Mature market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mature market - Essay Example The customers in this mature caterpillar industry(Neson, 1999) are commercial construction companies, equipment rental and leasing companies, general construction firms and includes the mining, agricultural, waste management, industrial and forestry companies. The commercial construction companies are the lion's share of this saturated mature market because the commercial companies have more money to spend, the greatest need for machineries and the greatest need for precision controlled equipment. All market situations contain risks.(Harringon,1999) Although the small construction companies market is now growing, there will be a small income opportunity here because of the small capital investments that the customers will shell out. The machineries market,(Meyer,1983) as is the case with other industries, is affected by the economic situation. In fact Caterpillar and its competitor Komatsu could not help but watch their annual sales go down to the slowing down of the global economy. The Consumer's confidence in the product is another factor in studying the downturn in sales volume which has been long lasting. The weakening of the global economy has contributed much to the saturation or maturity of the machineries market. It is now very difficult to get a new sales orders from construction and commercial companies that need the Caterpillar products. ... Presently there are fifty five major players in the machineries business. Caterpillar occupies the number one spot because it has been in operation for the past forty years. Caterpillar equipments are in demand worldwide because it has gained the trust and confidence of its many clients. Caterpillar is known for products that are of quality and durability but also versatile. The sales people of Caterpillar are very adept at product demonstrations of their machineries and this is another big contributory factor to the success of Caterpillar. (www.bplans.com) According to Daniels, a strategic planning group, a mature company, like Caterpillar, is placed in a situation where there is very sales growth resulting to stagnant, decreasing or even break even sales. Since there are many competitors to fill the needs of only a few markets, then the selling prices will most likely not increase. Companies in the mature market economy like Caterpillar are mostly using more aggressive price, service and quality that is in tune with the customers' wishes. Since the market is tight, there is lesser elbow room to move up in terms of sales and quality services. For mature companies like Caterpillar(Sussland,2000) to grow more, growth opportunities have to be continuously discovered and implemented. This can be done thru surveys, and research and development. Another strategy is to develop an organizational structure that will fit the ever changing marketing environment. This means that there will be a ready flexible support team that Caterpillar is well known for in order to help the Caterpillar clients in every problem situation. Another strategy is revise the internal costing procedures in order to minimize costs and expenses. When expenses are lessened, then net income

Employee Engagement and Grievance Handling Essay Example for Free

Employee Engagement and Grievance Handling Essay Title of the Project Employee Engagement and Grievance Handling Process Statement about the Problem This topic has been chosen because in every organization, employee engagement activities are conducted as employee  productivity  is clearly connected with employee engagement. It is a  business management  concept. An engaged employee is one who is fully involved in, and enthusiastic about his work, and thus will act in a way that furthers their  organizations interests. Thus, engagement is distinctively different from employee satisfaction, motivation and organizational culture. An integral part of employee engagement is a strong grievance handling mechanism. Objectives and Scope of Study a. Analyze the Employee Engagement activities that are being done at ‘Indigo’and the outcomes of these activities. b. Understand the process mapping for employee engagement. c. Techniques used for engaging employees in our organization d. Grievance handling process e. Introduction and types of grievances. f. Discuss the grievance handling process at organizational, process, project ; individual level g. Methods used in grievance handling h. Understand how Employee Engagement activities and Grievance Handling processes go hand in hand. Methodology Research methodology talks about data collection of the project work. The data collection as such is divided into: I. Primary Data a. Questionnaire survey b. Face-to-face discussion with existing employees who are there in the organization for more than six months or so. c. Discussion with Human Resource specialists. II. Secondary Data 1) Journals 2) Company records and reports 3) Internet Searches 4) External websites 5) On line survey conducted by company.

Domestic Violence: No One Deserves to be Abused Essay -- Violence Again

What is domestic violence? Domestic violence is the use, or threatened use of physical force, violence, a deadly weapon, sexual assault, or the intentional destruction of property. It is behaviour that has the intent or impact of placing a victim in fear of physical injury, and a pattern of behaviour resulting in emotional and psychological abuse, economic control, and/or interference with personal liberty that is directed towards the following: a current or former spouse, or a person with whom the abuser shares a child in common, or a current or former intimate partner. Domestic violence is behaviour – emotional, psychological, physical, or sexual abuse – that one person in an intimate relationship uses in order to control the other. It takes many different forms and includes behaviour such as threats, name calling, isolation, withholding of money, actual or threatened physical harm and sexual assault. Most domestic violence is committed against women by their male partners. It also occurs in lesbian and gay relationships and is common in teenage dating relationships. Women’s Stories: My husband constantly came home after a long days work, frustrated and irritable. He’d walk in the door, eat his dinner, look up at me, and say, â€Å"Marsha, I want to have sex.† My three year old and seven year old children were always in bed and asleep at this time of night, so they could never hear my pleads for Jamie to stop. He’d never listen to me. In the end I just gave up and agreed to have sex with him. When I did not, then he would rape me. This went for 6 months before I built up the courage to leave him. My partner is over protective. He doesn’t let me visit friends or family, but instead says that I have to stay at home. Onc... ...goal. We decide how to reach our goals based on what we believe is OK or what we are willing to do. Abusing is no different. Women continually describe how their partners go from one tactic to another when they want something. Some abusers will go as far as emotional abuse, isolation, or intimidation. Some will choose to control economic resources or threaten physical harm to the victim, her children or loved ones. Some ultimately choose violence to get what they want, and the underlying threat of physical violence affects the every aspect of a relationship. Whatever the tactics if you are forced to make decisions on how your partner may hurt you physically or emotionally, your partner has behaved inappropriately; and when violence is used, they have acted criminally. Using violence and/or other controlling behaviours is not acceptable. No one deserves to be abused. Domestic Violence: No One Deserves to be Abused Essay -- Violence Again What is domestic violence? Domestic violence is the use, or threatened use of physical force, violence, a deadly weapon, sexual assault, or the intentional destruction of property. It is behaviour that has the intent or impact of placing a victim in fear of physical injury, and a pattern of behaviour resulting in emotional and psychological abuse, economic control, and/or interference with personal liberty that is directed towards the following: a current or former spouse, or a person with whom the abuser shares a child in common, or a current or former intimate partner. Domestic violence is behaviour – emotional, psychological, physical, or sexual abuse – that one person in an intimate relationship uses in order to control the other. It takes many different forms and includes behaviour such as threats, name calling, isolation, withholding of money, actual or threatened physical harm and sexual assault. Most domestic violence is committed against women by their male partners. It also occurs in lesbian and gay relationships and is common in teenage dating relationships. Women’s Stories: My husband constantly came home after a long days work, frustrated and irritable. He’d walk in the door, eat his dinner, look up at me, and say, â€Å"Marsha, I want to have sex.† My three year old and seven year old children were always in bed and asleep at this time of night, so they could never hear my pleads for Jamie to stop. He’d never listen to me. In the end I just gave up and agreed to have sex with him. When I did not, then he would rape me. This went for 6 months before I built up the courage to leave him. My partner is over protective. He doesn’t let me visit friends or family, but instead says that I have to stay at home. Onc... ...goal. We decide how to reach our goals based on what we believe is OK or what we are willing to do. Abusing is no different. Women continually describe how their partners go from one tactic to another when they want something. Some abusers will go as far as emotional abuse, isolation, or intimidation. Some will choose to control economic resources or threaten physical harm to the victim, her children or loved ones. Some ultimately choose violence to get what they want, and the underlying threat of physical violence affects the every aspect of a relationship. Whatever the tactics if you are forced to make decisions on how your partner may hurt you physically or emotionally, your partner has behaved inappropriately; and when violence is used, they have acted criminally. Using violence and/or other controlling behaviours is not acceptable. No one deserves to be abused.

Ryanair Pestel

Complete a PEST(EL) analysis as preparation for a scenario planning exercise next week. POLITICAL: †¢Due to severe security measures, they had to cancel 279 flights and refunded 2. 7mâ‚ ¬. A loss of 1. 9mâ‚ ¬ in reduced bookings †¢Aer Lingus was fundamentally opposed to a merger with Ryanair, even if it raises its price †¢12. 6 % of the shareholding controlled by Aer Lingus, whose members rejected the offer by a 97% majority vote †¢Opposed to the BAA airport monopoly plans to build a 4bn gold plated Taj Mahal at Stansted SOCIAL: †¢Europe’s leading budget airline August 2006, Air Transport World magazine- most profitable airline in the world †¢72% negative response from a poll of readers of the Financial Times for one of its initiatives †¢In 2006, its employees count by more than 700, to 3. 500 people, comprising over 25 different nationalities †¢In 2006, it was voted the world’s least favourite airline because of the unfrien dly staff, delays and poor legroom †¢The airline formerly refused to provide accommodation or meal vouchers when flights were cancelled or delayed, until it became illegal to do so in 2005ENVIRONMENTAL: †¢Deploying more efficient aircraft that use less fuel and produce less pollution †¢Concerns about greenhouse gases from carbon emissions †¢Replace its fleet of old aircraft with new, more environmentally-friendly aircraft, reducing the average age of its fleet to 2. 4 years †¢New aircraft produced 50% less emissions, 45% less fuel burn and 45% lower noise emissions per sea ECONOMIC: Its average paid was 49612â‚ ¬, a higher figure than any other major European airline †¢August 2006, Air Transport World magazine- most profitable airline in the world †¢Cost-cutting/yield-enhancing measures for passenger check-in and luggage handling could save more than 1â‚ ¬ per passenger †¢Web based check-in and priority boarding, save costs on check-in s taff and airport facilities, as well as time †¢By tailoring rosters, they maximised productivity and time off for crew membersTECHNOLOGICAL: †¢Web based check-in and priority boarding †¢Fleet of over 100 new Boeing 737-800 aircraft and firm orders for a further 138 new aircraft to be delivered over the next six years †¢Stronger passenger safety: body searched, banned from carrying liquids and gels in their carry-on luggage LEGAL: †¢Complying with EU regulations which impose a ceiling on pilot flying hours to prevent dangerous fatigue †¢In litigation with various airport over landing charges Accused it of misleading passengers on its website by exaggerating the prices of its competitors in making comparisons †¢Following flight cancellations due to increase in security measures, they decided to file two legal cases against UK government †¢In 2005, new legislation that offered compensation cost to passengers affected by delays, cancellations or d enied boarding

Change over Time Man’s Impact on the Environment Essay

Mankind had many impacts throughout history economically and socially. One significant impact that arose because of changing economic and social pleasures was the effect mankind had on the environment. Mankind’s impact on the environment changes from the Agricultural Revolution through the 19th century in that man destroys more of the environment as industrialization progresses. Industrialization of the environment started out small with One of the first changes is the improvement of roads throughout the lands. European businesses worked to facilitate manufacturing goods so new road designs were built and old ones were extended. The impact was that transportation of raw materials was made easier to get into the factories where they would be used to create products. This change occurred because the increased profits that would come from a faster production. Canals were also built in places where the land was able to be dug through to make a new body of water. The canals would make transportation of materials to other locations easier without having to unload cargo from ships to cross a land barrier. The impact was the ships could pass through land barriers thanks to the canals and transport their cargo in less time. This change occurred because of the need to transport important cargo from ships in less time. Another change to the environment was from the smoke that polluted the air that came from factories. Smoke would rise into the air funneled out from the factories that would produce fumes as byproducts from manufacturing. The impact it had on society was that people near factories or workers had to breathe in lesser quality air. This change occurred because of the manufacturing boom that led to the creation of factories and their large amounts of toxic byproducts. Chemicals also had a role in affecting the environment in their own way. Chemical byproducts from factories would be dumped into nearby bodies of water to serve as an easy way to dispose of waste. The impact was that water quality decreased in places where chemicals were dumped and dangerous in some cases. This change occurred because of the factories’ profit minded owners who were worried about money rather than how dumping would affect water. The farming of coffee and cotton plants for monetary gain eroded the soil. Farmers would constantly plant these crops in patches of farmland to quickly grow the crops for money without giving the land time to recover which would slowly erode the soil. The impact was that in many cases some farmland was made infertile for many years before things  could be grown again. This change occurred because of the high demand for both coffee and cotton. The beginning of the construction of the Panama Canal in 1903 saw an enormous effort to move giant quantities of Earth. Thousands of workers worked to dig their way through the earth to cut a can through to one side of Panama to the other in order to allow ships to pass through without having to circle around South America to reach east coast North America. This change occurred because the time that would be saved from being able to cut through directly from the Pacific to the Atlantic. A continuity that remained with the environment was farming the land in many places. People would always need to farm to grow food and different types of crops. Mankind would work the land and plant seeds to grow the ingredients for foods that are needed for survival. This continuity remained because people need food and food starts with ingredients from grown crops. Through the process of industrialization mankind has made much progress but at the expense of the environment. The environment is more of an obstacle that needs to be moved in order to continue the progression of mankind. Mankind’s impact on the environment changes from the Agricultural Revolution through the 19th century in that man destroys more of the environment as industrialization progresses.

