Taking a Look at Abortion - 869 Words

Pregnancy is a process that each woman has to go through in order to give birth to a new child, which is often a huge milestone for people that seek stability in life by finding their mate and initiating a family. Although pregnancy can be perceived as a wonderful thing that could happen to a women or a family, many others try to avoid it and try not to have children, for many different reasons. Therefore, a way was needed in order to abort unwanted pregnancies, leading to the concept of abortion, which is the removal of an embryo or a fetus from the inner body of women, through their uterus in order to end their pregnancy. Abortion can be seen as a very sensitive and controversial topic with many differing perceptions and different arguments that are based on a variety of points. This essay will begin by discussing the emergence of abortion and its evolution, then will move on to analyze different perceptions and believes of individuals surrounding abortion. First evidence of abortion dates back to earlier times, around 1760 years before the birth of Christ. Texts engraved into large slates listing fines for those who performed abortions could be considered as written evidence of the existence of abortion at this time, these laws and conducts are known as the Code of Hammurabi. However, the first recorded evidence of induced abortion is from the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus in 1550 before Christ. Following that, abortions were performed in many regions around the worldShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at Abortion1764 Words   |  7 PagesAbortion is the termination of a pregnancy, whether it is naturally (miscarriage) or it can be induced, which is when a woman decides that she does not want to have a baby. Abortion takes place all over the world, for multiple reasons. It started nearly 200 years ago. The reason I chose this topic is because it is commonly debated about personally, I am pro-life. Or what other people may consider an â€Å" antiabortionist†. There are two different abortion types; medical surgical. A medical abortionRead MoreTaking a Look at Abortion632 Words   |  3 PagesAbortion Abortion is defined as the termination of a pregnancy. Many people have different opinions on abortion. Some believe that women have the constitutional right to termite an unwanted pregnancy and decide what they wish to do with their bodies. Others believe abortions aren’t the right choice to make when trying to end an unplanned pregnancy and they try to defend and protect the life of the fetus. For decade’s women have been seeking abortions, to them it seems like an acceptable way toRead MoreTaking a Look at Abortion Clinics719 Words   |  3 Pages Abortion clinics tend to center around women only and have the men sit in the waiting area while the female goes through the process for the abortion. Meanwhile, the men sit silently alone with no service alone with no service or counseling provided in the waiting area. Men should feel welcomed and having pamphlets or brochures to help educate them and learn to cope with healing process after and during the time the make a decision to go through with the abortion. Men should feelRead MoreAbortion : Pro Choice Or Pro Life1105 Words   |  5 PagesStephanie Haidul SC107A-OL Abortion: Pro-Choice or Pro-Life As of today, Abortion has not only been unethical way to prevent life, but every day is thought to be the reason why stem cell research hasn’t progressed as much as it has. Abortion not only makes stem cell research seem unethical, it shows how much curiosity a human has that could make it unethical. If abortion becomes an alternative to something that was apparently a mistake it would not only make doctors look bad, it could make other methodsRead MoreAbortion, The, And Abortion953 Words   |  4 Pagesdebates that is constantly talked about is abortion. When it comes to abortion, the laws vary depending on the state you live in. Whether people support or are against abortion, few actually know about the abortion process. Have you ever heard of suction aspiration or prostaglandin chemical abortion? Those are two of the various methods that are performed in the different trimesters of pregnancy. According to writer Steven Ertelt of LifeNews.com, Oklahoma’s abortion la ws are restrictive compared to otherRead MoreOklahoma s Step Toward Change944 Words   |  4 PagesOklahoma’s Step Towards Change in Abortion Today, teen pregnancy is as high as ever. Shows like â€Å"16 and Pregnant† and â€Å"The Secret Life of an American Teenager† are centered on young girls’ journeys as teen moms, in hopes that viewers will become more aware about safe sex preventing teen pregnancy. Reducing teen pregnancy also reduces the rate of abortions. Teenagers are the ones who are most likely to get an abortion, since they are the ones that are the least prepared to be mothers. RegardlessRead MoreShould Abortion Be Legal?1334 Words   |  6 PagesShanieqka Manuel Professor Rockette-Rogers English 1102 23 July 2015 Should Abortion Be Legal? In Gwendolyn Brooks’ poem â€Å"the Mother† the entire theme was based on abortion. A mother was not emotionally or mentally ready to have children, so she did what needed to be done; she aborted. This poem was written in 1945 and still today’s society still has objections on pro-choice. On January 22, 1973 the US Supreme Court ruled that abortion is a fundamental right that was guaranteed by the US Constitution. InRead MoreThe Constitutional Rights Of Abortion969 Words   |  4 PagesAbortion is perhaps the most disputed issue in America today. There are nine states in the United States that do not have specific laws prohibiting abortion after a certain point of pregnancy. This means that an abortion can be performed at any time, despite how far along the pregnancy is. This controversial topic is viewed through public opinion, legislatures, and the courts. There are three main concerns that are discussed within this issue: the constitutional rights of both the woman and the fetusRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Abortion1077 Words   |  5 PagesAbortion has been one of the hottest debates for many years now. Abortion is the process of taking the life of an innocent unborn child resting harmlessly in their mothers womb. Abortion is known to be a sensitive topic, but like the conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro said, â€Å"Facts dont care about your feelings† (qtd. in Berrien). Pro-choice supporters deny the facts that abortion is wrong and disgusting. Abortion is an evil act and it should be made illegal. The most controversialRead MoreAbortion : A Controversial Topic986 Words   |  4 PagesAbortion has always been a controversial topic in the United States for decades. Abortion is like taking the life of someone without their permission so it is technically â€Å"murder†. There is no such thing as an unwanted child, millions of families in the United States are always willing to adopt. On the other hand, there are circumstances where a woman can barely care and sustain herself so chances are that she will not be able to take care of her child. Or when a rape occurs, having an abortion

The Tor And Its Relevance Today The Implications For...

The History of the Tor and Its Relevance Today: The Implications for Digital Privacy In recent years the Tor Project has gotten some bad press; it’s often been erroneously equated with the Dark Web, a portion of the Internet that hosts sites such as the infamous Silk Road that allows drugs, illegal firearms, prostitutes, slaves, and the like to be purchased anonymously. The Tor operates by passing encrypted data through a network of servers around the world in order to prevent prying eyes from seeing its origins or destination. This method is aptly named onion routing, paying homage to the similarity between the numerous layers of an onion and the many layers of encryption encasing sensitive data. The Tor Project essentially allows its users to browse the Internet anonymously without permitting inquisitive individuals to discern their antics or even where they’re located geographically. Theoretically, even powerful surveillance organizations such as the states’ National Security Agency (NSA) and the United Kingdom’s Government Communicatio ns Headquarters (GCHQ) are unable to observe what Tor users are doing. The current paper will explore the history and ramifications of the Tor with a focus on ___. [focus on encryption of the Tor and its implications for digital privacy.] The Tor network consists of thousands of volunteer computer servers, referred to as relays, that span across the Earth. The relays in the Tor network are separated into three different types: entry relay,Show MoreRelatedLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Coordinating Mechanisms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 9—The Structure of Organizations—Today and in the Future. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Bureaucracies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Mechanistic Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Organic SystemsRead MoreHbr When Your Core Business Is Dying74686 Words   |  299 Pagesprofessionals can transform your firm’s document processes to create revenue while driving up productivity. Result? Improved t op and bottom lines. There’s a new way to look at it. Organizations waste millions on managing the flow of documents from digital to paper and back again. Xerox Global Services professionals create efficiencies by streamlining those processes, upgrading document technologies and finding better ways for people and their resources to work together. For example, our document assessments

