Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Microeconomics: Corn Market Problems
Corn Market Problems Since April there have been some major issues with the production in the Corn Belt of America. The central and west areas of the Corn Belt are relatively unaffected, but the north and east areas have seen some major decreases in corn output due to underweight corn and corn diseases. North Dakota, Indiana, Illinois and parts of Iowa have seen the most damage, mainly because of molds and mycotoxins. Many fear that this shortage of corn will affect the grain trade and the economy as a whole since many of the corn is too damaged to be used for feed or energy.Some farmers have experimented with mixing good quality corn with the underweight corn in order to meet the national standard for corn weight, so this may help a little. With a shortage like this, on a product that has so many purposes, it would be hard to find a substitute; therefore we can expect the demand of corn to rise. A rise in demand will also lead to a rise in price and a rise in quantity demanded. Farm ers will strive for maximum efficiency and cut corners to yield as much corn as possible, but the supply still will not be enough.The shortage of corn will cause the supply curve to move to the left. This means that price will increase, but the quantity supplied is going to be limited. Hopefully there can be enough corn in other areas to pick up after the north and east ends of the corn belt. The market-equilibrium price will be affected as well. Since there is an obvious shortage and corn suppliers are unable to produce as much corn as normal, the rise in demand and decrease in supply will inevitabley lead to an increase in market price.
Manager Resume Example Essay
ALBERT A. YAGUDAEV Home (718) 956-7299  Cell (917) 865-4782 Fluent in English & Russian CORE KNOWLEDGE AREAS Risk Management Finance Management Strategic Analysis Team Building Problem Solving Statistical Analysis Commercial Banking Client Relations Budget Management Report Management Goal-Oriented Communication Skills Bond Assurance Detail-Oriented Decision Making Team Building Time Management Organization Skills PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE  Calyon New York, NY                                                                                              2005 – Present Senior Analyst – Capital Markets / Global Funding Desk Prepares and presents consolidated entity level risk reports for Senior Management including the Senior Executive of the Trading Desk. Provides consultation and advice regarding dynamic hedge strategies utilizing interest rate derivatives. Automates various workflows utilizing Excel and Visual Basic. Identifies and quantifies all risks borne by the trading books. Reviews and analyzes calculations of risk parameters including sensitivities, volatilities, VaR, and reporting of total position risk. Runs scenario analyses and stress loss tests. Explores P&L and positional impacts of market movements. Quantifies portfolio size and stop-loss limits; monitor and report on breaches. Guides traders on market risk, P&L, liquidity risk, and limit utilization. Analyzes the integrity and maintains the quality of the data feeds from various global systems by establishing effective processes for timely VaR reporting for the Investment Bank. Optimizes the management framework. Produces ad-hoc reports and quantitative analysis for the Treasury/Global Funding Desk. HSBC Bank USA, New York, NY                                                                                 2001-2005 Sr. Risk Analyst – Interest Rate Derivatives Desk Verified and analyzed daily Profit and Loss. Analyzed calculations of risk parameters including volatilities, stress testing and (VaR). Deconstructed and analyzed reports on Fixed Income and Interest Rate Derivatives. Measured and analyzed credit exposures and various elements of risk. Provided financial reports to Head Office and Senior Management. Reorganized the use of proprietary relational databases, complex spreadsheets, and concomitant macros to streamline corporate business operations. Tested and implemented the VaR model (Taylor-Series). Ensured levels of risk were consistent with limits established by management. Continue†¦page 1 of 2 ALBERT YAGUDAEV                                                                                             Page Two Integrated Leasing, Melville, NY                                                                                         2001 Consultant Successfully streamlined corporate business operations through the utilization of spreadsheets and macros. Developed and maintained relational databases for product centers. Natexis Banque Populaires, New York, NY                                                               1999 – 2000 Treasury Risk Manager – Fixed Income and Interest Rate Derivatives Desk Performed VaR analysis using RiskMetrics. Analyzed the results of Monte Carlo simulations and historical Time Series risk measurement Responsible for defining department’s market risk measurement methodologies, including statistical measures, stress testing, monitoring overall positions and setting limits to govern exposure Researched simulation models for incorporation into firm’s risk systems Managed P&L risk on both an intra-day and end-of-day basis, specifically monitoring risk exposure  Ambac Capital Corp., New York, NY                                                                           1997-1999 Risk Analyst – Fixed Income Desk in Asset/Liability Management Prepared detailed mark-to-market risk analysis of a $10.5 billion asset and liability portfolio for Securities including GICs, CMOs, Corporates, ABS, Municipals and Treasuries. Analyzed and recommended appropriate hedges with respect to interest rate exposure for duration, convexity, and time value utilizing options, futures and other derivative products. Measured portfolio risk utilizing dollar and effective duration, convexity, key rate duration, volatility, prepayments, and basis between Treasury, Libor and AAA Corporate yields. Maintained, reviewed and updated model assumptions for measuring sensitivity of the GIC portfolio to market value fluctuations and changes in interest rates. J & W Seligman & Co., New York, NY                                                                          1995-1997 Business Analyst Conducted quantitative and statistical analysis for the Fixed Income Analytical Team. Reviewed and analyzed trends in the bond market, interest rates, and yields. Effectively prepared and presented detailed reports to Senior Management describing the firm’s current risk status. Salomon Smith Barney Inc., New York, NY                                                                   1994-1995 Associate Analyst Evaluated department financial progress through the compilation and manipulation of data utilized in daily reports. Significantly reduced the capital charge imposed by the SEC on aged items from $159 million to $13.3 million. Successfully managed the $83.2 million Smith Barney commission account for proper allocation. TECHNICAL SKILLS Bloomberg  ¨ Bloomberg Trader Workstation  ¨ Reuters 3000 Calypso  ¨ RiskWatch  ¨ RiskMetrics,  ¨ Summit,  ¨ Kondor Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Advanced Excel w/ VBA & Functions, Access) EDUCATION St. John’s University – College of Business Administration, Queens, NY Bachelor of Science in Finance, (date) Associates in Computer Science, (date)
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
12 Angry Men Questions Essay
1. Do you think that the jury in this movie came to the right decision? Why/why not? I think that the jury in this movie came to the wrong decision, because I feel that all throughout the deliberation the factual evidence did not have any reasonable doubt lingering above it, which was the complete opposite of the opinion of juror 8, and gradually everyone else. While there was factual evidence presented, juror 8 persuaded all the rest of the jurors at the end to disregard the forensics, and to deduce their own theories, by blatantly stating â€Å"what if†questions persuading all jurors to a unanimous decision. 2. Did your opinion of the case change as the movie progressed, or did it stay the same throughout the entire movie? Explain. My opinion of the case changed as the movie progressed, and did not stay the same throughout the entire movie. In the beginning I felt that the teenage boy was guilty and that the facts were too evident and clear, but slowly I was so fascinated by juror 8’s logic and his thinking ability, it got me interested and swayed my vote for â€Å"not guilty†I also believed what juror 8 was saying by his tone of voice, which was clear and rhetorical. He showed the panel a rough estimate on how long it would take for the father to get stabbed, walk with a limp, and still call for help. 3. Juror 8 made the statement, â€Å"Prejudice obscures the truth.†Which character(s) based their decisions on prejudice? Explain. Juror 10 is one of the most racist and prejudice of the all the jurors a quote to show this is â€Å"Now you’re not going to tell us that we’re supposed to believe that kid, knowing what he is. Listen, I’ve lived among ‘em all my life. You can’t believe a word they say. I mean, they’re born liars.†When he says this he means/believes that people are born in slums are born to live lives of crime and disseat, even thou juror 5 was born and lived in a slum all his life he is a perfectly respectable man. This proves that juror 10 was wrong and people born in slums aren’t born to lie and commit crime. 4. Why do you think Juror 3 held out so long before changing his mind at the end? Juror 3 is the last to change his mind because of his grudge against kids; this grudge between him and his son had stemmed from a fight and immediately his son left home and has never seen him in more than two years. Ever since that incident juror 3 has had a personal dislike against kids which is evident when juror 3 says â€Å"‘that goddamn rotten kid, I know him, what they’re like. What they do to you. How they kill you every day. My God, don’t you see? How come I’m the only one who sees? Jeez, I can feel that knife going in.’†This proves that juror 3 thinks he knows every kid in the whole world and knows that they are disrespectful and unthankful. But by the end of deliberation when he was the lone man voting guilty, he was overwhelmed with pressure by the jurors and his bottled feelings for his son that instantly come out, realizing that he cannot treat the teenage boy like his son, and thus treat him fairly. 5. Did this movie provide an accurate depiction of jury deliberation? Explain. The deliberation was for pure entertainment but also great acting was presented by the jurors as they showed the atmosphere in a deliberation room, as the testimony of many jurors in real life explain that they are very anxious to leave and would like to quickly go home, who may listen to a case for days. Such jurors like juror three took notes and noted evidence and factual information, though it is very uncommon for jurors to take notes, it is legal and shows that some can remember while other are better to write things down. But one scene that rang an alarm for me is when juror 8 brought out the similar knife used in the crime scene, to show â€Å"that anyone could have put a knife at the crime scene.†He should have been kicked off the jury the moment he went out and bought the knife. By law, juries are not allowed to conduct their own investigations, and if the other jurors had just reported Ju ror No. 8 for that, he’d have been replaced by an alternate. Yes, it’s cool for characters in a movie to take the law into their own hands. In real life, you like to leave tasks like that to the people who have years of training and law enforcement experience. Even with that, Juror No. 8’s whole line of reasoning is wrong at almost every step. According to the law, it’s the jury’s job to determine the veracity of the evidence presented, as is  not to question and interpret the evidence any way they choose and make wild assumptions about witnesses. For instance, you don’t just dismiss blood evidence as â€Å"probably planted†unless you are presented with evidence that it has been planted. Likewise, you can’t just hand-wave away jury testimony based on, â€Å"There were indents on her nose.†6. Rotten Tomatoes gave this movie a 100% rating. Are you surprised? Was this warranted? I am not surprised that Rotten Tomatoes gave this movie 100% rating; it is a very unique movie that has only 12 characters and one setting, which captures a complex-riddled dialogue using rhetorical, logical, metaphorical schemes and a bundle of jaw-dropping acting by Henry Fonda. But in my opinion, I would rate this movie a 92% rating because though we learned in law class on the responsibilities and process in jury duty and deliberation many scenes would depict the opposite which caught my attention, but I understand that some parts were made to capture the audience’s attention throughout the movie, which indeed they did and had to tweak the truth.
