Structural analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Structural analysis - Essay Example Assuming the average mass of adult to be 70 kilograms. Therefore, his weight shall be given by Weight= mass* acceleration due to gravity Weight= 70Kg*9.8N/Kg =686N The system is designed to carry three adults but the distance from each one is not specified .Therefore I treat their net weight to acting on the beam as a load equally distributed at 7.5 cm from end R1 indicated by force F1 which is technically equal to F2. Force F1 is given by; [? (the average weight of the three adults)] ? 2 (686?3) N ?2=1029 N Shear forces at the extreme ends of the beam are equal to the opposite reaction forces. The shear forces at any point on the beam is calculatable by using the formula F(x) = Rl –qx= qL/2 –qx= q [L/2 -x] whereby x is the distance from the left end of the beam, L the length of the entire beam and q the load on the beam F (0.075) =1029[1.8?2-0.075] = 848.925 The shearing force (SF) within any given party of the beam illustrates the tendency for the section of the beam on either side of the cross-section to slide or shear laterally in relation to other ends. The diagram shows the sitting beam in which the weights are distributed across it. The three adults will be assumed to be of load W1, W2, and W3 W1 W2 W3 The swing is supported on both ends by the other beams placed vertically to the sitting beam. The two ends in which the beam is supported is of reaction R1 and R2. Assuming the beam is split into two sections at point p. the resultant of the loads, reaction acting on the left of point p is F vertically upwards, and because the entire beam is uniform, the resultant force to the right of P should be F downwards. In this case, F is refers to the shearing force at the reaction P. usually the shearing force at any given part of the beam gives the algebraic sum of the lateral elements of the forces acting on each part of the beam. For bending moments, in the same approach it may that when the bending moments (BM) of the forces acting to the left pa rt of point P are clockwise then the bending moments of the forces on the right side should be in anticlockwise direction as indicated. Bending moment at given point is stated as the algebraic total of moments about a part of the entire forces acting in opposite directions. In a swing the bending moments are taken to be positive because when three adults sits on it, the total weights acts downwards and this is balance by the upward force from the two support chains on either side of the beam. The adults force gives the beam a clockwise push while the side chains give it an anticlockwise force. The results of this system are known as a sagging bending moment because it attempts to make the beam concave at the center. Fixing moments has to be determined in this system and work on the types of loads acting on it. It is also necessary to note that it is not possible to achieve a faultless fixing moment or the joining moment used will be associated to the angular movement of the supporti ng or reaction forces. Assuming that the adults sit adjacent to one another at point x of the beam We will let the shearing force at point X be F and at x = dx be F + dF. Equivalently, the bending moment is at M at x and M + dM at x + dx. Taking w as the mean estimate of loading of the beam length, the sum load is wdx,

