNews. White People with Blue Eyes. Retrieved from http://www. foxnews. com/story/0,2933,510954,00. html, on 13th June, 2009.

Microplastic Pollution

Microplastic pollution is an increasing problem in the marine environment. This study had five research objectives: establish if seagrass habitats are accumulating microplastics compared to sandy habits in the Florida Keys, identify if there are any microplastics present in field collected sea cucumbers in the Florida Keys, determine the number of microplastics in Pensacola Beach sediment, determine the number of microplastics in St. Joseph Bay sediment, analyze field collected sand dollars in the Panhandle of Florida for microplastics, and conduct a laboratory experiment on the sand dollar, Mellita tenuis, to determine if they are selecting for microplastics. Microplastics were extracted from samples using a saturated CaCl2 solution, and visual examination. Both seagrass beds and sandy areas in the Florida Keys contained microplastics. Sediment in Pensacola and St. Joseph Bay both contained microplastics. Sea cucumbers collected in the Florida Keys, and sand dollars collected in the Panhandle of Florida, had microplastics as part of their gut content, suggesting they may make useful animals for monitoring nearshore environments for microplastic pollution. In the laboratory, M. tenuis ingested microplastics in slightly lower proportions compared to surrounding sediment. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Microplastics Plastic production has been increasing worldwide for the last sixty years, with manufacturing increasing about 9% each year. In 2007, 260 million tons of plastic were produced (PlasticsEurope 2008). The high durability, low cost, and light weight have made plastic the material of choice in creating many products (Andrady and Neal 2009; Thompson et al. 2009). The incredible success of the plastic industry was unexpected, thus when plastics were first introduced, dangers to the environment were ignored (Stefatos et al. 1999; Derraik 2002). In 2010, between 4.8 to 12.7 million metric tons of plastic entered the marine environment, and the amount is increasing each year (Jambeck et al. 2015). The consequences of plastic entering the marine environment has only been recently recognized, and is still not well understood. The combination of the long time it takes for plastic to degrade, its ability to concentrate contaminants, and the ingestion by marine organisms are collectively raising concerns for the health of the marine environment. Microplastics are defined as plastic pieces less than 5 mm in size (Arthur et al. 2009; Van Cauwenberghe et al. 2015), although different studies have contrasting definitions of microplastics making comparisons difficult (Van Cauwenberghe et al. 2015). Primary microplastics are intentionally made 5 mm or less for use in cosmetics, cleaners, and industrial scrubbers. Microplastic pellets are the raw plastic material from which larger plastic items are made (Wilber 1987; Costa et al. 2010). Secondary microplastics are derived from larger plastic sources by mechanical, photolytic, or chemical degradation (Mathalon and Hill 2014; Alomar et al. 2016). Examples of secondary microplastics include irregular fragments from macroplastics, and fibers from clothes and nets. Plastics enter the ocean from sources on land and on the sea. About 75% – 90% of plastic debris is land-based coming from littering, and improperly maintained landfills. Areas with higher river input have a higher concentration of microplastics (Vianello et al. 2013; Van Cauwenberghe et al. 2015). The other 10% – 25% come from direct inputs to the ocean, such as shipping, dumping garbage, and fishing (Wessel et al. 2016). Human population density is a large contributing factor in the distribution of microplastics in the ocean and on shorelines and, not surprisingly, heavily populated areas have higher concentrations of debris compared to areas of low population density (Van Cauwenberghe et al. 2015). Beaches near urbanized areas may have 3.3% of the sediment composed of microplastics by weight compared to 0.12% in more isolated areas (Carson et al. 2011; Van Cauwenberghe et al. 2015). With human population growth, more waste is entering the oceans via sewage outfalls, rivers, littering, and industrial discharge (Claessens et al. 2011; Derraik 2002). Over 90% of the variation in the abundance of microplastics on shorelines can be explained by the population density near the area being sampled (Barnes 2005; Browne et al. 2010). Population size and waste management systems largely determine which countries contribute the greatest amount of plastic marine debris into the ocean. If waste management does not improve, there will be an order of magnitude increase in the amount of plastic entering the ocean by 2025 (Jambeck et al. 2015). Documentation of microplastics in the marine environment began in the 1970's when they were first described in the water column (Carpenter and Smith 1972; Carpenter et al. 1972), and on shorelines (Gregory 1977; Gregory 1978; Shiber 1979; Shiber 1982). Thirty years later occurrence of microplastics in the sediment was first described (Thompson et al. 2004). Types of microplastics in the environment include: fibers, fragments, films, and microbeads found in the water column, along shorelines, and in sediment in every marine environment (Wright et al. 2013b; Alomar et al. 2016). Fibers are the most abundant type of microplastic found by many studies, and may be composed of nylon, polyvinyl alcohol, and polypropylene (Browne et al. 2010; Claessens et al. 2011; Alomar et al. 2016; Taylor et al. 2016). Nylon fibers come from clothes, carpets, ropes, and nets. Polyvinyl alcohol fibers are from fishing gear such as fishing lines. Polypropylene fibers are derived from ropes and carpets (Claessens et al. 2011). Washing a single piece of clothing produces around 1,900 fibers that may be released into the environment, thus fiber pollution is often greatest in areas near sewage outfalls (Browne et al. 2011; Alomar et al. 2016). More than four microplastic fibers per gram of sediment have been found in samples taken from areas where sewage is discharged into the ocean (Browne et al. 2010). The ability to determine if a fiber is plastic, or some other type of material, is crucial for accurate estimates of the amount of plastic in the environment. A study in the English Channel found that over half of the fibers ingested by fish were made of cellulose compounds (Lusher et al. 2013)Fragments are usually broken down from larger materials that may be made out of a variety of polymers including polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinylchloride, polyester, nylon and polyamide (Browne et al. 2010). Polyethylene and polypropylene are found in plastics like bottle caps, fishing line, wrappers, cigarette butts, and straws (Wessel et al. 2016). Polyethylene and polypropylene production uses half of the oil consumed for plastic production (Browne et al. 2010). Plastic films are used in products such as balloons, frozen food packaging, and medical supplies (Claessens et al. 2011). These one-use plastics degrade over time becoming microplastics. Microbeads function as scrubbing agents in face washes and cleansers, and are made from polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene (Claessens et al. 2011). Presence of microbeads in Nieuwpoort Harbor, Belgium, the largest yacht harbor in Northern Europe, was ascribed to transport by several rivers flowing into the harbor (Claessens et al. 2011). Castaà ±eda et al. (2014) found a high concentration of microbeads in the Saint Lawrence River coming from industrial sewage. Microbeads have a higher density than many plastics, so it is hypothesized that microbeads settle to the bottom before being transported further offshore. While this type of microplastic is not normally the most abundant in the environment, microbeads have been used in many laboratory experiments, and marine organisms are known to ingest them (Setà ¤là ¤ et al. 2016).

