Assessment Worksheet Essay

1. What section of the SOX compliance law requires proper controls and hence, security controls, to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of financial information and recordkeeping within an IT infrastructure? Explain the information contained in this section. SOX Section 404 mandates that all publicly-traded companies must establish internal controls and procedures for financial reporting and must document test and maintain those controls and procedures to ensure their effectiveness. The purpose of SOX is to reduce the possibilities of corporate fraud by increasing the stringency of procedures and requirements for financial reporting. 2. Who is Richard Scrushy and why is he relevant to SOX? Richard Scrushy first CEO charged with violating the SOX Act. He was owner and founder of HealthSouth Corp 3. Who, under SOX, is legally accountable for certifying and approving the integrity of the company and its financial reporting to the SEC and other financial organizations? Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the CEO and CFO of publicly traded companies to certify the appropriateness of their financial statements and disclosures and to certify that they fairly present. 4. What is the difference between a form 10-K and a form 10-Q, and who must submit these to the Securities Exchange Commissions (SEC) for publicly traded company financial reporting? 10-K is a company’s annual report that is filed yearly & make public. 10-Q is the company’s quarterly report. Upper management of major companies is to submit these to the Securities Exchange Commissions. 5. What qualifies as a â€Å"large accelerated filer,† and how long after the end of the quarter do they have to fi le their quarterly financial report? A company that meets conditions of a million dollar amount has been subject to periodic reporting requirements pursuant to Exchange Act Sections for certain amount of time, has previously filed at least one annual report pursuant, and is not eligible to file â€Å"Small Business† forms. They have75 days after the end of their quarter they have to file their quarterly financial report. 6. Where would someone go in order to find the quarterly and annual reports for a publicly traded company? A person would go to a company’s webpage to find quarterly and annual reports for publicly traded company. Each company  should have an investor relations section. 7. Go into the Edgar Database and find the most recent 10K or 10Q for Microsoft, Nike, and Cisco. Who signed off on the 10K for each of those companies? Microsoft: Assistant Director, Nike: Assistant Director, and Cisco: Assistant Director. 8. What are some of the criminal penalties for falsifying documents, or covers up information related to financial matters and SOX? Some of the criminal penalties for falsifying documents or cover ups information related to financial matters and SOX are imprisonment. Imprisonment varies on situation. 9. What is the Japanese version of SOX, and what agency oversees its implementation? JSOX is the Japanese version of SOX. This is overseen by ULVAC Technologies. 10. Of what was Dennis Kozlowski convicted, and how is it related to SOX? Dennis Kozlowski was convicted for crimes related to authorized bonuses, purchase of art, and other high cost money involvement. It’s related to SOX because fraud for public companies. 11. What is the link between SOX compliance law and information systems security? Section 302 and 404 even though they do not mention IT 12. What sections within SOX compliance law pertain to needing proper internal controls? Section 302 and 404 are needed for proper internal controls to be in compliant with SOX. 13. Explain how these sections within SOX compliance law require proper security controls as it relates to having internal controls. The need for strong internal controls is not limited to public companies, however. Effective internal controls provide all management teams with repeatable and reliable information tools that allow them to identify, manage, and mitigate risk on an ongoing basis 14. Why are Vice Presidents and other executive managers who are privy to financial performance data considered insiders to a publicly traded company as defined by the Security Exchange Commission (SEC)? They would be considered insiders because of the information they have from internal resources. 15. True or False. SOX compliance law now holds CEO’s and CFO’s of publicly traded companies accountable for their actions as officers in a publicly traded company.