Macroeconomic Performance of the Ten Countries Essay Example for Free

Macroeconomic Performance of the Ten Countries Essay What was Expected from the Governments and Central Banks of These New Entrants? On May 1, 2004, ten Central European and Mediterranean countries joined the EU and their names are as follows: Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, and Slovakia.   This raised the enlargement to 25 countries that comprise of 450 million people, which is more than the population of the U.S. and Japan combined. [1] This accession will compel the new member states governments to utilize the EU legislation without much exception and will enable them to enjoy all the advantages that go with it, and once they go through a certain period and show improvements, they will be included in Schengen area and the euro zone. In addition, from the year 2004 to 2006 they are entitled to receive a payment of 45 billion euros in a form of a community aid and 30.7 billion euros in a form of payment appropriations.   As a result, according to two treaties that were signed in Amsterdam and Nice that were the basis through which the enlargement was conducted, the intent of the whole arrangement was to make the enlarged Europe more democratic, transparent, and effective calling on all governments to work on these areas. The end result of the enlargement had been labeled as a historical precedence that will change the dimensions of the continent and it is believed to put the division of the past behind ushering in democracy, freedom, and stability to the whole region.   At the same time it is believed that it creates opportunities for all involved where the early 15 nations business share and economical activity had increased, while the new entrants have also reaped economic advantage that was not available for them before the assesstion. What had come into existence is a union of 450 million people and had already represented at the time the union was effected one-fourth of the world wealth, giving the region a new leading economic power.   In addition, the role the continent is playing in the international scene had gotten enhancement, especially in security and defense policy. [2] The new states and their governments that are joining the Union will have to adhere to the Copenhagen Criteria and it has three components.   The first component is any of the nations that are joining the union should reach a certain level of stability and should have establishments that oversee and guarantee democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and the observing of the rights of minorities.   Then the second one which is an economic criteria stipulates that the nations adhere to the principle of the market economy and have a mechanism that enables them to deal with competitive pressure and market forces that will be directed at them after joining the EU. What is called acquis communautaire adoption criterion anticipates that the candidates should put themselves in a position to shoulder the membership’s obligations, as well as a strict adherence to the principles of the political, economic, and monetary union.   Through all this process the Union is responsible for evaluating, recommending, and approving of the states’ performance and it will evaluate the capacity of the Union to absorb more members without affecting the normal functioning of the existing Union members. The process starts when European countries apply to join the Union and that will be evaluated based on how the applicant nations with the guidance of their respective governments meet the Copenhagen political and economic criteria, and the accession is granted only when the requirements are met.   The nations through their governments will have to agree to apply the EU legislation that is over 80,000 pages from day one, even if there are a few exceptions that will allow the new entrants a leeway as long as it is not going to intervene with the smooth operation of the activities of the other members.   When the EU is convinced that the applying nations meet all the requirements of the Copenhagen criteria the next phase will kick in, which is the signing of the accession treaty. [3] The ten Central European and Mediterranean states, through macroeconomic plans that were introduced and carried out by their respective governments had gone through this process before getting permission to join the Union.   And once they joined the Union there are more questions arising because it is difficult to say what currency they should be using and as long as they meet the Maastricht criteria they are expected to the join the euro zone by abandoning their own currency. Here the various central banks play a leading role because it is known that it will take them some time to meet the requirements and while working to meet the requirements they will have to focus on their structural and economic reforms so that they will manage to have a better convergence in both nominal and real terms.   Since the other requirement before joining the euro is entering the Exchange Rate Mechanism of the European Monetary System, the ERM II will require them to abandon their own monetary policy. It does not necessarily mean this route fits everyone since the rigorous stability requirement applied by the exchange rate could derail the existing stand of their current account, simply because when there is appreciation in their currency it will affect their competitiveness, because of the high price they will be forced to charge.   The other worry is joining the ERM II should not result in overvaluing their currency whereby they will be obligated to devalue their currency in the two years test period.   From what had been witnessed most of the nations had an open economy that was heavily reliant on trade with EU countries and if they can eliminate the transaction cost in any way, which would include currency exchange, they will embrace it. [4] The final outcome was from the ten countries that joined the Union Slovenia, Lithuania, and Estonia were able to enter the ERM II and were expected to join the euro zone on January 1st, 2007, simply because they had met most of the criteria. But the only nation that managed to join the euro was Slovenia showing that the others did not meet some of the requirements, they need more time to make the adjustments, and might be able to join the euro by the year 2008. The other three nations Latvia, Cyprus, and Malta had also joined ERM II and could join the euro in 2008.   The remaining members Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland are deemed to wait longer to better meet the criteria.   [5] The Macroeconomic Policy These Nations had been Following After Joining the Union. To address this question starting from the Central European nation that just joined the euro zone in January 1, 2007 might shed light on the areas that the nation did right while the other two nations Lithuania and Estonia will have to wait at least up to 2008 to be evaluated if they would meet the requirement of the ERM II.   The nation had $17,290 per capita income in 2005, it had a population of two million people, and it was among the most successful transition economies.   The nation’s GDP per capita in 2005 was 81% of the other EU members, which must have helped it to get a high score, since it is the only nation that has such a high percentage. According to the report the prosperity of Slovenia is due to its gradual and consensual approach to reform, which has made it different from the other nine countries.  Ã‚  Ã‚   It has worked hard to attain this position although lately its competitiveness is eroding.   Another area that had lagged was foreign direct investment (FDI) due to the slower pace and the general reluctance to interact with foreign sources resulting the FDI to be 1.2% of GDP between 1997-2005.   Even if it had reached once to 7% of GDP it had gone back to .02% of GDP in 2005 and this falling behind is curtailing the advancement the nation could have attained, yet it did not prevent it from joining the euro, simply because the possibility is within reach. [6] As far as economic growth is concerned the nation has averaged 3.9% it the mentioned period and had managed to fend off macroeconomic imbalances that were commonplace with the other transitional economies and its tight fiscal and monetary policy had resulted in allowing it to have a near balanced budget with a 1.7% budget and 1.1% current deficit, another good performance that was coupled with an enhanced foreign trade. The country also had managed to bring inflation under control and it had it at a single-digit since 1996.   Another advantage the nation had was it had a strong performance where the GDP growth was at 3.9% fueled by a rise in foreign demand.   In all this, inflation was under control at 2.5% and that was attained by allowing wage to lag behind productivity growth, by making up for oil price increase by introducing excise tax, and by attaining a stable exchange rate. [7] The next nation to look at is Lithuania which was among the three nation that were slated to join the eruo in 2007,   but has not made it and looking at its performance might shade light on how it fared.   The first glaring difference between the two countries is the per capita income where in Lithuania it was $7,210 in 2005 even if the population in Slovenia was only 1.4 million, whereas the population in Lithuania is 3.4 million. Other than that the GDP growth of 7.5% was much higher and it was the fastest growing economy in the region. It also had much more to export, which included refined oil, machinery and equipment, and textile.   It is not different than the other countries that are heavily dependant on the euro zone for their exports, the average being 60%.   The other advantage it had over Slovenia was it had enjoyed a peak GDP growth of 10% in 2003 since it was in a better position to create wage growth by bringing down unemployment from 17% down to 6% and in doing that it had got help from the EU fund that it was entitled for joining the Union in 2004. At the same time, it had a much better domestic demand that is enabling it to drive its economy.   Yet, there is a sign of heating of the economy as there is shortage of workers since they are migrating to the UK and Ireland.   After joining ERM II it had shown an impressive commitment to adopt the euro and was able to liberalize its pricing and most of its trades had been directed to the EU zone.  Ã‚   The other factors such as privatization had been taken care of to the point where all factors of production are in the private hands, and it had also been working in the area of FDI that is seeing a steep increase.    If there is another aspect that is holding it back it could the unparalleled poverty level in the nation and it is at 52% purchasing power parity compared to 81% enjoyed by Slovenia.   And one of the reasons that it did not qualify might be at least 16% of its population lives under the poverty line and poverty is widespread in the rural area where it is considered to be up to 57% of the poor are living.   That area might be the reason that contributed to its being held back for a while since all the indicators including health and education are going badly lacking in these regions. [6] Estonia that was in the list to join the euro in January 1, 2007 with the other two nations is a relatively smaller country with a population of 1.35 million and its per capita income is $9,100.   This nation has fewer natural resources and it depends on trade for the most part.   Its main specialty export is telecom.   Its GDP growth performance was not bad at 7.5%. The country had been a main gateways for trade between the Soviet Union and the West that is said to have given it some advantage and because of that the education level and the standard of living of the people was higher that other member countries. In 2005 its GDP growth had reached 9.8% resulting in the heating up of the economy as the unemployment rate had gone down, while at the same time workers are migrating to the other EU countries.   What is driving its economy is the domestic demand that is expanding due to income growth and credit expansion that is also taking export higher.   If there is any problem highlighted it is the overheating of the economy and the current account defect that is at 11% of GDP in 2005 and was at 13% in 2004, which would mean this could be one of the reasons why its plan to join the euro in 2007 had been postponed. [8] The other three nations slated for 2008 to join the euro are Latvia, Cyprus, and Malta.   Latvia has a per capita income of $6,750 and has 2.3 million people where one-third of them are living in the capital city.   The nation has few natural resources and is an importer for the most part and the import includes natural gas, oil, and electricity.   The source of GDP for 2005 was 23% industry, 73% service, and the remaining 4% was from agriculture. The country had some difficulty adjusting after it left the Soviet Union and the situation was turned around by the fiscal discipline the government introduced, where a cap was put to the subsidies enterprises were getting.  Ã‚   The government’s early liberalization effort had enabled the nation to join WTO in 1999.   Overall, the nation had converted itself into a market economy, which enabled it to join the EU in 2004.  Ã‚   Market and price liberalization, privatization, restriction on foreign transaction all are in the right perspective and the result had been positive where privatization is almost complete. Other areas overhauled were the legal system, institutions, and the social safety net.  Ã‚   The GDP growth had made it to 10.2% in 2005 and the unemployment rate was at 8.7% in the same year.   Some of the malice that is affecting the other nations such as low-income level, which was at 47% of the EU average had not spared this nation either.   Because of that labor migration had been escalating after joining the Union which is feared to create a problem in the long run while at the same time the population is aging.   Because of this there is a fear of overheating and the deficit has reached 12.4% while inflation is at 6%, which has contributed to the holding back of the nation from joining the euro and that might be possible in 2010. [6] Cyprus on the other hand has a highly developed infrastructure with a population of 784,000 and with a per capita of $7135.   The macroeconomic policy of the government had focused on meeting the requirement of joining the EU.   There was oil discovery in the sea south of Cyprus and negotiations had gone underway with the neighboring Egypt how to exploit the finding. The overall market structure is based on a free-market basis and is heavily dependant on the service sector, yet there is lack of investment from government and private sector, while at the same time the high cost of freight had been scaring business away, and all this had been worsened by the lack of skilled labor.   In spite of this handicap, the GDP growth rate had made it to 11.4 in 2004 and yet it is lagging behind in attracting FDI.   Even if there is a political problem between the north and south, this particular nation might be among the nations that would join the EU in 2008. [9] Malta is also another island with a population of 404,000, which had transformed itself into a freight transshipment and a financial center as well as a tourist destination.   In addition, it has some limestone and a better productive labor force than Cyprus where the economy is dependent on foreign trade, manufacturing, and tourism.   Its per capita income is much higher than most countries at $20,300 and the unemployment rate for 2006 was at 6.8%.   The island has liberalized its market and privatized some government-controlled firms and the possibility that it might join the euro zone is there. [9] The other nations Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland, are much bigger nations and there is Slovakia also that are slated to join the euro gradually after meeting the criteria, which might prove to be difficult to them because of their size.   If we take the case of the Czech Republic, it has a population of 10.2 million and a per capita income of $11,110 making it among the highest income earning countries.   After joining the EU in 2004 the process of transforming the economy from centrally planned to a market driven economy is almost complete.   There had been a considerable fiscal consolidation, and the inflation is low at 1.8%, while at the same time it had no problem with its balance of payments. Foreign direct investment is 50% of the GDP making it the only nation that enjoys such inflows of investment, yet, in spite of it, it had a high unemployment rate of more than 8% and is persisting, which might have been because of its high population that is not affected much by the migration of labor. The GDP growth for 2005 was 6%, attained mainly through export created through FDI in the automotive sector.   The fiscal deficit for 2005 was at 3% whereas the current account deficit fell to 2.3% for 2005.   Because of the high unemployment, which is the outcome of sluggish economic performance it might have to stay a bit longer before joining the euro, although the expectation is it will meet the requirement eventually. [10] More or less, the same is applicable to the other three countries Hungary, Poland, Slovakia whose population is 10 million, 38 million, 5.4 million respectively, making Poland the highest populated country among the EU-10 countries.   While Hungry had $10,050 per capita income, Poland had $7,110, and Slovakia had $8,130 in 2005.   Poland had to deal with structural reforms to consolidate public finance, tackle unemployment and poverty, work on making the nation attractive for business by introducing a more efficient government. The fact that up to seven million people live in poverty does not make it look as a good candidate for the euro yet and the unemployment rate is the highest at 16%.   However, the situation is a bit changing after joining the EU in 2004 and there was a growth of 5.3% in GDP in 2004, which created high consumption level, investment opportunity, and a better exporting level, and eventually it will make it a proper candidate to join the euro as it is working to meet that goal.   Its FDI is at 5% of GDP and that is low for such a large country although its inflation rate is low at 2.1% and its current account defect is also under control. [6] On the other hand, Hungary is in a much better position since it was able to attract FDI that is enabling it to build a robust private exporting sector.   If there is a problem, the budget deficit is at 8% due to higher public spending and tax reduction, which could affect the economy in the long run.   Inflation had slowed down to 3.5% for 2005 which was due to regulated prices and a decrease on indirect taxes. The unemployment rate stood at 7.2% in 2006.   Even if the government had introduced a fiscal consolidation program what might be needed to change the situation is a long term structural reform.   Hungary is moving steadily to join the euro gradually, and is better situated than the rest of the countries that are in line to join the euro in the coming years. [6] Slovakia is also in a similar situation with the others where it had a 6% GDP growth in 2005 and had unemployment rate of 16.2%.   In recent years, especially after joining the EU in 2004 it had undertaken major steps to decentralize its economy.   The government had introduced reform in many areas including welfare, pension, health care, labor market, and public finance.   Its GDP for 2005 grew by around 6% and inflation was at 2.7%. The fiscal deficit was at 3.3% while the current account deficit had been 7.8% of GDP for 2005 and it had FDI rate 2.7% of GDP.   Overall, it is working toward meeting the EU’s criteria to join the euro although it is difficult to say when it will meet all the requirements. [6] The conclusion is, there are requirements these nations will have to meet and the major ones are to tackle high level of inflation, a budget deficit below 3% of GDP, the public debt has to be at a manageable level, and maintaining a long term low interest rate in parallel to other central banks. If these are in place side by the side with the Maastricht and the Copenhagen Treaty criteria the time it will take them to join the euro will be shorter. Otherwise, their participation could affect the smooth operation of the whole Union, as well as it will put them at a disadvantage offsetting their whole fiscal and monetary policy. [11] REFERENCE The Union Welcomes Ten New Countries [Online]. Available:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.delnam.cec.eu.int/OurNewsletter/2004/ECNewsMay04.pdf.   March 14, 2007. European Parliament Fact Sheet. [Online]. Available:   Ã‚  Ã‚   www.europal.europa.eu/facts/2_3_0_en.htm.   March 14, 2007. The Challenge of European Economy in 2004. [Online]. Available:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   www.ecb.int/press/key/date/2004/html/sp040129.en.html.   March 14, 2007. Euro in a Wider Circle. [Online]. Available:   Ã‚  Ã‚   www.ece.int/press/key/date/2004/html/sp041119.en.html.   March 14, 2007. Redefining Europe. [Online]. Available:   Ã‚   www.inter-dicpilanry.net/AUD/AUD2/s10.htm.   March 14, 2007. World Bank. [Online]. Available:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   www.worldbank.com (countries).   March 14, 2007. ECB Panel Intervention at the Euro Conference. [Online]. Available:   Ã‚  Ã‚   www.ecb.int/press/date/2007/html/sp07115_1.en.html.   March 14, 2007. Commission Assessment of Estonia Convergence. [Online]. Available:   http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/about/activities/sgp/country/commass/ee/ass_ee20032004.   Ã‚  Ã‚   March 14, 2007. CIA The World Fact Book. [Online]. Available:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   https://cia.gov (countries).   March 14, 2007. Macroeconomic. [Online]. Available:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.cerge-ei.cz/pdf/books/pdf_0304/III.pdf.   March 14, 2007. The European Union and Its Expanding Economy. [Online]. Available:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://jpn.cec.eu.int.home/speech_en_speech%2009/2005.php.   March 14, 2007

Animal Testing :: Animal Testing

Is it right to take the life of an innocent animal? Animals have been burnt, crushed, sliced, electrocuted, tortured with drugs, poisoned with toxic chemicals, and tormented in psychological testing. They do all these test just to make money or find if a chemical is safe for humans. Is this right? Lab experimentation involving animals is inhumane. Animal testing is cruel because an animal s life is just as important as a human s life, people are exploiting animals, and animal testing doesn’t t show whether or not a product is safe for humans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In laboratories around the world, scientists test a company s product on animals. Why do these companies test their products on animals? Many scientists would argue that it s more cost-efficient to test products on animals than on humans. Others say that they experiment on animals because animals are not as important as humans, which isn’t necessarily true. Why should humans risk the death of animals for their own benefit? What makes a human s life any more valuable than any other creature s? Every creature on earth has one life to live, a common bond that all organisms share. Who is to say that one creature should have his one life taken away from him? This is different from eating another animal for survival purposes. Scientists do not need to test their products.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People are exploiting lab animals because of their inability to communicate with humans. The prominent English philosopher Jeremy Bentham, when commenting on animal testing, is quoted as having said, The question is not can they reason? nor can they talk? but can they suffer? The answer to his question is yes. Historical information from animal observations shows that animals do, in fact, suffer. Because of an animal s inability to communicate or reason, does that mean that humans have the right to decide their fate? Testing a company s product on animals doesn’t t mean that it will necessarily be safe for humans. For example, the drugs Oraflex, Selacryn, Zomax, Meritol, and Suprol have produced side effects, even death, in humans.

