Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Business growth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business growth - Essay Example Businesses that grow are often seen in the technology industries† (par. 1). In terms of measuring business growth in the United States therefore, one needs to gather and evaluate pertinent data that indicates the performance of businesses that is indicative of growth over the period under review. In the Econographia (2012) site, the historical record of the country’s economic performance is effectively captured and visually presented using graphical illustrations. One of the most relevant indicators of business growth that was disclosed was the ability to create jobs, specifically in the private sector. As revealed, from the post-war period until the tenure of President Obama, the creation of private sector jobs have been illustrated to exhibit a declining trend, except during the periods where governance was headed by Dwight David â€Å"Ike† Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States, and both George H.W. Bush (41st President) and George W. Bush (43rd Presid ent), which signified the lowest trends, as shown in Figure 1, below. Obama’s tenure manifested the fourth lowest number of private sector jobs created. ... However, as emphasized by Kiely & Farley (2012), â€Å"by using private-sector jobs, the president makes his job-creation record look better. The U.S. has gained about 55,000 private-sector jobs since Obama became president in January 2009, but overall there has been a total job loss of 552,000 — all because of the decline in government jobs† (p. 1). Seeing the political climate through the eyes of the American Institute of Economic Research (AIER), Steven Cunningham, the Director of Research and Education has indicated through his economic review that there is an eminent recovery that could spur optimistic potentials for business growth. As disclosed, the business cycle conditions that are being monitored by the AIER have captured rising business growth indicators which confirms supposed continuing expansion (Cunningham, 2012). A copy of the statistical indicators of business cycle changes for the period February to June 2012 are presented in Annex A. From the statisti cal indicators, it was revealed that positive changes were noted for the following primary leading indicators for the cyclical status April to June of 2012, to wit: (1) new orders for consumer goods; (2) new housing permits; (3) index of common stock prices; and (4) change in consumer debt. For primary roughly coincident indicators, the following were optimistic and expanding changes: (1) non-agricultural employment; (2) index of industrial production; (3) personal income less transfer payments; (4) manufacturing and trade sales; and (5) gross domestic product. Finally, for primary lagging indicators, the following exhibited expanding status: (1) manufacturing and trade inventories; (2) commercial and industrial loans; (3) ratio of consumer debt to income; and (4)

Monday, October 28, 2019

Mary Shelley Essay Example for Free

Mary Shelley Essay Victor neglects his paternal duties as soon as he realises them. He runs away from the creature at the moment of birth and shows negligence immediately to his child. This highlights how pathetic Victor is, he cannot commit himself to anyone apart from himself . In comparison the creature desires a family so he wont be alone, unlike Victor. He goes to great lengths in a quest for a companion, he makes threats and kills people to ensure himself of a companion. Victor has a family who care for him very much, but he shows very little regard to them and their feelings, however the creature is dedicated to a family who dont even realise is existence. The creature expresses an ongoing desire for companionship, whereas Victor never expresses that he is lonely, he just wallows in his own self pity. Victor has all the creature wants, whereas Victor couldnt care less, it is this ignorance of others feelings that makes Victor a much lesser man than the creature. The creature however is not perfect, once he is divorced from the De Laceys he becomes incredibly vindictive and spends the rest of the novel inflicting pain. The way in which the creature does this to Victor is by hurting Victor deeply then waiting for him to recover from the loss of another family member, then hurts him again. These murders are also pre meditated, he kills essentially in cold blood which may be a product of his upbringing but it makes him a killer. The creature says, I gazed on my victim, about William, this is evidence that the creature is a cold blooded killer. Another example of his vindictiveness is the way in which he leaves notes behind when being pursued by Victor, he taunts him when Victor is a broken man. In the novel Victor is not a killer, he never sets out to hurt others intentionally. He becomes blinded by his work, but never sets out to kill in cold blood. This highlights the point that Shelley may be stereotyping the creature as most people would as a killer, but it shows that the creature cannot be considered as a man. A most significant contrast between the two is how selfless the creature is in contrast to Victor. The creature helps the De Laceys with their work out of the goodness of his heart, as well as that he feels remorse for stealing their food and tries to make up for it by helping them. He is never greedy or self obsessed, he just wants to be accepted. Victor is incredibly selfish throughout the novel, emotionally especially. Clerval shows huge dedication to his friend throughout the novel, he cares for him when ill, but Victor never reciprocates this care. When with Justine in prison he claims, deep and bitter agony that she will never feel, to himself, he thinks he is suffering more than someone on death row. In the entire novel Victor never helps out anyone, which is why the creature is a better person than Victor. Victor is also self obsessed with his own feelings after the deaths of William, Justine, and Clerval he generally thinks about himself and his own feelings.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

UNFORGIVEN Essay -- essays research papers fc

Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As human beings we constantly struggle with ourselves on whether our actions are virtuous or vice. Some of us choose to act in an ethical way when presented with a certain situation, while others choose to act on their desires and therefore act unjustly. This was the struggle that the character, William Munny, faced in the movie â€Å"Unforgiven.† He was unable to control his desires, which resulted in his unethical actions. His actions support Socrates and Plato’s theory that if we let our desires or our emotions drive us we will act unethically when faced with circumstances. In this paper I will show how Socrates and Plato’s philosophy regarding our emotions and desires, explains William Munny’s actions throughout the movie.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Plato’s philosophy in order for human beings to have a healthy â€Å"soul,† our view of the world should not be distorted by fears, insecurities, irrational anxieties, or overpowering desires. He also explains that our judgment should not be blinded by greed or self-interest. Having a healthy â€Å"soul† means having a clear mind and seeing things for what they actually are; this â€Å"soul† is the core of our personality. A person with a healthy †soul† will live a virtuous life by making ethical choices and controlling his or her desires.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  William Munny was not that type of person, because his mind was clouded by desire and his â€Å"soul† was unhe... UNFORGIVEN Essay -- essays research papers fc Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As human beings we constantly struggle with ourselves on whether our actions are virtuous or vice. Some of us choose to act in an ethical way when presented with a certain situation, while others choose to act on their desires and therefore act unjustly. This was the struggle that the character, William Munny, faced in the movie â€Å"Unforgiven.† He was unable to control his desires, which resulted in his unethical actions. His actions support Socrates and Plato’s theory that if we let our desires or our emotions drive us we will act unethically when faced with circumstances. In this paper I will show how Socrates and Plato’s philosophy regarding our emotions and desires, explains William Munny’s actions throughout the movie.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Plato’s philosophy in order for human beings to have a healthy â€Å"soul,† our view of the world should not be distorted by fears, insecurities, irrational anxieties, or overpowering desires. He also explains that our judgment should not be blinded by greed or self-interest. Having a healthy â€Å"soul† means having a clear mind and seeing things for what they actually are; this â€Å"soul† is the core of our personality. A person with a healthy †soul† will live a virtuous life by making ethical choices and controlling his or her desires.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  William Munny was not that type of person, because his mind was clouded by desire and his â€Å"soul† was unhe...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Idi Amin

Born in 1925, Idi Amin was unquestionably one of the most significant leaders since 1971 to 1980. He had achieved a great deal and had had an extremely negative impact on his people, his country and the international community. During his reign, Idi Amin had managed to gain total control of Uganda and murder a ridiculous amount of people who opposed or challenged his view. Further, he used lies and deceit to get into power and then abuse the trust of his people. Finally, his actions in supporting Britain caused a famine in his country.Essentially, Idi Amin was a significant leader; however it was for all the wrong reasons. Throughout Idi Amin’s time as leader, he was able to commit a number of heinous acts towards his society and against the rights of humanity. One particular event of which was most significant during his time as leader was a mass murder of over 250,000 people in his country, which he holds responsible for. The mass murder primarily involved anyone in Uganda t hat opposed against his views and the expulsion of Asians. In 1975 the body of one of his four wives was delivered to Mulago hospital.It had been chopped into pieces by Idi Amin himself for reasons being that she had been impregnated by another man. This proves that Idi Amin will not stand by any person in his life that resists against his wishes and establishes the brutality from within his character. Amin was able to manipulate a large majority of his people to secure his place for leader of Uganda, only then to abuse the trust of his people once elected. These actions soon lead on to further corrupt movements that had a negative impact on the people of Uganda.When Idi Amin presented himself as the opposition leader for Uganda, he announced to the people that if he were selected as president he would turn their country into a democracy. This false statement had given him much popularity from his people, which then resulted in him becoming leader. Once in power Amin abused this tru st by cancelling elections and turning the country into a dictatorship. These events highlight that he was a negative ruler, but signify his importance. A further demonstration of his negative rule, Amin, through his relationship with Britain brought about a famine. Before Idi Amin became leader, Uganda as a part of the British colony. Idi Amin had never gotten a proper education, though was able to gain a name in society due to joining the British army and getting promoted to colonel after a short period of time. He had gained a very good reputation in the army and was seen to have excellent leadership qualities; for example, When Britain was going through a recession that later on lead to an extreme food shortage for their people, Idi Amin had collected a very large quantity of Uganda’s farm crops to support Britain during their hardship despite the fact that starvation was still a major concern for his people at the time.Idi Amin believed that putting aside the health of h is country In order to develop a good relationship with the leaders of Great Britain was much more vital at the time. The great challenges Amin had face during his lifetime such as the time he spent in the army and the difficulties he faced as leader of Uganda, eventually lead to his destructive behaviour towards his people, his country and the international community. Amin's rule was characterised by gross human rights abuse, political repression, corruption, and gross economic mismanagement, each of which all had an extremely negative influence towards his society during his reign.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Gender Identity Essay

