Risk in Banking Sector

Paper presentation On Risk in banking sector. Abstract: The structure of the paper is three-fold, where we begin by what is risk in banking scenario and its effects on internal operations of a bank, followed by the various types of risk in Indian banks and what can be done or the measurements taken and finally the future look. Introduction: The Indian Financial System is tasting success of a decade of financial sector reforms. The economy is surging and has gathered the critical mass to convert it into a force to reckon with.The regulatory framework in India has sparked growth and key structural reforms have improved the asset quality and profitability of banks. Growing integration of economies and the markets around the world is making global banking a reality. The RBI requires all banks to comply with the standardized approach of the BASEL II accord by 31st March, 2007. This paper attempts to project the implications of this transition and its effects on the internal operations of a bank followed by its effects on the banking industry and the economy.What is Risk? For the purpose of these guidelines financial risk in a banking organization is possibility that the outcome of an action or event could bring up adverse impacts. Such outcomes could either result in a direct loss of earnings / capital or may result in imposition of constraints on bank’s ability to meet its business objectives Regardless of the sophistication of the measures, banks often distinguish between expected and unexpected losses.Expected losses are those that the bank knows with reasonable certainty will occur (e. g. , the expected default rate of corporate loan portfolio or credit card portfolio) and are typically reserved for in some manner. Unexpected losses are those associated with unforeseen events (e. g. Losses due to a sudden down turn in economy or falling interest rates). Types of risk in banks: In the course of their operations, banks are invariably faced with different ty pes of risks that may have a potentially negative effect on their business.The risks to which a bank is particularly exposed in its operations are: liquidity risk, credit risk, market risks (interest rate risk, foreign exchange risk and risk from change in market price of securities, financial derivatives and commodities), exposure risks, investment risks, risks relating to the country of origin of the entity to which a bank is exposed, operational risk, legal risk, reputational risk and strategic risk. Liquidity risk:  is the risk of negative effects on the financial result and capital of the bank caused by the bank’s inability to meet all its due obligations.Credit risk:  is the risk of negative effects on the financial result and capital of the bank caused by borrower’s default on its obligations to the bank. Market risk:  includes interest rate and foreign exchange risk. Interest rate: risk  is the risk of negative effects on the financial result and capita l of the bank caused by changes in interest rates. Foreign exchange: risk  is the risk of negative effects on the financial result and capital of the bank caused by changes in exchange rates.A special type of market risk is the  risk of change in the market price  of securities, financial derivatives or commodities traded or tradable in the market. Exposure risks:  include risks of bank’s exposure to a single entity or a group of related entities, and risks of banks’ exposure to a single entity related with the bank. Investment risks:  include risks of bank’s investments in entities that are not entities in the financial sector and in fixed assets.Operational risk:  is the risk of negative effects on the financial result and capital of the bank caused by omissions in the work of employees, inadequate internal procedures and processes, inadequate management of information and other systems, and unforeseeable external events. Legal risk:  is the risk of loss caused by penalties or sanctions originating from court disputes due to breach of contractual and legal obligations, and penalties and sanctions pronounced by a regulatory body.Reputational risk:  is the risk of loss caused by a negative impact on the market positioning of the bank. Strategic risk:  is the risk of loss caused by a lack of a long-term development component in the bank’s managing team. Risk management: Risk Management is a discipline at the core of every financial institution and encompasses all the activities that affect its risk profile. In every financial institution, risk management activities broadly take place simultaneously at following different hierarchy levels. a) Strategic level: It encompasses risk management functions performed by senior management and BOD. For instance definition of risks, formulating strategy and policies for managing risk etc; b) Macro Level: It encompasses risk management within a business area or across business l ines. Generally the risk management activities performed by middle management. c) Micro Level: It involves ‘On-the-line’ risk management where risks are actually created.This is the risk management activities performed by individuals who take risk on organization’s behalf such as front office and loan origination functions. Risk management in bank operations includes risk identification, measurement and assessment, and its objective is to minimize negative effects risks can have on the financial result and capital of a bank. Banks are therefore required to form a special organizational unit in charge of risk management. Also, they are required to prescribe procedures for risk identification, easurement and assessment, as well as procedures for risk management. The future: Risk management activities will be more pronounced in future banking because of liberalization, deregulation and global integration of financial markets. This would be adding depth and dimension to the banking risks. As the risks are correlated, exposure to one risk may lead to another risk, therefore management of risks in a proactive, efficient & integrated manner will be the strength of the successful banks Conclusion:By taking measures the smaller banks would not have sufficient resources to withstand the intense competition of the sector. Banks would evolve to be a complete and pure financial services provider, catering to all the financial needs of the economy. Flow of capital will increase and setting up of bases in foreign countries will become commonplace. Finally, the economy will stand to benefit as the banking sector develops. Savings will be mobilized in the right direction and the required funds needed for the country's development will be made available.

Education system between Romania and UK Essay

Nowadays an important and discussed issue by all countries is the education system. In many countries from year to year politician try to make changes in order to improve it. However, it happens that instead of improve it the system become more complicated and corrupted. In some countries is believed that is better to learn everything by heart but in others the practical part and students opinion is more important. Hence this essay is going to discuss the main differences and similarities between Romanian and United Kingdom education system. Although Romania and the UK have very different education systems there can be found some similarities. The age required to attend school is similar; in Romania six or seven and in UK six years old. In both countries primary and secondary schools are compulsory. Furthermore, in Romania as in the UK at the age of five-teen pupils have to pass an exam in order to follow further education, preparing them for university. The age required to enter the university in Romania is exactly the same as the one in UK, eight-teen or over. UK has the same three years of study in higher-education, just like Romania. In Romania as in the UK, in higher education, students have a number of credits they have to achieve along the academic year and there are also examinations periods: one in semester one and one in semester two. Both countries offer students the chance to choose from a variety of courses. Some of the courses are compulsory and vary from school to school while others optional and each student can choose which ones to take. (http://www.edu.ro, http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/educationoverview/uksystem/structure/) Important differences can be noticed between this two countries education system. In the UK is applied an interactive and efficient method of teaching, that is not applied in Romania, which encourages students to express themselves freely and participate to courses. The compulsory education of these two countries is different. The Romanian compulsory education last for ten years while the one from the UK for eleven years.  Children start school at the age of six or seven and follow the primary school, eight years. They have to take an examination at the end of primary school called the National Exam, based on assessments throughout the last four years. Based on their results they go to secondary school (high school) which last four years but first two are compulsory. However, students have to complete all four year in order to apply for higher education. At the end of secondary school students must submit the Romanian Baccalaureate exam form by an oral and written examination. Compared to Romania where the statutory schooling age is from six to eight-teen (if you want to follow a university after the secondary education) in the UK is from five to six-teen. The UK education system is divided in four Key Stages and pupils are assessed at the end of each stage. At the end of Key Stage Four pupils have to achieve General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in order to continue with further education. If they decide to follow a higher education they have to follow a further course at the end of which they have to achieve the GCE A-level (General Certificate of Education Advanced Level). From the financial point of view the education in the UK is far more expensive than in Romania. For example one year of university in UK is 3,075 £ whereas in Romania is only 420 £. The length of a master degree is of two years in Romania while in the UK it takes only one year. Moreover, UK students are encouraged to follow further education, although is expensive, because the government supports the students (for example students can apply for a student loan). By contrast, in Romania there are governmental funded universities, where students are admitted if they pass the admission exam with a high grade. The government funded slots are limited and are allocated to students according to their results. Furthermore another difference can be easily noticed in the marking system. In Romania compared to the UK, where the marking system is formed by letters (A* to G) or percentages, the grades are numbers and are from one to ten. Ten is the equivalent for A* or 100%. Moreover, Romania and the UK differ with regard to the policy of plagiarism. The rate of plagiarism is very high in Romania even among higher-education institutions because of the corrupted educational system. A considerable number of educational staff accept bribe because they are unsatisfied by their wages and work condition. (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/index.htm,http://www.edu.ro, http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/educationoverview/uksystem/structure/ ) To summarize, the major similarities and differences between Romanian and United Kingdom education systems are the one regarding compulsory education, marking system, qualification, structure of schooling year, the cost of studying, plagiarism and courses in higher-education. Many Romanians say that Romanian education system is better than others countries because students learn more things at a higher level. But what matters the most: the quantity or the quality? Is it better to learn more and forget everything in two days or is better to learn useful things for everyday life and forever? The answer of these questions depends from person to person, and only those we studied in both system can realize the advantages and disadvantages of these two education systems. BIBLIOGRAPHY http://www.edu.ro/, (2006), Official Website for the Romanian Educational System, (Accessed: 28 December 2007 ) http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/index.htm, (2005), Official Website of UK Government, Education and Learning Section, (Accessed: 28 December 2007 ) http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/educationoverview/uksystem/structure/, (2007), TeacherNET, (Accessed: 28 December 2007 )

A sociological investigation into cohabitation in Britain today Essay Example for Free