Business Resource Essay

With Examples, you are to describe the main physical and technological resources required in the operation of your selected organisation. In this assignment I will describe the main physical and technological resources required in the operation of Tesco. Physical Resources Physical resources are resources that the business needs to maintain in order to carry out its activities. They mainly include things like facilities, buildings, machinery and more. These are resources that are available to a business’s organisations in form of buildings and other machineries needed for the day to day running of the organisation. Tesco have many physical resources such as their toilets, buildings, trolleys, CCTV’s. Toilets is a good resource to have within a good organization as it can attract more customers to not feel rushed into shopping because they need to go toilet they can shop at their own paste and use the toilet when they feel to. Another physical resource for Tesco is the car park so customers can park within Tesco’s car park and not have to worry about receiving a ticket, or checking their time to get back to the car before they get a ticket, this will also attract more customers to shop within Tesco. A recent physical resource that Tesco has brought in is the self-checkouts; this is good for customers that want to quick shop as Tesco can be quite busy on some days they don’t want to wait in the long queues so they can use the self-checkout which is much quicker. Buildings Permanent or temporary structure enclosed within exterior walls and a roof, and including all attached apparatus, equipment, and fixtures that cannot be removed without cutting into ceiling, floors, or walls. Materials The matter from which something can be made. Material can include but is not limited to raw and processed material, components, parts, assemblies, sub-assemblies, fuels, lubricants, coolants, cleaning agents, and small tools and accessories that may be consumed directly or indirectly. Plant and machinery Like materials and buildings, each business has specific requirements for the type of plant and machinery. As Tesco don’t own factories to where they’re products are produced they pay for another company to produce their products or have suppliers. Most of Tesco’s products are from suppliers. This means even though they may not own the factory they have to pay the right amount to the suppliers for them to produce their products for them. Equipment Equipment is essential for a business to operate smoothly. Equipment is critical for profit and non-profit organisations like Tesco. In some organisations lack of equipment means a job or service cannot be carried out. Equipment is crucial for Tesco as they deal with selling a range of products from fresh food to technology and more. Within Tesco they will need tills so that people will be able to purchase products from their store. Tills help them to take payments from customer, without the tills they couldn’t take payments from customers or record profit or loss within all the Tesco stores. Also within a Tesco retail store they need to provide equipment like shelves to stock the products within the store, without the shelves and equipment to put the products on the store wouldn’t appeal to customers. On a staff level they have to provide the retail store staff with uniform. For Tesco it’s essential that the customer face staff have uniforms as it looks more professional and also it is a very big store so they must be and look professional. Technological Resources Intellectual Property Is the Knowledge, creative ideas, or expressions of human mind that have commercial value and are protectable under copyright, patent, trademark, or trade secret laws from imitation, infringement, and dilution. As Tesco designs different products they wouldn’t want other supermarket companies to copy what they have designed so they would hold intellectual property. It’s important that Tesco has intellectual property as the supermarket market is a big market and competition is tight. The intellectual designs aspect covers the features of decoration of products, such as colours, lines, materials, shape or texture. Accumulated experience and skills Accumulated experience means experience gained over a number of years when a person has to come across lots of different issues to do with the job. It’s important for Tesco to keep their employees happy as the longer they work in their position the more experience they get and become better people at their job. For Tesco to keep employees that have been working at the business for a long time and have good experience would be to pay them more. By Tesco paying the staff more they will feel more privileged and would want to stay with the business for longer. It’s important for Tesco to build employees skills but they do have to be careful not they have employees that are the only people or person to operate a piece of machinery or fix a piece of software. Key technological resources for the running of Tesco. This is because they would be unsure of what to do when in particular situations and they also wouldn’t continue to create new ideas for the organisation to ensure it continues to develop and make profit to survive. Software Tesco would invest a lot of money in software and its day-to-day use. Sometimes software will be spoke software will be designed for a business or they will use someone else’s software and pay a licence fee to use it. One  software which some internal office staff may use would be Microsoft office, excel and maybe publisher. http://www.tescosoftware.com/officelicenseagreement.php M1 – explain how the management of human, physical and technological resources can improve the performance of your selected organisation. The Human resources can improve the Tesco’s performance in many ways. There are two main processes which are looked at when managing human resources. The most important is to employ they correct people for the job, people that will carry out the job role correctly. Then the correct resources have to be provided for them so that they can carry this process out to the best of their standards. Treating these employees with care and sensitivity is important. They are not like physical or technological resources; humans need to be dealt in certain ways, as they are protected by legislations and laws. For example, In TESCO there will be a constant change of different demand of products that the customers wish to purchase, for this reason the staff will have to be trained for any of these occasions. This is how they improve their human resources. They also look at how many skills the employee has when they are searching for new employees. They will check whether that person can be used in more than one job position in that store, how many skills they consist of. Coordination of the teams in Tesco is very important in ensuring that they meet the targets that the company sets them. When all employees of the team complete their assigned roles the team will run more smoothly. It is also important that a manager is always there so that they can supervise the staff and also if there is a problem that they might not be able to handle the manager will be trained and know how to deal with the situation. By Tesco monitoring employees punctuality they can make sure that staff are on time to work. By making sure time are on staff to work the work could be done more quickly making it easier for the employee and even Tesco. This would improve the performance of the employee as they have more time to  complete the work that has been assigned to them, by Tesco also monitoring staff punctuality they can evaluate the people who have bad punctuality. From evaluating they can make a decision whether to get rid of them. This is because one person who has bad punctuality could be causing the team to be able to not get work completed etc. By having people who are always punctual it means teams and individuals can perform better which will help to improve the performance of Tesco’s customer service etc. Physical Resources Physical resources are resources that the business needs to maintain in order to carry out its activities. They mainly include things like facilities, buildings, machinery and more. These are resources that are available to a business’s organisations in form of buildings and other machineries needed for the day to day running of the organisation. All businesses including Tesco need premises where they can operate from as these buildings and environment can have a strong affect on the people that work there. For Tesco having their retail stores based in local areas the amount of customers they get is going to be a problem. It’s important that retail stores are located where they can attract customers, preferably in a populated place. Also the buildings are going to be commutable for staff to get to and not in the middle of anywhere so customers find it hard to find or travel which will put them off travelling to the store. The importance of the Tesco retail store layout is vital and for them successful as they draw in customers buy having products for them to try themselves and from there customers like the product and want to buy it. The correct equipment is essential for a business such as Tesco to operate smoothly and efficiently. Checkouts is a very important part of equipment as it re orders stock when it is running low so it saves a member of staff having to check when its running low and tick off that they need to re order. Tesco has a very good IT system, which consist of both hardware and software, which carry out their main jobs of looking after the amount of stock in the stores, the days cash intake, and many other important  functions that the company needs. Technological Resources To make sure that the employees are happy with the software they are using to do their work would be to gain feedback from them. By gaining feedback you can see whether there things that need improving to make it easier or better for the employee to use. Also by gaining feedback from employees you are making them feel part of the organisation as they have a say into what’s going on and what may need improving so that they don’t feel left out. By keeping staff happy they are more likely to stay for longer which means for Tesco that they have people who are good and have an understanding of how to use the software. By having employees who are good with working with the software it makes the process of doing work easier for them and this will overall help to boost the performance of Tesco as they have highly trained and good staff. M2:The importance of employability, and personal skills in the recruitment and retention of staff Telecommunication Sector (Alcatel Lucent) Employability and Personal Skills Employability is defined as a person’s own capability for acquiring and maintaining employment Employability depends factors like the knowledge, personal skills and abilities possessed by the individual and the way he presents those assets to employers. In other words it is the process of self assessment of an individual which can be done by himself or by some other person or agency. Importance of Employability and Personal Skills – In the Recruitment and Retention of staff : While in the process of hiring and selecting individuals in an organisation, the management has to identify a certain selection criteria. This selection criteria consists of a list of abilities and skills, in addition to certain education standard an individual must possess if he has to qualify for that position. An individual who has acquired certain skills like computer knowledge (hardware / software) will be more valuable for an organisation than the one who does not have this skill. The organisation will not have to train the individual who already has this capability. The organisation will get a â€Å"Ready Made† asset which can be utilized straight away on a project. The Alcatel can also short list those individuals with certain basic knowledge or skills in a specified field. The individuals can be trained on special task or assignment with minimum effort. For example if an individual has basic skills and knowledge of operations and maintenance of Computers then he can be trained quickly to operate and maintain small computer and telecom networks. That individual will have more value than an individual who does not possess such skills. The individual who is hired and has good background knowledge in a certain field and possesses various skills, can become a learning source of other employees in an organisation. That person can train other employees â€Å"On the Job†, with better knowledge and skills and can increase company’s productivity. Such employees are retained by the organisation If equal opportunities are provided to the employees in an organisation for learning and skill improvement, the employees always become loyal to the company and will remain with the company. In this way company will be able to retain its useful resources. Exceptions : There are certain areas in the Telecom sector where there is less need for  skills and knowledge. For example the employees who have to work on the Assembly lines of products manufacturing, they need minimum orientation on how to do their work efficiently. They may not need more skill to pack final products. For their case, it is not advisable to detach them from their work and send them for extra training. The organisation i have chosen to asses is the Alcatel Lucent. It is important for Alcatel Lucent to consider employability skills when recruiting and retaining staff as having a good balance of these skills in employees will make the organisation run smoothly and effectively. There are many different factor to consider when employing new recruits and keeping current staff such as training ,meeting targets, having the correct skills which match up the job recruitment , trust , qualifications , portraying a professional image and have excellent communication skills to liaise with fellow colleagues and the public .When recruiting and reviewing current staff personal skills employees need to have strong communication attributes . This would be required for any job as you need to be able to understand other colleagues and the customers/public. Alcatel need to consider this skills in employees as they need to communicate and understand colleagues and customers for tasks to be understood and carried out effectively.. Alcatel looks to see if their staff new recruits are hard working . This would be portrayed at inductions/ interviews for a job or in a trail period of vacancy. Employees need to be hard working / service they provide is of high quality and meets the company’s standards†¦ it is important that the Alcatel consider employees and recruits ability to work well as a team as well as individually. Staff need to work well as a team so they have an understanding of each other and so that projects and meetings are effective. When employees work effectively in a team it shows they understand each other and the work given therefore the Alcatel can run effectively as task given are being understood †¦Alcatel staff also need to be able to cope working on their own as in some aspects it saves time and money . rather than having two people carrying out one job, if possible one person doing the job while the other employee can go work in another area where help is needed. http://www.termpaperwarehouse.com/essay-on/M2-Business-Resource/239019

Roman Education

Essay 1 The question at hand is â€Å"According to ancient Greek rulers, historians and philosophers, what role should education and property/wealth play in determining who should govern? † In order to answer this question you must look into the very core of Greek society. To learn about Greek society I have read readings from ancient Greek historians and philosophers such as Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, and Thucydides. Plato introduced Greece to the thought of Idealism and his take on what an ideal society looks like. Aristotle believed that the way a household is ran correlates to society as a whole.Greece believed in democracy, therefore a household should be run in accordance to idealistic, democratic views. The ruler of the house, the man, has more control than the women, the women more than the slaves, and the children have no control but are considered above slaves. Aristotle thinks a man’s wealth is not always considered by his property value but by his knowledge . He said â€Å"†¦it is clear then that in household management the people are of greater importance than the material property, and their quality of more account than that of goods that make up their wealth. (Aristotle) Greek philosophers believed that in order to become a ruler you must have standards throughout your life. Aristotle said â€Å"†¦for neither life itself nor the good life is possible without a certain minimum standard of wealth. Again, for any given craft the existence of the proper tools will be the essential for the performance of its task. † Aristotle is saying that any ruler must have grown up with standards. A child’s knowledge is only as good as who is raising the child, therefore a ruler must have grown up under people who have high standards of society living.This can point us in the direction of rulers handing the throne down to sons or other family members. It seems logical to think that a person that has grown up under the supervi sion of a ruler would carry the same beliefs and ethics about society and life in Greece. This is further explained in a quote from Aristotle â€Å"Take the child: he is not yet fully developed and his function is to grow up, so we cannot speak of his virtue as belonging absolutely to him, but only in relation to the progress of his development and to whoever is in charge of him. †With power comes wealth, and wealth is very important when it comes to being a ruler that can have things done. Thucydides said â€Å"we employ wealth for use than for show. †(Thucydides) That statement alone gives way to the thought that wealth can buy you anything, even leadership. Of course Greek people believe in idealism and want their leader to be pure and believe in all their virtues. That does not mean that money cannot get you power, because it certainly does still to this day. Plato believes in more than just wealth and property. He believes in the pureness of one’s soul and their virtues.He said â€Å"†¦and they will have to watched at a very young age, in order that we may see whether they preserve their resolution, and never, under the influence and force of enchantment, forget or cast off their sense of duty to the state.. †(Plato) This is Plato’s idea of true knowledge, the thought of a soul that has a clear thought of how to rule a society. When it comes down to it knowledge is more important in picking a ruler, but wealth plays a bigger role in placing a person in the position of getting picked. The Greek philosophers agree that knowledge of idealistic beliefs is more important idealistically in picking a ruler.