Language and Communication Needs Essay

You are one of the support workers for a ten year old child who has learning disabilities and needs support at school. The child has language and communication needs. Describe the methods and strategies you might use to enable him to communicate with you. How to use specific methods of communication? Some children need particular help in order to communicate and interact. Speech alone may be difficult for them and they may require special methods of communication. There are several of these and usually advice will be given by a speech therapist in consultation with parents as to which one to use and how to use it. Over the past few years, the range of methods has increased and technology is increasingly being used. Voice simulation has, for example, meant that children can press a picture or type in a computer or handheld device and have ‘their voices’ heard. In the same way, for children who find in hard to write, voice recognition can put their words into writing. Below are some examples of the methods that might be used. – Visual systems Some children need visual cues in order to make sense of language. If the child you are working with uses a system of visual communication, you will need to spend time learning how to use it quickly and fluently. – Picture representations Some children benefit from using pictures to supplement communication. You may show a child a picture of an apron and at the same time say the word so that the child knows that they need to get their apron. – Picture exchange system This system, based on pictures, not only helps children to understand the meaning of words but also help them to learn about the way in which communication is a shared and a two-way process. The child takes and receives pictures and so learns how to interact. – Sign representations Some children’s cognitive development is the reason why they find it hard to talk and communicate. At first, babies learn about language through seeing the object that the adult is talking about at the same time as hearing the word. For example, an adult may point to a cat and say ‘cat’. The child than remembers the word and so eventually does not need the cat to be around to know what the word means. For some children, sounds alone are not enough and they need to have their language supported by signs. A common sigh system is Makaton. It helps children link the word to an action or object and so is easier for them to understand. Makaton is not a language in itself but a tool to help language. It is important not to confuse Makaton with British sigh language, which is not used for the same purpose. – British sign language British sign language is an alternative form of communication. It is a complete language and is used instead of speech. Users if sign language do not have learning difficulties. Most users have significant hearing loss and so need a different way of communicating. Music can be an incredibly effective therapeutic and educational medium for young children and individuals with special needs. Singing can stimulate growth in many areas of a child’s development and in several areas simultaneously. By singing with children, we may help stimulate language and communication skills, encourage interaction, assist in learning academic concepts, encourage self expression, increase self esteem, help him relax, and help establish routines. How to remove barriers in communication: A child might not be able to hear instructions or what other children are saying – Write down instructions or show pictures to help children understand what is happening. – Encourage other children to face the child so that it is easier for them to hear. – Use pictures or signs to help children to communicate with each other. – Plan games in which action is more important than hearing or talk. Useful strategies Try to: †¢ speak in clear, short, simple sentences †¢ simplify instructions †¢ support speech with visual prompts, signs or gestures †¢ use pictures/symbols to aid understanding †¢ ensure prompt referral to a speech and language therapist, or the provision of specialist speech and language intervention within the educational setting †¢ encourage regular, constant reinforcement of skills introduced at speech and language sessions. Strategies for or those with language impairment/delay It helps to: †¢ use simple sentences and instructions, reinforcing key words †¢ ask a child to tell you in their own words what they have been asked to do †¢ reinforce learning by repeating answers (from the child or others) †¢ encourage ‘good listening’ †¢ encouraging the child to (learn to) read †¢ use visual timetables/prompts gestures, signing eg Makaton or written instructions to reinforce the spoken word provide visual clues, don’t just talk about a cylinder, let them see it, feel it, play with it, find different cylinders †¢ teach word association skills †¢ teach the nuances of language, meanings of jokes, idioms, body language, facial expressions etc †¢ make use of books, role play, drama, singing, social stories to explain social situations and develop social skills and understanding †¢ play games that encourage listening and/or social skills †¢ plan the careful use of computers and ICT to facilitate learning. Types of disorders Speech disorders Speech disorders involve difficulties producing speech sounds or problems with voice quality. They might be characterised by an interruption in the flow or rhythm of speech, such as stuttering (which is called dysfluency). Speech disorders include problems with articulation (the way sounds are formed), or phonological disorders, or difficulties with the pitch, volume or quality of the voice. There may be a combination of several problems. Experiencing difficulty with some speech sounds may be a symptom of a delay, or of a hearing impairment. It can be difficult to understand what someone with a speech disorder is trying to say. Language disorders Language disorder is an impairment in the ability to understand and/or use words in context, both verbally and non-verbally. Characteristics of language disorders include improper use of words and their meanings, problems with sentence structure, inappropriate grammatical patterns, reduced vocabulary and inability to express ideas, or follow directions. One or a combination of these may occur in children who are affected by language-learning disabilities (such as dyslexia) or developmental language delay. Children may hear or see a word, but not be able to understand its meaning. Often, being unable to communicate frustrates them. The effects of language difficulties vary from mild and transient, perhaps requiring some short-term specialist intervention, to severe and long-term, requiring continual specialist input. Some children have specific language problems others have additional difficulties such as hearing impairments.

Family and Medical Leave Act (Fmla)

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) What is Family and Medical leave Act (FMLA)? The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) that was passed in 1993, is a national policy that grants workers up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave in four situations. These four situations are for pregnancy; to care for an infant, such as newborns, newly-placed foster children, and adoptions; to care for a relative with a serious health condition; or to allow an employee to recover and recuperate from a personal serious health condition. This paper will be discussing the impact of FMLA on employers and the protections provided by this law. Vikesland, 2009) Protections Provided by FMLA The FMLA is covered mainly through private-sector employers and public agencies having more than five employees. Those who are eligible for FMLA, are employees who have been employed for at least one year and have worked over 1,250 hours the previous year. Those who are excluded are employees who are at any worksite when a compan y has fewer than 50 employees that work within 75 miles of the company. The basic forward motion behind this act was in due course to establish a need and assistance to families in the midst of crisis. The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division published a Final Rule under the Family and Medical Leave Act. This final rule became effective on January 16, 2009, which updates the FMLA regulations to implement new military family leave entitlements enacted under the National Defense Authorization Act for 2008. The Impact of FMLA on Employers The FMLA is controversial even to this day. Employers who support this act argues that as more women who enter the workforce, workers have a legal right to take leave as needed to care for family members who are injured, sick, or even to care for infants. FMLA allows workers to balance their lifestyle with commitments to work and family life, making it easier for employers who support this act to retain their employees. Prior to having the FMLA passed during a debate, representatives were arguing of employees who were fired just for undergoing surgery, caring for an ill family member, or even for pregnancy and postpartum care afterwards. President Bush prior to the passing of FMLA in 1992 vetoed a similar bill which was to suppress the creation of new jobs resulting in the elimination of jobs that already xisted. With the election of President Clinton in 1992 assured the passing of FMLA which has been the focal point of Clinton’s campaign. (dol. gov. , 2009) The FMLA was the first legislation that Clinton signed after taking office. After that, employers and employees who are supporter of FMLA amended this to make sure it was incorporated in more workplaces and to help provide for paid leave instead of unpaid leave. Employers o r employees skeptical of the FMLA focused on current Department of Labor regulations for needless burdens upon employers. The Society for Human Resource Management had arguments regarding the truth and legitimacy of requested leave. With those arguments, there were changes in the policy and procedures of being an employee in a company revisiting regulations. There was also a concern that employment law had failed to account for changes through employers and did not provide enough protection to family life. There were prominent congressional debates over the bill due to the potential loss of an employee/ parent who may be forced to quit their job in order to care for one of the four situations that FMLA covers. Investigators who took a survey of leave not only focused on pregnancy and child care leave but compiled results in the year 2000 showing that a majority of workers who took leave were mainly for their own health reasons. Investigators have also collected and research on two main areas such as the effect of the regulations of covering intermittent leave and the effects of leave of the coworkers of the employees. Research shows that employees who have used this act have been mixed in with their own personal use not just for the four situations but also has aggravated absentee problems of employees. Conclusion With the finding on research and the effects of the FMLA which was at first was focused on its effects on pregnant women, mothers in need to care for a sick child which was only one part of this act being passed. FMLA is more a leave likely to be taken by employees to help balance work and life being able to take care of their own situation. There are a number of issues that employers face with FMLA but also award it and regulate it in their companies to retain employers. The national policy on the welfare of mployees is that they are able to have a leave of absence of work without the prosecution of being fired. This act enables help to situations such as pregnancy, caring for a newborn infant, newly-placed foster child/ adoptions, to care for a relative with a serious health condition; or to allow recovery of a personal serious health condition. References Family and Medical Leave Act. Wage and Hour Division. Retrieved on March 29, 2009: http://www. dol. gov/esa/whd/fmla / Vikesland , Gary. MA LP CEAP. †Balancing Work and Family†. Retrieved on March 29, 2009: http://www. employer-employee. com/fmla. html

Legal and Ethical Tensions Between Maintaining Confidentiality and Sharing Information Essay