How nurses can advance in their careers if they dont want to be nurses forever

How nurses can advance in their careers if they dont want to be nurses forever Sometimes we get so focused on our current jobs that we forget to focus on â€Å"the big professional picture,† which includes our entire career arc- from start to finish. The truth is, we should always think about our professional lives as a journey rather than a single destination and have a plan for the next rungs on our career ladders while we give our best effort on our current step. This includes all of the nurses out there. While being a nurse is an important and satisfying job that demands a great deal of focus and attention, and also offers professional challenges and options, nurses should also devote some time towards thinking about their full career journeys- and whether or not they want to be nurses forever.It isn’t uncommon for someone who’s traveled deep (or not so deep) into a career path to start thinking about other paths- many people who are mid-stream in their careers start thinking about making changes, often in an effort to take on new chall enges, build new skills, and expand their horizons. We should never feel â€Å"locked into† a career path just because we’ve been at it for several years. Career satisfaction is an important concept to strive for, and if you’re experiencing professional fatigue, malaise, or burnout on the job, it may be a sign that you might want a change.The prospect of a major career change or overhaul can be a scary one, but here’s some good news for nurses who may be dealing with this- nurses often have a wealth of valuable, transferable skills that they could use effectively in a variety of professional settings and scenarios.Nurses build a wide array of key skills during their tenures that they can use to their advantage in other professional roles. They are typically adept at problem-solving, planning, and organization in a variety of high-pressure situations. They build and routinely demonstrate critical management and leadership skills, and are usually quite effe ctive at time management. In addition, the nature of their work helps them build key people skills- it’s no surprise to learn that nurses possess excellent communication and teamwork abilities, and also demonstrate empathy towards others. What’s more, the unpredictable nature of nursing helps nurses become adaptable and flexible in all sorts of situations. All of these skills are useful in careers across industries and fields- whether in nursing or beyond healthcare. Many nurses also choose to obtain an advanced nursing degree, which allows them to pursue other career opportunities beyond nursing but within healthcare. Areas of specialization include nurse anesthetists, nurse attorneys, nurse researchers, and nurse midwives.Here’s the bottom line- if you’re a nurse who’s considering a career change, there’s a lot to be optimistic about. You’re likely equipped with a wealth of valuable experience and transferable skills that will serve you well in whatever career path you choose to pursue. Good luck!

Atomic Theory essays

Atomic Theory essays In ancient Greek the word atom meant the smallest indivisible particle that could be conceived. The atom was thought of as indestructible; in fact, the Greek word for atom means "not divisible." Knowledge about the size and make up of the atom grew very slowly as scientific theory progressed. What we know/theorize about the atom now began with a core theory devised by Democrotus, a Greek philosopher who proposed that matter consisted of various types of tiny discrete particles and that the properties of matter were determined by the properties of these particles. This core theory was then modified and altered over years by Dalton, Thompson, Rutherford, Bhor, and Chadwick. The atoms original structure was simple, but as more and more research was done the atom became more complex and puzzling The five atomic theories of the past two centuries represent the sudden advancement of science in modern times. Beginning with a basic theory on the behavior of atoms to the current model, some changes have been made, and some ideas are still the same. Ancient Greek philosophers believed that everything was made up of invisible particles called atoms. Since then the theory of atoms did not progress until 1803. John Dalton was the first scientist to compose a theory of matter based on atoms. Dalton's atomic theory is based on four concepts. He stated: "1. All elements are composed of atoms, which are indivisible and 2. All atoms of the same element are exactly alike; in particular, they 3. Atoms of different elements are different; in particular, they have 4. Compounds are formed by the joining of atoms of two or more All of Dalton's ideas account for the laws of definite and multiple proportions and the law of conservation of mass. Some of Dalton's points are still thought to be true, but over time this original theory has been modified. The first of these modifications came in 1897 when J.J. Thomson discovered ...

Ask a Literary Publicist Vol.1 Press Releases and Tragedy

Ask a Literary Publicist Vol.1 Press Releases and Tragedy Ask an Award-Winning Literary Publicist #1: Press Releases and Tragedy Sandra Goroff is a veteran award-winning literary publicist with Reedsy. Over her illustrious  30-year (and counting) career, she has worked in-house at Houghton Mifflin and represented authors the likes of Clive Cussler, Maurice Sendak, Chris Van Allsburg, Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas, and former president Jimmy Carter.In this, her first guest post, Sandy will answer questions submitted by authors, shining some light on how to best approach publicity as an author.'Pressing' concernsR. Read asks, â€Å"Can self-published authors hope to submit press releases to news outlets?†The answer is an absolute and resounding YES! Self-published authors can always submit press releases to news outlets - in fact, they should.Anyone can submit a release about their book (self-published or otherwise) to various print and broadcast media. The key is to make it worth the time and effort by creating an effective release and making sure it gets to the right contacts. 'Ask an award-winning literary publicist' - @ReedsyHQ's new column answers your publicity Qs Research your contacts firstFirst of all, you will need the names and email addresses of newspaper reporters, editors, and television bookers and producers. The old-fashioned way to find these (which still works) is to ever-so-politely call the assignment desk and simply ask. No explanations needed. You don’t even need to introduce yourself or say why you are calling unless asked. In fact, the less you say the better.Is there anything you’d like to ask Sandy about book publicity? Drop your question at this link and it might feature in our next column.

Any thing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Any thing - Essay Example This would mean that the household and the industrial income would not be reduced by the execution of this policy, only that the income will be redistributed from the industries and households that cause high carbon emissions. Further, the lump sum generated will be such high, such that just half of the amount could be applied towards eliminating major challenges in the third world countries, such as offering clean drinking water, providing education, sanitation and health services (Fog, 8). Therefore, the prospects of this policy is to achieve double benefits through mitigating the impact of global warming, while at the same time ensuring that the third world countries benefit from the eradication of major challenges facing them. The policy proposes that instead of hindering social spending, the prospects of the policy facilitate social spending through abating the social challenges faced by the third world countries (Fog, 10). The double benefits obtainable from the execution of th is policy make it the best for combating global

CAPITAL BUDGETING Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CAPITAL BUDGETING - Research Paper Example Moreover, it is a decision process that focuses on long-term investment for revenue and expenditure. My paper will be based on discussion of United State budgeting as a reference but the framework is applicable to the most part to any budgeting system whether national, state, or local, or whether it is in Europe or any other continent. Budgeting is done as a way of setting objectives and goals, for allocation of the resources essential to attain the objectives, for determining progress toward objectives, identifying inadequacies, and for controlling and integrating the diverse activities carried out by many sub-units within large bureaucracies both public and private (Rubin, 2004). Debt capacity refers to the ability of the government to make required debt service payments and to be able to pay back debt incurred without ruining its reputation either to other states or individuals. Therefore,this section will deal with the speculative issues affecting state debt management and accounts on a state debt financing policies and debt limits. State debt management processes and practices are important factors in the preparation of capital budgeting in order to ensure that the government is able to equalize the level of debt and/or debt services relative to current revenue that an providing entity can support and undue budgetary constraints that can affect the ability of the government to repay the debt on time does not arise. Therefore, when coming up with a capital budget, current expenditures are financed by current revenues while capital expenditures can be financed by borrowed funds. Debt financing is refunded by the cost of using public investments by the taxpa yers on the â€Å"benefit received† principle. The government uses a portion of taxes paid by the taxpayers as a way to ensure future taxpayers bear their â€Å"fair share† as a way to pay the debt incurred to provide public facilities. Secondly, debt capacity is determined

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 17

Assignment Example Instead, they took the entire company into private and finally plunged in weighty debt it had taken on for the buyout. By 1988, Payless had become an attractive takeover target as every corner of the enterprise suffered extreme economic crisis. There was a considerable decline in its stock price, sales, and profit. In fact, the vulnerability has to be attributed to organizational mismanagement especially the leaseback arrangements, and inappropriate business expansion. As the Payless’ effort to expand its stores failed due to buyout debt, by 1993 the company went public again raising stock offering that could cut down the debt to a considerable range. However, it was of comparatively less hope for Payless had to undertake further challenges by promoting new marketing strategies. The ‘dual path strategy’ it initiated intended a shift in customer focus from the conventional style of single type customer to ‘do-it-yourself markets’. However, the effort did not attain goal as it raised negative response from both industry observers and fund providers. For instance, when it approached banks for negotiation of debts, they suggested that company must file Chapter 11 bankruptcy for renegotiation. Although Sutherland wanted to takeover at least some parts of the Payless, the management did not favor the Sutherland bid. Stanley and his group did not want to reveal the actual condition of the company; and moreover, they thought of taking the entire part of the firm into private somehow by planning leveraged buyout. In addition, Sutherland was the notable long term competitor of Payless. Management led takeover was also destined to fail as it had surpassed the possible range of an economic recovery that an organization itself can ever attain. Although several attempts had been made by Barron and his crew to renovate the firm by raising fund from

From the perspective of Native Americans, would you say that the Essay

From the perspective of Native Americans, would you say that the Spanish and English Empires in America had more similarities than differences - Essay Example Both empires took the lead in developing a new empire in the new world and subdivided their territories into subsections. The Spanish empire consisted of three viceroyalties including New Spain, New Castile, and New Granada. Its empire extended across most of Americans and into Asia in the sixteenth Century. The English empire had four subdivisions including Indian empire, four self-governing countries, colonies, and territories. Secondly, the Spanish and the English empires in America were similar in their economic endeavours. The leadership in both empires quite well understood the importance of a stable economy. The Spanish empire, which happens to be the largest in the world, depended mainly on silver and gold produced form Peru and Mexico. According to Scott, â€Å"the gold and silver of the conquered Aztec and Incan civilizations supplied the Spanish monarchy with centuries of mineral wealth† (Scott web). This wealth could sustain its economy. Indigenous people formed the workforce because they worked as slaves (Hansen et al 530). To maintain its empire, English empire endeavoured to industrialise using slaves from the colonised nations as cheap labour. The fact that English society contained a more developed and flourishing sector than its neighbourhood did attract settlement to its territories building a platform for commerce. Thirdly, both empires carry a history of poor administration. The management of the conquered colonies was inefficient and poor. For instance, Spanish monarchs had a problem in administering large territories conquered during their raid. There existed poor means of communication, which led the monarchs to formulate rigid rules, within layers of bureaucracy. Both empires endeavoured to civilize and colonise the natives, at times dehumanizing them by making them slaves or getting rid of them and replacing them with the whites. Although both empires had poor administration, they influenced globalisation of the current