A sociological investigation into cohabitation in Britain today Essay ? In my coursework I shall conduct a sociological investigation into cohabitation in Britain today. This is expanded from my previous coursework, which updated past research into the stigmas attached to cohabitation. It interests me to investigate whether facts and opinions of cohabitation have changed over time. To achieve this aim I shall look at the following questions throughout my research: 1. Why has cohabitation increased? 2. Does cohabitation have an effect on children? 3. What advantages and disadvantages are there to cohabitation? 4. Is there still a stigma attached to cohabitation? 5. Do cohabiting couples ever wish to marry or is it a permanent status? I believe that cohabitation is increasingly replacing marriage. I intend to research cohabitation using a questionnaire, which will be given to both cohabiting and married couples to complete. 133 Words Context Cohabitation has doubled since 1981 to around 25% and is greatly increasing. It is defined as when two people live together in a relationship without being married. This can be either a short-term arrangement or a permanent status in which the couple do not see the need to be legally married. Sociologists have researched into many areas of cohabitation and the family. However, more recently the main focus has been on the increase in cohabitation. It is argued that marriage is becoming less popular and so people are developing alternatives to conventional married life. Also, there are increasing numbers of marital breakdown, which are reflected in rises in the divorce rates. The General Household Survey from Social Trends (2000) found that in Great Britain between 1998 and 1999, 26% of males and 25% of females, between the ages of 16 and 59, were in a cohabiting relationship. This is relevant as it show evidence of the large numbers of cohabiting couples in society today. Chester (1980) has argued that cohabitation is only a temporary situation that often leads to marriage. Chester said that in many cases it is not possible for a couple to marry, due to one or both partners being married. Also, many couples see cohabitation as a trial period, which often determines whether they choose to marry. Chester concluded that around 2% of single women aged 18-49 are living and bearing children in â€Å"constitutional unions† which may be permanent. However, Chandler argues against this theory, seeing the increase in cohabitation as more significant. Chandler says that couples appear to be spending lengthening amounts of time cohabiting and seem to be choosing cohabitation as a permanent replacement for marriage. Chandler (1993) supports this by noting that 28% of children were born to unmarried mothers, 70% of which were registered by both parents. These arguments show the conflicting opinions, between sociologists, regarding the status that cohabitation appears to now have. Approximately 15% of one-parent families are created through the break-up of cohabiting unions, showing that cohabitation’s with children are even more likely to break-up than childless ones. Today, more than 20% of children are born to cohabiting couples, although around only a third of these children will remain with both parents throughout their childhood. This means that children born to cohabiting parents are more likely to experience a series of disruptions in their family life, which can have negative consequences for their emotional and educational development. Berthoud and Gershuny found, in ‘seven years in the lives of British families’, that 70% of children born to married parents are likely to live their entire childhood with both parents whereas only 36% of children born to cohabiting parents remain with both parents. It has also been shown that children living in cohabiting stepfamilies are at a significantly higher risk of child abuse, showing that these informal cohabiting families are the most unsafe environments for children. This is interesting as it shows an insight into the effects that cohabitation can have on children. There have been many theories as to why cohabitation has increased, alongside the simple and more obvious explanations. Marriage is seen as a more risky choice in a relationship due to the divorce rates and expense of marriage, along with the decline in religious influence and growing economic and employment insecurity worries. Single parenthood has been a partial explanation as to why cohabitation has increased as many women choose to cohabit in a relationship, rather than having the irresponsibility of raising a child outside of a stable relationship. Cohabitation has greatly occurred from the great rise in divorce rates, which may also have the effect if children, from divorced parents, being wary of marriage. However, the decline in childbirth and the conscious decision to not have children may have made it less necessary for couples to marry. Past research conducted into sociology appears to indicate that the once prominent stigma attached to cohabitation has greatly declined in society. Th decline in the negative view to cohabitation, in society, has been shown in the Social Trends Survey (1996). The results from ‘people who feel cohabitation is wrong: by gender, 1994’ show that between 1960 and 1978, 7% of males and 6% of females felt that cohabitation is wrong. This has greatly decreased from 40% of males and 37% of females in 1930. These statistics could also imply that these numbers are still decreasing in society today. Ronald Fletcher’s (1988) theory shows an inclination as to why this social stigma has decreased. He suggests that cohabitation is a form of marriage, which is similar to that of a nuclear family, rather than a different relationship form altogether. He argued that cohabiting couples are concealed nuclear families that are not legalised through marriage. This theory not only suggests reasons for cohabitation but also indicates that it could continue to increase in society. 810 Words Methodology feelings towards discussing such information. Using a questionnaire will allow me to get results in a short period of time, which will be easy for both me and my participants as it will take into account any individual variables, such as the participant being in a rush etc. Questionnaires will be the best method of data collection for my study as I can then easily quantify and analyse the results in relation to my rationale. I shall conduct my study by In sociology, structionalists and interactionists have each used different methods of attempting to research areas of sociology. Structuralists are positivists and so use scientific, quantitative methods if collecting data. Common methods used by structuralists are laboratory experiments, which isolate the variables to find a relationship between them and field experiments, which, attempt to control variables in a natural situation. Also used by structuralists are questionnaires, structural interviews and the analysis of official statistics. Interactionists, however, are anti-positivists and reject scientific research methods, using qualitative methods of collecting data. Common methods used by interactionists are informal/unstructured interviews, where the subject directs the interview, and participant observation, where the participants are observed during their daily activities. For my research I shall be using the quantitative research methods of questionnaires. I considered using formal interviews to collect my data as I would have been able to get more in-depth and personal results, but decided that this would be more difficult to conduct and a suitable sized sample may be harder to find for reasons such as time difficulties and personal handling out questionnaires to randomly aged cohabiting, married and non-cohabiting couples. I shall use 25 questionnaires to complete my study as I feel that this is a relatively suitable sized sample to gain reliable results with. I have chosen this sample in the hope that I will gain a wide variety of couples and ages, without attempting to manipulate who participates. The gender of my participants shall also be randomly selected, rather than pre-determined. I shall also distribute my questionnaires in a variety of places sixth form college, workplace, public areas) to aid my aim of getting a varied sample and ensure that my results are representative. I shall ensure that I am ethical in my approach of this by gaining their consent before handing them the questionnaire. The questionnaires shall also have details of the nature of the study written above the questions and they shall be verbally informed that it is not required of them to answer any questions that they do not wish to. The questionnaires shall also be confidential and so will not require a name or contact details from the participant, which may increase the validity of my results as they may be less likely to lie or refuse to disclose information. When constructing my questionnaire I ensured that I considered all of my aims, stated in my rationale. I included questions which required both written answers and a choice of pre-selected answers, depending on the nature of the question. For two of my questions, the answer choices were given in ranges, rather than individual answers (e. g. are you, 26-35 etc). I did this with ages to male the question less personal as the participant may be uncomfortable disclosing their exact age. It has also been done when asking how many cohabiting couples they know of, as it is unlikely that they would consider the exact amount accurately. I constructed the questionnaire in a form that is suitable for both married and cohabiting/non cohabiting couples to complete, and based all of my questions on a more personal form of my aims, which will hopefully result in valid results. Before conducting my final study, I completed a pilot study of four questionnaires to find any area of improvement which could better my final study. I conducted and distributed these questionnaires in exactly the same way as planned for the final study. I feel that my pilot study was successful and without any major problems. I shall, however, change some minor aspects of the questionnaire. I found that the question regarding ‘benefits of cohabiting couples’ may have been misinterpreted as financial benefits only, and so I shall change the structure of that question. I also found that people were writing more, for their answers, than the allocated space and so I shall add more lines per question on my final questionnaires. The remainder of my questionnaire shall stay the same. 741 Words Evidence To present the results of my questionnaire I shall display and discuss each question individually, in the order which they appear in on the questionnaire itself. 1. Are you: Male Female I decided to first gain some knowledge of the participant so that any relations could be made between the results and their personal details, if necessary. For my research, however, I am looking at the overall current opinions of the public and so am not looking for any direct relationships related to gender. Due to my random sample it was not expected that an equal number of males and females would be used, and this is shown in the above table. A sociological investigation into cohabitation in Britain today. (2017, Sep 10).