Segmentation criteria for 2 products bottled water and breakfast cereal.

Segmentation criteria for 2 products bottled water and breakfast cereal. Marketing. ¢Ã‚€Â ¢Segmentation criteria for 2 products bottled water and breakfast cereal.Marketers segment markets because it helps them to match their products better to their customers, as every customer is different (age, sex, etc.) and has differing needs and wants dividing the market into segments helps the marketer focus on these subgroups leading to a 'target market'.This target market can then be selected and a marketing mix can be made especially for them. This can save a business time and money as it can be planned well as it is aimed straight at potential customers. Also a greater understanding of who these customers are and what their needs are can enable the business to gain a competitive advantage.This is different from undifferentiated marketing where one marketing mix is made for the whole market (mass marketing). (Brassington Pettitt, 2006).Consumer markets can be segmented in a few ways to group together customers with similar characteristics and needs.Englis h: Images of bottled waterMore than one segmentation variable can be used (multivariable segmentation.). ¢Ã‚€Â ¢Geographic location - This is based on that certain characteristics of people are assumed to be similar within certain countries and regions i.e. religion / culture. They will be affected by the same climate, may have similar income and influenced by the natural geography of the area and country. ¢Ã‚€Â ¢Demographically - This is based on the different characteristics found within the population. Age (e.g. clothing) and gender (e.g. beauty products). Family size (e.g. size of products) and Ethnic background (e.g. food). Life cycle stage (e.g. types of holidays, Saga /Club18-30). ¢Ã‚€Â ¢Psychographic and Behavioural - This is based on what people think and how this affects how they want to live their lives.Social class, this can be divided by social stratification showing differences in purchasing power and patterns of behaviour.

Why Computers are Important in my Life essays

Why Computers are Important in my Life essays As each us of look at our lives, do we realize the importance of these electronic mechanisms we call computers? I shall now endeavor to elaborate upon how these mind tools have, and continue to affect me. Every morning, I awake to the awkward squawking of my alarm clock. Much to my dismay, I groggily smack the off button and crawl out of bed. My first encounter of the day has just occurred. That small black box that faithfully rouses me, is a simple microcomputer. If it were not for this device, many days I would arrive late to class. During the process of dressing myself, I strap a watch to my wrist. This little timepiece is quite useful, reminding me of deadlines and appointments. Inside my watch, believe it or not, is yet another microcomputer. Moving on, I begin to prepare a meal. In my kitchen are several devices that are in some fashion controlled by computers. For example, let us examine the microwave. The microwave contains a microprocessor and memory. These work together to maintain an accurate clock, as well as an efficient food preparatory system. Information is input to the microwave by use of the external touch pad, this data is stored and processed in the memory and processor as it completes its task. Another activity that I may do is listen to a compact disc. CD players have decoders that interpret the microscopic pits and dents on the surface of a CD into music. This decoded information is then converted into sound and amplified to produce the desired sounds. Still another event that requires the use of computers is checking e-mail. I daily communicate with friends by the use of electronic mail. The lists of occurrences that take place for me to be able to do this are much too complicated to explain now, so I will only briefly outline this process. To start with, my personal computer must be functional and be able to communicate with a remote server. When this takes place, all of my outb...

Real Gas Definition and Examples

Real Gas Definition and Examples A real gas is a gas that does not behave as an ideal gas due to interactions between gas molecules. A real gas is also known as a nonideal gas because the behavior of a real gas in only approximated by the ideal gas law. When Real Gases Differ From Ideal Gases Usually, its fine to use the ideal gas law to make calculations for gases. However, the approximation gives considerable error at very high pressure, near the critical point, or near the condensation point of a gas. Unlike ideal gases, a real gas is subject to: Van der Waals forcesCompressibility effectsNon-equilibrium thermodynamic effectsVariable specific heat capacityVariable composition, including molecular dissociation and other chemical reactions Real Gas Example While cool air at ordinary pressure behaves like an ideal gas, increasing its pressure or temperature increases the interactions between molecules, resulting in real gas behavior that cannot be predicted reliably using the ideal gas law. Sources Cengel, Yunus A. and Michael A. Boles (2010). Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach (7th Ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN 007-352932-X.Xiang, H. W. (2005). The Corresponding-States Principle and its Practice: Thermodynamic, Transport and Surface Properties of Fluids. Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-08-045904-2.

What role can and Should HRM play in an organization that is seeking Essay

What role can and Should HRM play in an organization that is seeking to expand its international operations - Essay Example As the individuals working for the company in different locations are likely to come from different cultures, the culture of the company itself can only be established with good HR policies and effective HR management (Hollinshead & Leat, 1995). As defined by Ozbilgin (2005), International HRM is the practice of getting the maximum business value from human assets which are distributed across the world working under the umbrella of a single company. Historically, the cultural differences between the home office and the branch office located in a different country meant that sooner or later HR managers had to face the problem of culture clash which is defined as different cultures affecting work processes and workflow (Faulkner, D. 2002). In the past, these cultural differences were largely ignored and it was thought that the culture of the company would prevail while the culture of the country where the company was located would not matter as much (Kamoche, 1996). However, recent evaluations have shown that culture conflicts might need to be actively countered and could even be used to motivate workers rather than put various managers in conflict (Bartlett & Ghoshal, 1998). With these definitions and with the help of practical examples as well as expert opinions, it can be shown that the role played by HRM in an organisation that is seeking to expand its international operations is a twofold role. Firstly, HRM can help the arms of an organisation (both local and branch offices) come to terms with each other in view of their different cultures. Secondly, HRM can help and should help in creating policies which are localised for international operations. The central cultural difference that exists between the UK and a culture such as China or India comes from the very basis of the culture i.e. language. While the predominant language in the UK is English, it may not be used as the lingua franca in China since it is only learnt as a second language.

BUSINESS STRATEGY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

BUSINESS STRATEGY - Essay Example Nokia was the most popular brand of mobile phones in these markets till the last decade, however with the advent of the Samsung group and its innovative products the market has been divided. Nokia faces a tough competition from the Samsung group especially in the mobile phone sector. In this analysis we try and compare the roles and responsibilities for strategy implementation in Nokia Inc and Samsung Group. The paper will try to identify and evaluate resources required to implement a strategy in the Nokia Inc. further it would also analyze whether the Nokia Inc is sufficiently equipped with resources so as to deal with the much required changes. The Samsung Group of companies is a Korean multinational organization with its headquarters in Seoul. It is one of the world’s largest mobile companies with annual revenue of 173.4 billion dollars. This organization has invested in a variety of businesses including heavy industries, ship industry and life insurance. However the mobile business remains its largest domain. â€Å"As a global leader we are at the forefront of change, anticipating today what our customers around the world will want tomorrow.† (Samsung Profile, 2009). Nokia being the market leader is the toughest competitor of the Samsung group in the mobile business. Nokia is a large organization with enough resources to spend on the reseach and development of the new technologies and innovations. At the same time Samsung group challenges Nokia Inc by bringing in phones which are attractive to the customers in terms of price and features. Nokia has wide established market and customers for mobile phones. It is a renowned firm for its user friendly products. Samsung on the other hand is a new dealer, as compared to Nokia, in the field of telecommunication. Still the firm has captured a considerable market and is providing tough competetion to the Nokia Inc. the strength of the Samsung group is that it adopts different strategies

International Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Business Strategy - Essay Example Capital investments of Shangri-La is chiefly in Asia- Pacific regions. Apart from extensive hospitality and marketing strategies, some part of growth and expansion of Shangri-La is also due to increase in travelling tendencies of people. The fact that international traveling has become more hazardless has also contributed to this fact. Shangri-La is known for its business focus and capital investments. Like most other hotel chains in Asia, Shangri-La hotels do not engage in multiple business provisions. Shangri-La hotels and resorts are situated in 29 locations and have over 23,000 rooms. In order to compete in global market, Shangri-La has ventured beyond its business activities in Asian markets, and has entered other nations especially into China. Expansion was made in luxury segment as well as in business relationship between owner and operators. This was achieved by extension and well management of contracts. As per their extension programs, Shangri-La has established as many as thirty- five hotels in different and popular tourist destinations of Asia. Some of these destinations include Singapore, India, Malaysia, Japan, etc. Shangri-La has its branches in almost all prominent cities in these continents, like Chicago, Miami, London, Vancouver, Paris, Las Vegas, etc. These achievements have made Shangri-La one of the largest chains of deluxe hotels that are based in Asia. Business activities of Shangri-La, in fact, have not been constrained to Asia only. Over time Shangri-La branches has been established in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates first, and then to Muscat, Oman. Later on it was expanded to other Middle East, Europe, and North America as well. Shangri-La has also expanded in Australia. In 2006, the organization had approximately 40 future projects. (Campbel and Kazan, n.d., pp. 432- 438) However, as far as its expansion to China is concerned, Shangri-La has experienced huge benefits from China’s growing economy. Since 2006, Chinese economy h as turned towards a new growth. This has made China one of the most important concerns of Shangri-La. this concern is evident from the fact that since 2006, most of the projects regarding establishment of new hotel branches were set in China. The figure is estimated to be somewhere around 188 hotels. Another reason why Shangri-La has invested a major part in China is because, in recent times, China has introduced much relation in travel, and has withdrawn some travel restrictions also. It has resulted in significant growth in domestic and outbound travel in China. Also, international events like Olympics in 2008, held in Beijing have not only given China more exposure internationally but have also boosted the country’s economy. All these factors, combined, have prompted Shangri-La to invest more in China. (Campbel and Kazan, n.d., pp. 433) Shangri-La has been following a differentiation strategy as far as international competence is concerned. This chain of hotels had differe ntiated itself by establishing itself as a cultural brand. That is to say, overall brand strategy of Shangri-La is based on Asian hospitality and cultures. The chief aim is to please and delight the customers. Other objectives include consistent top- notch service that would keep up the brand image. Shangri-La Care is the best example of this. This unit has been set up by Shangri-La Hotels as a measure to ensure customer service. This program also included training and developmental

