Professional Development Essay

Nurses are the largest work force in the healthcare industry. The increasing demands for nurses opt to increase the quality of care given by these nurses. The Institute of Medicine (IOM, 2010) states that patients â€Å"deserve the care that centered on their unique needs and not what is most convenient for the health care professionals†. Nursing practice has changed significantly since the beginning of the profession secondary to increased demand for high quality care given and for the safety of the nurses and the patients. In order to overcome these challenges the Institute of Medicine (IOM) created a report that served as a foundation for the future and advancement of nursing. IOM reported that, â€Å"Nurses have the opportunity to play a central role in transforming the healthcare system to create a more accessible, high quality, and value-driven environment for patients†. (Institute of Medicine [IOM], 2010, pg. 85) The IOM report, †The Future of Nursing: Lead ing Change, Advancing Health†, emphasized on different topics with regards to the future of nursing especially the importance of nursing education, nursing practice and the roles of nurses as a leader in the healthcare system. The goal of nursing education is for the nurses to be prepared to face the increasing needs of a diverse population of patients and to deliver a safe and quality patient care. In addition, the transformation of nursing education is encouraged to prepare new nurses to work hand in hand with other healthcare professionals in different settings. These changes are needed because of technological advancements, older patient population and increasing complexity of the patient conditions. Care in the acute care setting and outside the hospital has become more complex as well. Nurses have to be trained on flexibility and ability to take in more roles than what is expected when they graduate nursing. With this note, advancement in the education curriculum and changes are needed to compensate for these demands. Nurses should be able to have evidence-based practice care, collaborative skills with other professionals, be proficient with the new technologies and even more skilled on the acute and chronic healthcare settings. Most hospitals are teaching hospitals and require more BSN graduate nurses  in their workforce. The IOM has a view to increase BSN nurses working in hospitals from 50% to 100%. In spite of this view, IOM set a goal of having BSN nursing percentage of 80% by 2020. This is â€Å"necessary to move the nursing workforce to an expanded set of competencies, especially in the domains of community and public health, leadership, systems improvement and change, research and health policy†. (IOM, 2010, pg. 173) In addition, having a BSN degree is a good foundation for nurses to advance to a higher education, APRNs and Doctorate levels, that will in turn advance nurses to research, faculty nurses to teach future nurses, ability to participate in creating healthcare policies and leadership roles. IOM also encourages having bridge programs from RN to BSN and having a residency program that will allow nurses to gain more skills, experience and knowledge and alleviate the stress around new nurses that are being thrown out of the real world without enough exposure and understanding of the profession. There are plenty of barriers in accomplishing these goals but with proper incentives, motivation and encouragement that are given to nurses, it is not impossible to have a better future in nursing education and have more educated and advanced nursing workforce in our society today. IOM also emphasized the importance of advancing the nursing practice to the community and not just concentrate in the acute care setting due to the increasing needs of the population and changes in the healthcare system. The outdated policies governing nursing scope of practice is a hindrance to the advancement of nursing practice and because of this patients are limited to access a better quality of care. IOM stressed on their report that a necessary alteration in nursing practice is needed to provide patient-centered care; deliver more primary as opposed to specialty care; deliver more care in the community rather than the acute care setting; provide seamless care; enable all health professionals to practice to the full extent of their education, training, and competencies; and foster inter-professional collaboration. (IOM, 2010, pg. 86-87) Nurses are encouraged to pursue their education to Advanced Practical Registered Nurses (APRN) due to a shortage of primary care professionals in the acute and mainly in the community healthcare setting. APRNs are knowledgeable, well trained and proficient enough to provide safe and high quality of care without the supervision of a primary doctor. IOM believes that changes in the regulations and expanding the scope of practice of nurses and of APRNs are necessary so that they can have the ability to practice and make decisions more independently. â€Å"The committee believes all health professionals should practice to the full extent of their education and training so that more patients may benefit†. (IOM, 2010, pg. 96) Again having bridge programs and residency programs for new nurses will help with the advancement of nursing practice. Redefining the roles and extending the scope of nursing practice is highly recommended by the IOM for the future of the nursing profession and to keep up with the evolution of the healthcare environment. Another vision that the IOM has is nurses as leaders in healthcare. It is time for nurses to move forward from bedside roles and start being active as leaders and partners with other healthcare professionals in delivering high quality care to patients. Together with the changes of nursing education and nursing practice, nurses as leaders are required to finally reach the goal of an advanced healthcare system. IOM’s vision â€Å"specifically challenges nurses to demonstrate full partnership with physicians and other healthcare professionals in redesigning U.S healthcare.† (Porer-O’Grady, 2011, pg. 33) in addition the IOM â€Å"report suggests that the nursing profession must produce leaders at every level of the system and accept key leadership positions in policy, politics, organizations, and practice.† (Porer-O’Grady, 2011, pg. 33) Today’s advancements in technology, nurses have an important role in research and they assist in developing evidence-based practice care to maintain safety. Nurses are the main caregivers and they understand very well the healthcare process. Nurses also play a vital role in delivering quality patient care through facilitation, coordination and making sure everything is at ease. So it is imperative that nurses be involved in policy making and provide strategies to improve care delivery and ensure quality  care. With these expectations put into nurses, it is every nurse’s responsibility to advance in their career, through education, be very well rounded with competencies and be active partners and be future leaders in the healthcare system. In conclusion, IOM has a very broad insight and goals with regards to the future of nursing. In order to achieve these goals, the importance of advancing nursing education and practice are emphasized as well as having more nursing leaders in the healthcare system. Having more BSN graduate nurses in the acute care settings and having more APRNs extending their services to the community is going to facilitate the advancement that the IOM views. Changing policies and extending the scope of practice for nurses to avoid limiting their abilities to practice and taking advantage of the nurse’s full capabilities is another goal that the IOM envisions. Lastly, nurses are seen more involved as leaders for a successful reform and in turn provide a better quality and safe care to patients. References Porer-O’Grady, T. (2011). Future of Nursing Special:Leadership at All Levels. Nursing Management, 32-37. Retrieved from http://www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/journalarticle?Article_ID=1163290 The future of nursing: leading change, advancing health. (2010). Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12956

Debt Policy at Ust Inc.