Auto Industry Free Essays

Founded on June 6, 1925 by Walter P. Chrysler, this American automobile manufacturer had existed on between the year 1925 and 1998 and was named as the Chrysler Corporation. The corporation was born from the residuals of the Maxwell Motor Company. We will write a custom essay sample on Auto Industry or any similar topic only for you Order Now The first Chrysler automobile was made in the month of January of the year 1924 when Walter Chrysler made a rescue job for the Willys car company during the early 1920s. At an affordable price that the consumer might expect upon this 6-cylinder Chrysler automobile, with an advanced and being a well-engineered car, triggered the beginning of the Chrysler Corporation. In 1926, the Maxwell Company had been rebranded and re-engineered under the name Chrysler and Walter Chrysler as the president (Answers). In 1979, the Chrysler Corporation seemed to be in the midst of bankruptcy. A gas crisis occurred during the year 1973, a great challenged the Chrysler Corporation must face. Also, the corporation’s redesigned ponycars doesn’t seem to catch the attention of the buyers. During these years also is the declination of the sales of the large-car and were also the times where the Barracude and the Dodge Challenger end were spotted. This was really a hard time for the corporation. In 1977, one of the company’s branches abroad, the Chrysler Europe collapsed. A hope retained when the Chrysler Australia was sold to Mitsubishi Motors where money on hand is really a great help. Right before the Chrysler Corporation had fully recovered, the second gas crisis strikes again bringing disaster lowering the sales of the large cars and trucks of the Chrysler Corporation. At this moment of time, there would be no backbone to support the company that can save them the second time around. The Chrysler Corporation had made a petition for a loan of US $1. 5 billion in the US government. This may be the best thing to do for the corporation not to reach its bankruptcy. That loan had guaranteed the avoidance of the corporation to bankruptcy and then the Chrysler Corporation went back to the automobile business creating innovative models such as the K-car platform and the minivan concept and fights its way back (Answers). The present General Manager and CEO of the Chrysler Corporation is Tom Lasorda. The DaimlerChrysler call out for the sale of the Chrysler to the prospected buyer. The Canada’s Magna Corporation, together with â€Å"a private equity partner† which seems to be The Blackstone Group LP, offered an amount of $4. 6 billion for the Chrysler from the DainlerChrysler. The General Motors also showed an interest upon buying the Chrysler. In addition, Ford and Toyota are also found on the rumors as a suitor of the Chrysler. Analysts point out that Ford is out of the play because they will have to sell first their Aston Martin to get the amount of money. Toyota also is out of the floor for the reason that buying the Chrysler would cost them more millions of bucks than creating a new one. And lately, another buyer came up. Billionaire Kerkorian made an offer of cash amounting to $4. 5 billion to buy the Chrysler (Leftlanenews). If the Chrysler was sold to General Motors, the GM would be willing to spend cash worth of $18 billion dollars restructuring the Chrysler. Also, if the buyer was other, the first thing that would come up to their mind is the restructuring of the Chrysler itself. Section 2. Bankruptcy of Delphi and other Suppliers of Auto Parts Bankruptcy has also come to threaten even the largest auto parts supplier of the world, the Delphi. There is a net loss of Delphi on the first six months of this year amounting to $741 million. Of the last year, Delphi also had a net loss of $4. 8 billion. The company’s stocks have been put to on a downgraded junk status. This big loss on the net income of the company was caused by the continuous increase in the fuel prices. In addition to this, there is also a declining share of US automakers in the market that puts up too much pressure on Delphi. In 1999, GM had decided to get rid of Delphi as their major supplier of auto parts. That is for the reason that Delphi was asking for a bailout for the company which would cost the GM an amount reaching to $6 billion. In addition to this, GM would also have other expenses of paying for the medical and pension benefits of the workers of Delphi. Other auto parts supplier had followed the announcing their bankruptcy and has threatened the US auto industry. The effect of this bankruptcy if it happens would initiate destruction of jobs of hundreds of thousands of workers in the auto industry (Isaacs). Section 3. Toyota and other Large Car Manufacturer’s Expansion Toyota together with its successful in the auto industry in the land of the United States of America would probably decide of expanding the company’s market. In November 13, 2006, a news item from the Los Angeles Times states that there is a leaked copy of the â€Å"global master plan† of the Toyota Motor Corporation. In the global master plan, there states that by 2010, Toyota will takeover the No. 1 selling spot in the auto industry which was owned by General Motors at this time. Also included on the global master plan was the aim for the 15 percent target of the company on the world car market by the year 2010 (Channel). Toyota Motor Corporation would plunge to Russia, India, China and Brazil markets as confirmed by the company. Their reason; helping in the rapid global expansion of fuel. Together with their expansion on the other part of the world, with their quest of being the â€Å"King of the Car World†, are the auto suppliers clinging to their wheels on their way there. It is simply for the reason that, in the place where the big consumer (of auto supplies) is (Toyota and other car manufacturers), there would be the presence of the suppliers that will feed their needs. References Answers. â€Å"Chrysler†. 2007. April 8 2007. http://www. answers. com/topic/chrysler-301. Channel, The Auto. â€Å"Leaked: Toyota’s â€Å"Global Master Plan† Calls for 15 Percent Worldwide Share by 2010†³. 2006. April 9 2007. http://www. theautochannel. com/news/2006/11/13/028446. html. Isaacs, Jerry. â€Å"Delphi Demands Unprecedented Wage Cuts from Us Auto Workers†. 2005. April 9 2007. http://www. wsws. org/articles/2005/oct2005/delp-o08. shtml. Leftlanenews. â€Å"Billionaire Kerkorian Makes Offer to Buy Chrysler Group†. 2007. April 8 2007. http://www. leftlanenews. com/billionaire-kerkorian-makes-offer-to-buy-chrysler-group. html. How to cite Auto Industry, Essays

International School Market in Shanghai Fit the Market Structure of Oligopoly free essay sample