Criteria: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3-Review the groups and individuals whose communication needs you must address in your work role. Explain how you support effective communication within your work role. Analyse the barriers and challenges to communication within your work role. Being able to communicate is a major feature of being human. Throughout the working day we absorb information and pass this on to other people. Communication is vitally important if a team is to work effectively. Almost everything I do at work relies on communication. Communication is the basis of interaction and skills in speaking, writing and specially, listening are essential when working with children and adults in my setting. The interaction and communication I carry out within my setting are with children, colleagues, deputy, manager, parents and other agencies and professionals. As I am interacting with diverse group of people each day, I need to use a variety of communication skills depending on the position of th e person/children and the context in which the communication take place. I have to be aware of the fact that I need to use appropriate language and terminology for my message to be understood. For example, talking to a child who is hurt -my approach to him/her will be empathic while talking to a medical staff might require just a delivery of impersonal information. When talking to children I must get down to their level, observe and listen carefully to what they are saying/asking, keeping eye contact during the conversation, asking short questions and wait patiently for their answer. When I communicate with adults, an important point to remember always is the fact that sometimes the person in front of me might go through personal crisis or is feeling upset in some way so this requires excellent skills to make sure I’m making the person in front of me(colleague, parent) felling supported and valued. Read more:Â  Maintaining an Individual’s Confidentiality and Disclosing Concerns Essay To support an effective communication with my team we have regularly meetings (weekly meetings when we talk about planning the week, a new topic, activities, about children and their development, concerns are raised from the team members), appraisals are in plan, delegation of work, checking of the reports, setting of objectives that are SMART involving all members of my team and also motivating my team by supporting, trusting and encouraging them to get the job done. For me to be able to support others to become good communicators, it is necessary that I will be an effective role model and to reflect effectively on how I am delivering the messages. If I support all my communication accepting and valuing the people with whom I interact in the expression of warmth and non-judgemental attitude, I will improve my communication skills no end. An effective communication can be supported by me as a leader by ensuring that my staff are all aware of the need to be flexible in the way in which they communicate within varied contexts and to engage in communication which is empathic (to ‘put yourself in the shoes of others’) and values the people with whom they interact. Sometimes often, however, the communication is challenged and breaks down. Communication can sometimes be not effective because of difference in culture, difficulties in own life (making it difficult to concentrate), negative feelings about the person I am speaking to or getting upset about what they are saying-leading to conflict, not listening effectively, tiredness, feeling unwell, noise, inappropriate environment. Some of my colleagues with whom I work are perfectionists, who like to see that everything is completed in a precise way while others feels that, as long as the job is done, the end result does not have to be perfect. An example in my setting is about displaying the children work: some of us believe that children’s work should be displayed attractively but does not have to be perfect but some of us consider differently. A very important aspect of the communication is body-language and non-verbal communication. This is one of things that we often do not pay enough attention-our body language. Argyle (1978) pointed out that non-verbal communication can have as much as five times the impact on a person’s understanding compare to the words spoken. Therefore, it is vital I ensure that my body actions match my speech in order to get my message across. My ability to respect and accept diversity it is very important as we live in a multi-cultural society and there are also differences in the values that people hold. Each colleague have a different type of character, just like myself, others have their own feelings, values and attitudes and sometimes these may clash with how we see the world. I may not share their views but, as a leader in my setting I do have to show tolerance of these views. There are four important key steps that can be identifying when dealing with any conflict: 1. describe the actual conflict and define it well; 2. listen actively to all parties to fully understand the issues 3. emphasise the benefit of finding a way forward 4. reaching an agreement According to Craine (2007) ‘people facing change often go through a cycle of emotions similar to those experienced when faced with the death of a loved one’. If I want to understand and communicate well with my team members I must listen to each one of them to what they are saying. Active listening shows that the staff members have been heard. Communication and encouraging the people to share their thoughts and concerns are always better than allowing situations to fester. Regularly team meetings is a way to decrease potential conflict.

Sony PlayStation2 (A) Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sony PlayStation2 (A) - Lab Report Example Before the advent of the Playstaion console, Nintendo, another game maker, had control of a big part of the game market, but "their games were usually simple and consumers were usually between 6 to 13 years of age, due to limited technology." (Deshpande, Rohit p. 8). The Sony Playstaion and playstation2 however, came out with high resolution 3-D graphics, and "enabled game developers to create more sophisticated games that appealed more to mature gamers, especially those between 20 and 30 years old" (Deshpande, Rohit p. 8) The Sony Corporation is the Manufacturer of the palystation2 console, and the company has set up various websites that serve as the company's driving force on the internet. Sites like sonystyle.com and playstation.com. These Websites provide information about new and upcoming Playstaion games, game console sales, and customer service. Playstation.com has already been quite successful, because the Playstation console is an industry leader when it comes to video games. Sony has also been striving to create an all new lifestyle in the net era, which is based on the interconnectivity of Sony's digital electronic products with modern IT technologies, and the company is well positioned take the lead in the market for digital home products, if it succeeds in aligning its software systems with its content business lines. Presently, the company has been perceived to be in a struggle to reinvent itself, in the process of pursuing hit products like the new PlayStation3 console Business Strategy & Analysis The makers of the playstation2 console, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI), came out with the objective to own the largest share of the home video game market. The company intended to achieve this by "leveraging proprietary, interactive 3-D graphics technology to provide entertainment that was unmatched by any other game system." (Deshpande, Rohit p. 4) Between 1994 and 1997, the price of the Playstaion console was reduced in a series of gradually increasing drops, forcing competitors to also decrease the prices of their products. "in 1997, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. lowered the price of the Playstaion to $149, and Nintendo and Sega refused to reduce their prices too, but by 1999, Playstaion and Nintendo's N64 platform were being sold at $99 in order to clear inventory for upcoming game models.In 2000, "Fuelled by anticipation of the success of playstation2, Sony stock rose, and hit an all time high of $314 from the $74 recorded the previous year". (Deshpande, Rohit p. 14) SWOT Analysis for Sony and the Playstation2 Strengths Sony has many valuable physical assets The playstation2 console is also a clear market advantage for Sony Weaknesses Sony might be seen to have a narrow product line in its production of Playstaion games Opportunities Excellent software capabilities Joint ventures with other progressive corporations Threats There is a risk that Sony's innovative nature with the Playstaion might not continue as well as it has in the past There is a possibility that the video game market may, in the long run, separate the Sony Corporation video game makers into winners and losers. Bibliography Deshpande, Rohit Sony PlayStation2(A) Grant, R.M. Contemporary strategy

Supply Chain management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Supply Chain management - Essay Example Switching costs are moderately high for manufacturers and hence lot sizes drive costs. Visibility is lacking in supply chain regarding down stream activities with consequent vague projections on deliveries. Capacity is determined by external factors such as time limited quotas with no information available about delivery by competitors for the same quota. This arduous process takes 6 to 12 months, which is excruciatingly long compared with the value added cycle time of only 6-12 weeks. The brand owners therefore begin their work on the product more than a year before the selling season. The players in the industry have responded to the troubled times with the initiatives such as Quick Response Time, Collaborative efforts among the participants and concurrent engineering necessitating the deployment of contemporary web enabled information technology in the supply chain management. The global apparel industry is typically with a number of complexities. Fluctuating and uncertain demand, short product lifecycle, wide variety not always amenable to the economies of scale and supply chain transcending geographic boundaries, time zones, cultures and languages. To win in this industry, efficient supply chain management is a major base for sustainable competitive advantage. The search for comparative advantage has led many apparel industry players to globalise their operations in the recent times. This is borne out by the penetration of imports. For instance, in UK, the degree of import penetration in this industry is 92% (Jones 2006). The vertically integrated local model gave way to multi-tier globally distributed model. This model hinged on availability of skills, specialised process technology, international trade relations and regulatory milieu present in host countries for outsourcing. The made to order nature of the product and the needed skill intensity in

Observation is a crucial element in ensuring successful provision for Essay

Observation is a crucial element in ensuring successful provision for children in the early years setting. Detail the key elements necessary to maximize the eff - Essay Example The causes of many problems, which parents and teachers face (the lowered cognitive activity, infringements in communication, restraint and the heightened shyness, or on the contrary, aggression and hyperactivity of children, etc.), lay in the early childhood. As matter of fact correction of these deformations at preschool and school age represents essential difficulties and demands much greater efforts and expenses, than their timely prevention. High-grade development of a child in the early years setting demands an adequate and qualified psychological and pedagogical support from the professionals possessing corresponding qualification. However, nowadays there is a certain deficiency of such experts (psychologists and teachers) able to work with small children. Today a great attention is paid to a principle of the account of individuality of each child. This principle predetermines the corresponding approach to education, especially in the age of from 3 till 7 years. At first sight, all children of the same age seem similar to each other, but at detailed observation over each of them, we are able to consider born or got particular features or deviations in their development. Some of them may and should be corrected and, on the contrary, observers should provide the best development to positive qualities of a child. Not all adults working with children are involved in formal observation of the children. However, â€Å"all are observing and making judgments on a daily basis. Structured, purposeful observation is a vital tool for the educator. Through observation we can not only monitor young children and their learning, but we can monitor our own actions and reactions to situations† (Sutherland, 2005, p. 22). Observation is one of the most widespread and accessible method of studying of children in early years setting development. Scientific observation is understood as a specially organized perception of

Best practices for Organizational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Best practices for Organizational Change - Essay Example The quantitative research on the other hand is focused on large scale surveys and research. Here the researchers can use methods like questionnaires and structured interviews (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009, p.94). This method involves gaining responses from more number of people however this is relatively a much quicker method than the qualitative research (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009, p.95). There have been a number of discussions and arguments relating to the differences among the two methods. The two methods involve a number of similar processes like the need for hypothesis and also use of literature to develop the questionnaires and the research tools (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009, p. 94). Both methods also involve the need for collection and analysis of data and each of these methods can be used either individually or combined (Leedy & Ormrod, 2009, pg. 94). The method used can provide different results for each of the methods as well as when the methods are used combined with each other. Research Proposal: Considering a research question where the researcher aims at identifying the impact of the changes in the personnel development and the training and development efforts on the employees of a particular company. Here there are basically two sets of individuals who can provide the best inputs into the question, i.e. the employers and the employees. In the case of a qualitative research method, the researcher will attempt to meet or interview the employers and managers in the company.