Executive Summary Holding nearly 80% of the market share in the smokeless tobacco industry, UST Inc. has been generating large and stable income. However, the leading company in a certain industry tends to react slowly to market share erosion by competing firms and lack of creativity in the introduction of new product, a situation UST Inc. is now undergoing. Concerning the declining sales growth and gradual loss of the market share, UST Inc. is now considering recapitalizing by issuing debt amounts to $1 billion.By recapitalizing, it can create a total $380 million interest tax shield to add up firm value and, at the same time, make shareholders better off by using the proceeds from the issuance of debt to buyback outstanding shares. Although declining sales growth and litigation problem might be hidden concerns for UST Inc. , after some analysis about the attributes of the company such as business risk, capital structure as well as payout policy, I still believe that UST Inc. s head ing toward the right direction. And we can also observe that, after the adjustment of capital structure, its traditional dividend payout policy will not be hampered in the near future. Analysis of Business Risks (from bondholder’s viewpoint) Bondholders only care about the ability of the company to make interest payments and whether they can get the face value when the bond matures. Therefore, we have to consider the factors that contribute to the amount and stability of future EBIT.In the situation of UST, several factors have more of an impact on the company’s business risk, such as sales growth, competition faced owing to other competitors’ erosion into their market share and the effect of litigation problem and government regulations. Since the smokeless tobacco are considered less harmful to health and increased prevalence of smoking bans, demand of smokeless tobacco has undergone a continued growth, which would contribute good prospect to UST since its pro ducts strategy focus primarily on smokeless tobacco.However, as a dominant player in the industry, UST seems to be less creative on the introduction of new product and react too slowly to other competitors’ erosion into their market share. So far, UST has been increasing the price of their product as a way to boost their annual earning, which gives other players a perfect chance to gain some market share by using price value strategy. Despite the steady decline of market share might turn into future concern for UST, it still holds 77% of the market share. Besides, UST has started to make effort in new product development and renew their marketing and promotion strategy.On the other hand, although litigation and legislation problems have impacts on sales of UST, these problems has been there for a long time, which means that it shouldn’t create new turbulence on the prospect of UST. To conclude, the attributes of UST are steadily growing EBIT(approximately 9% compounded ), dominant market share in the industry. Therefore, although there are some disadvantages toward their future earning power, such as increasing competition and litigation problems, bondholders shouldn’t care too much on them since the interest expense is still a minor portion of the total EBIT.The Timing of Recapitalization It is publicly known that, through leverage, companies can lower their WACC and receive benefit from interest tax shield in order to boost their firm value. This is exactly what UST Inc. is doing right now. By issuing debt and use the fund to buy back outstanding shares, it is boosting their stock price higher. I reckon that the reason they choose to do so at this specific time is because the company has been facing more and more vigorous competition these years and undergoing declining rate of sales growth.By adopting leverage recapitalization, UST can still make the stockholder better off even its sales growth is not high enough. Besides, UST’s d ebt to asset ratio is currently at a low level compare to other competitors in the industry. Therefore, they can adopt the recapitalization strategy without worrying too much about the default risk problem. Capital Structure after the Recapitalization From the pro forma income statement (exhibit 1) in the appendix, we can see that even if the bond is issued at a rating of BBB (higher cost of debt), the EBIT/interest coverage ratio is still 10. 21, which shows that UST as sufficient amount of EBIT to make the interest payments. And the marginal effect on UST’s firm value would be the total debt ($1 billion) multiplied by the corporate tax rate (38%), which is $380 million. Dividend Payout Policy From Exhibit 2, we can observe that, under current condition, the payout ratio is around 63%, which is the percentage UST has long been paying out in the past. Therefore, it is safe to draw the conclusion that the recapitalization will not hamper future dividend payment under current c ondition. However, we are not sure whether the market share and the growth of sales will continue to drop.If they do, it will become more and more difficult for UST to stick to their traditional â€Å"pleasing† payout policy. Likely, we are not sure whether the litigation problem will be more of a concern for UST in the future. Ultimately, despite the fact that the opponents’ erosion into UST’s market share and litigation problem are both hidden concerns, it takes time for both problems to pose a threat to UST’s traditional payout policy. Appendix Exhibit 1 Pro Forma Income Statement Exhibit 2 Dividend Calculation after the Buyback Program Corporate Finance Case Study Assignment Debt Policy at UST Inc. Debt Policy at Ust Inc. Executive Summary As the leading manufacturer in the moist smokeless tobacco industry, UST Inc. has long been recognized by its ability to generate high profit using low financial leverage. With a dominant market share of 77%, the company maintains a pricing power that allows it to institute annual price increases without losing costumers. However, UST’s market share was eroded significantly in recent years by price-value competitors who enter the market with lower prices. Although UST responded to these threat by introducing new products, market share still decreased by 1. 6% over past 7 years.In addition, UST is also exposed to an unfavorable legislative environment, in which the company is under advertising and product promotion restrictions. The increasing business risks force management of UST to consider a recapitalization plan in which UST borrows up to $1 billion to repurchase its stocks. The marginal effect of the recapitalization will be a $380 million increase in fi rm value, which is the present value of interest tax shield. Besides the recapitalization benefit, management also needs to notice the costs of recapitalization, which include higher bankruptcy costs and a potential of lower credit rating.UST has a high and constant dividend payout history since 1912. The recapitalization will expose more risks to shareholders since revenues will be used to pay interest before pay dividends. Thus, the recapitalization may hamper future dividend payments. Background Having long been the leading company in the moist smokeless tobacco industry, UST Inc. was famous for its product innovation, dominate market share, and pricing adjusting power. However, as the competition of the moist smokeless tobacco industry became more intense and the legislative environment became more unfavorable, UST is facing several business risks: . Lose of market share. Relying on its superior products and innovation ability, UST used to control most of the moist smokeless tob acco market and was able to increase the price of its products year by year without losing its customers. The historical pricing flexibility gave UST a robust earning performance and bumped up its stock prices. However, as the speed of product innovation became slower, UST is facing the threat of price-value competitors, who enter the market by charging a lower price. Although later UTS responded to the threat by introducing new products, the company’s market share still dropped from 86. % in 1991 to 77. 2% in 1998. 2. Increase exposure to legislative environment. Moist smokeless tobacco manufactures used to face fewer lawsuits than cigarette manufactures due to less scientific evidence liking smokeless tobacco to cancer. However, the legislative environment has become more unfavorable to smokeless tobacco manufactures since the industry has agreed on a ban on advertising in order to settle state Medicaid lawsuit. Also, UST was the only main manufacturer that signed an agreem ent on promotion restrictions that aim to reduce youth exposure.Recapitalization UST has been widely known for its conservative debt policy, which allows the company to generate high returns with very low financial leverage. However, as business risks such as market share erosion and unfavorable legislation exposure increase, UST has an incentive to change its capital structure in order to benefit from interest tax shield and maximize the firm value. Recapitalization will also benefit shareholders in a way of higher company stock price since the proceeds from debt will be used to repurchase outstanding stocks.Also, although UST has a very high gross profit margin and return on assets on its core business compared to other smokeless tobacco manufactures, the poor performance of its non-core operations such as market wine and premium cigars give UST a low to zero profit contribution. UST’s management needs to diversify its product line and bump up earnings by investing more in the non-core operations using debt funds. Marginal Effect of Recapitalization To analysis if UST should undertake the $1 million recapitalization, management needs to calculate the value of the firm before and after ecapitalization. In a market with taxation, the value of the levered firm equals to the value of the unlevered firm plus the present value of interest tax shield. Because management assumes that the new debt is constant and perpetual, the present value of interest tax shield equals to the amount of debt multiplied by the effective tax rate, which is 38%. Thus, the present value of UST’s future tax saving should be 38% * $ 1 billion, which is $380 million. At the end of 1998, the market equity of UST was $6,470. 8 million based on the average shares outstanding and year-end stock price.If UST borrows $1 billion debt immediately, the total value of the levered firm would be $6,470. 8 million unlevered value plus $380 million tax shield, which is $6,850. 8 million. B ecause firm value will rise to $6,850. 8 million immediately after the recapitalization announcement, original shareholders will capture the full benefit of interest tax shield since they are able to sell their stocks at a higher price. The new stock price is determined by dividing the value of the levered firm by the number of shares outstanding at the end of 1998.Since there were 185, 516,055 shares outstanding at year end 1998, the new stock price after the announcement of recapitalization would be $6,850. 8 million divided by 185, 516,055, which is $36. 93. Compared to the original stock price of $34. 88, each pre-existing shareholder will benefit $2. 05 from the increase in leverage. If taxation is the only issue that management should take into consideration, the marginal effect of raising debt will be increase in company value by $380 million.However, as financial leverage increases, default risk on debt also increases, thus leads to a potential increase in bankruptcy costs. UST has been maintained an A-1 credit for its low debt / capital ratio of 28. 2%, which is a competitive advantage over its competitors who are highly leveraged. If UST decides to increase its leverage ratio, it will cause rating agencies to revalue its capital structure and cash flow generating ability in order to assign an appropriate rating.The potential change in rating will significantly affect UST’s cost of capital. Thus, management should balance the tax benefit with the expected cost of bankruptcy to maximize form value. Besides its conservative debt policy, UST was also famous for its stable and constant dividend payout since 1912. The recapitalization may hamper future dividend payments since earnings should be used to pay off debt and interest expense before they are delivered as dividends to stockholders.Because debt is risk-free and debt holders have first claim on a company’s asset, levered equity often carries a higher risk premium than unlevered equity to compensate stockholders. The remaining balance of earnings after paying interest may also be retained for operating purpose. Thus, the possibility of an interruption of cash dividends payout may occur. Summary In summary, facing the increase business risks of losing market share and exposing to unfavorable legislations, the management of UST Inc. s considering changing the company’s capital structure by raising $1 billion debt and accelerating its stock buyback program. The benefit of recapitalization will be an increase in firm value of $380 million and increase in stock price by $2. 05 each share. However, management should also take into consideration the potential increase in bankruptcy costs and changes in credit rating. Last, the constant divided payout may be hampered by recapitalization since earnings need to be used to pay interest to debt holders first.

Assess the Strengths and Weaknesses of Weimar Germany

Assess the strengths and weaknesses of Weimar Germany between 1919 and 1932 IB History HL 28. 12. 2011 Plan Intro: * Historical background of Weimar Republic * Thesis statement (Draw comparisons between strengths and weaknesses, assess their importance and conclude which was the most important) Body: * Compare/Contrast * Attempt at democracy supported internationally vs. German hatred of Treaty of Versailles * Revolution started by the people vs. Right-wing tendencies of elite and army * Strong political parties already in place vs.Weaknesses of proportional representation * Strengths of responsible use of Article 48 vs. Dangers of misuse of Article 48 Conclusion: * Give short summary of all * Which was the most important? * none, all equally important * Refer back to thesis statement ___________________________________________________________________________ Essay In late 1918, early 1919, Germany was faced with the great fate to become a democratic state stemming from a tyrannical monarchy under the Kaiser. Said monarchy had been overthrown by a revolution by the people and now the government was about to turn into a democracy.This democracy, later to be known as the Weimar Republic, was faced with perils on all sides in many situations, overcoming them by virtue of its strengths and lasting until 1932 when the exploitation of its weaknesses ended its reign as a democracy, turning it back into a tyranny under a single man. This essay will assess the strengths and weaknesses of Weimar Germany, draw comparisons between them and determine which was the most important in its rise, flourish and eventual fall. The Weimar Republic was the first attempt at true, constitutional democracy in Germany.Throughout its history, Germany had only been led by autocratic rule, from the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (the First Reich), through the divided monarchy (Prussia, Austria, Bavaria as independent kingdoms), till the Bismarck Era (the Second Reich). When the idea of revolution and democracy, a government for and by the people, spread through Germany and the Kaiser abdicated in the wake of the German Revolution of 1918, other democratic governments like the USA and the UK saw it as a great step in the right and wanted to support it.France, as the third internationally prominent democracy, was not so optimistic towards the idea of a strong German state even if democratic. Had the US and the UK been unrelenting in their support for the German democratic government, Weimar Germany may have lasted longer than it did. As it was, while the international support from prominent powers boosted the Weimar Republic's standing internationally and brought it some support in Germany, the allies' caution in this matter and hence their harsh treatment of Germany in the Treaty of Versailles in fact contributed more to the downfall of Germany than its first success.In fact, the Weimar Republic was seen, and still today is seen, as having been born from the Tr eaty of Versailles. This fact made the democratic system extremely unpopular in the eyes of the German people as the Treaty was seen as a diktat by the allies against Germany and the political leaders of Germany that signed the Treaty, i. e. the political forefathers of Weimar Germany, were regarded as criminals by some Germans. This inherent hatred was a severe weakness of the Weimar Republic and was one of the major factors responsible for its downfall.The German Revolution of 1918 was orchestrated, executed and accredited to the people of Germany. Its importance in the rise of the Weimar Republic clearly signalises that the new democratic government had the full backing of the working class which, at this time, made up the majority of the voting public in Germany. This fundamental backing from the majority of German voters meant that a democratic system could function and this initial support from the people was one of the major strengths of the Republic.A nation, however, does n ot exist without an elite and the elite in Weimar Germany were extremely discontent with then change in political system. The elite in Germany in 1919 were a group that had profited well under a monarchy and many of their income systems would be destroyed under a democratic government that would put the common man before them. In between the bourgeoisie, high-standing army officers saw the political leaders of Weimar Germany as criminals for signing the Treaty of Versailles which effectively destroyed German military power.This distrust and hate from the elite towards Weimar Germany was a fundamental weakness as it led to the political intrigue in later years when figures like Schleicher and von Pappen manipulated the system to their needs, leading to the downfall of Weimar Germany. Had there not been such distrust and hate, Weimar Germany may never have fallen, showing it as a grave weakness of the system. When the Revolution came and the Republic was declared in Germany, there wer e clear political parties that formed.This was a significant strength of the Weimar Republic as there was not much time needed to form political parties with clear goals as these had already been formed in the Reichstag of the Second Reich. This decisive democratic action enabled the new government to form quickly and immediately show a face of democracy with the elections soon after. These elections, however, revealed the weakness of the newly introduced system of proportional representation as the Reichstag was over-run with representatives from countless parties that all needed a seat.This system severely slowed down all decisions in the Reichstag and so frustrated the public. This was hence a major weakness as it compromised the decision-making ability of the German government and made the public lose hope in the system. This weakness also directly contributed to the downfall of the Weimar Republic as the public's displeasure at the ineffectiveness of the system made them look t owards a stronger leader like Hitler for order.In the Weimar Constitution, Article 48 enabled the President to assume dictatorial power in times of emergency to â€Å"protect† the Republic. Used responsibly, this article was an effective if morally questionable mechanism to prevent coups and keep the democratic government in power in Weimar Germany. This was done under President Ebert in the early times of the Republic as the Spartacist Uprising, the Kapp Putsch and the Socialist takeover of Bavaria threatened democracy's power. The article could, however, also be misused with grave consequences.As the only thing stopping the President from dictatorial rule under Article 48 was the Reichstag and the President could dissolve the Reichstag, there was really nothing stopping the President from dictatorship except his own self-restraint. Said self-restraint was apparently not present in President Hindenburg as he blatantly abused article 48 in his time eventually leading up to th e fall of the Weimar Republic, showing that this article was also a great weakness of the Weimar Republic.From above, we have seen the many weaknesses and strengths of the Weimar Republic and how each played their little role in the rise, prospering and the fall of Weimar Germany. The remaining question would now be, so which was the most important? To this there can be no answer. Each of these factors contributed their own little part to the Weimar Republic and its fall. Had they not all been, the Republic may have fallen directly after its conception, or might still stand today, we cannot know.There is no telling what would have happened had one weakness been completely replaced by a strength or vice versa. The facts remain that each contributed their part to the face of modern history today. Bibliography Benz, Wolgang. A Concise History of the Third Reich, translated by Thomas Dunlap. London, England: University of California Press, Ltd. , 2006. John Hite, Chris Hinton. Weimar & Nazi Germany. London, UK: Hachette Livre, 2000.