To what extend does the international school market in Shanghai fit the market structure of Oligopoly? Subject: Economics Essay by Pearl Session: May 2011 Words count: 3639 Hypothesis: My hypothesis is that the international school market in Shanghai is non-collusive oligopoly. CLASSIFICATION OF MARKETS OLIGOPOLY Oligopoly means â€Å"few sellers†(McGee, p. 201). The market which is another structure of non-price competition, lies in-between â€Å" the extremes of perfect competition and monopoly†(McGee, p. 201). The different between Oligopoly and monopolistic competition is small, and many of the markets contain components of both (McGee, p. 201). The diagram below demonstrates concentration of market shares or sales in different market structures of largest 4 firms (CR4) in percentage. [pic] Diagram 1 (Blink, Dorton, p. 119) CR4 is the most commonly used form of concentration ratio. CRx where x represents the number of largest firms. Therefore, CR4 would show the percentage of market share held by the largest 4 firms in the industry. 3 A) ASSUMPTIONS OF MODEL The key feature of the Oligopoly market is that the market is dominated by few large firms. We will write a custom essay sample on International School Market in Shanghai Fit the Market Structure of Oligopoly or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Oligopoly can be defined by the characteristic of number and size of firms, barriers to entry, product differentiation, control over price, selling activity and nature of demand. 1. Number and size of firms A few large firms dominate the market with maybe many other smaller competitors covering the rest of the market. â€Å"Standard economic theory defines an oligopolistic market as one where the four or five largest firms control a major share of the market†(McGee, p. 01). From economicshelp, the market concentration ratio is â€Å"the percentage of total sales in the market taken up by a certain number of firms†. This is used to define market structure and competitiveness of the market. To calculate the concentration ratio, is to divided total sales of an individual firm by total market sales. If the largest 4 firms dominated over 40 percent of the market, usually considered. Markets are highly concentrated, meaning that the most of the sales of product are accounted for by the few largest firms. In the Shanghai international schools market, sales represent by enrollments. 2. Barriers to entry Usually high barriers exist in the oligopoly market. Existing dominant firms are large, have achieved economies of scale(low cost), possess technical knowledge and expertise, and have established high profile in the market place. This is the key difference to the monopolistic competition market structure. New firms entering must have hugh initial capital, expertise, overcoming existing consumer royalty, and they will face large start up costs. 4 From tutor2u, economies of scale are the â€Å"cost advantages† exploited by â€Å"expanding the scale of production in the long run†. The effect is to â€Å"reduce long run average costs† over a range of output. 3. Product differentiation Products may be heterogeneous or homogenous, usually the former. Some may produce almost exactly homogeneous products, and the only the difference is the companies’ names. e. g. petrol (Blink, Dorton, p. 120). Some firms produce highly heterogeneous products such as ice cream. Some firms spend a lot of budgets to promote and persuade that their product is the best or better. . g. face cleanser (Blink, Dorton, p. 120). 4. Control over price Oligopolists can often raise prices to increase revenues and profits, but control over price is limited by the reactions of the others. Prices are often fairly rigid. Price wars are not in the best interests of sellers since with low price elasticity of demand for products, lower price s lead to lower revenues. If Oligopolists raise their prices, competitors are unlikely to follow and the demand of the firm that raises the price is lost. 5. Selling activities Firms in oligopoly markets tend to engage in non-price competition, and compete through many different forms non-price competition such as advertising, sales promotion, reputation (brand names), sponsorships , extra services and more. 5 6) Nature of Demand The price elasticity of a demand for product faced by the individual seller depends on the nature of the product and the reactions of rival firms to a price change. B) IMPLICATIONS OF MODEL Oligopolists compete in non-price forms due the these implications of the model: the goal of profit maximization and the interdependence of the firms. . Profit maximization Profit maximization involves making the most profit possible given the demand, prices and costs, faced by the firm. Profit maximization requires the firm to find that level of output which results in the greatest gap between total revenue and cost. It is generally the goal pursued by firms. (Blink, Dorton, p. 92) Diagram 2 ( Blink, Dorton, 93) Also Oligopolies can earn abnorm al profit in short run and also sustain their abnormal profit in the long run. 6 2) Interdependent of the firms Since each seller in oligopoly market accounts for such a significant share of the market, the actions of one seller can have large impact on other sellers. There is much seller inter-dependence. The sales of the competitors will have an impact from â€Å"a firm that changes the price, or specification of its product†(Sloman, p. 132). For example, if a firm changes their price or amount of advertisement, the competitors may react the same way which is changing their prices or the amount of their advertisement. â€Å"Firms recognize this interdependence. This recognition will affect their decisions†(Sloman, p. 132). ANALYSIS OF THE â€Å"INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL MARKET† IN SHANGHAI The type of market structure of the international school in Shanghai can be analyze by examining the following: Firstly The overall market for international school in Shanghai must agree with the assumptions that I mentioned, which are few firms dominate the market, high barriers to entry, product differentiation, control over price, non-price competition selling activity, and the nature of demand for secondary education. The analysis should also correspond to the implications of the assumptions made. i) Number of firms dominate the market How much concentration of the market can be determined by using concentration ratio. Firstly, Shanghai is a large international city. There are 12 international schools in Shanghai. To narrow the market down, I decided to look at secondary schools only and segment the market by consider these followings: school that teaches in English, non local chinese allows in the school and offer the education from year 7 to year 13 in the British system or grade 6 12 in the American system. 7 Below is the data collected showing the percentage of each school enrollments in the market by dividing total enrollment of secondary school students of an individual school by total market enrollment then times a hundred. Table 1: Percentage each school dominate in the market (see appendix) |International School |Total enrollment of |Percentage dominate in the market | | |secondary students |(%) (2 decimal place) | | |(students) | | |Shanghai American School |1207 |19. 9 | |British International School Shanghai |890 |14. 45 | |Yew Chung International School of Shanghai |860 |13. 96 | |Shanghai Community International School |767 |12. 45 | |Shanghai Singapore International School |600 |9. 74 | |Dulwich College, Shanghai |582 |9. 5 | |Concordia International School Shanghai |530 |8. 60 | |Western international school Shanghai (only age of 15-18) |220 |3. 57 | |Shanghai Livingston American school |190 |3. 08 | |Shanghai Rego International School |155 |2. 52 | |Oxford International College, Shanghai |100 |1. 2 | |Shanghai United School |60 |0. 97 | |Total |6161 |100 | |Concentration ratios (8) |5656 |91. 80 | |Concentration ratios (4) |3724 |60. 44 | The data from table 1 shows the percentage shares in the market of each school in order from the highest percentage. Total number of student in the market is 6,161 students and the Four-firm concentration ratio is 60. 44% which includes Shanghai American School, The British International School, Yew Chung International School, and Shanghai Community International School. These schools are the one that dominate the market in Concentration ratio of 4. Therefore, the market is concentrated with the concentration ratio of 3:2. Eight-firm concentration ratio is 91. 0% which includes Shanghai American School, The British International School Shanghai, Yew Chung 8 International School Shanghai, Shanghai Community International School, Shanghai Singapore International School, Dulwich College, Shanghai, Concordia International School and Western International School Shanghai. These eight schools are the schools that dominate the market in Concentration ratio of 8. The other 9. 20% is cover by 4 smaller schools which are Shanghai Livingston American School, Shanghai Rego International School, Oxford International College, Shanghai and Shanghai United International School. From the result, it shows that the market is pretty concentrated because the concentration ratio is 92 : 8 which is 46 : 4 or 11. 5 : 1. The result is correspond to the assumption of few number of firms dominate the market and small firms cover up the rest. ii) High barrier to entry into Shanghai international school market The difficulty to enter the market of international school in shanghai can be determined by examining the barriers that already existed from the start and the barriers that are built by the firms. Firstly, the entry of the market is more difficult due to the Chinese government regulations (Dang, Stacey. ). There are too many international schools in Shanghai already said Miss Kane, therefore the government is controlling the number of firms in the market. If the firm wants to set up a school, they need to get permission by the Chinese Government and also government of the district where the firm wants to locate the school (Dang, Stacey). There is also a regulation by the Chinese Government that local Chinese are excluded from entering internationals school in Shanghai (Dang, Stacey). All the international schools in Shanghai only accept student who hold an overseas passport. The process of entering the market can be very difficult which makes a barrier to new firms. 9 To build a school there are high set-up costs. The cost of buying up land and constructing or renting the school are very high. This is another barrier since new firm need high initial capital to build a new school and have to wait long term for the capital cost to be recouped in operating profit. Marketing barriers is also another factor for new competitors to enter the market. Because international schools in Shanghai compete through advertising a lot. I am going to mention it later about the form of competing in â€Å"selling activities†. From looking at many advertisements around Shanghai, consumers which are parents perceived difference in their school from other schools to a degree that consumers see its school name as a slightly different type of school. Since the name of the school is seen as a slightly different product, products from existing or potential school competitors cannot be perfectly substituted in place of the established schools brand name. Marketing and advertising is very costly. The already existing international schools pay a lot for advertisement and marketing which make it difficult for new competitor to enter the market or to compete with high-profile schools which have had years to enhance brand loyalty amongst customers. The long run average cost of existing international schools in Shanghai have decreased as school size grown, accepting more students do not impact greatly on average cost. For example, one teacher can teach more than 1 student and one class room can hold more than one student. Increasing output which is students will not add to marginal cost but instead will give more profit the school increases the scale of output. The larger international schools in Shanghai have probably already achieved economies of scale since they have been opened for many years. The high barrier of entry prevent new competitors to enter and capture excess profits from the market. 10 iii) Product differentiation Each school has a different approach. Therefore they provide slightly different education system. Some school provide British system or some provide American. For example, some American system school such as Concordia school has Christian religion offering, where Shanghai American School is also an American system but no religion offering. Because each school has different approach they tend to look at different market segment. For example, Rego specialize in European languages, so they maybe offer less in Geography and Math. This will attract more Europeans more than Asians. Yao Cang has Bilingual program which focus more on Mandarin language. This will attract more Asians in the market. Each school also have different facilities. For example, Dulwich College is the only school in Shanghai that provides rugby field. Also courses are different. Some school offers IB (International Baccalaureate), some offer AP (Advance Placement) or some school like Shanghai American School offer both. So Shanghai American School will attract more students who want to be in an American environment but want to study IB and international qualification. Each school has different exam results, facilities, location. These are the differences of each school that consumers consider when choosing a school for their children. v) Control over price Private Education has a low price elasticity of demand product. They can raise their prices to increase revenue and profit, but the school might lose demand in the market as the price goes up. Schools are not often reduce their prices because one action of one school can make other school react. If they reduce the school fees, other schools might be forced to do the same thing to compete and l ower its price but this is not common since, lower prices in this market will lead to lower revenues for the school. It will end up that both schools stand to lose revenue and profit. So international schools in Shanghai do not change their fees often. Still, there are some school such 11 as Dulwich that rely on their reputation and increased their fees this year. In fact, it is the most expensive international school out of all in Shanghai. This will not effect much because most of parents do not pay the full fees by themselves as I mentioned before. Generally each school does not take into account the fees charged by other schools. v) Selling Activities According the marketing director at Dulwich College, international schools in Shanghai do not compete through pricing. They compete more on reputation and sell promotion. Since education is a service not a good, parents will consider more about location, reputation, facilities, quality of teaching, and accommodations not the school fees. Price is not always the reason to attract people especially for education. This is also due to the fact that most of parents in Shanghai do not have to pay the school fees by themselves. They are foreigners who came from another country because of overseas companies that invest in Shanghai. Therefore, the company pretty much pay for many things include school fees. So the aim of the school is to provide â€Å"quality education†, so it will attract more customers to come to the school. To attract consumers, advertising is very important. International schools in Shanghai compete a lot through advertising in weekly magazine such as Shanghai Talk, and they all have their own websites. I am going to use Dulwich College to illustrate and prove that in this market schools do not compete on pricing. Advertising is the key to attract consumers. According to the Marketing Director, Dulwich College advertises through their own website, by leaflets, by holding events but also on their reputation. The college magazine is used to promote the school life at the end of every month. The magazine includes what is happening in the school, events, media relation and achievements. Jackie Kane is in charge of Marketing and part of her job is to look at other school publication and choose similar publication to publish article to make sure 12 the school can also offer what other school offer. The schools use pretty much the same tactics but different strategies because of different approach (Kane, Jacquie). This is due to their differentiated product. Because Dulwich College Shanghai is a Private Independent profit school, that is why the school need marketing. Some international schools such as Shanghai American School and Concordia are non-profit school. Concordia is a catholic school, so it is related to church. So church members are providing education by using church fund but most international schools in Shanghai are for profit. vi) Nature of Demand International school firms are price setters rather than price takers. They rarely decrease their prices because this will affect their profit. The market is very inelastic because even though the firm put ups their price, there will only be just a small proportion of its sales lost. This is also because pricing is not what consumers consider for education and also most of the consumers do not have to pay by themselves. The fees are paid by the company they work for. So the quantity demand will not change much as price goes up but average cost of production will do down. If the firm increases their price, there will be more total revenue gained by the firm. CONCLUSION In conclusion, from the assumption of oligopoly market, I am quite sure that my hypothesis is right. The market is more likely to be oligopoly because the defining characteristics of oligopoly from the assumptions and my analysis correspond closely. There are some firms which dominate the market and small firms cover the rest of the market. This is known from the concentration ratio in the analysis. The potential entrants face high barriers to entry and today there are barriers to entry in the market because there are many international schools in Shanghai, so the Chinese government 13 restricts entry of any more international schools to the market. In addition, high barriers to entry exist in this market because new firms entering must have huge initial capital, economies of scale and educational expertise. They must overcome existing consumer loyalty, and they will likely suffer from high start up costs. Also the products are differentiated. They are similar but not identical. Each school provides different course and they also have different a approach. They are all international schools but there is much differentiation. For example, there are different type of international schools. Some of them are American school, and some of them are British schools, some are even bilingual. In addition, the oligopoly market in the short run is able to earn abnormal profits, but in the long run as well they are able to sustain abnormal profits due to the barriers to entering and exiting the market. Also the schools do not compete on prices, they compete with advertising not school fees. Some of them do a lot of advertising in shopping centres such as Carrefour or even hand out leaflets, some of them just rely on their long well established reputation. 14 ABSTRACT In this essay I will respond to the research question: â€Å"To what extend does the international school market in Shanghai fit the market structure of Oligopoly? † I shall be analyzing the type of market structure of international schools in Shanghai, that functions as a non-collusive Oligopoly market, examining whether the schools in the market are competing through pricing or not and test whether my hypothesis is correct. The scope for this essay is to examine the assumptions and implications of the model of Oligopoly market theory and then apply the assumptions of oligopoly to the market for international schools in Shanghai . In this essay the assumptions of number and size of firms, barriers to entry, product differentiation, control over price, selling activity and the nature of demand are covered and compared with my analysis of international schools market in Shanghai. Twelve international schools are investigated but the essay mainly focuses on Dulwich College, Concordia, and Shanghai American School in particular for examining the features of product differentiations and selling activities. Furthermore, I also investigate the possibility of economies of scale in the market to judge the impacts on school size of profit maximization and schools interdependence. I analyze the factors that influence the Oligopoly market, including the natural and artificial barriers to entry for the purpose of determining to what extent the school market fits the oligopoly model. I have reached the conclusion that the international school market in Shanghai is definitely Oligopoly with some schools dominating the market, high barriers to entry into the market, product differentiation, with price setting strategies being observed much non price competition and school interdependence. Word Count: 272 BIBLIOGRAPHY Books 1. Mcgee, Matt. Economics in Terms of the Good, the Bad and the Economist 2nd Edition 2009. [S. l. ]: Ibid. Print. 2. Blink, Jocelyn, and Dorton Ian. Economics: Course Companion. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2007. Print. 3. Sloman, John. Essentials of Economics. 4th ed. Harlow, England: Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2007. Print. Websites 1. Concentration Ratios | Economics Help. Economics Help Helping to Simplify Economics. Web. 03 Web. 2010. . 2. Riley, Geoff. Microeconomics Economies and Diseconomies of Scale. Tutor2u | Economics | Business Studies | Politics | Sociology | History | Law | Marketing | Accounting | Business Strategy. Sept. 2006. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. . Interviews 1. Kane, Jacquie. Head of Marketing Interview. Personal interview. 05 Oct. 2010. 2. Dang, Stacey. Admission Director Interview. Personal interview. 04 Oct. 2010. 15 INTRODUCTION Shanghai has about approximately 48 international schools. They are different in many ways, so most of customers choose the school that would fit their interest the most. In order to reach the goal of this essay, I narrow the market down and concentrate on a sub-market which is â€Å"secondary school market (from year 7-13, or grade 6 12) † as a representation of the international school market in Shanghai. This reduces the number of variables I must consider, in terms of type of consumer, school facilities, enrollment (because for example, some school only have kindergarden), and help me focus on my research. From general information about international school in Shanghai, I predict that it is an Oligopoly market. The central assumption of the theory of Oligopoly is the â€Å"restriction of entry into the market and firm interdependence†, I will respond to my research question â€Å"To what extend does the international school market in Shanghai fit the market structure of Oligopoly? by looking at the components of this assumptions and its implications with regard to 12 international schools in Shanghai: Shanghai American School, British International School Shanghai, Yew Chung International School of Shanghai, Shanghai Community International School, Shanghai Singapore International School, Dulwich College, Shanghai, Concordia International School Shanghai, Western internation al school shanghai, Shanghai Livingston American school, Shanghai Rego International School, Oxford International College Shanghai and Shanghai United School Why I chose this topic: There are many foreigners in Shanghai since it is an international city. Therefore, there are many firms who could see the way to make a profit from it, so there are many schools for people who hold oversea passports. Since I am also a foreigner and also in an international school which is Dulwich College Shanghai, I became interested in how well known my school is. What type of market my school is in, and are there a lot of other international schools out there? What are they? and is the market competitive. Therefore, to what extend does the international school market in Shanghai fit the market structure of Oligopoly? is a topic that interest me greatly and it is related to the work done in my economic course. 1 APPROACH In accessing the extend to which one of the four market structure fit the international school market in Shanghai, I will outline the assumptions and implications of the Oligopoly market. I will examine both the general characteristics of international schools in Shanghai and the behavior of current existing schools. Primary and Secondary research will be made to answer the questions of my extended essay. I will interview my school Marketing Director and Admission Director to find out information about how school behave and extra information about enrollment of schools. I will also observe and look for evidence to concepts prove my selling activities information which are school magazine and leaflet. Textbooks and internet articles are my secondary sources where I can obtain the content of the relevant theory and definition. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION1 APPROACH TO THE QUESTION2 OLIGOPOLY3 Assumptions of the Model3 i) Number and size of firms 4 ii) Barriers to entry4 iii) Product differentiation 5 iv) Control over price 5 v) Selling activities 5 vi) Nature of demand 6 Implications of the Theory6 i) Profit Maximization 6 i) Interdependence 7 ANALYSIS i) Number of firm dominate the market9 ii) High barrier to entry the market 9 iii) Product differentiation 11 iv) Control over price 11 v) Selling activities 12 vi) Nature of demand 13 CONCLUSION 13 BIBLIOGRAPHY 15 APPENDICES 16 As shown in the diagram 2, Profit maximization is where MC = MR. â€Å"The profit-maximizing output is Q and the price is P. The profit per unit of producing Q is the different between AR and AC. Thus the profit per unit is a b. Since Q units are produced, the total abnormal profit is the shaded area. Whether abnormal profit is made will depend upon the position of the AC curve. † (Blink, Dorton, p. 93) b a