Physiology Presentation on Bone Growth, Muscular Movement, and Nerve Transmission
Slide 1 Physiology Presentation On Bone Growth Muscular Movement Nerve Transmission Slide 2 Physiology of Bone Growth Understanding Bone Growth ?Ossification is a process of cartilage gradually changing into bone tissue. †¢Fetus’s bones are made of cartilage. †¢During childhood, the cartilage is replaced by bony tissue. †¢New bone is formed along the epiphysical growth plates. †¢The epiphysical growth plates are found at the end of long bones as the body grows taller. ?Osteocytes are bone cells. There are two types of osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Osteoclasts break down areas of old or damaged bone. †¢10% of entire skeleton is broken down and rebuilt each year (Turley, 2007). †¢Generally occurring in areas that are damaged or subjected to mechanical stress. †¢Osteoblasts are deposits of new tissue in those areas; forming, and rebuilding bones. †¢Begins as immature cells, but later becomes a mature cell that produces bone, cartilage, or co llagen fibers. ?Through all stages of life, formation of new bone is dependent on having enough calcium and phosphorous in the diet. Calcium in the body is stored in the bone throughout the body. †¢Calcium is an extremely important mineral for proper functioning of skeletal muscles and heart, keeping them contracting regularly and forcefully. †¢After the osteoclasts process, calcium is continuously released to the rest of the body. Slide 2 Speaker Notes ossification is the process of converting the cartilage in embryonic skeletons into bone. Cartilage is deposited early in development into shapes resembling the bones-to-be. Cells inside this cartilage grow and begin depositing minerals. The spongy bone forms, and osteoblasts attach and lay down the mineral portions of spongy bone. Osteoclasts remove material from the center of the bone, forming the central cavity of the long bones. The perichondrium, a connective tissue, forms around the cartilage and begins forming compact bone while the above changes are occurring. Blood vessels form and grow into the perichondrium, transporting stem cells into the interior. Two bands of cartilage remain as the bone develops, one at each end of the bone. During childhood, this cartilage allows for growth and changes in the shape of bones. Eventually the elongation of the bones stops and the cartilage is all converted into bone. Mature bone is a hard substance that is also a living tissue that undergoes change. Slide 3 IMAGE http://www. growtaller. net/ http://www. healthyfellow. com/images/2009/bone-growth. jpg Slide 4 Physiology of Muscular Movement ?Fascicle is a bundle of individual muscle fibers. These muscle fibers run parallel to each other, so when they contract they pull in the same direction (Turley, 2007). †¢Each muscle is composed of several muscle fascicles. Fascicles are composed of many muscle fibers surrounded by fascia. †¢The muscle is wrapped in fascia and connects to the tendon. †¢Fascia is a thin tissue sheet that connects each muscle or group of muscles. †¢The fascia merges into and becomes part of the tendon. ?Multinucleated is a muscle fiber having hundreds of nuclei scattered along the length of the muscle (Turley, 2007). †¢The nuclei help speed up the chemical process t hat must occur along the length of the muscle fiber before it can contract and move (Turley, 2007). †¢Each muscle fiber is composed of myofibrils. Myofibril is composed of thin strands of protein actin and thick strands of protein myosin. †¢Myofibril gives the skeletal muscle its characteristic striated (striped) appearance (Turley, 2007). †¢Actin and myosin is the source of a muscle contraction at a microscopic level (Turley, 2007). Speaker notes A muscle is composed of many parts. The body of the muscle is composed of muscle fascicles. Around each of the fascicles are arteries, veins, and nerves. Each fascicle contains bundles of muscle fibers (muscle cells) that contain thin strands of actin and thick strands of myosin. Slide 5 ? Continue†¦. from slide 4 ?Neuromuscular junction is where each muscle fiber is connected to a single nerve cell. †¢Muscles contract in response to an electrical impulse from a nerve (Turley, 2007). †¢The nerve cell releases neurotransmitter acetylcholine (Turley, 2007). †¢Acetylcholine is a chemical messenger that is moved across to the neuromuscular junction. †¢Acts as a key to unlock receptors on the muscle fiber. †¢Changing the absorption of the membrane allows calcium ions to flow into the muscle fiber. Contractions are produced by calcium ions; calcium ions cause the thin actin to slide between the thick myosin, shortening the muscle and producing a muscle contraction (Turley, 2007). †¢The muscle eventually relaxes when †¢Acetylcholine is inactivated by an enzyme at the neuromuscular junction. †¢Calcium ions are pumped out of the cell. Speaker notes Even when not actively moving, your muscles are in partial contraction. This is from the nerve impulses from the brain and spinal cord. The nerve impulses produces muscle tone that keeps the muscles firm and ready to act. This is the only aspect of the skeletal muscle activity that is not under conscious control. Slide 6 IMAGE http://www. bio. miami. edu/~cmallery/150/neuro/sf43x15a. jpg http://faculty. etsu. edu/forsman/Histology%20of%20musclefor%20web_files/image013. jpg Slide 7 Physiology of Nerve Transmission ?Each neuron consists of three parts; the dendrites, a cell body, and an axon (Turley, 2007). †¢The dendrites are multiple branches at the beginning of a neuron that receive a neurotransmitter from previous neuron. †¢Converting it to an electrical impulse, and sending to the cell body. Nucleus is the cell body that directs cellular activities, providing energy for the cell. †¢Cytoplasm around the nucleus contains structures that produce neurotransmitters. †¢Neurotransmitters then are transported to the end of the axon (Turley, 2007). ?Axon is a single elongated branch at the end of the neuron. †¢The axon is covered by a fatty, white insulating layer of myelin (Turley, 2007). †¢The axon does not directly connect to the dendrites of the next neuron (Turley, 2007). ?Myelin keeps the electrical impulses on tract throughout its travel. †¢Myelin is only present on the axon of the neuron (Turley, 2007). Synapse are spaces between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites of the neuron †¢Electrical impulses cannot across the synapse. †¢Instead the axon releases a chemical messenger or neurotransmitter (Turley, 2007). ?Neurotransmitters cross the synapse and binds to receptors on the dendrites of the next neuron. †¢These processes all happen within a fraction of a second (Turley, 2007). Slide 7 speaker notes A neuron consists of several dendrites, cell body, and an axon. The dendrites receive nerve impulses from other neurons. The cell body contains the nucleus of the neuron. The axon transmits nerve impulses to other neurons, whether it’s a muscle fiber, to a cell in an organ, or to a cell in a gland. Slide 8 http://www. clarian. org/ADAM/doc/graphics/images/en/9682. jpg http://www. cidpusa. org/synapse6. jpg Bones provide the structure for muscles to attach so that our bodies are able to move. Tendons are tough inelastic bands that hold attach muscle to bone. The nervous system ‘communicates' with muscle via neuromuscular (also called myoneural) junctions. These junctions (Figure 1) work very much like a synapse between neurons. In other words: †¢the impulse arrives at the end bulb, †¢chemical transmitter is released from vesicles (each of which contains 5,000 – 10,000 molecules of acetylcholine) and diffuses across the neuromuscular cleft, †¢the transmitter molecules fill receptor sites in the membrane of the muscle & increase membrane permeability to sodium, †¢sodium then diffuses in & the membrane potential becomes less negative, †¢and, if the threshold potential is reached, an action potential occurs, an impulse travels along the muscle cell membrane, and the muscle contracts. Some muscles (skeletal muscles) will not contract unless stimulated by neurons; other muscles (smooth & cardiac) will contract without nervous stimulation but their contraction can be influenced by the nervous system. Thus, the nervous and muscle systems are closely interconnected. Let's now focus on muscle – what is its structure & how does it work. Muscular movement is necessary, given as we are humans, and without muscular movement we would not have any strength of any kind. Without muscles, our bones would not be able to move and without bone growth, we would not have any type of size or shape–we would be formless and shapeless individuals. Without nerve transmission, our bones and our muscles would not know what to do and when to do it. In conclusion, all these processes are interrelated.
Monday, July 29, 2019
Opinion Paper: Gender Reassignment
Human Sexuality/Gender Re-Assignment This is an Opinion Paper Transgender is an umbrella term for persons whose gender identity, gender expression, or behavior does not conform to that typically associated with the sex to which they were assigned at birth. Gender identity refers to a person’s internal sense of being male, female, or something else; gender expression refers to the way a person communicates gender identity to others through behavior, clothing, hairstyles, voice, or body characteristics. â€Å"Trans†is sometimes used as shorthand for â€Å"transgender. While transgender is generally a good term to use, not everyone whose appearance or behavior is gender-nonconforming will identify as a transgender person. The ways that transgender people are talked about in popular culture, academia, and science are constantly changing, particularly as individuals’ awareness, knowledge, and openness about transgender people and their experiences grow. After you do your research and readings, in a one page opinion paper, state your position on Gender Re-Assignment. Chaz Bono brought this important and once hidden topic to the forefront. Write about your position.Be sure you add a reference page in APA format and use in-text citations when using the authors words. Writing an opinion paper for college can be a daunting task for college students. Opinion papers by nature require you to state an opinion or take a position on a specific issue and defend that position. An opinion paper is not, however, license to rant and rave about an issue without providing any evidence. This paper will involve research, organization, and planning to be effective. ? 1. Research your topic. Stating an opinion in a paper involves more than reporting what you think.You'll often hear these assignments referred to as position papers, as you must take a reasonable position based on evidence that is grounded in fact. Determine your opinion based on your research, and kn ow your topic thoroughly on both sides of the argument before you state it and attempt to provide any type of reasoned defense. ? 2. ?Create an outline for your paper consisting of the three main parts that you'll follow when crafting your document: an introduction, body, and conclusion. In your introduction, state your opinion on the topic at hand. This will set the stage for the rest of the paper.You can even hint at the reasons for your opinion, but don't give them away entirely. You'll want the reader to glean that information from the rest of your paper. The body of the outline should list the reasons for your position. The conclusion should clearly and concisely sum up your argument. ? 3. ?Construct your essay using your outline. State your opinion in your introductory paragraph and then use your list of reasons for stating your opinion in the body of your essay. The body should include three to five substantive reasons why you have taken your position.Provide the most compell ing reasons last and the least compelling reasons first. This will give your paper a crescendo effect and drive home the point of your essay. ? 4. ?Write a definitive conclusion. Your conclusion is your opportunity to restate what you've already state in your introduction and in the body of the paper. Your conclusion should reiterate the main conclusion of your essay based on the facts that you've provided. Go over each point briefly, but be careful not to simply chronicle them without tying them together. The grading criteria will be the same as in other modules.