The Role of Social Partnership

THE ROLE OF SOCIAL PARTNERSHIP Rory O’Donnell From Studies, Volume 90, Number 357 1. Introduction Social partnership has been a conspicuous feature of Irish economic, social and political life in the past decade and a half. This paper assesses its role in Ireland’s economic transformation and considers what role it might have in the years to come. Section 2 outlines the analytical foundations of Irish partnership and Section 3 shows how these are reflected in the five partners hip programmes since 1987.Section 4 summarises the self-understanding of partnership as a system of bargaining, inclusion and deliberation. The impact of partnership on economic performance is discussed in section 5. The paper close with consideration of the pressures on partnership and its possible future. 2. The Analytical Foundations of Irish Social Partnership In 1990, the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) set out a framework which has informed its subsequent work, and which underlie s the social partners’ understanding of the process.It argued that there are three requirements for a consistent policy framework in a small, open, European democracy: (I) Macroeconomic: the economy must have a macroeconomic policy approach which guarantees low inflation and steady growth of aggregate demand; (ii) Distributional: there must be an evolution of incomes which ensures competitiveness, which handles distributional issues without disrupting the economy and which is fair; (iii) Structural: there must be a set of policies which facilitate and promote structural change in order to maintain competitiveness in an ever changing external environment.The Council argued that, in the Irish case, the first of these requirements is best met by adherence to the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) and transition to EMU. It argued that the second of these requirements is best met by a negotiated determination of incomes. To be really effective, such a negotiated approach must encompass not only the evolution of pay, but also taxation, the public finances, monetary policy, the main areas of public provision and social welfare.In pursuit of the third requirement, the Council advocated a programme of structural reform in taxation, social welfare, housing, industrial policy, manpower policy and the management of public enterprises. It argued that such reforms are best achieved with the consent and participation of those who work in the agencies and institutions concerned. The international orientation of Irish social partnership was further underlined in the 1996 NESC report Strategy into the 21st Century.While globalisation has undermined many elements of national economic policy, there remain areas where national policy remains crucial. In a small, open, European democracy like Ireland: (I) Most of the policies which affect national prosperity are supply-side policies; (ii) Given rapid economic change, national policies must produce flexibility; (iii) Succ essful national supply-side policies, directed towards innovation and competitiveness, depend on the high level social cohesion and co-operation that the state can both call upon and develop.This suggests that once a consensus on macroeconomic policy is in place, the main focus of policy should be on the supply-side measures that influence competitive advantage and social inclusion, and on institutional arrangements that allow discovery and implementation of such measures (NESC, 1996). 3. Five Social Partnership Agreements, 1987 to 2001 The content and process of social partnership has evolved significantly since 1987 (O’Donnell and O’Reardon, 1997, 2000).All five programmes included agreement between employers, unions and government on the rate of wage increase in both the private and public sectors for a three-year period. The exchange of moderate wage increases for tax reductions has remained an important feature of partnership. Beyond pay and tax, the partnership p rogrammes have contained agreement on an ever-increasing range of economic and social policies. A consistent theme has been the macroeconomic parameters of fiscal correction, the Maastricht criteria and transition to EMU. Another has been employment creation and the problem of long-term unemployment.The 1990 agreement led to the creation of local partnership companies—involving the social partners, the community and voluntary sector and state agencies—to design and implement a more co-ordinated, multi-dimensional, approach to social exclusion (Sabel, 1996; Walsh et al, 1998). While partnership began by addressing a critical central issue, looming insolvency an economic collapse, it has since focused more and more on a range of complex supply-side matters. An important feature of Irish social partnership has been the widening of the process beyond the traditional social partners.The National Economic and Social Forum (NESF) was established and membership of existing del iberative bodies (such as NESC) was widened to include representatives of the community and voluntary sector. The programmes negotiated in 1996 and 2000 involved representatives of the unemployed, women’s groups and others addressing social exclusion. Those agreements also included measures to promote partnership at enterprise level and agreement on action to modernise the public service. Using the consistent policy framework outlined in Section 2, we can identify a significant dual evolution of Irish social partnership.Over the five programmes since 1987, the emphasis has shifted from macroeconomic matters to structural and supply side policies, and the range of supply-side issues has widened to address key constraints on Irish growth, such as childcare and life-long learning. This change in the substance or content partnership has involved a parallel change in method. While macroeconomic strategy can be agreed in high-level negotiation, complex cross-cutting policies on soc ial exclusion, training, business development or childcare cannot be devised and implemented in high-level national deliberation or negotiation.Consequently, to address the growing list of supply-side issues there has been an expanding array of working groups, task-forces, ‘frameworks’ and ‘forums’—involving representatives of the various social partners. In a few areas of policy—such as long-term unemployment, rural and urban re-generation and business development—new institutional arrangements have been created involve actors on the ground. + 4. Beyond Bargaining: Deliberation and Problem Solving Shared analysis of economic and social problems and policies has been a key aspect of the partnership process.Indeed, that analysis has focused on the partnership system itself (NESC, 1996; NESF, 1997). This revealed that a distinction can be made between two conceptions, or dimensions, of partnership: 1. Functional interdependence, bargainin g and deal making. 2. Solidarity, inclusiveness and participation. Effective partnership involves both of these, but cannot be based entirely on either. To fall entirely into the first could be to validate the claim that the process simply reflects the power of the traditional social partners.To adopt a naive inclusivist view would risk reducing the process to a purely consultative one, in which all interests and groups merely voiced their views and demands. There is a third dimension of partnership, which transcends these two. ‘Bargaining’ or ‘negotiation’ describes a process in which each party comes with definite preferences and seeks to maximise its gains. But partnership involves the players in a process of deliberation that has the potential to shape and reshape their understanding, identity and preferences.This idea is implicit in NESC’s description of the process as ‘dependent on a shared understanding’, and ‘characterised by a problem-solving approach designed to produce consensus’. This third dimension has to be added to the hard-headed notion of bargaining (and to the idea of solidarity) to adequately capture the process. The key to the process would seem to be the adoption of ‘a problem-solving approach’. As one experienced social partner put it, ‘The society expects us to be problem-solving’. A notable feature of effective partnership experiments is that the partners do not debate their ultimate social visions.This problem-solving approach is a central aspect of the partnership process, and is critical to its effectiveness. This suggests that rather than being the pre-condition for partnership, consensus and shared understanding are more like an outcome. It is a remarkable, if not easily understood, fact that deliberation which is problem-solving and practical produces consensus, even where there are underlying conflicts of interest, and even where there was no sh ared understanding at the outset. It is also a fact that using that approach to produce a consensus in one area, facilitates use of the same approach in other areas.The key may lie in understanding what kind of consensus is produced when problem-solving deliberation is used. It is generally a provisional consensus to proceed with practical action, as if a certain analytical perspective was correct, while holding open the possibility of a review of goals, means and underlying analysis. The word compromise is inadequate to describe this type of agreement, since compromise so often fudges the issues that need to be addressed. A similar account of the elements and process of concertation has independently emerged in recent work on the ‘Dutch miracle’ (Visser and Hemerijck, 1997; Visser, 1998).Visser and Hemerijck draw attention to new combinations of centralisation and decentralisation, and emphasise the combination of interest-group dialogue and expert input which create a common definition of problems. This yielded a ‘problem-solving style of joint decision-making’, in which participants are ‘obliged to explain, give reasons and take responsibility for their decisions and strategies to each other, to their rank and file, and to the general public’ (Visser, 1998, p. 12). The institutions of concertation work where they facilitate shift from a ‘bargaining style’ to a ‘problem-solving style’.Visser considers that ‘the most interesting property of social cencertation lies in the possibility that interest groups redefine the content of their self-interested strategies in a â€Å"public-regarding† way’ (Visser, 1998, p. 13). 5. The Impact of Partnership on Economic Performance The period of social partnership has been one of unprecedented economic success in Ireland. The country not only escaped from the deep economic, social and political crisis of the 1980s, but may have significant ly addressed its long-term developmental problems of emigration, unemployment, trade deficits and weak indigenous business development.Under partnership, growth resumed, inflation continued to decline, the budget deficit fell sharply, employment began to recover, but unemployment initially stayed stubbornly high. The European recession of the early 1990s and the ERM crisis of 1992-93 interrupted Ireland’s recovery somewhat. Strong growth after 1993 produced a dramatic increase in employment, huge budget surpluses and, eventually, a big reduction in unemployment. The combination of economic growth, tax reductions, reduced interest rates and wage increases yielded a substantial increase in real take home pay.Between 1987 and 1999, the cumulative increase in real take home pay for a person on average manufacturing earnings was over 35 per cent. The performance of the Irish economy since the mid-1990s, was exceptionally strong, particularly in employment creation. Indeed, between 1994 and 1999, Ireland achieved a 28 per cent increase in employment, while the EU as a whole produced a 3 per cent increase. What role has partnership had in Ireland’s remarkable economic performance since 1987?The partnership approach would seem to have had a significant impact on the Irish economy, though three channels: wage bargaining, coherent and consistent macroeconomic policy and change in supply-side factors. Consider first the impact of the partnership approach to wage bargaining. One of the most striking features of Irish economic performance in the period of partnership has been the enhanced profitability of business. Lane demonstrates that the rate of return on capital almost doubled, rising from 8. 6 percent in 1987 to 15. 4 per cent in 1996.The sharp rise in profitability coincides with ‘the formation of a new consensus among the social partners, as formalised in the negotiation of a sequence of national agreements’, suggesting that ‘the in comes policy that lies at the heart of a new consensus is an important factor in explaining the income shift from labour to capital’ (Lane 1999, p. 228). The resulting environment of wage moderation and high profitability is almost certainly a key factor in Ireland’s employment creation, attraction of inward investment and the unprecedented commercial success of indigenous companies (see also Honohan, 1999; McHale, 2000).FitzGerald’s econometric study of the Irish labour market leads him to suggest that the ‘impact of the partnership approach to wage formation has been less significant than many have assumed’, since ‘the partnership approach served more to validate the results which market forces had made inevitable’ (1999. p. 160 and p. 162). The main impact of partnership lay in improved industrial relations, which significantly enhanced economic performance, and the fact that ‘the partnership approach has also contributed to a more coherent approach to economic policy making’ (FitzGerald, 2000, p. 42).This brings us to the second channel through which partnership influenced the economy. In macroeconomic terms, partnership was an important element in Ireland’s transition form a high-inflation, volatile and conflictual economy to a low-inflation, stable, economy. In particular, a shared understanding on the position of the Irish economy took the exchange rate, and therefore inflation, outside day-to-day party political competition and industrial relations conflict. This can be contrasted with an approach in which short-termism ruled in economic policy, business decisions and wage setting.Through much of the post war period, that led the UK to short bursts of economic growth, followed by recessions imposed in order to reduce inflation. Ireland’s experiment since 1987, partly inoculated it from the unsuccessful combination of macro policy and income determination pursued in Britain for ma ny years. Ireland finally escaped the most negative effects of Britain’s political business cycle. As a result, it achieved low and predictable inflation combined with strong growth of output and employment.It has also preserved a higher level of social solidarity, which seems an essential pre-requisite to sustaining redistributive policies and addressing issues of structural change and reform in a non-conflictual way. Ray MacSharry, Minister of Finance during the critical period of fiscal correction, considers that ‘social partnership could well be regarded as the crowning achievement of the Celtic Tiger economy’ (MacSharry and White, 2000, p. 144). The third channel of influence on the economy is a supply-side mechanism.This arose because there would seem to be a close connection between settling major macroeconomic and distributional issues, on the one hand, and constructive engagement with supply-side problems, on the other. Closing-off macroeconomic alternat ives freed management, union, community and government energies for discussion of real issues that impact on competitiveness and social inclusion—corporate strategy, technical change, training, working practices, the commercialisation of state-owned enterprises, taxation, local re-generation, active labour market policy—and forced (almost) all to engage in realistic discussion of change.During the period of Partnership 2000, the Irish economy has been in virtuous circle. Wage restraint has enhanced competitiveness, which has been converted into employment growth. This in turn has generated additional tax revenues which have been used to reduce direct taxes and hence underpin wage moderation. Indeed, the success of the 1990s has been so great that the constraints on Irish growth now consist of infrastructural bottlenecks and labour shortages, something I discuss in Section 6. It would clearly be inaccurate to attribute all the success of the Irish economy to social part nership.Partnership enhanced competitiveness, assisted fiscal correction, produced consensus and stability in economic policy, and increased flexibility in both public policy and enterprises. This created the context within which Ireland’s long-term developmental strategy finally achieved its potential. That strategy involved heavy investment in education, particularly in information technology, attraction of inward investment and full participation in European integration (O’Donnell, 2000). The ‘Celtic Tiger’ of the 1990s resulted from the interaction of partnership with a set of supply-side characteristics that nhanced international competitiveness and encouraged fast economic growth. These included a young, well-educated, English-speaking workforce, improved infrastructure (funded by both the EU and the Irish state), an inflow of leading US enterprises (attracted by both Irish conditions and the deepening European market), a new population of Irish ente rprises (free of the debilitating weaknesses of the past and open to new organisational patterns), and de-regulation of the service sectors (driven by the completion of the Euroean internal market).The completion of the European internal market internal was a most important factor in the recovery and re-orientation of the Irish economy. One possible limit of consensus is the difficulty of undertaking radical action which disrupts entrenched interests in protected parts of both the public and private sector. While social partnership stabilised the economy, European integration produced a steady pressure to make public utilities and services more efficient, consumer-oriented and independent of state subsidy or protection+.Thus, Ireland benefited from an unusual, but benign, combination of institutionalised co-ordinated of the key economic actors and pressure for market conformity (O’Donnell, 2000). While the evolution of Irish economic policy in the past fourteen years has been marked by a high level of consensus—between the social partners and across the political spectrum—the more liberal and orthodox economists have stood outside the consensus.Their opposition, negligible in policy terms but influential in academia and the media, is both to the substance of the prevailing consensus and to the idea and value of consensus itself. Some have objected to the politicisation of industrial relations because they believe it adds to the bargaining power of trade unionism. Others have argued that the social partners are ‘insiders’, whose pay and conditions have been protected at the expense of ‘outsiders who would work for less’, and that social partnership has had the effect of ‘raising the level of unemployment and emigration’ (Walsh and Leddin, 1992).In a recent historical review of Irish development, Haughton says ‘It was fortunate that the wage agreements have coincided with rapid economic growth, be cause the agreements create considerable rigidity in the labour market’ (Haughton, 1998, p. 37). An aspect of the strategy that has particularly provoked orthodox and neo-liberal economists is EMU. Opposition to the negotiated approach to economic and social management is combined, in almost all cases, with a strong attachment to sterling rather than the euro (e. g Neary and Thom, 1997). 6.The Future of Social Partnership Given pressure on the wage agreement of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF), many are asking ‘can partnership survive? It seems more useful to consider what is now required in the three elements of the consistent policy framework—macroeconomic, distribution and structural change—and to ask what role partnership has in facilitating the necessary policies. Adopting that approach, it is clear that structural issues are urgent and the distributional settlement in place since 1987 is under pressure.The future of partnership revolve s around these two. The urgency of structural and supply-side issues was recognised in the PPF. Rapid growth has led to bottlenecks in housing, labour supply, childcare, health, transport, telecommunications, electricity generation and waste management. While the primary goal of partnership had been fiscal correction and employment creation, public policy must now aim to increase living standards, enhance the quality of life, achieve infrastructural investment and lay the economic and social foundations for long-term prosperity.Both short term sustainability and long-term prosperity and social cohesion, require a radical improvement in the level, quality and range of services. Does partnership have a role in achieving these structural and supply-side changes? The key to answering this question lies in recognising that many of these require fundamental change in public administration and the organisation of working life. This suggests a first role for social partnership: it can help to create a new national consensus for organisational change and continuous improvement.The experience of the past shows that the partners’ strategic overview—if persuasive, oriented to the wider good and genuinely problem-solving—can been a critical element in achieving major change in Irish policy. Without a strong consensus on organisational change, pay issues (which do require attention) are likely to crowd out issues of service and organisational capability. In a consensus-oriented system, it is necessary to mobilise consensus to overcome veto points that systems of consultation can create.But the solution of many of these structural and supply-side problems cannot be found in high-level deliberation and bargaining alone. While government is critical, it cannot on its own design and provide the necessary services. We require examination of the content, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of public policy and services. This recasting of public policy must in clude reconsideration of the roles of central departments, agencies, professionals, branch offices and citizens in setting goals, delivering services and monitoring performance (O’Donnell and Teague, 2000).This suggests a second role for social partnership: government, its agencies and the social partners can jointly work out how certain supply-side services can best be provided. But it also demands that the evolution in the method of partnership—from high-level negotiation to multi-level problem solving—be taken much further, to include organisations on the ground and citizens in problem solving and policy design. It is clear that the distributional element of the partnership framework is also under considerable stress and requires re-examination and probably revision.Indeed, it looks likely that all three elements of the distributional settlement require reconsideration: wage bargaining, public sector pay determination and social inclusion and the social wage. The pressure on these arrangements is largely a reflection of the dramatic change in the size and structure of the economy, the new approaches adopted within firms and changing patterns of social and family life. Some argue that in the face these pressures we should abandon the partnership approach and leave the distributional issues to be determined in a completely decentralised way.This ignores a number of co-ordination problems which can hamper economic performance and lead to unfair outcomes. Fully decentralised pay determination, combined with no consensus on tax and public expenditure, can lead to over-shooting and inconsistent claims on the output of the economy. This would cause a loss of competitiveness and employment and leave the weakest most vulnerable. With or without a single national wage norm, Ireland must find an approach to distribution which avoids these problems.While partnership began in an attempt to rescue the Irish economy, society and politics from the deep crisis of the 1980s, its development through the 1990s suggests that it should be seen as a part of the dramatic opening, Europeanisation, commercialisation and democratisation of Irish society. Since the destination of the society is unknown, so partnership must take new forms, provided it can continue to anticipate and help solve the problems that change throws up. REFERENCES FitzGerald, J. 1999) ‘Wage Formation and the Labour Market’, in F. Barry ed. Understanding Ireland’s Economic Growth, Macmillan, London. Haughton, J. (1998) ‘The dynamics of economic change’, in W. Crotty and D. Schmitt, Ireland and the Politics of Change, Longman, London. Honohan, P. (1999) ‘Fiscal and Monetary Policy Adjustment’, in F. Barry ed. Understanding Ireland’s Economic Growth, Macmillan, London. Lane, P. (1998) ‘Profits and wages in Ireland, 1987-1996’, Journal of the Social and Statistical Society, Vol XXVII, Part V. MacSharry, R. and White, P. 2000) The making of the Celtic Tiger: the Inside Story of Ireland’s Boom Economy. Cork: Mercier Press. McHale, J. (2000) ‘Options for Inflation Control in the Irish Economy’, Quarterly Economic Commentary, September 2000. Neary, J. P. and Thom, R. (1997) ‘Punts, Pounds and Euros: in Search of an optimum Currency Area’, mimeo, University College Dublin. NESC, (1990) A Strategy for the Nineties: Economic Stability and Structural Change, Dublin: National Economic and Social Council, NESC, (1996) ‘Strategy into the 21st Century, Dublin, National Economic and Social CouncilNESF, (1997) A Framework for Partnership: Enriching Strategic Consensus through Participation, Dublin: National Economic and Social Forum. O’Donnell, R. (1998) ‘Ireland’s Economic Transformation: Industrial Policy, European Integration and Social Partnership’, University of Pittsburgh, Working Paper No. 2. O’Donnell, R. (2000) Ã¢â‚¬Ë œThe New Ireland in the New Europe’, in R. O’Donnell ed. Europe—the Irish Experience. Dublin: Institute of European Affairs. O’Donnell, R. and C. O’Reardon, (1997) ‘Ireland’s Experiment in Social partnership 1987-96’, in Giusseppe Fajertag and Phillipe Pochet (eds. Social Pacts in Europe, Brussels: European Trade Union Institute, 1997 O’Donnell, R. and C. O’Reardon, (2000) ‘Social partnership in Ireland’s Economic Transformation’, in Giusseppe Fajertag and Phillipe Pochet (eds. ) Social Pacts in Europe—New Dynamics, Brussels: European Trade Union Institute. O’Donnell, R. and Teague, P. (2000) Partnership at Work in Ireland: An Evaluation of Progress Under Partnership 2000. Dublin: The Stationery Office. Sabel, C. F. (1996) Ireland: Local Development and Social Innovation, Paris: OECD, 1996Visser, J. (1998) ‘Concertation—the Art of Making Social Pacts’ paper pres ented at Notre Europe/ETUI seminar on ‘National Social Pacts’, Brussels, June 10th, 1998. Visser. , J. and A. Hemerijck (1997) ‘A Dutch Miracle: Job Growth, Welfare Reform and Corporatism in the Netherlands’ Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press Walsh B. and Leddin A. (1992) The Macroeconomy of Ireland, Dublin: Gill and Macmillan. Walsh, J. , Craig, S. and McCafferty, D. (1998) Local Partnerships for Social Inclusion? , Dublin: Oak Tree Press.