Continuity and Chang Over Time Essay: Trans Saharan Trade

In the time period between 300 B. C. E. and 1100 C. E. trade flourished across the arid Sahara desert. The system was so successful that trading centers established during that time remain major Saharan cities today. This Trans-Saharan trade system underwent changes that included design developments in the camel saddle and increased trade with India, while at the same time the inhabitants of the area remained a polytheistic people ruled by regional kingdoms.Latin texts indicate that the camel was introduced to Africa from Arabia around 46 B. C. E. The original camel saddle was designed for carrying cargo. Around 200 C.  E. , the trade saddle was greatly modified placing the rider in front of the hump in a lower position that provided the ability to maneuver the animal and wield a sword or spear effectively at the same time. This gave the northern Arabs an enormous advantage that allowed them to take control of caravan trade. Highly valued products such as spices from India and pott ery obtained from China became available for Trans-Saharan trade through maritime deliveries across the Indian Ocean to coastal ports. Gold, salt, slaves, and other goods flowed northward, dramatically increasing the volume of the vast trade system.This tied Saharan Africa to the thriving Indian empire and allowed for more extensive international trade. It was a mutually beneficial relationship for the two powers. Although the Trans-Saharan trade caused the change discussed above, other aspects of sub-Saharan culture became so stable over the centuries that the area was isolated from the rest of the world that exposure to other peoples did not alter them. For example, the inhabitants of the Sahara continuously maintained their polytheistic religions as well as their regional kingdoms.The Saharan people remained a place of scattered kingdoms that each had their own polytheistic religion. This is because all the kingdoms were isolated from each other and from the other empires by vast desert or vast oceans. The only link between these kingdoms were the trading cities which were actually a barrier to cultural diffusion. This is because if a merchant wanted the goods of a different kingdom, he only needed to go to the trading center and didn’t have to trek into the desert all the way to the other kingdom center.This inhibited the merchant from experiencing the culture or religion of the kingdoms. In conclusion, the Trans-Saharan Trade system led to advancements in the design and function of camel saddles and transformed combat; this long distance trade also caused the growth of the prospering Indian Maritime trading system. Although these changes were profound, the Saharan residents remained a polytheistic people governed by small regional kingdoms because the long distance trade did not reach into every corner of the Saharan land, but only into the large trading centers. .

Public Education in the Philippines Essay

Literacy rate in the Philippines has improved a lot over the last few years- from 72 percent in 1960 to 94 percent in 1990. This is attributed to the increase in both the number of schools built and the level of enrollment in these schools. The number of schools grew rapidly in all three levels – elementary, secondary, and tertiary. From the mid-1960s up to the early 1990, there was an increase of 58 percent in the elementary schools and 362 percent in the tertiary schools. For the same period, enrollment in all three levels also rose by 120 percent. More than 90 percent of the elementary schools and 60 percent of the secondary schools are publicly owned. However, only 28 percent of the tertiary schools are publicly owned. A big percentage of tertiary-level students enroll in and finish commerce and business management courses. Table 1 shows the distribution of courses taken, based on School Year 1990-1991. Note that the difference between the number of enrollees in the commerce and business courses and in the engineering and technology courses may be small – 29.2 percent for commerce and business and 20.3 percent for engineering and technology. However, the gap widens in terms of the number of graduates for the said courses. On gender distribution, female students have very high representation in all three levels. At the elementary level, male and female students are almost equally represented. But female enrollment exceeds that of the male at the secondary and tertiary levels . Also, boys have higher rates of failures, dropouts, and repetition in both elementary and secondary levels. Aside from the numbers presented above, which are impressive, there is also a need to look closely and resolve the following important issues: 1) quality of education 2) affordability of education 3) goverment budget for education; and 4) education mismatch. Quality – There was a decline in the quality of the Philippine education, especially at the elementary and secondary levels. For example, the results of standard tests conducted among elementary and high school students, as well as in the National College of Entrance Examination for college students, were way below the target mean score. Affordability – There is also a big disparity in educational achievements across social groups. For example, the socioeconomically disadvantaged students have higher dropout rates, especially in the elementary level. And most of the freshmen students at the tertiary level come from relatively well-off families. Budget – The Philippine Constitution has mandated the goverment to allocate the highest proportion of its budget to education. However, the Philippines still has one of the lowest budget allocations to education among the Asean  countries. Mismatch – There is a large proportion of â€Å"mismatch† between training and actual jobs. This is the major problem at the tertiary level and it is also the cause of the existence of a large group of educated unemployed or underemployed. The following are some of the reforms proposed: Upgrade the teachers’ salary scale. Teachers have been underpaid; thus there is very little incentive for most of them to take up advanced trainings. Amend the current system of budgeting for education across regions, which is based on participation rates and units costs. This clearly favors the more developed regions. There is a need to provide more allocation to lagging regions to narrow the disparity across regions. Stop the current practice of subsidizing state universities and colleges to enhance access. This may not be the best way to promote equity. An expanded scholarship program, giving more focus and priority to the poor, maybe more equitable. Get all the leaders in business and industry to become actively involved in higher education; this is aimed at addressing the mismatch problem. In addition, carry out a selective admission policy, i. e. , installing mechanisms to reduce enrollment in oversubscribed courses and promoting enrollment in undersubscribed ones. Develop a rationalized apprenticeship program with heavy inputs from the private sector. Furthermore, transfer the control of technical training to industry groups which are more attuned to the needs of business and industry.

Element of the marketing mix Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Element of the marketing mix - Coursework Example This essay discusses that the most important aspect of marketing is that; the four marketing mix elements must work together in harmony, and any chance that one of the elements fail to fit well into the system, spells disaster for the whole business of marketing. However, in contrast, argues that the four elements of the marketing mix namely product, place, price and promotion are distinct concepts. Nevertheless, he concedes they need to work together in sync.   Therefore, for the whole marketing process to be successful, meaning that no element of the marketing mix is important than the others. The marketing mix elements are discussed in details below. The product is the element of the marketing mix that seeks to answer the question; what does the customer want?   Codita further suggests that the ability to respond to this question is through determining the actual needs of the target customer group, and then come up with the right product or service that is able to satisfy such needs. There is a need to determine the correct features that such a product will have, which may range from the color, packaging, branding, size and also the right amount of every component that will comprise the finished product, â€Å"to make the product both appealing and distinctive†. It is also at this point that the need to consider the value of the product arises since there is a need to evaluate whether the product defined may entail certain features that are costly, thus likely to push the price of the product high, while the targeted customer may not necessarily use those features.

Tibet Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tibet - Research Paper Example (Bawden, 1989, p 45) Not the entire minorities declare to be 'stateless', yet if they claim a separate identity. States identify minority nationalities and ethnic groups to diverse degrees: recognizing definite cultural and linguistic rights, as well as allowing definite political independence. History In 1720, the Chinese army entered Tibet and broke settling down in Lhasa, the massacre of the Mongols, and the result was the accession to the throne of the seventh Dalai Lama Keltsanga Gyatso. As a reward for his help, Chinese annexed the Tibetan region of Amdo. China had continued to compulsively meddle in the internal affairs of Tibet, gradually pushing the Dalai Lama from the direct control of the state and in the case of willingly helping Tibet with troops. These kinds of political symbiosis Chinese historians use to prove that Tibet is historically part of China. At the same time, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama wrote: "The relationship between Tibet and China are similar to the relati onship between the priest and his patron and was not based on subordination of one another." (Bawden, 1989, p 45) Sort of a key point in the development (and complications) Sino-Tibetan relations was recognition of Great Britain and Russia in 1907, Tibet area of exceptional interest of China. The result was the invasion of 1910 and the expulsion of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, who fled to India. Languages Tibetan languages are a bunch of jointly incoherent Tibeto-Burman dialects voiced mainly by Tibetan peoples who reside over a broad locality of to the east Central Asia neighboring South Asia, encompassing the Tibetan Plateau and the to the north Indian subcontinent in Nepal, Ladakh, Baltistan, Bhutan and Sikkim. The academic in writing pattern is a foremost local scholarly dialect, especially for its use in Buddhist literature. For political causes, the dialects of cantered Tibet (as well as Lhasa), Amdo, and Khams in China are advised dialects of a lone Tibetan dialect, while Sherp a, Dzongkha, Ladakhi, and Sikkimese are usually advised to be distinct dialects, whereas their speakers may address themselves to be ethnically Tibetan. However, this does not contemplate linguistic reality: Dzongkha and Sherpa, for demonstration, are nearer to Lhasa Tibetan than Amdo or Khams are. Tibetan is as well voiced by bunch of ethnic minorities in the country who have dwelled in slam proximity to Tibetans for decades, but regardless keep their own cultures and dialects. Although the People’s Republic of China categorizes a few of the Qiangic peoples of Kham as cultural Tibetans, Qiangic dialects are not Tibetan, although rather pattern their own agency of the Tibeto-Burman dialect family. (Kvaerne, 1981, p 250 - 251) Traditional Tibetan was not a tonal dialect, but some diversity for example Khams and Central Tibetan have evolved tone. (Ladakhi/Balti and Amdo without tone) Tibetan morphology can usually be recounted as agglutinative, whereas traditional Tibetan was m ostly analytic. Tibet religion Lamaism or Tibetan Buddhism is the corpse of Buddhist devout doctrine and organizations attribute of certain districts of the Himalayas and Tibet, encompassing to the north Nepal, India and Bhutan (particularly in Lahaul, Ladakh, Dharamsala, Arunachal Pradesh, and Spiti in Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh). It is the religion of Bhutan country, It is