Brant Case Analysis
97 and for the first five months of 2004, it fell to $9. 07. Question 2: When comparing performance during the first five months of 2004 with performance in 2003, which warehouse shows the poorest change in performance? The worst change is the company’s own warehouse (located in Fargo), where costs per unit shipped increased 31%. Among the public warehouses used, Denver was the worst in terms of cost per unit handled. It is also the most expensive public warehouse that Brant uses. Question 3: When comparisons are made among all eight warehouses, which one do you think does the best job for the Brant Company? What criteria did you use? Why? Using the cost per unit handled criterion, St. Louis does the best job, closely followed by Chicago. Question 4: J. Q. is aggressive and is going to recommend that his father cancel the contract with one of the warehouses and give that business to a competing warehouse in the same city. J. Q. feels that when word of this gets around, the other warehouses they use will â€Å"shape up. †Which of the seven should J. Q. recommend be dropped? Why? Denver has the lowest volume and highest unit costs among all the public warehouses used. In addition, it had been closed by a strike which must have inconvenienced the Brant Company. It may be that the warehouse workers’ unions are strong in the Denver area. J. Q. should probably check out rates and productivity measures of other Denver warehouses before deciding to drop its current warehouse there. Question 5: The year 2004 is nearly half over. J. Q. is told to determine how much the firm is likely to spend for warehousing at each of the eight warehouses for the last six months of 2004. Do his work for him. There is not enough information to do a very precise forecast. J. Q. assumes that the proportion of costs occurring during the first five months of 2003 should be in the same proportion in 2004. (1)                (2)                (3)            (4) Warehouse location| % 2003 costs occurring in first five months| Actual costs for first five months of 2004 ($)| Projected total costs in 2004 ($)| Projected costs in the last six months of 2004 ($)| Atlanta| 22. 88| 40,228| 175,822| 116,204| Boston| 44. 00| 29,416| 66,885| 32,085| Chicago| 53. 43| 141,222| 264,312| 105,556| Denver| 35. 00| 14,900| 42,571| 23,714| Fargo| 54. 00| 9,605| 17,787| 7,012| Los Angeles| 72. 20| 93,280| 129,197| 30,781| Portland| 49. 30| 42,616| 86,442| 37,559| St. Louis| 44. 80| 19,191| 42,837| 20,265| The projected costs in 2004 (column 3) are calculated by dividing the actual costs for the first five months of 2004 (column 2) by the percent of 2003 costs that occurred in the first five months (column 1). For example, Atlanta’s actual 2004 costs of $40,228 divided by 2003’s 22. 88% yields projected 2004 costs of approximately $175,822. The projected costs in the last six months of 2004 (column 4) are calculated by subtracting the actual costs for the first five months of 2004 (column 2) from 2004’s projected total costs (column 3). This gives us the projected costs for the last seven months of 2004. However, we are only interested in the last six months of 2004, so this number is multiplied by 6/7, or . 857. Continuing with Atlanta, 2004’s projected total costs of $175,822 minus the first five months’ actual costs of $40,228 equals $135,394. Multiplying this by 6/7 yields projected six months’ costs of approximately $116,204. Question 6: When comparing 2003 figures with the 2004 figures shown in Exhibit 13-A, the amount budgeted for each warehouse in 2004 was greater than actual 2003 costs. How much of the increase is caused by increased volume of business (units shipped) and how much by inflation? There are several ways to approach this question. One involves calculating the volume difference and inflation difference for each warehouse, as follows: Volume difference = 2003 unit costs x (2004 units shipped – 2003 units shipped) Inflation difference = 2004 units shipped x (2004 unit costs – 2003 unit costs) For example, Atlanta’s volume and inflation differences are: Volume difference: $8. 99 x (18,000 – 17,431) = $8. 99 x 569 = $5,115 Inflation difference: 18,000 x ($9. 97 – $8. 99) = 18,000 x $. 98 = $17,640 Question 7: Prepare the firm’s 2005 warehousing budget, showing for each warehouse the anticipated number of units to be shipped and the costs. Again, this can be done in several ways. One is to assume that the 2004 to 2005 increases will be exactly the same amount as the 2003 to 2004 increases (with units shipped rounded to the nearest hundred, and costs rounded to the nearest $500). This would yield the following results: Warehouse location| Differences in units shipped b/w 2003 and 2004| Units shipped in 2004| Projected units shipped in 2005| Difference in warehouse costs b/w 2003 and 2004 ($)| Warehouse costs in 2004 ($)| Projected warehouse costs in 2005 ($)| Atlanta| 600| 18,000| 18,600| 21,000| 178,000| 199,000| Boston| 300| 7,200| 7,500| 9,500| 73,000| 82,500| Chicago| 1,900| 30,000| 31,900| 38,500| 285,000| 323,500| Denver| 100| 3,100| 3,200| 3,000| 31,000| 34,000| Fargo| 0| 2,000| 2,000| 500| 17,000| 17,500| Los Angeles| 500| 17,000| 17,500| 24,000| 176,000| 200,000| Portland| 700| 9,000| 9,700| 12,000| 85,000| 97,000| St. Louis| 2,100| 8,000| 10,100| 4,000| 56,000| 60,000| Another method would use percentage changes. Question 8: While attending classes at the university, J. Q. had learned of logistics partnerships. Should Brant Freezer Company attempt to enter into a partnership relationship with these warehouses? If so, what approach should it use? Assuming that a partnership approach was to be used, Brant would have to think of some sort of sharing of potential risks and profits. Offhand, the case does not provide much information to go on, other than cost containment or reduction is an issue. Brant Case Analysis 97 and for the first five months of 2004, it fell to $9. 07. Question 2: When comparing performance during the first five months of 2004 with performance in 2003, which warehouse shows the poorest change in performance? The worst change is the company’s own warehouse (located in Fargo), where costs per unit shipped increased 31%. Among the public warehouses used, Denver was the worst in terms of cost per unit handled. It is also the most expensive public warehouse that Brant uses. Question 3: When comparisons are made among all eight warehouses, which one do you think does the best job for the Brant Company? What criteria did you use? Why? Using the cost per unit handled criterion, St. Louis does the best job, closely followed by Chicago. Question 4: J. Q. is aggressive and is going to recommend that his father cancel the contract with one of the warehouses and give that business to a competing warehouse in the same city. J. Q. feels that when word of this gets around, the other warehouses they use will â€Å"shape up. †Which of the seven should J. Q. recommend be dropped? Why? Denver has the lowest volume and highest unit costs among all the public warehouses used. In addition, it had been closed by a strike which must have inconvenienced the Brant Company. It may be that the warehouse workers’ unions are strong in the Denver area. J. Q. should probably check out rates and productivity measures of other Denver warehouses before deciding to drop its current warehouse there. Question 5: The year 2004 is nearly half over. J. Q. is told to determine how much the firm is likely to spend for warehousing at each of the eight warehouses for the last six months of 2004. Do his work for him. There is not enough information to do a very precise forecast. J. Q. assumes that the proportion of costs occurring during the first five months of 2003 should be in the same proportion in 2004. (1)                (2)                (3)            (4) Warehouse location| % 2003 costs occurring in first five months| Actual costs for first five months of 2004 ($)| Projected total costs in 2004 ($)| Projected costs in the last six months of 2004 ($)| Atlanta| 22. 88| 40,228| 175,822| 116,204| Boston| 44. 00| 29,416| 66,885| 32,085| Chicago| 53. 43| 141,222| 264,312| 105,556| Denver| 35. 00| 14,900| 42,571| 23,714| Fargo| 54. 00| 9,605| 17,787| 7,012| Los Angeles| 72. 20| 93,280| 129,197| 30,781| Portland| 49. 30| 42,616| 86,442| 37,559| St. Louis| 44. 80| 19,191| 42,837| 20,265| The projected costs in 2004 (column 3) are calculated by dividing the actual costs for the first five months of 2004 (column 2) by the percent of 2003 costs that occurred in the first five months (column 1). For example, Atlanta’s actual 2004 costs of $40,228 divided by 2003’s 22. 88% yields projected 2004 costs of approximately $175,822. The projected costs in the last six months of 2004 (column 4) are calculated by subtracting the actual costs for the first five months of 2004 (column 2) from 2004’s projected total costs (column 3). This gives us the projected costs for the last seven months of 2004. However, we are only interested in the last six months of 2004, so this number is multiplied by 6/7, or . 857. Continuing with Atlanta, 2004’s projected total costs of $175,822 minus the first five months’ actual costs of $40,228 equals $135,394. Multiplying this by 6/7 yields projected six months’ costs of approximately $116,204. Question 6: When comparing 2003 figures with the 2004 figures shown in Exhibit 13-A, the amount budgeted for each warehouse in 2004 was greater than actual 2003 costs. How much of the increase is caused by increased volume of business (units shipped) and how much by inflation? There are several ways to approach this question. One involves calculating the volume difference and inflation difference for each warehouse, as follows: Volume difference = 2003 unit costs x (2004 units shipped – 2003 units shipped) Inflation difference = 2004 units shipped x (2004 unit costs – 2003 unit costs) For example, Atlanta’s volume and inflation differences are: Volume difference: $8. 99 x (18,000 – 17,431) = $8. 99 x 569 = $5,115 Inflation difference: 18,000 x ($9. 97 – $8. 99) = 18,000 x $. 98 = $17,640 Question 7: Prepare the firm’s 2005 warehousing budget, showing for each warehouse the anticipated number of units to be shipped and the costs. Again, this can be done in several ways. One is to assume that the 2004 to 2005 increases will be exactly the same amount as the 2003 to 2004 increases (with units shipped rounded to the nearest hundred, and costs rounded to the nearest $500). This would yield the following results: Warehouse location| Differences in units shipped b/w 2003 and 2004| Units shipped in 2004| Projected units shipped in 2005| Difference in warehouse costs b/w 2003 and 2004 ($)| Warehouse costs in 2004 ($)| Projected warehouse costs in 2005 ($)| Atlanta| 600| 18,000| 18,600| 21,000| 178,000| 199,000| Boston| 300| 7,200| 7,500| 9,500| 73,000| 82,500| Chicago| 1,900| 30,000| 31,900| 38,500| 285,000| 323,500| Denver| 100| 3,100| 3,200| 3,000| 31,000| 34,000| Fargo| 0| 2,000| 2,000| 500| 17,000| 17,500| Los Angeles| 500| 17,000| 17,500| 24,000| 176,000| 200,000| Portland| 700| 9,000| 9,700| 12,000| 85,000| 97,000| St. Louis| 2,100| 8,000| 10,100| 4,000| 56,000| 60,000| Another method would use percentage changes. Question 8: While attending classes at the university, J. Q. had learned of logistics partnerships. Should Brant Freezer Company attempt to enter into a partnership relationship with these warehouses? If so, what approach should it use? Assuming that a partnership approach was to be used, Brant would have to think of some sort of sharing of potential risks and profits. Offhand, the case does not provide much information to go on, other than cost containment or reduction is an issue.
Services Project Management Four Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words
Services Project Management Four - Essay Example ful completion of any project, and ties together various participating components of the project on the basis of deliverables over a planned time frame. Although a contract maybe written or oral, the former is overwhelmingly more popular due to its comparative permanence strength and verifiability. Relationships in any project are defined by a series of contacts between the owner, the consultants, contractors, sub-contractors and vendors. There are other legally binding documents that may take the form of MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding), agreements or LoIs (Letter of Intent), used between the owners and others contributing through goods or services during and after the project. In a civil engineering and construction scenario, a contract between the client and any contractor implies stage-wise payment against a defined series of chronologically spaced deliverables from the client where the process as well as the product meets contractually defined standards. Each of these contract sub-types have different advantages and have a different degree of risk exposure to the client and the contractor. It is in the interest of the project for the correct type of contract to be formulized in order to avoid the 3 reasons for failure of contract discharge. We shall discuss below each type of contract, the problems faced during the execution of such a contract and methods by which these problems can be dealt with so as to minimize friction during project execution. It is an agreement creating an obligation on the contractor to complete works as shown and specified by drawings and documents, subject to incidental and pre-mapped variations, supplying of all labour, materials and equipment so as to complete the contracted for work for a fixed amount subject to adjustments and payable by the owner as a reciprocal obligation either as a single payment or as a series of payments triggered by intermediate goals during the project. Indivisibility: A fixed price contract is
Take-Home Final Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Take-Home Final - Assignment Example The species had a pelvis that demonstrated its join tree-climbing and bipedal movement adaptations. Its skeleton reproduces a human-African primate common ancestor, which does not appear like a chimpanzee (Lieberman 34). The scientists discovered the fossils next to faunal remains that indicated this species inhabited wooded surroundings. Scientists have established that Australopithecus afarensis grew fast to reach maturity earlier as compared to modern humans. This species displays characteristics that are similar to humans and apes. Australopithecus afarensis had a flat nose, projecting lower jaws, as well as a small brain, which is approximately a third of a modern human’s brain (Lieberman 48). The species had adaptations that enabled it to live on trees along with the ground. First, Australopithecus afarensis and modern Homo sapiens have a body that stands on two legs. Second, both these species had the ability to walk upright. Third, Australopithecus afarensis along with modern humans possess straight fingers (Lieberman 48). Modern humans can implement alterations in their brain sizes and organization, which was an adaptation from Australopithecus afarensis to adjust behavior patterns and ways of life. This approach is necessary because the exceptional brain improvement makes a significant contribution to mental abilities related to individual knowledge (Lieberman 48). According to scientific discoveries concerning Homo erectus, the species had body proportions that were similar to modern humans. Homo erectus possessed lengthened legs with shorter arms, which are significant adaptations that enabled them to live on land. Their adaptations explain their capability to walk and run for longer distances that were efficient in hunting and gathering (Lieberman 68). This species has been linked to originality of stone tool technologies like hand axes. Modern humans inherited body
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Cultural Awareness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1
Cultural Awareness - Essay Example Understanding the Arab culture remains a fundamental element which could ensure that the entire world gains factual information regarding Arabic practices. Some of the misconceptions have resulted in the Arab world becoming associated with the elements of terrorism occurring around the world. The human terrain system which has been adopted by the United States’ military seeks to utilise social science practices in understanding the cultural practices of Arabs4. The implementation of this programme could be essential in enabling the western world to change the common misconceptions held by the populations regarding the Arab world. The growing political tension between the western and Arab world could become eased through the findings of these anthropological researches. The concept plays a fundamental role in increasing Arab cultural awareness through enhanced cultural knowledge of the populations residing in the Arab world5. Involvement of anthropologists within the programme can also enhance the understanding of the western culture by the