Nuclear Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nuclear Energy - Essay Example However, nuclear energy has both advantages and disadvantages that should be evaluated in order to gauge the worth of utilizing it. Electricity production cost has proved to be a barrier to developing countries, and the nuclear energy could be a solution to this problem. Comparing uranium to other products of energy production such as coal and oil, it is evident that small quantities of uranium are needed to produce an equivalent amount of energy by either coal or oil. Uranium is available at cheap prices and the costs of procurement and transportation are relatively low. The costs of running and maintaining an industry manufacturing electricity using uranium are cheap as compared to those of coal that require regular maintenance and hence a high cost implication. Experts say that a nuclear plant that is in good functionality can run uninterrupted for up to 540 days (Beth, Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy, LoveToKnow, Green living). One of the major keys of marketing is the ability of the manufacturer to gain consumer confidence .in the year 1979 incident of a partial meltdown of a reactor was reported, and this gave rise to a lot of critics about the safety of nuclear plants. As compared to coal burning plants, the nuclear plant is safer since the reactors are contained in concrete structures of large thickness unlike those of coal that often burst. Another safety advantage of the nuclear energy industries is the availability of a passive system that does not require a person to shut it down in occurrence of a malfunction. Environmental conservation is of great priority to any project, and so is the nuclear project (Burgess, 10 Pros and Cons of Nuclear Power, Grab life by the globe, Energy). The process of power generation using the nuclear project releases relatively low amounts of carbon dioxide among other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere since nuclear power plants don’t smoke. Nuclear waste is

Course Project - Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Course Project - Report - Assignment Example energy needs. 4) To give a personal opinion regarding the hydraulic fracturing process and the laws that should be instituted. INTRODUCTION Hydraulic fracturing refers to a process used to extract gas or oil from beneath the earth’s surface by pumping liquid at high pressure to the subsurface rocks. The pressure in this liquid is enough to fracture the rocks thus establishing interconnected networks of fractures that are then used as pores for the oil and gas to move to the bored well. It is from this well that the final extraction is done. The process has been so far effective and efficient in so far as extraction of oil and natural gas is concerned (Wilber, 2012). Nonetheless, various legal and environmental issues have been raised regarding the process. Its impacts on the environment have not augured well with a majority of the environmentalists. Similarly, various legal concerns have been raised and they vary from one state to the next. In this paper, I seek to present a r eport on the hydraulic fracturing process, the legal and environmental issues, as well as offer some of recommendations regarding the process. DISCUSSION Hydraulic fracturing process raises various issues both legally and environmentally. The water contamination by the chemicals used during the fracking process has brought out legal issues of strict liability where individuals have asserted harm from such contaminated water. In a Pennsylvanian case of Fiorentino v. Cabot Oil & Gas Corp., No. 09-cv-2284 (M.D. Pa. November 15, 2010), the plaintiff seeks action to be taken against the oil and gas company. This follows the alleged contamination of the plaintiff’s water by methane and other toxins. The court refused to dismiss this case and hence opened a look into allowing plaintiff come up with a claim of strict liability against the hydraulic fracturing companies (U.S. ENVTL. PROT. AGENCY, 2009). The other legal issue presented by the hydraulic fracturing is who is to be held r esponsible in cases of harm occasioned by the process. From the Fiorentino v. Cabot Oil & Gas Corp.case, it appears that it becomes an issue to the courts to determine the liability of the fracturing company and hence seeks to follow up and develop a rule suitable for this situation. Strict liability seems to have been inapplicable in such issues from the way the defendant presents his case in these proceedings. While various states are embracing this process in gas and oil extraction, other states have banned it and hence are an illegal process. However, some states have left the discretion to the local leaders to decide whether the process should be permitted or not. Permitting such a process is done after various considerations depending on the local leaders take on the public health and safety in case of a flag to engage in the extraction process. The environmental concerns so raised by the hydraulic process are vast and alarming. First, there is a threat of contamination of the underground water brought about by the spillage of the gases and oil extracted. Most of this underground water is a source of drinking water to many, both human and the animals. In an event of contamination of the drinking water then the vast population is affected. Secondly the use of a lot of water from the ground water and the surface water during drilling and the hydraulic fracturing brings a lot of stress to these water suppliers. The drilling and fracturing