Strategic Management Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Strategic Management Analysis - Essay Example With the company being driven towards revolutionizing the locomotive industry by 2020, the company made a difference through offering alternative mechanisms of powering locomotives by use of electricity, which is seen to be less hazardous while compared to the fossil fuels commonly used. Despite the fact that the electricity technology for locomotive propulsion existed even prior to the combustion engine technology, the Better Place organization is celebrated for improving on these ideas and designing improved systems for revolutionizing the industry. This therefore imply that the absence of the organization would imply that no solution to the problem of green gas emissions highly contributed by the locomotive industry would have been found and no efforts would be pursued to make the world a better places as the organization envisions. Better Place’s Visions: the organization’s main vision had been to link together the main players within the locomotive industry globall y for a more unified system in production and improvement of the locomotives produced. This meant that unification of customers, car companies, utilities as well as battery companies would ensure that the electric vehicles would be widely adopted. Besides, owing to the major hurdle that the EVs faced in reduced mobility, the company has a vision to improve on mobility of the EVs (Etzion and Struben, 2011, p. 5). Better Place’s stakeholders: The main stakeholders in the Better Place organization were the various governments that were supportive to the initiative and which are affiliated through registration and financial support, as well as general auto manufacturers interested into such a promising venture. Despite the governments contributing on financial resources, they also aided through policy frameworks to create an enabling environment in respective countries. Ideas and general infrastructure of manufacture of such vehicles was offered by the auto manufacturing companie s affiliated to the ideology of better place on the planet. Scenarios and industry analysis: The locomotive industry has undergone great and notable steps over generations since the initial era when transportation was through animal driven locomotives. Technological advancement brought about the discovery of the steam engine, which was initially developed for farm mechanization but later it was adopted for personalized mobility. However, with basic notable shortcomings in use of steam engines for personalized movement, the electric vehicle was designed in the early years of 19th century. Preference of electric vehicles to steam vehicles was on cleanliness, little noise and general ease of use. It is worth noting that the EVs were more expensive to the steam ones but by the close of the 19th century, more EVs were sold. Henry Ford later invented the ‘assembly line’, which is equally celebrated as a remarkable step in revolutionizing the locomotive industry by reducing ma nufacture time as well as the related costs of labor. The Ford, Chrysler as well as the General motor companies was the dominant companies in the time, which specialized in manufacture of the ICE vehicles though others slowly came in. It is to be noted however that the effects of use of the fossil fuels by the ICE are adverse to human health and the

Reflective account for postgraduate activities Essay

Reflective account for postgraduate activities - Essay Example All the same, I believed that my paper was in its comprehensive form. I was only to make a few changes with my lecturers in order to make the presentation easier. I finally made my oral presentation before other intellectuals and stakeholders. The initial part of the conference solely entailed presenting my ideas in concise forms. In the beginning, I made a justification for my study by stating that risk management is an unexplored element in the study of finance. This is because of the empiricism and analysis that studies on risk demands. In the oral presentation, I made my references from a PowerPoint slides that I had prepared on my laptop. This enabled me go through the presentation procedurally as I moved from the most basic parts to the most abstract segments. Thereafter, I faced questions from the audience, which occurred at the end of the presentation. When I began my PhD, I held the idea of testing my thoughts against fellow scholars. This is an ultimate feat for every scholar as other people discuss your findings over an issue. In turn, this is a method of gaining legitimacy in the academia. Gaining legitimacy finally certifies one’s academic products and makes a person gain acceptance among knowledgeable people. This is unlike the undergraduate level where there are no stringent standards over presenting ideas. In this sense, I wanted the foundation for advancing knowledge in the future and produce ideas that gain acceptance across disciplines. I realized that it takes more than a good idea to earn legitimacy in life. During the presentation, I had to develop charm while passing on my ideas. This because charm makes people glued to one’s ideas in spite of abstractions. Besides, I had to learn how to sustain an audience through long sessions. This was also essential for hearing my own inner voice as I made presentations.

Strategic Management Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Strategic Management Analysis - Essay Example With the company being driven towards revolutionizing the locomotive industry by 2020, the company made a difference through offering alternative mechanisms of powering locomotives by use of electricity, which is seen to be less hazardous while compared to the fossil fuels commonly used. Despite the fact that the electricity technology for locomotive propulsion existed even prior to the combustion engine technology, the Better Place organization is celebrated for improving on these ideas and designing improved systems for revolutionizing the industry. This therefore imply that the absence of the organization would imply that no solution to the problem of green gas emissions highly contributed by the locomotive industry would have been found and no efforts would be pursued to make the world a better places as the organization envisions. Better Place’s Visions: the organization’s main vision had been to link together the main players within the locomotive industry globall y for a more unified system in production and improvement of the locomotives produced. This meant that unification of customers, car companies, utilities as well as battery companies would ensure that the electric vehicles would be widely adopted. Besides, owing to the major hurdle that the EVs faced in reduced mobility, the company has a vision to improve on mobility of the EVs (Etzion and Struben, 2011, p. 5). Better Place’s stakeholders: The main stakeholders in the Better Place organization were the various governments that were supportive to the initiative and which are affiliated through registration and financial support, as well as general auto manufacturers interested into such a promising venture. Despite the governments contributing on financial resources, they also aided through policy frameworks to create an enabling environment in respective countries. Ideas and general infrastructure of manufacture of such vehicles was offered by the auto manufacturing companie s affiliated to the ideology of better place on the planet. Scenarios and industry analysis: The locomotive industry has undergone great and notable steps over generations since the initial era when transportation was through animal driven locomotives. Technological advancement brought about the discovery of the steam engine, which was initially developed for farm mechanization but later it was adopted for personalized mobility. However, with basic notable shortcomings in use of steam engines for personalized movement, the electric vehicle was designed in the early years of 19th century. Preference of electric vehicles to steam vehicles was on cleanliness, little noise and general ease of use. It is worth noting that the EVs were more expensive to the steam ones but by the close of the 19th century, more EVs were sold. Henry Ford later invented the ‘assembly line’, which is equally celebrated as a remarkable step in revolutionizing the locomotive industry by reducing ma nufacture time as well as the related costs of labor. The Ford, Chrysler as well as the General motor companies was the dominant companies in the time, which specialized in manufacture of the ICE vehicles though others slowly came in. It is to be noted however that the effects of use of the fossil fuels by the ICE are adverse to human health and the

Case Analysis of Golden Year Village Research Paper

Case Analysis of Golden Year Village - Research Paper Example CCRC or ‘Continuing Care retirement Community’ projects have evolved as standalone industries that meet the growing demands of healthcare issues of people in their post retirement period. The Golden Years Village is a CCRC project that primarily provides multifaceted post retirement healthcare services to elderly population above sixty years of age in Portsmouth, Pennsylvania. The paper would discuss the project as ‘for profit organization’, using SWOT analysis. Key strategic factors of Golden Years Village Strengths GYV has more than 29 years of experience in the area of meeting the healthcare needs of elder population and understands the myriad problems of old age It runs cost effective programs that give residents options of individual services and housing facilities as well as meeting their wider needs of personal requirements of assisted living and personalized nursing. The vast campus of GYV is also equipped with state of the art recreational activitie s which help the residents to de-stress and actively enjoy life. Uses technology to enhance operational efficiency. Despite previous losses, its profitability indicator is better than its rivals. Weakness Due to stringent government rules and regulation, cannot increase prices of its product to meet the increasingly higher cost of healthcare deliverable. The organizational structure is mechanistic and prefers stability and resists change. The centralized power significantly reduces empowered decision making capabilities of employees which adversely impacts performance and efficiency. Does not have strategic market plans for its products and mainly relies on word to mouth publicity as its major market ploy. It lacks financial resources to meet new challenges Opportunities The increasing number of aged population offers huge opportunities to expand its products to suit the growing demands of the people. Threat The major threat is from the new entrants that are ‘for profitâ€℠¢ organizations and who are better equipped to offer customized packages to customers. Wider implications of key strategic factors Golden Years Village is endowed with sprawling area and has expert human competencies that can utilize space and become more creative in their products and services. Ward et al. (1984) claim that 20% of the population is between the age group (60-69) while 65% is above 80 years of age! With increased life expectancy, population of elderly has rapidly grown. Hence there are huge opportunities for GYV to expand its products and services to meet the fast changing preferences of elderly population. The advancing technology has created more awareness amongst aged people and empowered people with myriad options. At the same time, awareness has also resulted in advance planning of post retirement period. GHY therefore should introduce new products that meet the changing requirements of people. People want to be more active and maintain healthy lifestyle. Hence, introducing alternative healthcare imperatives like yoga, meditation, naturopathy etc, would be hugely attractive as they offer holistic healing that takes into consideration the physical, mental and social aspect of the individuals. Ernst et al. (2004) have defined alternative medicine as diagnosis, treatment and/or prevention which complements mainstream by contributing and satisfying a demand that is neither met by convention nor by widening the conceptual frameworks of medicine. It helps people with better sense of wellbeing. Since, CCRC has emerged as an

A safe Choice-but her only choice Essay Example for Free

A safe Choice-but her only choice Essay James Joyces short story Eveline sets the stage for a time between adolescence and maturity. Written in 1914, which was four years short of the womens suffrage in Ireland, the storys protagonist, Eveline, is largely influenced by the feminist issues. Since she has little control over her life, Eveline has grown accustomed to a routine life. She is paralyzed from the thought of leaping into a new path. Eveline faces two extremes: a miserable home life or a dramatic escape to an uncertain future. Both extremes she deals with involve a man controlling her life. Living in the early 1900s women did not have the opportunity to be independent. No matter which path she chooses, she would still answer to a man. She lives in a male-dominated world in which she is stripped of choice and emotion. She is helpless against the way her life is heading. Considering this, one cannot blame her for choosing to stay home because it was not much of a choice, and she has never made an independent choice of her own. If she left with Frank, her lover, then there could be the possibility of danger. â€Å"She felt him seize her hand† (Joyce 7). Joyce’s choice of diction â€Å"seize† tells the audience that Eveline’s guard is up because she knows how a man can be abusive. She saw this with her mother and father and wants to have a life different from her mother but cannot. Furthermore, psychologically, Eveline cannot move towards Frank because she was exposed to a life of domestic violence, which her mother and older brothers endured. She knows how violent a man who at times can be even kind, funny, and sweet. â€Å"She remembered her father putting on her mother’s bonnet to make the children laugh† (Joyce 6). That same man turns into an aggressive, ruthless man who selfishly makes his daughter feel guilty about herself. On the other hand, she has known him her entire life. Her older brothers used to take the beating and now that they are not there â€Å"†¦he had begun to threaten her and say what he would do to her for only her dead mother’s sake† (Joyce 4-5). If she has gone 19 years without a beating, then there would be a good chance of his threats as just talk. Since he says, he will not hit her for â€Å"her dead mother’s sake,† then one would think he would honor his word for the respect of his deceased wife. All of Eveline’s life has revolved around her family. She runs her household domestically and works for a living in which all her earnings wind up with her father. In addition, she manages to care for her two younger siblings seeing them to school and preparing dinner. Since the death of her mother, she took over domestically and maternally with no choice. Her mother, on her deathbed, made Eveline â€Å"promise to keep the home together as long as she could† (Joyce 6). By doing so her mother has caused another obstacle Eveline must face in order to leave, that is the guilt of a broken promise. As any good daughter would, she stays to fulfill her vow. This vow gives Eveline another excuse to stay home and carry out her routine life. In addition, Eveline knows the difficulties of her life but she still prefers it. Joyce explains Eveline’s view of her life â€Å"†¦a hard life but now that she was about to leave it she didn’t find it a wholly undesirable life† (5). Any modern day daughter with those responsibilities would find that a very undesirable life, but Eveline changing her mind about leaving shows the reader how she cannot bear to abandon her family and this life, which has been the only thing, she has known her whole life. Because compared to an unknown destiny, Eveline would much rather stay home and be miserable because she would expect this. Being a woman with little say in her everyday life, the present opportunity is new to her, and she cannot make a major decision on her own because she has never had to. Eveline has been given an opportunity to flee home in hopes of happiness, but she could not risk a life of uncertainty. Frank, a sailor, offers a chance of happiness to her and â€Å"†¦she had begun to like him† (Joyce 6). Eveline says that she â€Å"like(s)† him; not loves. Can their â€Å"like† for one another be enough to survive in the New World? Joyce says that Eveline â€Å"begun† meaning she barely knew if she was interested in him not if she was ready for a lifetime commitment. Eveline’s upbringing influences her adult decisions because she has never known anything but Ireland. The fear of leaving home is essentially, why she doubts Frank. A future with him is not set in stone; thus, it cannot be. As one might foreshadow, â€Å"she chooses the hell she knows rather than the possible hell of the unknown† (Rogers 172). Hell here symbolizes the men and she would much rather be with the familiar than the unfamiliar. She likes to play it safe because if Frank turns out to be the worst, then where will she go since going back home is not an option. As they are ready to begin this epic adventure in her life, Eveline believes that â€Å"†¦he would drown her. She gripped with both hands at the iron railing† (Joyce 7). The first part â€Å"he would drown her† meaning he would not save her from this wretched life. This is a change of setting from the window seal to the sea. The window was sturdy, whereas, the sea is constantly moving. She is unable to adjust to this new path because she believes Frank cannot guarantee a life better than her home. â€Å"She gripped with both hands at the iron railing† symbolizes her paralysis. The iron railing signifies the home ground and she grips on the rail for dear life. Her actions tell the reader how fearful she is to leave her homeland. Eveline does not want to depart the only thing she has known. Eveline’s life is routine from the footsteps in front of her house to turning her wages to her father every week. â€Å"But Eveline†¦ perceives any and every change as a loss†¦ she knows this with her head, her heart rejects it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Rogers 171- 172). Eveline cannot seem to grasp the changes around her as a positive because deep inside her she knows where she must be, at home. Meeting Frank was a change to her and instead of embracing it; she ultimately fears it. Even, if staying home will most likely lead to a miserable life one like her mother’s, she would because she cannot accept change. Today, most young women have not had to endure a â€Å"life of commonplace sacrifices† (Joyce 6). Sadly, Eveline has no choice but to stick to the familiar and steer away from any fickle opportunities. If Joyce set the setting during a modern era, then Eveline would be more aware of the opportunities there are now. Furthermore, the world today has come along way and is not as male-dominated as before.