Military Essay Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Military Paper - Essay Example The presence of homosexuals in the U.S. military remains a hot political debate. Homosexuals are serving the military for decades now. But they are the real threat to the discipline and high standard of moral of the soldiers. Liberals want gays to serve in the military and on the other hand conservatives wish to completely ban homosexuals. Serving members who have committed a homosexual conduct justify this by their own explanation. For Example they give the reason of being alone for a longer period of time, living with room mates in the remote areas for months and even for years. (Stewart, 28-32) But the fact is that this act can not be justified especially if committed by a soldier. Reports of women being abused and raped by the military personnel has also became a very big issue of the U.S. Military. This made women feel insecure when serving in the military. In most of the cases the men who are responsible are not punished, and they are simply given warning about not to do it aga in. This problem still persists today. New laws pertaining to the presence of homosexuals in the United States Military are made, which shows a compromise in the policy. This compromise was made because the presence of those service members who have an intent or propensity of engaging in a homosexual act creates a risk to the discipline, good order and high standard of morale of the soldiers. This new policy change is referred to as â€Å"don’t ask, don’t tell†. According to this new policy no one will be asked about their sexual interest when he or she is being recruited and he is also not allowed to tell anyone about his homosexual interests. This new change has worked well and has decreased the number of discharges due to homosexual conduct. (Stewart, 54) In order to protect the women from being abused or raped, there is a need of implementation

Compare young peoples expectations for marriage and the reality of Essay

Compare young peoples expectations for marriage and the reality of married life - Essay Example Nevertheless, compromising is not an easy issue as presumed by the young people. Married couples always have many challenges that they find it hard to compromise, instead they fight and argue over many things such as income, sex, personality and children handling which may even lead to divorce or separation (Bhalla 56-60). Additionally, many young people expect to have their leisure time which they would spend together by going on picnics, dating on weekends. Unfortunately, there is always a lot of work to do at home such as cleaning especially on weekends which denies the couple ample time to enjoy leisure. Also there are always events to attend on weekends such as weddings and birthdays as well as inadequate vacation time that deny them pleasurable time (Bhalla 56-60). Moreover, young people normally expect to have enough money that would help them buy big houses and nice cars but the reality is that money is never enough. There are lots of things whose budgets are assumed such as groceries and electronics that impose financial constrains to the already hiking prices of homes. It is therefore apparent that more money is always required in marriage than what is normally expected by young people (Bhalla 56-60). For many youths expecting too much than marriage offers, it is important to learn about the differences between expectations and reality. Knowing and understanding reality in marriage may make young couples live an ideal life in

Answers for quiz questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Answers for quiz questions - Essay Example It engages the consumers into falsified meta-communication and disturbs the commodified social relations (Strasser 145). McRobbie explains the commodity feminism by using different T.V shows’ female characters as examples. She talks about the series ‘Sex in the City’ in which the female characters are independent and career oriented. McRobbie also talks about the popular pre-school TV program â€Å"Dora the Explorer†. The purpose of talking about the female characters is to determine the gender appropriation. The examples given by her are commonly known by all and they better describe the film’s discussion by bringing to light the gender roles in this subject. She believes Dora to be an empowered active female subject(Coleman 19). Question 3: The Duffy piece focuses on the rhetoric of authenticity in women’s magazines. Using the reading, explain what she means by this and identify an example from the film in which we’re sold a different type of authenticity. As the term authenticity is being focused in the context of the Magazine, it refers to the inner â€Å"Real† beauty. The authentic beauty is a real body’s imperfect physical beauty. There is an opinion that a woman should choose a physical look to demonstrate her inner, real beauty (Bose 170). The commercial culture has been deploying the appeals to the self-expression. Women’s magazine and advertisements have been infusing increasingly with the rhetoric of authenticity (Sedivy and Carlson 43) â€Å"Thin! Bronzed! Botoxed! Blonde! Too many women—even famous ones—are caving into a cookie-cutter standard of beauty. True glamour means not conforming to some standard.†Ã¢â‚¬â€Glamour Magazine, 2008 Question 4: Identify and describe an example from the film where you see advertisers use misdirection in language. What is this language concealing? Using the same ad/campaign, identify 2 ways in which it fits into one of the phases of advertising. The advertisers studies

Consensus Between Violence And Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consensus Between Violence And Argument - Essay Example Eristic dialogue covers argumentation, a social debate where victory over an antagonist is the primary goal. This art of right argument protects their self-interest incoherent dialogue and in the process of dialogue. The art of argumentation is used in law, in trials when preparing arguments for court presentation and in the testing legitimacy of evidence.Right argument comprises identifying premises where conclusions are derived, the establishment of â€Å"burden of proof† to determine the person who made an initial claim and identifying goals of contributors in dialogue. At the end of an argument, a valid conclusion must be given with good reason explaining the same. A good argument must be built with two premises and one concluding remark. Argumentation is good in a situation where evidence does not exist especially in handling scientific, epistemic, nature, and moral where science cannot apply. Violence is good in handling dispute like border disputes, insurgency, and host ility.In politics, some kinds of argumentation are morally wrong, and some kinds of violence are morally right. Argumentation is never a solution in many nations since it only works when there is peace in the nation, and no other nation wants to attack the nation in question. Argumentation is morally upright only if the nations under conflict also handle disputes through argumentation. If the nations under disagreement handle the dispute in different angles, then violence is morally right for a nation to defend itself from intrusion.

Education in practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Education in practice - Essay Example In working with my protg I tried to apply the knowledge I received while getting acquainted with the principles of teaching and learning developed by the most prominent of the contemporary theorists of the psychology of learning. According to the social learning theory, developed by Albert Bandura, people learn through the observation of others. Bandura (1977) states: "Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do. Fortunately, most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action." (p22). This theory is supported and developed by the social cognitive theory, which emphasizes the importance of beliefs, expectations and self-perception in the learning process. Social cognitive theory distinguishes between enactive and vicarious learning. Enactive learning is learning by doing and experiencing the consequences of your actions (self-regulation of behavior, goal directed behavior, self-monitoring), while vicarious is learning by observing othe rs.(Bandura, 1977). Considering the mechanism of training process described in this theory I used the vicarious learning strategy, giving my student the opportunity to observe how my colleagues and I are dealing with the difficulties we have to face, and introducing her to the problem-solving strategies we are using. I also emphasized the importance of self-control of the learning process for my protg, encouraged her to analyze the outcomes of it and plan it so that she would be able to complete all the needed academic work at a proper level, thus using the enactive learning strategy. According to the Jean Piaget's theory, one of the constructivist perspectives of learning, there are 2 sides of adaptation, adjustment to the new environment - assimilation, which is fitting new information into existing schemes, and accommodation stage, when he/she is altering existing schemes or creating new ones in response to new information the environment provides him/her. According to Piaget cognitive structures change through the processes of adaptation.( Brainerd, 1978) I tried to facilitate the adaptation process for my student, that's why I asked my colleagues to welcome her, explained them that she was coming there to learn, in the student role, and not as just another pair of hands. When my protg finally arrived I explained her I also was learning, and emphasized we had to work in collaboration and negotiate rather than building a mentor-student relations. To help the assimilation process to pass smoothly I introduced the student to the methods of our agency. Abraham Maslow said that humans had the hierarchy of needs, ranging from lower-level needs for survival and safety, to higher-level needs for intellectual achievement and finally self-actualization. According to his studies the higher level needs appeared only when the lower-level needs were satisfied.(Maslow, 1970). It is obvious that when a human being enters a new environment he/she is feeling himself/herself unprotected and endangered,

Summary of strategic strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Summary of strategic strategy - Essay Example For instance, Apple has gone through three different versions of the iPhone, each time introducing new capabilities into the product. Therefore, new technology can continuously be integrated into the product. In the past five years, they have tripled their sales. Although this has occurred with the return of Jobs at the helm of Apple Jobs, like Apple, believes that innovation is very important when it comes to new products. The idea of the iphone came when Apple realized how much most and individuals did not like their cell phones. Apple saw an opportunity to make a great phone that everybody would want to use again and again. This is often how Apple comes up with ideas for products. They see an opening in the market and decide to make the best product possible to fit in with that need. Apple believes in making sure all of its products are excellent. Furthermore, Apple wishes to inspire its employees by letting them know that they can do things the Apple they would not be able to do anywhere else. Apple also believes in hiring the best people in order to give them a piece of the business and the thin do as they please with it. They want their employees to make excellent decisions and contribute to the company overall. Furthermore, Apple police and always working hard are in hard are to make the best products possible. ... Book Analysis: Our textbook describes a company's importance as far as setting goals is concerned. It can be argued that Apple definitely sets goals, but unlike the structures presented in the book, they tend to use their own approach. As mentioned in the article analysis, Apple likes to find an area and the market that one could consider a whole. When the fullest discovered, Apple then dressed of formal product that will fill that need. The Iphone has been the perfect example of this. As Apple realize people were generally unhappy with their cell phones, they set the goal of coming up with a better cell phone.When Apple sets a goal, they tend to stick with the school. They do not tend to diversify, which is against many of the ideas presented in the textbook. Apple has found that by concentrating on a few products they are better able to meet their consumers happy. Apple believes that diversification will make them spread themselves too thin, and therefore, their products will not be as good or a successful.The book also mentions that the company should agree on performance measures. Apple however says that likes to hire people who are never satisfied. Apple's sphere of satisfaction comes with the fact that they believe satisfaction may reduce one's ability to perform or set better goals. Therefore, they strive to do better and better no matter how good their performance measures currently are. This information conflicts with the information that is presented in the book.One item of the book that Apple does agree with is the concept of making business strategies flexible. This can be seen with the various concepts that had been