Based on what state you choose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Based on what state you choose - Essay Example The day age view states that the biblical days were much longer that mere 24 hours common humans believe. The restoration viewpoint states that there was a gap between the first and second chapters of genesis and this is enough proof that days were more than 24 hours (Boyd & Eddy, 2002). Finally, the literally framework view which according to creationists the author of genesis never intended to talk about God’s creation only wanted to elaborate on monotheism. The essay will relay more information on the day age viewpoint of creation in addition to its refutation. The day age viewpoint has a number of questions that are yet to find a solid solution; this is concerning how the day period differences during the Biblical age and the present. Presently, a day is represented by 24 hours but this is not the case during the Biblical years. In Genesis 1, the word yom is used to as a reference to day. In Hebrew, yom has three different meanings, which are day light period, normal 24-hour duration and an indefinite period (Hankins, 2008). According to Hankins, God’s creation could have taken much more time than the mere six days that humans believe. There is enough evidence in the Bible that God’s days were much longer than the common 24 hour-days those human beings are used to. For instance, in the scriptures, Adam was asked to name all the animals in the Garden of Eden. The garden had about 12000 animals but the scripture says that Adam named the animals one day (Boyd & Eddy, 2002). Suppose Adam spent at least five minutes naming each animal, by the end of 24 hours he would have named only 288 animals, but since he named more than 12000 species of animals in single day is enough proof that God’s days were longer compared to human’s days that only take 24 hours. By reading the Bible scriptures, it is evident that God’s days were longer. For instance, psalms 90 states that, â€Å"†¦a thousand years in your

Strategic Analysis and Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Strategic Analysis and Decision Making - Essay Example Such an ideal model of decision making also presumes that the decision maker is aware of all possible alternatives and that he or she decides subsequent to examining them all. A modern approach recognizes that decisions are made in an automatic, instinctive fashion. Specifically, image theory claims that people will take on a course of action that best fits their individual principles, current goals, and plans for the future. The decisions made in organizations can be distinguished as programmed -- routine decisions made according to preexisting guidelines -- or non-programmed -- decisions requiring novel and ingenious solutions. Decisions also are different with respect to the amount of risk involved, ranging from those in which the decision outcomes are moderately certain to those in which outcomes are extremely uncertain. Uncertain situations are expressed as statements of prospect based on either objective or subjective information. For the rational decision maker, the question is "What is the best answer" Rational decision analysis provides a precise method for choosing among alternatives based on their estimated values. The rational model requires the overt specification of the probabilities associated with choices and chances, as well as quantified payoffs for outcomes. For instance, consider the stock option decision tree given in figure 1.1. Here, an investor is considering buying an option on a stock with a current price of $100. The option itself has a price OP. There is a 50% chance that the stock's price will raise to $110, and a 50% chance that the price will fall to $95: - Current Stock Price = $100 - Option Price = OP - With P = .5, S = $110 - With P=.5, S = $95 The investor has two alternatives: Do not purchase the option (choice I), or purchase the option (choice II). Given the above assumptions concerning probabilities and payoffs, rational decision theory gives an exact method for ranking the alternatives. We calculate the expected value of an alternative as the product of its possibility and its payoff value. For the stock option case, we arrive at the following expected values. EV (I) = P (A) * V (A) = 1.0 * 0 = 0 EV (II) = P (B) * V (B) + P(C) * V(C) - OP = .5 * 10 + .5 * 0 - OP = 5 - OP The rational choice is to purchase the option if Option Price, OP, $5.We note that this approach formalizes just one aspect of the decision task, that is, choosing among the alternatives. The pattern does not provide exact methods for identifying problems or alternatives, nor for estimating those alternatives. The rationalization that results from this process is always the same: The choice has the highest estimated value. The rational decision maker does not abandon the trouble even if all outcomes have negative expected values. In that case, the decision maker selects for the "best worst" case. The model does not address the matter of generating additional alternatives. Still, rational

Financial Accounting Week 4- Individual Work Assignment

Financial Accounting Week 4- Individual Work - Assignment Example If the solvency ratios reveal a higher turn, then the business is worth to be given loan because it is in a position to meet its obligations. On the other hand, the liquidity ratios show that the business can easily convert its assets to meet its obligations. The following ratios will be used to test the business credibility for the loan. The working capital ratio is increasing as the years increases; it is more in 2015 than in 22014. This shows that the business is doing quite well hence can manage its financial obligations. It can therefore viable to be given loans. This indicates presence of working capital and the business is in a position to meet its financial obligations as the ratio increases with the change in the years. The banker on considering the current ratio will be able to approve the loan for the business this is because the banker will have confidence that the business will be able to repay their loans without default given their wide financial stability, strength and base. This ratio gives the short term liquidity of a business. It is vital in the measuring of the business short-term debts in relation to its liquid assets. The higher the ratio the better the position of the business.it is calculated as: Since there are no inventories, the quick ratio is similar to the current ratio. From all the above ratios, it is a clear indication that the business is in a position to meet its financial obligations, therefore the banker will be find it viable to advance the loan to the business. From the ratios calculated it is noted that the company has good performance as it is in a position to meet all its financial obligations both in the short-term and in the long-term. The leverage and solvency ratios are large showing that the company is very stable and has very good financial base. The company also enjoys very good returns as shown by

Exam1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Exam1 - Essay Example On the other hand, the competitive philosophy suggests that in a competitive market, the government establish rules that sponsor full and free competition. The competitive philosophy is proposed by its supporters, both as a solution to economic problems and also in moral stipulations: as a ground for freedom, where ideas and ventures are allowed space to thrive. These notions have lately been benefiting from an extraordinary influence. In every society, the government is the sole lawful method of coercion. Forms of government coercion like taxation promote the competitive goal of philosophy, and the higher the burden imposed by taxes on production, the greater the chances that economic growth will decline and falter. Price controls or restrictions encouraging new competitors to enter a market promote market exchanges and others like interdictions on illusory practices and enforcement of contracts can also aid voluntary exchanges. The US government is currently making such an effort t o prevent the concentration of fiscal power that’s been growing for a long time in the investment and banking industries.   The congress is undertaking financial reform and federal supervisors and a few influential state attorney generals are starting inquiries of suspected abuse by the little remaining bank holding corporations, the markets themselves, and other key accomplices like hedge funds. Historically, laissez-faire was a response to mercantilism, a structure of commercial powers in which trade and industry, particularly overseas trade, were only regarded as ways of making the state stronger. Trade monopolies, taxes, Navigation laws, and paternalistic policy of various kinds bore greatly upon the growing class of merchants during the time of European colonial development. French physiocrats, leader economists in the 18th century, on behalf of this class of merchants, initially devised the theories of laissez-faire. State noninterference became a fundamental philosop hy with the physiocrats,; they in particular were opposed to the idea of taxation of commercial endeavors. Resistance to mercantilism and government paternalism also inspired Adam Smith, pioneeer of classical economics, who is directly associated with British laissez-faire policies. Smith supposed that individual benefit rather than state control was the proper objective; he therefore campaigned that trade should be conducted without government limitations. When people had the freedom to follow personal interest, competition or rivalry would turn out to be more effectual than the nation as a controller of economic policy. Smith did not advocate for laissez-faire in an unconditional sense; he created a space for government intervention in public works, such as the construction of docks and canals to assist trade, and in the control of overseas trades to leverage some domestic industries. However, the philosophy of laissez-faire turned into a doctrine of individualism and of functiona l ethics in the hands of Jeremy Bentham, and John Stuart Mill made it to reach what was perhaps its highest point. The theory’s strong individualism was naturally of interest to the merchants and factory owners during the Industrial Revolution; they tried to change society along capitalistic terms and often ended up being hampered by old regulations and the conflict of landed interests. Some real-world examples of programs