The Metamorphosis of Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck :: The Grapes of Wrath

The Metamorphosis of Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath Tom Joad from Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath is a prime example of a person whose morals and spiritual growth cannot be restricted by the law or any other limiting factor for long. Throughout the novel he develops from a man only interested in his own independent personal desires and needs to one who is devoted to his family and sacrifices his own personal comfort for the benefit of the family. At the novel's end Tom is continuing Jim Casy's generous work of uniting the poor hand laborers against the rich oppressive landowners who are starving the poor with low wages. Tom's concept of family grows with his work uniting the poor to encompass all of humanity. Maslow's Humanistic psychological "Hierarchy of Human Needs" can be used to track Tom's personal development. Humanists believe that humans are constantly striving to be the best person that their present conditions allow them to be. The Hierarchy of Needs lists the needs that humans need to satisfy to reach the next level of development. One cannot move to a higher level of development without first satisfying the more basic levels. The first level includes the physiological needs: food water, and sleep. The next level is safety and security, then love and belonging. Next of the list is a healthy self-esteem and finally self-actualization. One who is self actualized has efficient perceptions of reality, autonomy, fellowship with hum ity, strong and loving interpersonal relationships, and is task centered. At the beginning of the novel Tom has just been paroled from prison serving time for killing a man in a fight. Tom feels he was merely defending himself. He feels no guilt or shame about killing the man and would do it again under the same conditions. Tom's morals allowed him to justify the killing. These morals were instilled in him by his family especially from the strength and love of his mother. Tom is looking forward to "laying one foot down in front of another." At this point in he story Tom has his physiological needs met and is going home to his family to meet his needs of safety and security love belonging. In chapter 6 Tom finds his house abandoned and meets Muley, an old neighbor that stayed behind after his family moved to California for work.

being independent Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Graduating and getting out on your own is a difficult step to make. There are a lot of things that you have to take into perspective. The choices that you make when you get out of highschool believe it or not are crucial and life altering. Decisions that you have to make are ones like what you want your career to be, where you want to live, and a big decision is buying a house. In making these decisions you have to do a lot of research and things to be prepared. I did a lot of research in hopes of finding a career that I would like and three things that I could see myself doing was owning my own spa ($100,000 yearly salary), managing a spa($60,000 yearly salary), or being an Esthetician. After thinking long and hard about it however, I decided I would like to be en Esthetician. An Esthetician is a person who gives care to skin in a non-medical way. An Esthetician makes a decent amount of money which is important to have if I want to be able to afford a house.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Being an Esthetician would be fun because I enjoy working with people and I am good at working with them. I am also good with my hands which is necessary in my job Making other people feel better about themselves makes me feel better about myself. One set back in that job however would have to be foot fungus. Feet aren?t my favorite thing on the human body especially with any kind of fungus on them. Going into a job that has a high paying salary often requires experience or schooling. I would have to take classes and work hard to get my license so that it is easier for me to find a job. To become an Esthetician it is only required to have at least 17 weeks of classes which would cost under $1,000.00 and at the end of the classes I would graduate with my license in esthetics. I looked at job offers and have came to the conclusion that if I was an Esthetician I would make an estimated amount of $50,000.00 a year. That salary however can vary depending on your qualit ies and experience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I plan on living in Long Beach, California and the reason being is I have always had the desire to live near the beach. Living far away I would have to take into consideration transportation. Being on my own requires you to be financially stable. So I figured out that if I had a 2002 Jeep Gand Cherokee La... ... in Long Beach which is a wealthy town. So the price of my house is very reasonable for the area I am going to be living in. It could be cheaper to take out a 20 year loan and pay $100 a month more which would cover the interest but with my salary it is better for me to take a 30 year loan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I asked myself two questions at the beginning of this project, one being what if I run out of equity on my home with a reverse mortgage? I found that answer on www.google.com and it said that you can?t run out of money and they can not force you to move out of your home. Another question was, when I am old if I have to go to a nursing home what will happen to my house? That answer was also found on www.google.com and it was that if you are moved out for a year or longer then my home can be sold. All of these things and more have to be considered before you even buy a house. So researching and taking your time thinking about every detail is extremely important. You want to be able to afford what you have and still have money to save or spend at your discretion. I hope that one day this bit of research gives me some backing for when I actually do move out on my own.

Tv an Idiot Box

Television nicknamed by the Americans as ‘idiot box'; is one of the most revolutionary inventions of the twentieth century. Its vast potentialities as a powerful medium of mass communication cannot be underestimated. It is, indeed, the last world in entertain ­ment and enlightenment. It can enlighten our illiterate and ignorant masses; it can widen their mental horizon and help them to rise above communalism, racialism, regionalism etc; it can promote inter ­national understanding; and it can generate a healthy climate for peaceful co-existence. But in the hands of incompetent people, it can damage public morals, it can breed religious fanaticism; and it can vitiate international atmosphere and even precipitate a war. In a country like India wherein a very large number of people do not know how to read, a visual medium like television has unlimi ­ted possibilities. Yet in the development of telecasting, India has lagged far behind many other countries including some which are otherwise much less developed. According to statistics released by UNESCO in 1970, the number of television sets per 100 inhabitants in India that year was only 0. 2 as compared to 0. 2 in Congo and 26. 4 in the Federal Republic of Germany. Television had been devised by John Legie Baird, a Scottish inventor, in 1928. Thereafter, its development in the technologically advanced countries of the west was rapid and very quick progress was registered in evolving sophisticated techniques which made multi-channel color television a possibility. The launchin g of com ­munication satellites in the space-age has given further fillip to television, investing it with a truly international character. Now it transcends international boundaries. It has enabled people in one corner of the globe to see with their own eyes events happening in another remote corner, making the world appear much smaller than it is. It was only in 1959 that the first experimental television station in the country was setup in Delhi with the co-operation of UNESCO and a private firm. The manufacture of TV sets stated seven years later, after the Central Engineering and Electronic Research. Institute had developed indigenous technology for the industry. In 1972, it was estimated that there were 20,000 TV sets in the country out of which 15,000 were in Delhi house holds. That India was on the brink of a television explosion was made clear, by a survey conducted by the Department of Atomic Energy which pointed out that the demand for TV sets was likely to exceed three lakhs by 1973. Today there are about 160 TV stations all over India and there are at least 2 lakhs TV sets in Delhi alone. Look ­ing to India's requirements, it is by on means an ambitious pro ­gramme. Translated into practice, it can fill an immensely useful purpose. It was can serve as an educational device and provide the missing link between the administration and the people, giving the latter a greater sense of involvement in the task of building a new India. Handled with imagination, it can be used for promoting national aims like population control, Rational integration etc. But in inept hands, it can be a formidable instrument for mischief. And that raises a number of questions: How and by whom should tele ­vision be controlled? What do we mean by imaginative handling? How best can ii be made a medium of mass instruction? What should be the proportion of entertainment and instruction in television programmes? etc. There are several ways in which the responsibility for running a national television service in India can be apportioned. We have complete state control of ‘Doordarshan' as exists in the case of the All India Radio. There is something to be said for that. In moving towards the goals it has set for itself, a developing country like India needs a greater amount of national discipline, even regiment ­ation, than could be countenanced in an economically well-deve ­loped democracy. But then State ownership tends to blunt the edge of creativity and exposes the government to the charge of placing restraints on freedom of expression by monopolizing another powerful mass-medium. Two of the basic objectives of the television are obviously to entertain people and to promote their social awareness. But what are the other social objectives to be achieved? Very high on this list should be the education of our ill-informed farmers. Television can play a very significant role in enlightening them about the latest technical devices of agricultures the utility of various kinds of ferti ­lizers and pesticides, or any other ethods of raising agriculture pro ­ductivity. It can also pull them out of their superstitious world and modernize their thinking Secondly, television can be used to disse ­minate the message of family planning. No other medium can reach such a large section of our society and communicate the message so effectively as television. Thirdly, television can be used to promote national integration. It can expose viewers to carefully designed programmes from various regions and emphasize on their minds the basic cultural unity, of India. Finally, television can be of immense use in educating students at schools and in the universities. In scientific education, in particular, good television programmes can easily make up for a bad teacher or an ill-equipped laboratory. Problems of technology and administration apart, the success of instructional televisions in India will depend in the ultimate analysis on the presentation, content and range of the programmes it brings into view, the extent to which the producers are successful in combining instruction with entertainment and the rapport they can establish with their audience. Considering that TV in India is yet in the primitive stage, we have no great tradition of professi ­onalism in the field, Television is neither a glorified version of the radio, nor a miniaturized film-show. It can flourish only if its distinct individuality is recognized and allowed to develop in its own way. The general standard of the programmes being telecast from our existing centres has gradually improved during the past few years. Rural folks stand substantially benefited from their exposu ­re to television. Educational programmes are more imaginatively produced and comprehend an interesting variety. News presenta ­tion is now quite interesting though there is still considerable scope for improvement in this sphere; Sunday pictures are no longer drab. The decision to hold the premier shows of award winning movies on television has warmed the hearts of even the staunch critics of ‘Doordarshan. ‘ But what has revolutionized the entire television world is the advent of sponsored serials. Programmes like ‘HumLog', ‘Buaiyad', ‘Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi', ‘Rajni' have be ­come household words. ‘Ramayana' broke all records of achieve ­ments and all barriers of caste and creed. Viewers have taken to flies to honey. They heatedly discuss the last night, episodes and them like eagerly await the ones to follow. While these serials have undoubtedly raised the standard of television programmes in general, not all of them are commendable. Some of them appear to be mediocre stuff hurriedly produced in imitation of formula films. If cheap comedy, insipid romance, noisy, rhythm less music, blatant sex display and bloodcurdling violence—the hallmarks of an average Indian movie—capture the television serials also, it will do irreparable damage to social climate. It is heartening that some good directors like B. R. Chopra and Shy am Bengal have realized the potentialities of the medium and decided to produce meaningful serials. With the progress of the television age in India, the visual image is bound to overshadow the spoken and the printed word. The immense potentialities of the new medium can be exploited 6aly if its functioning is made mass oriented and it is not allowed to become another means of vulgar display of opulence. We have to make sure that for all the public funds invested in it, we get adequate social returns in accelerating our development effort, usefully augmenting educational facilities, familiarizing the farmer with improved agricultural techniques, and helping the people in general to rescue themselves from ignorance and disease.