Immigration to US from Latin America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Immigration to US from Latin America - Essay Example nomy predominantly resulting from free-trade strategies employed by the North American Free Trade Agreement and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The rampant corruption within the Mexican government has also contributed significantly to the collapse of the Mexican economy. Due to IMF policies regarding Mexico, its economic output dropped 33 percent in the past two decades. During this period, its foreign debt rose 359 percent because of widespread looting of the national coffers. These factors caused the â€Å"collapse of all areas of productive economic activity and employment, is the primary driver of the flood of emigrants desperate to leave Mexico, to find some livelihood for themselves and their families in the United States† (Small, 2005). Illegal immigrants receive more from public monies than they contribute which lowers the standard of living for legal citizens. Illegal immigrants contribute greatly to the overall population growth and health care, education and employment are the most impacted. Salaries are driven down by illegal immigrants willing to work for much less while their children, illegal and legal, overcrowd the schools. It’s the U.S. taxpayer who is sent the bill for their health care services as well. In addition, the large influx of illegal aliens burdens the already inadequate number of units classified as affordable housing and other welfare resources such as energy, water and land usage (â€Å"Illegal Immigration†, 2003). Illegal immigrants have already broken the law upon arrival into the country and a considerable number break more including selling drugs, theft, murder, rape, etc. while in the country. The cost to the federal court and prison system alone in 2002 attributed to illegal aliens was $1.6 billion. This does not include the costs to state judicial and penal institutions. It costs Arizona, for example, $80 million to jail illegal aliens yearly. According to a 2002 report by Heather MacDonald of the City

Community Health Nursing Essay Example for Free

Community Health Nursing Essay Identification of Community Nestled in Southern Indiana just west of Louisville, Kentucky and south of Indianapolis, Indiana is Dubois County, Indiana. Dubois County is comprised of the towns of Birdseye, Ferdinand, Holland, Huntingburg and Jasper. Of those towns, Jasper is the largest and is the county seat (Kelly School of Business, 2014). Over fifty-two percent of the population consists of adults ranging from 25-64 years of age (Kelly School of Business, 2014). The leading cause of mortality in this county is heart disease, cancer, suicide and injuries (Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center Dubois County Health Department, 2011). According to the 2011 health rankings of the county, Dubois County was higher in the benchmark of poor health, adult obesity, adult smoking, excessive drinking, motor vehicle crash death rate and teen birth rate than the national benchmarks (Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center Dubois County Health Department, 2011). Industry overview consists of manufacturing, transportation/warehousing, health care, and finance/insurance with manufacturing providing the majority of the jobs at an average wage per job of $54,000 in 2010(Memorial Hospital And Health Care Center Dubois County Health Department, 2011). Obesity in the county grew to 28.9% in 2008 compared to 26.8% in 2006(Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center Dubois County Health Department, 2011). Physical inactivity also increased in the two year span growing from 20.9% in 2006 to 24.5% in 2008(Memorial Hospital And Health Care Center Dubois County Health Department, 2011). Summary of Tools Population Economic Status Assessment The Population Economic Status Assessment of the county was utilized to obtain the population estimates, cultural diversity, income levels, poverty among children and unemployment rates. In 2013 the population estimates of 42, 361 were found in Dubois County (United States Census Bureau, 2014). Of  these, the cultural demographics of 98% were white and 6.4% were Hispanic or Latino (United States Census Bureau, 2014). In 2011, Dubois County provided only 0.6% of the births in Indiana and 0.7% of the deaths (Kelly School of Business, 2014). The median household income was $54,168 and 7.9% were below poverty level wen the span of 2008-2012 was studied (United States Census Bureau, 2014). The rate of poverty among children in Dubois County was under 10% in 2010(Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center Dubois County Health Department, 2011). A 7.5% unemployment rate in 2010 was seen as well as an increase in families receiving temporary assistance (Memorial Hospital and Health Care Cen ter Dubois County Health Department, 2011). Neighborhood/Community Safety Inventory Environmental safety hazards present in Dubois County range from air pollution, invasive animal species, climate, and resources. Air pollution is a byproduct of the manufacturing industry. The Particulate Matter measurement in 2010 was 27.2ug/m3 which contributes to the asthma and cancer rates in the community (Air Quality, 2012). Another environmental concern is the possible conversion of a coal-fired plant into an incinerator of biomass which also threatens to worsen the respiratory issues of the population (Healthy Dubois County, 2014). Invasive animal species of the county include the Emerald Ash Borer and Gypsy moth who could deforest the trees and shrubs thereby threatening our environment (Dubois County Soil and Water Conservation District, 2014). The climate is humid and the annual precipitation is spread throughout the year (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2014). The soil is flat and provides poor drainage thus placing the county at risk for flooding (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2014). Cultural Assessment Tool The primary cultural groups of Dubois County are whites with German ancestry and a growing Latino population. The numbers of females to males of both cultures is approximately 50:50(Dubois County, n.d.) Religious affiliations of the community include Catholics, Lutheran, Methodist and Mormon with Catholics being approximately 71% of the population (Onboard Informatics, 2013). Disaster Assessment Planning Guide Dubois Countys disaster preparedness plans and resources are maintained by the county health department. The four major areas of focus include: acts of nature, such as floods and tornados; disease outbreaks, such as influenza and Hepatitis; accidents, including chemical spills; and terrorist acts (Dubois County Health Department, 2012). With such disasters the most vulnerable populations are the young and old, who are the most likely to be affected by a disaster. Public agencies such as the Red Cross, Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center, Dubois County Health Department are a few of the local agencies that can offer resources and aid to those individuals during times of crisis. Ethnicity issues related to disaster are language barriers of those who have recently traveled to the area. Windshield Survey The environment of Dubois County is a mix of urban and rural areas that are rich in history. In Jasper, IN there are eighteen parks located in this county seat of Dubois County. They are well maintained by the Parks and Recreation Department of the town. The homes in Jasper overall are well maintained and landscaping includes a mix of trees, shrubs and flowers. The home lot size ranges from small to large as you progress away from the downtown area. Older homes are more focused in the downtown area and newer homes are being developed in the outer areas of town. Not all of the homes have access to sidewalks or walking trails within walking distance. The Patoka River flows through the town and a recreational railway also passes through the town. Residents take advantage of the river front area with a river walk pathway that passes 2.1 miles along the river. The river walk and pavilion area along the river and parks provide common areas for families and fitness enthusiast. Other gathering places include a number of restaurants and bars in town. These restaurants are fast food, fast-casual and bar/grill type establishments. Transportation includes personal vehicles and public transportation. Schools include five primary education schools, one high school and one community college. There are over 50 dentists, 18 family practice, 5 pediatricians and 38 nursing homes/skilled/assisted living agencies in Jasper. The community business owners work hard to build up the town and county through such organizations as Dubois Strong and Greater Downtown Jasper Business Association. Dubois Strongs focus is to support business growth through marketing to access to capital to help new  and existing business to thrive. Diversity can be seen in the growth of Hispanic churches/mass times, Hispanic food stores, and restaurants. Population Health Scavenger Hunt The Dubois County Health Departments target population is the residents of Dubois County and to support the health of the county. The county website promotes the health department and the health department advertises in the local news media with regards to upcoming events and programs. The Jasper Chamber of Commerce promotes local businesses, new resident information, recreation activities, recycling programs, and more. The director of the chamber is also active in promoting the improvement and activities within the city through news media and working with various committees. Both the fire and police department are housed within the city center of Jasper and both provide programs for children in addition to keeping our city safe. The police department provides schools with the DARE program for drug prevention. The City of Jasper, through the service of various agencies, houses a community food bank, energy assistance program, foreclosure prevention services and health family promotio n program for those who qualify. Description of Selected Community Dubois County is a community built with German ancestry that has diversified over the years to include a Hispanic/Latino population. Individuals within the population are proactive in keeping the community thriving in this ever changing environment. Growth of the various cultures can be seen in the development of Hispanic churches and food stores. Cardiovascular disease was the leading cause of mortality in 2006-2008(Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center Dubois County Health Department, 2011). Health disease prevention is provided through programs through the hospital and availably of outside activities found in the river walk and parks in the area. Interpretation of Data When comparing the number of births and deaths in Dubois County to Indiana as a whole, the numbers are even, in comparison. Yet in international migration, the county ranks 23 out of 92 counties (Kelly School of Business, 2014). In examination of the leading causes of death in the county, most young people die due to injury and older people die from either cancer or heart disease. Conclusions could be made from this data. A population who is primarily employed by manufacturing facilities could be the source of the accidents in the young and the environmental agents from these plants may cause death in the elderly after multiple years of exposure. Also, another causative factor to consider is the availability of fast food linked to the increased mortality from heart disease. Problems in the Selected Community When the leading causes of mortality in Dubois County with regards to the Healthy People 2020 goals are examined, the topics of Heart Disease and Stroke, Nutrition and Weight Status and Cancer appear to be the top three problems for this community. Heart disease and stroke are leading causes of mortality in America and therefore lend themselves to an increase in healthcare cost (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). Prevention of these events can start with control of blood pressure, cholesterol, tobacco use, improved diet and increase in physical activity (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). Controlling these risk factors is therefore one of the goals of Healthy People 2020 as they attempt to ameliorate the health of the nation through health promotion and prevention. Not only does improving ones nutrition and weight decrease the risk of heart disease and stroke, but it will also aid in the prevention of other diseases including cancer. The Healthy People 2020 goal of Nutrition and Weight Status not only looks at an individuals diet, but increasing household food security and eliminating hunger (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). With the accessibility of fast food, increased physical inactivity and environmental safety concerns over the past few years, these goals for health promotion and prevention are applicable to this community. The resources in the community along with the communitys desire to care for its members should help this community thrive. Problem in Relation to Goals Healthy People 2020 are science based goals for â€Å"improving the health of all Americans† (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). It â€Å"established benchmarks and monitored progress over time in order to encourage collaboration across communities and sectors, empower individuals toward making informed health decisions, and measure the impact of prevention activities† over a ten year period( U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). Through the identification of a community’s health needs, a community can determine the health priorities and opportunities for improvement† (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). This process helps the community to live â€Å"longer lives free of preventable disease, disability, injury and premature death† (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). Therefore looking at the Dubois County community’s health concerns for heart disease and stroke, the goal of nutrition and weight status is a great starting point for improving the health of the community. As the individual lives of the community members improve so will the county. A healthy community is a thriving community. Poor nutrition has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. Not only is nutrition an individuals choice, but resources must be accessible for proper nutrition and exercise. Fresh produce through Farmers Markets, health promotion through work, and accessible healthy activities for the public are a few solutions to support the community as they strive to ameliorate their lives. Availability of Community Resources A variety of organizations throughout the community provide services to improve the nutrition and health of those it serves. The Greater Downtown Business Association hosts a Farmers Market every Saturday morning from May through October. Not only does this provide locally grown produce to the community, but it also offers a positive social gathering for families and those interested in improving their nutrition. Many of the local churches and organizations offer 5K run/walk opportunities throughout the county as well. Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center offers fitness and nutrition classes for the community as part of their mission to Be for others. Primary Prevention Topic My primary prevention topic is the prevention of overweight and obesity by means of healthy nutrition and physical activity. Amelioration of health will reduce the disease risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer in our community. A successful community starts with healthy individuals. Use of Questions The largest contributor to morbidity and mortality in Dubois County is poor nutrition either through lack of education or resources. The businesses and organizations are trying to improve the nutrition/physical fitness of the community by offering classes, walk/runs and other means of health promotions through media promotion. The local physicians have discussed services on local radio programs, through seminars at the hospital and in articles in the local papers. There is also a community food bank and farmers market. The most recent controversial community health concern published by the news media is that of the proposed biomass plant to be initiated in the old power plant location. There has been community involvement by community leaders and individuals to keep this from happening due to the concern of air quality. As it stands, the company that was going to initiate the transition to biomass has recently revoked their commitment to the project. Most people in the community are concerned about staying healthy for a better quality of life, but they may just not realize all the free or low cost resources available to them. Local news media advertise the hospital programs available and promote the local fitness activities available. Education needs to remain a constant to inform the community of the opportunities available to them. As mentioned previously, most of the emergency room visits are due to injuries/accidents, but cardiology issues is the top hospital inpatient discharge diagnosis (Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center Dubois County Health Department, 2011). Therefore focus on prevention and treatment of heart disease is of paramount importance. Focusing on prevention will improve the longevity of this community. Quality of life in the community is reduced by the prevalence of multiple factories in the area. As previously mentioned, the air quality has impacted the community’s rate of asthma and cancer. Imp roving quality of life needs to include improving air quality. References 2011 Dubois County Health Needs Assessment (Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center Dubois County Health Department, 2011) Retrieved from www.duboiscountyin.org/stories/2011dchealthassess.pdf Air Quality. (2012). Indiana County of Dubois Government Website. Retrieved from www.duboiscountyin.org City Data: Dubois County, Indiana. (Onboard Informatics, 2013). Retrieved April 22, 2014 from www.city-data.com/county/Dubois_County-IN.html Dubois County. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved April 22, 2014 from http://enwikipedia.org/wiki/DuboisCounty,Indiana Dubois County Health Department (2012). Indiana County of Dubois Government Website. Retrieved from www.duboiscountyin.org Dubois County Indiana Profile (Kelly School of Business, 2014). Retrieved from www.stats.indiana.edu Flood Insurance Study: Dubois County, Indiana and Incorporated Areas (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2014). Retrieved from in.gov Healthy Dubois County (Healthy Dubois County, 2014). Retrieved from www.healthyduboiscounty.org Invasive Animal Species Information (Dubois County Soil and Water Conservation District, 2014). Retrieved from www.duboisswcd.org State County Quick Facts: Dubois County, Indiana (United States Census Bureau, 2014). Retrieved from www.quickfacts.census.gov. U.S . Department of Health and Human Services. (2012). About Healthy People. HealthyPeople.gov. Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2013). Nutrition and Weight Status. HealthyPeople.gov. Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=29 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2013). Heart Disease and Stroke. HealthyPeople.gov. Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=21