Tata Motors Hbr Case Profitability of the Nano Essay Example

Tata Motors Hbr Case Profitability of the Nano Essay Memorandum To Chairman, Tata Motors Ltd Issue Profitable Production of the Nano Issues A primary issue Tata must consider is the current and future profitability of the Nano. In order to determine if their strategy of entering the small car market is feasible, the influences on the industry must be evaluated. If evaluation of the industry indicates that future profitability is in question, the company must consider canceling the project, or focus on areas where Tata can influence the industry to improve the likelihood of profitability. Analysis Profitability/Feasibility One must consider the sensitivity to prices and the affordability of the car to the primary target market (India). Case Exhibit 3 estimates that 21% of households have income levels high enough to be considered part of the target market (ie: families that may own a motorcycle or small car), with almost all (98%) residing in the $4000-$10000 income bracket. Even at low gros margins, the Nano would be 22% of household income for those families that make $10000 annual income. Although 40 million households are estimated to be in the $4K $10K income bracket, it can be expected that a small number of these will be earning $10,000. Therefore, the target market can be considered greatly reduced, and their price sensitivities very high. However, as discussed, it can be assumed that these households already have a motorcycle, and approx 2 million could switch to a cheap car. In the analysis of Case Exhibit 6 there is no reference to Labour or SGA costs for the Nano. We will write a custom essay sample on Tata Motors Hbr Case Profitability of the Nano specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Tata Motors Hbr Case Profitability of the Nano specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Tata Motors Hbr Case Profitability of the Nano specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When these are estimated (general and admin costs assumed to be negligible due to Tata’s current operations of vehicle production), the cost of the Nano rises to a point where $2200 (USD) per unit price will not be profitable. If the 24% Post Manufacturing Tax remains (p. 18), a promotional budget is included (assumed to be 20% of per-unit sales up to first 250,000 units), and labour cost/unit is included (Appendix Exhibit 1), the sale price of the Nano must rise to approximately $2600USD (Appendix Exhibit 2). Also, current profitability is a poor indicator for future profitability. A rise in raw material price will mean a rise in price of supplies (eg: steel). The already near-zero profit margins will diminish without an increase in selling price. Industry/Strategy Tata is entering a new market, and a careful analysis of the competitive forces in India must be carried out (see Appendix Exhibit 3 – Porter’s Five Forces). Considering rivalry, Tata is the leader on price. This gives them a very important competitive advantage in a highly price-sensitive market. Although market share has large potential for increasing, the threat of new entrants increases the rivalry over the coming years. The advantage for Tata lies in sourcing low-cost inputs through a unique supply chain. The supply chain is supported by inputs from suppliers in close proximity to the Tata facility, and is characterized by a high number of suppliers competing with one another for the Tata business. There are many input substitutes available with a relatively low purchasing cost. This places Tata in a strong position over suppliers and allows them to manufacture cars at a low cost. The competitive force of the buyer can be considered low for the Indian market. Since the Nano will be the cheapest car available, it may be the only option for many car buyers and there will be few substitutes available until foreign competitors can establish a similar low-cost structure. The buyer gains leverage with very high price sensitivity, essentially in the form of affordability. The barriers to entry are in favour of Tata. They can realize economies of scale in terms of increasing their capacity for vehicle production, their efforts in promotion, labour and material inputs, and distribution facilities. These will be difficult barriers to overcome for new entrants, and high (or increasing) average costs may keep competitors from entering. The government taxation policy also serves as a barrier to profitability for manufacturers. A high threat of substitutes will be a competitive force against Tata, as consumers opt for the popular and cheaper options of motorcycles or public transit. In terms of car substitutes, however, Tata has the advantage of lowest cost. Ethical Considerations An ethical consideration is whether Tata’s values are in the right place and, if so, are they truthful? The Chairman proclaims the Nano is â€Å"the people’s car†. However, will an increase in cars really have a positive effect on the productivity and quality of life of the average Indian? Despite the Nano’s low emissions, pollution will increase with a dramatic increase in cars. Also, congestion will have a negative impact on urban centres, and the quality of the car is not suitable for rural roads. If the Chairman’s values really are with the interests of the people, the resources for the Nano could be redirected to efforts in improving infrastructure and mass transit systems. Recommendations Based on the assessment of current and future profitability, I am recommending Tata move forward with production, but maintain as narrow a margin as possible to establish early market penetration and brand equity. The goal of $2200USD selling price is unprofitable and unrealistic. Even at the selling prices described in Appendix Table 2, Tata will still be the leader in cost competitiveness. They should therefore implement a higher selling price. As was described in the competitive forces model, Tata must retain its â€Å"First Mover† position. To accomplish this, Tata needs to continue to keep their suppliers in a technology development and low-cost race, and ensure an increase in car manufacturers does not provide the suppliers with greater competitive force. Finally, international market share is a requirement, as the Indian market will quickly become diluted. Tata can distribute in their currently occupied markets of Southern and Eastern Europe, and can also use this opportunity to raise prices to increase margins to cover the narrow margins in India. Before Tata can establish itself in other developing countries, the profitability of the business model must first be proven in its home country. Word Count: 1012 Exhibit 1 |Labour Costs / Car | |Cars per year |250000 | |Number of Employees |2000 | |Employees as Percentage of Cars Produced |0. % | |Average Employee Salary | $5,500. 00 | |cars / employee / year |125 | |Labour Costs / Car | $44 | Exhibit 2 Nano Costs (adapted from Case Exhibit 6 Making the Nano)-in USD |24% Post Man Tax |16% Post Man Tax | |(INR:USD=45:1) | | | |Total Parts / Supplies | $1,477 | $1,477 | |Labour / Car |$44 |$44 | |Post Manufacturing Tax | $533 | $355 | |Sales Tax $89 | $89 | |Total Variable Cost per Unit | $2,144 | $1,965 | |SGA / Car (20% of Costs per Unit) | $429 | $429 | |Total Unit Cost | $2,572 | $2,394 | |Selling Price (Gros Margin Target 5. 5%) | $2,714 | $2,526 | |Selling Price (Gros Margin Target 2. 5%) | $2,637 | $2,454 | Exhibit 3 [pic]

Internet Laws essays

Internet Laws essays Cyber Space Law Right now there is a very interesting war being waged in the court rooms across America. It is a battle for the rights of citizens on the Internet. The Internet is a fairly new medium gaining wide popularity in 1994. Because of its incredible growth in popularity in a very short amount of time it has been hard to regulate. The first act to come out regarding the Internet and Freedom of Speech was PL 99-508 the Electronic Communications and Privacy Act of 1986 . This act consisted of two parts, title I and title II. Title I - Interception of Communications and Related Matters. Basically takes the existing laws and updates them to include computers. Where before it was illegal to intercept private telephone calls, it now says it is illegal to intercept private computer transmissions. It also includes a provision to make it legal to intercept public radio transmissions like it is with public radio programs. It also allows Internet Service Providers to keep a log of who called and their activity on-line to protect themselves. Title II - Stored Wire and Electronic Communications and Transactional Records Access. This provision adds sections to Title 18 of the United States Code (USC). In section 2701 - Unlawful Access to Stored Communications; it makes it a federal offense to hack into a computer system. Actually what it says is that it is not illegal to gain access but once you do gain access, by mistake or intention, it is illegal to continue to access the computer system. This crime is punishable by $5000 or up to six months in jail. Section 2703 of USC Title 18 is the section that instructs Internet Service Providers to keep a back-up record of your activities on-line with a court order from a government entity. Then after the government notifies the individual in question, the material is either used by the agency or is destroyed. Probably the biggest battle y ...