Gender Identity is something that everyone experiences. Just like any other major contributor to life, there are many factors that help in the determination of gender identity. Some believe that gender identity is determined by either nature, nurture or a little bit of both. A person’s gender can be determined by the hormones produced during gestation. The combination of hormones determines if the sex of a fetus will be a boy or a girl. In some cases, â€Å"Some individuals are born with both ovarian and testicular tissues† (Spencer A. Rathus, 2011) When this occurs, a person is considered to be a hermaphrodite. Although an individual in such situation has parts of bot h sex, they usually consider themselves to be the sex that is assigned at birth. When a child is born a hermaphrodite, the gender at birth is determined by the combination of X and Y chromosomes. The X,X chromosomes combination produces female organs on the inside and external sexual organs that mimic those of a male. â€Å"The clitoris is enlarged and may resemble a small penis.† (Spencer A. Rathus, 2011) An individual who was born this way may have a hard time identifying with their gender identity. A hermaphrodite can be classified as a female based on the chromosome combination, but have a hard time identifying with the female gender because of the external sexual organs. According to the masculinity and femininity continuum, some individuals are considered to be more masculine and feminine than others. For example, a female who goes against a male for his position in the workplace would be considered more masculine. According to the text â€Å"A person who is highly masculine, whether male or female, may also possess feminine traits- and vice versa.† (Spencer A. Rathus. 2011) In my life, the number one factor that contributed to my gender identity is the way my family has treated me. As a child my mother dressed me in girly clothes and didn’t allow me to do the things my brother could do growing up because I was a girl, and he was a boy. Another thing that contributed to my gender identity is when I went through puberty and started to develop my feminine body parts. The changes in my body contributed to my feeling like a woman and more feminine. Although I am feminine, I do possess attributes that can be considered to be masculine. I go for what I want and don’t allow boundaries based on gender to determine my choices in life. I am a woman that does handy work around the house, so for that I would be considered masculine based on the continuum of masculinity-femininity. Although I have several masculine traits based on the continuum of masculinity-femininity, I also possess feminine traits. I am a nurturing woman who expresses herself with emotion. When a person is considered to be masculine, they are considered to me more instrumental; when a person is considered to be feminine they are considered to be more expressive and sensitive. I think it is very possible for someone to be both masculine and feminine, I think most people have both masculine and feminine traits. There are many of stereotypes that fall under the titles of masculine and feminine. Not all men have to be construction workers and not all women have to be stay-at-home moms. I don’t fully believe in gender roles. I believe a man can play a women’s role and vice versa, and for doing so an individual shouldn’t be stereotyped. I don’t think if a man cooks and cleans and stays home with the children that it makes him less of a man. According to the continuum of masculinity and femininity, he would be considered to be more feminine. To be androgynous is to be both masculine and feminine. Some suggest to be androgynous is to be in better shape psychologically then those strictly feminine or undifferentiated. I believe that a person who is androgynous is well rounded and may be in a better position psychologically than those who are undifferentiated. Gender identity is something that starts in gestation, it is determined once a child is born and develops even more as the individual gets older. References Rathus, S. A., Nevid, J.S., and Fichner-Rathus, L. (2005). Human sexuality in a world of diversity. (6th ed.) Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Prime Minister essays

Prime Minister essays I am so thrilled to have been elected as the new Prime Minister of Canada! I have so many desires of what I would like to change for the better while I am elected. My first priority is to examine some of the issues facing Canadas Aboriginal people. When I look back on the history of Canadas governing, it saddens and angers me that there really has not been much change in the problems facing Aboriginal people. One of the reasons I decided to run for Prime Minister was that I was sick of the government implementing all these new programs and solutions but, with there being no actual change in the outcome. It is time to take on a fresh look at what the actual issues concerning Aboriginal peoples are. I find myself getting easily overwhelmed when I look at all the problems. I have to remind myself that I cannot change everything at once, but that I can be the catalyst for continued change in the future. I hope that my vision will be increased daily as to what can be done, and that I will not get discouraged. So with that, I am going to bed now I have a busy first day tomorrow. This is the start of my first week as Prime Minister! Today was an eventful day very exiting but scary at the same time. I grew up in the Lower Mainland, and so I try to keep strong relationships with the MPs from that region. One of my closest friends is the MP for Chilliwack, Chuck Strahl. He is a very fine family man, too bad he is married. I suppose that leads me to the issue of maintaining the family unit in Aboriginal homes. So many children (aboriginal and non aboriginal) come from broken homes these days. Usually the parents are separated or divorced, and this is largely due to alcohol and drug abuse. The strain that is put on a family when one or both of the parents are alcoholics is immense. To try and counteract this, I am goin ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Goverance Principles IRAC Brief Example

Goverance Principles IRAC Brief Example Goverance Principles IRAC Brief – Coursework Example Issue Should the industrial attempts to compromise compliance provisions on environmental care standards that help reducesoot pollution from power plants be considered legal?RulingA legal case from a current event that has taken place within the past 2 years is that where an appeals court in Washington DC on the 11, March 2014 upheld power plants soot compliance regulations. This followed an attempt to weaken the provisions for compliance with the environmental standards that aim to reduce the pollution by soot from power plants. The governance principle of regulatory requirement involves rules that require the power plants to use procedures that are low cost in ensuring effective working of their technologies for pollution control. Additionally, the principles involve conducting a capacity testing to confirm a firm’s compliance. The courts’ ruling provides confidence that the standards on pollution are to be met (Environmental Defence Fund, 1). Application Methods for managing legal risk arising from regulatory compliance issues include the following: first, evaluating the alternative as well as the non regulatory responses to the risks and selecting among from them. Second, setting of risks tolerance, identifying the risks potential and manages as well as mitigate the risks within the organizations (Sparrow, 21). These methods when carried out will come in hand in managing the legal risk arising from regulatory compliance issues.ConclusionRegulatory compliance refers to adherence to law, regulations, specifications and guidelines by an organization, that are relevant to the business carried out by it. As such, violation of these regulatory requirements often results in to federal fines or legal punishments against the organization (Sparrow, 3).Work cited Environmental Defence Fund. "Appeals Court Upholds Soot Compliance Regulations for Power Plants." edf.org/. 27 June 2015 .Sparrow, Malcolm K.  The regulatory craft: Controlling risks, solving problems, and managing compliance. Brookings Institution Press, 2011.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Function of the SAT - PrepScholar 2016 Students Encyclopedia

Function of the SAT - PrepScholar 2016 Students' Encyclopedia SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Many 4-year U.S. colleges and universities require SAT or ACT scores fromtheir prospective students. Admissions officers, particularly those selecting for academic ability, consider the SAT as a measurement of academic ability and potential. The SAT is meant to be a reasoning test that evaluates students' problem-solving and analytical skills, rather than their specific content knowledge. Note: this article is a series in the PrepScholar2016 Students' Encyclopedia, a free students' and parents' SAT / ACT guide that provides encyclopedic knowledge. Read all the articles here! SAT scores are not the sole criterion for admission, nor are they the only measure of academic ability within a student's college application. Scores are considered in conjunction with high school grade point average (GPA), course selection, and other indicatorsof achievement. Many admissions officers emphasize that they take a holistic view of each applicant, considering the "whole person" as evidenced by his/her grades, extracurricular involvement, recommendations, and personal essay, among other demonstrated interests, accomplishments, and goals. While most colleges do not publicize specific SAT score minimums, many share data on the average scores of their accepted students. If this data shows a range of scores from the 25th to the 75th percentile, then the higher end of the range may be more representative of the school's SAT score expectations for the majority of regular applicants. The lower end of this kind of range may reflect the scores of special interest applicants who can gain admission with lower SAT scores, like students who are recruited for athletics. While many admissions officers claim they take a holistic approach, some will not review applications that do not contain a certain minimumSAT score. Conversely, high SAT scores are rarely a guarantee of admission, especially not at selective institutions like those in the Ivy League. Studentsthat entered Harvard's class of 2017, for example, had an average SAT score of 2237. Harvard's recruited athletes, on average, scored 173 points lower on the SAT than their non-recruited classmates. In addition to sharing data on average SAT scores of incoming students, most colleges share their policies on SAT scores. Some schools "superscore" the SAT, or take students' highest section scores across all testing dates and recombine them into a maximized composite score. Popular schools that have a policy of superscoring the SAT include Boston University, Columbia, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Princeton, and the University of Connecticut. Other colleges look at a student's highest sitting on one date he/she took the SAT. Schools that consider students' "highest sitting" include Arizona State University, Colorado State University, Oregon State University, and University of Wisconsin. By researching their prospective colleges' stance on SAT scores, students may adjust their preparation and test-taking plans accordingly. An increasing number of colleges have adopted test flexible and test optional policies. These may allow students to send SAT Subject tests or AP tests in lieu of the general SATor to choose whether or not to send their SAT scores. NYU, for example,allows students to send three SAT Subject Tests or three AP tests in lieu of the SAT, among other options. While students may be able to decide whether their scores are an accurate representation of their academic ability when applying to test optional schools, those who omit their scores may be at an empirical disadvantage when compared with theirpeers who chose to include their scores. HampshireCollege is the only school thus far that has adopted a "test blind" policy, stating, "We will not consider SAT/ACT scores regardless of the score. Even if it's a perfect score, it will not weigh into our assessment of an applicant." While colleges take varied approaches to their consideration of SAT scores, College Board states that the SAT is meant to give national perspective to local data from schools on students' achievement and ability. As a standardized test, College Board maintains that the SAT measures academic ability independent from differences among students' educational experiences by school district, including variationsin curricula, school funding, and course rigor. Critics of the SAT drawon data that shows a correlation between higher SAT scores and higher levels of family income and parental education. Rather than testing students "on a level playing field," SAT critics claim that the SAT contributes to existing patterns of social and educational inequality. The changes made to the redesigned SAT, which will be administered starting in March of 2016, may have been partially motivated to address these criticismsand to make the SAT more accessible to students across income levels. The elimination of high level vocabulary words in favor of medium-range, multiple meaning words, for instance, may be one change aimed to make the test more fair and to improve its validity and predictive power. College Board also recently began a collaboration with Khan Academy to offer free videos, lessons, and sample questions for students to prepare for the new SAT. In addition to addressing the concerns of critics, College Board may have been motivated to update the SAT in order to remain competitive with its counterpart, the ACT. Historically, the majority of American students who lived on the East and West coasts took the SAT while students in Midwestern states took the ACT. In 20, the number of students who took the ACT nationwide surpassed the number that took the SAT for the first time. The redesigned SAT will more closely resemble the ACT in several ways, particularly in the format of its vocabulary questions and its newly optional essay. Read more from the SAT Encyclopedia! Further Reading Which Colleges Superscore the SAT? Colleges Requiring All SAT Scores Sent: Complete List How Can You Build the Most Versatile College Application?