A football match Essay Example for Free

A football match Essay After analyzing my performance in a football match I was able to notify and identify my strengths in a game and how these had a positive effect on my performance. I have good awareness and I am also capable of running up and down the right wing to make and receive passes. Also allowing me to make successful crosses into my opponents area. I have good all over body strength and can use it to stop a defender from tackling me. I can dribble the ball in different directions and keep control of it then I am able to look up and make a successive pass to a team mate in the goal area and have an increased opportunity of scoring goals to win the match. I always dribble the ball with two feet allowing me to move inwards or outwards so I can confuse my opponents the I put my self into a passing or shooting position very quickly. I also try to use my voice as much as possible and try to communicate with my other team mates and tell them to either pass or shoot the ball. When I am in danger I am able to pass to a near by team mate or clear the ball from my teams half into my opponents half which can be difficult at certain times. I am also able to header the ball or volley the ball into my opponents goal when one of my team mates crosses the ball into my opponents goal area. I have a lot of speed and strength which can be useful in matches and is an appropriate fitness level at certain ages. I may have a lot of strengths but I do also have a lot of weaknesses in attacking and defending. When a through ball pass is made past a defender for me to run to I am sometimes not quick enough to get to it or I do not react quick enough to receive the ball. As a result the ball either goes of the pitch or my opponents team defender gets to the ball before me which can reduce my teams chances of scoring goals to win the match. In certain goal scoring opportunities I have the eagerness to move and make a hard shot but my shot accuracy is very of target and sometimes goes of the pitch or the goal keeper saves it. I am sometimes not in a ready position to receive the ball and seem to make poor contact with the ball when it has been passed or crossed to me. As a right midfielder I need to take advantage of these opportunities and score for my team to win. Into the end of the first half of the game I seem to show weakness in my stamina and seem to be out of breath quite quick. My body feels very exhausted when I finish running up and down the wing and I am unable to move around the wing area quick as I use to move before. When we lose the ball or possession I sometimes walk back on defence instead of running back to try and tackle the attacker with the ball or help my defenders get the ball back. When my team are taking a corner kick I seem not to be moving around the area so I can get the opportunity to jump up and header the ball into my opponents goal. I have a low shot power in my left foot and hardly use my left foot in matches which could be a big help in certain situations