Surgical and Rehabilitation Intervention of an open mid shaft tibia Essay

Surgical and Rehabilitation Intervention of an open mid shaft tibia and fibula fracture - Essay Example Fractures of the lower leg involve fractures of tibia and fibula, of which tibia is the only weight bearing bone. Tibia is the most commonly fractured long bone in the body (Konowalchuk, 2005). These fractures occur due to direct or indirect trauma. Tibial diaphyseal fracture due to foot ball injury is mainly due to high energy (Chang et al, 2007). The most common fracture pattern is transverse AO Type 42A3 (Chang et al, 2007) (table-2). Most of the times, fracture of tibia is associated with fibula fracture also, because; the force from tibia is transmitted along the interosseous membrane to the fibula (Norvell, 2006). In about 60% to 90% of football injuries, both tibia and fibula are fractured (Chang et al, 2007; Cattermole et al, 1996). These fractures can be open or closed. Tibial fracture is open in many cases because of thin soft tissue over tibia. Hence the chances of delayed non-union and infected non-union are common in tibial fractures (Patel, 2004). The fibula is however, covered well with soft tissues (Norvell, 2006). Immediately after fracture, there is hematoma formation due to rupture of blood vessels. This hematoma fills the fracture gap and surrounds the area of bone injury (Rosenberg, 2007). A fibrin mesh is provided by the clotted blood which helps seal off the fracture site and creates a frame work for inflammation and repair. There is influx of inflammatory cells, ingrowth of fibroblasts and development of new capillary vessels. There is also release of some cytokines by the degranulated platelets and migrated inflammatory cells (Rosenberg, 2007). Time for fracture healing and extent of changes in markers of bone metabolism are mainly dependent on fracture size (Stoffel, 2007). The cytokines activate the osteoprogenitor cells in the periosteum, medullary cavity, and surrounding soft tissues and stimulate

Association of corticosteroid dose and route of administration with Article

Association of corticosteroid dose and route of administration with risk of treatment failure in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - Article Example bation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema or failure of the respiratory system along with either COPD or emphysema. Two groups were formulated which included patients who were treated on low doses of corticosteroids which were administered orally as well as patients who were treated with high doses of corticosteroids which was given intravenously. After the high dose intravenous route, the number of deaths were 1.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3%-1.5%) and the patients who responded with primary outcomes were 10.9% (95% CI, 10.7%-11.1%) According to the multivariable regression model, the risk of the patient not responding to treatment via the oral route was less than that via the intravenous route that is (odds ratio [OR], 0.93; 95% CI, 0.84-1.02). This model was to analyze the effect of the route chosen for the corticosteroids with the primary and secondary outcomes of the patient. High dose intravenous therapy does not provide any major benefits which are superior to the results of treatment with low dose corticosteroids administered orally. Rather the intravenous therapy is associated with pain and carries a risk of infection and higher costs in comparison to the oral low dose corticosteroid therapy. The research does provide strong support about the authors conclusion that low dose orally administered corticosteroids hold the same if not superior results for patients with acute exacerbation of COPD. This research should be sufficient to reduce the health care costs imposed by COPD because it is one of the leading problems in the United States. Low doses of corticosteroids orally would result in lower adverse effects along with reduced cost and hospital stay. Hence the results of this research should be effectively utilized. About 92 percent of the patients were given intravenous therapy whereas

In Search of Excellence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

In Search of Excellence - Essay Example They claimed that excellent organizations had created methods that enabled them to strike a balance between the soft-s and hard-s factors achieved in a business. Maintaining and finding an applicable balance in these business factors was a vital issue in making an organization successful. According to Peters and Waterman (1982), then, the modest slippage of commercial America was to be observed as an imbalanced product in the American approaches to organization. They went on to argue that these imbalanced products had advanced in the organization approaches that had begun in America for the period of 1950s and 1960s. According to Peters and Waterman (1982), in the post second world war period, many managers in America were obsessed upon the hard-s business factors; structure, systems and strategy. In addition, the managers had not realized the significance of skill, style, superordinate goals, and staff which were the soft-s business factors needed in breathing life into systems, str uctures and strategies. Peters and Waterman (1982) recommend a more balanced management approach. The approaches considered balanced to business would hinge upon the energy, skills and imagination of managers. They are, therefore, charged with the duty of safeguarding the productive arrangements of the soft-s and hard-s business factors. ... They also stated that these companies would have a culture showing the eight aspects of excellence as shown in their research (Frost, Moore, Louis, Lundberg & Martin, 1985). Peters and Waterman listed the eight aspects of excellence. The first one was a bias for action. Exceptional companies engaged in planning activities that were traditional. However, the traditional activities did not bind the companies from other vital managerial approaches. They went on to argue that an excessive dependence on planning done traditionally and dependence upon the hard analysis of data, delayed decision making in many companies. It also discouraged risk taking. Exceptional companies avoided paralysis by analysis (Peters and Waterman, 1982). This was by evading using committees and refusing to agree that all decisions made have to be supported by hard analysis of data. Instead of using committees, these exceptional companies preserved a bias for action which explains the willingness in trying out in novative ideas and taking risks (Peters and Waterman, 1982). Peters and Waterman (1982) affirmed that the commitment in action was preserved by exceptional companies. This is because the exceptional companies form groups of people who like to experiment and innovate. This trend to action might be compared with approaches being adapted by other companies. These companies form committees that engage in briefs talks on experimentation (Peters and Waterman, 1982). The second aspect of excellence is a company’s in proximity to the customers. The exceptional companies have to improve their strategies, systems, structures and innovation in meeting and exceeding the customers’ expectation. Incase a product or a system did not satisfy the customer, exceptional

Influence of the Western Roman Empire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Influence of the Western Roman Empire - Essay Example Initially, Rome was a single city but later expanded to a great empire that controlled the Mediterranean coastal region. Roman period had two entities, the Republican Period and the Empire; each lasted for half a millennium. The empire was divided into Principate that lasted from 27 BCE to 180 CE and autocracy from 284 to 395CE (Damerow Web). The Roman Empire began with Augustus. Emperors were the ruler of the empire. Christianity rose during the autocracy period and replaced paganism. In addition, monotheistic belief replaced polytheist cult system. The rise of the medieval period was because of Roman influence. Furthermore, the foundation of Roman Civilization was on Roman values and existed even before the rise of Christianity. Romans people were successful in various fields such as art, government, military organization, and public. They borrowed ideas from Greeks and Hellenistic world. This paper seeks to focus on the influence of the Western Roman Empire within the period from 200 BCE to 476 C. Many aspects of society that exist today have been influenced by ancient Rome. They range from law, democratic government practices, influence in language, literature, art, infrastructure, and city planning. The Western Roman Empire had a tremendous influence in law, religion, architecture, and culture. This was largely important within the period from 200 BCE to 476 CE. This influence was usually perpetuated during the Romans territorial expansion. This influence especially was based on areas it controlled the western Mediterranean. They also established legal code that formed part of western legal code. Moreover, their institutions, technology, and infrastructure continue to influence their successors in this region. The legacy of Western Roman Empire influence on culture was great. The significance of this transformation cannot be ignored as it ushered in the medieval period of history. There was a complete change of culture from the way people married, raised t heir children, and died. Actually, it resulted in a trans-valuation of all values. The most important aspect of culture was the transmission off Greek (Hellenistic) culture to the west. The Roman's were at their peak of cultural influence between 200 BCE and 200 CE. Romans were known of copying cultures and adopting them as their own. They adopted Latin as their language and were majorly used in the western world during this period. As a result, Latin became the official language of the Western Roman Empire. Latin formed the basis for Romance language after Germanic invasions in 4th and 5th centuries. The Romance Languages composed of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and French. At the time of decline of Western Roman Empire, the Catholic Church (monks) continued to preserve and transmit Greek texts and ideas. Latin also remained the language for the Roman Catholic Church and the second half of 20th century. Moreover, this language developed between 200 BCE to 476 CE continued to be us ed by the educated later in the centuries such as educated people. At this period, several other language adopted Latin words. Most of the medical, legal, philosophical, and scientific terms are based on Latin language. Additionally, Roman law dominated western side. This was based on the twelve tablets through the Corpus Juris Civils and was famous in 200 BCE to 476 CE. The Roman Catholic

See Below. I also have a Word Document which has research notes Essay

See Below. I also have a Word Document which has research notes - Essay Example A profitable hobby, if it remains so, naturally will become a business. This does not mean that a business should always create enormous income and continue to maintain the statuesque year after year. Losses are permitted in every business; but they usually attain the form of a continuous flow where losses the profit are merged. Business is not completely bound by sales, profit or timeframe; nevertheless, the initial recognition of the activity as a business matter a lot for the taxpayer and this recognition is guided by the business logic of making profit, even though it very often fails to reach the expectations. On the contrary, a hobby need not show any profit and can remain a source of pleasure, recreation and fun. Hobby touches the creative and imagination of the person, whereas business is connected with the dry financial gratification1. In a hobby, the person is not answerable to anyone, because it is not a profit-making venture. While "business is any profession, trade, manu facture, or undertaking carried on for pecuniary profit," hobb is is an activity conducted primarily for private pleasure or recreation." http://www.mcleanandco.co.nz/Page115.htm Returning to your horse farm, if losses are continuing every year, beyond a certain business logic, it is not unnatural that IRS, after auditing, placed it under the category of Hobbies. Speaking from the financial/tax point of view, any hope of deducting the expenses would cease here, while the venture remains an expensive and creative activity of self-satisfaction2. Our suggestion is that instead of fighting the case now, it is prudent to wait for the final determination letter and then, armed with all the categorised information, you can start answering the points to resurrect the business angle3. Right now, it is difficult to fathom the grounds on which the categorisation is done, although we can guess; instead, it will be far easier for you to answer the categorisation. To do so, you, as a businessman should be able to show the business path and the convincing hope of attaining such a goal, which will bring the farm into the business-fold. Twenty horses that you maintain on fifty acres of land, and the time that you spend on this farm, especially since your home occupies three acres of the entire land should not be very difficulty to argue that they all fall under the business category. Not having any profit in the last six years, and your statement that you spend only a quarter of your time on the farm, would naturally lead IRS to decide in favour of hobby, denying the full-fledged business status4. In our counter-argument, we shall forcefully argue that hired hands were continuously working on the farm in your absence and considering the situation of your house in the farm, you have spent much more time than a quarter of it, because you lived on the farm and attended to the farm responsibilities at any time according to the need and this includes the emergency, sickness, medical attention etc. that you might have attended to even during the nights and this argument is perfectly acceptable, as IRS knows that livestock need attention beyond working hours. From the profit-making angle, it has to be argued that profit was illusive all these years, because the horses were young and were at the growing stage. Only now, they have started producing colts and

Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Criminal Justice - Essay Example Having in mind that there are many thoughts and perspectives on different theories that describe what contributes and constitutes to criminal behavior, psychopathic murderers should not face harsh judgments. The criminal justice practitioners in this case may have many special skills that allow them operate under any form of pressure, which does not happen due to the high levels of corruption. Such murderers hardly know what they are doing and it is the responsibility of the society to try to eliminate their chances of killing people since psychopathic murderers lack the capacity to control their behavior (Siegel, 2006). Traditional thinking inhibits change in the criminal justice and I believe that the current criminal justice should spare such murderers. In order for this to happen, command structures must get the priority for notable change to occur. Having talks with the community members are also, ways that the criminal justice practitioners seek to enhance their participation i n the policymaking and through such psychopathic murders can reduce (Siegel, 2006). When it comes to Schoenthaler’s study on diet and crime, I do not think there is any relationship between the two unless the study argued based on diet that may cause mental health problems. Previously, analysts have only been in a position use the previous cases in any situation to combine it with any public information to make crucial decisions unlike in other stages and at no one time did they have anything related to both crime and diet. Without understanding diet and crime, same mistakes would keep repeating, themselves where analysts will come up with all sorts of theories to relate crime o diet or vice versa. Diet only helps people to make guidance on the activities related to the body. On the other hand, diet can course crime where people commit crimes to get food for their families. In such a case, I totally agree with schoenthaler’s study on diet and crime (Siegel, 2006).

Racial profiling in nj and ny among 18 -32 year males Essay

Racial profiling in nj and ny among 18 -32 year males - Essay Example In the two states, the issue has been documented on several occasions. In New Jersey, law enforcement was shaken in 1999 when state police commanders admitted to using racial drug-courier profiles to stop motorists on the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway. In New York, incidents such as the beating and sodomizing of Abner Louima by Police Officer Justin Volpe and the police shooting of Amadou Diallo on the steps of his Bronx apartment building raised a public outcry from minority communities. President George Bush addressed the issue before congress where he reported that he had asked Attorney General John Ashcroft to develop specific proposals to end the practice, Claudia Perry, (2008). My hypothesis for this research is that: Arbitrary police searches and investigations are targeted at 18-32 year-old males who belong to minority races in New York and New Jersey. The independent variable here is arbitrary police searches and investigations (racial profiling) while the two dependent variables are being an 18-32 year-old male and belonging to a minority race such as African America, Hispanic, Oriental or Arab. Previous studies that have been carried out on racial profiling helped to expose the problem and focus attention on it. One such study carried out by Gene Callahan and William Anderson on the practice of racial profiling found that the practice is more prevalent in investigations involving drugs and victimless crimes in general. They found that most of those targeted by law enforcement agents for field and station interrogation were from minorities. The 55% of the victims were Hispanics with roots in South America and Mexico. However, the main limitation of their research was that it only concentrated on drug related cases and suspicions, Gene Callahan and William Anderson (2002). Another study was carried out by Thevenot Chad of the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation in 1999. The foundation monitors abuses of the American legal

Films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Films - Essay Example The technology in the production was more of building sets-up, which was more expensive than location shooting. For movies to attract any investor they need have new story telling techniques strong story line, plot, and assurance of investment return (Dirks 1). The economic situation was another reason. During recession, Hollywood studios like MGM studios abandoned their core business and ventured into other area to generate income. Some of the storyline were based on true-life events like Vietnam War that occurred once, although over a long period time (Dirks 1). All this factors made one single production to be very expensive and therefore not worth having sequel. Waterfront is an American crime drama film, which was directed by Elia kazan. The film received many awards, which included best picture, best actor, and best director. The film was shot in white and black. This film was based on a series on true story of occurrence at the waterfront of Manhattan and Brooklyn. It exposes the bigger picture of corruption, extortion, and racketeering. Therefore, the basic concept was borrowed from a real life event that had taken place (waterfront commission). A third party that had sued because he claims the story had been stolen from him making it end in court

Chipotle Mexican Grill in Japan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Chipotle Mexican Grill in Japan - Assignment Example However, over-regulation continues to restrain the economic growth and slows down the investment. To overcome this Chipotle must come up with a strategy that will make the market more accessible. Many governments continue to intervene in the trade and Japan is no exception. Tariffs, subsidies, and currency controls are some of the policies that chipotle has to put into consideration. Chipotle must sign a legal contract with the government of Japan through the law applicable to the contract, stating precisely the obligations and the methods of running the business (Yoshitomi, 6). With the high advancement of technology in Japan, many fast food shops have adopted a method where customers buy tickets for the food they want over the counter. Chipotle uses this method in all our restaurants and this will work to their advantage. The political environment is conducive since the country is politically stable and policies for foreign investments have already been put into place. In such a stable environment, Chipotle will definitely thrive in

Heat and temperature Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Heat and temperature - Coursework Example As the kinetic theory of matter deals with the speed of particles of matter then the determination of particle speed can help us to study the kinetic theory of matter in greater detail. Therefore, the study of heat helps us to study the kinetic theory of matter. Heat is a form of energy that is transferred from one body to another in a system. When a warmer body is placed along a colder body, the heat from the warmer body will tend to go to the colder body. This process will continue until the energy of both systems becomes equal. (Reif, 2000) There are three modes of heat transfer better known as conduction, convection and radiation. Heat energy is important as it has direct relation to the physical state of a system. The addition of heat energy excites the particles present in a system. This enhances their random motion. Similarly, the removal of heat energy depresses the particles in a system which decreases their random motion. Temperature is a measurement that helps to quantify just how hot or cold a system is. Like other forms of measurement, the temperature scale is relative too. Temperature is used to measure just how much heat is being talked about. (Chang, 2004) Temperature helps to classify is there is some difference in heat between two bodies. This difference can be used to estimate the amount of heat transfer that will occur between both systems. Heat as already mentioned is a representation of the state of particle’s motion in a system. However, the speed of particles cannot be judged from one particle to the other. Therefore, there had to be some method of measuring the heat contained in a system. When a system contains heat, the particles in the system display random motion. This random motion is dealt with as the kinetic energy of the system. The speed of the particles and their weight are used to express the kinetic energy of a system. The total kinetic energy of a system is the heat content that resides in the system. This heat can be measured in reference to temperature. Temperature expresses the average measure of the heat contained in a system. Temperature expresses the willingness of a system to transfer heat energy if placed along a system with lower heat energy. Therefore, temperature is a method of measuring the total heat content of a system. (Kittel & Kroemer, 1980) Often heat and temperature are assumed to be one and same. However this concept is entirely false. Heat represents the total of a certain kind of energy possessed by a system. The temperature is only a method of measuring this energy possessed by the system. For example, if there were water standing in a pool which represented heat, then the measurement of its depth would be equivalent to temperature. Therefore, heat is a property possessed by a body while temperature is a measure of that body. Heat is possessed by all systems to varying degrees and is transferred by all systems to varying degrees too. However, the amount of heat retained by a system and the amount of heat transferred by a system vary in large part from one material to another. As an example, it is known that metals are good at the transfer of heat and insulators such as rubber are bad at transferring heat. The tendency of a body to both retain and transfer heat can be measured and expressed as well. This is also considered to be a property of the body and is known better as the â€Å"

General strain theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

General strain theory - Assignment Example The social control theory outlines that there may different social structures within the society which can actually induce a person to commit crime. General Strain Theory or GST therefore proved one of the most important and critical theories in criminology providing explanation to the issues such as the commitment of crime and deviance by the adolescents in a given society. (Agnew, 1992) GST can provide a set of plausible explanations to the crimes committed by the likes of John Wayne Gacy, Jr. This is owing to the fact that GST actually outlines as to whether some strains on an individual can actually force a person to commit the crime and engage into other activities in order to relieve such strain on him or her. GST on the whole therefore outlines different social elements which can combine together to help an individual to become more inclined towards crime and use crime as a tool to relieve pressure of such strains on him or her. This paper will therefore discuss the general st rain theory with special reference to the case of Wayne Gacy and will present the theoretical analysis of the same besides exploring the policy implications of the same. Description of the Offender John Wayne Gacy was one of the serial killers in US who have murdered and raped 33 teenage boys and men over the period of time. Most of his victims were buried in his own home whereas some of them were actually thrown into the river to discard them permanently. He was also nicknamed as Killer Clown because he would often dress like Pogo the clown in different charitable services and parties where he was a regular attendee. A closer analysis of the life of Gacy would indicate that his inclination towards the life of crime and sex was largely influenced by the environment in which he was living. He was offered a job of manager at three KFCs by his father in law in Waterloo, Iowa and it was in Waterloo that he started to engage himself in homosexuality besides forcing teenage employees of h is stores to make sex with him. (Cahil, 1986) He was psychologically examined after his first arrest and it was concluded by the doctors that he possessed antisocial personality and that it may be difficult to fully rehabilitate him out of such behaviors. What is however, critical to note that he was active in the community services and was also subsequently appreciated and rewarded for his community services also? Despite such behavior, he continued to commit the murder and rape of the teenage boys and other males to whom he described as male prostitutes. Overview of theory As discussed above that the General Strain Theory is a combination of different theories and finally culminated into a broader theory with focus on the sociology as well as the criminology. The basic postulates of the theory suggest that the social structures within society can pressure citizens to actually commit crimes and as such may result into the increased instances of the deviance and crime if society is not supportive for an individual. Robert Dubin, one of the earliest proponents of this theory outlined that the deviance is actually a function of the society and advocated to make a difference between the actual behavior of the individuals and the set of values which actually drive such behaviors. (Agnew, 1992) Explanation and Analysis General Strain theory is focused mainly on the interaction of the individuals and how the society can actually result into the adaptation of the crime as one of the means of relieving societal pressures. It is therefore argued that the general strain theory mostly focus on the negative relationships of the