Academic and social-emotional development Essay

Academic development is associated with the educational growth of the student. Social-emotional development is another aspect of a student that allows children to interact with their peers. This paper seeks to compare and contrast the academic and social-emotional development of students with and without disability in the lights of broad and diverse academic resources. Comparison between Students with and without Learning Disability Learning disability is considered to be disorder which affects the learning processes of verbal communication, speaking, grasping new things, writing, mathematics, etc. It is caused by the failure of brain to execute its function systematically and by emotional or behavioral disorders. A research was conducted at various school levels where more than one hundred students were analyzed. Academic results of students with and with out learning disability were analyzed. It was concluded that disabled students got lower class rank as compared to their peers (Grites & Gordon, 2000). Academic Development Students with LD have found academic difficulties in various areas as compared to their abled counterparts. They have academic problems in math, reading and writing, and language, poor performance on timed test, theoretical reasoning and learning. Grites and Gordon studied performance of college students with and without LD and came to the conclusion that students with LD perform lower on all measures (Grites & Gordon, 2000). They find it difficult to understand and process information from diverse and several perspectives which often cause complicatedness and complexity in their academic development. These students have different pattern of learning which comes with strengths and weaknesses that differ from others. Their disability can create difficulties in academic field because they may have problems in basic skills such as reading, writing, art, etc (Jordan, 2000). It is essential that teachers and parents play a pivotal role in their academic development. However, most of the times they do not understand their problems and assume these students are lazy and unmotivated. Gunther-Mohr conducted a research and found out that students identified with LD have greater academic difficulties. They are more likely to struggle on timed tasked as compared to other students. In the same study, it was concluded that these special students showed no improvement as compared to their peers (Gunther-Mohr, 2003). Social-emotional development Several students with learning disabilities have some social and emotional problem associated with their learning difficulty. Experiential facts and figures suggests that more than sixty percent of students with LD under the age of eighteen committed suicide in Los Angeles (Bender & Wall, 2000). Literature suggest that students without LD are socially accepted if they are helpful, accommodating, communicate, exchange pleasant greetings, have positive interactions with peers and make conversation(Bender & Wall, 2000). It is true that not all students with LD have social-emotional problems. However, they are most likely to develop these problems than their non-disabled peers. In their early school life, they are often rejected by their fellow classmates and suffer from poor self-concepts. As teenagers, the wounds of scorn and rejection can be agonizing and not forgotten without difficulty. After assessing more than one hundred different studies, Jordan came to the conclusion that more than seventy percent of the students with LD display deficits in social skills (Jordan, 2000). Social skills deficits include recognition by classmates, trouble making friends, viewed as overly dependent, incapable of being leaders, managing conflicts, starting a conversation, showing empathy and maintaining companionship. Harwell discovered that students with LD suffer from depression because of social skills deficits. Kadison & DiGeronimo suggests that social-emotional develop of students with LD is the result of lacking social ability to understand (Kadison & DiGeronimo, 2004). It has been revealed that students with LD when compared to students without LD are less accepted by class mates, have poor self-concepts and are more likely to feel lonely. Students with LD are most likely to experience frustration more than students without LD because of negative behaviors from their classmates, inadequate services and programs and physical barriers. Studies suggest that students without LD interact with students with learning disabilities based on outlook and fixed typecast. Attempts to Cope with Learning Disability When coping with students who have LD, the teacher should employ such teaching strategies which effectively cater different learning styles. Special education involvement to handle LD should be applied. For example, Karmen recommends that using pictorial representation has constructive and helpful effect on students who have learning disabilities to comprehend new theories and concepts (Karmen, 2003). Teachers should give special attention to the student and discuss his or her anxiety or depression. They should also encourage and support them and boost their confidence. They should also allow them to participate in classroom activities so that they can show and reveal their talent and competencies. A study conducted at University of California selected thirty students (Mercer &Mercer, 1997). These students had taken reading comprehension and reading rate test. Sixteen students had learning disabilities and the rest were without LD (Harwell, 1996). Extra time condition was applied and students with LD performed at same level as normal students. In another study, eighty college students were selected. Forty students with learning disability and other forty without learning disability took math test under extended time conditions. The study demonstrated that the scores of students with learning disability improved under extended time condition. Conclusion This study has compared academic and social-emotional development of students with and without learning disability. Students without learning disability are more likely to be successful than their disabled counterparts. Students who have LD are most likely to suffer from academic and social-emotional deficits because of their disorder. They are more likely to develop anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, etc. However, these special students can learn to perform better at school with the help of parents and teachers. It is essential for teachers to encourage and support them and devise innovative methods in order to help them in their learning processes. They should also be given extra time because they grasp concepts slowly. In the lights of information provided in this essay, it can be concluded that students with LD need special attention so that they become competent. References Grites, T. , & Gordon, V (2000). Developmental academic advising revisited. NACADA Journal, 20(1), 12-15. Gunther-Mohr, S. (2003). Counseling college students with learning disabilities. (pp. 77-106). Putney, VT: Landmark College. Jordan, P. (2000). Academic advising in the 21st century. NACADA Journal, 20(2),21-30. Kadison, R. , & DiGeronimo, T. (2004). College of the overwhelmed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Karmen, K. (2003). Advising students with learning disabilities: A developmental approach. (pp. 133-60). Putney, VT: Landmark College. Harwell, J. (1996). Ready to use tools and materials for remediating specific learning disabilities. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Mercer, C. D. , & Mercer, A. R. (1997). Teaching students with learning problems. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Bender, W N. , & Wall, M. E. (2000). Socialemotional development of students with learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 17, 323-341.

Should Cell Phones be allowed in School? Essay

Do you take your cell phone with you to work, and use it all day long for organization and needed communication? Well, school to us students is like our work, but our organization and communication tool is prohibited. Cell phones have so many positive uses in the classrooms, yet at the same time we aren’t putting our current technology to good use. For example, cell phones in our school are banned, and I feel that this should be changed immediately. The many benefits of cell phones in school are the following: they increase student participation, student/teacher safety, student organization, and student records and grades. Technology is surrounding the world today, it is used in every aspect including hospitals, office buildings, and fire departments, even in schools. I feel there is no need to ban the use of cell phones in schools, they can help in many different ways. By keeping our community updated with all the new technologies out there will help make a more useful point to all of these new gadgets. Let’s face it, modern technology is fun, and students love to have fun. Moreover, if we bring that exciting technology into the classroom than we can create a more relaxed and enjoyable environment for the students and the teachers. For instance, instead of taking notes in class the students can record a lecture so that they could replay it back while doing homework. In addition, if in science the students do a lab experiment then they can take a video of that lab and replay it for homework and further understanding. Furthermore, classes can download a school program onto their phones and the teachers can use it in the classroom. According to a Speak Up survey, 62 percent of parents report that if their child’s school allowed cell phones to be used in school they would probably purchase a cell phone for their child. Read more:  Argumentative Essay on Cell Phones in School As a result, the school would not have to worry about supplying the students with phones, and most students already have cell phones. This is only one great way that cell phones are beneficial. When students carry around cell phones they also increase student and teacher safety. For example, if someone falls down the stairs and gets badly injured students can call the ambulance quicker than telling a teacher and then having to call. Also, if there is a school intrusion somebody can call the authorities with their cell phones. Consequently, if students do not have cell phones in these types of emergencies then help will not be provided soon enough. In other words,  students need to have cell phones in school in case these emergencies happen. On the other hand, cell phones are also organization tools. For instance, the other day I came home from school and started my regular routine. I let my two dogs out, then grabbed a snack and sat down with my book bag. Then I preceded to take out my assignment book, but what I found, however, is that I appeared to have left my assignment book in my locker. Again. When this happens I have only my memory to tell me what my homework was, and that is not very reliable after a long day at school. I do have my phone with me, however. If we were allowed to have cell phones in school I could have plugged my homework into the calendar for today, and as a result have been able to do it. That way I wouldn’t have to worry about carrying around that small book with scribbled assignments in it. Students always check their phones when they are at home, so every time they pick up their cell phone they would be reminded of their homework tonight. And if a student had a test the next day the teachers could remind the students to set an alarm telling them to study that night. If students are better reminded about their homework, grades will go up because students will be doing their homework. The school will also save money because they will not have to buy assignment books. It is realistic that there will always be bulling through text message, online, or face to face, although if someone is bulling another student through text message that student could save these messages as proof to show authority of what was really said. There will always be problems with cheating on tests, although to solve this problem since the teacher already knows that every student has a cell phone, the students would have to take their cell phones out, turn them off and place them on the corner of their desks during test time. The use of cell phones in school may take away the students urge to use them, which would than create a better learning place for these students.

Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Exam - Essay Example However, bullying also takes other, more indirect forms, such as gossiping, spreading rumors and other psychological forms of harassment. It is this type of bullying which is common in colleges. It has to be accepted that â€Å"the sad reality is that bullying and harassment affect millions of students on college campuses† (Holt). Bullying now takes many forms on a college campus: intimidation, hazing, and even cyber-bullying. Anti-harassment laws are necessary in colleges because of the new wireless culture, to signal zero tolerance for bullying and to ensure a positive impact on all stakeholders. The spread of wireless technology has changed the culture on college campuses. It is no longer sufficient that â€Å"Virtually every college in the country is required by federal law to have strong rules banning discriminatory harassment† (Lukianoff). These federal laws largely belong to the last century. The very nature of college campuses has changed in the past decade due to wireless technology. It is clear that bullying and harassment no longer deal only â€Å"with stalking, vandalism, telephonic harassment and threats† (Lukianoff).  With the spread of wireless technology and students’ constant interaction on social networks, the problem of bullying and harassment has also taken on more serious dimensions. ... College campuses must reflect larger society in order to function as true environments of learning. Anti-harassment laws must keep pace with the changing times in order to remain effective. It is only when colleges are bound by clear anti-harassment laws that they can firmly signal their zero tolerance for bullying. Institutes of higher learning must be clearly seen to encourage a positive, supportive atmosphere where students know that bullying will not be tolerated, where students know they can go to adults for help, and where there are clear consequences for bullying. When it is made compulsory for colleges â€Å"to distribute their anti-harassment policy to all students, including instruction on what students and administrators should do if an incident of harassment occurs,† bullying will be controlled (Holt). Spelling out the college’s commitment to an anti-harassment position will stop bullying.   This can be done by making colleges â€Å"publicly recognize tha t bullying is a real problem and have a policy to deal with it† (Holt). Only a compulsory anti-bullying policy will move college authorities to being proactive on this issue. Otherwise, there will be a tendency for teachers to tolerate or ignore bullying and even to look down on victims as not being ‘man enough’ to take it in their stride. Authorities need to be active in preventing bullying on campus. An anti-harassment legislation will ensure that teachers and administrators make it a part of their duty to intervene in bullying. When colleges are required to prevent bullying and harassment, all the stakeholders will benefit. The victims of bullying often carry scars for life. This is