Case analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Case analysis - Coursework Example To begin with, it is crucial to examine the threat of emergence into the MP3 industry. The threat of entry expresses a medium possibility since the cost of production is moderate. For instance, the cost of packaging, of iRiver, is ?69 and the entity can sell the same at ?163. This suggests that it may stimulate new rivals into entering the market because the cost of producing mp3 products is meager. In addition, there is a considerable product margin that attracts new competitors. IFPI issued reports of a speculated increase in demand of music in mobile phones and the internet. This may swap physical formats of storing musical information such as CD’s and DVD in the succeeding years. In turn, many companies would wish to enter the market and pose market share threat to existing companies. For instance, the Microsoft Company has launched an MP3 product that is known as Zune. Such a product may be a competitive rival with the Apple Company products such as iPod. However, such an entry might be constrained with the difficulty of gaining market share. The Apple Company is reigning as the market leader because they face economies of scale that prohibits new entrants from the market. Sales of iPods make a figure of over 10 million and a considerable margin cost. It is crucial to highlight that there are only seven dominant companies in the MP3 industry. This is in spite of the idea that there are over 100 companies that participate in the production and sale of MP3 products. This is a manifestation of economies of scale that bar competitors from accessing the market. Additionally, the concept of differentiated products makes existing companies indispensable. For instance, the Apples’ iPod Nano has superb features such as the ability for easy downloads of songs. It becomes difficult for new entrants to have products that can overcome the customer belief in the existing companies. The second component of the five porter model pertains to buyer’s ba rgaining power. There are several quality products that place the customer in a tricky choice scenario for the most appealing model. In addition, these models follow price setters such as Apple in delivering pricey products. For instance, Apples’ products go at steep prices of $ 299. This makes the consumer to lose their bargaining power because several customers would be willing to purchase the music players without consideration of their prices. In this perspective, the customers possess a low bargaining power. Another feature that presents, in the MP3 player industry, pertains to consideration of brands over price. This suggests product differentiation that sets high prices for its products. Companies such as Apple set steep prices and establish high switching costs to other brands. This further cuts down on the customer bargaining power as a considerable number would be willing to purchase due to the high utility that the products present. In the end, customers purchase p roducts because of their superb features and attractive appearance. Additionally, there is the threat of substitute products. The digital products have distinct features that place them at a platform whereby they cannot easily be replaced by other products. This creates a medium threat of substitute from other products. Besides, the digital music products possess notable advantages for customers. For instance, the iPods possess a high quality stereo sound that gives them an edge

United States Supreme Court Case Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

United States Supreme Court Case - Term Paper Example ht to bring claims against the private sector on the neglect of the Clean Air Act if the Environment Protection agency fails in its part in the regulation of the emission of the gases by the power plants1. Connecticut v. American Electric Power Company, Inc. case was since filed by 8 states in 2004. This involved the New York City and 3 private petitioner environmental organizations up against the activities of an assortment of electric service companies. It was asserted by 2 complainants public nuisance under the state common law and the federal law as claims and argued that the natural resources as well as the human health will continue to suffer under the adverse effects of global warming. The plaintiff sought for the courts to have a resolution that would have the companies their carbon dioxide emanations. It was argued by the plaintiff that the power companies infringed on the public rights through the violation of the national common law of interstate nuisance or the alternative state tort law2. The plaintiff sought a decree that would set emissions of carbon dioxide and other green house gases for each of the defendants at the initial cap to be reduced annually. The complainants were dismissed by the district court in New York which was presiding over the case on the view that the case raised political inquiries that were thought to be inappropriate for a judicial resolution. It was argued by the court that the issues on climate change that had been presented by the plaintiff would require a delicate balancing of the environment, foreign, economic policies and the interests of the national security. This, the court argued that would be better handled by the political branch of the government rather than the judicial3, arguing further that ruling on such a matter would be tantamount to the court abrogating the role of the Congress to set legislations and standards for hearing such a case. The Supreme Court in 2007 ruled over the Massachusetts v. EPA, 549

The war on terror Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The war on terror - Essay Example It felt very terrible and painful. I learnt that the current war on terror must be continued and every possible attempt must not be left to hunt down any terrorists who do not respect human values and human lives. Additionally, terrorists consider it reasonable and acceptable to kill someone on the basis that he or she has an American nationality or someone belongs to a particular religion. Although it is very financially painful to bear the cost burden of maintaining American or NATO troops in Afghanistan, what I believe that the sane leaders of the world have no choice but to stay their wipe out the heavens of terror. Most effective revision I revised the topic ‘Propaganda’. In this topic, the use and application of propaganda are greatly discussed and analyzed. First, I narrowly read this concept and submitted. However, it did not work. I was asked to revise the paper to provide some relevant but authentic references to the points that I initially did not provide in t he assignment. While revising this paper, I realized that the work of revision has provided me some greater and deeper understanding of the use of propaganda in different political and non-political events.

Organisation of Essential Services in Mauritius

Organisation of Essential Services in Mauritius 3.0 Introduction The level of activities at the MFRS is very high and includes a cocktail of hazards and risks to the HS of its employees. In any essential service organization, where there is poor HS management system, the fire fighter’s safety is compelled to be affected and impaired. Therefore, the provision of adequate HS measures become necessary as it greatly contributes to enhance fire fighter’s safety and health. 3.1 An overview of the Fire Service Department in Mauritius Port Louis Coromandel Quatre Bornes Curepipe St Aubin Mahebourg Flacq Piton Triolet 3.1.1. History and Foundation Founded in the year 1906 the first fire station was erected in the centre of Port-Louis and named Port Louis Municipal Fire Station. At this date Mauritius had 11 stations including 4 Municipals, 4 districts, 1 Mauritius Marine Limited (MMA), 1 Airport Mauritius Limited (AML) and 1 Port-Mathurin, Rodrigues. But, nowadays with the exception of the AML, MMA and Port- Mathurin Fire Station, the other fire station has merged into the Government Fire Services under the Ministry of Local Government with addition of two more fire stations. However, with rapid development and complexity of incidents the fire services has added more tasks in their duties and hence has added rescue operation where fire fighters provide paramedic services as well. This is why it is now called the Fire and Rescue Services Department. (Fire Services Act, 1947, Mauritius). Henceforth, MFRS is responsible for ensuring the people of the republic of Mauritius are supported by and benefit from, an effective disaster and emergency management system and essential emergency response services. The MFRS provides fire mitigation and management services, emergency rescue and disaster management services. It currently operates 9 Fire Stations manned by about 800 fire fighters working on 4 shifts to provide fire and emergency cover for the whole country with a population of about 1.2 million. This gives us a fire fighter-to-population ratio of 1 fire fighter on duty for every 7000 in population to respond to an annual average of 5000 to 6000 fires, about 2000 non-fire incidents with a fleet of about 40 fire fighting vehicles. 3.1.3 Organigram of the Fire and Rescue Services. (Appendix) 3.1.4. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DIFFERENT SECTIONS. 1. Fire Prevention Issuing of fire certificate, fire clearance and certificate of registration. Inspection of places where the above certificates can be issued like high rise buildings, shops, industries and so on. Carrying out fire awareness campaigns at workplaces and schools. Performing fire drills for fire alertness. 2. Operation. Indulging in fire fighting. Carry out rescue operation, for example; road accidents, rescue of animals. Render other special services, for example; floods, cyclones and tsunami. Carryout safety talks at community level. Carrying out fire drills at station level. 3. Control Room Unit Hazards emergency calls ( Dial the hotline 115) Mobilize suitable operational (at station level) resources. Notify other agencies relevant to incident. Produce relevant support in dealing with emergency. Record and maintain data relating to emergency. 4. Hydrant Maintenance of fire hydrant. Installation of new hydrant. Seek location for water sources. 5. Training unit Carrying the training for new recruit’s fire fighters. Performing refreshers training to fire fighters in relation to their duties. Giving lectures in connection with fire awareness campaigns. 3.1.5. Division of Labour. Fire services in Mauritius comprises of about 700 staffs which include the following: Table 3.1: Division of labour CFO- Head of department. DCFO-Assist the CFO in his daily routine work. ACFO-Assist the DCFO in his work. DO- Responsible for controlling a number of sections or stations. SSO-Responsible for the management of only one particular station. STNO-Responsible for controlling a particular team (watch) in a station. SO-Assist the STNO in his daily station routine work. FF-Carry out all operations work like firefighting rescue and other cognate duties. 3.2. Vision of the MFRS. To have a Republic of Mauritius free from the dangers of fire and other emergency threats and safe to live, work and visit anytime and anywhere. 3.3. Mission of the MFRS The mission of the Fire Services Department is to: Save life Effect rescue in Road Traffic Accident, flooding, cyclone, tsunami and other natural calamities. Protect properties endangered by fire and the environment. Effect special services. Render humanitarian services and give advice on fire prevention and protection measures. 3.4. The strategic goals of the MFRS are dedicated to build a safe Mauritius society by: Reduce the number of fires, road accidents and other emergency incidents. Reduce the severity of injuries in fire, road traffic accidents and other emergency vehicles. Reduce commercial, economic and social impact of fires and other emergency incidents. Create a safe working environment for our fire fighters. Safe guard the environment and heritage (both built and natural). Provide a sustainable service that demonstrate quality and best value service provision. Building public confidence in the fire services. Continually develop the resources available to meet changing needs. Working effectively with all their partners and stakeholders. 3.5. Health and Safety at MFRS. With the promulgation of the OSHA in the year 2007, the minister proclaimed that this act shall bind the state as per Section 3 of OSHA 2005. 3.5.1. Health and Safety Officer. At the MFRS, there is no such appointed officer. However, there are safety officers from the Ministry who come on regular OSH audit to identify risks to SH. They recommend in writing all recommendations and measures that have to be implemented by the employers. The role of Health and safety Officer (HSO) is to implement appropriate training program to meet the requirements of OSHA 2005, but it can be argued that this requirement is not met. It should be noted that practically all the hazards and risk pertaining to the job of firefighters are found on incident ground. So, HSO from the ministry caters for only 5% of HS of fire-fighters. 3.5.2. Role of Incident Commander as HSO. The incident commander has the duty to supervise and monitor the safety and health of fire fighters on incident ground. He must carry a dynamic risk assessment with the continuous changing environment because new hazards, emerged with increased risks. Unfortunately, those commanders have not been given SH training and carryout their job without caring for the SH of fire-fighters. 3.5.3. Medical Check up. According to section 77 of OSHA, a medical check up is carried out periodically at the public hospitals as recommended by the Occupational physician. Unluckily some firefighters do not attend medical appointment. 3.5.4. First Aid According to section 45 of OSHA 2005 and First Aid Regulation, first aid boxes with appropriate items are to be placed at conspicuous place. At fire stations, there are first aid boxes but there are missing first aid items or else they are out of date. 3.5.5. Health and Safety Training Section 5 of OSHA 2005 stipulates the duties of employer where training is an important element for the health and safety of personnel. Despite the fact that there are qualified firefighters with Bsc honors working in private companies as HSO, the MFRS have never used the competency of these firefighters to undergo any SH training. Consequently, they lack information and instructions on proper use of PPE’s, tools, equipment and how to carryout their jobs in a safe and healthy manner. 3.6 Summary This chapter has provided an overview at MFRS, stressing on the mission, vision, strategic, goals and task organization. The role of incident Commander as HSO, general SH in the MFRS, SH training.