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay Example for Free

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby has captured people who wanted and defined the American dream. The American dream according to Americans after the World War I is to earn money and get everything they want without exerting too much effort, being successful without doing actual work. Jay Gatsby has successfully achieved the American dream; he gained his success and fortune out of crime; he was prominent and well known among the socialites. Jay Gatsby had it all; all except the girl he loved. The value of Americans has changed after the World War I. People became greedier, people wanted everything without exerting an effort, so much like those who went to parties organized by Jay Gatsby. They acknowledged the wealth of Gatsby without thinking where and how he got it, all they knew was that he was a powerful person and they should join him in order to be powerful and successful. The ideal of having the American dream in the Victorian Era was to be an individual and to discover what ones purpose is different from the dream Americans dream after the World War I. People were willing to let others sacrifice in order for them to get what they wanted. Fitzgerald is trying to show his readers through his novel that the moral of Americans had changed and that their values were different from the past. He showed what

Corporate background Essay Example for Free

Corporate background Essay The Body Shop International plc is a well-known brand in beauty care or cosmetics industry since the company stick to their string commitment or philosophy of developing and producing the natural and ethical beauty care and cosmetics product. The Body Shop was established in 1976 in UK by Dame Anita Roddick although some analysts see that the copy of The Body Shop brands from local entrepreneur in California, USA (The Body Shop International plc, 2008a). Currently, after the 30-year journey as well-known cosmetic product, The Body Shop already expands their services and retail shops in more than 55 countries with over 2,100 stores. Currently, while keep developing products continuously, the Body Shop already has more than 1,200 kind of natural-ingredient products (The Body Shop International plc, 2008a; Pirkayastha and Fernando, 2008). One competitive advantage that the Body Shop has is the awards that the company receives for their commitment of developing cosmetic products without conducting test on animals. The company becomes the first company that awarded the Humane Cosmetics Standard for our Against Animal Testing policy. Furthermore, The Body Shop’s philosophy also underlying their action to conduct a Community Trade, their fair trade program, resulting in the company’s complete strategy to trade fairly. To date, The Body Shop already conducts community trade programs with 31 suppliers that spanned in 24 countries, which represent more than 15,000 people across the globe (The Body Shop International plc, 2008a; Pirkayastha and Fernando, 2008). Figure 1 the Body Shop Source: http://images. businessweek. com/ss/05/10/index_awards/image/bodyshop-2. jpg 1. Marketing Strategy of Body Shop 1. 1 Issues in Cosmetic Industry In developing marketing strategy, a company should analyze their competitive position in the respective market by analyzing the potential market of products and the moves and actions of competitors. One aspect in determining the competitive position is the capability of a company to deal with issues in respective industry in appropriate manner. In attracting the consumers, especially women, a cosmetic and beauty care-producing company usually develops many kinds of product since there are many skin types, each has to be treated in different manner and thus need particular mix of ingredients as well. Since the development may involve the testing, branding/campaign, and regulation compliance; therefore the three components become three issues in the cosmetic industry.   Internet marketing The use of internet as media for product campaign is rising significantly within the last decade. According to a few reports, internet is considered to increase efficiency and product sales for cosmetic companies since the media offer the ability to develop new channel alternative, complementing the existence of retail shops that located in several locations. Amazon. com, for instances, firstly grows from selling book, but turns out today to sell various kinds of cosmetics in their online stores. Interestingly, it is found that the growing internet users have award several cosmetic with raising number of online purchase. In compliance with the internet marketing, The Body Shop also offers special price for customers who bought via their online stores (http://www. thebodyshop-usa. com/bodyshop/). Figure 2 shows the home page of the Body Shop official online store. Figure 2 Online Store of the Body Shop Source: http://www. thebodyshop-usa. com/bodyshop/ †¢ Corporate Responsibility Issues (CSR) Another issue that influences the marketing of cosmetic products is about the propaganda in which many companies involve in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) that found to produce real influence on the cosmetic industry. In addition, such CSR initiative is also driven by government control over the distribution of cosmetic product to comply with specific country’s requirement. In the U. S. , FDA (Food and Drug Administration) become the regulator that monitor the safety standards of cosmetics products in the market (Health Reports Co. UK, 2005). †¢ Animal testing Animal testing also considered as vital issues in cosmetic industry since the rising concerns of public about the humanity has brought significant influence towards the use of animal testing in the development of cosmetic products. F or example, in European Union, where the Body Shop located, announces its decision to ban animal testing on cosmetics products, which immediately raise pros and contras. This regional policy follows the previous policy made in several European countries including the Austria, Netherlands, and Britain in which they have already banned animal testing which means that several cosmetic products are receiving tight supervision on their research and production facilities (The Humane Society, 2005) 1. 2 Branding. The branding factor also highlights The Body Shop strategy in strengthen their awareness by incorporating their philosophy of natural ingredient products. The company’s brand of becoming the cosmetics manufacturer that only use natural ingredients products is strong since it provides customers with an image that The Body Shop develops and sells safe cosmetics, which in line with customers’ concerns of having safety. This is inline with the customers’ preferences, especially women that wants a secure feeling when using cosmetics. The demands are translated into The Body Shop program to use the highest quality natural ingredients. In addition, the company sticks to five values; they are Protect the Planet, Support Community Trade, Against Animal Testing, Defend Human Rights, and Activate Self Esteem (The Body Shop International plc, 2008). Figure 3 The Body Shop Morinaga Products Source: http://www. shinygloss. tv/Moringa%203. jpg Reference: Health Reports Co. UK. (2005). Cosmetic Industry on Notice. (2005). Retrieved March 5, 2009 form http://www.health-reports. co. uk/content/view/52/2 Perner, Lars. n. d. â€Å"Consumer Behavior and Marketing†. Consumer Psychologist Newsletter. San Diego University. Retrieved March 5, 2009 from http://www. consumerpsychologist. com/#Strategy Pirkayastha, Debaprati and Fernando, Rajiv. (2008). Body Shop Brand: Repositioning to Target the ‘Masstige’ Segment and Impacts of its Acquisition by L’Oreal. Icfai Center for Management Research The Body Shop International plc. (2008a). About Us. Retrieved March 5, 2009 from http://www.thebodyshop. com/bodyshop/company/index. jsp;jsessionid=ERFaLulEQWzSEOutEFWERw**. bsbwilapp03-bsprd-app-102? cm_re=themeB-_-Footer-_-About_Us . (2008b). Support Community Trade. Retrieved March 5, 2009 from http://www. thebodyshop. com/bodyshop/values/support_community_trade. jsp The Humane Society. (2005). French Government Challenges EU Cosmetic Directive. Retrieved March 5, 2009 from http://www. hsus. org/animals_in_research/animals_in_research_news/french_government_challenges_eu_cosmetics_directive. html.

My Papas Waltz Analysis

My Papas Waltz Analysis Upon first reading the poem titled My Papas Waltz by Theodore Roethke, a negative opinion could be formed. Due to some of the words in this poem, it is understandable why this kind of reaction could be evoked. Further analysis and critical thinking allows one to better understand what the writer may really mean. In the first line of the poem, The whiskey on your breath is descriptive enough to produce an image in ones mind of a man who is drunk. The words of Could make a small boy dizzy further illustrate the strong intoxication of the man. It is often not in good taste when an intoxicated adult presents him or herself to a child. The poem could be interpreted as a depiction of a childs experience of abuse from his father. But I hung on like death seems to convey a childs terrible feeling from having to face a drunken father. The image painted here is that of a child and his father waltzing around the house with the boy having to hold on like death. The word death could have been use d to emphasize the helplessness of the child against his drunken father. Indeed, a child waltzing with a drunken father could be a difficult task, as described in the line Such waltzing was not easy. My mothers countenance could not unfrown itself seemed to prove that the action of waltzing with a drunken father was inappropriate and causing a disruption. Breaking down the meaning of could not unfrown, one may conceive a thought of a mother who could not stop frowning, meaning the mother is unhappy about the situation and also perhaps about her husband being drunk. In the line We romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf, this could indicate how the mother disapproves of the situation, for the child could get hurt and also because her kitchen is a mess. The hand that held my wrist was battered on one knuckle. The battered in this line is often a word that describes abusive situations. At every step you missed, my right ear scraped a buckle. The word buckle could be related to a belt buckle. This idea could add to the scenario of a father beating his child with a belt. The beat time on my head is another line that might lead the reader to think that the father is abusing t he child. The words that Roethke chose in describing the scene produce pictures of a violent kind of waltz. In this interpretation, the waltz was not a joyful one. The poem employs a sad mood and a somewhat satirical tone, suggesting that the person remembering his childhood is critical of his father. The smell of the whiskey, the roughness and the inconsiderate, reckless actions of the father were scrutinized and criticized. But there is another analysis of the poem that reveals a different line of ideas. The poem for others conveys a message contrary to the first impression that is often formed. The other interpretation of Theodore Roethkes poem suggests it is a dance, hence the name of the poem, My Papas Waltz. For other readers, the poem has evoked good, past memories. For example, an older man through the poem remembers his father who was a hardworking employee. A particular scenario could be the instances when his father would walk into their home after a days work with scraped hands. His father was a strong and tough man, yet a good man who provided for the needs of the family. For that person, the poem is a particular memory of a child that stood among the rest. This was a story of a boy reminiscing that instance when his father had returned home from work one late evening. He happened to be in a celebration along with his co-workers at a local pub. He excitedly waltzed while entering his home, an d proudly picked up his son, swinging him around in a dizzying waltz. Father and child playfully danced and wrestled in the living room, hence making this poem funny for some readers. A kid dancing with a drunken father would make readers think that the child is having fun with his dad. Topping the funny scenario is the expression of a mother getting peeved of whats going on in her kitchen: We romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf. The father and son romping typically arouse this kind of reaction from every mother, with her being the lady of the house. This is a positive bonding experience between a father and child and particularly between a father and a son. The poem is said to employ a winning tone that is light and almost comical. The constant rhythm throughout the poem endows it with a light beat like a waltz. It shows that the child was very fond of his father. Though the poem starts in a serious tone, it progresses into a playful one, reinforcing the caring regard of the child to the father. He really valued his father and the hard work that he did to provide for the familys needs. The line With a palm caked hard by dirt, then waltzed me off to bed, still clinging to your shirt suggests the loving bond between a son and his father. Through it all, the poem in its simplicity of delivery has managed to produce two completely different reactions. One either interprets the poem with a negative implication or a poem with a positive implication. A persons judgment would depend mostly on the experiences, the cultural, social, and psychological background among others of an individual. A boy indeed needs this kind of experience from his father for him to see not just the strong, matured, and responsible nature of his father. It is a joyful experience for a child to see his or her father in a light and playful mood, particularly when he has alcohol in his system. The poem does not explicitly state that the child is being beaten and physically hurt by the father. There is just this free-spirited form of dancing that could bring no harm to a boy. It is funny and sweet to be able to see a father out of his usual tough and matter of fact persona. It brings him closer to his children.