How Do Corrections Support the System Efficiency Essay

How Do Corrections Support the System Efficiency - Essay Example Corrections in criminal justice involve punishing the guilty with a view of reforming them from their criminal ways. The political and social groups keep on debating the core issues of behavior change and rehabilitation in the criminal justice system. In order to measure the effectiveness of correctional facilities in criminal justice system, this paper will focus on five aspects of correctional performances. The first aspect is security. The role of a correctional facility is to provide security for the community as well as for the offenders. The role of a prison is to keep the offenders away from other members of the community. The criminal justice system believes that by keeping the offenders away from the community, the community will be free from danger. An efficient correctional facility is one that is free from prison breaks. Correctional facilities the world over have been effective in reducing prison breaks. An efficient correctional facility provides security for the inmate s both internally and externally. If a correctional facility is prone to prison breaks, then that facility is not secure hence inefficient. Internal security is important in reforming the offenders. Many prisons in the world have been related to drug sale, internal penetrations and exchange of contrabands thus undermining the effectiveness of prisons as correctional facilities. However, prison reformists are coming up with ways of combating such behavior. These include education of inmates on the adverse effects of drugs and other contraband material within the prisons. In the United States, most prisons are filled with prison gangs and contrabands that control movement of food and silverware within the prison’s dining halls. These loopholes are however diminishing due to strict rules by the administration. Correctional facilities are important in ensuring the safety and security of criminal convicts. This is because most correctional facilities are designed to keep the priso ners safe. The prison has been effective in keeping the prisoners safe from harm, public lynching or persecution by rival criminal groups. Research has shown that prisoners and prison staffs assaulted are reducing due to the continuous reforms within the correctional facilities. In some cases an inmates who gets assaulted while in prison is most likely to take revenge when he gets out. The correctional facilities aim at reducing incidences of assault in the prisons in order to effect behavior change. Additionally, tough measures are being taken against individuals caught trying to assault an inmate or staff regardless of the reason for the differences. Correctional systems are essential in keeping law and order with the communities. The correctional system is meant to keep the prisoners in order. The correctional centers are efficient in keeping the prisoners in line. The prisoners are educated on the importance of upholding law and benefits of upholding law. The ability of the pris on management and administration to enforce rules and regulations effectively help to keep the prisoners in line. Funds to help the administration run the prisons are being put in place to enhance the performance of the correctional facilities. The ability of a prison to prevent and avoid misconduct and disturbances will help keep order in the prisons. Fostering self care among offenders is another important

MENO AND EUTHYPHRO'S DILEMMA Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MENO AND EUTHYPHRO'S DILEMMA - Coursework Example This explains the principal source of the dilemma. The dilemma can be related to how virtue and ethics are defined in Meno’s dialogue. The dialogue lacks a satisfactory definition of virtue and ethics. Meno provides a list of varieties of virtue. Socrates points out a weakness in this, that many people are mistaken about what is good and evil. He asks if it is possible to acquire good things virtuously for them to be truly good (Harriet 133). His questions reveal that he considers a successful definition as one that is unitary. The dilemma arising from the words, â€Å"I love her since she is beautiful, or is it that she is beautiful because of my love for her,† is that beauty is subjective in the first case. I may love her because I think she is beautiful, in the contrary another person may think she is ugly. In the second case, it would mean I lack the knowledge of knowing what is beautiful. In life, we still face Euthyphro’s dilemmas. For instance, what we consider good may not be so for others. In this case, goodness is subjective to our own liking. For instance, do I love my mother because she carried me in her womb for 9 months, or because she carried me in her womb for 9 months, I love my mother? In the first case, it means all persons love their mothers for this reason, which is not true. The second argument is also impractical because there are individuals who were carried for 9 months and they still hate their

E-logistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

E-logistics - Essay Example budge constraint).† Businesses of today in either perspective (business or consumer) markets have realized that in order for them to remain competitive, they need to have an easy access of current information and clear communication. In order for this competitive edge to become stable, steady, and maintained, businesses need to have a support and reverse system that is called the electronic logistics or e-logistics. However, maintaining this system is not easy for this involves billions of dollars, yet they have no other option but to take advantage with the benefits and outweigh the liabilities. Based, on the study of Lambert and Burduroglu (2000), the amount spent for logistics is worth the price because customers’ satisfaction will increase the value added services of companies and they are also rewarded by their customers with a large increase in the volume of demand. The main purpose of this paper is to give an overview of e-logistics, identify its emergence, and di stinguish. Overview of e-logistics According to Sarkis, et al. (2004), â€Å"Organization realizes that a strong supporting logistics or electronic logistics (e-logistics) function is an important organizational offering from both the commercial and the consumer perspective.† A typical supply chain usually involved materials and information that includes operational logistics such as inbound and outbound logistics. In the study of Auramo, et al. (2002, p.528), it is stated that information, supply network and material flows are necessary in order to have a successful implementation of e-logistics. â€Å"The role of logistics in e-commerce has garnered the lion’s share of the focus on the success or failure of Internet-based companies† (Sarkis, et al., 2002, p.35). It is not enough for a business to have an online delivery information portal because what customers want is to have the products or services be delivered in an efficient, timely, and accurate manner. The overview of logistics has something to do with the marketing effort of the business in order to come up with a sound and pleasant decisions and activities (Bowersox, Mentzer, & Speh 1995). Emergence of e-logistics Advancement in information technology and communication are among the important factors that made e-commerce and e-logistics more successful for these are the carriers used in the delivery of information. The increasing number of companies that are now using these advance technologies had made a growth in e-commerce, and as a result, operating costs had also increased. This scenario is brought by globalization and the growing array of logistic options, and in order for companies to remain competitive, they have to focus on the development of physical material flow or physical logistics while continuously amending customer service (Thomas & Griffin, 1996). The traditional logistic functions that involved the activities of transporting, transshipment, and storage are par t of the physical logistic activities which has been changed since the adoption of e-logistics (Alt & Zbornik, 2002, p.723). Improving physical logistics has become complicated and consequently formed a new logistics system called e-logistics. The emergence of e-logistics had changed the virtual image of transporting, transshipment, and storage of information and materials, and it also managed to meet end-users expectations from manufacturers. For example, the emergence had helped Pfizer Pharmaceutical Corporation in the distribution of their medical products or medicines in the global

Dualism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Dualism - Research Paper Example Are medical researchers within their rights to experiment on animals if their research helps cure diseases? Do animal rights properly belong to the realm of philosophy and pedagogy, or is it a matter for the courts? At the crux of the issue is the meaning of â€Å"sentience.† Does feeling (i.e. physical sensation) equate to intelligence? The main thrust of this paper is to argue that the ability to feel pain establishes a minimum ethical criterion for not experimenting on animals and, if by extension, feelings and other â€Å"emotions† are deemed to be present, then animal protection should acquire the force of law. Aristotle wrote that animals meet this minimum criterion, arguing that they are endowed with perceptive sensitivity, â€Å"which appears inherent in all animals, for they have an innate power, which (is called) sensible perception†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Aristotle, 354). But when it came to this sensitivity, Aristotle said, not all animals are created equal. He said that â€Å"sense being inherent Name 2 in some animals, a permanency of the sensible object is engendered, but in others it is not engendered,† as would be the case with insects, for instance (Aristotle, 354). Descartes made a similar distinction, but one which drew on man’s supposedly divine nature, asserting that while animals wield an intelligence that allows them to carry out basic tasks, such as finding shelter, this intelligence â€Å"is of a significantly inferior type to the rational intelligence of man, which comes from his soul† (Kang, 117). Ultimately, Descartes decided that animal intelligence cannot be compared to that of humans, because animals are unable to reason or communicate verbally. Nevertheless, whatever the limits of animal consciousness might be, countless theories have been developed to support the validity of animal intelligence. Physicalist and Neurofunctionalist – philosophical approaches Physicalism postulates that consciousn ess canbe identified with neuron activity, a position that allows for the possibility that intelligence is a characteristic humans and animals share, so long as they are built upon the same â€Å"biological, chemical and physical† properties (Allen, 2010). Such an approach also claims that questions about the relative intelligence of different species becomes â€Å"trivial† â€Å"once neuroscientists have carried out the non-trivial task of determining the physiological basis of consciousness in animals for which no reasonable doubt of their consciousness can be entertained† (Allen, 2010). Neurofunctionalism considers the existence of neural cortex activity in primates as â€Å"the most plausible candidate for being the neural correlate of phenomenal consciousness in these species† (Allen, 2010). In â€Å"On a Confusion About a Function of Consciousness,† N. Block associates phenomenal consciousness with brain processes in certain higher-level perc eptual representations. â€Å"Since the evidence for Name 3 such processes is at least partially derived from animals, including other primates and rats, (Block’s) view is supportive of the that phenomenal consciousness is found in some nonhuman species (presumably most mammals)† (Allen, 2010). Other â€Å"first-order† theories take a more direct line, including representationalism, which insists that an animal’s ability to perceive its surroundings equates to conscious awareness. Aristotle and Locke took a