Philosophy of Education Essay -- Education Teaching Teachers Careers E

Philosophy of Education In this paper, I wish to discuss my beliefs for education. These beliefs include my philosophy in a general manner, and the reasons why I want to become an educator. In this paper I will also describe what my furture classroom will look like, and how my classroom will be run. I also discuss my views on education reform in conclusion. I have found that my philosophy of education is a combination of two philosophies. They are Idealism and Realism. I also agree with two points in the Existentialism and pragmatism philosophies. L believe that a teacher should know their content very well. This is one of the most important things that I believe that I should do as a classroom teacher. I also believe that the classroom teacher is a model for the students. The students will watch them to see how they live their lives and how they react to situations that may arise in the classroom. I also believe that each child in the world today is a valuable contribution to society. Each child can fulfill any dream they may have, but I also believe that your dreams need to be reasonable. Each child can contribute something to society because the world needs farmers just as much as they need politicians. Another important thing that I believe should be focused on is to encourage students to seek the truth. I fee l that this statement means that a student need to establish their own beliefs on issues, and they also need to be able to back up why they believe what they believe. These beliefs need to be personal. The teacher does not need to focus on their own personal beliefs, but also on beliefs that are opposite of theirs. A teacher needs to focus on the good and bad things on eac... ...ectly. When the results of the reform are used correctly, reform will be effective. As an educator during reform initiatives, I will support the things that will make the education of students more effective. These are my beliefs for education. They include my general philosophy of education, and why I want to become an educator. Also I have described what my classroom will look like. This includes what my seating arrangement will be, and also what the bulletin boards in my classroom will contain. I have also discussed whether my classroom will be authoritarian or nonauthoritarian. I also discuss how I plan to manage the classroom, motivate the students, issue discipline, how I will teach, and how I will lead the students in my classroom. Lastly, I discuss my views on education reform, and whether it is effective or not to the education world.

Nazi Preparation for War Essay

The Nazis came to power in 1933. They began introducing a set of ideas into German society. These ideas were based on the Nazi ideology, outlined by Hitler’s book â€Å"Mein Kampf†. This essay will examine how the Nazis’ attempted to ‘educate’ German society to integrate their ideological beliefs, and whether these were all designed as a preparation for war. There were a number of different aims for the youth in Nazi Germany and therefore their education needed to be suitable. Education methods created a loyal following for Hitler and the Nazis. The Nazis were aware that education to the German youth would create loyal Nazis by the time they reached adulthood. Their overall aim was to create a generation of racially pure Germans who were ready to do what Hitler asked of them and most importantly; serve their country. Therefore it was necessary to mould young boys into being prepared for war. Education is supposed to open closed minds to liberate the minds of the youth and of the ignorant. It aims make a person to be an independent thinker. However in Germany under the Nazis the purpose for education was to close the minds. Leading Nazis stated that â€Å"the whole purpose of education is to create Nazis†. Education played a very important part in Nazi Germany in creating a loyal population of youth. The Nazis were aware that education would create loyal youth by the time they were adults. The pupils were made to believe in Hitler, and the youth movement made sure that they would not even think of opposing him. Education meant indoctrination. Hitler used the schools to reinforce Nazi ideas. The school curriculum was changed, to serve the Nazi purpose. Physical education, Biology, German and History were given special emphasis. Science had a military slant to it and focussed on chemical warfare and explosives. Maths dealt with social issues and artillery calculations. History was changed in classes to uphold the glory of Germany, the Treaty of Versailles was described as the work of jealous nations, and hyperinflation in 1923 was said to be the work of Jewish saboteurs. Biology became a study of the different races. It aimed to ‘prove’ that the Nazi belief in Aryan racial superiority was correct. All teachers had to be accessed by local Nazi officials. Any teacher considered disloyal was sacked. Nazi curriculum classes were held during school holidays and most teachers attended. In 1933 the NSLB (National Socialist Teachers League) had 6,000 members, by 1937 it had 320,000 members. This meant that about 97% of all teachers had joined the NSLB. Teachers taught their pupils that Jews, and socialists were the cause of all Germany’s problems. This is evident in exam questions that showed the government’s anti-Semitic views, â€Å"A bomber aircraft on take-off carries 12 dozen bombs, each weighing 10 kilos. The aircraft takes off for Warsaw the international centre for Jewry. It bombs the town. On take-off with all bombs on board and a fuel tank containing 100 kilos of fuel, the aircraft weighed about 8 tons. When it returns from the crusade, there are still 230 kilos left. What is the weight of the aircraft when empty ? †. Girls were indoctrinated into following the 3Ks: Kinder (Children), Kiche (Kitchen) and Kirche (Church). Girls had to learn first aid and help on the land. But with the Nazis concerned about the falling birth rate and scared Germany would become a second class power, girls’ main aim was to reproduce. Hitler wanted a ‘master’ race, so he encouraged women to produce Aryan babies. Organisations that promoted family planning were banned and doctors who carried out abortions on Aryan women were given a two year jail sentence. There were many youth organisations for girls to join, all controlled by the Fuhrer. Girls could join in the ‘Jung Madel’ (young girls) between the age of ten and fourteen. The ‘Bund Deutscher Madel’ (the league of German maidens) for fourteen to eighteen year olds. And the ‘Glaube und Conceit’ (faith and beauty school) for eighteen to twenty-one year olds. The League of German Girls offered a chance for them to get out of the house and do sport, singing, hiking camping, etc. â€Å"In the League of German Girls could escape from the ties of domesticity and from the female role-model of child care and devotion to family† As with the girls, youth organisations were set up for boys. There was the ‘Pimpfen’ (little fellows) for six to ten year olds, ten to fourteen year olds had to pass an exam to join the ‘Deutches Jungvolk’ and ‘Hitlerjugend’ for fourteen to eighteen year olds. After this the young adults would join either the ‘Reich Labour service’ or the ‘Wehrmacht’. There was also a patrol service who would check that all the members of the Hitler Youth were looking smart and that they were carrying a clean handkerchief and comb. Young boys were taught to concentrated on boxing, shooting, marching, athletics and military exercises. Hitler had stated that he wanted boys who could suffer pain â€Å"a young German must be †¦ as tough as leather, and as hard as Krupp’s steel†. Team games were also encouraged because it gave boys a sense of unity. Most boys were made to take proficiency tests, these tests involved marches. On average the boys had to march 15 miles a day. These journeys were aimed at teaching young boys the history of their ancestors. Both boys and girls would go to summer camp. Summer camps promoted unify and the idea of working in a team. It is obvious that education policies and the introduction of the Hitler Youth was aimed at preparing the youth of Germany for war. Hitler wanted a thousand year Reich, and wanted the German youth to understand the imperative of war. Baulder von Schirach was appointed Youth Leader of the German Reich in June 1933 and it was his objective to make the Hitler Youth the leading German youth organisation. When Schirach took over leadership in 1933 the Hitler Youth had 55,000 members. Various methods were used to persuade boys to join the Hitler Youth. Teachers influenced youngsters to join, it became difficult for those outside the Hitler Youth to get jobs and apprenticeships were granted to members. Although membership rose significantly, in March 1939 it became compulsory to join the Hitler Youth and it claimed 7. million members, â€Å"What quickly became the largest youth organisation in the world subscribed to the philosophy of youth leading youth†. The first purpose of the Hitler Youth was to prepare and train young boys to become soldiers of the third Reich, that the nazis would have full control off. Hitler had always held the same three main aims: to reverse the Treaty of Versailles, to unite all the German-speaking people and to grant the nation more ‘living space’ (lebensraum). Hitler knew he not achieve these aims alone, and therefore he needed a strong, dependable, loyal army. The young boys of Germany were going to be this army, and the young girls of Germany were going to give birth to his new soldiers. He took children early, and put a lot of effort into making the Hitler Youth an organisation with military instincts. To achieve the great army Hitler craved the nazis had to incorporate military training with psychological preparation. An important part of this aim was the Hitler Youth’s ‘military athletics’ (wehrsport). This included war activities, which taught the youth psychical strength and military tactics that soldiers would need in war. For example grenade throwing, needed on a battlefield, trench digging gave boys strength and endurance, map reading taught intelligence and teamwork. Also activities like wrestling matches between boys were arranged to prove how manly they were, â€Å"It was the National Socialist youth leaders method that everything took the form of competitions†. The Hitler Youth boys were taught to pick on the weaker members within each group. If a boy lost a wrestling match or failed in a task, they were picked on. Severe cross country hikes and marches left boys in hospital. This shows how far the Nazis would go in search of their beliefs; to create a perfect, Aryan army. Boys also had to learn Nazi dogma, (nazi beliefs) and once they passed the necessary tests they were given a special dagger marked â€Å"Blood and Honour† which was more propaganda for the boys to train hard. They all wanted to achieve this special dagger, it gave the boys an aim, and a feeling of achievement when they fulfilled their challenge. For those who failed, they suffered great humiliation. The second purpose of the Hitler Youth movement was to prepare young men psychologically for war, through a flooding of Nazi ideology. Training the boys, making them strong, and preparing their bodies for fighting, would not be sufficient enough, Hitler had to prepare the youth’s minds too. Forcing Nazi ideals on children mainly depended on teachers, and Hitler Youth Movement (HYM) group leaders delivering them. Hitler knew that if boys were going to die for him he would have to give them a reason to. This was also the case with girls, if they were going to give up their jobs, and lives, to give birth to large numbers of ‘pure’ German babies they had to have a reason to. He wanted to indoctrinate young people so that they accepted Nazi ideas, beliefs, and values to become ideal nazis; the building blocks for the people’s community. Hitler seized advantage of the young and innocent minds plaguing them with Nazi ideology. The HYM meetings were shaped to allow for this, they gave lectures and speeches on the superiority of the Aryan race and the evil of the communists and the Jewish. Like the HYM the school curriculum was designed to reinforce the Nazi values. The curriculum was ripped apart as subjects tried to prove that the nazis were superior. â€Å"Racial instruction† started at the age of 6. Nazi leaders had children under their full control at all times, as Hitler Youth membership became compulsory. Propaganda techniques including movies, radio, posters and magazines, aswell as the education system and Hitler Youth meetings all influenced the opinions of the youth. The third purpose of the Hitler Youth was teach boys to become future leaders of the Nazi society. Hitler wanted his Reich to prosper for a thousand years, and he wanted superiority over other nations. He wanted Germany to be a super-power. To do this he needed the best Generals, Officers, Senior Officers, etc. nd the Hitler movement was structured to accomplish his aim. Those boys who were considered physically fitter and stronger than the rest went to Adolf Hitler Schools. Here, they were taught to become the future leaders of Germany. The very best pupils went to Order Castles. Here pupils were trained to the limits of physical endurance. Students endured 6 years of tough training and those who graduated at 18 from Order Castles would be granted a high position in the army or the SS (Hitler’s personal army). The fourth purpose of the Hitler Youth movement was to ensure loyalty to the fuehrer himself. Hitler knew that he had ensure that children were not open to any ideas, and were just fed nazi propaganda. He needed them under his full control, and had many different ways of achieving this. Nazis censored cinema and radio in a bid to glorify Hitler. As children walked to school Hitler’s speech’s would be on the radio, when they went to films with their friends, commercials glorifying Hitler would appear. Young minds were banned from listening to American radio stations, for fear that non-nazi influences would pollute their minds and bring them the truth. They were made to believe that the Nazi way, was the only way. When trying to capture these young minds, hearts, and souls, the Nazis offered many incentives. The nazis gave a purpose to children and a sense of belonging and importance. The Nazis controlled young rebelliousness into aggressive military activities. They wanted to make sure that the youth’s had no reason to object, and rebel, and incentives such as uniforms, knives, drums, etc. kept them happy. Although sometimes severe, beatings and canings to rebels occurred. These were used as examples to stop others from attempting to rebel. This is evident when looking at the edelweiss pirates. They opposed the Nazis by beating up Hitler Youth members, and writing anti-nazi slogans on the walls. 283 gang members were arrested, resulting in 124 pirates being executed. â€Å"The Gestapo and Hitler Youth brought to bear an armoury of repressive measures that ranged from individual warnings, temporary detention†¦to criminal trial or death† . The fifth purpose of the Hitler Youth involved the fact that the Nazis wanted to Restructure German society, and the selection process. Hitler needed a strong, and pure government, one that would not fail as the Weimar republic did. He abandoned the democratic selection process, as he knew that this may result in being a risk to his Reich. To achieve his aims, the youth movement was presented models and ideals of what they should be like when they grew older. For example, propaganda posters showing ‘ideal families’ were used, girls were taught to wear simple clothes, tie their hair in a bun, and discouraged from work. Whereas boys were encouraged to be strong and militant. Those boys who achieved the ideal nazi characteristics, like strong physical ability were rewarded with a position high in the system. Girls that bared children were also rewarded on a special day that was Hitler’s Mothers birthday. Hitler also knew that for children to become good leaders, they had to take responsibility and urged them to inform teachers if they heard anyone denouncing Nazi beliefs, or not adhering to Nazi ideals, â€Å"Denunciations of parents by children was encouraged, not least by school teachers who set essays entitled- what does your family talk about at home? †. The Hitler youth patrols co-operated with the Gestapo and were trained in policing, traffic control, and fire fighting. This motive was effective, and helped Hitler create a whole new generation who helped in sustaining fear in the opposition by acting as informants, in Hitler’s totalitarian terror-state . It is evident that the Hitler Youth movement was carefully structured and shaped to allow for its many different aims. However it is obviously that the prospect of war was a key theme throughout all the possible purposes for the Hitler Youth, â€Å"the desired educational goal of the technically skilled yet soldierly warrior†. Young children had Nazi ideas influencing them at all times, not only whilst they were at school but also from films, music, media, friends, church and family. Even whilst they were at Nuremberg rallies, they would be shown extracts of last year’s rallies and how the older generation were enthusiastic supporters of the Nazi State. Hitler made a speech at the Nuremberg Rally, 14 September 1935, in which he stated the exact nature and purpose of the Hitler Youth. â€Å"What we look for from German youth is different from what people wanted in the past. In our eyes the German youth of the future must be slim, slender, and as swift as the greyhound†. They were indoctrinated with the idea that they had to sacrifice themselves for the good of the Fuhrer and Germany. This â€Å"Cradle to Grave† control, was enforced to create the Nazis of the future and indoctrinate them into thinking that they had to sacrifice themselves for the good of the nation. The positive reasons for joining the Hitler Youth were that there were children from all classes of families and there were no social or class distinctions. Also the appeal of the Hitler Youth was the novelty, the drill, the uniform, the camp life and the fact that school and parental control and home took a back seat compared to the community of young people. However shortly before Germany lost the war, Germany found themselves drastically running out of adult fighting men so youth members were forced onto the front. They were too young, had little training, no experience, and facing an allied army determined to win, it was evident the Hitler Youth was not as well-prepared for war as Hitler thought.