Saturday, October 19, 2019

MIH514 - Cross-Cultural Perspectives - Mod 2 Case Assignment Essay

MIH514 - Cross-Cultural Perspectives - Mod 2 Case Assignment - Essay Example In March 2003 the manager of Dunken Donuts in Yonkers, New York posted a sign inviting customers to complain if they heard employees seeking other than English behind the counter. 1 day later he removed his sign because the complaints were that he was being discriminative. The interesting thing about the case is that the manager spoke Spanish as his first language but always spoke English at work. He felt that there were good reasons to speak English only at work and those reasons related to bonding of employees in a team atmosphere. He feels that when a language other than English is spoken, it causes poor attitudes and people do not get along as well (Rodriquez, 2005). On the other hand, in another case, the manager of an insurance company was consistently angry about Tony who liked to speak Cantonese to his Chinese co-workers. The manager believes that employees should only speak English while on the job. Eventually the company did put together an English speaking only rule and Tony left the company. Tony felt that the English only rule violated antidiscrimination laws. Certainly by leaving the company, the company has lost the diversity of information that Tony may have had (Thornton, 2004). However, the Supreme Court declared that employers could, in fact, enforce English only rules in the workplace. Many people find this a boon for working conditions but it is difficult to see it one way. While many think it is positive for the work place, there are just as many that believe that having language diversity is as important as cultural diversity, knowledge diversity and more. For example when Tony lost his job, he got a job recruiting Cantonese speaking Engineers and Scientist (Thornton, 2004). Interestingly enough, though the Supreme Court supported the use of English only rules, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act states that it is discriminatory unless there is a business necessity. As there is confusion in the law, so there is also confusion

Solar energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Solar energy - Essay Example Solar power is the transferring of sunlight into electrical energy, either directly by means of photovoltaic, or indirectly by means of concentrated solar power (CSP). CSP structures utilize â€Å"lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. PV converts light into electric current using the photoelectric effect† (Chiras, 2009). Thermal mass is any substance that can be utilized to accumulate heat from the Sun. General thermal mass substances consist of ‘stone, cement and water’. In the past, they have been utilized in dry weathers or mild humid areas to keep buildings stay cool by soaking up solar energy throughout the daytime.Agriculture seeks to optimize the storage of solar energy for the yield of plants. Methods â€Å"such as timed planting cycles, tailored row orientation, staggered heights between rows and the mixing of plant varieties can improve crop yields† (Bradford, 2008). Solar sanitization can be u tilized to make salty water drinkable. The initial recorded case of this was taken place in 16th century. â€Å"A large-scale solar distillation project was first constructed in 1872 in the Chilean mining town of Las Salinas. The plant, which had solar collection area of 4,700 m2, could produce up to 22,700 L per day and operated for 40 years† (Chiras, 2009).. Solar water disinfection involves placing plastic polyethylene terephthalate bottles, filed with water, in sunlight for couple of hours. Duration of time differ according to climate and type of weather.... Thermal mass is any substance that can be utilized to accumulate heat from the Sun. General thermal mass substances consist of ‘stone, cement and water’. In the past, they have been utilized in dry weathers or mild humid areas to keep buildings stay cool by soaking up solar energy throughout the daytime. Agriculture seeks to optimize the storage of solar energy for the yield of plants. Methods â€Å"such as timed planting cycles, tailored row orientation, staggered heights between rows and the mixing of plant varieties can improve crop yields† (Bradford, 2008). Solar sanitization can be utilized to make salty water drinkable. The initial recorded case of this was taken place in 16th century. â€Å"A large-scale solar distillation project was first constructed in 1872 in the Chilean mining town of Las Salinas. The plant, which had solar collection area of 4,700 m2, could produce up to 22,700 L per day and operated for 40 years† (Chiras, 2009).. Solar water d isinfection involves placing plastic polyethylene terephthalate bottles, filed with water, in sunlight for couple of hours. Duration of time differ according to climate and type of weather from at least ‘five hours to two days’ in completely cloudy situation. It is a suggestion from the World Health Organization (WHO) as a practical way for domestic water handling as well as protected storage. More than three million people in developing nations apply this technique for their everyday drinking water. Advantages and Disadvantages Solar Energy is uncontaminated, renewable and sustainable, facilitating to safeguard the atmosphere. It does not contaminate the air by the discharge of ‘carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide or mercury’ into the air

Friday, October 18, 2019

Self-Criticism for Attempt of Cheating Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Self-Criticism for Attempt of Cheating - Article Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that the sequence of events as they unfolded in the author’s life is confusing and hilarious since all through he was busy preparing for the examination. Although the author deeply regrets his callousness, he also would like to take this opportunity to explain his predicament. The researcher consistently has good grades in studies and there is no need for him to use cheating to pass any examination. The biggest mistake that the author seems to have made is leaving behind a set of note cards in his calculator while preparing for the paper. In the author’s hurry and dedication towards the subject, he ended up in the examination hall with the notes right in his calculator, without him being aware of it. The researcher’s only aim and intent during the exam were to stay sincere in his journey of solving the problems in the question paper. In no way, had the author any intention of using those note cards pr esent in his calculator. A chance discovery by the invigilator revealed to the author the presence of these notes. He has always been critical of tech-savvy students taking undue advantage of the gadgets that they are allowed to carry in the examination hall. The researcher is also aware that in separate studies, it has been found that 34% of the students in examination halls resort to carrying notes in their gadgets like cell phones, graphing calculators, and laptops. The allegation that the invigilator made on the author, therefore, looks too real to be refuted. However, the author is also aware that when there is a major mistake on the part of a student like him that has been committed, the authorities will give him a chance to explain himself, understand his predicament and not consider him liable for the penalty. It is very unfortunate for the author to have been so careless and unbecoming, especially when he has the rare privilege and honor of studying in an institution of hig h esteem.

Media and Violence in the USA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Media and Violence in the USA - Assignment Example This statistics is frightening; why there is so much violence in the United States and what can be done to reduce it, is a question that has puzzled governments, psychologists and social scientists. US Department of Justice figures showed that 2.8 million children (under 18) were arrested in 1997, nearly 2500 juveniles were arrested for murder, and 121000 were arrested for other violent crimes [Cantor, 2000]. Psychologists believe that seeds for attitude towards violence are sown early in life. This has resulted in many studies on the impact of TV, video, video games, and other media accessible to children at home. [Eron, 1963] and [Eron & Huesman, 1986] Huesman of University of Michigan carried out a long term study of the viewing habits of a group of children for decades, They astonishingly claimed that watching violence on television was an even more powerful factor in promoting violence than poverty, race, or parental behavior. This 1960 study followed up 11 and 22 years later and claims to show that the aggressive eight-year-olds of 1960 grew up to become even more aggressive 19- and 30-year-olds, with greater troubles-including domestic violence than their less aggressive counterparts who did not watch as much television [Eron & Huesman, 1986]. Eron & Huesman list dozens of other studies in support of their arguments that Violence on Media is harmful to children and eventually to society. [Senate Committee, 1999] reported that more than 1,000 studies on the effects of television and film violence have been done during the past 40 years. American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the National Institute of Mental Health have separately reviewed many of these studies and all of these bodies conclude television violence leads to real-world violence.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The Determinants of Sustainable Competitive Advantage in International Research Paper

The Determinants of Sustainable Competitive Advantage in International Marketing - Research Paper Example Same way many other prominent companies failed to develop properly in international market because of their misinterpretations and wrong perceptions about the sustainable competitive strategies in international market. Knowledge management, cost leadership or differentiating, innovation or development of new products, timing of introduction of new products, customization of the product and technology, superior technology, ability to adapt with local cultures, commitment to demonstrates corporate social responsibility, geographic dispersion of activities etc are some areas in which international companies should focus more to sustain their competitive advantage in international market. This paper analyses various determinants of sustainable competitive advantage in International Marketing. A company that operates in a small number of countries or within in a restricted business sector may believe that its competitive advantage comes from low cost manufacturing, design capability and d istribution efficiency. However when exposed to global competition it may find that its own competitive advantages cannot be transported to new countries and discover, instead, that regional or global competitors have even greater competitive advantage in their own domestic markets as wells as in the target country market (Doole & Lowe, p.430). Knowledge management is one of the major determinants of competitive advantage in international market. As mentioned earlier, Parker Pen Company tried to sell its products in international market using same marketing strategies everywhere. Parker Pen was the market leader in the manufacturing of writing equipment once. But now same thing cannot be said about them because of the huge setbacks they received from international market during the initial period of globalization. â€Å"The idea of selling pens the same way everywhere did not sit well with many parker subsidiaries and distributors. Pens were indeed the same, but markets, were diffe rent† (Marketing across cultures, p.195). Parker thought that for the same product, same marketing strategy is enough everywhere. They failed to recognize the fact that the global market is different from domestic market and it needs customized marketing strategies for each market outside, United States. It should be noted that Tiger Woods could be a good brand Ambassador in American conditions whereas in Indian conditions, instead of Tiger Woods, Sachin Tendulkar or Shah Ruk Khan could be a better brand ambassador. In short, local knowledge is essential for international companies to formulate better business strategies for each global market in which they try to sell their products. â€Å"Traditional approaches to developing competitive advantage focus on developing a positional advantage relative to competition based either on cost leadership or differentiating the product /service offering† (Craig and Douglas). However, in international market, cost leadership or di fferentiation strategies alone may not help an organization much. For example, most of the Chinese products are believed to be the cheapest products available in the global market at present, compared to the products from competitors. China is focusing more on quantity rather than quality while producing goods. Cheaper price may help Chinese companies to sell their