Finance-Annuities Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Finance-Annuities - Speech or Presentation Example 9. Wade Ellis buys a car for $15,002.71. He puts 10% down and obtains a simple interest amortized loan for the balance at 12 and 1/2% interest for four years. After three years and two months of making the minimum monthly payment, he sells his car. Find the unpaid balance on his loan. (Round all intermediate calculations to the nearest cent. Round the answer to the nearest cent.) 10. Four candidates, Harrison (H), Lennon (L), McCartney (M), and Starr (S), are running for regional manager. After the polls close, ranked ballots are tallied, and the results are summarized in the table. Use the plurality method of voting to determine the winner. 11. The managers of Prints Alive (a local silk-screening business) are planning a party for their 44 employees. There are three possible locations for the party: the warehouse (W), the park (P), or the beach (B). The employees are asked to rank these choices in order of preference, and the results are summarized in the table. Use the instant runoff method to determine the winner. 12. The managers of Prints Alive (a local silk-screening business) are planning a party for their 40 employees. There are three possible locations for the party: the warehouse (W), the park (P), or the beach (B). The employees are asked to rank these choices in order of preference, and the results are summarized in the table. Use the Borda count method to determine the
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Factors affecting performance - Fluid intake Essay
Factors affecting performance - Fluid intake - Essay Example Additionally, blood plasma ensures that the arteries and other blood vessels have sufficient fluids. This prevents potential clogging of such tissues. In line with the above fact is the issue of blood pressure. Water plays a cardiovascular function; it ensures that the heart and the surrounding components of the system work correctly. Clogging in the blood vessels may lead to high blood pressure among various illnesses. 2 Water is a transport agent in the body; it is responsible for the transportation of nutrients, waste products, hormones, buffering agents as well as medication or other supplements. Waste products are eliminated from the body through a detoxification process. Water facilitates this by absorbing waste products from cells and transporting them to excretory organs such as the skin or kidney. 3 An example of such a waste product is excess amino acids. The amino acids are converted into urea and eventually eliminated from the body through the kidneys. Water moves this product from the cells. It also moves nutrients into the cells by acting as a solvent for them. Typical examples include glucose, vitamins and other minerals. Through this process, water enhances the body’s ability to metabolise nutrients and thus makes them available in the body. 4 It also plays a critical role in the transportation of hormones. For instance, it facilitates the transportation of insulin. This hormone works on glucose molecules in order to produce energy needed for physiological needs in the body. It is because of this function that blood has an effect on blood sugar levels hence susceptibility to diabetes. Transportation of buffering agents also occurs through the blood. The body needs to have a constant ph level of between 7.38 and 7.42. 5 Buffering agents are mild bases or acids designed to counter sudden increases in acidity or alkalinity of the blood. Examples here include a phosphate
Sales Development and Merchandising Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Sales Development and Merchandising - Case Study Example The secondary source of information was the brochures and promotional material that the hotel manager provided as well as various hotel guides, reviews on the internet and the corporate website. I also stayed at the hotel for a day to get a feel of its environment, ambience and service and to understand its positioning fully. All the information and observations were recorded and classified into various subtopics. These included general information, consumer insights, desired positioning and image for Holiday Inn and communication strategy. These were then analyzed and feedback was incorporated into the assignment to give it a logical finish. Even though access to the hotel was fairly easy, certain problems were encountered in doing the assignment. Often customers had highly skewed perspectives of the hotel. Most had a very good opinion of the hotel while few also hated the international chain. However, it was alarming that no one considered the hotel to be moderate or average. To eliminate this skew ness from the sample, customers were encouraged to present a balanced picture of the hotel, detailing both the pros and cons. Sometimes this required prompting on part of the interviewer. Secondly certain formats and samples ... Even though I stressed on the importance of the information, the management was highly unwilling to furnish me with the same. Therefore I asked them to erase the confidential information and just present me with format of documents such as the order form format etc. Hotel Summary Holiday Inn is a 5-star hotel with all the services that make it a pleasure to stay at. It offers facilities and features which are exclusive to holiday inn and are not offered anywhere else. These include indoor water parks which provide an opportunity for relaxation and enjoyment within the premises of the hotel. It is a highly unique feature. It has a feature of kids eating for free which exists for most hotel packages and offers a discounted rate for senior citizens. It also has a unique reward program for group meetings. The hotel comes across as a convenient refuge for people. Its sup is mainly convenience with a bit of relaxation thrown in. In all its offers such as advance booking and park, stay and go for hurried travelers. The hotel is offering packages in line with its current sup and positioning. All its communications focus on the convenience aspect with some depiction of the relaxation opportunities as well. This can be deduced from the website which has related links for traveler's right on the main page, so that customers do not have to look elsewhere. Also, the information on the website is highly organized. and well classified. There's a lot of focus on corporate customers which again endorses the convenience positioning. It also has an image associated with being economical and being good value for money. It does not target the elites or very rich people. It offers services of Wife, spacious guest rooms, full service
Friday, July 26, 2019
Refilction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1
Refilction - Essay Example Although many aspects of leadership require that lay down a set of rules for directives which stakeholders should follow, spirituality is one of the only determinants that will be discussed within this five-part analysis that is completely concentric upon the way in which the individual leader the Hanes himself/herself. Challenge - is a compound of leadership that is not only necessary for the leader, but also necessary for the stakeholders. Although most people derive a sense of satisfaction from many different determinants, challenge is one of the most universal. What is meant by this is the fact that will be most fulfilled in his/her responsibilities by performing tasks and functions that represents something of a challenge to the ability that he/she is able to bring to bear. In much the same way, the fulfillment of the individual stakeholders/employees will most be affected by a degree of challenge within their own respective work. Whereas no one would be fulfilled by a monotonou s and unchallenging job that requires little to no creativity or problem-solving skills, the converse be said with regards to the level of the filament which can be derived from a job that provides a type of challenge and encourages the individual to maximize their potential and strengths. Friendship - no matter how good the leader is and no matter how effective his/her strategies might be, there is a high level of efficiency that can be affected by treating one’s colleagues, superiors, and subordinates with a level of friendship. This is particularly dangerous concept due to the fact that it has been proven that the work environment should remain professional. However, what is meant by engaging in a level of friendship with all of the stakeholders in the process is that they should be treated with the courtesy, kindness, acceptance, and respect that one would give to their own friends. Although they may indeed not be close friends outside of the work environment, this level of respect and admiration for the unique skills and qualities that they bring only helps to facilitate the work process and encourages each and every member of the organization to perform at their peak capacity. The leader should understand that even though a level of friendship is engaged with the stakeholders, he/she should not feel that they are continually among friends and not required to display a level of professionalism at all times. Loyalty - whereas all of the other aspects which have been discussed up until this point are some what unidirectional, the issue of loyalty is something that is very specifically multidirectional. What is meant by this is that the leader/manager that attempts to engage in level of loyalty with respect to both his superiors and subordinates will necessarily have this level of loyalty returns to them in time. Although loyalty should not be engaged in as a means of getting something in return, this action allows for each and every stakeholder in th e process to come to the understanding that the leader in question prizes loyalty and its compounded parts above all other things. In this way, a feeling of confidence and increased efficiency will be generated whereby each and every stakeholder is secure in the knowledge that they have loyal colleagues who are not merely engaged in the
The economics of labor market Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
The economics of labor market - Assignment Example By consuming leisure you are forgoing the wage you could have earned by working that hour.as the wage increases leisure get more expensive and you consume less leisure. That is as the wage increase you work more hours Income effect- leisure is a normal good as you get wealthier you’ll want to consume more leisure. As the wage you receive increase you become wealthier and thus will want to consume more leisure. Thus as the real wage increase you work fewer hours 5) hire another worker as long as the worker adds at least $1 to profits or hire another worker as long as the cost of that worker (his wage) is less than or equal to the value of that worker’s extra output. 6) Technological advances decrease demand for labor Anything that changes either the amount of output workers can produce or the price of that output will shift the labor demand curve. Fishers, for example, would be more productive if they were provided with better training, more equipment, or improved technology, so all of these things would tend to increase the demand for
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells - Essay Example mstance, the development of fuel cells helps in reducing dependence on fossil fuels hence reducing the levels of toxic and poisonous emissions to the atmosphere. However, this form of energy exemplified by proton exchange membrane fuel cells has to compete with reliability, cost and energy efficiency with established energy sources. The commercialization of the proton exchange membrane fuel cells are closely related to vital materials considerations including performance, durability and cost. The major setback is to find a combination of materials that will give a valid outcome on the basis of the above three mentioned factors. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell is also referred to as the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. This is so because the name variant depends on the type of electrolyte employed in the model. When the membrane is conveniently hydrated, the fuel cell is referred to as the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. In this case, there is high conductivity of protons across the polymeric membrane. Various state of the art proton exchange membrane fuel cells have been developed. Exemplified by thinner membranes of less than 40 micrometers and smaller Pt/C electrodes, some fuel cells have been devised for cost reduction. However, these models have demonstrated significantly less operating time of close to 15, 000 hours. This called for the invention of an ion-conductive polymeric membrane as a gas electron barrier. This idea was first coined by William T. Grubb of the General Electric Company in 1955. Currently, the most widely employed membrane electrolyte is DuPont’s Nafion . This is because it possesses good chemical and mechanical stability in the challenging proton exchange membrane fuel cell environment. Basically, the physical structure of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell comprises of seven components. These are feeding channels, diffusion layers, catalytic layer in the anode, membrane; catalytic layer, diffusion layer and
Future scope on China and the Gulf Cooperation Council relationship Essay
Future scope on China and the Gulf Cooperation Council relationship (GCC) - Essay Example USSR is a socialist Republic and has similar internal state policies as that of China, the policies of China closely follow that of Moscow which is then the seat of powers of the former USSR. However, in the effort to forge stronger alliances, China strived to reach out to countries like the United States and those countries surrounding the Persian Gulf. Unfortunately, talks of alliance during the meetings held in Bandung, China failed to create a strong alliance between these nations. Throughout the 1990s, there were many important changes that occur in the foreign policy of China. These changes in the Chinese foreign policies were triggered by global political changes following the collapse of Soviet Union. The collapse of the USSR heralded the end of the cold war and triggered global political changes. As the USSR ceased to be one of the world’s superpowers, the United States took on the role as â€Å"big brother†of smaller nations and took upon itself to serve and the â€Å"police and watchdog†of democracy and power. The shift in the balance of world powers ushered the changes in China’s foreign policies especially towards the countries around the Persian Gulf. Believing that the shift in world powers may eventually affect the stability of oil supply and production around the oil rich nations of the Persian Gulf, and that the slowdown in the production of oil may affect the economic activities in China, the Chinese government emba rked into the task of fostering stability in the area by advocating the resolution of conflicts in the area internally and without any foreign interventions. As the largest country around this part of the world, China has the power to influence the economic activities in this region. In the 1990s, the value of Chinese investments around this area amounted to more than 2.2 billion US dollars. This is twice the value of its investments in the region in the 1980s. Chinese importation for oil reached about $9.5 billion dollars in
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
What Ethical Consumerism means for Starbucks Essay
What Ethical Consumerism means for Starbucks - Essay Example The conclusion will include a critical assessment of ethical consumerism in lieu of the evidence collected from primary and secondary research. The assessment will be limited to Starbucks. Finally, the paper will present recommendations as to how Starbucks can become more ethical. Consumers always want to be associated with products or services that are â€Å"clean,†meaning they do not bear any mark of malpractice. This orientation is influenced by many things, but it forms part of consumers’ personal philosophy. With natural resources becoming increasingly limited, and the degradation of human principles becoming increasingly blatant, governments and consumers have shifted attention to sustainable business practices. The sustainability message has been spread widely since the advent of the 21st century, and its core lies ethical consumerism. Globalisation has made society more interconnected, so much so that negative situations at one end of the globe are felt another end. A century ago, consumers did not care much about the methods used to deliver products and services provided they satisfied their needs. However, globalisation has ensured that unethical and immoral business practices affect consumers around the world in one way or the other. This explains the increasing popularity of ethical consumerism. This paper will discuss the various dynamics surrounding the concept. Ethical consumerism, also known as positive buying, can be defined, first, as a variant of consumer activism. Its basis lies in the belief that consumers should have a say in the products and services they pay for, and that they should be recognized and respected as valuable members of the supply chain. Ethical consumerism is guided by the notion that all purchases are motivated by moral choices.