Denver Art Museum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Denver Art Museum - Essay Example carved vest, flywhisk and the missing tooth possibly lost in battle- also has a protruding beard and a raised mouth with front which all seek to highlight his towering stature. Together with his smaller sized horse, he is balanced by a figure of woman having succulent breasts and an undulating torso creating a wave like motion, with two attendants besides her carrying what appears as gunpowder on their heads, creating a sense of mutual support and unity in the art work. The female similarly wears an upswept incised coiffure that rhymes well with that of the horse rider who has been propped up. Besides all figures in the sculpture have elongated necks and oval heads, bringing out a sense resemblance of smaller and larger parts of the art that is important for unity. The sculpture’s frontal angles of the upper and lower regiment have been turned creating a variety of symbolism that can be read from all sides. The fantastic, dreamlike quality of the work produced by Olowe, a Yoruba by birth, can only be attributed to the long history and experience of the Yoruba people that inhabit the west coast of Africa in Nigeria, Eastern republic of Benin and Togo, dating back to the 5th century BC (Drewal, Pemberton and Abiodan 50). Their early discovery of iron enabled them to develop better metallic tools such as axes and machetes that helped them a lot in wood carving, besides many other economic activities including agriculture and trade. They went further to develop their pottery, textile and leather work. The community grew quite a lot, that at some point they had 20 kingdoms, each with its own king and a strong military who were revered and governed the people. One of their strongest kingdoms had as much as 6, 600 towns and villages that it controlled by the end of the 18th century. The kingdoms had Ife as the cultural and religious center. The Yoruba’s religious believes centered on a view of the world as made up of two connected realms; the visible world of

Should same sex marriage remain legal in the United Kingdom Research Paper

Should same sex marriage remain legal in the United Kingdom - Research Paper Example The research will be conducted using online materials and books on Gender and Sexuality. In 2010, Wales and England were moving towards legalization of same sex marriages. Scotland was given control over its marriages but in Northern Ireland, there were no plans for such legislations. Full recognition of gays, lesbian and bisexuals same sex couples in UK began in the 1960s where same sex sexual behaviour was decriminalized. In 2005, same sex couples were able to enter into civil partnerships. Civil partnerships are indistinguishable from opposite sex marriage in terms of rights. This means that they grant the same privileges, obligations, and rights to the couples. Lee (2010, pp, 18) supported this view. According to Piercceson (2014, pp, 22-25) in 2009 public support had risen to 61%. Politicians were debating on changing the definition of marriage to allow all couples to marry. In 2011, the media reported that the government would allow gay church marriage. In 2013, there was a bill to legalise same sex marriage in England and Wales and in July 2013 the House of Lords approved the Marriage (Same sex Couples) Act. Couples of the same sex were able to register and marry and this resulted in England and Wales recognising same sex marriages. Same sex marriages should remain legal in United Kingdom to avoid violation of human rights. The United Nations of Human rights states that all rights are inherent to all human beings regardless of nationality, gender and religious views etc .Every human being has the same right to do as they please as long as it does not cause harm to another person. Same sex marriages are a matter of civil and equal rights and the decision to remain married should remain with the two individuals in the union. Most people are usually not comfortable with same sex relationships however; the dignity of such couples should be respected. Therefore, the law should remain to avoid a severe violation of

Utilitarian Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Utilitarian - Case Study Example In utilitarianism, ethical behavior implies acting in the interests of the larger group, even if one must sacrifice one’s own interests to do so, just as Posner did in the film. The welfare of the group matters not the individual. According to Mill, higher pleasures are logical or intellectual while lower pleasures are concerned with the physical needs. The role of pleasure is to provide happiness. Showing compassion for the society helps an individual care for the community in which he or she lives. Compassion is very significant to an individual in that it makes them realize the meaning and purpose of life, which is to be happy. This is because since every person wants to be happy, they will do anything to avoid misery and suffering. Virtues are important because they help human beings to derive pleasure in their actions, have uniformity in the way they act, and act promptly which in turn will result to peaceful co-existence, thus everybody will be happy about the life they live. Posner is following the principle of act utilitarianism in that he desires to die so that he does not cause financial constrain to his family. John Stuart Mill would support this principle because it aims to produce the greatest happiness for the greatest

Case Examines the Issues of Formulating a Set of IT Objectives Aligned Study

Examines the Issues of Formulating a Set of IT Objectives Aligned With Corporate Strategy - Case Study Example MDCM’s marketing and sales department also lacks in contributing to the organizational growth despite fairly good human resource productivity. Further, the supply chain of the organization is not structured and organized in an effective approach which gives rise to perplexity in the workplace. Thus, the key objective of MDCM is to enhance the efficiency of these sectors in order to re-introduce business growth at this point of time (Jeffery, M. & Norton, J. F., â€Å"MDCM, Inc. (A): IT Strategy Synchronization†). It is worth mentioning that in every sector, from finance to marketing and sales along with the supply chain operations, MDCM managers are facing similar problems with the flow of information. It is also intrinsically related to the technological developments of the organization. To be specific, the finance department complains that the data which are received from other departments are behind the times and thus lack in efficiency. This requires to be renovated through appropriate IT planning, as updated data is termed to be quite effective in developing accurate forecasts of the organizational progress which further leads to the management decision-making (Jeffery, M. & Norton, J. F., â€Å"MDCM, Inc. (A): IT Strategy Synchronization†).... Due to this reason, the department requires a self-service technology which will provide customers with the opportunity to help them with the extra services and reduce the burden of sales staffs. This will also ensure enhanced productivity in the department. The supply chain operations were further effected by the unsystematic progression of goods purchased and delivered to the ultimate customers. Therefore, the department requires a systematic resource planning technology which will organize and simplify the entire process including the logistics outsourcing (Jeffery, M. & Norton, J. F., â€Å"MDCM, Inc. (A): IT Strategy Synchronization†). Stating precisely, the prime objective of MDCM is to introduce a highly effective IT system in the organization which will ensure efficient financial planning, better productivity in marketing and sales and an organized framework for the supply chain operations. However, the key objective of the organization at this moment is to ensure its growth and satisfying increment in shareholder value. This certainly requires an effective short-term planning from the IT department. 2.0. Competitive Forces Analysis 2.1. Threat of New Entrants MDCM has a broad network in the international market comprising of various developed and developing economies which reduces its operational cost to a great extent. This certainly provides the organization with the strength to restrict the new entrants. Moreover, the organization deals with medical products which are recognized to be strictly restricted with the legal barriers and also requires a large amount of investment. Technological support is considered to be one of the key requirements of the industry which again limits the threat of new entrants. However, the switching costs of customers

Teacher Perspectives on Play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Teacher Perspectives on Play - Essay Example I knew that they were playing because they seemed to be having too much fun and had no idea when the bell rang and they had to return to the lesson. Most of them were playing; while, some were just standing around and watching. They were not playing because they were not having fun. The arrangement of the classroom did not support the play the children were playing but they were creative enough to organize tables and chairs as if they were in some kitchen, having food. Furnishings and materials neither restricted the play not supported it. It was kind of a simple play in which only tables and chairs were needed. On daily schedule, the children had only one hour to play. The rest four hours were continuous classes- two hours before the play and two after it. I saw the children playing pretend kitchen, but after they had enough of it, they started playing hide and seek. My observation matched with the teacher’s responses. She had already told me that her children played in the lunch time for about an hour. The only difference I felt was that the children did not go for any outdoor activity that day, and just remained indoors and