Quantitative Methods and Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Quantitative Methods and Analysis - Essay Example It is expected that increase in employee benefits will be positively related with intrinsic, extrinsic and overall job satisfaction. What are the least squares regression line equations for each of the 3 different regressions? The regression line is the basic simple linear regression model: linear in the parameter ?0 (or Y-intercept) and ?1 (Slope); and in the independent variable (Kutner, Nachtsheim and Neter, 2004). Mathematically, simple linear regression is represented as: Y = ?0 + ?1(X) This paper drew data from the AIU data set. Regression analysis was carried out by excel. Three regression lines were obtained by using benefit as an independent variable and intrinsic, extrinsic and overall job satisfaction as dependent variables. Following results were obtained. Regression Line 1: Intrinsic Job Satisfaction = 4.61781924 + 0.034(Benefits) Regression Line 2: Extrinsic Job Satisfaction = 5.411102 - -0.058 (Benefits) Regression Line 3: Overall Job Satisfaction = 4.934424 + 0.006301 (Benefits) What are the slopes and the y-intercepts? ‘ Regression Line 1: Â   Coefficients Intercept 4.61781924 Slope 0.033893373 Regression Line 2: Â   Coefficients Intercept 5.411102 Slope -0.058 Regression Line 3: Â   Coefficients Intercept 4.934424 Slope 0.006301 What are the R-squared values for the 3 different regressions? Regression Line 1: Regression Statistics R Square 0.001964739 Regression Line 2: Regression Statistics R Square 0.011193 Regression Line 3: Regression Statistics R Square 0.000174 Similarities, differences and strength of correlation The results obtained by the regression analyses revealed both positive and negative slope values showing positive and negative relationships between the dependent and the independent variables. The first and third regression lines have a positive slope which shows that employee benefits are positively related with intrinsic and overall job satisfaction. However, small values of R-square show a weak relationship between these variables. The second regression model shows negative correlation between benefits and extrinsic job satisfaction. The strength of this relationship as measured by R square was highest and therefore the correlation between these two variables was high (Stuart, 1998) Conclusion The purpose of this paper was to examine the relationship between employee benefits and job satisfaction. It was asserted that increase in employee benefits would be positively related with intrinsic, extrinsic and overall job satisfaction. However, the results of this study weren’t consistent with this assertion. Overall, the results of this study show that the employee benefits can be used to predict employee satisfaction. According to the results employee benefits were positively related with intrinsic and overall job satisfaction. Furthermore, there was negative relationship between benefits and extrinsic job satisfaction. The strength of this relationship as measured by R square was highest a nd therefore the correlation between these two variables was high. References Kutner, M. H.. Nachtsheim, C. J and Neter J. (2004), Applied Linear Regression Models, 4th ed., McGraw-Hill/Irwin, Boston Locke, E. A. (1976). Nature and causes of job satisfaction. In M.D. Dunnette, (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and or Organizational psychology, 1297-1349. Chicago. Schneider, B., Gunnarson, S. K.,& Wheeler, J.K. (1992). The role of opportunity in the conceptualization

An Evaluation of the Teaching Staff Shortage in London Schools Essay

An Evaluation of the Teaching Staff Shortage in London Schools - Essay Example eased concern in England as well as in other countries with regards to teacher supply shortages along with the issues on the recruitment and retention of teachers (House of Commons- Education and Skills Committee 2004). For instance, despite a considerable number of 60 million teachers worldwide, there is still a need to employ another 15 to 35 million teachers. Schools have faced considerable shortages in English and Math teachers while there have been a decrease in the number of applicants for teacher training. Teacher applicants for physics, geography, and information and communications technology have also experienced a considerable drop (Eurydice 2002). A large number of studies have primarily delved into the reasons why potential teachers have been attracted to the profession as well as the factors that contribute to their intentions of leaving the profession, including pay and work demands, and turnover patterns (Johnson-Wilder et al 2003). Recent evidence has also associated staffing problems with specific issues that serve as challenges for schools affected, such as the inability of schools to cope with labor market difficulties in order to for them to offer higher wages and attract qualified candidates, the lack of proficient teachers in certain subjects, and the increased number of teachers who are teaching outside of their subjects (Harris and Adams 2007). It has been suggested that institutions for teacher training have not been able to produce adequate numbers of qualified teachers who can met such demands. Other demographic trends, including the increase of student enrollments along with the increased rate of teacher turnover owing to an aging teaching workforce, have also contributed to the school staffing crisis. Owing to the continued shortfall of... This paper approves that private and public schools in London have experienced considerable shortages in their teaching workforce which have been attributed to various concerns. Teachers can either be motivated or discouraged to provide education and learning to students based on a number of factors, including their perceived support from the administration, the overall environment that they are working in, the salary they receive in exchange for their performance, the behavior of students, as well as personal issues. These can all influence the ways with which teachers view their profession as meaningful and valuable and, thus, affect their intentions and decisions for voluntary turnover. This report makes a conclusion that increasing the school’s support and attention towards their staff members should also be demonstrated along with the implementation of strategies that can enhance facilities and teaching performance. Values should also be taught to students by both the school and their families to ensure that these young individuals exemplify favorable behavior towards their peers and teachers. School safety and discipline along with a more professional environment that employs strategies for empowering teachers and boosting their morale may have a positive impact on their recruitment and retention among public and private schools. Future studies should also look into more specific factors that can be experienced by teachers in the primary, secondary, and college level as well, such as racial discrimination or academic field preferences; differences in terms of geographic locations (suburban versus metropolitan schools) or the impact of teachers’ age and gender can also be explored.

Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativity Cultural differences and Essay

Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativity Cultural differences and UniversalsSubcultures and countercultures - Essay Example By analyzing the major concerns of cultural interpretation through linguistics and the essential motivations for the British efforts, the colonial effort in India is shown to represent a universal impulse of the state that continues to exist in the contemporary world. The history of the British in India dates back to the efforts of the English East India Trading Company to establish British economic interests in India in 1612. India operated merely as an economic trade-port until the Battle of Plassey in 1757. Considered a pivotal point in the colonization of South Asia, the battle occurred during the Seven Years War and pitted the English East India Trading Company against their French counterpart. The British victory resulted in the emergence of government authority in India and included an abundance of wealth from the Bengal Empire that flowed into Britain. The infusion of wealth helped British colonial efforts that expanded throughout the area for the next 200 years and established the British as the predominant colonial power of the 19th century. Chamberlain (1974) makes the point that -- although theorists make direct causal connections between the British and their impulses in India -- it's absurd to assume that over the 200 years of colon ial expansion the British motivations remained static. Over the 200 year period the British passed from Tudor rule to Victorian, and as such British motivations need to be understood in relation to an ever-changing Empire. ECONOMICS The exact terms of the relationship between the British and the Indians seemed to remain highly ambivalent throughout the period of British occupation. One strand of thought on British control of India was that the Indian people were so uncivilized that if the British ceased occupation than the Indian economy would fall into shambles due to lawlessness; whereas, a strong contingent of Indians believed that British ethnocentrism was such that they merely used India as an economic means for British gain, resulting in a highly distorted economy that oppressed the Indian population. Conversely, it's argued that the British economy was equally distorted by relying too heavily on Indian production. During their occupation of India, the British used a sense of cultural superiority to consistently avoid laws that would positively benefit Indian society. Speaking on the effects of this British ethnocentrism, Henry Verelst, former governor of Bengal, wrote: It appeared that an exemption from duties had thrown the whole trade of the country into the hands of the English. This, however, was the least evil. The country government was destroyed by the violence of their agents; and individual tyranny succeeded to national arrangement. In the general confusion, all, who were disposed to plunder, assumed the authority of our name, usurped the sears of justice, carried on what they called a trade, by violence and oppression. (Chamberlain, p. 20, 1974) While Indians seemed to favor the laws and structure the British government offered, they believed that the British presence in India operated as a means of exploiting their culture for profit. While a large amount of Colonial literature attempted to paint the British efforts as liberating, it's notable that from the onset British interests in India were directly related and expanded on economic means. A similar comparison can be made to Western efforts to bring a 'civilizing impulse' to Afghanistan and

Principles of Economics The Theory of Consumer Choice Essay

Principles of Economics The Theory of Consumer Choice - Essay Example Other factors being constant, the higher price for gasoline will limit my buying opportunities for other products and services. Alternatively, higher gasoline prices will affect the prices of other products and services. Higher prices of other products will further affect my overall consumption, since I will be able to purchase smaller quantities of all products and services within a budget constraint that is this will have an income effect on my consumption, which will take me to a lower indifference curve. Since gasoline is a supplementary product to cars, my choice of a car will be directly affected by the expectations for changes in gas prices and by the gas consumption of the cars. A car that gets 7 miles per gallon will spend more than 14 gallons per 100 miles. A car that gets 25 miles per gallon is thrice more economical, spending 4 gallons per 100 miles. At the higher gas price ($2.25) the price difference of gasoline expenditure is $32 compared to $9 per 100 miles for the more economical car. Provided my budget remains constant, it will be financially justified to prefer the car that gets 25 miles per gallon.

The Carbon Cycle Essay Example for Free

The Carbon Cycle Essay The Carbon Cycle is a complex series of actions through which all of the carbon in existence rotate. The same carbon in your body today may have been used in many other molecules since time began. The wood burned just a few years ago could have made carbon dioxide which through photosynthesis became part of a plant. When you eat that plant, the same carbon from the wood which was burnt can become part of you. The carbon cycle is the great natural recycler of carbon. Unfortunately, the greatness of its importance is rarely stressed enough. Without the proper use and function of the carbon cycle, every aspect of life could be changed immensely. We believe that its very important to understand how the carbon cycle works in order to see the problems of it not working. Just look at a sample carbon cycle and explore how carbon moves through our natural world. Plants, animals, and soil interact to make up the basic cycles of nature. In the carbon cycle, plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it, put together with water they get from the soil, to make the things they need for growth. The process of photosynthesis puts in the carbon from carbon dioxide into sugars. Animals, such as the rabbit, eat the plants and use the carbon to build their own tissues. Other animals, such as the fox, eat the rabbit and then use the carbon for their own needs. These animals return carbon dioxide into the air when they breathe, and when they die, since the carbon is returned to the soil during decomposition. The carbon in soil may then be used in a new plant. Ultimately, the same carbon can move through many organisms and even end in the same place where it began.