Global marketing - entering a new country with new product Term Paper - 1
Global marketing - entering a new country with new product - Term Paper Example The demographic profile of India also appears propitious for Costco to enter the country. India boasts of a young population and burgeoning middle class. The communication systems in the country are well developed and the government is committed to develop other infrastructural facilities in the country. When India gained independence in 1947, the country’s leaders adopted an inward-focused, socialist-style, economic framework. The economic goals were elaborated and pursued through the five-year plans. The banks were nationalized and their lending policies were aimed to meet the government targets with regard to priority sector lending. Private enterprises had little autonomy, to say the least. India remained a state-controlled economy till the early 1990s (The Economist, 2011). The government-led Indian economy landed in deep trouble and faced a balance-of-payments crisis in 1991. The crisis provided the impetus for change and India embarked on the policy of liberalization, privatization and globalization. Since then, India has slowly but surely implemented reforms and has become a market driven economy (Wilson & Keim, 2006). India is the second most populous country of the world next only to China (See Appendix Figure 2-A: Population Pyramid). The total population of India is estimated to be more than 1.2 billion (CIA, 2014). The infant mortality rate in India is 43.19 deaths per 1,000 live births. The life expectancy at birth is 67.8 years. The population growth rate in India is expected to be 1.25 percent in 2014. India is likely to overtake China to become the most populous country of the world by 2030 (Haub & Sharma, 2006). The demographic profile of India is really attractive. India boasts of a pretty young population as 28.5 percent of the people living in the country are less than 14 years of age. 18.1 percent of the population is aged between 15 and 24 years. The
Independent Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Independent Learning - Essay Example The process of integrating the learners into the education system allows them to start connecting with the outside world. Therefore, they have the ability to learn and think for themselves, and not wait for their teachers. Independent learning abilities are an indispensable training for life and for change to, and success in, occupational, college or higher learning courses. Independent learning skills support students’ capability in assessing, recording and reflecting on their education. Steinberg and Davidson (2005: p467) state that also promote independence in organization, decision-making and problem-solving. Nonetheless, they take time to institute and, for several students, require premeditated modeling and teaching. Therefore, if students are to become actively engaged in increasing their autonomy in their personal education, they must first of all gain the aptitude to learn how to study. A supportive setting that permits students to learn from errors and develop about their successes is a prerequisite. Ideally, such ability building will be in progress early and continuous throughout a person's learning (Cooper, Kiger, Robinson and Slanky, 2011: p65).... Fulfilling such requirements is satisfying in itself, and such rewards uphold learning successfully than do grades. Therefore, teachers may design in-class activities, assignments, and discussion queries to tackle these types of requirements. The teachers should make learners active participants in education. Students learn by making, designing, doing, creating, writing, and solving. Passive learning dampens learners' enthusiasm and inquisitiveness. Teachers are supposed to pose questions, and not inform students something when they can ask them. Furthermore, they ought to encourage students to propose approaches to a quandary or to speculate the outcome of an experiment. The students may be divided into small groups, encouraging interaction and sharing their different ideas on the subject. Research has revealed that an educator's expectations have an influential consequence on a student's perf ormance. Thus, if a teacher acts as though he expects motivation, interest and hard work from his students in the course, they are more likely to be so. The teachers need to set practical expectations for learners when they grade examinations, give presentations, formulate assignments and conduct discussions. "Practical" in this perspective means that the teacher’s standards are high enough to inspire learners to do their most excellent work but not so high that learners will predictably be discouraged in attempting to meet those expectations. To build up the drive to achieve; learners must believe that realization is possible, which means that the teacher needs to present early prospects for success. Teachers should assist students in setting achievable objectives for themselves.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Liberty and equality in French revolution Essay
Liberty and equality in French revolution - Essay Example Liberty and equality in French revolution There lots of downfalls regarding the state of economy which had be corrected to averting the anger from the general population .Economic volatility indeed was the factor that preceded the revolution. Improper usage finances coupled with deficit made it hard to provide for people who faced economic hard ships. Therefore the suffering of many peasant continued to reveal unfair weighty taxation that peasant have to bear. This resulted in more hardships because of the equalities between the rich and poor. Agricultural advance in agriculture in late 17th century and early 18th century couple with the birth of trade spurred the manufacturing sector that existed at the time to rapidly expand and increase production. Therefore agrarian revolution indirectly contributed to industrial revolution because agriculture provided the raw materials that were required by various manufacturing and processing industries hence contributing to their growth and expansion. Trade in Britain led to private banking as a result of the expansion. This also led to money economy characterized by trading organizations. Credit facilities appeared such as the promissory notes, bourse, state bank and other exchange media. This stimulated the economy to grow and people had more money to spend on new investments that later were turned to industries through growth.
Financial Management - WHSmith PLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Financial Management - WHSmith PLC - Essay Example However, WHSmith Retail sales fell by 1% to 1,453m from last year's 1,463m, driven mainly by a 2% loss in its High Street Retail business. This loss in high street retail was only mildly offset by the excellent performance in travel retail characterized by an 11% increase in profits to 21m from 19m in the previous year, and a 3% increase in sales. Reasons for the overall profit loss of the group were attributed to a significant decrease in sales due to unsuccessful marketing and promotions and the continued sale of products with decreasing demand; and an unsuccessful investment in technology, which contributed to the company's increased costs. Another aspect of the retail business is WHSmith Online. Launched in 2000, the retail website, www.whsmith.co.uk, has not been utilized by the company to its potential and is not integrated with the rest of the retail business. It experienced a loss of 2m in profit, similar to the previous year and sales of 7m. In order to turn the company around and increase retail sales, the company will focus on developing a multi-channel retail strategy, taking advantage of WHSmith Online's full potential to increase online sales, as well as sales in high street and travel stores. Shank and Govindarajan (1991) defines strategic cost management as "the process through which a sophisticated understanding of an organization's cost structure is developed and used in the search for sustainable competitive advantage." They argue that blending the three themes of value chain analysis, cost driver analysis, and competitive advantage analysis represents the most powerful way to determine which strategic direction will be most beneficial for an organization (Shank and Govindarajan, 1992). By applying Shank and Govindarajan's framework, one can understand why implementing a multi-channel strategy will benefit WHSmith's retail business in the long run. WHSmith Value Chain Analysis A value chain is "linked set of value-creating activities" (Shank and Govindarajan, 1992). Based on WHSmith's value chain, one can see that a multi-channel retail strategy is most profitable for the company. First, by analyzing WHSmith's internal value chain, one can infer that WHSmith Online has developed as a separated business division that is not integrated into the WHSmith Retail since its launch in 2000. WHSmith Online does not support any of the value chain activities of the group and its potential was not fully explored. Thus, it remains to be a traditional retail business. In the purchasing stage, products are purchased from its distributors based on the demand forecasted by the company. These products are then shipped to warehouses, which deliver them to the respective high street retail stores in the distribution and merchandising stages. High street retail stores then arrange these products, utilizing the available spaces and conduct marketing activities as directed by the central office in the store operations and marketing stages. At this stage, the point of sale is situated at cash registers in each store and mails received by the company from its loyal customers. Figure 2. WHSmith Internal Value Chain Analysis Based on the existing internal value chain and the performance during the previous year, the following improvements need to be employed (WHSmith, 2004): Purchasing: Discontinue purchase
Reading Books Essay Example for Free
Reading Books Essay Reading a book is one of the best forms of entertainment a person can have. Books can take you places to a time and lifestyle that you will never visit or experience. I remember the old show called â€Å"Reading Rainbow†and it lyrics were gave a very interesting take on books they went like this: â€Å"I can twice as high take a look, it’s in a book A Reading Rainbow, I can go anywhere, Friends to know and ways to grow, Reading Rainbow, I can be anything take a look it’s in a book. †Those lyrics are so true. Reading a book you can read about how life was in the 1700’s up until our generation today. I could be a detective who solves a famous mystery or I could be the killer trying to get away. I can learn to speak another language. There are so many things and topics in reading a book that can change your appearance, your political viewpoints, and change your attitude. Some say that books might become obsolete because movies are made from these books and you can watch the movies in two hours. Watching the movies a person feels that you can get the plot and conclusion of the book in two hours. This is true but for example if it is true life story the movie are going to change some parts of the books to make it more enjoyable, whereas the book is going to give you every detail the author wants you to have. Books gives people a conversation piece just like a movie but the only difference is books can join the world. Movies can’t be seen in some countries but a book can be read. So like the Reading Rainbow says â€Å"take a look it’s in a book†. So in conclusion reading a book is the best form of entertainment. Stephanie C. Williams November 20, 2010
Monday, July 22, 2019
Impact of Motivation on workers productivity in the construction industry Essay Example for Free
Impact of Motivation on workers productivity in the construction industry Essay This is a research on the relationship between motivation and performance of workers in the Nigerian construction industry. It identifies a number of motivational schemes that enhance the performance of workers. Findings from the research on productivity of construction workers are reported. Two sets of questionnaires were employed in the study. One set was administered on management staff and the other on operatives. The study reveals that salaries paid to operatives in the study were below the stipulations of the Nigerian National Joint Industry Council. It further shows that operatives are rarely promoted, and operatives prefer financial incentives to nonfinancial incentives. The study recommends that increases in salary via promotion, overtime allowances and holidays with pay should be used as motivators (financial incentives) for increase in performance of construction workers (operatives). Keywords: construction, incentives, motivation, operatives, productivity. INTRODUCTION The output of the construction industry constitutes one-half of the gross capital, and three to eight percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in most countries (Arditi and Morkhtar 2000). Mee-Edoiye and Andawei (2000) declared that the employees in the civil and building construction industry of a country are the largest. The population of the workers compared to the whole workforce of a nation is significant. Anything done to the employees could either make or mar the quality of their work, the speed of progress, the economy of the country and the social well-being of the workers. It follows from the foregoing therefore that workers should be well motivated for high performance and for the production of good quality products. However, despite this significant role the industry plays in the Nigerian national economy, the performance has not been impressive. Eldin and Egger (1990) noted that construction productivity has been declining steadily in spite of the rising cost and large labour intensive nature of construction projects around the world. The decline in the workers’ performance causes the failure of the building industry to deliver projects timely with the obvious consequences of cost overrun. Labour productivity according to Akindele (2003) is defined as labour output per day (man-day). This is often reduced by delayed, unclear or inadequate instructions, provision of poor tools and equipment, unbalanced work gangs, use of working method, lack of incentives, and failure to delegate authority from senior to lower level supervisors (Heap 1987). Aiyetan and Olotuah The productivity of individuals, which in turn affects the productivity of a company, is a very important parameter to watch as it measures a company’s competitive power. It is an indicator of a firm’s profit margin, a measure of the firm’s survival in business, a yardstick for remuneration of employees, and a means of recognition of hard work. LITERATURE REVIEW Productivity Productivity measures how efficiently resources are employed, It is defined as the ratio of a specific measure of output to a specific measure of input per unit of labour and is measured as total output divided by the members of units of labour employed to produce that output Williams (1997) defines human capital (labour) as the accumulated knowledge, skill and experience of the labour force. As individual workers acquire more human capital, their productivity and hence their income grows. Labour comprises the broad category of human effort, both physical and mental directed towards productivity. Motivation Motivation is an art targeted to getting people work willingly, and an art of inducing one to behave in a particular manner to achieve a task. Mee-Edoiye and Andawei (2002) viewed motivation as a human engineering approach being triggered by the individual needs. Flippo (1982) defined motivation as a psychological process initiated by the emergence of needs involving a goal directed action and behaviour aimed at satisfying a particular desire. It is the inducement given to workers for higher output. Motivated behaviour has three basic characteristics: 1. It is sustained – it is maintained for a long time until satisfied. 2. It is goal-directed – it seeks to achieve an objective. 