Importance of Xylem and Phloem Tissues Essay Example for Free

Importance of Xylem and Phloem Tissues Essay The primary xylem and primary phloem tissues are pushed inward into the] pith and outwards respectively by the continuous production of secondary tissues cut I off by the cambium ring. The primary xylem is gradually pushed inward and is found at the centre of the axis; whereas, the primary phloem, being soft in nature, gets completely crushed. These activities in the stelar region exert a great pressure outwardly. The cortex cells, the pericycle and the epidermis divide anticlinally to cope with the production of tissues in the stelar region. Formation of annual ring or growth ring The activity of the cambium ring is under the control of series of physiological and environmental factors. For example, in spring the cambium becomes more active and forms a greater number of vessels with wider cavities. In winter, the temperature is low due to which the cambium also becomes less active and forms narrow pitted vessels, tracheids and wood fibers. The xylem (wood) formed during the spring is known as spring wood or early wood and which is formed in winter is called autumn wood or late wood. The spring wood is lighter in color and exhibits low density where as the autumn (or winter) wood is darker and has higher density. These two kinds of wood appear together, in a transverse section of the stem, as a concentric ring known as the annual ring or growth ring. Successive annual rings are formed year after year by the activity of the cambium. Each annual ring corresponds to one years growth. Thus one can estimate the age of plant to some degree of accuracy by counting the total number of annual rings. Annual rings are readily seen with naked eye in the logs of a tree trunk. Heart-wood and sap-wood: In old trees, the greater part of the secondary wood is filled up with tannins resins, gums, essential oils, etc. , which make it hard and durable. It looks dark or brown. This region is known as heart-wood. The heart wood gives mechanical support to the stem. The outer region of the secondary wood is of lighter color and is known as sap-wood or alburnum. It helps in conduction of water and mineral salts from the root to the leaf. (B) Secondary growth in extra-stelar region Secondary growth in the extra stellar region occurs to cope with the addition of tissues in the stellar region. It occurs in the cortex and helps in the formation of periderm. It occurs by the formation and activities of a secondary meristem called cork cambium or phellogen. Origin and activity of the cork-cambium or phellogen Due to the addition of secondary phloem and secondary xylem elements, the outermost layer of the cortex becomes highly stretched and may crack open. During this process a few layers of meristematic tissue arise in the cortex. This is called the cork cambium or phellogen. The nature of cambium is secondary. Commonly it arises in the outer layers of the cortex i. . hypodermis. It may also arise in the epidermis itself, or in the inner layers of the cortex, or even in the pericycle. The cork combium consists of narrow, thin-walled and roughly rectangular cells. It is of few layers in thickness. The cork cambium cuts of cells on both the sides and secondary cortex on the inner. The cells of the secondary cortex are parenchymatous in nature and often contain chloroplast. Cork The new cells cut off by the cork-cambium on its outer side are rough rectangular and soon become suberized. They form the cork of the plant. Cork cells are dead, suberized, thick-walled and brown in color. They are arranged in radial rows being suberized, cork is impervious to air and water. Functions of Crock (i)It acts as a waterproof covering to the stem (ii) It also protects the plant] against the attacks of parasitic fungi, (iii) Cork cells, being dead and empty, containing air only, are bad conductors of heat. This being so, a sudden variation in outside] temperature does not affect the internal tissues of the plant; (IV) Cork is also made use of by the plant for the healing of wounds. The bottle cork is obtained from the cork] cells of Quercus suber. ) Bark In restricted sense, all the dead tissues lying outside the active cork cambium constitute the bark of the plant. It, therefore, includes the epidermis, the lenticels and cork, and sometimes also hypodermis and a portion of the cortex depending on the position of the cork-cambium. Thus the deeper the origin of the cork-cambium, the thicker would be the bark. The term bark in a wider since is used to describe all tissues outside the vascular cambium of the stem. Phellem, phelloderm and phellogen layers are collectively called periderm. Thus periderm is a protective multilayered structure of secondary origin. On the basis of function, two types of barks are distinguished- ring barks and scale bark. When the cork cambium appears in the form of a complete ring the bark that is formed comes away in a sheet; such a bark is known as the ring bark as in Betula. When the cork-combium appears in strips the resulting bark comes away in the form of scales; such a bark is known as the scale bark as in (guava) Psidium. Function of bark The bark protects the inner tissues (i) against the attack of fungi and insects (ii) against loss of water by evaporation and (iii) against variation of external temperature. Lenticels These are small aerating pores formed in the bark of stems through which gaseous exchange takes place. Externally they appear as scars or raised portions on the surface of stems. Lenticels are first formed below the stomata. A section through one of the scars shows that the lenticels consists of a loose mass of small thin walled cells called complementary cells or filling tissue.