Risk Management Of District Cooling Plant Construction Essay

Risk Management Of District Cooling Plant Construction Essay Risk, which could be defined as a hazard posed for an event or an activity, is inherent in all activities and functions of any organisation. The consequences which would arise from an organisations exposure to risk could include financial loss, disruption in operations, failure to meet the expectations of stakeholders and customers, legal concerns, political and competitive failure and so forth. Therefore it is highly necessary to implement management procedures, policies and practices that would minimise the organisations exposure to risk. Tabreed DM.02, Al Rigga is project for a district cooling plant to be constructed by SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC. Any failure at any phase of the project could reflect on the reputation of the organisation as a whole. Thereby, making risk management highly essential at all phases of the project. The risk management plan for the project Tabreed DM.02, Al Rigga is detailed in the document, which adheres to the risk management policy of SNC-Lavalin, followed by SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC.. The risks identified are those that relate to the construction phase of the district cooling plant as SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC., has a sector dedicated to the construction of the district cooling plants in the region. The document discusses the benefits of incorporating risk management in order to achieve the corporate objectives. For the purpose of the document, the Australian/New Zealand Standards AS/NZ 4360:2004 was used in establishing the risk management framework. The risk management processes for the district cooling plants are documented as common document for all cooling plants in the region considering the similarity of the construction and areas of construction. For the project Tabreed DM.02, Al Rigga, the common set of risks was identified along with a few variances in relation to the construction of the cooling plant in one of the busiest areas of Dubai. The risk implementation is followed by the monitoring and review sessions in order to achieve maximum effectiveness and allow successful implementation of the project. All information in the document has been obtained through the corporate handbook, interview with the management and corporate website. Introduction SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC., is a part of the global network of the Canada based engineering and construction organisation, SNC-Lavalin. SNC-Lavalin operates in about 35 countries worldwide and would have projects in about 100 countries all over the globe. SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC., operates in the United Arab Emirates with its head office in Abu Dhabi. In 2004, SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC., expanded its expertise in district cooling technology by entering into a partnership with international and local service providers forming a joint venture i.e. National Central Cooling Co. TABREED. SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC., take responsibility mainly in the construction of the district cooling plant, either directly or through outsourcing. About the project Tabreed DM.02 Cooling Plant, Al Rigga The project for which the risk management plan is to be documented is a district cooling plant to be constructed by SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC., for its client Dubai Metro. The cooling plant would be constructed at Union Square, Al Rigga, Deira and is named as Tabreed DM.02 Cooling Plant. The project would hereafter be termed as per the naming of the contractors as Tabreed DM.02, Al Rigga. The contract for the construction was awarded to SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC. SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC., is one of the global branches of SNC-Lavalin, which is one among the giants in the construction and engineering sector in the world. Cooling plants are one of the recent environment-friendly engineering developments. The cooling plants provide savings in power consumption in providing air conditioning and chilled water supply. Tabreed DM.02 Cooling Plant is a district cooling plant which would provide air conditioning and chilled water supply to three stations of the Dubai Metro namely Al Rigga Station, Union Square and Reef Mall Station. The total cost for construction of the project is estimated to be about AED 33.4 million which covers about 2637 square metres of land. The cooling plant would consist of four chillers, of which two would be operational and two would be standby as per client requirements. The plant would have a capacity of 500 RT (Refrigerant Tonne) which would be required for the chilled water supply for the three stations. Tabreed DM.02 would be constructed with two levels of basement considering the height restrictions. SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC., have a sector which deals only with the construction of the district cooling plants in and around the United Arab Emirates and Gulf Countries. Therefore, the risk management policy, processes and approaches are created to be suited for all types of district cooling plants that would be constructed, and so does not differ from project to project unless in case of major differences in sites. Purpose The Risk Management Plan presented in the document describes the methodology used for identifying, analysing, estimating, evaluating and ultimately treating the risks for the Project Tabreed DM.02 Cooling Plant, Al Rigga. The document would define the roles and responsibilities which would assist the project management team in effective risk management of the project. The risks that would arise in the course of the construction of the project are identified and analysed using the risk management processes. Treatment plans are evaluated for a few of the risks and the risk management implementations are discussed in the document for the project Tabreed DM.02 Cooling Plant, Al Rigga. Scope The scope of the document pertains to the Tabreed DM.02 Cooling Plant, Al Rigga Project and its risk management processes and plan. The methodology used in the risk management is in accordance to the Australian New Zealand Standards 4360:2004. The risks identified in the document concentrates primarily on the risks pertaining to the construction of the cooling plant rather than all external and internal risks of the organisation. The risk management document would be used as reference through out all the phases of the project. The plan would be a deliverable along with the project management plan for the construction of the district cooling plant. The scope of the document would not include the risks relating to the organisation or the any other risks outside the construction phase as the contractors, SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC., concentrate only on the construction of the cooling plant. The risks detailed in the document would encompass the engineering concerns of construction as well as the health, safety and environmental issues in the project. Glossary of Terms All terms used in the document are as per the Australian/New Zealand Standards AS/NZ 4360:2004. However few terms used in the document within the organisation are as follows: Terms Definition/Description Hazard Equivalent of risk Impact Equivalent of consequence PPE Personal Protection Equipment Probability Equivalent of likelihood Project Risk Database Compilation of all the risks encountered in similar projects and those applicable to the current project QA/QC and HSE Quality Assurance/Quality Control and Health, Safety and Environment. The department that primarily operates the risk management processes within the sector of district cooling plants in SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC.. SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC. Abbreviation for SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC. Tabreed DM.02, Al Rigga Project documented Risk Management Plan Risk Management is a practical, structured approach in creating a systematic procedure to identify, analyse, evaluate, control and monitor risk, thereby reducing and maintaining risks within a level tolerable to the organisations risk appetite. For the project, Tabreed DM.02, Al Rigga, these risk management processes are employed during all the phases of the project in order to minimise the exposure to risk especially during the implementation i.e. the construction of the project where most risks are prone to arise. As applicable to all projects at SNC-Lavalin, an effective implementation of risk management plan in the project Tabreed DM.02, Al Rigga would increase the probability of successful implementation of the project as a whole. For Tabreed DM.02, Al Rigga, it would assist in achieving the triple constraints of quality, cost and time. It would play a major role in making decisions on funding priorities would also serve as a basis for identifying alternatives of the performance goals. An effective risk management plan would allow high adherence to the strict timelines of the project, which would inturn enhance the reputation of the organisation to meet project deadlines. The advantages of risk management would be creating value, providing lesser uncertainty, reducing capital cost, creating reliability of shareholders and assisting in successful accomplishment of objectives. Objectives of Risk Management Plan The aims of SNC-Lavalin for introducing the risk management plan are mainly to set up a systematic process that would integrate the risks and control measures already implemented by the organisation, to provide an assurance to all stakeholders of the organisations knowledge of its exposure to risk and implementation of steps to mitigate and manage the risks. It would also ensure that the organisation would consider risk management as a business tool which would allow focus on all areas which require management of risk. For SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC., the main objectives of managing risks would be to: provide maximum safety to its employees at all levels avoid any penalties for legal or regulatory non-compliance prevent loss in relation to company assets retain the reputation of the company decrease costs related to occurrence of unfavourable events allow efficient allocation and utilisation of resource creates accountability for all activities promotes creativity in management practice Risk Management Policy SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC., is guided by the corporate approach on safety of the parent organisation, SNC Lavalin, in order to match corporate standards around the globe. Safety is embedded as a core value in the WE CARE Policy (See Appendix 1) in order to carry out its mandate to protect people, properties, the environment and sustainable development of the communities while maintaining work quality in pursuing its business objectives. The policy provides the guiding principles for SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors in achieving the Zero Harm goal. The Zero Harm objective has the ideal goal setting which would eliminate all dangers of health, safety and physical well-being of the employees, through zero fatalities, zero occurrence of serious occupational health-related illness in employees and zero environmental citations from authorities. Risk management is key tool in business decision making which would allow the controlling, elimination or minimisation of all potential forms of loss. Implementation of risk management within the business processes would be able to provide protection to all its employees, customers, stakeholders, environment, assets, earnings, intellectual property as well as the organisations reputation which would maximise efficiency and effectiveness. Risk management procedures would need to be created, effectively implemented, maintained and constantly improved to match with the goals of the risk management plan. Continual identification, analysis and evaluation of risks are highly essential in order to make judicious decisions of risks. The risk management policy at SNC-Lavalin focuses mainly on the prevention and control of the occurrence of incidents that could result in personal injury, loss of life, damage to assets and properties, or any incident that may pose a threat to the environment. Although managers at all SNC-Lavalin offices have risk management as a core responsibility, all employees are to assume individual responsibility in executing risk management by reducing the likelihood and consequence of any losses or accidents. The managerial activities in implementing risk management include: training for staff in project or organisational risk management conducting surveys to facilitate identification of risks constant review of existing policies and procedures scheduling improvements in existing controls for the project or any of the business unit maintaining up-to-date information of the latest technological developments on systems, tools and process guidelines reporting to the higher management board on compliance and improvements of risks SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC., as well as all subcontractors are to strictly follow the procedures relating to risk management in order to conform to the highest standards of safety in all processes of the project and organisation. The risk management processes for the document of the project Tabreed DM.02, Al Rigga would be in accordance with the Australian/New Zealand Standards AS/NZS 4360:2004. Project organisation Tabreed DM.02, Al Rigga is a project that would be handled by the sector for construction of cooling plants in SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC. The highest responsibility is with the general manager of the sector. All the responsibility allocation is distributed as per the organisational hierarchy as shown in Figure 2. Figure Project organisation structure Each cooling plant project is handled by a project manager, who would have overall authority in decision making processes related to the project. The project manager would report to the project director on the status and any issues of the project. For any further management involvement with reference to the project, the general manager who is the managements representative would have the final authority. The risk management plan is created and monitored by the QA/QC and HSE Coordinators throughout the phases of the project, the present being Tabreed DM.02, Al Rigga Roles and Responsibilities General Manager (Top Management Appointee) Provide coordination with the government interfaces and policy Timely issue of permits Monitor project security and compliance to policies Support corporate values and policies by implementing applicable risk management programs Managing contracts and agreement to varying policies of subcontractors Maintaining information pertaining to corporate risk and controls Lead the development of dynamic safety culture based on SNC-Lavalins core values Ensuring all risk management procedures are conformed by all employees and subcontractors of SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC. Verification and approval of risk assessments and update on risk management plan Constant review and update of the risk management plan Reporting to the board of directors and parent