Bilateral Investment Treaties: Breach of Treaty or Contract

Bilateral Investment Treaties: Breach of Treaty or Contract The face of international investment has changed radically thanks to the proliferation of BITs in the past decade. This has led to foreign investment disputes increasingly being resolved through dispute resolution procedure. But the increase in arbitration to resolve investment related disputes hasnt been successful in resolving some of the issues arising from BITs. Rather some of the recent decision in international investment has exposed some of the underlying problem between the theoretical aspect of the bit and the practical aspect[1]. One of the major issues creating a lot of controversy is related to interpreting that umbrella clause in different BITs[2] and the conflict between breach of treaty v breach of contract. This clause, found in most of the BITs requires that each contracting party must honour and observe all obligations that have been entered with the investor from the other contracting state. This clause basically helps the investor to raise a contractual claim unde r the domestic law to a treaty claim under the BITs. According to Jarrod Wong the application of such clause results in the international arbitration tribunal constituted under the BIT (the BIT tribunal) to take jurisdiction over breach-of-contract claims since the umbrella clause raises the breach of contract to a treaty level breach which automatically gives jurisdiction to the tribunal[3]. To put it in the simplest way, it means that the investor can now ask the international investment tribunal to redress the breach of the investment contact by elevating it to the status of breach of the investment treat by way of international arbitration. Vivendi[4], SGS v. Pakistan[5], and SGS v. Philippines[6] are the three cases decided by International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) tribunal that have fuelled the controversy relating to umbrella clause[7] and additionally have discussed the relationship between a breach of contract and breach of treaty.   The above cases have shown how international arbitrators are inconsistent in their approach towards interpreting the umbrella clause in the governing BITs. This has led to a conflict on how the two-principal aspect of international investment practice work in consonance with each other. The two-principal aspect constitute of investment contract which is validated by the hosts states domestic law and the international investment agreement which are mostly the BITs[8]. If this underlying uncertainty isnt resolved soon, then the growth and favourability of international investment stands threatened.[9] Since overlaps between contract and treaty claims ar e expected to arise with increased frequency in the interim period (as a result of the ever-increasing scope of BIT coverage)[10]. This essay will first analyse the relationship between a contractual claim and treaty claim when both arise from same set of facts (a single action of the host state giving rise to the breach). The analysis will be done by discussing how different tribunal have assisted in developing this jurisprudence as it stands today and if there are any fault and changes required in the jurisprudence. The second part of the essay will deal the umbrella clause jurisprudence by focusing and dissecting the decision and reasoning of the tribunal in the SGS decision that have shaped the concept as it is today. At the end the conclusion will involve the analysis and recommendation relating to the jurisprudence discussed below and will also provide an analysis of the decisions that will be referred to. The parties in an investment transaction receive their substantive and procedural rights from the combination of different norm starting from the investment contract itself that is entered between the foreign investor and the local government which gives rise to private right and obligation. Then there is the domestic law of the host state that govern and protects the substantial rights and obligation of the party. These domestic laws fill in the normative gaps that arise in the contract, those domestic laws are mostly in the form of tax laws, environmental law et al. Domestic laws create substantive and procedural right and obligation in addition to those undertaken through the contract. Finally, Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) and Multilateral Investment Treaties (MITs) also govern many international foreign investments that required the host state to adhere to obligation by a fixed set of international law. A combination of the above norms provides for a suitable investment e nvironment for the foreign investor protecting and guaranteeing a return on the investment made.[11] The above set of norm give rise to different rights and there is claim under all the three set of norm and at time those claims can arise from a single set of facts. All the three norms work simultaneously to protect and observe all the right and obligation of the parties. As all the norm work together at times both contractual and treat claims can come from a single set of facts, that fact being the act of the government which can breach the investment contract and the investment treaty at the same time. The question that arises here is that if single set of facts gives rise to both treaty and contractual claims then will the tribunal have jurisdiction or will the court have jurisdiction over the dispute? This jurisprudence stands clarified that the tribunal will have jurisdiction over the treaty claims and the local court or arbitrator will have jurisdiction over contractual claims by international tribunal time and again, the most recent being the famous SGS decisions and it was first dealt with by the Lanco v Argentina[12] Tribunal. This ICSID jurisprudence established in Lanco[13] was based on the forum selection clause contained in the concession agreement which was in favour of domestic courts in Argentina. Argentina argued that because of the clause the tribunal has no jurisdiction over treaty claims as the consent in the contract by way of the forum selection clause over rides the general consent given in the BIT for ICSID arbitration. The tribunal however rejected the argument stating that United States-Argentina BIT allows the investor to submit the dispute to ICSID for treaty based claims and the consent is an expressed consent and cannot in any case be overridden by the consent given in the contract.[14] The Annulment Committee in the Vivendi case affirmed the Vivindi Tribunals decision on the issue relating to forum selection clause which was in line with the Lanco decision. The tribunal basically stated that the ICSID tribunal will never be deprived of jurisdiction over a treaty claim, including the case of treaty claims arising out of the contract even when there is a forum selection clause in the contract.[15] The tribunal in the Vivindi[16] case stated that in no way the forum selection clause would be: deemed to prevent the investor from proceeding under the ICSID Convention against the Argentine Republic on a claim charging the Argentine Republic with a violation of the Argentine-French BIT.[17] The forum selection clause was again a point of contention between the parties in both the SGS dispute and the tribunals decisions was in line with the prior jurisprudence. While discussing the SGS decisions one important point that is mostly not noted is that in both the disputes the tribunal asserted jurisdiction over the treaty claim which arose directly from the investment agreement. This cemented the ICSID jurisprudence that was established in earlier cases, both treaty claims and contractual claims can arise from the same set of facts. It can also be stated that, notwithstanding any forum selection clause, in a matter of treaty violation an international tribunal will always have jurisdiction over the treaty based claim. The tribunal in SGS v Pakistan cited the Vivindi annulment decision where the committee stated: [W] here the fundamental basis of the claim is a treaty laying down an independent standard by which the conduct of the parties is to be judged, the existence of an exclusive jurisdiction clause in a contract between the claimant and the respondent state cannot operate as a bar to the application of the treaty standard. At most, it might be relevant-as municipal law will often be relevant-in assessing whether there has been a breach of the treaty.[18] The tribunal also particularly stated that it will deal with the violation related to the treaty only and there will be no jurisdictional overlap with the PSI arbitrator as the PSI arbitrator will be dealing with contractual violation even though both the dispute arise from the same set of facts.[19] It must also be noted that the tribunal in SGS v Philippines also had to deal with similar type of forum selection clause and its decision was again in line with earlier jurisprudence. The SGS tribunals were consistent in their decision on forum selection clause in an underlying contract and also followed the jurisprudence that was established. The effect is that once treaty based claims are found and framed then the treaty based tribunal have the power to adjudicate them and no other forum selection clause can abridge that right. This authority will in no condition be abdicated on the reason that they claim are linked or arise from claims related to contracts. No forum selection clause in an underlying contract or a parallel proceeding relating to the claims can rob or stop the treaty based tribunal from deciding the treaty based claim as clear differentiation can be established between treaty based claims and contractual claims even if they arise from the same set of facts. We saw that there is a clear differentiation between a tribunal asserting jurisdiction on treaty claims when the dispute arises from the same set of fact related to an underlying investment contract. But the umbrella clause aims to do just the opposite by equating contract breaches with treaty breaches. SGS v Pakistan was the first case to deal with the umbrella clause in its practical aspect back in 2003 and then this question was again dealt with by SGS v Philippines. While trying to deal with the question of umbrella clause the SGS decisions left us with conflicting and confusing interpretation of the umbrella clause. The confusion can be attributed to how the SGS decisions lie on the opposite end of the spectrum, while SGS v. Pakistan determined that the BIT tribunal does not have any jurisdiction over contractual claims on the ground (that umbrella clause is very wide in its scope and there was no intention to cover contractual dispute), conversely SGS v. Philippines held that a BIT tribunal in fact has such jurisdiction (as the umbrella clause is to be applied as it is) but still held that it should not exercise this jurisdiction where the investment agreement contains an exclusive forum selection clause designating a specific but different forum from BIT tribunal for resolving disputes arising under the contract. The United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations has stated that the presence of an umbrella clause in a treaty: makes the respect of such contracts [between the host State and the investor] an obligation under the treaty. Thus, the breach of such a contract by the host State would engage its responsibility under the agreement and-unless direct dispute settlement procedures come into play-entitle the home State to exercise diplomatic protection of the investor.[20] The inclusion of umbrella clause has widened the definition of a arbitrable dispute and over the time tribunal have found and concluded that jurisdiction of a tribunal is no more restricted to claims of violation of substantive provision of BIT.[21] It may be noted that the clauses in BITs are not yet tested as they have been drafted keeping in mind the future requirement for an favourable investment and they are put to test only when any dispute arises and they are placed before an arbitral tribunal. Two of the recent decision relates to the interpretation of the umbrella clause discussed below shows what challenges can the umbrella clause being with them. The SGS Reasonings The SGS decision are the two most recent and important decision on umbrella clause. While SGS v Pakistan took a very restrictive approach in interpreting the clause over contractual claims, SGS v Philippines made a broad interpretation of the umbrella clause by covering both treaty claims and contractual claims. SGS v Pakistan was faced with an umbrella clause, which according to the tribunal was very broad in its scope. The tribunal went on to state that the clause is so broad that it cant be construed to cover contractual claims (compromissory clause article 9 of BIT only intended to cover treaty claims not contractual claims)[22].   The tribunal also found that the umbrella clause in article 11 of the BIT did not transfer SGS contractual claims in to BIT claim. The tribunal stated that a straight forward reading and literal interpretation of the clause encompasses the contractual claims, but the tribunal was concerned that it will convert every contractual claim into a breach of BIT claim and would open a floodgate of cases.[23] The tribunal was very explicit in stating that they dont intent the clause to be so wide in its scope and assumed that the parties also never intended to do so. Giving effect to the clause would be exceeding what the contracting parties intended and the tri bunal is willing to accept.[24] So eventually the tribunal took jurisdiction over treaty claim only and allowed to PSI arbitrator to resolve the contractual disputes. SGS v Philippines was faced with the decision of the earlier SGS v Pakistan tribunal which came before some months only. The tribunal felt that the SGS v Pakistan tribunal didnt give the full and proper effect to the umbrella clause stating that the clause doesnt change the applicable   law on the contract from Philippines law to international.[25] The applicable law remains the domestic law only, the umbrella clause makes sure that the host state honours the obligation it has undertaken under the contract in effect, the clause help to secure the performance of the contract obligation by the host state in relation to international investment protection law.[26] Surprisingly after giving a broad interpretation to the clause the tribunal suspended the proceedings asking the claimant to get the judgement from the domestic court first and then come back to the tribunal if the claimant finds that the judgment is unsatisfactory or the host state doesnt comply with the judgment. The tribunal felt that they have jurisdiction over the dispute, but it is not yet admissible as there is another forum selection clause closer to the contract and if that fail then the tribunal can take jurisdiction.[27] Basically, speaking the tribunal stated that they have jurisdiction over the matter but it will become admission when the forum selection clause doesnt provide justice it will be admissible as it will get elevated to treat violation under the doctrine of denial of justice under international law.[28] Its clear by now that both tribunals decided not to decide on the contractual claim. As Thomas W Walde states, this happened because both the tribunal feared that it will open a floodgate. The SGS v Pakistan was much sincere and clearly vocal about the fear whereas the SGS v Philippines tribunal wrapped it in a more technical consideration.[29] In the end, we can see that both the SGS decision have left the concept of Umbrella clause on a very uneven ground by reaching at two different conclusions. In my opinion an umbrella clause provides much more confidence than a forum selection clause. The reason umbrella clause is preferred because it provides for the disputes to be resolved by a neutral tribunal as both the parties have equal say in the selection and appointment of the tribunals. whereas the forum selection clause requires that the dispute be resolved by a domestic court where the host state has an interest. This doesnt help to instil any confidence of the foreign investor in the domestic forum.[30] The SGS v Pakistan tribunal didnt take into consideration the entire jurisprudence of international law, had it vested far enough it would have realised that the jurisprudence states that contracts of aliens with a government are protected under international law, but only if there are not merely commercial, but have an e lement of governmental powers and prerogative.