Ethic and Emis Perspectives Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethic and Emis Perspectives - Assignment Example Included in these tools, the emic and etic criteria for evaluation, which anthropologists use, give a better understanding of children’s behavior. Etic concept is about â€Å"cross-cultural and more universal dimensions of human behaviors† (p 161). It demands a descriptive system valid for all cultures, with objects of comparisons operationalized as variables under investigation which include perception and thinking, aggression as outcome variables or socialization practices and school attendance as generating mechanisms (Helfrich, 132). Emic perspective considers â€Å"within-group characteristics† (Weil and Kincheloe, 161) where culture is an integral part of human behavior and not just an external factor. â€Å"The emic approach shows us that it is not only the subjects of the research who are culture-dependent, but also the whole system of psychological thought and its underlying assumptions† (Helfrich, 132-133). In the article â€Å"Who is Bobby? Ideology and method in the discovery of a Down syndrome person’s competence† (1992), DA Goode said that emic analysis uses the â€Å"insider’s point of view† while etic analysis uses the â€Å"outsider’s perspective†. In the case of emic analysis, the focus is on what the subject tells about himself and his experiences, or from within the situation under study (Goode, 198) while in etic analysis, the focus is on what the professionals have observed. According to him, â€Å"etic frameworks are external to the situation under analysis† (Goode, 198). In the book â€Å"Ability Profiling and School Failure†, through an observer’s eyes, at first glance, one can say that what Laura thinks of Jay is based on an emic perspective. Their everyday encounter in school should have been enough for Laura to have an insider’s view of Jay’s behaviors and idiosyncrasies and thus should have a better understanding of them. But as you read, you will see that in Laura’s opinion, Jay is "emotionally

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

The Determinants of Sustainable Competitive Advantage in International Research Paper

The Determinants of Sustainable Competitive Advantage in International Marketing - Research Paper Example Same way many other prominent companies failed to develop properly in international market because of their misinterpretations and wrong perceptions about the sustainable competitive strategies in international market. Knowledge management, cost leadership or differentiating, innovation or development of new products, timing of introduction of new products, customization of the product and technology, superior technology, ability to adapt with local cultures, commitment to demonstrates corporate social responsibility, geographic dispersion of activities etc are some areas in which international companies should focus more to sustain their competitive advantage in international market. This paper analyses various determinants of sustainable competitive advantage in International Marketing. A company that operates in a small number of countries or within in a restricted business sector may believe that its competitive advantage comes from low cost manufacturing, design capability and d istribution efficiency. However when exposed to global competition it may find that its own competitive advantages cannot be transported to new countries and discover, instead, that regional or global competitors have even greater competitive advantage in their own domestic markets as wells as in the target country market (Doole & Lowe, p.430). Knowledge management is one of the major determinants of competitive advantage in international market. As mentioned earlier, Parker Pen Company tried to sell its products in international market using same marketing strategies everywhere. Parker Pen was the market leader in the manufacturing of writing equipment once. But now same thing cannot be said about them because of the huge setbacks they received from international market during the initial period of globalization. â€Å"The idea of selling pens the same way everywhere did not sit well with many parker subsidiaries and distributors. Pens were indeed the same, but markets, were diffe rent† (Marketing across cultures, p.195). Parker thought that for the same product, same marketing strategy is enough everywhere. They failed to recognize the fact that the global market is different from domestic market and it needs customized marketing strategies for each market outside, United States. It should be noted that Tiger Woods could be a good brand Ambassador in American conditions whereas in Indian conditions, instead of Tiger Woods, Sachin Tendulkar or Shah Ruk Khan could be a better brand ambassador. In short, local knowledge is essential for international companies to formulate better business strategies for each global market in which they try to sell their products. â€Å"Traditional approaches to developing competitive advantage focus on developing a positional advantage relative to competition based either on cost leadership or differentiating the product /service offering† (Craig and Douglas). However, in international market, cost leadership or di fferentiation strategies alone may not help an organization much. For example, most of the Chinese products are believed to be the cheapest products available in the global market at present, compared to the products from competitors. China is focusing more on quantity rather than quality while producing goods. Cheaper price may help Chinese companies to sell their

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Economy and Pleasure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Economy and Pleasure - Essay Example This new social division - between a class of winners and a class of losers - is very different from other social divisions that have separated one class of citizens from another. For example, other social divisions are weakened - at least to an extent - by religious and social doctrines requiring that the strong help the weak. Unlike these social divisions, competitive economy does not offer any such instruction. Losers, as defined by the author, are those people with which no one knows what to do. The author views these as cornerstone ideals within economic competition, and as such describes them as destructive, unnatural, and limitless. Additionally, another danger exists in the anarchic free-for-all economy such as competition: "unlimited economic competitiveness proposes an unlimited concentration of economic power." Essentially, by allowing competition to continue without limits, the social group of "winners" will eventually shrink while the class of "losers" continually grows. This growth will eventually place too much power and economic strength into the hands of too few. The author lists several examples of this already happening: as land is being taken away from families, universities, and other homesteads in the interest of growing new industries and technology. Finally, the author moves on to the differences in pleasures when compared to their economic cost or benefit. Essentially, the nation works similarly to its citizens; there are different levels of wants and desires - or pleasures - that the nation considers acquiring. Just as a person would carefully weigh the cost against the benefit when considering a new pleasure; the nation often considers the same cost vs. benefit ration. Two Economies To begin, an anecdote explains the scope and large scale involvement that the economy must entail; although the author poorly chose the term "The Kingdom of God" to exemplify this scale, the author successfully explained his position. The scope of the economy must be comprehensive enough to include everything, both "believers" and "non-believers", regardless of their level of understanding or acknowledgement, and with the acceptance that trying to violate the order of such an institution will result in absolute and severe penalties. The term "Great Economy" was finally settled on with the same purpose; to try and exemplify the scope with which the reader must recognize as being encompassed by the economy. In contrast, Human Economy is not as large-scale. Rather, human economy is smaller and more focused on the definitions and values of human goods. The largest difference between the Great Economy and the Human Economy is that the Great Economy can create and supply value, but cannot identify or appraise such value. Human Economy can identify and appraise value, but cannot create value. Value originates within the Great Economy, and is then added to, evaluated, identified, and measured within the Human Economy. The onset of inflation and poor economy is a direct result of Humans claiming the ability to create value. According to the author, a favorite word of the industrial