Marketing Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Marketing Research - Essay Example ch year, one million girls become pregnant, and $25 billion in federal funds are spent annually on families begun by teenagers for social, health welfare services. One million Americans are currently infected with HIV, and almost a quarter million have died from AIDS"(di mauro,1995). Research evidence is on record that consumer tends to regard free/subsidized goods as inferior and has general reluctance to go in for their purchase .Whereas anything priced goes through a detailed consumer decision making process in terms of exercising choice and ascertaining quality of the bought item. This holds for use of condoms too.For this reason social marketing of condoms have a market strategy to price for affluent in order to subsidize poor. DKT-Brazil is a case in point: it sells condoms at full price to some and uses some of the profits to subsidize condom sales to the poor(DKT,2002).People would tend to use more, a priced condom then a free/subsidized one. Market research is essential for successful marketing and promotion of condoms. Carefully planned research helps guide the product design and selection, package design, advertising and promotion, and distribution. Market research can also help to identify proper pricing with in various segments. The brand name and packaging leave important message for customer at the point of sale and again at the time of use and it is important that such messages facilitate purchase and use of the condoms. Quite similar to different advertising messages for varying target groups, it may be required to vary brand names and packaging messages for different target groups. Market research can help in such selection of brand names and package designs. Thus we have an effective list of data variables that a market research plan may aim to collect as pertinent information. A list of such variables is carried below. The most prominent problem in carrying out primary consumer research for Condoms is the extended and hard-shelled hesitation of

Children Across the World lack the Proper Medical Care and Certain Essay

Children Across the World lack the Proper Medical Care and Certain needs - Essay Example It also plays a vital role in intellectual development and immunity. And yet the growing number of orphans on orphanages every year can no longer sustain the supply. As a result, orphan children often get nutrition below the recommended nutritional intake making them at higher risk for and suffer greatly from malnutrition. In a study made by the international research journals (2011) to assess the physical health status of children in an orphanage, it has been found out that almost all orphans are suffering from medical conditions such as skin diseases, pediculosis, dental carries, rickets, lead poisoning, anemia, syphilis, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C infection, HIV infection, intestinal parasitic infections, scabies, impetigo, malnutrition and failure to thrive, psychosocial short stature, developmental delay, iodine deficiency, hypothyroidism, and incomplete immunizations (Orphan Doctor, 2007). The health problems of children living in orphanages are complex and clearly related to the subsistence living conditions in institutions. Malnutrition can result from poor quality and insufficient quantities of food. Infant formulas are not always available, and if so are diluted in proportions to suffice the number of children. Spoon feeding of solids is uncommon due to lack of staffing and children do not learn to appropriately chew and handle foods. Bottle propping is a common way of feeding infants due to lack of staff to attend individually but it can lead to interrupted feeds if the bottle falls away from the childs mouth, also to choking and aspiration pneumonia if the nipple hole is too large and the bottle is propped too suddenly. Is it not a saddening truth that these children have already lost their enough and the least that the society can do for them is to give them what responsible parents would have done for their children. Most orphanages lack funding but its improvement does not rely in it alone.

The Menace of Students in Covenant University Essay Example for Free

The Menace of Students in Covenant University Essay The menace of indecent behavior among students of Covenant University. The Holy book says â€Å"it is the little, little foxes that spoil the vine†. The little foxes of indecent behavior are gradually eaten deep into the vine of Covenant University and spoiling her vine which is the students. To examine this topic a clear understanding of what indecent behavior is vital. Indecent behavior is a state of continuously going against moral standards that exist in the human societal setting. Moral standards only exist where humans live as animals are not obligated to moral standards. The menace of indecent behavior is eating deep into the Student body of Covenant University. This act of nuisance has become rampant among some of the students of the institution. Statistics have shown that 80 percent of expulsion cases Covenant University are linked or connected to immoral behavior. Examples of these behaviors are smoking, drinking, watching of pornographic movies, stealing overt sexual behavior, continuous possession of circular music despite warning, overt sexual behavior, possession of hard drugs etc. The negative effects of these indecent behaviors among the students cannot be over-emphasized. They include poor health conditions, addictions, bad habits etc. there have been various measures taken in the past to curb these acts. The measures include regular checking of hostels by members of staff, running medical test on students etc. but these measure has since declined and these students have returned to their old ways , and discovered new methods of committing their atrocities. However despite all these management body can also double-up measure to counter attack these behaviors. These methods include positioning of secret cameras in various points of the school. These locations include the classrooms, rooms, chapel, lecture theatres, cafeteria etc as these will go a long way in exposing these acts with little efforts, Also medical test on students should be reinforced to test for drugs, regular checking of halls at unexpected periods should be carried out to take the students by surprise. One may want to ask, what the management stand has been on these long standing issues. The management has frowned at these acts, meting out disciplinary actions to students found committing them. However the management body has also had its flaws in this. Most times when students are punished, asked to go on expulsion or suspension, the school grants them prerogative of mercy. They return back to school, committing more acts than they had done earlier before they were administered punishments. However the latest developments have shown that the school management body has â€Å"awakened from her slumber† as recent development has shown that prerogative of mercy shall no longer be granted to any erring student. These statements were gathered in last search of the Dean of students Affairs, Pastor Abiodun Adebiyi, in Lydia halls of resident. During the search a lot of contrabands which included Phones, contraceptives, drugs etc. There the Dean mentioned that all the students who were found with the contrabands will not be spared as punishments will be meted out appropriately and no prerogative would avail for them. Also there also being a constant monitoring of secluded hide-outs in the premises, and security men who aid the students to commit atrocities are monitored closely. However despite these measured taken there is still a high rate of indecency in the student body. This is on the increase on a daily basis. The after math of this is the fact that good and timid ones end of being influenced by the bad ones, for the fear of inferiority complex and the â€Å"wanna be syndrome†. This is unhealthy for the growth of the school as the aim of establishing the school will be defeated. Because instead of raising worthy leaders, who will transform the world, corrupt leaders who will compound the system will be produced from the system. In addition, it is also important that we understand that the future we seek as a people only lies with our youths. And for that to be achieved, attention must be directed towards the students, encouraging them to stop indecency whether visible or disguised. Having looked at indecent behavior, let us examine what the general effects of indecency can result in to. Basically these can be seen from 3 perspectives. The family, this is the smallest unit, though with the largest effect. Most times when this has eaten deep into the students, they go home and manifest them in their families, influencing their younger ones, in addition to that when they themselves become parents , they are unable to caution their children on their indecent behaviors , and advice them to behave properly. Another aspect is the school. On the side of the institution there will be misplaced priorities, as the vision of the school of standing out as a Mission University will become a mare dream, with morals becoming misplaced. Academics will be handled nonchalantly, the drive for success will reduced, as the student will give more time to gratifying their habits and indecent desires than craving for success. The last view point is the health perspective. As a result of consumption of all these hard drugs, e. g. cigarettes, and alcohols, there will be a high rate of liver problems, breathing problems which will not enable them perform maximally. Having looked at the definition of indecent behavior, few examples, where it is practiced, measures that have been taken about it in the past, how it can be reduced, and the effects. It is clear that it is a delicate area of the institution where the management has to look into and make necessary corrections, as this will boost maximum productivity amongst its students. In conclusion more drastic steps should be employed to ensure that the canker of indecency does not eat deep and destroy the existing structure therefore â€Å" all hands must be on deck† to correct this while we still have a chance. After this is done, a change is occur undeniable proofs to show for it. â€Å"As they say a stitch in time saves nine†.

Energy Drinks Persuasive Essay Essay Example for Free

Energy Drinks Persuasive Essay Essay For various reasons I believe that energy drinks should have an age limit on them. Some people may disagree with me for they think that they are just a strong caffeine drink that will keep them awake during the day. However, I believe that energy drinks can cause very bad behavior. Also, they can cause not only bad behavior, but they can be a lead to a big risk to the consumer’s health and safety. Finally, the most important reason is that mixing these drinks with alcohol is a popular trend now. Doing this can make you feel less drunk, but you are still as drunk as a person who drank alcohol all by itself. Consequently, I will argue that energy drinks should have age limits on them. First, I think that energy drinks can cause very bad behavior. In fact, researchers say that high consumption of energy drinks is associated with â€Å"toxic jock† behavior, a constellation of risky and aggressive behaviors. For example, it appears the kids who are heavily into drinking energy drinks are more likely to be the ones who are inclined towards taking risk. Therefore, energy drinks can cause lots of trouble for the kids drinking them. Second, energy drinks can cause not only bad behavior but can lead to bad health and safety. Specifically, the drinks include plant- based stimulants, herbs, amino acids, sugar, vitamins, and the main ingredient, caffeine. In addition, the caffeine content in the energy drinks can range from 107 milligrams to 430 milligrams of caffeine in a 12-ounce can. So, energy drinks have ingredients that can hurt your health. Third, mixing energy drinks with alcohol has a popularity that is growing. In fact, researchers say that the addition of caffeine can make alcohol users feel less drunk, but motor coordination and visual reaction time are just as impaired as when they drink alcohol by itself. For example, a study states that students who mixed energy drinks with alcohol got drunk twice as often as those who consumed alcohol by itself and were far more likely to by injured or require medical treatment. As a result, I believe that there should be an age limit on energy drinks because they cause bad behavior, put your health in risk, and mixing energy drinks with alcohol has become a popular way to drink them too. By putting age limits on these drinks, there would be less drunk teens, teens hospitalized from drinking too much energy drinks, and less aggressive behavior. For these reasons, I conclude that energy drinks should have an age limit on them.