The encapsulation efficiency of a targeted drug delivery system Literature review - 1

The encapsulation efficiency of a targeted drug delivery system consisting of Herceptin-loaded polymers, an evaluation and characterization - Literature review Example There is enough evidence on nature on nanotechnology. For instance, the DNA molecules width is about 2.5nm, the thickness of the human hair is about 10,000nm thick, and the diameter of a hydrogen atom is about 0.1nm that is too small to be seen by human eyes. Nature also produces nanostructures that offer functional proteins, which are of great significance at the cellular level. It is argued that one of the functions of these proteins found in cells is nanotechnological separations. Molecular motors that comprise the human muscles are complex nanomachines that convert chemical energy to mechanical energy with high efficiency. Ribosomes can also produce protein molecules with high precision and photosynthesis is carried out in plants by nanosize cells that use energy to synthesize organic compounds with the use of cheap raw materials (Bender & Nahta, 2008). Pharmacists have confirmed the effectiveness of using Herceptin. Although the medication has raised controversies among scholars, it is confirmed that the medication is of paramount importance in the process of healing. According to Sauter et al. 2009, Herceptinis anticancer medication used mainly to treat early stage malignant cancer of the breast and in some cases cancer of the stomach. This is a condition that has for a long time given medical researchers sleepless nights as many of the medications used currently have been found to have severe side effects. In the process of treatment, Herceptin acts on those tumors which produce the Human Epidermal growth Receptor (HER2 protein) more than the normal amount. Human Epidermal growth Receptor 2 is a protein which enhances the growth of cancer cells. The presence of the cancerous cells leads to excessive production of the HER2 protein hence promoting the metastasis of the cancerous cells to a larger part of the affected area. The

University Application Recommendations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words - 1

University Application Recommendations - Essay Example His fascinations have naturally matured as responses to the built environment and playful investigations into sculpted forms. He is capable of both stylistic and naturalistic responses and the sketchbooks roll out thoughtful and coherent visual arguments. George’s observation, understanding and analytical skills are evident from his written work in economics George is also an enthusiastic analytic and has produced some impressive written work when writing in the light of a broader context, demonstrating his ability to pursue a broader understanding of the workings of a text in English. His current Personal Investigation will compare Brave New World, East of Eden, The Tempest and Paradise Lost IX and X. He is both intelligent and is sharply perceptive in terms of literature and the world around him. George understands the role of Mathematics in architecture and therefore worked hard to develop strong concepts of the subject. His hard work has paid off and is a good problem-solving strategist. In Mechanics he displayed good technical abilities – drawing precise technical diagrams and working effectively from them. In class he works with determination and care, and he often makes valuable contributions to class discussion. George is academically focussed and has earned high marks in Mathematics. However, George’s marks are not the real measurement of his diligence, hard work and potential. He is truly a gem of a student and grasps concepts easily. However his drawbacks have been attributed to the hearing problem which in no way could subdue his determination and spirit to excel in

The encapsulation efficiency of a targeted drug delivery system Literature review - 1

The encapsulation efficiency of a targeted drug delivery system consisting of Herceptin-loaded polymers, an evaluation and characterization - Literature review Example There is enough evidence on nature on nanotechnology. For instance, the DNA molecules width is about 2.5nm, the thickness of the human hair is about 10,000nm thick, and the diameter of a hydrogen atom is about 0.1nm that is too small to be seen by human eyes. Nature also produces nanostructures that offer functional proteins, which are of great significance at the cellular level. It is argued that one of the functions of these proteins found in cells is nanotechnological separations. Molecular motors that comprise the human muscles are complex nanomachines that convert chemical energy to mechanical energy with high efficiency. Ribosomes can also produce protein molecules with high precision and photosynthesis is carried out in plants by nanosize cells that use energy to synthesize organic compounds with the use of cheap raw materials (Bender & Nahta, 2008). Pharmacists have confirmed the effectiveness of using Herceptin. Although the medication has raised controversies among scholars, it is confirmed that the medication is of paramount importance in the process of healing. According to Sauter et al. 2009, Herceptinis anticancer medication used mainly to treat early stage malignant cancer of the breast and in some cases cancer of the stomach. This is a condition that has for a long time given medical researchers sleepless nights as many of the medications used currently have been found to have severe side effects. In the process of treatment, Herceptin acts on those tumors which produce the Human Epidermal growth Receptor (HER2 protein) more than the normal amount. Human Epidermal growth Receptor 2 is a protein which enhances the growth of cancer cells. The presence of the cancerous cells leads to excessive production of the HER2 protein hence promoting the metastasis of the cancerous cells to a larger part of the affected area. The

Thames Water company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Thames Water company - Case Study Example It is also in this light that the shareholders will generate more income from the cash dividends as well as the stock dividends that the company gives them. The shareholders are composed of the stockholders who have invested their hard earned money in the business. The shareholders of the company will generate income in order to stay in operation for a long time. If the company does not make a profit, in other words it generates a loss, then there a possibility that the company will close shop. Therefore if the company will close shop, then the company will have to declare bankruptcy and close shop. The shareholders will be given their dividend income based on the percentage of the number of shares they own divided by the total outstanding shares. The dividends are computed as the total sales or revenue less total costs and expenses generated during the year. If the Sales is more than the expenses and costs, then the numerical amount is called net income. If the total costs and total expenses are more than the total sales or revenue for the year, then the numerical amount is called net loss. The net income is then divided by the number of outstanding shares to get the dividend income per share. This means to say that if the shareholder has more shares of stock of the Thames Water company then this particular shareholder will receive dividend income than the shareholders who invested in lesser number of shares. Likewise, if the company generates a net loss for the year, then the net loss will be divided by the total number of outstanding shares. This means that if the shareholder has more shares of stocks in Thames company, then this specific shareholder will receive more losses from as compared to the shareholder of Thames company who has invested in lesser numbers of shares. Expenses are amounts that include costs of repairing the leakages in the more the one hundred fifty year old pipes covering the South Eastern part of England which is under the water supply responsibility of Thames Water company. Some of the major monetary worries of Thames water which will increases its expenses and thereby decrease the net income resulting to lesser shareholder dividends per share is that Thames Water may be fined for '66m by the London Government regulatory agency OFWAT because it failed to meet its targets for reducing the volume of water lost through leaks. The company had already spend an estimated '150m extra on tackling the problem. The company is legally bound to replace around 230 miles of ageing water mains in London over the next five years in addition to the 770 miles it has already planned. The Thames Water company has to accomplish its leakage plugging for the next two years as well as to double its expenses to plug leaks for the two years after that because the company must not fail to meet their revised targets, or else, the Government agency OFWAT will take some enforcement action. Thames was able to reduce expenses when it did not meet its leakage plugging target since 1999-2000. This could be intentionally done to keep the company on a positive net income position. To add to the company's woes, the company had it lost 894m litres of water a day which has translated into lesser sales revenue and correspondingly lesser net income and finally lesser shareholde

A Character Study Of Patrick Bateman Essay Example for Free

A Character Study Of Patrick Bateman Essay This character study focuses on is Patrick Bateman, the anti-hero protagonist of American Psycho, an often misunderstood satire of the upper class American lifestyle by Bret Easton Ellis. The book is set in New York in the 1980s, and let the reader see through the eyes of the protagonist himself by using first narrative. Therefore when reading the novel it feels as if one is reading a diary, although there are no strict time intervals between each chapter. The storyline is very simple. The novel depicts the everyday life of Patrick Bateman with every minute detail. We are put right into a typical scene of Batemans life straightaway at the start when we see him and his friends at a posh dinner party. Immediately we get the idea that he is very rich and lives his life in style. The foods at the dinner party are exotic and Bateman couldnt help keep showing off his platinum American Express Card. Like his friends, he loves to mock homeless people and those less fortunate than him. One of his favourite tricks is to pretend handing a dollar note to a beggar and then taking it away in the last second whilst taking pleasure from the disappointment of his victim. He also possesses some good qualities. For example, he is extremely intelligent and shows disgust in discrimination of any kind, provided that those people are on the same level as him. He even ridiculed a colleague for his anti-Semitic comments. However these good qualities are actually a fai ade, hiding his true personality. Contrary to what appears, he is strongly homophobic, racist, anti-Semitic and unfair to women. This can be demonstrated by his opinion of rap music, describing it as too niggerish. His views on women were they are only there to help men carry on the human race. Patrick Bateman is also very health conscious. Except for an occasional cigar, he does not smoke and loathes others who do. He also imposes a strict healthy foods regime on himself. His regime is somewhat similar to a vegans. He eats mostly fruit and almost never meat, with a special emphasis on exotic foods. His favourites include kiwi fruit paste and Japanese apple-pears, costing him an inordinate amount for each. To complement his dietary regime, Bateman frequently utilizes his exclusive, private health centre named Xclusive. Furthermore, he uses a wide range of health care products and medicines. These are actually Ellis exaggeration of what happens in real life, where the social elites desperately try and keep themselves healthy, with any means possible. During the day Bateman can be seen as a normal upper class person, but during the night things are completely different. When asked about what he does during the night, he replies I have to return some video tapes. This has become the euphemism of his night-time activities. At night, he indulges himself in murdering innocents and raping unfortunate individuals. Sometimes the shock of doing these things gets to him, and he starts to have panic attacks. Its during these panic attacks we see really how weak he is. He often confesses his crimes to total strangers. However they always ignore him and think its a joke. This, combined with how characters in the book often mistakes one person for another, is Ellis way of representing how in the modern world we dont really care about who we are talking to. One thing that cannot be ignored about the novel is how explicit it is. Rapes, murders and grotesque actions are described with nothing left out. For example, in one of the scenes Patrick Bateman drinks his own urine and in another scene, he cuts out the eyes of a homeless person. To give you an idea of what the language is like, heres an extract from the book: I push the serrated blade into its [a dogs] stomach and quickly slice open its hairless belly in a squirt of brown blood, its legs kicking and clawing at me, then blue and red intestines bulge out and I drop the dog onto the sidewalk. He [the owner] just stare in horror saying oh my god oh my god as the sharpei drags itself around in a circle, its tail wagging, squealing, and it starts licking and sniffing the pile of its own intestines, spilled out in a mound on the sidewalk, some still connected to its stomach. From this you can see how graphical the book is. Unfortunately this is only a small piece of the whole story and this extract is the most weak in terms of disgust in the book. This simply enforces the idea of how demented and psychotic Patrick Bateman is. The irony of the novel is that Bateman does completely opposite things whilst insisting what he does is always right. For example, he often mocks his colleagues for making discriminatory comments, but he is secretly just as discriminatory. While he outlandishly keeps himself fit and healthy, he abuses cocaine and anti-depressants. This is the core of Ellis satire, where he makes fun of the upper class, which insists on their perfection but actually is ignorant on how imperfect they are. Also in the novel Bateman dedicates a single chapter plus many parts of other chapters detailing his material wealth. Also he tirelessly compares his belongings to those of someone else. Indeed in one scene he discovered that another persons business card was of a better quality and design than his and thus started to have intense jealousy for that person. This can be interpreted as Ellis satire directed at the greed of humans and our desperate struggle to have the best of everything. After he commits his final murder, Bateman does not feel good and high as he described it. Instead, he feels nothing. Not even killing can satisfy him now. It is astounding how he was never suspected of any of the numerous murders he committed. At the end we discover that he may have imagined all his acts of atrocity. This deliberate ambiguity is the only mercy Ellis has for this truly evil character. Despite this, I pity Patrick Bateman, for he tried to find pleasure, like we all do but in other ways, and failing to do so. In the end, he is left hollow with no emotion left whatsoever. Its pitiful how one can become mentally deranged on ones quest for personal gain.