Group Formation And Group Roles

Group Formation And Group Roles Which work is better, a group work or an individual work. There is no answer to this question as it has many facets. Our main focus during the group assignment was to analyze the organizational structure; culture and management and leadership style. In this essay, I have analyzed and evaluated the one aspect during the group work, its approaches and its relevant theories. I have highlighted my aim and justification of the performance by illustrating the group formation: identifying both the aspect positive as well as negative. I have interrelated my experience with the theories and also focused on how group roles played an important role during the group assignment. This essay is divided into four parts but interlinked parts. The first part includes Group Formation and Group Roles: development and its related issues. The second part focuses on the approaches to the group roles. The third part focuses on the identifying the effects when a similar situation happens in the organization. The final part focuses on diagnosing or suggesting the various group role models. Conclusion is also included in the end. 2.0 GROUP FORMATION AND GROUP ROLES An individuals performance enlighten into an optimum group. It is a reflection of what I have written in my personal diary and also, from the recording of the meeting. The group passes through five clearly defined stages of development, which they labeled as forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning (Tuckman, 1965; Tuckman and Jensen, 1977) 2.1 FORMING In my viewpoint, forming a group before doing a task is an important issue. Our Group can be called FORMAL group, which was deliberately created to complete the project. Initially, I was feeling uncomfortable with the group because our ideas and way of thinking were not alike. It was formed because we were sitting next to each other. I thought to form a group with people who have opinions about the subject and had been always outspoken. In our group, four members were from same nationality and one from other nationality. All the members from the same nationality were from different corners of the country. I believe point of doing an assignment is not only going along with group but also to work on something, which is unknown to you. This is the reason we decided to have diversification in the group. Diversification is important because we get to know about the working environment of the other nationalities. It was also a test of adaptability. In the group, I think important role is of a Leader but no one emerged as a leader within the group because everyone wants to work on of its own in their comfortable space. 2.2 STORMING On our first group meeting, we had a conversation about the selection of organization. We had storming two-hour session and were discussing to either select the organization that has a worldwide reach or to select a national organization. I was favoring to have a national organization because it will be gives us an advantage since we dont have much experience person in the group. At the end of the session, we decided to take a national organization for various reasons. Group meeting left us with various questions: 1) Which kind of organization should be taken? 2) How can we benefit our project? 3) From where and how can we collect data? 4) Evaluation of the organization? After the meeting, it was decided that everyone has to come up with one organization and have to work on the questions above within a week. I think two members didnt like the way the process was going on. While coming from the meeting, they told me to focus on Something Concrete and they were feeling shy to give out the opinions. I asked them to write everything in an email and send it to everyone in the group. 2.3 NORMING Norming is a period where we should trust each other and try to develop an atmosphere where everyone can work. Initially, I was unhappy with group but after our first meeting, I felt little relaxed that some members were responding and giving out the opinions. The member whom I suggested to give out the mails didnt send any e-mail neither they came with any organization and its working in the second meeting. So, the other three members gave out their suggestion and their respective organization. The member from the other nationality gave out the best suggestion and was decided to choose it as a topic. When we were dividing out the sections of the outline, members including myself showed some anger and irritation. Due to domination by one member, no one was able to choose theirs respective topics and roles. My role to become the leader of the group was not accepted by the other member. The other member wanted no one to become the leader in the group. I believe everybody has an intention to become the leader. Since, there was no leader. Everybody chose their role in a way that even they were not even aware of the responsibilities with the role. The main motive of the group is to able to present the best work you can do as group and also not letting the other group members down. This thing actually calmed me down and then, decided to work on some other aspect of the organization. Altercation happened between other members as well for the same reason. Nobody was willing to get out of his comfortable zone. We also decided to communicate with each other regularly, because it has been seen that group who are not performing well is a lack of communication and knowledge but it doesnt come off. 2.4 PERFORMING This is the crucial point of the group, which test the ability and consensus within the group. After working for more than 2 weeks and giving out suggestion through meetings and emails, no one including myself had completed the work. From the initial period of the group formation till the time of performing, we had lot of contradiction within the group and were not getting along but motivation to give the best project always had given us to move forward and also to perform. During our group performance, I think sections in the outline were not properly drawn as the data that was collected was colliding with each others work. My part was to work on the organization structure. It was very lengthy but with help of other members I was able to finish it in time. Sometimes, when I had any problem with the structure, my other members were willing to help me. Even at end of the project, I believe delegation of work was not done properly. If it had been, then we could have made a better proje ct. 2.5 ADJOURNING Anxiety and excitement didnt allow me to sleep for two nights before submission. I feel that I have given out my best in this project. After the completion of the project and reading the project again gave me a sense that anyhow work can be done. After submitting the assignment, everybody in the group shook hands with each other and also celebrated for the submission. During the project, I made new relationship with members and also, decided to take one of the members for the next group assignment (International Banking). Our group had achieved the goals what we decided in the initial stage and thus, was the time to adjourn the group. We regularly faced the problem at several times. As a member of the group, we regularly faced the problem at different times. There was a cycle of storming, norming and performing at every stage. 3.0 APPROACHES TO GROUP ROLES This part of the essay, firstly I would like to write about the problems that I have faced while working with group. Secondly, how I could have made it better or will be acting on the similar situations in the future. The experience I had and the problem I faced will be an advantage in my future assignments, as it will give me a better understanding of the roles. We have followed the model of Benne and Sheats (1948) to achieve our goals. The role that we have mutually delegated to every member was different. Firstly, Information-Giver is a person who finds out all the relevant information before moving forward. Also, clarifies the problem if there is something missing or unclear. In our second meeting, we decided to assign one member to gather all the information. He provided us with the primary data but he did not make clarifications on some issues. He gave us the overview of the organization but was never able to provide with the insights of the organization. So, everyone in the group has to their relative research about their work, which gave us conflict between our works. Secondly, we decided to communicate and work at all times. Whenever I was asked to give out Opinions on any subject, I was willing to do that. Sometimes, even I cannot suggest something on some issues until and unless I have the proper evidence to support it. I asked for the help if I am in a problem or not able to understand, members willingly helped me. I would say everyone in a group was an opinion giver. Sometimes, opinions and suggestion are followed by the egos and domination. Since, our group was a leaderless group. Everybody in the group wanted to dominate the group. At some point, I felt the same but I have realized that giving out opinions doesnt mean that the person can lead the group until and unless has the characteristics of the leaders. Thirdly, for the conclusion of the topic, we assigned one of the members as an Evaluate-critic. As he was given the authority to look after the each part of the topic and critically analyze and write down the conclusion accordingly. He started criticizing the points that we have written also belittling us. After the submission of the assignment, he was boasting himself and was trying to take credit from other members. If I had been in the same position, I would never try to take the credit of the people and would also appreciate the work of others. Fourthly, the main problem we faced during our group was that one of member possesses the traits of the Dominator. From the beginning till adjourning of the group, the member was trying to show him as a leader but a leader is different from dominator. He was forcing everyone in the group to do the work accordingly and roles that he has assigned but a leader gives liberty to the other members to work according to their characteristics. Conflict mounted due to this issue in the group. This instance gave me an experience that there is a little difference between a leader and a dominator. There is always an advantage to have a leader over dominator in the group. 4.0 EFFECTS OF GROUP ROLES IN AN ORGANISATION In this section, I would like to evaluate the Benne and Sheats (1948) Group roles theory into an organization taking my personal experience into consideration. I will consider the similar situation in an organization in terms of Group Formation and Group Roles. Benne and Sheats(1948) encouraged Social role and Beblin (1996) encouraged Team Role, t he two most common frames of reference on group roles which have been suggested below:- In my perspective, Team role should be considered within an organization. Individual work is different from teamwork but from my perception and perspective of an organization, Team role can lead to a better understanding between the members of the group. As I have experienced, Belbin (1981,1993,1996) argues the Benne and Sheats (1948) Functional Role Theory by stating that firstly, people in organization are selected on the basis of experience or ability, not on the basis of personal characteristics. Secondly, it also limits the likelihood that they will be successful in other roles. The performance of any organization can be impeded by various problems. Firstly, I would like talk about Maslows (1954) hierarchy of needs. Self-esteem in Hierarchy has been described as achievement and respect for each other that can be obtained by providing appropriate Group role to the person. Once the person is satisfied with what he is doing and it is going with his personality, he will perform better. I can relate the self-esteem with the problem we had in our group .If everyone was given their part according to their characteristic, and then we could have worked produced better result. Secondly, the flow of opinion should be made clearly without any egos and attitude. Knowledge Sharing can lead to the better work. Knowledge sharing always gives a better working environment and also, a competitive work. (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995; Nonaka and Kanno, 1998; Grant, 2005). This similar situation happened in our group, opinions were given to help each other but egos and attitude always followed and power to dominate. Knowledge sharing should be made without any hesitation and greed. Thirdly, I would like to Benne and Sheats (1948) model as the most of the positive aspect such as evaluator-critic can be transformed into Recognition Seeker (Dysfunctional) if evaluator-critic is given importance. As I mentioned above, Evaluator-critic was trying to get recognition as an individual. If the similar situations happens in the organization, this might result into a havoc because every individual is working for the organization ,not for the individual recognition. This will create disharmony in the group, which will reflect for the organization. I would like to suggest on the basis of the group role that in organization Belbin(1996) nine team role should be followed to achieve the goal and every member should be chosen in terms of their characteristics. This will increase the productivity as well as the level of healthy competition within the organization. This is how an organization can be benefited from the Group roles. 5.0 DIAGNOSIS OF GROUP ROLES APPROACH I have already argued and suggested that organization needs a proper set of roles, which can be provided to the employee and employer for the betterment of the organization. I have argued that sometimes, Task role and Maintenance role theory of Benne and Sheats (1948) transform into the Individual roles, which are self-centered and personal motives, arises. There are many concepts of Group such as Benne and Sheats(1948), Bales(1950) but most popular in modern days is Beblin(1996). The table below shows the group roles suggest by Beblin(1996). The theory above shows coherent relationship with the organization group roles. This will not only increase the performance of the organization, also the interaction between and within the groups. This can work for the big organization but with smaller group of 9-10 people. However, there are no theories without criticism. Beblins theory has been criticized by the Aitor Aritzeta et. Al (2007). Firstly, he argued that team success cannot be measured with this theory and hard to recognize that all the nine roles have been opted. Secondly, the theory takes excessive psychological perspective on role. Thirdly, the theory is unable to differentiate between different types of tasks. David Butcher and Catherine Bailey (2000) argued that Dream Team, where all member are committed to one work, and all the members are present at decision -taking time. They felt this is impractical and undesirable. 6.0 CONCLUSION I have considered many issues and explained it in terms of approaches, effects in organization and also, suggested the better way to assign the group roles. However, during my group work, I have taken the Benne and Sheats(1948) Theory which resulted in a average performance but If I would have used Beblin(1996) theory for the group roles in my group, then we could have performed better. Although, every theory has a criticism and flaws but this can be suggested that organization of today world uses Beblin Theory for group roles. I would also like to conclude that problems would never be reflected on any other assignments. The key lesson learned from this assignment that people should be judged by their characteristics and assigning the roles accordingly. It is necessary to move forward as described by Tuckman and Jensen(1965) to achieve the goals.