Monday, October 14, 2019

Quality Management Worldwide Total Quality Management Essay Example for Free

Quality Management Worldwide Total Quality Management Essay For more than four decades after independence the companies in India enjoyed a protected market with virtually no competition, and some of them even monopolised the market, with customers having little or no choice. As a result complacency set in, and no pressure existed for improvement or change. However, the policy of globalization and liberalization adopted by the Indian Government five years ago, has hrown open new avenues and challenges to companies in India. The new policy has resulted in open doors through which global corporate players have entered the Indian markets, and are threatening the domestic manufacturers and suppliers, using quality as a weapon. This has compelled the managers of local companies to look for those tools and techniques, proven and tested, which would help them to maintain and improve their strategies and positions in the market. One such policy or philosophy that has captured the attention of industry and the business community is TQM. Particularly, in the recent years TQM is even regarded as bsolutely essential for growth, stability, and prosperity. This paper has the main intention of presenting an overview of TQMs progress in the country, starting from its initiation to its current status. Besides, the paper also describes how the organizational attempts by various agencies enabled the establishment of a TQM culture. Further, these attempts are presented in a chronological order, to appreciate the role played by various agencies, which resulted in growth and propagation of TQM in India. Towards the end, the gaps that still exist and hence the efforts that eed to be channeled are pointed out, so as to result in appropriate guidelines about the work to be done. The author R. Jagadeesh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, S. J. College of Engineering, Mysore, India. Keywords TQM, India, Quality Abstract Total quality management (TQM) has spread its wings in every sphere of the global corporate world and Indian companies are no exception. In this paper, first the growth and spread ofTQM in India is traced from its initiation to current status. Further, the paper has tried to identify the causes for poor quality of products and ervice, and the gaps that exist between the expectations and the outcome after adopting the TQM practices. Later a critical view of the quality scene in India is presented, and finally, based on these observations suitable guidelines and recommendations are made to bridge this gap. It is concluded that there is still a long way to go for Indian companies to receive the stamp of acceptance for their products at international level. Electronic access The current issue and full text archive of this Journal is available at http://www. emerald-library. com are synonymous with high quality products and trust worthiness. However, the post- independent era did not witness any spectacular improvement regarding the quality of goods and services produced in the country. According to Agrawal (1993) due to protected business environment many positive attributes of the Indian industry have been lost and weaknesses have surfaced. These weaknesses based on the study are: lack of trust and credibility in the working system, lack of clarity/seriousness for achieving target, lack of precise observance of rules and norms, low quality of supplies and components, lack of consciousness of time as money, viewing only short term benefits ahead of long term oals, politicalization of labor unions, lack of accountability for actions, lack of management commitment, lack of national quality policy, inadequate economic resources, lack of indigenous technology, inadequate infrastructure, preferring quantity to quality, lack of team spirit, cartel formation, and sellers market. Besides, lack of consumerism, Government control on everything, bureaucratic delays, quick profit making attitudes by the companies, all resulted in quality getting a low priority and consequently Indian products were constrained to serve only the domestic market being not able to compete in the international markets. Further, the factors mentioned before, clearly proved to be obstacles in the path to progress, and India in spite of possessing good resources and rich scientific and technical manpower, could not produce world-class products acceptable in the international markets. The TQM movement in India The TQM initiatives were first set by the Confederation of Indian Industries (Cll) in the early 1980s, in its pioneering effort in promoting awareness about quality among Indian industries. The work done by Cll in this direction is well documented in Deccan Herald Advertising Feature (1993) and also in The Standards Engineer (1996). In 1982, quality circles took birth in India, and some of the companies to launch quality circles first were Bharat Electronics Limited, Bangalore, and Bharat Heavvy Electricals Limited, Trichy. In 1986 the Cll then known as CEI (Confederation of Engineering Industries), invited Professor Ishikawa to India, to address industry people about quality. Later in 1987, a TQM division was set up by the Cll. This division owes its foundation to 21 companies who agreed to support the cause by pooling resources and pledging to start the Journey to TQM. Chief executives of these companies formed the National Committee on Quality, 22 Total quality management in India ? ± perspective and analysis R. Jagadeesh The TQM Magazine Volume 1 1 . Number 5. 1999 . 321? ±327 newsletter on quality. In 1987 and 1988, the Cll invited the Juran Institute to India to conduct three training workshops, and then in 1989 a team from India attended the Deming Seminar in London. Study teams organized by the Cll were taken to Japan and the USA to study quality practices. During 1990, the Cll consolidated and focused on training, and in February 1991, an Indian company with the assistance of the Cll, obtained the first ISO 9000 certification in India. The Cll organized the launch of the National Quality Campaign led by the Prime Minister of India in May 1992. It is around this time, the process of globalization and liberalization was started in the country, bringing a new dimension to the business and industrial sectors. From then on, a new line of thinking in terms of quality, productivity, and competitiveness has begun. Since 1993, the Cll has been organizing The Quality Summit every year. This provides an opportunity for all business leaders, and higher level managers of member and non-member organizations of the Cll to network, learn, and contribute hrough experience sharing, and listening to the experts who gather there. The National Productivity Council (NPC) has set up a TQM and Benchmarking Division in New Delhi, and offers TQM implementation services, which include modular training programs and consultancy services. In 1996, the Government of India announced the setting up of the Quality Council of India, (QCI) with the Industry Ministry bringing in half the seed capital of Rs. 1. 5 crores. The rest of the seed capital will be contributed by the corporate sector. The setting up of a national agency for quality certification is art of the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements, under which member countries will not trade in non-certified products two years down the line. The corporate sector too was demanding the setting up of an internationally recognized quality council as it found the certification process from foreign agencies too expensive. Besides, it would save vital foreign exchange for the country. The QCI will be entrusted with monitoring and administering of the National Quality Campaign and will also oversee the effective functioning of the National Information and Enquiry Services. Post-liberalization scene ? ± improvement in quality The economic reforms that started in 1992 have ushered in a new era of progress and prosperity in the country. According to a report published in YoJana (1997), the real gross domestic product (GDP) recorded a growth rate of 6. 8 per cent in agriculture and allied sectors, 7. 0 per cent in industry, and 7. 4 per cent in services. The Eighth Five Year Plan (EFYP) (1992-97) which ended with an average growth rate of 6. 5 per cent per annum, compares well with the target rate of 5. 6 per cent for the EFYP, and actual achievement of 6. 0 per cent in the Seventh Five Year Plan. In fact his is the highest average growth rate achieved in the planning period since 1951. The sectoral average growth rates for the period 1992-97 are: Agriculture and allied sectors ? ± 4. 0 per cent, Industry ? ± 7. 8 per cent and, Services ? ± 9. 2 per cent. Further, exports during 1996-97 registered a growth rate of 4. 1 per cent. Foreign direct inve stment amounted to US $2,696 million during 1996-97. These facts clearly indicate that the economic reforms brought through globalization and liberalization have yielded rich dividends, and hold a lot of promise for the coming years. While all ndividually to improve their product quality, besides overall performance through TQM practices. For example, Gupta and Sagar (1993) describe a case of total quality control in an engineering company through the extensive use of personal computers, and state that the Indian company was able to overcome many quality related problems which included: high rejection levels, slow inspection rates, frequent errors in measurement, inconsistency in interpreting inspection data, time consuming data storage and retrieval, rigid inspection schedules, not responding to changing environment, and quality plans not adjusted to varying batch sizes. The company improved the problem solving capacity through quality circles, and quality database at each stage. Comprehensive information systems enabled the personnel to obtain better guidance leading to improved decision making. Thus the success is attributed to systematic application of TQM. 323 The TQM Magazine volume 11 . Number 5 . 1999 . 321? ±327 Business Today (1995) in an exclusive coverage on status of quality of India, presents a detailed report on companies which are market leaders and corporate giants. The cases covered include reports on leading Indian companies like Mukand, BPL, Arvind, IFB, ABB, HDFC, Amex, Hidustan Lever, Ranbaxy, Indal, Gujarat AmbuJa, Wsya Bank, Oberoi Hotels, and Thermax. It is emphasized that these companies carved a niche for themselves by focusing on quality in their planning, operations, and marketing strategies. Awareness of quality ? ± a positive change Pati and Reis (1996) state that India is emerging as a leading economy in the new world economic order. The phenomenal increase in Indias export earnings, which rose to IJS$ 26. 2 billion in the 1994-95 fiscal year showed an increase of 18. 27 per cent over its 1993-94 export earnings of IJS$22. 7 billion. This is said to be an indicator of how its products and services are perceived by its global customers. It is further stated that the thrust has been shifted from import substitution to development of an export-oriented economy. Other pertinent observations made are: . Indian businesses are pursuing paths of superior quality and high productivity; . quality conscious consumerism; . inc reasing competition; . industries expanding their domestic share and venturing into global markets; . significant rise in the ISO 9000 certified companies. The survey conducted by Pati and Reis (1996) has further revealed many interesting aspects bout quality practices in India. The survey questionnaire has used a five-point Likert interval to capture the strength of perception, where points 1 (very high), 2 (high), 3 (medium), 4 (low), and 5 (very low) indicate the degree of current practice related to quality. The critical success factors contributing to quality and overall average scores (3. 43); . role of quality department/personnel (3. 14); . training (3. 69); . product/service design (2. 91); . supplier quality management (2. 6); process management and operating procedures (2. 74); quality data reporting (2. 72); employee relations (2. 2). It is concluded from the survey that the manufacturing sector in India is well aware of importance of quality, and efforts have been channeled to improve product quality. However, the service sector mostly Government owned and operated, lags behind the manufacturing sector in all aspects that i mply quality. TQM ? ± success stories of Indian companies Many Indian companies are beginning to realize that customer focus is an absolute requirement of TQM. Jain (1996), while writing on TQM in India, states that companies are paying closer attention to consumer feedback in order to tailor roducts to meet customer needs and are using a wide variety of methods that include benchmarking with rival products, regular customer meetings, and even engaging market research companies to collect consumer feedback on their product range and after sales service. Two specific cases are worth mentioning. Escorts Limited, an automobile manufacturing company, based on the feedback from customers and dealers, changed the delivery route to ensure safe and quick delivery. Similarly, J. K. Synthetics, based on feed back from customer meetings, focused on standardization of quality parameters, and started after-sales service. This resulted in the sales rise from 220 tonnes in first quarter of 1995 to 632 tonnes in the last quarter of the same year, an impressive growth in the sales by three times the previous value. According to a report published in Business Today (1998), some Indian companies are being guided by Yoshikazu Tsuda, a counselor at JUSE (Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers) in their quest for total quality. Some of these companies are Sona Steering, Jai Bharat Maruti, GKN Invel, Asahi Float Glass, Brakes India, Lucas TVS, India Pistons, and India Piston Rings. Further, as stated in The Economic Times (1998), sixsigma technique, which is considered to be a classic TQM technique, is being practiced by several Indian companies notable among 324 significant achievement by an Indian company due to its practicing TQM principles is reported by Sridharan (1998a). The Indian company Sundaram Fasteners located near Chennai, India, has received the Best of Best Vendors Award consecutively for two years during 1996 and 1997, for its supply of metal radiator caps to General Motors, USA. The award was given to the company for its consistent zero defects rate, 100 percent reliability in delivery schedules, and lowest price. The company is the only supplier to General Motors, USA from India out of its 3,000 supplier companies scattered all over the globe. In an exclusive interview covered by Premchander (1996), the managing director of Asea Brown Boveri Ltd (a partly owned subsidiary of Asea Brown Boveri Limited, Zurich) one of the very successfully operating multi-national companies in India, has stated that the managers have to spend time and resources on TQM. A historical achievement by an Indian company winning the coveted Deming Prize for Overseas Companies, for successful implementation of TQM, is reported by Sridharan (1998b). The Indian company Sundaram Clayton, has successfully turned its people into quality practitioners by the actual deployment of TQM tools, techniques, and systems. 38 ? ± time to market; 22 ? ± corporate credibility. Indian quality scene ? ± a critical view The developments related to Indian companies, concerning quality of products and services, need to be examined on a comparative global scale. This would enable judgement of the progress made in improving quality. A survey made in 1994 in which products and services from 41 countries were ranked by World Competitiveness Report indicates that the quality of Indian products and services is isappointing. According to the summary of results given in Skaria (1995), Indias rank based on different quality parameters is as follows (the rank out of 41 is given followed by the parameter): . 39? ± price to quality; . 38 ? ± practice ofTQM; . 40? ± customer orientation; . 28 ? ± product liability; . 39 ? ± time to innovate; The report clearly suggested that on a global scale, Indian products and services are far from satisfactory, and have a poor image. This is a major cause of worry for the corporate managers particularly for those looking for new markets, and ventures with oreign collaborators. One commonly quoted reason for getting away with low quality in India, is lack of pressure from consumers. Many managers are of the opinion that unless the customers are aware of their right to demand high quality, and insist on companies to invest in quality, they continue to receive poor quality products. While the growth and spread of quality practices are slow in India, TQM has firmly seated itself in other Asiatic countries. In a cover feature on Quality in Asia reported in World Executive Digest (1996), it is stated that as Asia grapples with the challenge of lobalization, more and more companies seek ISO 9000 certification and adopt TQM. Companies in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, and China are overtly involved in embracing practices of total quality to march ahead in global markets. According to The Economic Intelligence Unit (1996), which surveyed companies in Hong Kong on issues in the region. The growth of TQM across Asia however means that new approaches are being developed in the region. These observations clearly suggest that India has to carefully watch the developments in the Asiatic region, as TQM principles have been successfully applied by several countries improving their utput quality, attracting more foreign investment, and hence capable of restricting Indias share in the global market. What the quality experts say In spite of the hype created by the ISO 9000 bandwagon, which today has more than 1,500 companies certified as such, quality is yet to emerge as a major strength of Indian products. Managers of Indian companies have still a lot to learn and implement in the image building process based on quality. This is perhaps aptly summarized by a statement made by Philip Crosby as reported in The Times of India (1997). While addressing a 325 ews conference at the end of his weeklong visit to India, Crosby has said that complacency is a major problem with the Indian management system. The managers of Indian industries should take this seriously. In an interview published in Business India (1997-98) James Harrington, a leading authority in the field of quality, has stated that India still has four types of companies: those with poor performance, with good performance, with better performance, and with outstanding performance. Harrington remarks that companies with poor performance went bankrupt in other parts of the world, while those with good performance would follow them. But those with better performance will survive and those with outstanding performance would explode into the twentyflrst century. This indicates that India still has scope for bad products, and bad performance, which need to be immediately curbed. It is pointed out by Sukumar (1998) that TQM continues to baffle corporate India, as evident by the different interpretations made by each person in the industry about what is TQM. It was observed during the Sixth Quality Summit organized by the Cll in New Delhi, that TQM means anything and everything depending on the individuals perspective, politics, and paradigms. During the summit as many as nine different definitions were presented by the speakers about what constitutes TQM. This means people in the corporate sector have no consensus about the concept of TQM and it could be a deterrent in its implementation. In another survey conducted by Arun et al. (1998) with regard to ISO certified companies interesting observations were made about implementing TQM in a company. Out of 17 companies that were surveyed, managers in seven companies said that though they believe in TQM they do not know how to implement it. The survey further revealed that the long term supplier elationship, an essential ingredient for successful implementation of TQM, has not the implementation of TQM were found to be: continued dependence on traditional incentive schemes, numerical targets, performance rating, slogans for improving productivity, and not identifying and providing the right type of training for each and everyone as demanded for every Job. The survey concludes that if all these factors are not mitigated a company may continue as ISO certified but not be recognized as a TQM company. Comments and conclusion The various surveys independently conducted by researchers and business ublications have revealed that awareness on quality of products and services has picked up in India. With quality based competition intensifying, Indian industries and business people are showing keen interest in improving the quality of products through TQM. A number of organizations, private and Government are actively propagating TQM through a variety of training and educational programs. TQM has proved to be a vital ingredient for success, and now has its permanent roots in the mission and vision of the Indian corporate sector. However, based on common observations the requirements for quality to succeed in India can be summarized as ollows: . a strong consumer movement; . a sincere and committed drive by the corporate sector to keep quality as the main focus; . trict enforcement of standards by the regulatory bodies and authorities; . avoidance of multiple grading of quality in products, like export quality, first grade, seconds, import rejects, etc. ; . setting an example in adhering to high quality performance and output, before pointing to others. While TQM no doubt has enabled the Indian companies to improve the quality of products and services, the international market demands still higher uality levels to give due recognition a nd acceptance.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Childcare Protection in Social Work | Case Study