Importance Of Physical Activity In Schools Education Essay

Importance Of Physical Activity In Schools Education Essay Engaging in acts of physical activity from a young age is very important for both the mental and physical health of a child; the habits learnt in youth tend to continue onto adulthood thus having an effect on the prevalence of obesity and related illnesses in society. So why is physical activity so important for children and what age is instilling positive habits most beneficial? What roles do teachers of today play in addressing and preventing obesity in our children and what are effective strategies to do this? The benefits of physical activity are vast. Physical activity has been associated with a lowered risk of cardiovascular disease and also an increased life expectancy so its importance is obvious but its value in children sometimes needs to be justified. It is never too early to start teaching a child positive behaviours and habits, however, in middle childhood (ages 6-10) children tend to be in a stage of development where they think very literally they will absorb everything you teach, do, and say and are incredibly influential. It is t this stage of development that their most likely to be taught healthy eating habits, develop exercise programs and have an interest in organised sports. Young people will carry established healthy behaviours throughout their lives such as better eating habits and decreased likelihood of smoking (Shilton, T. and Naughton, G. 2001). Through physical activity children of middle childhood develop healthy muscles, bones and joints; they develop a healthy heart and lungs and they also develop a higher neuromuscular awareness which influences their co-ordination, how they control movement and the development of fine and gross motor skills. Most obviously it enables them to maintain a healthy body weight. Physical activity has also been linked to psychological benefits by improving the control children have over the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Studies have also shown that the participation in physical activity can assist in the social development of children aged 6-10 by providing the opportunity for expression, building confidence and social interaction. Physically active young people have been noted to more readily adopt other healthy lifestyle behaviours (avoidance of tobacco, alcohol and drugs) and demonstrate higher academic performance at school. Children of the ages six to ten spend the majority of their time at school so naturally an effective tool in addressing the problems associated with physical activity and obesity is having teachers play an active role in promoting healthy lifestyles. Schools have been recognized as an appropriate setting for the prevention of eating disorders and child obesity due to the continual and concentrated access to a large number of individuals at a developmentally appropriate age (Neumark-Sztainer, 1996). Research has shown that well-designed and implemented school programs can effectively promote physical activity, healthy eating, and reduction of television viewing and time spent using the computer and computer games. Teachers have access to a great number of young people in an environment that allows debate and lessons about body image, nutrition, and weight These teachers also have the chance to initiate the reinforcement of prevention pro- grams using the whole school approach (Neumark -Sztainer, 1996; ODea Maloney, 2000). Home Economics, Science, Dance, and English teachers have opportunities to become involved in preventive activities within their appropriate curriculum areas as well as through involvement in pastoral care roles such as advisors, student welfare coordinators, and head teachers. (Neumark-Sztainer, Story, Harris, 1999). One strategy teachers can use in the classroom to address and treat the occurrence of obesity in children is to discontinue the use of food as a reward. Food has been used to reward children for good behaviour and performance. Its a very easy, powerful and inexpensive tool in bringing about immediate behavioural changes in children of thee ages six to ten. However, using food as reward often encourages overeating of unhealthy foods high in fat, sugar and little or no nutritional value whatsoever. Rewarding with food can interfere with children of these ages learning to eat in response to hunger and teaches them to eat when they are not hungry. Finding alternatives to food rewards is an important part of providing a healthy school environment. Rewarding children with unhealthy foods in school undermines our efforts to teach them about good nutrition. Its like teaching children a lesson on the importance of not smoking, and then handing out ashtrays and lighters to the kids who did the best job listening. (Schwartz, M.B, Brownell, K.D. 2007). Alternatives to food as a reward include; Social rewards like praise and attention (in front of others). Recognition with certificates and letters of congratulation to parents or caregivers. Privileges of going first, choosing a class activities or sitting by friends. Another way teachers can positively assist the prevention of obesity is to make exercise fun and incorporate it into the daily routine. Forcing children to participate in activities they do not enjoy could have a negative effect on how the child views physical activity in the future. Often sport in school is repetitive and favours the more athletic students in a class. Variety is very important and teachers should seek input from students to which game should be played, it could even be used as a reward allowing the child who has performed best to choose the activity. Incorporating fitness to the daily classroom regime can also be effective. For children attention can begin to wander if activities are too long and for some being sedentary for too long is difficult. At the beginning or end of lessons encourage children to dance, jump and use basic movement. Fun activities like hopping to the bathroom, skipping to other activities around the classroom can also be incorporated and can a id in childrens refinement of fine and gross motor skills. Additionally exercise shouldnt be used as punishment. Children learn to dislike things used as punishments. Penalizing children with physical activity might lead them to avoid activities that are important for maintaining their health. Integrate nutrition education lessons into the curriculum. You can apply nutrition education information into science, maths, language art and health lessons. Along with students collect pictures of healthy nutritional foods and junk foods from magazines, and newspapers. Have the students help to categorize the foods on posters healthy food and junk food. Display this in the classroom where everyone can see and use it at a reference for children to set realistic, well-defined, measurable goals for themselves regarding healthy eating and physical activity. As an example a child might plan to eat five servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit every day or they will play for half an hour after school at least four days a week. Have students record their progress over time. These goals can be graphed and incorporated into certain lessons. Teachers have a valuable contribution to make in the domain of physical activity and the prevention of childhood obesity. In the past they have been underutilized as successful agents of change. This may be because school professionals are uneducated about nutrition and methods of prevention. In order for future prevention of obesity to be a success, perseverance and ongoing training for teachers and schools involved is required. Training must increase knowledge of nutrition, physical activity, obesity, and preventive techniques. Finally, teacher-training programs should stress the importance of development and age specific strategies in the education of children in this area in order to fully utilize schools as an effective setting for prevention and to improve future prevention initiatives, and to promote the health of our young people. Source: Obesity Prevention in Children: Strategies for Parents and School Personnel, National Association of School Psychologists; www.nasponline.org; (301) 657-0270. Printed with permission and provided by the St. Vrain Valley School Districts Public Information Office. Shilton, T. and Naughton, G. (2001). Physical activity and children: a statement of importance and call to action from the Heart Foundation. National Heart Foundation of Australia. Retrieved from http://www.heartfoundation.com.au/downloads/physical%20activity%20and%20%20children.htm Neumark-Sztainer, D. (1996). School based programs for preventing eating distur- bances. Journal of School Health, 66, 64-71. Neumark-Sztainer, D., Story, M., Coller, T. (1999). Perceptions of secondary school staff toward the implementation of school-based activities to prevent weight-related disorders: A needs assessment. American Journal of Health Promotion, 13(3),153-156. Neumark-Sztainer, D., Story, M., Harris, T. R. (1999). Beliefs and attitudes about obesity among teachers and school health care providers working with adolescents. Journal of Nutrition Education, 31(1),3-9. ODea, J. (2000). School based interventions to prevent eating problems: First do no harm. Eating Disorders, 8, 123-130. ODea, J. (2004) Child obesity prevention: First, do no harm. Health Education Research: Theory and Practice. 20, 259-265. ODea, J. Abraham, S. F. (2000). Improving the body image, eating attitudes, and behaviours of young male and female adolescents: A new educational approach that focuses on self-esteem. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 28, 43-57. ODea, J. Abraham, S. F. (2001). Knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours related to weight control, eating disorders, and body image in Australian trainee home economics and physical education teachers. Journal of Nutrition Education, 33, 332-340. ODea, J. Maloney, D. (2000) Preventing eating and body image problems in children and adolescents using the health promoting schools framework. Journal of School Health, 70(1),18-21. Neumark-Sztainer, D. (1996). School based programs for preventing eating disturbances. Journal of School Health, 66, 64-71. Hill, A. and Silver, E. Fat, friendliness and Unhealthy: 9 year old childrens perceptions of body shape and stereotypes. International Journal of Obesity Related metabolic Disorders 1995; 19(6), 423-30. Government of Western Australia. Keep it fun: supporting youth sport. Clubs guide to encouraging positive parent behaviour. op. cit. Government of Western Australia. Keep it fun: supporting youth sport. Clubs guide to encouraging positive parent behaviour. Perth, Western Australia: Department of Sport and Recreation. http://www.dsr.wa.gov.au Schwartz, M.B., Brownell, K.D. (2007). Actions Necessary to Prevent Childhood Obesity: Creating the Climate for Change. Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics, 78-89. Schwartz, M.B. Brownell, K.D. (2005). Future directions for preventive action on obesity. In Obesity prevention in the 21st century: Public health approaches to tackle the obesity pandemic. Crawford, D. Jeffrey, R. (Eds.) Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp 307-330 2 Puhl R. and Schwartz, MB (2003). If you are good you can have a cookie: The link between childhood food rules and adult eating behaviours. 283-293 http://kids.nsw.gov.au/uploads/documents/obesityactionplan.pdf

The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis Essays -- Lewis Abolition of Man Es

The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Abolition of Man is perhaps the best defense of natural law to be   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   published in the twentieth century. The book is outstanding not because   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   its ideas are original, but because it presents so clearly the common   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   sense of the subject, brilliantly encapsulating the Western natural law   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   tradition in all its Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian glory. Interestingly,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lewis' defense of objective morality here resonates not only with ideas   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   from the giants of Western thought (including Plato, Aristotle, Augustine,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   and Aquinas), but also draws on the wisdom of the East, including Confucius and the sages of Hinduism.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In "The Abolition of Man" C.S. Lewis developed three lectures entitled   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Men without Chests'', "The Way", and "The Abolition of Man". In them he   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   set out to attack and confute what he saw as the errors of his age.   He   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   started by quoting some fashionable lunacy from an educationalists'   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   textbook, from which he developed a general attack on moral subjectivism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his second lecture he argued against various contemporary isms, which   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   purported to replace traditional objective morality. His final lecture,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "The Abolition of Man", which also provided the title of the book   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   published the following year, was a sustained attack on hard-line      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  scientific anti-humanism.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first essay, "Men without Chests," indicted the modern attempt to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   debunk objective virtues and sentiments. According to Lewis, traditional   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   moral theorists believed that virtues such as ... ...world, by   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the dictates of conscience and by the constituted order of things in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   nature. That is why, all that being so, "we have cause to be uneasy",   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   because faced with this Law (Tao) of God, with Absolute Goodness, and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   demands therein, we see we that we have "all sinned and come short of the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   glory of God" (Romans 3:23).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When we take some time to ponder the meanings of The Abolition of Man and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   its writings, we see that Lewis' essays were not new ideas at all.   In the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   contrary, they were reminders of what man has intrinsically known since   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the beginning of time.   As Samuel Johnson once said, 'Man is in need more   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   frequently of being reminded than informed.' Works Cited: Lewis, C. S. The Abolition of Man. Ontario: The MacMillan Company, 1947.