Free Essays on Urban Problems

Contemporary cities across North America are in crisis, and Toronto is no exception. Growing poverty and homelessness, mounting waste, air pollution that impacts residents’ health as well as the environment, inadequate transit, and failing infrastructure are issues that council faces perennially while trying to redress decrease in financial resources. The challenges are enormous. This paper will examine some of the issues facing Toronto today and consider directions for sustainable solutions. A considerable problem facing Toronto is that of growing homelessness. The city’s solutions have invariably been short-term band-aid solutions that fail to address the underlying problem. The removal of the residents of Toronto’s Tent City in 2002 was accompanied by the offer to provide housing in the old Princess Margaret Hospital (Dunphy, 2000). However, the housing was emergency sheltering only, and under conditions that far below acceptable standards- inadequate toilet facilities, poor air flow, high infection rate for disease, and rampant violence (Crowe, 2000). In addition, the shelter spaces opened at the old Princess Margaret Hospital increased the total number for the city by only 320. There are between 40 and 50 thousand homeless in Toronto. While there are differing estimates of the increase in homelessness, the least dramatic is a rate of 40 per cent over a twelve-year period boom 1988 to 1999 (The state, 2001). The underlying problems remain unaddressed. Poverty in Toronto is on the increase- 8.3 per cent in the five years from 1995 to 1999, even as the city’s economy was experiencing a boom (Kalinowski, 2002). Economic policy shifts and downloading of services by higher levels of government without commensurate increase in municipal revenue sources (Pockets, 2002) have not only helped to create the city’s problems, they further serve to hamper its capacity to deal with them. However, the municipal level of government... Free Essays on Urban Problems Free Essays on Urban Problems Contemporary cities across North America are in crisis, and Toronto is no exception. Growing poverty and homelessness, mounting waste, air pollution that impacts residents’ health as well as the environment, inadequate transit, and failing infrastructure are issues that council faces perennially while trying to redress decrease in financial resources. The challenges are enormous. This paper will examine some of the issues facing Toronto today and consider directions for sustainable solutions. A considerable problem facing Toronto is that of growing homelessness. The city’s solutions have invariably been short-term band-aid solutions that fail to address the underlying problem. The removal of the residents of Toronto’s Tent City in 2002 was accompanied by the offer to provide housing in the old Princess Margaret Hospital (Dunphy, 2000). However, the housing was emergency sheltering only, and under conditions that far below acceptable standards- inadequate toilet facilities, poor air flow, high infection rate for disease, and rampant violence (Crowe, 2000). In addition, the shelter spaces opened at the old Princess Margaret Hospital increased the total number for the city by only 320. There are between 40 and 50 thousand homeless in Toronto. While there are differing estimates of the increase in homelessness, the least dramatic is a rate of 40 per cent over a twelve-year period boom 1988 to 1999 (The state, 2001). The underlying problems remain unaddressed. Poverty in Toronto is on the increase- 8.3 per cent in the five years from 1995 to 1999, even as the city’s economy was experiencing a boom (Kalinowski, 2002). Economic policy shifts and downloading of services by higher levels of government without commensurate increase in municipal revenue sources (Pockets, 2002) have not only helped to create the city’s problems, they further serve to hamper its capacity to deal with them. However, the municipal level of government...