Childcare Protection in Social Work | Case Study Critically evaluate, the evidence and application of the knowledge and practice skills required in helping children during the enquiry, investigation and assessment phases of childcare and protection work. The objective of this article is to explore the evidence and knowledge, values and skills that social workers use in child protection investigation and assessment. In the course of this commentary and self-evaluation, we will highlight the responsibilities of professionals in social work and: a) articulate the professional role and tasks of social workers and demonstrate an appreciation of the role and tasks of other significant professionals in childcare and protection investigation and assessment b) articulate what social workers understand by interdisciplinary work and their part in this c) articulate the values which inform the practice of social work during inquiry, investigation and assessment, paying particular attention to practice when conflicts arise e) demonstrate an example of anti-discriminatory practice during inquiry, investigation and assessment in relation to at least one of the following: race, gender, disability, poverty, sexuality and religion f) demonstrate effective practice in assessing, planning and evaluating interventions (Moore, 1985) g) convey a knowledge and understanding of models of investigation, assessment and risk analysis in practice h) make effective links between the commentary on the practice of social work and the theoretical bases in relevant literature For our purposes, we would investigate all these aspects of social work blending theory and practice, assessment and investigation and analyze the roles and responsibilities of social workers and their approach towards interdisciplinary collaborative practice. We would also critically evaluate the following case study to show the application and efficacy of knowledge and skills of social workers in childcare and protection work. Case Study: 14-year-old boy from Ireland, arrived in Scotland after being abducted by a man from Dublin. Past history of the boy is given as follows- he had been sexually abused by a neighbour for many years. The case of abuse went to court, the accused man was found not guilty due to lack of evidence. The boy ended up in childrens home and then on the streets in Dublin. He was persuaded by an older man to come to Scotland for better life. The man passed the boy off as his son (as he had no passport) and brought the boy to the UK. Once in the UK the boy was sexually abused by the man, ran off and went to police station. The social worker became involved as responsible and testified in police interview that the boy had learning difficulties. Application of Knowledge and Skills in Social work for Childcare and Protection: Social workers have the objective of improving people’s lives and help people to function in the best possible way within their social environment, helping them to deal with their relationships and solve their personal and family problems. Social workers also deal with issues of domestic and sexual abuse and often provide requisite care in a health related setting. Short-term intervention, community based care and ambulatory services are provided by the social workers and governed by care organizations (Howe, 2005). Child, family and school social workers provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and try to maximize academic achievements of the children and improve family relationships. Social workers help to find foster homes and care services for neglected, abused and abandoned children and address problems of misbehavior, truancy, delinquency and sexual deviation in children and adolescents. Chi ld, family, and school social workers typically work in schools, care settings, individual and family services agencies, or State and local governmental agencies providing social support (Munro, 2002). These social workers that work for children are also known as child welfare social workers, child protective services social workers. Social workers who work with entire families are family services social workers, occupational social workers, or if they work for betterment of aged people they are gerontology social workers. Child protection services are aimed at preventing and protecting children from being harmed through neglect or abuse at home, at school, in the community or in society at large. The Social work department of the UK government contributes to a multi-agency collaborative approach to care and protection of children who are vulnerable and easily exploited and abused. The collaborative efforts of the Police, Health, Education and Housing departments ensure a coordinated response towards the care and protection of children. This is coordinated and supervised by the Child Protection Committee, which follows the legislation noted in the Children’s Scotland Act, 1995 (Francis, 2000). The Department of social work has a specific responsibility for the promotion of child protection and welfare. For protection of children from abuse and neglect, the Social Work Services have the following responsibilities: Supporting families to maintain children within their own home and community where appropriate. Investigating allegations of child abuse. Where necessary, providing appropriate care placements for children. Referring those children who are believed to require compulsory measures of care to adequately protect them to the Reporter to the Childrens Hearing system. Organizing and chairing multi-agency child protection meetings. Coordinating multi-agency child protection plans for those children on the child protection register. One of the most important phases in child protection and care is assessment. In the assessment stage, the needs of children and their families and views of the carers are taken into consideration by the social workers, health professionals, and psychologists who perform the assessment and determine the individual and varied needs and assess how they can be met (Walker, 2003). The social workers, health professionals, housing officers, teachers, the police as well as carers and the children or young people themselves, contribute to a multi-agency assessment of needs. The legislative framework followed for childcare in social work is the Children Scotland Act, 1995 (Francis, 2000), some features of which are discussed later in the context of the case study. Considering the case study of the 14-year-old boy discussed above we evaluate the knowledge and skills of social workers in the investigative, inquiry and assessment phases of child protection work. According to the Children’s Scotland Act, 1995, the following legislative framework was provided if a person is not a natural parent or do not have parental responsibilities. Care or control of child by person without parental responsibilities or parental rights. 5.—(1)Subject to subsection (2) below, it shall be the responsibility of a person who has attained the age of sixteen years and who has care or control of a child under that age, but in relation to him either has no parental responsibilities or parental rights or does not have the parental responsibility mentioned in section 1(1)(a) of this Act, to do what is reasonable in all the circumstances to safeguard the childs health, development and welfare; and in fulfilling his responsibility under this section the person may in particular, even though he does not have the parental right mentioned in section 2(1)(d) of this Act, give consent to any surgical, medical or dental treatment or procedure where— (a)the child is not able to give such consent on his own behalf; and (b)it is not within the knowledge of the person that a parent of the child would refuse to give the consent in question. (2)Nothing in this section shall apply to a person in so far as he has care or control of a child in a school (school having the meaning given by section 135(1) of the [1980 c.44.] Education (Scotland) Act 1980). Views of children. 6.—(1)A person shall, in reaching any major decision which involves— (a)his fulfilling a parental responsibility or the responsibility mentioned in section 5(1) of this Act; or (b)his exercising a parental right or giving consent by virtue of that section, have regard so far as practicable to the views (if he wishes to express them) of the child concerned, taking account of the childs age and maturity, and to those of any other person who has parental responsibilities or parental rights in relation to the child (and wishes to express those views); and without prejudice to the generality of this subsection a child twelve years of age or more shall be presumed to be of sufficient age and maturity to form a view. (2)A transaction entered into in good faith by a third party and a person acting as legal representative of a child shall not be challengeable on the ground only that the child, or a person with parental responsibilities or parental rights in relation to the child, was not consulted or that due regard was not given to his views before the transaction was entered into. Section 6 especially highlights the views of the children in parental rights and responsibilities, so our case study here in which the 14-year-old boy was deliberately brought to Scotland and was forced to live with a man who abused him repeatedly is definitely illegal. Section 6(2) specifically mentions that a person can claim parental responsibility only when there is complete consent by the child. This has again not been the case here. The legislative care procedures for children at risk of harm is as follows: Short-term refuges for children at risk of harm. 38.—(1)Where a child appears— (a)to a local authority to be at risk of harm, they may at the childs request— (i)provide him with refuge in a residential establishment both controlled or managed by them and designated by them for the purposes of this paragraph; or (ii)arrange for a person whose household is approved by virtue of section 5(3)(b) of the [1968 c.49.] Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 (provision for securing that persons are not placed in any household unless the household has prescribed approval) and is designated by them for the purposes of this paragraph, to provide him with refuge in that household, for a period which does not exceed the relevant period; (b)to a person who carries on a residential establishment in respect of which the person is for the time being registered (as mentioned in section 61(2) of that Act), or to any person for the time being employed in the management of that establishment, to be at risk of harm, the person to whom the child so appears may at the childs request provide him with refuge, for a period which does not exceed the relevant period, in the establishment but shall do so only if and to the extent that the local authority within whose area the establishment is situated have given their approval to the use of the establishment (or a part of the establishment) for the purposes of this paragraph. Usually when a child, as understood by a young person below the age of 16 is in any risk of harm as in this case study, it is legally required to provide him with shelter and protection at a residential establishment managed by local governmental authorities and social care services. In cases of neglect, abuse or torture this protection is mandatory. Thus the knowledge and skills of social workers to protect any child under 16 is also related to her understanding of legal implications and framework. The initial stage is assessment of the child’s needs followed by inquiry and investigation through background checks and psychological tests in which problems of the child and his background and social environment are analyzed. In this case study, the 14 year old boy is assessed with the help of past history, police records, psychological and medical tests and it was revealed from these procedures that we was not only tortured and abused by the person who took him away from Dublin, but was also suffering from learning disabilities. Thus along with the conditions of neglect and abuse, the child can also be considered disabled and separate legislative procedures have to be considered in this case. For Children with disabilities, the legal implications are as follows: Children affected by disability. 23.—(1)Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) of section 22 of this Act, services provided by a local authority under that subsection shall be designed— (a)to minimise the effect on any— (i)disabled child who is within the authoritys area, of his disability; and (ii)child who is within that area and is affected adversely by the disability of any other person in his family, of that other persons disability; and (b)to give those children the opportunity to lead lives which are as normal as possible. (2)For the purposes of this Chapter of this Part a person is disabled if he is chronically sick or disabled or suffers from mental disorder (within the meaning of the [1984 c.36.] Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984). (3)Where requested to do so by a childs parent or guardian a local authority shall, for the purpose of facilitating the discharge of such duties as the authority may have under section 22(1) of this Act (whether or not by virtue of subsection (1) above) as respects the child, carry out an assessment of the child, or of any other person in the childs family, to determine the needs of the child in so far as attributable to his disability or to that of the other person. Assessment of ability of carers to provide care for disabled children. 24.—(1)Subject to subsection (2) below, in any case where— (a)a local authority carry out under section 23(3) of this Act an assessment to determine the needs of a disabled child, and (b)a person (in this section referred to as the carer ) provides or intends to provide a substantial amount of care on a regular basis for that child, the carer may request the local authority, before they make a decision as to the discharge of any duty they may have under section 2(1) of the [1970 c.44.] Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 or under section 22(1) of this Act as respects the child, to carry out an assessment of the carers ability to continue to provide, or as the case may be to provide, care for that child; and if the carer makes such a request, the local authority shall carry out such an assessment and shall have regard to the results of it in making any such decision. A child is considered to have a disability if he is chronically sick or suffers from some form of mental disorder that stops him from actively participating in normal daily activities. As we have already indicated the three stages of inquiry, investigation and assessment are important in child protection and childcare. In the inquiry and investigation phases, the police and the social workers obtain the history and background of the child. In the assessment phase, health workers, doctors, social workers, carers, and psychologists work together to assess the problem of the child, instances of abuse and the legal implications of the child’s conditions. Assessment of disability, if any, the child’s mental, physical and social problems and the general abilities and health of the child is important (Walker, 2003). Knowledge of legal implications and skills of social work practice and theories on mental health and disabilities are not only useful but also necessary in childca re and protection work. The ethical consideration and values are also considered here by the social worker as anti-discriminatory measures for disability, poverty, race or gender are also taken into consideration (Banks, 2001). A disabled person is entitled to his human rights to be treated equally and any discrimination would come under oppressive or discriminatory practice. It is the responsibility of the social workers to see to it that this is avoided. As we have already indicated a recognition of models and theories of practice, values and ethics of social services and an ability and appreciation of working in a collaborative effort with other professionals in varied fields are the most important characteristics in social work and child protection. Conclusion: In this case study, a 14-year-old boy abused and abducted was brought to UK where he sought the help of police, who according to legal requirements provided him with residential care. The boy was looked after by carers and social workers in the residential care arrangement where his condition was investigated further by the police and his mental and physical conditions were also assessed by social and health workers. In this article we discussed the importance of knowledge and practice skills of social workers relating the values, dilemmas and ethical considerations of childcare and highlighted the importance of legal implications using the relevant clauses in the Children’s Scotland Act, 1995. Bibliography Banks, Sarah. 2001.  Ethics and values in social work /Sarah Banks.  2nd ed.  Basingstoke :Palgrave. Francis, Joe. 2000.  Child protection and social work practice :exploring the impact of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995.  University of Edinburgh, Department of Social Work. Howe, David, 2005.  Child abuse and neglect :attachment, development and intervention /David Howe.  Basingstoke :Palgrave Macmillan. Moore, Jean G. 1985.  The ABC of child abuse work /Jean G. Moore.  Aldershot :Gower. Munro, Eileen. 2002.  Effective child protection /Eileen Munro.  London :SAGE. Scourfield, Jonathan. 2002.  Gender and child protection /Jonathan Scourfield ; consultant editor, Jo Campling.  New York :Palgrave Walker, Steven. 2003.  Social work assessment and intervention /by Steven Walker and Chris Beckett.  Lyme Regis :Russell House Publishing. Scottish Local Government Information Unit.  Children (Scotland) Act 1995:a guide.  Scottish Local Government Information Unit,1995. Also see Children Scotland Act, 1995 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/ Child Protection – Social work services http://www.inverclyde.gov.uk/Social_Work/