Fraternities/Sororities Essay

Fraternities/Sororities are generally considered as a bad organization or brotherhood nowadays. It affects the academic performance of many students especially some of BSIT (Bachelor of Science in Information Technology) freshmen who tried to join. Many students find that membership in a chapter gives them opportunities to develop valuable skills they have not been able to find elsewhere. Sometimes, joining a fraternity/sorority is an excellent way for some students to meet people, get more acclimated to campus life, gain important leadership skills have fun, contribute to the community, and/or establish life-long friendships. Exact figures for the number of college students nationally involved in these organizations are hard to pin down. Positive examples of fraternities exemplifying their founding principles of brotherhood, scholarship and service are easily available. However, negative images centered on alcohol, hazing and hegemonic masculine behavior garner far more public attention: just like Guillo Servando — An 18-year-old Benilde sophomore who died recently after suffering severe beating and died after the initiation rites under the Tau Gamma fraternity. (ww.philstar.com/news-feature/). That’s why we conduct this study to find out what are really the reasons or factors that motivates students to join organizations in school in spite of these accidents that happening nowadays. Statement of the Problem Generally, this research study aims to determine the reasons for joining fraternities/sororities of BS Information Technology freshmen enrolled in West Negros University, S.Y. 2014-2015. Specifically, it aims to answer the following questions: 1. What is the profile of WNU BSIT freshmen in terms of: a. age b. gender c. monthly income d. place of residency 2. What are the reasons for joining fraternities/sororities of BSIT students? 3. What are the major reasons of BSIT students in joining fraternities/sororities when they are classified according to: a. age b. gender c. monthly income d. place of residence Significance of the Study The findings of this research study were beneficial or significant to the following people: BS Information Technology students. This findings of the study would help them know and understand the reasons for joining fraternities/sororities and be able to find other ways to help them cope with their individual problems or concerns. Professors. The findings of this research study would provide ideas about the behavior of the students. Parents. This would give insights on how they can exhibit responsibilities to their children and how they can avoid their children in joining these organizations. Present researchers. This will help them to identify the different insights of each student regarding reasons for joining fraternities/sororities. Future researchers. The findings in this research study would provide basis for the conduct of future research about the reasons of joining fraternities/sororities and possibly on a wider involving other areas or variables. Scope and Limitation This study primarily deals with the reasons for joining fraternities or sororities of BS Information Technology Freshmen enrolled in West Negros University, first semester, S.Y. 2014-2015. Variables included are: age, sex, family monthly income and place of residency. Definition of Terms For the purpose of this study, the following terms have been defined conceptually and operationally. Age. Conceptually, it refers to the amount of time during which the person or animal has lived. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/). Operationally, it refers to the amount of time in which the person exists. Alumnus/alumna. Conceptually, this term refers to a member who has graduated. Alumnus is the masculine, alumna the feminine. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/). Operationally, this refers to a member of the fraternity who fgraduated from an institution. Family Monthly Income. Conceptually, it refers to the total compensation received by all family members age 15 or older living in the same household. Compensation may include wages, social security, child support, pensions capital gains, and dividends. (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/family-income.html). Operationally it refers to the amount of money receives from the family member/s who is/are working. Fraternity. Conceptually, it refers a group of people associated or formally organized for a common purpose, interest, or pleasure. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/). Operationally, it refers exclusively to men’s groups, many women’s groups officially call themselves fraternities, and the most proper term for them is Women’s Fraternities. Hazing. Conceptually, it refers to the imposition of strenuous, often humiliating, tasks as part of a program of rigorous physical training and initiation rites. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/). Operationally, it refers to a mental or physical harm done to a new member of an organization. Sex. Conceptually, it refers to male or female based of their reproductive organs and structures. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/). Operationally it refers to a state of being male or female. Sorority. Conceptually, it refers to a Greek letter organization, which admits only women. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/). Operationally, it refers to a society for female students in a university or college, typically for social purposes