company, for any risk management updates Accountable for any failure in risk management processes to the board of directors and parent company Project Director Coordination and regular updating of the project risk registers and treatment plans, leading to a compilation of a master risk management plan Continuous review and updating of the risk management plan, including risk identification and analysis processes Reporting to the general manager on constant intervals regarding updates on the existing policies and procedures of risk management Communicate all risk management standards and processes to all SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC. personnel Provide overall direction and support for the implementation of SNC-Lavalins Risk Management Policies and Management Systems Attend project review meetings Ensuring sufficient resources to support approved SNC-Lavalin initiatives Lead the development of dynamic safety culture based on SNC-Lavalins core values Selection of contractors and compliance to the SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC. practices of risk management Accountability for overall project performance in compliance with risk management initiatives Participate in risk assessments Review the risk assessment, elimination and control process results Provide documentation of updates on risk management plan Investigation of serious incidents Workplace inspections Accountable for failure of compliance or awareness of risk management processes among the project teams Project Manager Ensure that SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC. operations comply with legislative requirements and best standards within the industry, and in reference to the standards of the parent company Reporting to the project director on constant intervals regarding updates on the existing policies and procedures of risk management, and any issues arising from risk management Communicate all risk management standards and processes to all SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC. personnel Ensure that all contractors and consultants are informed of procedures, safety policies and safe construction methods prior to commencing a project Investigate on serious incidents Participate in workplace inspections Provide updates on the risk management procedures Review proposals for practical and effective risk management initiatives Accountable for any failure in project, arising from lack of risk management compliance Site Manager (the resident engineer would also comply with these responsibilities) Ensure that all the risk management policies and procedures are implemented through all the phases of the project Accountable for the overall direction and support of the implementation of the risk management processes Accountable for ensuring engineering specifications and method statements being critically reviewed in conformance to SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC. policies Encourage the proactive involvement of all personnel in managing the risk management program Ensure that project supervisors take an active role in promoting and enforcing health and safety protection Enforce HSE procedures and practices Investigate injuries/illnesses, near misses and environmental incidents and communicates the lessons learned throughout SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC. Ensure that Job Planning and Safety Analyses are completed and reviewed before tasks are begun Accountable for provision of adequate resources, facilities and initiatives to effectively implement risk management QA/QC and HSE Coordinators Conduct scheduled and unscheduled inspection of work areas Coordinate audits to eliminate conditions and work practices that are hazardous to the job Coordinate the thorough investigation of all incidents Review and monitor emergency Key Elements Encourage hazard identification and reporting by all site personnel Maintain a current knowledge of UAE federal standards and other applicable international standards or industry practices and communicate to the site manager and personnel Deliver internal training Attend in the site progress meeting Participate in any investigations relating any risk issues Monitor project risk policies and procedures, paying particular attention to potentially hazardous operations and emphasizing proactive solutions Coordinate contractor activities in reference to complying with the risk management policies Initiate and implement programs for the accomplishment of project risk management objectives including site emergency response plans Assist employees with all risk issues Maintain project risk recordkeeping system Recommend safety disciplinary actions to the Site Manager for deliberate safety violations committed by individuals Establish site emergency response plan, organize emergency response team and conduct training and exercise for emergency response Display and maintains materials on site bulletin boards as required Ensure that Job Planning and Safety Analyses are completed and reviewed before tasks begin Conduct safety induction and site orientation to new site employees including contractors, visitors, suppliers, etc. before mobilization to ensure that they understand and have agreed to comply with HSE policies Report all hazards to the site manager and project manager Communication Framework SNC-Lavalin operates a formally documented risk management system designed to clearly define policies, responsibilities, accountabilities and operational practices. This together with performance parameters to measure the effectiveness of the management system in operation will direct the control applied to the implementation and maintenance of the companys risk management policy throughout the organisation The System has four levels: The policy manual, to clearly define company policy and its operating policies Risk management operating procedures written as appropriate to the function to clearly define responsibilities, accountabilities and controls applied in the risk management system Work instructions, comprising of specifications, checklists, externally sourced standards, technical directives, or government legislation. Forms, templates and reports necessary for effective communication, and constitute the records generated by risk management system planning, implementation and maintenance of the risk management system. Figure Documentation process model The risk management program would be communicated to all employees within SNC-Lavalin displaying it in offices and strategic places. The involvement of all employees in the systems management ensures that they are involved in the development and review of policies, procedure changes related to the project risk matters by seeking feedback related to the same. External communication covers the following: Local authorities (Government, Municipal authority) Suppliers Interested parties Corporate head office Risk Management Framework The processes used in the risk management of Tabreed DM.02, Al Rigga are in accordance to the AS/NZ 4360:2004 standards as illustrated in Figure 4. Figure Framework for developing risk management program Communication during the project Communication processes would include developing documentation of risks applicable to the project in accordance to the standards to identify the risks, assess the likelihood and consequence of the identified risks, estimate the risk level, evaluate the risks and treat the risks accordingly. In order to establish criteria for evaluating risks, it would be essential to document the criteria for establishing the likelihood and consequence for the project. This would be based on the risk appetite and tolerance of the organisation. After the evaluation, the risks that are unacceptable to the organisation would be considered for creating treatment plan. Monitoring the risk in external situations, would allow further changes to the existing controls, if necessary. A periodical review and update on the risk register would allow for changes in the risks identified. The risk management plan for the district cooling plant is documented on common stance considering the similarity of locations all around the country. However, changes would be included depending on the variance of the area from the standard description. Internally, the risk management team, which is the QA/QC and HSE coordinators in the documented Tabreed DM.02, Al Rigga project, are scheduled for meetings which have to meet on a monthly basis in reference to the project requirements, or as relevant to the demands of the project. Training Success of the project would depend on the effective implementation of risk management through out all the phases of the project, which requires risk management training to be provided to staff, contractors and managers. The skills qualifications of all personnel within the organization are essential to achieving business quality and corporate objectives. Competence of the organization and people in identifying and managing risk requires a systematic focus on behaviours, risk perceptions and skills. Training material would encompass risk management policies, application of tools of risk management, assistance in identifying and analysis the risks which the project and the organisation is exposed to, providing the profiling of risk and reporting of assurance. On recruitment, SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC., provides induction training to all new employees in risk management involving safety measures, code of conduct and fraud awareness. On-site training is provided to all employees, site visitors, and vendors as a prerequisite to site deployment. Except for visitors and vendors, all site workers shall be assigned a SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC. number identification in the form of helmet decal sticker signifying a worker had passed the orientation program. A regular refresher course is provided to all employees in risk management awareness on updating the risk register or every two years. Monitoring and Review The risk management system operated by SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC., is subject to documented procedure and systematic program of Internal Audits. The audit procedure will direct responsibilities and controls to be applied to planning, preparing, conducting, reporting and follow-up of the risk audits. The audit program, including the schedule will be based on the results of risk assessments of the companys activities, and the results of the previous audits. The audit procedure will cover the scope, frequency, methodologies and competencies, as well as the responsibilities and requirements for conducting the audits and reporting results. The project risk registers would formally be reviewed and updated every six months, but more regular reviews and updates are conducted in reference to any significant changes in activities. With the district cooling plant projects, the common risk register would be modified after evaluation of the work site and in reference to any changes in the work activities and areas. The audits will be conducted by suitably qualified personnel and by independent of those having direct responsibility for the activity being examined. The reviews would consist of a summary risk register which would provide the overall rating to identify all levels of risks mainly the high and the medium risks across the projects. It would also include a report of the implementation of the risk treatment plans made for the previous audits and its effectiveness in the management of risks in either reducing the risk, decrease in costs associated to risk management and the progress made in the controls of risk. The internal audits will determine whether or not the risk management system conforms to planned arrangements and has been properly implemented and maintained. Where non-compliance or opportunities to improve systems or practice are identified, appropriate corrective or preventive actions or controlled changes will be implemented. All such actions will be assigned, time limited and upon completion, reviewed for effectiveness. Where considered necessary subject to audit results obtained, the frequencies assigned on the audit program will be updated. Figure Internal Risk Audit Considerations The results of the audits will be recorded, maintained and subject to further review as an integral part of the risk management review meetings, thus assuring the effectiveness of the audit program in achieving desired goals. The performance of SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC., risk management system and its suitability and effectiveness to satisfy the requirements of the zero harm corporate risk management policy would be reviewed every six months. Meetings Meetings are held at various levels in order to ensure that the project adheres to the organisations standards of safety, to create an awareness of SNC Risk Management Policy and to ensure that it is implemented in the project risk management process. Meeting Who are involved? How often? Project Executive Meeting (Overall review on the internal audits, changes in the existing risk management plan, any serious non-compliance issues) General Manager, Project Director, Project Manager Once in two months or as required by the project or in emergency situations. Project status meeting (Up-to-date information on the status of the project as well as review on conformance to the risk management procedure) Project Director, Project Manager, Site Manager, QA/QC and HSE Coordinators Weekly and in emergency situations Toolbox Talks ( Priorityissues, new instructions, lessons learned, or any job-related information that matters to the safety, health and welfare of employees, and the work environment) Contractor, SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC., QA/QC Coordinators, SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC., Personnel Weekly at the beginning of the work week Pre-job task instruction (the risks analysed are discussed herein in order for the crew to be aware of the proper job steps, the hazards associated with each job step (or activity) and the appropriate control measures to eliminate or reduce the impact or the probability of the hazards) QA/QC and HSE Coordinators, SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC., personnel on site Daily, before commencement of the activity Records are subject to systematic review and analysis as an integral part of SNC-Lavalin Gulf Contractors LLC. Internal Audit Plan, identify any apparent trends, prove the effectiveness of their application and identify the opportunities for continual improvement. The disposal of records at the end of their retention period will be carried out under controlled conditions designed to protect the status of any confidential or exclusive information. During project closure and demobilization, obsolete and yet classified documents exclusive to the particular project shall be shredded and recycled. Other document files shall be labelled and delivered to designated store for safekeeping. Clients would be provided access to records pertinent to the contract regulations. Risk identification Risk identification refers to the identification of potential risks exposed in a project. The deliverable of the risk identification process is the project risk register which involves the risks that could affect the ability of a project to attain its objectives. The process in which