Systems Approach Essay Example for Free

Systems Approach Essay In the 1956 edition of Modern Systems Research for the Behavioral Scientist, A. D. Hall and R. E. Fagen define â€Å"a system as a set of objects together with relations between the objects and between their attributes†. (Scholtes, Peter R. 1998, 42)   The system concept has been taken from the exact sciences, specifically from physics, where exact laws lead to exact measurements. Though, the methods of the exact sciences are of little or no use for the social sciences, since these often deal with more composite and multidimensional systems.   A system is a whole that contains two or more parts that satisfy the following five conditions. The whole has one or more defining functions. Each part in the set can affect the behavior or properties of the whole. There is a subset of parts that is sufficient in one or more environments for carrying out the defining function of the whole; each of these parts is separately necessary but insufficient for carrying out this defining function. The way that the behavior or properties of each part of a system affects its behavior or properties depends on the behavior or properties of at least one other part of the system. The effect of any subset of parts on the system as a whole depends on the behavior of at least one other subset. Ackoff (1994)   In systems theory, organizations are viewed as open or socio-technical systems which trade with their environment. They import information, material, and energies, do something with or to them, and export them to an added system. The benefit of the systems approach is that it reveals organizations as social institutions which in some way or other beat the second law of thermodynamics, by which the amount of entropy (or disorganization) in the system is said to tend to exploit. Organizations achieve effectiveness by reducing entropy or disorganization. While information is received, uncertainty is reduced. Information can be considered by the amount of surprise it induces in the receiver, and organizations assist to bring the degree of surprise under control. Systems principles are based in part on the following concepts: The whole is more than the sum of its parts. A related principle is synergy, or the effectiveness of joint action. Organizations are goal seeking. The cybernetic ideas of feedback and balance affect system operation. Systems are arranged hierarchically. A system can attain the same state from a variety of beginning states—the principle of equifinality: ‘‘there’s more than one way to skin a cat.’’ Certo, S.C. (1998) In systems theory, organizations are seen as systems of information flows as sets of black (unknown-content) boxes linked by a series of inputs, transformations, and outputs. Information is the organizational currency, and it has to be searched for, bought, processed, and sold to some other system. The modern executive is a serial processor of information who needs to bring sensory data concerning the environment down to an optimal level where it can be handled. While the executive suffers overload or is placed in an environment of sensory deficit, bizarre behavior may result.   The most remarkable success of systems organization was the Apollo Project to put a man on the moon. This effort utilized project management, defined as ‘‘doing what we say we are going to do.’’ The conventional loyalties of the NASA people and the technicians from the aerospace firms broke down as the task became the focal point of their lives. The systems approach has spread to other industries, assisted by the widespread use of computers, which make information a key to raw material. (DeGuess, A. 1997)   The systems approach focuses instead on organization systems. It asserts that if employees can develop these systems, most work-related employee problems will disappear without individual counseling.   In addition to conceptual weaknesses, there are also staid process related weaknesses in quality improvement processes (QIP) s that stress the training phase and overlook others, especially the vehicle emplacement phase. For one thing, such efforts are typically top-down. Professional trainers, following the lead of those who organized the adaptation phase, begin by training upper and middle-level managers, who, in turn, are supposed to train lower-level managers as well as hourly workers with the support of the professionals. But there is a decisive difference between the familiarization phase and the training phase. While the up-front portion of the former can be offered to large audiences and completed in numerous weeks, the latter, when dealing with a company of any size, ultimately involves running several thousand students through efficient two- to three-day sessions. Such an effort is particularly drawn out so that by the time that everyone is trained, many of the earlier students have lost their enthusiasm, their workshop notebooks, or both.   At the same time, such training is rarely if ever sufficient Learning a technique in the classroom, even practicing it there, never gives students all the answers or prepares them fully for the real-life situation. A remarkable amount of support, therefore, is necessary when those primarily trained begin passing down their new knowledge and skills to lower-level managers and hourly workers. Such support, however, is rarely accessible. The corporate quality staff and consultants can visit just so many work sites during the year and can answer just so many phone calls (Depree, M. 1997).   Basically, systems approach is a theoretical tool used to organize and marshal resources (technologies, material, and workers) to get work done with optimal efficiency and to achieve a master purpose that meets precise standards.   The systems approach is often identified with efficiency. Because the systems approach is as much apprehensive with effectiveness as it is with efficiency, this is a mistake. Either efficiency or effectiveness can be pursued to the harm of the other in an intensely competitive market. However, efficiency gets special attention because of a prevailing doubt most things are not being done as well as they could be, and are, in fact, being mismanaged. If there was a will, it is believed, there would be a means to reduce costs. This belief is held especially for tax-supported public services. Though it may be true that one or another action could be run more efficiently, that is not the point. The point is whether the larger system, of which the activity is a part, can be run more competently and still deliver the product or service intended. And that is an issue of optimization.   A systems approach helps managers to channel vision, gives way, provides a basis for organizing resources and measuring performance, and it assists to allocate work so the purpose can be attained according to specified standards within a set time frame. In short, it unifies and focuses effort. We now continue to a discussion of the limitations of the systems approach.   The systems approach is necessary for effective decision making, for the utilization of models in outer factor, and for the application of computer technology. Systems analysis is a managerial get through, somewhat akin to breakthroughs in various sciences, and has given rise to influential concepts and tools of analysis.   The systems approach is based on the work of Von Bertalanffy, who is accredited with coining the phrase general systems theory. (Pearson, C.S. 1998) He conceived of a set of objects, their interrelationships, and their characteristics as systems. The objects were merely components of a system. Therefore, any groups of exterior activities and elements that can be delineated physically or abstractly constitute a system.   Moreover, it also assists in marketing systems that are collections of entities that form coherent groups. Channels of distribution that manage the activities of wholesalers, retailers, and manufacturers, or physical distribution activities resulting from the integration of warehousing, storage, transportation, handling, and inventory activities, are examples of marketing systems. The actuality that entities or activities are capable of being understood as a rational group, rather than as a collection of parts, makes them a system. This conceptual insight has led to the development of new disciplines such as industrial dynamics and systems engineering.   In marketing, the systems approach turns on the inner theme that marketing reality occurs in systems. A business, part of it, or its connection with others, can be signified by some suitable system that may culminate in a physical facsimile, chart, flow diagram, and series of equations, replication model, or just a concept.   The survival and growth of systems is mainly determined by the efficiency of flows and communications. External factors of systems contain flows of products, services, finances, and equipment through channels and communications to and from marketplace. Two units of action of a marketing system have been illustrates as transaction and transvection. Transaction focuses on negotiations and exchange. Transvection represents a unit of action of the complete marketing system, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers the matching of original producers with ultimate consumers (Denhardt, R.B., 2000).   The systems approach employs one type of model a systems model. This model recognizes a total marketing system that should be supported and reinforced so that the company can survive, adjust, change, and function professionally. While stressing coordination, it also distinguishes conflict and competition among units, the necessity for subsystem concessions, and the fact that resources should be used to maintain the system itself as well as to attain goals. Managers have the major accountability of recognizing the relations among the elements of the systems. They must understand their potential combinations, and organize and integrate business factors so that goals are achieved effectively (Joseph OConnor, Ian McDermott 1997). Significantly the adoption of a systems perspective depends on the individual manager and his discernment of the factors of variability in the system, the relations of inputs, and the predictions of outputs resulting from the inputs.   The improvement of cohesive groups, however, does not mean that all conflicts are eradicated or that the objectives of all mechanism of the system coincide. For example, although manufacturers, retailers, and wholesalers compose a system, their objectives. May conflict in part. However, it is the extent to which objectives are common that lends cohesiveness to systems components. This cohesiveness is more enthusiastically achieved among different functions within a firm than among firms. As firms become conglomerates of companies, this peculiarity tends to disappear. Although the systems-perspective direction tends to prevent sub optimization, it does not preclude the analysis of subsystems. Since management cannot investigate everything at the same time, it must digest smaller pieces.   Three basic types of equilibrating systems have been described, the atomistic, the organic whole, and the in-between limply coupled systems. In the atomistic system there is a tendency toward equilibrium amongst separate elements. The organic whole is a system with structured components joined together in a completely determined and inflexible pattern. They adapt to the environment by changing objectives, technologies, manpower, and organizational arrangements.   Systems theory facilitates the conceptual uncoupling and comprehensive analysis of components of a whole system as well as the investigation of the behavior of the total system based on an analysis of pertinent variables.   Moreover, Modern person-job match technology involves a diversity of disciplines to bring together the right kinds of information for personnel assignment decisions. A systems approach is desired to integrate the assignment process within the organization. The traditional static job assignment problem does not exist in practice. Within organizations there is the requirement for dynamic systems that respond quickly to changing personnel demands, supplies, costs, and objectives (Denhardt, R.B., 2000).   The modules of a personnel management system: projection of personnel requirements; forecasting the supply of candidates; planning, including the establishment of selection standards; making individual selection and job assignment decisions; and evaluating organization performance and alternative policies and procedures. The objective remains the same as in the original problem: to compare candidates against job requirements so that the best decisions can be made. The systems approach extends this process to include not only this decision but the determination of requirements and supply and execution and evaluation of the decision. While not all aspects of the system are equally important for all organizations, they are usually present and should be considered by the developer and implementer of person-job matching systems.   Determination of requirements is the essential first step in personnel planning. Personnel requirements are specified in terms of the numbers and types of positions that are associated with plans for the organizations size and structure. These in turn are based, at least in principle, on projections of the requirements/demand for the organizations output of products or services (M. A. Hersh., 1998).   For organizations in both the public and private sectors, these projections are made with considerable complexity and uncertainty, since they must be embedded in assumptions relating to the environment in which the organization will function. However, in spite of the difficulty and uncertainty, these projections serve a key function in providing the basis for the person-job matching method.   Moreover, a systems approach also helps managers to manufacturing suggests a systems approach to compensation that is, compensation practices that support the smooth and continuous operation of the system. This possibly means reducing distinctions between manual and white-collar workers, in particular elevating manual workers to salaried status. Incentive systems, if they are essential, should be indirect and broadly based, covering at least the work group and perhaps the entire operation. Some type of gain sharing emphasizing up-time objectives seems most suitable.   Thus, systems approach proposed the concept of semi-autonomous work groups based on the underlying assumption that learning and the development of social and occupational competences largely occur in cooperation and communication with others. In addition, industrial production does not provide itself well to the improved design of individual jobs, since most tasks are highly interdependent. The group thus is often the natural work unit. Optimal functioning of open, incessantly changing systems is seen as predicated on the extent to which the resources and competences for controlling the work of different organizational units are returned to the members of that unit. The principle of motivation through task orientation rather than external control is improved in relatively independent organizational units that permit increased scope for self regulation of work groups. Acknowledging that individuals are guided by varying goals and motivations, work has to be organized in a way that allows different individuals to satisfy varying needs and to develop new goals and aspirations. And rather than enriching jobs in consultation with external experts, employees themselves are to plan and regulate their work activities by means of direct contribution based on the principle of self-design.   This conceptualization of human nature and work leads to forms of work organization aimed at the development of competences by giving work groups the scope and latitude to complete tasks based on their own planning and guided simply by specified deadlines and standards. There is no longer a one best way for doing things; rather there is discretion and decision latitude rooted in the identification that different paths might equally well achieve the same goals. The symbol is that of an organism where different organs fulfill different functions but are reliant on each other, and can function appropriately only in relations with all other parts of the organism. Work Cited Ackoff, R.L. 1994. The Democratic Organization. New York: Oxford University Press. Certo, S.C. (1998). Modern management: Diversity, quality, ethics, and the global environment. Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall. DeGuess, A. (1997). The living company: Habits for survival in a turbulent business environment. Boston: Harvard Business School. Denhardt, R.B. Theories of Public Organization, 3rd Ed.; Harcourt College Publishers: Orlando, 2000; 16-17, 182-191. Depree, M. (1997, April). Attributes of leaders. Executive Excellence, 14 (4,) 8-10. Gharajedaghi, Jamshid. 1999. Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos and Complexity. Woburn, Mass.: Butterworth-Heinemann Publishers. Joseph OConnor, Ian McDermott (1997) The Art of Systems Thinking: Revolutionary Techniques to Transform Your Business and Your Life HarperCollins. M. A. Hersh. A systems approach to understanding the causes of instability in nations: a case study, Bucharest, Romania, 1998. Pearson, C.S. (1998). Thinking about business differently: Organizational systems and leadership archetypes. Alisa Viejo: InnoVision. Scholtes, Peter R. 1998. The Leader’s Handbook. New York: McGraw-Hill.