Introduction of the bachelor and master system Essay

Globalization and liberalization are two factors that greatly impact on the potential that nations have for generating value. Of the numerous dynamics that affect the society in the current operational environment, globalization comes up as the most influential due to the effect that it has on nearly all sectors of the modern economies (Neal 129). With increase in interaction between different communities a need for standardization has developed due to difference in standards and approaches that are employed across different societies (Lee 43). Electronic standard, wireless protocols, international courts and trading blocks have all come up as a result of the need to standardize approaches that the current societies use. The European which is the largest trading block globally has also come to terms with the fact that there is need for standardization especially in the area of higher education thus the Bologna accord (Loosvelt and Gysen 163). However, the effect of standardization of higher education is viewed differently with some claiming that it impacts positively on the education standards in Europe while some positing to the fact that it could reduce flexibility and therefore relevance of the education system to individual societies (Alesi and RosznyaI, 396). This study employs the aid of existing researches and theories to explore the effects of the Bologna process including its advantage on both employers and employees with the aim of seeking to develop a clear picture of its implication and areas that may need further address to ensure that Europe optimizes gains in its educational and social systems. The Bologna Process The main motivation to the Bologna accord was to ensure increased compatibility of higher education standards across Europe (Van Biesen and Rahier 222). The naming of the Bologna process follows directly from the Italian city in which it was signed (Dobren’kova 46). Though 29 nations were the initial signatories to the process, the number has increased with time. The signing of the Bologna process is considered the end process of numerous processes notably in Germany and Western Europe universities that were aimed at harmonization of the architecture or systems that is used in higher education (Lindblom-Ylanne and Hamalainen 161). Nearly all members of the council of Europe are signatories to the accord through there are nations that despite applying were denied a position to be in the process. The basic approach that is employed by the Bologna process employs three stages or cycles of higher education qualification. The main defining factors of the Bologna process are the qualification and ECTS credits. Bachelor’s degree, masters and doctoral degrees are some of the key variables that are considered under qualification. Most nations in Europe employ the 3-2-3 year cycle to ensure completions of the three levels in higher education as per the Bologna accord (Malan 295). Though the actual naming of the degree course may vary from one nation to the other, an academic year is standardized to 60 ECTS credits (Pusztai and Szabo 102). There is a clear correlation between this new system and the approaches that are employed in North America and even in Japan with many researchers and educators stating that this may be the way forward with respect to global education (Becker 265). A noticeable change that is a result of the Bologna process is more emphasis being awarded to practical training and even research projects. This is in line with developments in education that have generally been geared towards adoption of approaches that are more practice oriented. The credits being a measure of the input that students have in their education is reflective of not just the overall cognitive abilities but also presentation skills (Patricio and Engelsen 601) innovation, hours spent studying and even general skills (Tauch 277). Many education experts are of the view that this development brings educations closer to the society and requirements in practice where theoretical and practical skills are all important in ensuring efficiency and improvement of the nature of practice. The main issues that the Bologna process sought to address arise from responsibility in higher education, governance, research, values, changes in the nature of society and increase in complexity that institutions and organizations face which has led to high qualification needs. With the implementations of the Bologna process educations is provided with higher flexibility that makes it easier for students to move from one institution to the other within Europe (Berner and Richter 251). Other benefits that have come up as result of the Bologna process include increased attractiveness of higher education in Europe, a broader higher education framework that places emphasis on quality and advancement of knowledge base and an increase in the levels of convergence between US and Europe with respect to higher education standards which increases the scope of education and its absorption of European students into mainstream job markets. Like all change processes the Bologna process was criticized from some quarters with some being of the view that the framework adopted favored the UK especially England and Ireland while presenting numerous difficulties to continental Europe nations (Vogel 133). Economic and Academic Background Higher education like all other systems in the current society is affected by increase in cost of operations. Many educators are of the view that the basic factor that underpins a number of plans developed by the EU is economic consideration and this is reflected in the Bologna process. Researchers and education theorists are of the view that the Bologna process is aimed at enlarging the higher education system in Europe with the aim of cutting down on cost and therefore ensuring a Europe wide standardization (Beertsen 107). The changes are cited as being in line strategies that have been proposed by the WTO and GATS in education that have generally been aimed at minimizing and even eliminating the control that political systems have over higher education. The academic aspect is considered central to the numerous differential viewpoints that have been developed of the role of the Bologna process in ensuring that educational goals are met (Moshkin 10). In fact nearly all controversies that surround the Bologna process have their basis on the academic and social impact of the Bologna process rather than the impact that it could have on economies. Continental Europe nations mainly employ a model that was inspired by the German educational system where a clear difference existed between vocational and academic training (Ash 264). This system from the upgrades that it has received was viewed as counter-productive thus the adoption of a system that is in line with the English. The main areas that were of concern under such an educational system which was employed by a majority of continental Europe nations is the fact that vocational training was not developed with the aim of further studies. Masters level education was a minimum level requirement in some fields for instance engineering which limited the applicability of Bachelors level education in some fields (Chuchalin 200). Moreover, the continental approach to Bachelors degree did not prepare the students for employment rather it was aimed at preparing them for master’s level education. This reduced the skills that such students had and the level of efficiency that they display in the workforce. Despite the disparity in level of skills that Bachelors level student displayed with respect to their ability to manage workforce issues, they were awarded the same title as engineers. One of the key implications of the Bologna process is therefore an urgent need for steps that are aimed at harmonization of professional bodies which requires revaluation and in some cases change in qualification (Hibbert 34). Moreover a number of key assumptions that have been made by the Bologna process have been under spotlight for instance 60 ECTS per year requirement is based on the assumption that 1500-1800 hours will be available in a year which presents a complexity in its implementation if it is considered that it does not standardize semesters. Other critics claim that some courses were just redefined with no change in course content or requirement which due to ECTS requirements effectively implies additional demand with little gain (Sanz and van der 34). These are some of the key issues that have been highlighted as being central to controversies surrounding the objectivity in implementation of the Bologna process. However, the fact that it is being employed and nations seek being signatories implies that an understanding of the benefits is critical in determining the areas that it could be lacking in and therefore the development that can be incorporated to ensure that the society gains for it is the future of European education. Implication on Selected Educational Systems A review of selected educational systems shows that the implications of the Bologna accord have had differential effects across Europe. The Finish system of higher education was least affected by the implementation of the Bologna accord. The major changes are the inclusion of engineering and military programs into masters and bachelors systems and increase in adoption of English as the main language. A course that has basically remained the same as it was before the adoption of the Bologna accord is medicine which still runs on a five years program (Cooper 259). The Italian system was based on award of a degree after the first three years of undergraduate level education that had no value in the market unless one went ahead and finished graduate level course has changed considerably. A three plus two year system has been adopted though there are some exceptions to the structure of â€Å"Nuovo ordinamento† (Kilic 319). Medicine and some areas of science have not changed and place a requirement of up to six years of undergraduate level education before one can proceed to master’s level. In UK the implication of the Bologna accord differs with the nations. The educational systems in England, Scotland and Wales display some significant differences due to the nature of their formulation. The England system though relaying some similarities to the Italian system is fundamentally different from others in Europe (Georgantopoulou 13). In Wales it was possible for a student straight from high school to undertake a program that would lead to attainment of a master’s degree without having to undergo undergraduate level education. The Scottish system which is one of a kind due to the flexibility that it offers lower level educational stakeholders like school heads to formulate curricula was also affected considerably. Under the Bologna accord all this systems can actively seek educational goals and students can easily transfer from one institution to the other without having to worry about the grade that he has attained and even difficulty in integrating into the new system. There is no doubt that the Bologna accord has played an important role in convergence of standards that are used in higher level education which is an important factor in ensuring that the role of the EU in ensuring labor mobility is attained. Employers Advantages Pro Bologna Reform activists are generally of the view that it is the best development that has happened in Europe’s educational systems for a long time (Stallmann 24). This is the same view that is held by computing enthusiasts on the level of development that computing has attained due to the standardization of protocols. Standardization is generally perceived as an avenue through which development within any industry can be molded in a manner that increases the level of interrelationship between existing systems. A melange of degree titles defined the higher education systems in Europe before the implementation of the Bologna accord. The effects of the confused state on European employees were high due to the effect of EU policies that were seeking economic integration (Rauhvargers 341). Employers found it hard to develop an objective measure that could be used in determining the potential of job seekers by objectively assessing their academic credentials. Under such an environment the benefits that European nations sought through economic integration and ensuring workforce mobility was reduced. Business and management education is one of the areas that have been affected by the Bologna accord. Globally employers and HR executives were becoming more confused with the bachelor, Lauren and Diplomkaufmann titles that were held by jobseekers (Verhesschen and Verburgh 134). Complexity in assessing the potential of a job applicant is further brought out if the array of master’s degree programs that were offered is considered. The effects of the Bologna accord are numerous and impact on not just the educational systems or employers but also governments (Sanz 141). Countries that have employed the Bologna accord are more likely to partake in the benefits that it offers especially with respect to reducing the recurring costs of higher education. Moreover, the quality and competitive degree programs that are offered under the Bologna accord present such nations with an edge with respect to attracting students into their institutions. Such students may play a role in ensuring overall development in host nations. The benefits that the Bologna accord present with respect to predictable educational budget, fixed course durations, predictable enrolment and graduation rates which aid in budgeting and educational planning and shorter graduate study will play a role in ensuring that the span of productivity is increased (Giuliano 103). The introduction of shorter masters degree level courses that is pushed for by the Bologna Accord will play an important role in ensuring that education in Europe is compatible to standards that are being employed in other nations. In a global environment where commercialization of education is widespread the international students that pay considerably higher than their domestic counterparts will pave a way for the education systems to gain more revenues. However, a number of issues arise relating the specific details in implementing the strategies. Language is a key issue that has been central in discussions relating to success that can be attained in ensuring integration. Generally English being the most developed and popular language in global circles has been adopted by a number of masters programs. Relaxation of immigration and permit requirements has come up as one of the areas that governments must be wary of to ensure gains from the Bologna process (Griffin 98). Such a process must be carried out in tandem with simplifications of visa conversion from study to employment if Europe to gain the most out of the benefits presented by the Bologna accord. The nature of strategies and even systems that are employed by the education systems is affected by workforce requirements. Employer requirements are cited as critical factors in determining the curricular and even activities that are embedded into school systems especially at higher level of learning. Higher education strategies are highly dependent on the nature of requirements that they are placed on social systems (Sakari 179). Employees are cited as playing a key role in determining the level of success that can be attained in implementing the Bologna accord. Unless employers can actively seek and employ Bachelors level graduates then the value of this level of education will be lost across Europe. Researchers are of the view that though standardization has been achieved with the adoption of the Bologna accord by various stakeholders’ success in its implementations is highly dependent on collaboration between employers, instructors and evens students. Unless higher education seeks to develop critical lifelong learners the benefits that employers stand to gain from the Bologna accord are minimal. This is in line with the fact that employers having realized the role played by critical reflective skills spend consummate funds on development of interpersonal, leadership and communication skills (Widerberg 137). The key challenge that European educational institutions face in ensuring success with the aid of the Bologna accord is to provide students with high transformational potential that will ensure they are easily employed. As the Bologna accord takes root, many will seek graduate level education and therefore employers will be provided with a far much wider pool of experienced job seekers to choose from. This is one of the key goals that were sought in formulating the EU. Moreover, a clear description of the course presents a common approach to assessment that encompasses all areas that employers seek and aid in accurately determining the exact qualifications required for a given job title (Jaschke and Neidhardt 306). Employees have to take steps in ensuring that their requirements and overall HR departments are aware of the differing qualifications that are offered by institutions. Despite initiatives that have sought employment of Bachelors degree holders, it is generally believed that master’s level education will continue being a key prerequisite for entry into mainstream employment (Zgaga 253). However, most researchers are of the view that this condition can be reversed with the input of the public sector which is in fact the largest employer in all European nations. If the public sector seeks bachelor’s level education then there is a high likelihood that other employers with follow suit which will aid in ensuring Bologna accord goals are attained. With time and maturity of the job market, both bachelors and graduate job seekers will be effectively absorbed into the job market thus increased workforce availability. Another benefit that employers stand to gain from business oriented degrees is their ability to offer a platform upon which bachelors degree holders from other fields can seek further studies in business related subjects (Labi A36). Such a process leads to graduates who have diversified skills that are relevant to global operational environment. It is important to note that experience has been highlighted as one of the factors that greatly determines the pay and even suitability of an employee irrespective of the level of education that one has attained. Employees The Bologna accord is considered a platform upon which students are presented with new opportunities that they can effectively use in sidelining the long cycle to seeking graduate level education into stages with increase in platform upon which they can seek further education. Increased student mobility associated with the accord is likely to present the platform upon which employees can seek further their careers. The choice though complicated offers students with the opportunity to either continues with their education or seek employment after undergraduate level which presents a wider platform for decision making. This is further complicated by the multitude of courses that students have in choosing the course or areas of specialization at graduate level. This is likely to lead to an increase in the levels of diversity that is displayed by employees which may directly translate to increase in the level of competition in the job market or reduced competition depending on the qualification that a employees display (Konjic and Sarajlic 219). The Bologna accord is also cited as being a catalyst to increased academic activities across Europe. Employees are under increased pressure to ensure that they update their skills and acquire multiple skills to develop in their areas of professionalism. Another area that employees are likely to benefit from is applicability of their skills. A factor that has for a long time been central to the difficulties that students and even employees face in making the most out of the freedom that they are presented by the EU is language barrier and the differential systems that were used across Europe (Sandstrom 61). The Bologna accord presents a standardized education system that predominantly uses English as the main mode of transmission thus increased availability of jobs in even areas that were least accessed due to language barriers. Another area that the Bologna accord has impacted on is decision making. Most employers often consider their jobs as their source of livelihood. Decision making as one of the most important variable that determine the direction that one’s life will take is complicated by the number of options that one has (Augusti 258). The Bologna accord presented employees and students with multiple options on which to base their professional development each of which impact directly in the quality of education that they can attain. Having such a large basis presents complexity in decision making which may even lead to the development of firms that seeks to guide professionals into their career paths. This is an example of a development and even complexity that is presented with standardization of education across Europe. Employers awareness There is a large potential that has been presented to European employees with respect to seeking suitable candidates by the Bologna accord (Adelman 11). However, surveys across Europe show that the level of awareness that employers have of the potential that is presented by the Bologna accord is low (Jung-Eun 36). Generally the low level of awareness that employers have of the accord is a worrying situation considering the role that employers have to play in ensuring that its goals are attained. Numerous independent studies have shown that up to 64% of employers are unaware of the existence of Bologna process in the UK (Shearman 177). The same trends are observed in Finland with a far much grim picture painted in Italy where up to 80% of the employers are not aware of the existence of the Bologna process (Guth 331). These statistics paint a grim situation and a clear need for politicians and policy makers to work round the clock to ensure that the state is corrected failure to which the potential benefits that could be attained with the implementation of the accord may never be experienced. A far worse picture is created if research findings on employers that are informed on the internal details of the accord are considered. Basically less than 5% of all employers in Europe are aware of the details relating to the implementation of the accord and the implications that it could have on the nature of the job market (Salzer 656). Awareness is first developing on this poor state in implementation of the accord and has led to a number of taskforces and even researches that have sought to determine corrective measures that can be put in place to ensure that the initial goals of the accord are driven at (Wex 76). The measures not only seek to raise the levels of awareness that employers have of the Bologna accord but are also aimed at devising systems and means through which employers can reduce their transaction costs when seeking new employees (Burnett 287). A systematic exchange of information between parties that are involved in the Bologna accord is one of the recommendations that have been developed to aid address the worrying situation. Sharing experiences between students has also been cited as a possible avenue to ensuring that future employers are aware of the benefits presented by the Bologna accord in the higher education framework in Europe (Witte and van der Wende 217). Increased involvement of employers and career advisers by developing information packages that are targeted at this audience is one of the directions that can be sought in ensuring that career goals are accurately sought. Analysis A deeper analysis of the Bologna accord shows that it has implications that may be further than the current economic effect that it is assessed under. The EU as an economic system is an important factor in determining the level of efficiency that can be attained with the application of the accord and is a critical reference point with respect to its effect on the political, social and organizational systems (Veiga and Amaral 61). From the discussions it is apparent that though the freedom that is presented by the EU in terms of movement serves as an effective platform for the Bologna accord, there are several policy issues that are yet to be addressed that would ensure ease of movement and even transformation of students into active workforce. The effects of globalization and an improved information system together present an effective platform upon which students from different cultural backgrounds can easily interact to ensure gain from the education system (Karran 7). Though there have been some resistance to the implementation of the accord the levels of adoption that it has received is reflective of the growing appreciation of its relevance in consideration of the nature of the modern society. Multiculturalism is fast developing within Europe which presents a suitable avenue to ensuring ease in accessing employees of different background. This diversity that is presented to employers is cited as being a critical ingredient to generating value in competitive business segments (Sall and Ndjaye 47). However, an understanding of the complexity that is associated with management of diversity has to be developed for any value to be generated. Though diversity is associated with generation of value, an understanding of how it can effectively be managed is important in ensuring that this benefit is gained. In general there are a number of strengths and benefits that are associated with the Bologna accord. One of the notable threats is the erosion of the level of awareness that curricula have to issues that are of interest to a particular society (Gaston 17). The implementation of the Bologna accord is based on the assumption that the effects of globalization in Europe is high to the extent that Europe can be considered a single society that is faced with similar educational challenges. The reality is that Europe is diverse and made up of both developed and developing nations that have different needs and are of different perception on what can be considered an effective higher educational system. Recommendations Though the goals and even theory beneath the implementation of the Bologna accord are noble, practical implementation issues pose a threat to the achievement of its objectives. Creating awareness among employees and developing further avenues for employment are some of the issues that have to be addressed in seeking its goals. 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