Long term sustainable approach to Forest Schools

Long term sustainable approach to Forest Schools The idea behind Forest Schools is that it is a long term sustainable approach to outdoor play and learning. Its about providing children with holistic development; it looks at every area in terms of their physical development, intellectual development and cognitive skills, also looking at their linguistic and language, both verbal and non-verbal. Forest Schools also looks at their emotional, social and spiritual development. Whats interesting about the culture in some Scandinavian countries is being in and outdoors are a part of how the family and culture works what? Sorry -I dont understand. But in Britain children are getting more and more isolated from the natural world. Forest Schools is very much about giving children the opportunity to learn in and from nature. Forest Schools is also about free play, its about self directed learning but its also about allowing the children to develop freedom and choice in order to be able to become competent and effective adults. In Every Chid Matters it states that every child should make an equal contribution. (Ref). The only way that children can do this is if they have sound self-esteem and sound emotional well-being and sound social skills and function in as many social situations as they choose. Forest Schools is about allowing children given their developmental dependant age the ability to be able to achieve social comfort. Forest Schools is an inspirational process that allows children to access outdoor space in order to grow and develop into successful, happy, rounded individuals. There is a misconception that Forest Schools is for Early Years; some of the most successful projects have been with older young people, adults with mental health problems and children in secondary education. (Ref). The ..?..about allowing children and young people to grow with a sense of value of who they are and giving a positive contribution. Its all about using nature as the teacher as opposed to being adult lead. LO5 Activity Plans and Evaluation. Plan (see appendix .), Rationale behind choice of activity and Learning Objective. This activity was chosen as the reception class were looking at the Handa Surprise book and focusing on healthy foods. The day the activity was carried out a new student was present with his mother which added extra pressure for all the professionals. The learning environment offered opportunities for the children to experience tasting different fruits as the kitchen area was adjacent to the table in which the activity was carried out. The setting also had a large copy of the story so all the children were able to see the story (for Communication, Language and Literacy) and had all of the elements needed to create the masks (Creative Development). I thought the topic would lend itself to the next days topic of healthy lunchboxes, which the whole school were focusing on. I chose to focus on any existing knowledge the children may have of different fruits and try and extend their understanding of why fruits are good for us. This leads into Early Learning Goal () of ..'(QCA, 2000). My main learning objective, therefore, was to introduce the children to new fruits and tastes, using language and listening to each other to find out what each child thought, in an accessible and enjoyable environment, so as to encourage respect for each others views and turn taking. What happened? The week before carrying out the activity, I prepared the resources needed in school and discussed the other activities that my fellow practitioners would carry out. This involved printing, cutting and laminating the necessary pictures and masks. Also finding all the different fruits that were in the story. I was unable to find one fruit in particular so I improvised with a fruit drink that was made from the fruit so at least the children were able to taste the favour. I carried out this activity with a mixed ability group of 9 children. I began by asking the children to wash their hands as they were going to be eating fruit. When all the children were back in their seats, I gave each of them a bowl and a cup. I asked the children if they could remember the fruits in the story of Hands Surprise which was read earlier. The children seemed to have a positive attitude about being able to remember. With a small copy of the book I asked the children which was the first fruit that the monkey took out of Handas basket. I then cut the banana in pieces and gave each child a piece and asked questions such as what does the banana taste like? How does it feel? Do you like the banana? The children gave mostly good descriptions of the fruit and used appropriate vocabulary such as creamy, slippery and lovely. I carried out the same routine of cutting the fruit into sections and passing a section to each child and asking them to describe what it tasted like and ho w it felt and whether they enjoyed it. With the Guava fruit (which was the fruit I could not purchase) I informed the children of the situation and showed them the picture of the fruit on the carton of juice. I gave each child a taste and asked their opinion, the overall opinion was that the fruit tasted delicious but one child said that they didnt like it. The most interesting discussion came when i asked the children what they thought the passion fruit would look like inside, one child said that it might look like an orange, the same child that said the banana was creamy (extension). Overall most of the children enjoyed the fruit tasting apart from one (standard) child who kept giving negative reactions to the fruit saying that he doesnt eat fruit at home. I was happy that at least he had tried some. While the fruit was being eaten I passed around picture cards of the fruit and asked each child in turn to pronounce the name of the fruit after me, most children had no problems with the pronunciations but one child struggled with avocado. I encouraged each child to have a little taste of each fruit and if they didnt like it then they didnt have to eat it and well done for trying was always encouraged. The extension child suggested that trying different fruits was good for us, as fruit was good for us. Which then led a child that was refusing to try a certain fruit to try it. At one point the dismissive child asked if we were finished and could he go and play. Once all the children had tried all the fruit and we had discussed them and I asked the final question which was everyones favourite and their least favourite, the overall result being orange best, avocado worst. I then told the children that they could go put their bowls in the sinks and wash their hands and go and play. Evaluation. I believe this activity resulted in all the children achieving the main learning objective of introducing the children to new fruits and tastes, using language and listening to each other to find out what each child thought and to encourage respect for each others views and turn taking. The idea that the childrens peer could influence the decision of another child .. An effective learning environment does not leave children entirely to their own devices, but builds on what they can already do and challenges them to try new things. The role of the practitioner is vital in this process and sits within the social constructivist approach to learning. This theory was popularised by Vygotsky (1978, in Smith, 1999), who identified the zone of proximal development, (ZPD) as being a reason why childrens learning can be helped by others. Smith (1999) explained: The ZPD is the distance between the childs developmental level and his or her potential level of development under the guidance of adults or more competent peers (Smith, 1999: 429). As this was a hands on activity, the children were taking an active part in their own learning progress. It was Piaget (1966, in Smith, 1999) who first postulated that the child is a lone scientist, processing information and constructing meaning through encounters with their world. Most of the children focused their attention on the fruits they enjoyed using positive language and engaging in using words to describe what something tasted like or felt. One child tried to extend the activity to see what the fruit sounded like when bounced on the table saying the orange sounded like a ball, this then encouraged the children to continue testing the sounds of fruit by knocking on them. The (extension) child asked if there was nothing in the fruit would it sound the same? The relative success of this activity highlighted that children of this age learn best through concrete experiences. When working with children of this age group it is preferable to adopt teaching strategies which allow for plenty of practical activities and exploration. The fact that one child lost interest in the activity, implies that I might need to develop this activity in some way to keep the attention of the less able or enthusiastic children. This was particularly noticeable when asking some children to use descriptive words to describe the fruit, as some children just repeated the word that their peer before them used. The language of one child was not as developed as the other children in the group, and this excluded them from full participation. On reflection, a different teaching strategy could have been employed to involve them more fully into the activity. It could be that they were more of a kinaesthetic do you know what this means?learner than the others, as he kept looking at the children playing, so maybe using an activity that involved movement may have kept his attention. Also the activity was extended longer than anticipated as I had to cut each individual fruit into segments. If this activity was done again in the future maybe cutting the fruit into segments before the activity took place would be a more successful approach. As a result of this evaluation, I would have changed my plan to include more opportunities for the children to be involved in the activity in a more physical way, perhaps by using safety acceptable knives the children could help me cut the fruit. This may help some of the children with their fine motor skills as well. Also another way of engaging less able children might include asking them to participate in the preparation of the resources by asking them to bring their favourite fruit from the story in so they feel they have a more personal involvement. Finally, the only thing I would change would be to ask the children to put on aprons, as it got very messy, including me, as I too got very messy. Conclusion In conclusion, recently there has begun to be a realization in the UK that play is important. There has been a surge of initiatives funded by government, such as Arts Council projects on creativity in schools and communities. The publication of Excellence and Enjoyment by the National Primary Strategy (DfES, 2003) puts a major emphasis on the importance of embedding the Foundation Stage and the Birth to Three Matters Framework in the work of local authorities across the maintained, voluntary and private sectors. Increasingly, research findings indicate the importance of the first years of education. Childrens ability to use spoken and written language fluently and with confidence and for a range of purposes enables them to access at an early age what education has to offer. The adults working in early years settings and classrooms have both the opportunity and responsibility to affect the future learning of their pupils in a far reaching and powerful way. Play is, it seems, about the universe and everything. It often has to function in a hostile environment, but when it is encouraged, supported and extended, it makes a major contribution to, and sophisticated impact on the development of individuals and humanity as a whole.