3. It results from a felt need – an urge directed towards a need. Several authors including Robert and GeneNeuport (1995), Williams (1997) and Cole (1999) have propounded theories to help to understand the human being and how to handle him to get goals achieved. The theories propounded include: 1. The Maslow’s Theory of Hierarchy of Needs: Abraham Maslow developed a needs–based theory of motivation. People are extraordinary complex creatures with many motives for behaviours on and off the job. Maslow (1954) identified and analyzed five basic needs, which he believed underlay all human behaviours, these needs relate to physiology (the needs for food water, air and sex), security (safety, the absence of illness), society or affiliation (friendship, interaction, love), esteem (respect and recognition), and self actualization (the ability to reach one’s potentials). These are perceptions for high performance and productivity of individuals. Before Maslow, most managers assumed that money primarily motivated people. With Maslow’s work, managers can evaluate their own actions, their companies conduct and their individual philosophies about people. Maslow’s needs theory presented a workable motivation framework for managers. 2. McGregor’s Hygiene Theories X and Y Motivation on workers productivity An unmet need can frustrate an employee and make him unproductive. Douglas McGregor published the human side of enterprise in 1960. In it, he explained that managers operate from one or two basic assumptions about human behaviour: Theory X and Theory Y. The first theory, the view traditionally held about labour, portrayed workers in industry as being lazy and needing to be coerced, controlled and directed. The second described people as McGregor thought them to be; responsible, willing to learn and given the proper incentives inherently motivated to exercise ingenuity and creativity. McGregor holds the view that the traditional way of treating people – regarding them as unthinking, uncaring robots – must change. Indeed, McGregor stressed that only by changing these assumptions could managers tap workers’ or labourers’ vast talents. He emphasized that what matters was how people were treated and valued in their work settings. He went further by advising man agers to give employees a chance to contribute, take control and responsibility. Table 1 shows the assumptions of Theories X and Y. With these theories, managers could discover what employees want from workplace, how to enlist their cooperation and commitment and how to unleash their talents, energy and creativity for their ultimate goal, which in most cases is high level of productivity. Familiarity with theories of motivation allows a manager an educated viewpoint from which to consider how to develop workers, capture commitment and develop a positive work environment. Table 1: Assumption about workers according to theory X and theory Y Theory X People basically dislike work and avoid it whenever possible Because most people dislike work, they have to be closely supervised and threatened with punishment to reach objectives. Most people have little creativity. They are not capable of solving problems. Rather, they must be directed. Most people have limited intellectual potential. Contribution above basic job performance should not be expected. Theory Y Most people find work as natural as play or rest and develop an attitude towards work based on their experience with it. People do not need to be threatened with punishment; they will work voluntarily toward organizational objectives to which they are committed. Most people possess a high degree of imagination, ingenuity and creativity with which to solve organizational problems. Although people have intellectual potential, modern industrial life utilizes only part of it. Source: Plunkett and Attener (1994) The core of theories X and Y is that a management philosophy influences the type of work climate the manager endeavours to create and ultimately, how the manager treats people. Frederick Herzberg’s two-factor theory developed in (1975) also called hygienemotivator. One set of the theory defines factors that lead to job satisfaction; these factors are called hygiene factors. Salary: To prevent job dissatisfaction, a manger should provide adequate wages, salaries, and fringe benefits. Job security: Company grievance procedures and seniority privileges contribute to high-quality hygiene. Aiyetan and Olotuah Working conditions: Managers ensure adequate heat, light, ventilation, and hours of work to prevent dissatisfaction. Status: Managers who are mindful of the importance of hygiene factors provide privileges, job titles, and other symbols of rank and position. Company policies: To prevent job dissatisfaction, managers should provide policies as guidelines for behaviour and administer the policies fairly. Quality of technical supervision: When employees are not able to receive answers to job-related questions, they become frustrated. Providing highquality technical supervision for employees prevents frustration. Quality of interpersonal relations among peers, supervisors, and subordinates: In an organization with high-quality hygiene factors, the workplace provides social opportunities as well as the chance to enjoy comfortable work-related relationships. The other set of factor the theory defines is that which produces job satisfaction and motivation called motivators. Achievement: The opportunity to accomplish something or contribute something of value can serve as a source of job satisfaction. Recognition: Wise managers let employees know that their efforts have been worthwhile and that management notes and appreciates them. Responsibility: The potential for acquiring new duties and responsibilities, through either job expansion or delegation, can be a powerful motivator for some workers. Advancement: The opportunity to improve one’s position because of job performance gives employees a clear reason for high performance. The work itself: When a task offers the opportunity for self-expression, personal satisfaction, and meaningful challenge, employees are likely to undertake the task with enthusiasm. Possibility of growth: The opportunity to increase knowledge and personal development is likely to lead to job satisfaction. TYPES OF MOTIVATION Motivation can be classified into two categories. These are non-financial and financial incentives schemes. Non-financial motivation is intangible; it includes advancement, the work itself, responsibility, recognition, relations with co-workers, company policy and working institutions. Financial Incentive Scheme There are two areas into which financial incentives scheme fall; those of operatives and those of managers. According to Cole (1997), incentive scheme for managers include, extra payments or increase in salaries, fringe benefits covering such items as, car, sickness benefits, free education for managers’ children, and free holidays. Others are free lunches, free travel abroad with wife and family, access to newspapers and journals, free interest loan and free medical scheme (Pigors 1981). Financial Incentives Schemes to Operatives Cole (1997) gave a list of financial incentives to operatives, which include good holiday pay, extra pay for shift work and uncomfortable, dirty and unhealthy conditions, profit sharing, long service allowances, overtime availability when operatives require it, pension fund contribution by the company, death benefits and dependants, employee’s liability insurance and medical facility to operative’s family. METHODOLOGY The study was carried out in Nigeria, and random sampling technique was used for selecting firms for study. Some towns where construction activities are high were selected; one from each of the three parts of the country (the north, east and west). Abuja, Port-Harcourt and Lagos were chosen. Since construction processes are the same throughout the country, these towns were used as representative samples of the study area since all towns cannot be reached for the study due to the huge sum of money that would be required as well as the time needed for such an endeavour. The target population for the study was the management staff (architects, builders, quantity surveyors and engineers) and contractors. In order to obtain the sample size of the study, the Corporate Affairs Commission was visited to obtain the number of registered companies with them and particularly those that have their head offices in the selected towns. A total of 96 companies were listed (registered), the formula be low given by Siegel and Castellan (1988) was used to obtain the sample size. It gave a sample size of 16 companies. Data was collected from 74 questionnaires. The operatives were asked the kind of motivation the management gives to them and they prefer to indicate their productivity as high. The management staff was also asked the kind of motivation they give and that which operatives prefer for high productivity. The mean score of the sum of central tendency (statistical tool) was used for the analysis of data since parameters analyzed is small. Presentation and Analysis of Data from questionnaire type 1 (for management) Majority of the respondents, 33.33% showed that the salary paid is slightly below the Nigerian National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) agreement. For 27.27% construction firms pay exactly NJIC agreement, and 21.21% assert that salaries paid construction workers are far below NJIC agreement, while 18.18% indicated that salaries paid construction workers is a little above NJIC. From the analysis, it could be seen that most of the organizations pay salary, which is below NJIC agreement, and this may affect the performance of workers negatively (Table 2) Table 2: Salary structure used compared with current NJIC agreement S/N Salary Structure Far above NJIC agreement A little above NJIC agreement Exactly NJIC agreement Slightly below NJIC agreement Far below NJIC agreement No. of Respondents 0 6 9 11 7 33 Percentage of Respondents 0% 18.18% 27.27% 33.33% 21.21% 100% Source: Fieldwork, 2005 Twenty nine percent (29%) of the organizations carry out promotion on company’s policy because of performance of workers. The study found out that promotion is not done on a regular basis, for example after every 3 years but based on the performance of workers (Table 3). Of all the motivating factors available in the construction industry, the most used for higher performance is overtime with 9.4% followed by health care services with 9.0% and thirdly by provision of transportation facility to and from work with 8.9%. The least used motivating factor is profit sharing with 3.3% followed by telephone services. The reason for overtime being used mostly as motivation for higher performance is that to the operatives, they receive money in return and while to the organization work done is increased. While health care services, which are free put confidence into workers to work hard, and when sick they will be taken adequate care of without spending money of their own (Table 4). As far as the operatives are concerned, the motivation they preferred most is holiday abroad with pay. The mean ranking is 7.79%. The likely reason that could be adduced for this is that, workers will be exposed to more experience in their field of work, to the latest available tools and equipment, better construction techniques/methods, which makes them become experts in their field and hence production will be faster and with higher quality. This will have a resultant effect on their cadre, as they will receive promotion. Increase in salary is the second most preferred motivating factor, which comes naturally. They will be able to send their children to good schools, feed well and have a sense of belonging in the society. The least preferred motivating factor is telephone services, followed by responsibility. This is because it is not a financial gain (Table 5). Presentation and Analysis of Data from Questionnaire Type 11 (For Operatives) Most (51.22%) operatives indicated that salaries paid them is a little below NJIC agreement. This makes workers not to work well as they feel cheated and thereby it affects productivity negatively (Table 6). The two groups agree that salaries paid workers are slightly below NJIC agreement. Most of the operatives (26.4%) have a view that promotion is given to those who have people to influence it for them. While 26.2% hold the opinion that promotion is based on performance, and another 26.2% opine that promotion is rarely done (Table 7). An increase in salary of workers makes them committed to hard work for high productivity. It is the first among all the factors ranked. Following this is promotion, which if regular keeps the workers focused on their job, due to the evaluation report that shall be made at the end of year and later compiled for use as promotion guide. Next to this is overtime, which increases the take home pay of the workers at the end of the month, and makes them to work harder. The least factors that could induce the workers to working hard are telephone services, responsibility and the work itself. The reason could be that they do not have financial reward to the operatives directly (Table 8). A comparison of the questionnaires shows that both groups agree that the salary paid to labourers is slightly lower than the NJIC recommendation. This is likely to affect the labourers’ productivity and may be one of the reasons that delay in delivery of projects is experienced on majority of projects. There is a difference of opinion on the policy of organizations on the promotion of operatives. While the management claims that it is done very regularly and fair, the operatives believe it is rarely done and if done at all it is for those who have godfathers. The most motivating factors according to the management are overtime pay, health care services and provision of transportation in this order, whereas the operatives opine that these are increase in salary, promotion and overtime pay. RECOMMENDATIONS The following recommendations are hereby made based on the analysis of data from the field and conclusion reached. 1. Companies are requested to adjust their salary structure to reflect the NJIC recommendation; this will enhance the performance of workers. 2. Management should be concerned with the welfare of the workers and their families. This will give the workers a sense of belonging and being appreciated will make them to be focused and completely committed to their work. 3. Increase in salary; promotion, overtime and holiday with pay should be used as motivators for increase in performance of construction workers. 4. Promotion should be done regularly and should be based on performance of workers. CONCLUSION The paper discusses the impact of motivation on the productivity of workers in the Nigerian construction industry. Since motivation is an inducement for higher output it should be accorded a right of place by employers of labour for the construction industry to achieve higher productivity, which will lead to greater contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Output. REFERENCES Akindele, O A (2003) Craftsmen and Labour Productivity in the Swaziland Construction Industry. CIDB 1st Postgraduate Conference, University of Withwatersrand, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Arditi, D and Mokhtar, K (2000) Trends in Productivity Improvement in the US Construction Industry. Construction Management and Economics, 18(2), 15-27 Cole G A (1997) Personal management, 1st Edition Ashford Colour Press. Eldin, N N and Egger, S (1990) Productivity improvement tools, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 116(1), 100-110. Flippo, E B (1982) Personnel Management, 5th Edition, McGraw hill Inc. London Heap, A (1987) Improving Site Productivity in the Construction Industry. International Labour Office, Geneva Plunkett, W.R and Attner, R.F (1999) Introduction to Management 5th Edition, International Thomson Publishing, California. pp. 43-47, 394-407. Pigors P J W (1981) Personnel Administration: A point of view and method. 9th Edition, McGraw-Hill International Auckland Maslow, A H (1954): Motivation and Personality, Harper and Row, New York Mee-Edoiye, M and Andawei M.M (2002): Motivation, An Alternative to improve workers performance in Today Construction Industry. The Quantity Surveyor. 40(3), 2-6. Cole, G. A. (1999) Management: theory and practice. 5ed. Asford Colour Press, Gosport: Great Britain, 33–76 Robert, L. Trewatha and M. Gene Neuport (1995) Management. 3ed. Business Publication Inc. 359–367. Williams A. McEachern (1997) Economics. A Contemporary Introduction. 4ed. Southwestern College Publishing, Cincinnati, Ohio. pp. 111. Siegel, S. and Castellan, N. J. (1988). Non-parmetric statistics for the behavioural science. McGraw-hill Book Co., Singapore.