North American and European Airline Industry Essay -- Business Managem

North American and European Airline Industry INTRODUCTION The Airline industry is one of the world’s largest industries generating over $300 billion in revenues in 2001 alone and additionally has the second highest industrial growth rate, after the computer industry, with typical growth rates of 3-5% per annum over the last 20 years (Humphreys, 2003; BA Fact book, 2002). For the purpose of this assignment, freight/cargo airline activities will not be considered as freight travel consists of only 2 % of total airline activity (see figure 3.1 and appendix 1) (BA Fact book, 2002, ICAO, 2003). Furthermore, due to the nature of the airline industry and the Asian market being a lot smaller and internally focused, we will concentrate on the North American and European markets which between them, account for 65% of the market (see figure 3.1 and appendix 1) (ICAO, 2003). Section 1:The main forces shaping the airline sector’s global business environment. The past two years has seen an unprecedented number of airlines, worldwide, filing for bankruptcy and many more would have followed suit had it not been for government intervention (Economist, 2002a). The main factors leading to their demise and to the problems currently faced by the airline industry in general, have their roots in the existing economic and political climate, which according to IATA (2002) continue to remain challenging. 1.1 Economic Forces facing the airline industry Since the performance/profitability of the airline industry is closely connected to the economic cycle (BA Fact Book, 2002), the importance of the global economic environment and the impact that it has on the industry cannot be underestimated (see figure 1.1). This is evident from the performance of the industry during the late 1990’s as profitability soared on the back of a buoyant world economy (characterised by the hype generated by the technological revolution; record levels of corporate activity etc) which fuelled demand for air travel. It is not surprising that the subsequent slump in air travel which began in the USA towards the end of 2000 and slowly spread to other parts of the world (Economist, 2001), corresponded to a change in the economic forces as the knock on effects of the US economic slowdown infiltrated the global economy. One of the main consequences of the g... ... flights and the introduction of ‘World Traveller Plus’ – a new business and economy product. These two markets of business and economy are perceived to be the most demanding and profitable in the future and therefore BA have additionally positioned itself well to take advantage of these developments (Economist, 2002b; BA Fact book, 2002). Therefore, the penetration and consolidation of markets, cost management and refocusing of culture and infrastructure assisted by the collaboration available within its OneWorld Alliance are placing BA in a healthier position to survive the turbulence that lies ahead. FINAL THOUGHTS The future of BA and that of many other airlines is going to depend on the highly volatile political and economic situation facing the world as seen in section 1. War in Iraq is creating an increased sense of panic in the world’s industries and therefore, an accurate forecast as to the airline industry development is somewhat convoluted and complex due to the overwhelming sense of uncertainty that prevails. Therefore, BA’s future positioning and its subsequent success within this sector is going to be decidedly susceptible to the worlds events.

The Human Genome Project (HGP) Essay -- sustainability of the human po

Has the Human Genome Project created viable mechanisms that enable or disable the sustainability of the human population? The definition of sustainability is â€Å"the ability to be upheld or defended† (Oxford South African Pocket Dictionary, 2006, p912.). The sustainability of the human population has been one of the most imperial factors in terms of our existence. From every realm of profession, thinkers all over the world have been looking for ideas that would give us a secure way to definitely increase our longevity. This is why I believe the discovery of the human genome has opened many windows of opportunities that securely sustain our existence due to providing information about terminal diseases. The discovery of the human genome has led to innovative methods that have provided the purest understanding of the human anatomy. In conjunction, the mapping of the human genome has created mechanisms that allow the human population to be less susceptible to diseases. The Human Genome Project (HGP) was as international biological research that was co-ordinated by the National Institute of Health and the U.S. Department of Energy in the year of 1990. The HGP had a primary goal of mapping out and sequencing the nucleotides that are present in the fundamental structure DNA, identify all the genes and develop faster methods of mapping out DNA. Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Deoxyribonucleic acid is â€Å"a self-replicating material which is present in all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes; it is also the carrier of genetic information† (Oxford Dictionary online, no date). This structure is located in the nucleus and is made up of a sugar molecule (deoxyribose), a Phosphate molecule (P) and four nitrogenous bases: ad... ...ine] retrieved from: http://www.animalgenome.org/edu/doe/prim2.html [2014/05/07]. Time:01:08AM The Oxford South African Pocket Dictionary (2006). 3rd Edition. Oxford University Press. The American Heritage Dictionary (2013). 5th Edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt [online]. Retrieved from: http://www.yourdictionary.com/blastomere (2014/03/17) The Oxford English Dictionary [online]. Oxford University Press. Available from: http://www.oxford.co.uk The structure of DNA [illustration] http://images.flatworldknowledge.com/ballgob/ballgob-fig19_006.jpg Assessed: UCSC (2003) What is the human genome [online] Available: https://cbse.soe.ucsc.edu/research/human_genome Assessed (2014/03/15) Time: 10:00AM W. Gregory F., Alan E. G., Francis S. C. (2010). Genomic Medicine — An Updated Primer. The Journal of the American Medical Association. Volume 362. Pp. 2001-2011

Hybrid Cars Essay -- Cars Car Hybrids Gas Essays Vehicle Automobile

I have always wondered what Hybrid cars were all about. Especially because over the past couple of years gas prices have been at record highs. I knew that there were such things as electric cars but until this last year or so I have only seen the wealthy be able to afford to drive them. And from what I had heard about Hybrid cars was that they were over priced, small, and not so attractive cars. No wonder nobody owns them. Now I am starting to see them more often and they aren’t as bad as everyone had said. For this exploratory essay I first wanted to figure out what a hybrid car was and how it compared to regular cars. I wanted to find out everything that there is to know about them. I wanted to research the hybrid as if I wanted to buy it, which I do. First off in my search I wanted to figure out what exactly a hybrid car was and how it worked. There are two configurations for hybrid cars. The first configuration uses a gasoline engine to run a generator. The generator supplies electricity to the motor, which drives the wheels, which allows the gasoline engine to run constantly while achieving optimum fuel efficiency. This then minimizes emissions owing to incomplete combustion. A hybrid car with parallel configuration uses both an engine and a motor to drive the wheels depending on driving conditions (1). Hybrid cars use both gas and electric. The gasoline engine is the primary source of power, while the electric motor is used at low speeds. Emissions levels are reduced because the gasoline engine shuts off at low speeds. An additional benefit of the parallel configuration is that no outside source of electric power is required because the engine itself generates the required electricity(How Stuff). As I was searching on the internet; I also had in mind to find out if everything I had been told about hybrid cars was true. Things like they are expensive to repair, you have to replace the battery all the time, or that they aren’t very safe. In my search I came across an article by Don Hamonds, a writer for the post-gazette, which helped clear some things up. As for high repair costs, technical problems, and the lack of technicians to serve the vehicles that is to be expected but as the popularity grows so will the convenience of owning a hybrid car. The automotive career development center trains about 3,000 people each year to ... ...). This was a topic that kinda scared me. Not only is the driver not safe in the car, if the electrical system shuts down, but the rescuers are putting themselves in danger. I guess the car company’s are putting their best efforts forward, but only time and experience will help everyone get past this obstacle. Next I wanted to see how the hybrid car compares to a regular car. I know so far that it gets better gas milage that a regular car dose, but how much better and what else dose it have to offer. I found a very interesting article that was about a guy and girl that worked for the sierra club that went on a road trip to compare a Toyota Prius and a GMC Yukon. They went on a 700 mile trip and compared them to each other. The Prius got 45.5mpg and the Yukon got 16.3mpg, which is a huge difference. On the total trip the Yukon used 43.01 gallons costing $60.24. Whereas the Prius only used 16.3 gallons and it only cost $22.84. To me that is worth buying the Prius. But the most amazing thing was the prius only produced 308 pounds of Co2 in the air but the Yukon produced about 820 pounds. After reading this I was shocked at how much Co2 was put into the air( Hattam 1-4 ).