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Essay --

Introduction The National Security Agency (NSA) is considered to be one of the largest components so the U.S intelligence community stands. It is primarily responsible for gathering intelligence report from detailed communications with the active involvement of the various intelligence tools. It was established in 1952 from the code breaking effort adopted by the handful of military officers and civilians and by and by and by the agency grew in stature and marked its position to gain the role of signal intelligence which is also known as SIGNIT. All of this has resulted from the initiatives taken by the congress and actually it is the congress that helped in providing it the required framework required NSA to carry out its various activities and the enacted laws skilfully guides the limits of NSA. From the perspective of electronic surveillance of US persons and also they are supporting and taking due notice of the public pertaining to the issues at NSA and the related reforms that are directed to make NSA more and more equipped in meeting up with the quotidian technical as well as geopolitical challenges. At present, NSA is constantly coming across multitude of challenges and as well as seeing through a difficult operational environment that brings in certain limitations to its work areas like spending levels for intelligence reports into queries for the future prospects of NSA. The European Parliament has also came forward highlighting the interest of the public who allege that the US along with few other countries are constantly involved in systematic electronic eavesdropping so as to be able to launce the commercial interest of US operations in full effect. (Linda B. 1999) In response to the huge amount of congressional conc... ...concern of the Congress concerning the activity of the NSA is very unlikely to finish and the researchers are of the opinion that amidst attacks on NSA, members of the European parliaments and the members of the Congress jointly may come up and criticize not only the operations and activities as undertaken by the NSA but also its roles and missions. Funding for the efforts being undertaken on part of the NSA has widespread results from the consideration of geopolitical as well as technological work environments that needs to be put into some sort of balance against other prevalent requirements. (Jeremy S. 2000) And more so to a much enhanced degree as compared to that of the past, the Congress is expected to continue to indulge itself in internal challenges in the agency designed to gain in capabilities from the perspective of boosting the technological framework. â€Æ'

Friday, October 11, 2019

Family structure Essay

First of all the meaning of a family varies from place to place and from culture to culture. Nowadays in some countries there are different types of family existence. For instance traditional extended family has dominated the Saudi Arabia, they have considered the parents the siblings aunts and uncles cousins and grand and great grand parents form the basic unit of the society. The traditional extended family structure has ended up being in Saudi because of the maintenance of the Islamic social, political, and political values. This means that every single being identity in Saudi Arabia posts a collective ancestry, respect for elders, obligation and responsibility for the welfare of other family members. Australian families cannot be compared with the Saudi Arabian type of a family we can define the Australian type of a family as nuclear one but not all families are nuclear. This defines the Australian Family, Which is there might be couple with or without co-resident children of any age or lone parents with co-resident children of any age or other families of related adults such as brothers or sisters living together where no couple or parent –child relationship exists. Effect of Family Structure on Life Satisfaction: Australian Evidence. (2010). Australian community is considered to be the bread winner that is the mother can go to work with the father, but majority the mother provides for the family whereas the father organizes a good bond with the kids. Australia institute of family studies (2010). The mother and the father are responsible for the decision of the family and are both responsible in raising and taking care of the children. This is much different with the Saudi Arabian parents the mother is responsible for the taking care id the children and the house hold chores while the father is still considered to be the head of the family, sons and daughters are taught on how to follow the inherited traditions and responsibilities. a womas life Saudi Arabia (2008). The development of culture beliefs and habit from the past has brought up a difference of the role of the men and women I n both Australia and Saudi Arabia. Both the countries beliefs state that the man still remains the head of the family and the woman remains the care giver of the children, no matter how they try to change the role it will remain the culture being the same. There is difference on the two countries on the bond of the parent and the teenager for example in Australia the mother and the father is always close to the teenager, he gives advice to the teenager and allows him to take the necessary decisions for himself f but this is very different in Saudi Arabia where by the teenage boy should only be seen with other teen age boys and the teenage girl should stay with other teenage girls, they do not make there own decision they follow up the inherited tradition and responsibities. In Australia it is the role of the parent to allow the children to have enough space on what they are supposed to do that is taking care of the children is very necessary but letting them make there own choice, but the Saudi Arabia its much different where by some children will be allowed to take care of other children but at the same time under the supervision of the parent David E (2003). Both the mother and the father in Australia pay close attention to there children for instance they can interact freely with them by either the child is a girl or a boy, but this is also different in Saudi Arabia where by the father is free with the boy child and the mother is free with the girl child. Skolnik A (2010) Reference list: A Woman’s Life in Saudi Arabia. (2008). Available http://americanbedu. com/2008/03/06/a-womans-life-in-saudi-arabia/(accessed April 23, 2010). Australian Institute of Family Studies. Available(2010). http://www. aifs. gov. au/ (accessed April 25, 2010). David E. (2003) The Role of the Extended Family in Saudi Arabia.. http://www. saudi-american-forum. org/Newsletters/SAF_Essay_09. htm(accessed April 24, 2010). Effect of Family Structure on Life Satisfaction: Australian Evidence. (2010). http://ideas. repec. org/p/iae/iaewps/wp2004n24. html (accessed April 22, 2010). Skolnik, A. Politics of Family Structure. (2010). http://www. scu. edu/ethics/publications/other/lawreview/familystructure. html (accessed April 24, 2010). Some sub-cultural variables in family structure in Australia . 2010. http://www. informaworld. com/smpp/1461654283-62197970/content~content=a782578385? words=taft&hash=1395657467 (accessed April 24, 2010).