Language & Literacy for Young Children Essay Example for Free
Language Literacy for Young Children Essay This paper will discuss developmentally appropriate methodologies in teaching language and literacy to young children across a developmental curriculum. Also to be discussed will be the aspects/knowledge’s of language, language diversity and Theoretical Perspectives. In the Beginning There is now evidence that it is never too early to teach a child. Through research it has been discovered that the infant even before he/she is born can hear sound and as we know that is how we acquire language, by hearing spoken words. According to Otto (2010), language development begins when language speakers assume that an infant is a participating partner in conversational settings, even though it is months before the child is able to begin using conventional words. In an article written by Dr. Carmelita Lomeo-Smrtic,Ph. D, she wrote that â€Å"Teaching children to become literate members of society is a daunting task, often relegated to the elementary teacher. However, research on teaching children to become literate suggests that this process must begin well before kindergarten. Research suggests that children are primed for learning language in utero. Also from the Otto text, â€Å"research on children’s perception of speech and the development of the auditory system in utero has determined that the fetus can perceive sounds beginning with the 25th week of gestation and at the 35th week a fetus’s hearing acuity is at a level similar to an adult’s(2010). Knowing all of this has prompted mother’s and some father’s to read to their unborn infant and even â€Å"talk†to him/her. Documented research suggests that infants can distinguish their mother’s voice from the voice of others-including other female voices a first few days after birth (Otto,2010). Aspects of Language It has been established that children begin learning at a very early age, even though they do not begin speaking words for many months. Now we will move on to speak about how they learn. There are five aspects or knowledge’s of language. -Phonetic, Semantic, Syntactic, Morphemic, and Pragmatic.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
The Importance Of Integrity In Society Philosophy Essay
The Importance Of Integrity In Society Philosophy Essay The concept of integrity has played a key role in moral philosophy throughout history and is promoted in all societies because of its importance to social relations (Schlenker, 2009). Individual integrity is vital to society as the kind of society which is likely to be more conducive to integrity which is one which enables people to develop and make use of their capacity for critical reflection, one which does not force people to take up particular roles because of their sex or race or any other reason, and one which does not encourage individuals to betray each other either to escape prison or to advance their career. Besides, societies can be favourable to the development of individual integrity. Society expects and requires integrity of its leaders. A person of integrity insists on doing what is right at all times, not only when he knows that a superior or subordinate is watching him. It is the courage to complete a bombing run when one knows full well that the chance for survival is poor or non-existent or the courage to admit failure rather than alter a report (Duggar nd.). Ethics come into play when the interests of others are incorporated into the calculus of personal and business decision-making as human beings we live embedded in a society. The most successful individuals and companies are those with reputations of high individual integrity among everyone they deal with. This level of integrity builds the confidence and enables them to do more business than their competitors whose ethics may be a little unstable (Barry Stephens, 1998). Integrity is complete honesty in any situation (Flynn, 1978). We must determine what is really right and really wrong. Right even transcends the violation of regulations. You must oppose what is wrong and support what is right even if it costs you your life or your career. In other words, integrity means more to the professional officer than the dictionary definition. It means honesty, truthfulness, reliability, impartiality, sincerity, open mindedness, trustworthiness, and courage. It means totally ethical behaviour at all times and in all situations, regardless of the consequences. It cannot be turned on and off as desired; it is the focus of the professionals life (Flynn, 1978). Babbitt (1997) explicitly links individual integrity to social structures in a way that broadens the concept of integrity. If social educational structures fail to facilitate the life of integrity, other structures may be positively hostile to it. As Babbitt (1997) notes, one needs to be able to make choices in order to develop the kinds of interests and concerns which are significant to leading a life of integrity. On the other hand, oppressed people are often able to reflect on social realities with the greater insight because they do not benefit from them. They have no incentive to accept self-deceptive attitudes about circumstances of oppression or to see past them with convenient blindness. Oppressed groups therefore have all the more scope to think about social reality with integrity, and to act out of this understanding with integrity. A capacity for reflection and understanding enables one to work toward integrity even if it does not ensure that one achieves an ideal of integ rity. An adequate account of personal integrity must recognize that some social structures are of the wrong sort altogether for some individuals to be able to pursue personal integrity, and that questions about the moral nature of society often need to be asked first before questions about personal integrity can properly be raised (Babbitt, 1997). Questions about integrity may turn out to be, not about the relationship between individual characteristics, interests, choices and so on, and a society, but rather about what kind of society it is in terms of which an individual comes to possess certain interests, characteristics, and so on. This does not imply that questions about personal integrity are entirely moral, not having to do with idiosyncratic characteristics of individuals; instead, it suggests that the very meaning of personal integrity in particular cases sometimes depends upon more general considerations about the nature of the society that makes some idiosyncratic properties ide ntifying and others not. The pursuit of adequate personal integrity often depends, not so much on understanding who one is and what one believes and is committed to, but rather understanding what ones society is and imagining what it could be (Babbitt, 1997). 3.1 The Importance of Integrity in Organization Integrity refers to the culture, policies, and leadership philosophy at the corporate level. A culture of integrity has to start at the top and be seen in the activities of the executives. The leadership of the corporation must develop a consensus around the shared values (Warren, 2009). Placing organizational and personal integrity in the moral context could give organization a framework for articulating subtle aspects of the companys organizational life such as culture, routines, and so on. These have direct impact on profitability and on the companys sustainability. The reason is that in the same way as individuals possess an identity or character, the company does too. The organizational culture of a firm is the personality, identity or character of the company. It is comprised of the assumptions, values, norms and ethical orientation of organization members, as well as of their behaviors (Nelly, 2007). Integrity is necessary to effective leaders in the workplace. It may possibly place at the top among the characteristic that a leader needs to possess. Thus, when faced between right and wrong, integrity means making the correct choice for leader. Besides, leaders in organizations and companies demonstrate ability to manage and motivate workers while furthering the aims and goals of the business. A leader who consistently demonstrates integrity and the willingness to make the right decisions for the good of the organization encourages loyalty and commitment from workers. It is an important factor in moving the company for those workers respond positively to a leader or manager with integrity (Kelchner nd.). Workers will catch on and follow suit if employers will demonstrate honesty and integrity in all situations. According to Bruyn power for the leader does not flow from the organization but from the influence that leader has to convince people to recognize and accept that power. Simply, a leader must build and maintain credibility with his followers. Those leaders who rely upon the organization to give them the authority they need will never have sufficient authority to carry out their tasks because what they need is not authority from an outside source but to build influence through integrity so that they can influence people themselves. It is not the plate on the door that gives a leader the authority to lead but the trust of the people being led (Maxwell, John, 1993). It is important for an individual to determine for an employer with similar values. This match will be a key factor in ones ability to grow professionally and gain experience. As Quigley (2007) has pointed out, the culture of integrity may be far more important than the starting salary in ones quest for personal and professional fulfilment. He notes that corporations with a culture of integrity will offer support to employees through colleagues and processes in place. Consultation with other is seen as strength rather than a weakness and supports a work-life balance. This is because it reduces job stress, balances ones perspective, and contributes to job satisfaction (Quigley, 2007). 3.2 The Importance of Integrity in Individuals Integrity is attributed to various parts or aspects of a persons life. There are those attributes such as professional, intellectual and artistic integrity. Integrity is more than ethics at the individual level. It is all about the character of the individual. It is those characteristics of an individual that are consistently considerate, compassionate, transparent, honest, and ethical. However, the most philosophically important sense of the term integrity relates to general character (Cox, La Caze, Levine, 2001). Integrity communicates to self and others in a way that psychic wholeness or individuation does not. It is this quality of communicability that reduces integrity such an essential factor in psychotherapeutic practice. It determines the way in which the individual relates to the world and to others in the world as well as to his or her own self. It can be understood as a particular moral, as opposed to psychological attribute which has a direct relationship with the rest of the subjects moral being while being independent of it at the same time. It is a given of personality and cannot be achieved (Gross, 2001). According to Quigley (2007), he emphasizes the critical role of trust in the professional success of an individual. He states: Simply put, those who bend rules are not considered trustworthy, and without trust an individuals value is severely diminished. Markets do not function and value is destroyed without trust and confidence. (Quigley, 2007, p.9). Quigley goes on to note the critical importance of integrity and character in the workplace. Competencies are meaningless if lacking trust. Individuals who are not trustworthy will not be given opportunities or responsibilities, and they will not be wanted as team members by clients or other employees. Individuals are untrustworthy without integrity. Individuals who own integrity will commit to choosing right before they find themselves in a situation (Quigley, 2007). Integrity is a quality of spirit that lives in all of us (Sherman, 2003). Professional integrity and ethical behaviour is crucial for personal credibility and professional success within the business world. Each profession has a set of core values by which it identifies its very essence (Brown, 1980). Professionals who have worked with personnel who lacked integrity talk about the inability to count on individuals to do what they have said they would do, environments where the focus has gone from customers to protecting oneself, and where leaders are unwilling to live by the values that they publicly espouse (Warren, 2009. To act with professional integrity, each member of the profession has the responsibility to have personal integrity, and the best of us create environments that nourish the integrity of others (Sherman, 2003). 4.0 Other Relevant Theories 4.1 Kohlberg Theory This section discusses the relevant theories in explaining integrity and ethics. In order to study the theory for integrity and ethics, one must understand moral development. According to Kohlberg (1971) moral development is divided into three levels with six stages. His theory for this development is based on the thinking of Jean Piaget and John Dewey, who are Swiss psychologist and American philosopher respectively (Barger, nd.). Moral development proposed by Kohlberg believing that people progressed in their moral reasoning through a series of stages. Level Stage Social Orientation Pre-conventional 1 Obedience and Punishment 2 Individualism, Instrumentalism, and Exchange Conventional 3 Good boy/girl 4 Law and Order Post-conventional 5 Social Contract 6 Principled Conscience Table 1: Lawrence Kohlbergs Moral Development Framework The first level in moral development is pre-conventional level with two stages. Stage one is obedience and punishment. In this stage, people will try their best to avoid punishment and will not question human meaning or value on these consequences. In short, people behave is depends on social acceptable norms which set by authority group, such as parent, political leaders and teacher. This element can be found in ethic context. One is regarded to fulfill the ethical behavior if they behave consistent with social norms that set in their society. While in stage two, the benchmark for right behavior is means acting for self-interest. They will typically satisfy their own needs before the others. People in this group are practicing the element of fairness, reciprocity and equal sharing, however, in a pragmatic way, for example: you scratch my back and I will scratch yours (Kohlberg,1971). Conventional level of moral development is much common in today society. Good boy/girl in stage three explains that good behavior is usually judge by intention. It further explained that good behavior is actions that making others happy, helping others, and must approved by them. Integrity consists of element in stage three as integrity is not solely depended on rule and regulation by authority group. Instead, it is emphasized on personal judgment, for example, trust is hardly to measure with rule and regulations. On the other hand, stage four is law oriented. This means that people in this group are behaving based on a fixed set of rules and regulation. This can explain well the characteristic of ethic. In ethic study, one is considered acting ethically if he/she complied with the legal point of view set by authority in society. He/she is considered practicing moral if he/she doing his duty, respecting authority decision, and comply with the given social norms. Third level of Kohlberg moral development is suitable to explain the characteristic of integrity. In Solomon (1999) view integrity incorporates a balance between loyalty and moral autonomy and it is associated with moral humility. Social contract in stage five under post-conventional level is the continuous of stage 4 law and order. Behavior under social contact is still based on law and regulations set in society, but subjected to rational consideration. This means that there is a possibility of changing in law set by society, depending on the situation. It is about the mutual benefit, welfare and interest of the society as explained by Palanski and Yammarino (2007) integrity is about wholeness. The last stage is about principled conscience, which emphasize on universal principal and individual conscience. As discuss in Gutmann (1945) paper, integrity is seems to be something far more than a simple agreement. Gutmann said in order to achieve integrity, adjustment of innumerable elem ents which themselves compose the people character. There is no fixed rules and law, but it is based on intrinsic moral value. It is consistence with stage five in Kohlberg Moral Development, theorem emphasize on the universal principles of justice, reciprocity, equal respect and the dignity of human right. For example, a person claims to practice integrity if his /her actions are based on their conscience. At the same time, the actions done are fulfilling the universal principles. 