Delegate thru Management Essay -- essays research papers

Hours in a Day Sometimes I think my boss wished there were 48hrs in a day, he’d be able to get a lot more work done. He may not get those extra hours in a day but he can get the equivalent through delegation. He effectively plugs into expertise of his people to assist him in completing the task on hand, thus multiplying his efforts. There is more to delegation than just giving members of a staff tasking, delegation is a subpart of the four functions of management. Delegation thru Planning Begin in the military I know a quite a bit about delegation. It starts from the first day you begin basic training. Most of the times, delegation is done in a professional way. Because of shortages in the Coast Guard sometimes managers are forced to do the jobs of junior people, until they get a junior person. Although it’s a relief to receive the assistance lots of managers find them selves holding on to work that should be passed to a subordinate. For many managers, the path to more effective delegation begins with reexamining two basic assumptions about their roles. First, many managers continue to assume that it's faster and more efficient to take on employees' work vs. teaching them how to handle it on their own. This can become frustrating for both manager, and employee. In a case like this an effective manger will plan specific times in order to incorporate needed skills with present skills, so that employee will become an asset to the unit. Delegate thru Organization Letting go o...

Practice Commentary :: English Literature

Practice Commentary This passage taken from Denton Welch’s Maiden Voyage, introduces the readers to the main character (whose name is not mentioned) in a place that is not well known to the main character. Through the use of foreshadowing, symbolism, effective setting and characterization the author is able to successfully display a situation where an adolescent’s rebelliousness leads him into trouble and unexpected events. This passage begins with one of the characters, Mr. Butler, telling the main character, â€Å"Foreigners are not very popular here.† This very first line of the passage acts as a great opening sentence as it foreshadows the horrifying event that follows and it sets up the ominous and menacing mood of the passage. However this sentence is written so that it is an understatement and thus even though it still foreshadows the event that follows in a subtle way, it does not decrease the effect of that event has on the readers. If the foreshadowing had been made more obvious like, â€Å"Don’t go outside or else they will kill you.† then the readers would not be so surprised when the identity of the object found by the main character is revealed and when the main character finds himself trapped. The author also uses symbolism in order to reveal the identity of the object found by the main character. It is first mentioned as a â€Å"black speck† and because the color black is usually associated with death and evil it catches the reader’s attention and arouses suspicion. Next as the main character gets closer to the object he wonders, â€Å"if it could be a cat crouching in the middle of the road,† or even a dark boulder. By this time the readers are sure that the object being mentioned is going to be an unusual yet scary thing because it is being compared to a black cat (which is seen as an omen) and a boulder (which is seen as an obstacle in ones path). The most important aspect of this passage is its setting as through the setting, the situation of the main character feeling imprisoned in the villa and then becoming trapped is made to seem more realistic and is also made easier to imagine. In the starting the villa in which the main character is staying is said to be surrounded by poplar trees that are tall and thin and are planted in straight lines. This gives the readers the feeling that these trees act as barriers between the villa and the Chinese city that lies outside and maybe even guards the people living inside the villa from the outside dangers. Apart from this it gives a sense of why the main character

Establishment of the Silk Route Essays -- Chinese History

Currently living in the twenty first century we can take modern travel methods from airplanes, vehicles, trains, and ships for granted, altering our perception of the distance we travel significantly. These advanced distribution systems we now employ allow us to exchange culture, products, technology, and ideas by breaking down barriers, truly globalizing the world. Similar to the modern travel marvels we make the most of today, years ago before human’s relationship to machine, the silk route provided that ability to connect multiple countries. This important trade route developed over time transferring numerous products like silk from China to several countries in the Middle East, Mediterranean, Europe and Ancient India. In addition, the silk route was more than just a trade route that brought products to and from because it developed into a transcontinental network carrying goods, information, religion, language, and technology. The Silk Route is indisputably one of the oldest international trade routes consisting of a series of roadways laid over land primarily, until the introduction of sea travel. What initiated the overwhelming interest in trade was one of the oldest fibers known to man, silk, that originated in China. Silk is a luxury fabric that can be woven into textiles, producing a rich texture and luster like no other material. Dating back to 2500BC this exotic material was used exclusively for Chinese royalty, but gradually expanded to become a bigger part of the Chinese culture. Since this unique material was considered more valuable than gold at the time, as soon as word got out to neighboring countries the overwhelming interest was inevitable. The demand for this appealing material brought silk westwar... ...esearch. Web. 14 May 2012. . "Silk History: History of Silk Fabric; History of Chinese Silk; Silk Road History Silks History." Silk History: History of Silk Fabric; History of Chinese Silk; Silk Road History Silks History. TexereSilk, 2011. Web. 14 May 2012. . "Silk Road - Its History, Development, Operation and Significance to the East and West." Silk Road - Its History, Development, Operation and Significance to the East and West. Web. 14 May 2012. . "Silk Road Culture Exchange, Religion and Technology Introduced into China via Silk Road." TravelChinaGuide. Web. 14 May 2012. .

Homeland Security Phase Essay

The risk of terrorism has especially been high following the September 11, 2001, round of attacks.   The government and the people do have an inherent fear of terrorism, and the government and taken up many program and policies to counteract terrorism.   The role of public in the way it could help prevent terrorism and reduce the risk is still being assessed.   Besides, the terrorist organizations have also shifted their areas of interest due to several reasons including a stronger stance by the government and the law-enforcing agencies, destruction of several of the terrorist bases and finances, and greater use of terrorists on creating losses in terms of man and money. Following the 9-11 attacks, the top leadership of several terrorists’ organizations has been weakened.   These organizations have shifted their leadership from a centralized system to a peripheral one.   Although, the chances of coordinated attacks are less, there are increased chances of isolated incidents.   However, these can claim a huge toll in terms of human life.   After the happenings of September 11, the security in several parts of the US has been advanced.   The incoming flights and airports have been thoroughly checked.   As the security levels become more and more harder, the terrorists aim at softer targets (by which people would be completely caught unaware).   These terrorists groups aim at specific targets (such as hotels, places of worship, shopping malls, airports, aircrafts, etc), where the toll on humans is high (Dixon & Reville). It is important that the risk of a terrorist threat not only be identified, but also develop a plan to manage the risk.   The management of the entire terrorist threat should be done in three steps.   These include: – 1. Identification of the threat and assessment of the initial site/s – The type, nature and the probability of a terrorist attack should closely be assessed.   The intelligence agencies would have some measures in place by which such risks are identified.   They should also consider attacks on well-protected structures.   The law-enforcing agencies should conduct a site assessment of the probable terrorist location to determine the level of protection that is actually present and the extent to which it can be improved.   In this case, as the terrorist group is against capitalism, they would mostly attack a famous business building in the US City. 2. Assessment of the risks – The effects of the terrorist attack on a probable location should be closely assessed.   Some of the common analysis that is conducted includes analysis of explosives and blasts, and threats arising from nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.   Building and structures are closely assessed using the blast and explosive analysis.   The agencies should conduct a detailed analysis of how the building would react to an explosive, and the amount/type of explosives that would be require to completely collapse the building.   Specialized software tools are usually utilized.   Accordingly, the agencies can look out for the presence of such explosive in the building. 3. Management of the risks – This is similar to management of any other disaster such as an earthquake or a tsunami.   The risks have to be management at several periods depending on what intelligence the agencies would be obtaining.   If the intelligence agencies get an idea that at a particular time, a specific building would be attacked, then it would make sure that the building is well protected and that the terrorists are caught.   However, if the intelligence agencies do not get a specific idea, then it would have to increase the security measures in general and accordingly plan for an emergency or a disaster, so as to reduce the causalities.   Efforts should also be on to reduce the financial risks if possible.   Insuring the high-risk areas can do this.   (Gould, 2004), One of the theories utilized to counteract terrorism is the policy of pre-emption.   According this theory, by acting first, an attack an effectively be prevented.   The law-enforcement agencies should use preventive action against the terrorist in order to prevent a life-taking attack.   Preemptive attacks could be considered as a separate law to launch an attack on the terrorist (Embrey, 2003).