The Impact Of Issue Voting

The Impact Of Issue Voting Dealignment is the change from voting according to class. In recent times there has been a change from partisan alignment, voting based on class, for example people within the AB category have historically been more likely to vote conservative whereas people in the C2 and DE category have been more likely to vote Labour. From 1997-2005 the amount of people voting for conservative in the AB category fell by 6% and the amount of people in the C2 category went up 12%. This shows that class alignment may no longer be the main deciding factor that people use when voting in an election. b) Using your knowledge as well as the extract, asses the impact of issue-voting on the results of general elections. Issue voting is when somebody votes in an election based on the politicians or partys stance on a certain current political issue. Issue voting have become more prevalent than it was in the twentieth century and the valence theorises that electoral success is based on a partys ability to deliver on key issues. Past examples of partys focusing on issue voters are sleaze and the economy in 1997, raising standards and elimination poverty in 2001, war and immigration in 2005 and Labours handling of the economy in 2010. The focus that election candidates have put on current issues instead of just party ideology in recent years show that issue voting is becoming an increasing factor that the electorate takes into consideration when voting for one party or another. Issue voting may be as cause or product in the decrease of other types of voting such as alignment voting. Issue voting might also signify the decrease in emphasis on ideology stopping partys from focusing on what the ideal future for the country and instead fixing issues that the UK has currently. In conclusion I think that even though issue voting is more popular than it has ever been in the past that there are still important factors such as class and age are still present and while not as popular as in the past they are still the basis of a large portion of the populations vote. c) A link still exists between class and voting. Discuss the extent to which social class still influences the voting behavior of Britains electorate. The statement is partially correct because in the past social class was one of the biggest factors that affected voting behavior in the UK and although it is no longer as strong a factor as it used to be in deciding votes it is still there. In the 2005 General Election the amount of senior and middle managers / executives (AB class) was 28% for Labour and the same class for Conservatives was 37%. This data shows that although the statistics for the upper classes are much closer than they used to be there is still a large difference in the amount of people in the AB class bracket that vote conservative rather than Labour. The cause of this could be that people who work in higher positions feel that conservative ideology and policy is more beneficial for them because of policies like privatisation, because they are more likely to afford private health care. Also tax cuts of up to 4 billion which voters in the AB category might feel that if they can afford pay for private health care then why should the be expected to help fund the NHS. The Semi and Unskilled Workers/ Casual Workers/ Unemployed (DE classes) shows even more clearly that there is still a link between class and voting. In the General election of 2005 48% of voters in the DE bracket voted for Labour whilst only 25% voted conservative. These statistics show that there is an even stronger link to social class and voting behavior with the lower classes than the higher classes. This may be due to Labours policies of not wanting to privatise aspects of public services like the NHS which Conservatives have policies wanting to do so. However even though there is clear evidence that class effects voting behaviour in major way there is also a lot of evidence to show that the link between class and voting is getting smaller each election. For example from 1997-2005 the results of voters in the AB bracket voting conservative fell by 6% and from 1997-2005 the results of voters in the DE bracket voting Labour fell 10%. A reason for this change in voting over the past few election could be the increasing popularity of the Liberal democrat party which from 1997-2005 increased its share of the vote by at least 3% in every class bracket. The most noticeable gain for the Lib Dems was in the AB bracket in which they increased their share of the vote by 8% which could attribute to the decline in both Conservatives and Labours AB bracket. From 1997-2005 the total vote for the Liberal Democrats has increased by 21% emphasising that people are no longer just voting for the party which has traditionally represented their class. Arguments can be made that there is no longer a single working class, instead the working class has been split into two, the old and the new. The old working class consists of manual workers belonging to trade unions and the new working class which are workers with better qualifications that work in the public sector. In conclusion I believe that although the link between class and voting still exists it is getting smaller and smaller each election and people are starting to vote due to different qualities such region, age, ethnicity and media rather than class alignment which never truely existed in the first place because there was always a percentage of upper classes that voted for Labour and lower classes that voted Conservative or people of all classes that voted for small partys.

Language And Social Skills in Child Development

Language And Social Skills in Child Development Play is the most important part of the childs development. Play allows the children to enhance their physical development, psychosocial development and cognitive development. Most parents see cartoons with their children as a way to help their child learn. I have watched many childrens television programs like blues clues, the go show, and Dora the explorer, to understand how these television programs help in children and babys development. I chose the Dora the explorer cartoon show to enhance my understanding about the child development. Dora the explorer is an animated childrens television show. Dora the explorer show programmed to engage preschooler activities in a play-along, computer-style adventure. Dora the explorer is an example of physical development. Physical development focuses on the physical growth and the development of both gross motor skills (e.g. Walking, jumping) and fine motor skills (e.g. Finger movements, eye coordination) control over the body. Dora the explore r on-screen character talking with the child encourages the child to take part, label objects, songs and dance actions allow for movements with control and coordination. Dora the explorer animated also influences the cognitive development theory, cognitive theory is a change and stability in mental ability such as learning, thinking, and memory. The Dora the Explorer allows the children to think of a way to get out and to get to their destination, so this helps children gaining knowledge and solving problems in daily life, which enhances their memory capability. Television provides the children with a valuable tool at home for great learning. Another theory is influences psychosocial development by Erik Erikson to get through the idea of personality. Watching and learning from on screen shows allow children to gain knowledge of social learning; this enhances their self-esteem, learning about the culture and society and teaches them how to interact with people. Cartoons also use exp ressions that allow children to copy and apply in daily life. Learning new expressions from play allows children how and when to show the emotions. These allow the children to encourage self-awareness about the world around them. The play is very essential for child development. Reading books to young children is the best way to promote language development and language skills like speaking, reading, and listening. Book reading is good for a childs development to gain imagination. Reading books to children at home can encourage their reading skills. Books should have something like shapes, short stories, pictures, bright colors that children will find interesting, enjoyable, and fun. This will help develop a sense of reader appreciation. When children have books in their home, they are more likely to sit down and read them. Parents can and should encourage an appreciation for reading (Elrod, n.d). When reading a book to children the reader needs to keep few things in mind for best results. The books you choose for the children need to be short and simple, attractive, use appropriate language, speak clearly, slowly, and use the expression, as some children learn verbally and some non- verbally. Reading books to children that influence the social learning theo ry by Alberts bandura. In social learning theory Albert Bandura (1977) states behavior is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning. Children observe the people around them behaving in various ways (McLeod, 2011). Children learn many different ways; some learn quickly by visibly, for example, books that got colors, picture, and shapes with it and some learn verbally, for example- imitating the expression and words. Using various techniques to enhance language development, tunes of the voice and getting them to turn the page that influences the theory of positive reinforcement. If imitated behaviors and consequence are satisfying so the child is likely to perform behaviors. If parents are encouraging and giving them positive feedback, then the behavior is likely to repeat as it provides the child with strengths. Simply using the booking reading tools at home helps them learn. Children are very sensitive. We need to handle them with care. So far, the information I have gained through the education of play and language development of babies, and children provided me with a greater understanding that could influence my future practice as a health professional. Skills that I have gained from the knowledge of reading books to children are to create an environment that allows children to understand their personality, which will help children to be more interactive. As a health professional, I build a warm and open environment for children to feel secure. In order to achieve my nursing practice, I need to use or put the techniques in my practice, and they are distractions, communication, and education. Have a conversation with children for example- about their favourite show, asking questions with slow pace and allowing them to answer and educating them for being healthy. This will enhance their understanding while mine. The use of distraction techniques in my p ractice can enable me to complete a difficult task with children like taking medicine; I can get the child to act like a super hero and be strong and asking them to stand straight like a strong soldier. These skills can help me to build a trust and a relationship when I am working or handling kids. Building a relationship creates an environment where children feel secure take risks. In my conclusion, play is a cherished part of childhood that offers children important developmental benefits and parents the opportunity to engage fully with their children. Thus Influences children and babies physical development, cognitive development and psychosocial development. Play allows children to learn new things and to understand the world around them. Reading books is another important aspect to enhance their development. Reading books to children will help children gain language skills. I have gained many skills that can be relevant or may influence my nursing practice as a health professional .The knowledge of children and babies about their play and book reading. I learned many techniques that will make my nursing practice easier when I have to assess children and babies. Distractions, communicating techniques are helpful in nursing practice. Communicating with children about their favorite shows and asking them questions. Thus, all knowledge I have gotten of the play and book helpful.