Anyone Except the Clutters: the Question of Meaning in Capote’s in Cold Blood

A strange thing happens when people like the Clutters experience an â€Å"undeserved† misfortune. Perhaps misfortune is an understatement in the Clutters case, but the fact is that when bad things happen to good people, everyone around them cannot help but question the nature of good and evil; with that comes the existence of God. Capote put it best in the quote he included from the schoolteacher: â€Å"Feeling wouldn’t run half so high if this had happened to anyone except the Clutters. Anyone less admired. Prosperous. Secure. But that family represented everything people hereabouts really value and respect, and that such a thing could happen to them –well , it’s like being told there is no God. It makes life seem pointless. † (88) The question of why bad things happen to good people is a very loaded question; one that is broader than the scope of this essay. The goal of this essay will be to determine what Capote’s answer to this question is, at least in the context of this novel. Does he believe that the Clutters died for a reason, or that it was simply a random act that they were caught up in by chance? Throughout the novel, the one character who is completely consumed by the question of meaning is Detective Dewey. His dedication to finding the Clutters murderers is driven by his belief that â€Å"he might suddenly ‘see something,’ that a meaningful detail would declare itself† (83). The Clutters murder didn’t seem to have any apparent meaning. But Detective Dewey was not alone in his belief that the actions people do are meaningful; that the events that occur in this world have an order, a design. This belief is prevalent, especially in religious groups, and we learn in the novel that Holcomb, Kansas is part of the â€Å"Bible Belt† (34). It was definitely a religious town, and the Clutters were churchgoing folk. Dewey, for this reason, cannot escape believing there is a reason for everything, and that the Clutters death had a purpose. Is that what Capote wishes to tell us? Because I have a difficult time understanding what purpose there could be for a hard-working, wealthy family of four to be murdered in their beds for â€Å"a few dollars and a radio† (103). The structure of this novel is rather strange for a â€Å"murder-mystery†; it is not told chronologically; the night of the murder is skipped over until the very end. More importantly, we are told right from the beginning of the novel that the four Clutters are murdered, and we know who murdered them. For a typical murder-mystery, the revelation of the killer is always the climax of the action. In fact, Capote has given us more than the names of the killers; he gives us insight into their lives, and thoughts, leading up the murders. The reason for this is because Capote has fashioned a novel where we are not reading to find out who perpetrated the crime, but why the killers killed the Clutters. I think, of all the characters in this novel, Dewey is the only one who tries to answer this question. In fact, the reason why he believes that the killers to be motivated by personal interests, even though the deaths were â€Å"brutal and without apparent motive† (70), is because he believes that there must be something he is not seeing. He mentions several times that the police department â€Å"didn’t have all the facts† (70) and didn’t really know what they were dealing with. He looks at all the clues; analyses all the data; interviews all the townspeople who had grudges, business, or any reason to dislike the Clutters. He knows that the information he is seeing doesn’t make sense, but he can’t figure out the key, the clue, the mystery that will make their deaths make sense. Dewey thinks that the key to understanding why the Clutters died is their killers. If he can find who killed the Clutters then he will know why they killed the Clutters. Unfortunately, all of the â€Å"knowledge† about the crimes from those who committed it does not give Dewey any definitive answers: But the confessions, though they answered questions of how and why, failed to satisfy his sense of meaningful design. The crime was a psychological accident, virtually an impersonal act; the victims might as well have been killed by lightning. (245) I don’t think that this is a fair statement for Dewey to make, although he is the character that would definitely believe this way. Saying that the Clutters might as well have bee â€Å"killed by lightning† (245) is to say that anything could have killed them. While this is true in the sense that anyone could die at any given moment, it is not true in the sense that the killers could not have been just anybody. The Clutters were a good, white, well-off and (reasonably) happy. Though when we read this novel, we may not feel extremely attached to the Clutters, we can easily see that they were good people. Their neighbours have only nice things to say about them, and the town thinks that â€Å"of all the people in the world, they were the least likely to be murdered† (85). They were not the kind of people who made other people want to murder them. The killings could be said to have been â€Å"impersonal†, but I think that the more correct statement is not that anything could have killed the Clutters, but that Dick and Perry could have killed anyone. The Clutters were the arbitrary part of the equation. The only reason they were chosen over any other family was the fact that they were tipped off about a safe on their property. If they had never been told about the safe I believe that Dick and Perry, in all likelihood, would never have met the Clutters. The killers, particularly Dick, were prepared to kill up to twelve people that November night. Dick had no way of knowing who would be there, but knew that it didn’t matter who was there, he would do what he had to in order to secure his and Perry’s venture. That they only got a radio and 40 or 50 dollars out of the bargain was secondary. The Clutters were the epitome of the American Dream, embodying a lifestyle that all Americans could relate to. But if they die and there is no reason for it, no meaning to it, then that means that the American Dream, by extension, is also dead; it would be â€Å"like being told there is no God† (88). If the American Dream is dead, then being a good person is not enough to protect you from the bad things in the world. I think that though Capote has Dewey searching for meaning to this tragedy, I would argue that Dewey never finds what he is searching for. The perpetrators were expected to be monsters; evil; remorseful at least. But I don’t think Dick and Perry fulfilled the public’s idea of the Clutter’s murderers. ? Works Cited Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood. Toronto: Random House, 1993. Print.

How to quite smoking Essay

The smoking problem has become quite prevalent in our society. Several governments have had problems dealing with a huge health care burden due to diseases and conditions brought about by smoking. At the same time, individuals suffer several addictive and health issues due to smoking. While this information may be apparent to most of the smokers, studies have found that quitting a smoking habit is quite a challenge. The reason behind such challenge is attributed to Nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive substance naturally occurring in Tobacco. Nicotine, just like any other addictive substance creates a new feeling to the user. It creates feeling associated with drug such as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. Therefore, an attempt to stop quit is usually a difficult undertaking due to the emotional, mental and physical attachment to the nicotine. This paper will provide a step by step process that would assist a smoker to quit. The first step in quitting smoking is by making a vital decision that there is need to quit the practice. It is upon the smoker to make individual effort and get to the point of conceding to the position that smoking is both repugnant and unhealthy. Smoking is one of the greatest health risk known to humanity. There are several health conditions and diseases that can directly or indirectly be associated with smoking.One of the greatest health concerns for smoking is cancer. It is common knowledge, almost known to everyone, that smoking is a leading cause for lung cancer. Other cancers that have attributed to smoking include cancer of the throat (pharynx), mouth, blabber, nose, kidney, pancreas, stomach, colon and acute myeloid leukemia.Health conditions relating to smoking do not end there. Long time  smoking has been associated with heart attacks, blood vessel diseases and stroke. It may also lead to blindness, tooth loss, bad breath, gum diseases and poor personal hygiene. Moreover, smoking has serious repercussion on women and babies. Older women who smoke and use birth control pills tremendously increase their susceptibility to cancer and blood clots in the blood vessels (American Lung Association, 2011). Finally, quitting smoking will increase the life of an individual and this perhaps one of the most important reasons to quit smoking. Therefore, the first step in quitting smoking is making the decision to quit. Once the decision to quit smoking has been arrived at, the next important step is to set a date that the quitting starts. It is advisable to pick a quitting date that is within the month. This is due to the fact that taking too long to start the quit process will provide enough time to rationalize smoking and thus reverse the decision the quit. At the same time, one should take time to make a quit strategy in order to review all angles to evade failure. Thus, an individual could take about two to three weeks to properly plan the quit.This time should also be used to develop and identify physical and emotional activities that will replace the role of nicotine. In most cases, smoking is a routine performed along with other activities such watching TV, drinking, breaks at work or drinking coffee. One should identify these activities in order to replace the smoking with something else. For instance, if free hours were spent drinking and watching TV while smoking, such free time should be used in other activities say going to the gym, swimming, cycling or taking extra working hours. The emphasis is physical and mental involvement taking the mind and body off smoking. A successful quit is proved by a total avoidance of nicotine in all its variations. A quitting smoker who is around other smokers is very likely to revert to smoking. Either, going to locations where there smokers exposes the individual to secondary smoke which still contains nicotine and the psychological effects may be as smoking. Therefore, a quitting smoker should try as possible to keep off heavy smoking locations as well as friends.On the other hand, a quitting smoker should try and gain new behavior. If during smoking, the quitting individual was used to coffee and alcohol, it  advisable to switch to other drinks such juice and water. There are other things used to occupy the mouth such sugarless gum, carrot sticks or just hard candy. Smoke quitters may not be able be cope with a complete quit due to a high physical dependence on nicotine. While this may be case, studies have found medication that assist quitters cope with lack of nicotine. There are several nicotine replacement therapies that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Some of the most common replacement therapies include patch, lozenges, gum, inhalers and nasal sprays. These replacement therapies contain a predetermined dosage of nicotine. The idea is to provide the body with a diminishing amount of nicotine so that the physical shock to the body is mitigated. However, any replacement therapy should not be administered by the patient. A quitting smoker needs to consult a physician in order to establish the extent and type of therapy to use. Either, the dosage used should be such that weaning off should be steady in order to record results. Therefore, it is important to have a personal physician who will provide guidance through out the quitting process. Smoking is a habit, usually easy to pick up but extremely difficult to let go. Several youths in their prime find smoking a â€Å"cool† indulgence and in most cases do not draw any direct pleasure from it. With time though, they become addicted to the nicotine and in the process grow as older smoking. With it come the health risks such as cancer, lung disease, stroke, heart attack, gum disease among others. Other undesirable outcomes have long been associated with smoking. In retrospect, it is of vital importance that individuals should quit smoking. It begins by the individual admitting that the practice is dangerous, health-wise and therefore must quit. The next step is draw a plan on when and how to stop smoking. The individual should develop activities that would replace time spent during smoking. Either, a change of character will be paramount for the individual to do away with things that remind them of the smoky past. Finally, quitters who need additional pharmaceutical therapy may seek such therapy with the assistance of qualified physicians. References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2008 ). _Annual smoking-attributable mortality, years of potential life lost, and economic costs – United States, 2000-2004 MMWR._ . Retrieved November 21, 2012 , from www.cdc.gov: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5745a3.htm American Cancer Society. (2012 , October 18 ). _Guide to Quitting Smoking._ Retrieved November 21, 2012 , from www.cancer.org. http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/webcontent/002971-pdf.pdf American Lung Association. (2011). _Trends in Tobacco Use._Retrieved November 21, 2012 , from www.lungusa.org: www.lungusa.org/finding-cures/our-research/trend-reports/Tobacco-Trend-Report.pdf