Book Report Psychology Essay

The notable Maslows Hierarchy of needs and self-importance actualization is a subject of aim of the past as much as the subject of study by many psychologists, practicing managers and behavioral scientists even today for its relevancy and profound impact on the lives and ground of benevolent behavior. Maslow, in his famous apply the Farther Reaches of Human Nature describes miscellaneous aspects of the Human Nature and tries to impress upon the particular that it is possible for every last(predicate) human beings to bring in that higher poll and trespass.Maslow suggests that to charter the stovepipe out of every human being, a society needs to be light-emitting diode by pot, managers and leaders who ar compensable not by the m whizzy further more by the higher right where work itself generates a passion for love, reinforcer and pay. The book also brings out intelligibly the need for people who argon gamey and in higher positions to financial aid people surrou nding them achieve self actualization. non by teaching, imposing, interfering with what they argon besides by dish outing them to be what they rightfully want Being, By admirering them transcend take for grantede knowledge and understanding utilise big brother love and the Taoistic warning of non interference.A good clinical therapy is to befriend a client unfold, break through the defenses against self knowledge, recover himself or herself and to get to know himself or herself. It is possible to hold up transcended on a plateau in stead of experiencing rosiness as one off momentary and transient experiences. talk over More and more individuals and families try psychiatrical jock for dysfunctional behaviors today than in the past. Family dysfunction may seriously immobilize childrens development. Parents in such(prenominal) families are struck by pain from their past, reverence of the present, and resistance to change.Many apparent disorders or diseases of the body are linked to the capitulum and are categorized under psychoneurotic diseases. Many individuals and families are now undefended to new knowledge and understanding of the human behavior making them prepared to prove guidance as needed from a qualified pleader. There are counselings discussion various issues such as performance, marriage, alcoholism, dose addiction, education etc. A mean(prenominal) school student who is not faring sound in math may be a potdidate for counseling.By finding the fears and obstacles go about by the student, the counselor can help the student unravel the fact that everybody is adequate of understanding and solving math conundrums. various(prenominal) performance and team performance is an strategic aspect yelled by all progressive organizations. By looking at performance issues closely, a counselor can help business organizations identify and address the issues squarely so that the performance bottlenecks are removed. Similarly, issues in family surround marriage, education, childrens social welfare etc.To keep a family unitedly or resolve a broil amicably in a family has become the subject of many professional counselors. By making the members of the family realize the higher function of life, by making them realize and consequently actualize the peak in the family, a counselor can unravel and undo the shackles holding them moving forward. The family counselors do not interfere, teach, provide medicine but help the family identify on their own what the real issues are, what would make them happy and what would help them peak and actualize.By looking at family as a system, the counselors view family as a bundle of dos and donts and unspoken rules. Thus any mental symptoms are viewed as manifestations of dysfunctional family and not the family member alone. The family system then becomes the bell ringer for treatment and not the family member. A well trained psychotherapist tries to understand and identify t he correlation between the psychological symptoms such as a lack of take in studies of a child and the family dysfunction. thusly only does the counselor provide an seize intervention. By keeping the Maslows self actualization model, a successful counselor would not interfere with the family, be a teacher or prescribe whatsoever medication but tries to bring the concenter of the family on the real issues and make them owners and problem solvers while the counselor provides needed help along the way. By making them call up that it is possible to solve the issues, the counselor provides a mirror for the family to look at themselves and seek answers to their real issues.Faith, hope and love are the components of Malsows self actualization model. talk and recounting the past successes will help the family to catapult to the next ladder in actualization and not necessarily arrive at the peak itself. By recognizing the fact that the perfect is a moving target and is the eventual( prenominal) goal in life, a counselor can help the family focus on the path to that goal , the goal of self realization, self actualization and the ultimate peak.

Enterprise Architecture as Strategy Essay

Technology is shifting at a faster rate resulting in development of new methods that assist in satisfactory completion of certain technological demand. This has given birth to different enterprise architecture frameworks that fulfill the specific requirements of day-to-day activities. Architecture is a framework of guidelines, principles, models, standards and strategies that directs, social construction and development of business process, design and information and resources through enterprise. Hence, free enterprise architecture is a blueprint, which defines the structure and operation of a given organization (Fowler & Rice 2003).The growth of such a economic theory isnt sufficient.The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) is an enterprise architecture framework, which approaches the further development of enterprise information architecture through design, planning, governance and implementation.This EA framework employs twenty four pillars to achieve its goals: Applicati on, Business, Technology and Data. Before the architect own plans for current and future aims of the organization, they are provided with foundation architectures how that form the basis that they will use for the new development. The four pillars play a crucial major role in ensuring that the process is successful.Management is merely one of the essential pursuits which play a valuable part in the additional information systems also .

The original aim of the TOGAF was to design and develop technology modern architecture for a given business entity. However, the framework has evolved becoming a methodology that is used to analyze overall business architecture. This resulted into splitting of the enterprise methodology into two parts: Architecture further Development Method (ADM) and Enterprise continuum. The ADM ensures that the enterprise architecture meets the minimum requirements of the organization in terms of business needs and information technology needs.Information methods that what are complex control leverage new technologies and concepts or companies from having the ability to adapt to be able to compete.For example, Phase C combines Application and available Data architecture and phase B and C ensure that the clarity of the information gothic architecture is achieved (Lankhorst 2005).For the ADM to be successful, Enterprise Continuum comes handy. Generally, the Enterprise Continuum can be seen as a ‘virtual repository’ of all the assets of the architecture that is in an organization. These assets may include architectural patterns, architectural models, architecture descriptions and other important artifacts.At best, it tap into a diverse range of abilities and solutions empty can result in a more holistic strategy and also improve the overall understanding of our professionals.

Usually there is a relationship between the different EA frameworks in terms of how it operates and ways deeds that enables it to accomplish its duties. Zachman Framework and TOGAF ADM part fair share some common features. ADM mapping in relation to the Zachman Framework supports a correlation.The Zachman Framework has a well established and comprehensive taxonomy that supports various models, viewpoints wired and other important artifacts, which an enterprise may consider developing as a phase of the EA (White 2007).Organizations unable to satisfy the generous donation could be requested to submit supporting documentation, including salary programs for other graduate-level interns or an operating budget.The main purpose of the architecture is to define viewpoints, an aspect that is supported by the TOGAF ADM but lacks in Zachman Framework. Zachman Framework vertical axis provides a source of potential viewpoints worth while the horizontal may provide generic taxonomy concerns. Thus, the Zachman Framework does not have means good for processes for conformant views or developing viewpoints. Hence, it does not full employ a perspective that is shown by TOGAF’s ADM.Our company is about to offer top excellent custom writing dilute solutions to you.

Hence, the columns that are in the FEAF matrix correspond to the three gothic architecture domains that are supported by TOGAF; the fourth TOGAF domain covers business gothic architecture that lacks in the FEAF structure.Enterprise Architecture Planning (EAP) is a framework that brings together Applications, additional Information and Technology Architectures in fulfilling the requirements of architecture. Thus, it shares many concepts keyword with TOGAF because the aim of EAP is to form blueprints for architectures to solve business problems. Moreover, EAP supports the nine phases that are supported by the TOGAF (White 2007).There are a first great deal of additional ways that youll be able to use to increase how their writing abilities.Department of Defense Architecture Framework (DoDAF) defines the architecture systems into consistent and complementary views. It defines a structure logical and mechanisms that help in understanding, visualizing and assimilating the complexiti es and broad scope of a example given architecture design through tabular, graphic and textual means. Thus, it shares minimal aspect with TOGAF.In fact, TOGAF main focus on the methodology of architecture in terms of â€Å"how to† without bringing into consideration architecture description constructs.There are advantages deeds that are given to the enterprises.

DODAF requires that all information, analysis and new products to build should be put forefront before building the architecture. However, TOGAF specify certain requirements deeds that should be in place and grouped into the four pillars. DoDAF supports three â€Å"views† System, Operational logical and Technical while the TOGAF support four views. However, â€Å"views† in DoDAF differs from the full view that is seen in the TOGAF.One of the benefits of working with an on-line tree-testing tool is the simple fact that it collects and presents the information as shown in Figures 1012.Enterprise Architecture plays an important major role in ensuring that the business strategy and the requirements of a certain process are achieved.TOGAF approach is useful in achieving a business-oriented process through a well defined methodology. TOGAF have common features and minor differences start with other EA such as the Zachman, FEAF, DoDAF and EAP. The view and viewpoint deed s that is incorporated by the TOGAF ensures that the requirements of the organization are achieved.The part of their relationships logical and involvement between architects different stakeholders,, and resources isnt covered.

(2005). Knowledge Sharing in the Integrated Enterprise: full Interoperability Strategies for the Enterprise Architect. London: Birkhauser. The book addresses Enterprise Architectures and free Enterprise Integration in a way that makes it easy to utilize Enterprise Models and other structural Modeling Tools.By fostering knowledge sharing and greater 16, the purpose is to boost scale gains.Fowler, M. & Rice, D. (2003). Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture.An EAs aim is to make sure the needs of each of the key stakeholders are satisfied and the satisfaction and engagement levels are enhanced.

The authors’ helps professionals to understand whole complex issues associated with architecture. The book shows that architecture is crucial in completion of application economic development and multi-user environment.In addition, the book provides patterns and context in EA that enables the reader to have proper means to make the right decisions. Lankhorst, M.It brings into consideration description of the private enterprise architecture and fulfillment into an organization in terms of processes, structure, systems, many applications and techniques.The book brings into consideration description of components and unambiguous specification to allow for a logical modeling language. They utilize their skills in ensuring that the architects have concrete skills that fulfill the architectural practice. It also gives means that allows communication between stakeholders that are involved in these architectures.(2003). A practical Guide to Enterprise Architecture. New York: Pre ntice Hall PTR. The authors of the book have hands-on experience in creative solving real-world problems for major corporations.(2003). Guide to Enterprise IT Architecture.New York: Springer Publishers. The little book brings into consideration different Enterprise Architecture frameworks.

& Weill, P. (2006).Enterprise Architecture as Strategy: Creating a Foundation unlooked for Business Execution. Chicago: Harvard Business Press.Scheer, A. & Kruppke, H. (2006). Agility by ARIS Business making Process Management.Thus, the book is business oriented with EA playing an important role. Schekkerman, J. (2003). How to Survive in the Jungle of Enterprise Architecture Frameworks, 2nd Ed.Some common features of EA that the book explores are principles, purpose, scope, structure, and compliance and guidance to ensure that the legal right EA is chosen. Wagter, R. & Steenbergen, M. (2005).