[31] The intention and aim of investment treaty are not to cover and protect normal commercial functions but rather the action of the government which may seem business like but are sovereign in nature. Had the tribunal delved and concentrated on this core aspect of international investment law it would have realised that the PSI contract involves the power of government (matter related to custom and revenue are the sovereign function of government and PSI agreement was a contract relating to the sovereign action of the Pakistan government) and it would have been able to assert jurisdiction without opening any floodgates. In my opinion when there is an umbrella clause, the parties should go ahead to give effect to the clause, however wide it is. The jurisprudence behind the umbrella clause is to give it a broad interpretation by literally reading it the way it is written. Further, if the argument given in the decision are carried to the extreme, it would invalidate not just the umbrella clause, but all BIT provisions. Conversely the host state should be the one to take the first step to allow the umbrella to take effect and raise the contract claim to treaty claim. Although this step would benefit both the parties, but the host state stands to gain from this action rather than loosing anything. My analogy is based on the assumptions that such an action would be beneficial to the host state, as it will be seen as a positive and pro-investment stance by other investors. The host state stand to benefit by way of a more hospitable, more attractive environment for foreign investment by the adoption of the BIT provisions such as clause like umbrella clause (also forum section clause). Another issue that arises is, reengaging with the clause of the BIT after the investment and that too after a claim has arisen, creates uncertainty in the global marketplace and this may will result in investor losing confidence in the host effecting loss of investment opportunity. In my conclusion, I complete agree with what Jarrod wong states, the language, history and purpose of umbrella clause dictates one reasonable interpretation that it applies to investment contracts without any exception and hence it should be enforced in case of any dispute in accordance with the partys agreement.[32] Moreover, a foreign investor enters an investment agreement with the host by drawing confidence from the BIT and its clauses should be applied as it is until and unless it is blatantly against any concept of international law. Some recent cases have tried to deal with the interpretation of the umbrella clause. while some went for the decision went for Broad, Unconditional Plain Meaning of the clause like SGS v. Paraguay[33] and EDF v. Argentina[34]. Those cases stuck to the concept that there should be a plain meaning buy some of them went for conditional plan meaning but none of the tribunal went ahead to clarify the confusion created by the SGS decision. We are slowly seeing a trend in the practice but far from reaching a conclusive finality. So, the present requirement is for ICSID to clarify on the umbrella issue that has cropped up because of the SGS decisions and the interpretation of the clause should be broad and literal as the jurisprudence related to the umbrella clause suggests. [1] Yuval Shany, Contract Claims Vs. Treaty Claims: Mapping Conflicts Between Icsid Decisions On Multisourced Investment Claims, The American Journal of International Law, American Society of International LawVol. 99, No. 4 (Oct., 2005), pp. 835-851 [2] Jarrod Wong, Umbrella Clauses in Bilateral Investment Treaties: Of Breaches of Contract, Treaty Violations, and the Divide between Developing and Developed Countries in Foreign Investment Disputes, 14 Geo. Mason L. Rev. 135 (2006). [3] ibid [4] Compania de Aquas del Aconquija, S.A. v. Argentina, Decision on Annulment, ICSID No. ARB/97/3, 41 ILM 1135, 1154 (2002). [5] SGS Societe Generale de Surveillance S.A. v. Pakistan, Decision on Jurisdiction, ICSID No. ARB/01/13 (Aug. 6, 2003), 18 ICSID REV. 301 (2003), 42 ILM 1290 (2003) [6] SGS Societe Generale de Surveillance S.A. v. Philippines, Decision on Jurisdiction, ICSID No. ARB/02/6 (Jan. 29, 2004) [7] Shany, (n1) [8] ibid [9] Cf Kalypso Nicolaidis Joyce L. Tong, Diversity or Cacophony? The Continuing Debate over New Sources of International Law, 25 MICH.J. INTL L. 1349, 1351 (2004) [10] Shany, (n1) [11] Ibid., pp. 835-851 [12] Lanco International Inc. v. the Argentine Republic (hereinafter Lanco), ICSID Case No. ARB/97/6, Preliminary Decision: Jurisdiction of the Arbitral Tribunal, 8 December 1998, 40 I.L.M. 457, 2001 [13] Ibid. [14] ibid., at para. 31. [15] Compania de Aguas del Aconquija S.A. and Vivendi Universal v. Argentine Republic (ICSID Case No. ARB/97/3, Decision on Annulment of 3 July 2002, 41 I.L.M. 1135, 2002, at para. 50. [16] ibid [17] ibid., at para. 54 [18] ibid., at para. 140 [19] SGS v Pakistan (n 5) at para 186 187 [20] United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations, Bilateral Investment Treaties, UNCTC, 1988, at 39. [21] Christoph Schreuer, Travelling the BIT Route: of waiting periods, umbrella clause and Fork in the road, 5 J.W.I.T 2, 231 (2004) [22] ibid [23] Stanimir a alexandrov, Breaches of Contract and Breaches of Treaty: The Jurisdiction of Treaty-based Arbitration Tribunals to Decide Breach of Contract Claims in SGs v Pakistan and SGs v Philippines [2004] 5 J. World Investment Trade 55 [24] Emmanuel Gaillard, Investment Treaty Arbitration and Jurisdiction Over Contract Claims- the SGS Cases Considered in International Investment Law and Arbitration: Leading cases from the ICSID, NAFTA, Bilateral Treaties and Customary International Law, Tod Weiler Editor (2005).257, 2004, at 271-272 [25] alexandrov, (n 23) [26] SGS v Philippine (n 6) at para 126 [27] Stephen Schwebel, International Protection of Contractual Agreements (1959) A.S.I.L. Proc. 273 [28] ibid [29] Thomas W. Wà ¤lde, The Umbrella (or Sanctity of Contract/Pacta sunt Servanda) Clause in Investment Arbitration: A Comment on Original Intentions and Recent [2004] 1(4) TDM   1 [30] Wong, (n 2) [31] Schwebel, (n 24) [32] Wong, (n 2) [33] Socià ©tà © Gà ©nà ©rale de Surveillance S.A. v. Republic of the Philippines, ICSID Case No. ARB/02/6 [34] EDF International S.A., SAUR International S.A. and Leon Participaciones Argentinas S.A. v. Argentine Republic, ICSID Case No. ARB/03/23 Cocaine Addiction: History, Effects and Symptoms Cocaine Addiction: History, Effects and Symptoms Cocaine Addiction An Overview of Cocaine Addiction What is Cocaine? Cocaine is a stimulant drug that produces a greater effect of ‘high’ than other drugs such as methamphetamine. It comes in a form of white powder or crystal form with a bitter numbing taste. In general, the powder form is mixed with other materials such as talcum powder, icing sugar, cornstarch or other drugs such as amphetamine or procaine. Cocaine is derived from coca leaves, then processed into cocaine hydrochloride to produce the base of the drug which is develop into two forms recognized as crack and freebase. White crack typically comes in the shape of crystals varies in color from creamy or white to a transparent color with a yellow or pink tinge whereas freebase is the white crystalline powder form. Cocaine generally snorted through the nasal tissues hence absorbed into the bloodstream. Some people also rub the drug at their gums and swallowing it. Ways of ingesting it depends on the preference of the users, some want a rapid high sensation would inject it or inh ale it as a vapor or smoke. Cocaine is widely known by many names that includes pepsi, coke, crack, Charlie, base, sugar block and rock. Brief History Cocaine was once misclassified as a narcotic drug that depresses the nervous system. It is a powerful stimulant and indigenous natives chewed the coca leaves for boosts of energy. The natives believed it was given by the God and reserves the coca’s pleasure for royalties and high priests. In overtime, the coca leaves were spread to the common people. In 1860, the secret of the coca leaves caught the attention of a pharmaceutical company located in Germany. In the facility, the ancient coca leaf collided with modern chemistry and the drug’s active ingredients are isolated from coca’s chemical properties by chemist, Albert Niemann. After the chemical isolation, a crystal substance is formed and it was named Cocaine which derives from â€Å"coca† and the alkaloid suffix â€Å"-ine†. Niemann stripped the leaves of its mono rating substances and unknowingly created the world’s most addictive drug. How it is used? There are four common ways of ingesting cocaine which are oral, intravenous, intranasal and inhalation. In other street terms it is called chewing, injecting or mainlining, snorting and smoking. Intravenous use is a method of using a hypodermic needle to inject cocaine directly into the bloodstream causing instant intense effect to the user. Whereas intranasal administration is the process of snorting powdered cocaine through the external opening of the nose. Smoking cocaine requires breathing in the smoke or vapor of a burning cocaine into the lungs where the effects are sucked up into the bloodstream to create instantaneous euphoric high as such injecting cocaine. Users should be aware that there are absolute no safe way of using cocaine as the listed methods of using the drug result in absorption of toxic amounts of cocaine, cerebrovascular emergencies, acute cardiovascular and seizures that can to sudden death. Effects on the brain Cocaine activates norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin, chemicals that stimulates movements, excitement and feelings of pleasure. Normally, when you get excited, startle, and frighten the brain makes you react in order to get out from harm’s way. Cocaine works in the similar way in the brain automatically without you needing it to occur. This addictive drug is a powerful central nervous system stimulant that stimulates the growth of neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain which is responsible to regulate movement and pleasure. Generally, dopamine is freed by neurons in response to potential rewards and reprocess back into the cell that freed it and eventually shutting off signals in linked with neurons. Cocaine stops the dopamine from being reused thus leading to excessive number of dopamine to develop in the synapse. This process causes amplification of the dopamine signals and eventually disrupts standard brain communication. The overflow of dopamine is the main cause of cr eating the cocaine’s euphoric high. Constant heavy usage of the cocaine can cause permanent long-term modification of the brain’s reward system and also other systems of the brain. Effects on the lungs Smoking cocaine is the main contribution to the majority lung and breathing complications. Users smoke crack, freebase or paste by using water pipes, glass pipes or cigarettes, heated using matches or butane lighters. Residue from the cocaine contaminants, matches, tars and additives as such marijuana usually causes chronic coughing, bronchitis, and coughing black phlegm thus leading to multiple chest pain and shortness of breath. The practice of breath holding and deep inhalation technique maximizes the volume of cocaine inhaled and the absorption and can cause collapsing of the lung. At times, users often express sharp pains in the chest area due to deep breathing, neck pain, painful swallowing and buildup of air under the skin located at the neck area called subcutaneous emphysema, which has a feature of crackling touch sensation similar to Rice Krispies cereal. In addition, smoking cocaine can also cause pulmonary edema, a condition of the lung being filled with fluids that can c ause severe shortness in breath, respiratory failure and later death. Effects on the heart Cocaine stimulates the sympathetic nervous system that is mainly responsible for the fight response function which is controlled mostly by epinephrine or adrenaline. Increased of heart rates, high blood pressure and narrowing of blood vessels are the effects of using cocaine. Other type of cardiovascular complications that are caused by cocaine include rapid heart rate and abnormal heart rhythms known as cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy is a disease that weakens the walls of the aorta and causes aortic dissection and rupture of the heart muscle. Repeated use of cocaine can also cause narrowing in the arteries of the heart that can lead to the decrease of blood flow in the heart organ thus causing symptoms of angina, where heart muscles are deprived of oxygen-rich blood that usually cause death of heart tissues and heart attack. In addition, cocaine is also responsible for subsequent narrowing and accelerated hardening of the coronary arteries of the heart which results in heart attacks and cardiac deaths among users from the age of 19 to 44 years of age. Signs of Cocaine Abuse Addiction Cocaine is a drug that is highly addictive and interferes how the brain processes chemicals responsible for the feelings of pleasure. Users who are addicted to cocaine will lose control over the usage of the drug. Strong urges of need for the drug emerge from time to time although most users know the consequences after taking it. Here are some signs of cocaine addiction: Mood Swings The drug cocaine causes addicts to â€Å"crash† when they decide to quit. The term crash refers to moments where the addict’s mood swings changes rapidly from high to distress which causes addicts to continue taking it in order to feel normal. Excess of using the drug may lead to addiction. Withdrawal symptoms Addicts who are addicted to cocaine may show withdrawal symptoms of the drug. Withdrawal symptoms may include hunger, depression, suicidal thoughts, intense cravings, extended sleep or restless sleep, irritability and exhaustion. Abusing cocaine will seem the easy way out to not experience any withdrawal symptoms thus bringing the addict back to relapsing the drug. Change in Behavior If an addict abuses cocaine, their behavior will dramatically change after using the drug. The addict may seem happy or excited and acts more confidently to display an enthusiastic sense of well-being. Addicts also may appear talkative than usual, sexually excited, energy levels increased and loss of food appetite. Eye Changes The most obvious signs of abusing cocaine is the addict’s eyes. The pupil of their eyes are dilated and overly sensitive to light. The pupil is the black part in the eye and usually will constrict when there is light shone into it and get bigger when the presence of light is gone. Cocaine causes the addict’s pupils to dilate or get bigger than its usual size. Nasal Effect Other signs of cocaine addiction include nasal effects. Cocaine addicts usually have runny noses and nose bleed after prolonged use of the drug. Cocaine is heavily snorted through the nasal passages resulting narrowing in blood vessels which can cause blood pressure to increase and decrease in blood flow to the nasal cavity tissues. Without the right amount of blood supply to the nasal cavity tissues, the normal function of the nose may undergo massive damages such as loss of sense of smell and overall health may also be affected. Family members and loved ones should also be on the look-out for traces of white colored powder around the addict’s nose as an indication of cocaine abuse. Skin Effect Another sign of cocaine abuse is scratching of the skin. Cocaine users typically experience irritating crawling feelings under the skin. This crawling feeling is known as ‘snow bugs’ or ‘cocaine bugs’. Addicts describe the feeling of cocaine bugs as burning, itching, biting and creeping. Some addicts will tend to always scratch their skin until it bleeds to ease the irritation. Keep an eye for small bleeding wounds and formation of scabs on your loved ones to identify the abuse of cocaine. Over-Heating Regular cocaine addicts will always find themselves sweating excessively due to dramatic increase of the body temperature. Addicts may also hallucinate and feel agitated, confused and paranoid easily. Family members should notice behaviors of their loved ones such as constant pulling off their clothes or tries to cool down the body with cold showers, wandering the streets without reasons and violent behaviors as signs of cocaine addiction. Treating Cocaine Addiction Without proper treatment, cocaine addiction and abuse can lead to destructive injuries and irreversible harm. In due course, similar to other substance addiction it will cause overdose, accidents, chronic health issues and death. At Solace Sabah, we offer the latest drug recovery program that incorporates cutting edge psychotherapies, modern medicines, committed aftercare, family integration and customized treatment plans. Every client will be provided with thorough and effective care for even the worst possible case of drug addiction. If you find your loved one is relying highly on cocaine and powerless to stop using the drug, treatment and immediate intervention are their best option for a chance to live a healthy life again. Contact us today at Solace Sabah to gain an understanding on how our in-depth addiction treatment program can help your loved ones to start the recovery journey.