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Migratory Behavior of Mallard Ducks Essay

There are four fundamental decisions that most animals make when it comes to mechanisms of adaptation: where to live, how to gather food, how to avoid predators, and what tactics to use to reproduce (Alcock, 1993). Habitat preferences in animals require satisfying their needs (ignoring or actively avoiding others, nutritional needs to perform growth, development and reproduction) at the same time experiencing higher fitness than those unable to settle in the favored habitat. There were also several hypothesis presented which correlates habitat preference and fitness. The seasonal dispersion of some animals like ducks is a costly business in terms of energetic expenses and risk to exposure to predators. On the other hand, considering dispersal cost, animals that do not respond to dispersion pay the price of deterioration due to the inability to adapt to the prevailing ecological conditions. Considering the inbreeding avoidance hypothesis (Ralls et. al, 1979), on ducks in particular, Mallard ducks may have migrated then for the purpose of expanding their genetic pool by interbreeding with Anas rubipes a close relative of the Anas playrynhos. The costly dispersal of Mallards may have been to avoid inbreeding depression primary of which is to circumvent the expression of damaging recessive alleles resulting from the mating of two closely related mates of the same species. This further correlates with the mate competition hypothesis (Moore and Ali, 1984), which states that males tend to fight against one another for mates therefore looser find it more energy efficient to seek closely related species to which they may successfully mate. When mating season is over, male disperses to avoid their daughters when these female become sexually mature. Animals engage into energetically exhaustive activity trying to complete the course of their journey to attain its fundamental goals. As the animal arrives to its destination, the issue of territoriality always comes to mind whenever a new species is introduced into a new environment and every time the visitor interacts with the native. While other animals ignore or tolerate the presence of a new species in its territory, others are extraordinarily aggressive in defending their territory from intruders. Territoriality among animals contributes to reproductive successes or failure to the contrary which further leads to interspecific competition. If suitable breeding sites really are short of supply, then one should be able to find non-territorial, non-breeding, individuals in populations of territorial animals. If this is so, the niche similarity of the visitors to the native may introduce interspecific competition with the available supplies. Territoriality may also influence the reproductive success of these visitors as it was found by Dhondt and Schillemans (1983). Territorial animals may invade the nesting sites of migratory birds which may lead to decreased viability and clutch. The ability of birds to fly and survive various environmental conditions has led to their development over time. Seasonal migration of mallard ducks (Anas platyrynchos) has been one of the intriguing aspects of its behavior. This behavior has been influenced mainly by several factors such as foraging (Heitmeyer, 2006), competition (Mc Auley, et al. , 2004), reproductive behaviors (Hill, 1984) which also includes the preservation of nesting sites, and interbreeding (Brodsky, 1989) and seasonal weather conditions (Ridgill, et al. , 1990 in D. Hill, 1992, Whyte & Bolen, 1984, Poiani & Johnson, 1991). Statement of the Problem From previous articles, it has been reported that Mallard ducks are reoccupying old territories throughout the United States and Canada (Talent, et. al. , 1983). From this observation, it can be inferred that various ecological changes in both habitat and inhabitants may take place. Since mallard ducks in this regard are annual visitors in these habitats, the temporary habitation of previous and new territories may significantly affect native animal species. With the combined hypothesis that Mallard ducks migrate from previously occupied territories due to overlapping conditions which may occupy new territories due to insufficiency of the previous, the study will assess the behavioral patterns of Mallard ducks towards returning to previous foraging territories and establishing new foraging regions (migratory routes) outside of their original habitats, specifically the study will address four major areas of concern. 1. What behavior of the Anas playrynchos determines the suitability of a habitat to be considered sufficient which helps it decide to inhabit previous foraging territories and new regions outside of their original habitats? 2. What behavioral mechanism will the Anas platyrynchos exhibit upon visiting a previous foraging territory and new regions outside of their original habitats if a highly territorial organisms was encountered upon landing? 3. What general behavioral model applies during the interaction of two closely related species (Anas rubipes and Anas platyrynchos) occupying the same niche in terms of: a. Reproductive tactics b. Foraging preferences c. Territoriality 4. What chances that the introduction of less territorial animal may cause significant adaptive stress (competitive stress) to a more territorial species? Hypotheses It is hypothesized that there is no significant differences in the previously reported behavioral mechanisms in Anas platyrynchos that helps it determine to decide on its habitat preferences. Alternatively, Anas platyrynchos establishes new migratory routes due to impending factors such as avoidance of predators, seasonal weather conditions, reproductive tactics and foraging preferences. Else, Anas platyrynchos establishes new migratory route or return to previous foraging areas due to certain conditions such as habitat destruction, scarcity of supplies needed to reproduce, and extreme territoriality between natives and migrants. Experimental Design In order to test these hypotheses, the study will be divided into two phases: the in vivo phase and in vitro phase. At the in vitro phase, groups of experimental populations of Mallard ducks will be placed in a study area which will allow observation of significant behavioral patterns relevant to foraging, reproductive tactics/quality such as mate preference, clutch size, egg size and viability, and interspecific competition. Two species of closely related species of ducks the Anas rubipes (native, will be allowed to acclimatize until such time that they one or two reproductive cycles have been achieved) and Anas platyrynchos (introduced species, will be introduced only after the native have been acclimatized well) will be situated in the same habitat which will be observed for close interaction. Behavioral patterns on mate preferences and competitive exclusion will be observed by on-site observation using a hidden observation platform. Foraging preferences will be looked upon by collection and analysis of droppings from both species. Geographical invasion of feeding territories will be looked upon by assigning quadrat areas which will be initially determined by the territorial preferences of both species of ducks. Territoriality will be measured by the number of times the more aggressive native will disturb the nesting sites of the migrants and the instance that the migrant will be driven away from a specific foraging site. Specific effects of such behavior will be measured by performing initial and final biometry of the two species of ducks. Decrease in biometric qualities from both adult and eggs would mean the inability to adapt into such competitive behavior. Possible effects of migrant foraging on native non-avian species will also be observed by recording the feeding activity of non-avian species living along the vicinity which might directly contribute to the promotion or disruption of the food chain brought about by the introduction of a new consumer. To observe the habitat preference of ducks with is natural behavior in its intact natural behavior, the in vivo phase will be done. Radio satellite transceivers will be wing banded on representative Anas platyrynchos through catch and tag method (including the alpha male) that are about to engage into seasonal journey to trace their possible destinations and stop-over. The result will be compared to previous annual migration data (20 years in succession or more depending on the available information) to establish a pattern supporting the behavioral mechanism that the ducks employ in selecting a habitat which sooth their preference. On site visitation of previously reported migration destinations will be surveyed to confirm habitation of previously occupied regions. Ecological evaluation and mapping of visited areas (stop-over and final destination) will be done and compared with other visited areas for specific pattern. Thorough monitoring of migration paths via remote sensing will be followed to confirm if ever there is a change in the migratory route. Conclusions will be based on the assessment of significant differences between the previously reported data and the novel information. Summary All in all, birds may move to various locations for survival. If the prevailing conditions decrease fitness, migratory ducks may move to different locations to continue to find food, reproduce and avoid predation. When the conditions increase fitness, these ducks will then return to their natal site where they will breed and raise their young. It may be that physical conditions and forces that govern the earth’s magnetic poles, hormonal changes, changing weather patterns or other various factors contribute to the birds’ urge to migrate to their seasonal habitats. For the purpose of this paper, the most important factor to be considered are the consequences to native animals belonging in the same niche brought about by abrupt or gradual changes in migratory routes and the resulting occupation of new or old territories. In the evolutionary perspective, animals are able to adapt into their environment mainly by employing specific behavioral mechanisms that would enable them to perfectly cope. At the event that an animal fails to establish equilibrium with its environment, serious complications arise. The study will better establish significant behavioral patterns in Mallard ducks which enable to blend in and adapt in variable habitats. Such adaptive behavior may serve as a key towards preserving animal species that are in danger of extinction simply because the adaptive behavior is not appropriate for survival. References Cited Alcock, John. 1993. Animal Behavior: an evolutionary approach, 5th ed. Sinauer Associates, USA. 279-379. Dhondt A. A. , and J. Schillemans. 1983. Reproductive success of the great tit in relation to its territorial status. Animal Behavior 31:902-912. Heitmeyer, M. E. 2006. The Importance of Winter Floods to Mallards in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Journal of Wildlife Management. Vol. 70, No. 1. pp. 101-110. Hill, David. 1992. Cold Weather Movements of Waterfowls in Western Europe. The Journal of Animal Ecology, Vol. 61, No. 1. Feb. , pp. 238-239. Hill, D. A. 1984. Population Regulation in the Mallard (Anas platyrynchos). Journal of Animal Ecology. 53. pp. 191-202. Mc Auley, D. G. , et. al. 2004. Dynamic use of wetlands by black Mallards: Evidence Against Competitive Exclusion. Wildlife Society Bulletin. Vol. 32. , No. 2. pp. 465-473. Poiani, K. A. , Johnson, W. C. 1991. Global Warming and Prairie Wetlands. BioScience, Vol. 41, No. 9. Oct. pp. 611-618. Talent, L. G. , et. al. 1983. Survival of Mallard Broods in South-Central North Dakota. The Condor, Vol. 85, No. 1. Feb. , 1983, pp. 74-78. Whyte, R. J. , and Bolen, E. G. 1984. Impact of Winter Stress on Mallards Body Composition. The Condor, Vol. 86, No. 4. pp. 477-482. Moore, J. , and R. Ali. 1984. Are dispersal and inbreeding avoidance related? Animal behavior 32:94-112. Ralls, K. , et. al. 1979. Inbreeding and juvenile mortality in small populations of ungulates. Science 206: 1101-1103.