4.2 The Forsyth Theory High Relativism Low Relativism Situationists High Idealism -Rejects moral codes -personal analysis of actions in each situation -relativistic -Idealistic Skeptic Absolutists Accepts moral codes Ethical decisions must not harm others Deontologist Subjectivists Low Idealism Rejects moral codes Personal values determine judgments, Not universal codes Ethical egoists Exceptionists Accepts moral codes, but open to exceptions. Optimal outcomes not possible for all Teleologist, utilitarian Figure 1 Forsyths Taxonomy of personal Moral Philosophies (S.J. Forsyth, 1980) Sources: Chan. L. M, Othman. J Joned. R (2011), The Conceptual Model of Personal Philosophy Ethical Decision Making. Journal of Management Research. According to Bass, Barnett Brown (1998) the differences between the ethical theories of deontology, teleology, and scepticism are the degree of the theories which is relativistic or non relativistic. Generally, most of the ethics theories recognized the personal moral philosophy (PMP) as one of important elements for individuals ethical decision making process. Forsyth (1980) has designed a 2 X 2 category of moral philosophies based on these two dimensions. He terms the integrated system of ethics as personal moral philosophy (PMP). According to Forsyth (1980) a persons moral beliefs, attitudes and values are included PMP. In the PMP, it provides the guidelines for moral judgments, solutions to ethical dilemmas, because it contains the elements produced by previous experiences in resolving ethical dilemmas (Chan, Othman Joned, 2011). As Forsyth (1980) states relativism is the degree to which an individual rejects universal moral rules as appropriate guidelines for ethical decisions. Forsyth (1992) argued moral rules exist in a situational context as a function of time, place and culture and relativism said that moral absolutes should be rejected. Normally, high relativistic people who will believe the universal ethical codes or moral principles are not important when making ethical judgments and decision because they must consider external factors also. While, low relativistic person when making a moral judgments or decision will more stress on the importance of rigid adherence to ethical codes. Forsyth (1988) explained that idealism is involves expand of an individuals concern with the welfare of others. This is the degree to which an individual believes that desirable consequences can, with the right action, always be obtained (Forsyth, 1980). An idealist believes that morally correct actions will always produce negative and also positive consequences (Forsyth, 1980). A person who are highly idealistic individuals are believe that harming is avoidable, and they would rather not choose if the decision will lead to negative consequences for other people (Karande, Rao, Singhapakdi, 2002). Idealism involves the values which related to sense of optimism in considering responses to moral issues; however, it is not based on an embrace of moral absolutes (Singhapakdi, Vitell, Franke, 1999). Therefore, idealism and relativism are conceptually independent, and individuals maybe high or low on either dimensions (Forsyth, 1980; Karande, 2002). From the previous research and finding found that many authors concluded the differences in personal moral philosophies are influence individuals toward the argumentative of ethical issues (business ethics). Based on the variety of social and ethics issues, the personal moral philosophy have shown that the beliefs on which ethical decisions should be made are important elements of attitudes (Chan, Othman Joned, 2011). 5.0 The Relationship Between Integrity and Ethics In Organization An organizations success depends on the integrity of its employees. Over the past several of the studies, many documented evidence proven of unethical behaviour in organizations (McDonal Nijhof, 1999). The lack of morality and ethics (employee) in an organization will results in lost security and credibility. The employees are the person who always contact with customers; therefore, they are representative of organizations image. If an employee acts without integrity will cause organizations reputation damaged and both customers and employees a tragic loss (Czimbal Brooks, nd.). The behaviour and performance of leaders were assumed to affect other people and organization (Cielo, nd.). According to Cheney (2006) organizations that have conducted an ethical orientation will witness the improved reputations. Generally, most theories and empirical research have attributed unethical behaviour to situational variables associated with the organization, characteristics of the individuals, or the interaction between these two factors (Trevin, 1986; Ford Richardson, 1994; Loe, 2000). Following by this, ethics and integrity also became a research focus, and specifically the relationship between a contribute individuals prosperity and the collective good. However, Dehspande (1996) argued that ethics policies in an organization and ethical behaviour of employees and management within an organization are two different concepts; yet, they do influence each other. According to Peterson (2003) the degree to which a person believes in universal moral is influence by how are the situational variables is. That is, some individuals may believe that certain acts such as bribe, unfaithful, are always wrong. However, the other individuals may reject the concept that there are universal moral rules and assume that what make up ethical behaviour depends on the situation of the behaviour. One of the possibilities that is, every people is different, in terms of their degree of believe in universal moral rules, and the belief that related to ethics. All such elements have been incorporated into a number of theories on ethical behaviour. The belief of ethics is relative incorporated into a number of theories on ethical behaviour is related to the possibility that individuals differ in terms of the degree to which they believe. One of the situational factors is after the observed unethical behaviour among many organizations; it assumed that the much of the differences is the integrity or ethical attitudes of the organizations leaders (Sims Brinkmann, 2002). According to Resick, Hanges, Marcus, Dickson, and Mitchelson (2006) explored approval that one of the components that characterize ethical leadership is integrity. Due to Beu and Buckley (2004) claimed that organization members will be influences if that leaders with unethical practices. Follow by Simons (1999) studied integral behaviour as an ingredient of leadership and found that a meaningful direct relationship between integrity and the ability to incur the changes. Davis and Rothslein (2006) further commented that ethical leadership involves personal integrity. The six core universal moral values stated in the Aspen Declaration have been referred to by other business ethicists (Carroll, 1993; Schwartz,2002) Josephson institute of ethics (1996) claim that what appear from the analysis is that moral values are declaim by other resources. The values include the following (Josephson, 1996): Trustworthiness (including the notions of honesty, integrity, reliability, and loyalty; Respect (including concept of civility, autonomy, and tolerance); Responsibility (including notions of accountability, excellence, and self- restraint); Fairness (including concepts of process, impartiality and equity); Caring (including notions of concern for the welfare of others, as well as benevolence);and Citizenship (including concept of respecting the law and protecting environment). According to Peterson Forsyth (1980) was proposed that the beliefs of individuals varied along from a strong belief in universal moral rules to a belief that ethics is relative. Kohlbergs (1969) original model viewed moral development as progressing through a series of stages and levels. An individual are assumed to believe in universal values or principles where highest level of moral are developed. It would seem logical to assume that individuals would not easily to be affected others views, such as leaders in organization because of the strong belief in universal moral rules (Peterson, 2003). Forsyths model normally individual who expected to solve ethical dilemma is adapted to belief in universal moral rules. However, in Kohlbergs model, individuals functioning at the highest level of moral reasoning are assumed to follow to a self-chosen set of moral rules and are expected to reason beyond the norms, laws, or authority of any individual group. Therefore, it acceptable to say that individual with strong belief in moral rules is not easily to be influenced. Conversely, it also reasonable to say that individuals who are strongly belief universal moral rules could be easily influenced by external factors in determining ethically appropriate. In Forsyths framework, individual will judge ethical dilemmas based on their personal perception and knowledge towards the situation if they do not belief in universal moral values. However, according to Kohbergs model, some of the individual will classified at the level of moral to determine ethically appropriate based on their expectations of behaviour of others, such as family, a peer group, or society in general. Therefore, based on all these theories, people who not believe in universal moral rules seems likely easily influenced by others, as well as the leaders in the organization ( Peterson, 2003). 6.0 Conclusion The relationship between integrity and ethics remains unclear because the researchers (McAllister, 1995; Kramer, 2000; Tyler, 2003) failed to declare the relationship between these two concepts through their researches. The reasons behind this phenomenon are clear as the relationship between integrity and ethics are mutual in nature. Integrity is a personal code of conduct that goes above the letter of good conduct and encompasses the spirit of good conduct (Shane, 2007) whereas ethics is an entity to be formed within a societal or environmental situation. The foundation assumption of ethics is that it develops through time, space and context. Integrity defined as the consistency of an acting entitys words and actions (Palanski Yammarino, 2007). The reciprocal relationship has create confusion towards the understanding on how exactly these two distinct concepts works in a social phenomenon. Kohlberg theory attempts to capture the whole relationship between these two dimensions which is integrity and ethics. However, this theory is still way behind to explain the relationship. Kohlbergs theory is concerned with moral thinking, but there are always a big gap between knowing what we should to do and our real actions (Cherry, nd.). Perceived an individuals functioning at the highest level of moral reasoning are assumed to follow to a self-chosen set of moral rules and are expected to reason beyond the norms, laws, or authority of any individual group (Peterson, 2003) . Thus, it adequate to about that individual with strong belief in moral rules is not easily to be influenced. The challenge of modern society is that there is a missing link between people and the quality of integrity. It has been lost to most in our world and culture. Some people not even know what integrity means. Integrity is a model of truthful and honest, yet its value in society seems to be underrated. Integrity is complete honesty in any situation (Flynn, 1978). Having a high level of integrity is one of the most important characteristic people can possess. It is a core value, a choice and something people can nurture. Integrity means totally ethical behavior at all times and in all situations, regardless of the consequences. People may not always be right or do right, but if people have integrity, they will accept the responsibility associate with their actions. People will feel remorse if they have done something wrong and revise their mistakes to ensure it will not happen in the future. A general is that an organization always overvalues the differentiation of the organization culture from the national culture. Different organization from a given country share many characteristics (Hofstede 1991; Zander 1997). They are differing according to the ethical values focused on and the implementation approaches used. Some companies focus on the core values of integrity that reflect basic obligations, such as respect for the rights of others, honesty, fair dealing, and obedience to the law. Other companies highlight ambitions values that are ethically desirable but not necessarily morally obligatory such as good service to customers, a commitment to diversity, and involvement in the community (Paine, 2001). As widely defined, integrity is more than ethics (Duggar, nd.). However, the issue arise is that it is hard for one to be classified as an individual of integrity. This is because the meaning of integrity itself is ambiguous and confusing, for instance, Turnnet (nd.) stated that individual of integrity will be responsible to keep promises. In practice, we are hardly to judge whether someone are keeping promise based on their responsibility. For instance, an employee could work overtime because he wants to keep his promises and responsibility in completing tasks. It may also happen because the employee intends to earn overtime paid by dragging the given tasks. Unlike ethics, integrity has no guideline or code to be followed. As mention by Duggar, integrity is about fair, just and acceptable. However these elements are hardly to be standardized as it is very subjective.
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