Genetherapy Essays - Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Gene Delivery

Genetherapy Essays - Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Gene Delivery Genetherapy Gene Therapy Gene therapy is the use of genes and the techniques of genetic engineering in the treatment of a genetic disorder or chronic disease. There are many techniques of gene therapy. The two basic methods are called in vivo and ex vivo gene therapy. The in vivo method inserts genetically altered genes directly into the patient; the ex vivo method removes tissue from the patient, extracts the cells in question, and genetically alters them before returning them to the patient. The challenge of gene therapy is the development of a means to deliver the genetic material into the nuclei of the appropriate cells, so that it will be reproduced in the normal course of cell division and have a lasting effect. One technique involves removing cells from a patient, fortifying them with healthy copies of the defective gene, and reinjecting them into the patient. Another involves inserting a gene into an inactivated or nonvirulent virus and using the viruss infective capabilities to carry the desired gene into the patients cells. A liposome, a tiny fat-encased pouch that can traverse cell membranes, is also sometimes used to transport a gene into a body cell. Another approach employing liposomes, called chimeraplasty, involves the insertion of manufactured nucleic acid molecules (chimeraplasts) instead of entire genes to correct disease-causing gene mutations. Once inserted, the gene may produce an essential chemical that the patients body cannot, remove or render harm less a substance or gene causing disease, or expose certain cells, especially cancerous cells, to attack by conventional drugs. Gene therapy was first used in humans in 1990 to treat a child with adenosine deaminase deficiency (ADA), a rare hereditary immune disorder. It is hoped that gene therapy can be used to treat cancer, genetic diseases, and AIDS, but there are concerns that the immune system may attack cells treated by gene therapy, that the viral vectors could mutate and become virulent, or that altered genes might be passed to succeeding generations. In the United States, gene therapy techniques must be approved by the federal government. The Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee of the National Institutes of Health oversees gene therapy experiments. Like drugs, products must pass the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration. Gene therapy is a competitive and potentially lucrative field, and patents have been awarded for certain techniques. Bibliography J. Lyon and P. Gorner, Altered Fates: Gene Therapy and the Retooling of Human Life (1995).

Social Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Social Engineering - Essay Example The term â€Å"social engineering† was coined by Kevin Mitnick, a hacker who spent many years in federal prison for nefarious activities, then became a highly sought-after computer expert, writing books and other journals. (Mitnick, 2002, p. x). The basics of social engineering are simple – a criminal will use psychological and other low-tech techniques to get what he wants, and what he wants is to hack into the secure databases of these companies to steal trade secrets to give to competitors, or other valuable and confidential information. Some of these techniques include â€Å"dumpster diving† to get information about a company that he wants to exploit; impersonating colleagues, management or IT professionals on the telephone to get information that he needs, such as passwords and passcodes; befriending employees; and getting a job a the corporation to get all the information he needs. Social engineers are a huge threat to all corporations, because what they do seems so innocuous. They also are able to exploit very basic mistakes, such as the fact that employees do not always shred sensitive documents, and think nothing of throwing away calendars, employee handbooks, and corporate phone books, all of which are gold-mines to the social engineers who are looking for information to get their foot in the door of a large corporation. And they do a lot of damage. In one study, people using social engineering techniques were able to steal $1 billion of information in one day! One of the new scams involves live â€Å"support† personnel. (Claburn, 2010, p. 1). In this scam, an individual gets a pop-up or other advertisement stating that their computer has been infected with a virus, and that they need to purchase a certain program called Live PC Care to remedy this problem. If the individual is reluctant to buy this Live PC Care program, then they can click on a box to talk with live personnel. What this

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 8

Research Paper Example The OFCCP is assisting the Department of Labor (DOL) like three other major programs Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Office of Labor Management Standards, Office of Workers Compensation Programs and the Wage and Hour Division to address the diverse employment, compensation and labor issues. Assessed on the Porter’s framework OFCCP competitive advantage was found satisfactory based on the services offered to the society and the level of its performance as compared to other services providers in the market. Businesses registered with federal government have a contractual binding to ensure compliance with government resolve to provide equal opportunities of employment to all job seekers and wage earner. The purpose of Office of the Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is to ensure that businesses are fulfilling the contractual requirements with Federal Government. OFCCP may also assist businesses for compliance through a variety of steps that may include technical assistance, compliance evaluations, reconciliations, monitoring and assistance in the recruitment of skilled and qualified workers. Moreover, OFCCP will ensure enforcement of law in case of contract violation and will provide relief to victims. (DOL, 2011) The most difficult management challenge is to provide the compliance assistance to OFCCP clients. These clients may include employers, workers, job seekers, wage earners and retired individuals. Providing such assistance to the clients is challenging because it needs to get in touch with each individual and provide him with the professional advice in the light of laws administered by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. The subjectivity in each case may need detailed deliberations and insight into the case before the management can ascertain the onus and degree of discrimination committed, penalty of

The dangers of Online Gaming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The dangers of Online Gaming - Essay Example Online gaming tend require a high degree of involvement. As these games integrate communication and entertainment in a play environment they become significant to players and their lives, they become more and more popular drawing obsession from players across the globe. This paper has illustrated that online games could have an adverse impact on a person’s well-being especially when played excessively. Online game addiction is characterized by the same symptoms and effects as those other addictions that are considered as illnesses and medical cases. Personal relationships, social interaction, physical activity – these factors are just some of the casualties of online game addiction. Finally and most importantly, online games display a worse kind of media violence that threatens to undermine the proper development of young people. Positive values are under attack as shocking images of images of violence and human sufferings are glorified with computer and technological a esthetics. According to David Trend, while such images do not necessarily compel players to action, they gradually reinforce acceptance. As previously mentioned, players are no longer spectators in the violent acts as in movies and television materials. They partake in the action and, needless, to say it adds up to the influence on a player’s psyche. Numerous cases have already been reported in the media, directly linking online games to deaths, ruined relationship and bad health implications. This is the reason why attention must be given to this sector either by governments and the parents. Studying, monitoring and possibly regulating online games could address the dangers that it may pose not just to individuals but to society as a whole.

Roles of an Hr Manager Essay Example for Free

Roles of an Hr Manager Essay The administrative roles of human resource management include policy formulation and implementation, housekeeping, records maintenance, welfare administration, legal compliance etc. i. Policy maker: The human resource manager helps management in the formation of policies governing talent acquisition and retention, wage and salary administration, welfare activities, personnel records, working conditions etc. He also helps in interpreting personnel policies in an appropriate manner. ii. Administrative expert: The administrative role of an HR manager is heavily oriented to processing and record keeping. Maintaining employee files, and HR related databases, processing employee benefit claims, answering queries regarding leave, transport and medical facilities, submitting required reports to regulatory agencies are examples of the administrative nature of HR management. These activities must be performed efficiently and effectively to meet changing requirements of employees, customers and the government. iii. Advisor: It is said that personnel management is not a line responsibility but a staff function. The personnel manager performs his functions by advising, suggesting, counseling and helping the line managers in discharging their responsibilities relating to grievance redressal, conflict resolution, employee selection and training. Personnel advice includes preparation of reports, communication of guidelines for the interpretation and implementation of policies, providing information regarding labor laws etc. iv. Housekeeper: The administrative roles of a personnel manager in managing the show include recruiting, pre-employment testing, reference checking, employee surveys, time keeping, wage and salary administration, benefits and pension administration, wellness programmes, maintenance of records etc. v. Counselor: The personnel manager discusses various problems of the employees relating to work, career, their supervisors, colleagues, health, family, financial, social, etc. and advises them on minimizing and overcoming problems, if any. vi. Welfare officer: Personnel manager is expected to be the Welfare Officer of the company. As a Welfare officer he provides and maintains (on behalf of the company) canteens, hospitals, creches, educational institutes, clubs, libraries, conveyance facilities, co-operative credit societies and consumer stores. Under the Factories Act, Welfare officers are expected to take care of safety, health and welfare of employees. The HR managers are often asked to oversee if everything is in line with the company legislation and stipulation. vii. Legal consultant: Personnel manager plays a role of grievance handling, settling of disputes, handling disciplinary cases, doing collective bargaining, enabling the process of joint consultation, interpretation and implementation of various labor laws, contacting lawyers regarding court cases, filing suits in labor courts, industrial tribunals, civil courts and the like. In some organizations, the above administrative functions are being outsourced to external providers in recent times, with a view to increasing efficiency as also cutting operational costs. Technology is being put to good use to automate many of the administrative tasks. Operational Roles These roles are tactical in nature and include recruiting, training and developing employees; coordinating HR activities with the actions of managers and supervisors throughout the organization and resolving differences between employees. i. Recruiter: â€Å"Winning the war for talent† has become an important job of HR managers in recent times in view of the growing competition for people possessing requisite knowledge, skills and experience. HR managers have to use their experience to good effect while laying down lucrative career paths to new recruits without, increasing the financial burden to the company. ii. Trainer developer, motivator: Apart from talent acquisition, talent retention is also important. To this end, HR managers have to find skill deficiencies from time to time, offer meaningful training opportunities, and bring out the latent potential of people through intrinsic and extrinsic rewards which are valued by employees. iii. Coordinator/linking pin: The HR manager is often deputed to act as a linking pin between various divisions/departments of an organization. The whole exercise is meant to develop rapport with divisional heads, using PR and communication skills of HR executives to the maximum possible extent. iv. Mediator: The personnel manager acts as a mediator in case of friction between two employees, groups of employees, superiors and subordinates and employees and management with the sole objective of maintaining industrial harmony. v. Employee champion: HR managers have traditionally been viewed as ‘company morale officers’ or employee advocates. Liberalisation, privatisation and globalization pressures have changed the situation dramatically HR professionals have had to move closer to the hearts of employees in their own self interest. To deliver results they are now seriously preoccupied with: l Placing people on the right job. l Charting a suitable career path for each employee. l Rewarding creditable performance. l Resolving differences between employees and groups smoothly. l Adopting family-friendly policies. l Ensuring fair and equitable treatment to all people regardless of their background. l Striking a happy balance between the employees personal/professional as also the larger organisational needs. l Representing workers’ issues, problems and concerns to the management in order to deliver effective results HR managers have to treat their employees as valuable assets. Such an approach helps to ensure that HR practices and principles are in sync with the organisation’s overall strategy. It forces the organisation to invest in its best employees and ensure that performance standards are not compromised. Strategic Roles An organisation’s success increasingly depends on the knowledge, skills and abilities of its employees, particularly as they help establish a set of core competencies (activities that the firm performs especially well when compared to its competitors and through which the firm adds value to its goods and services over a long period of time, e.g. ONGC s oil exploration capabilities and Dells ability to deliver low cost, high-quality computers at an amazing speed) that distinguish an organisation from its competitors. When employees’ talents are valuable, rare, difficult to imitate and organised, a firm can achieve sustained competitive advantage through its people. The strategic role of HR management focuses attention on how to enable ordinary employees to turn out extraordinary performance, taking care of their ever-changing expectations. The key areas of attention in this era of global competition include effective management of key Resources (employees, technology, work processes), while delivering cost effective, valueenhancing solution.