Left In The Lurch Essay

Jim showed up at work today and found out that Sara called in sick but Jim thought he saw Sara at the gas station on his way to work this morning. It was a car like hers and he’s pretty sure that it was her license plate. Jim and Sara were supposed to give a big presentation to the CEO today and Sara never sent him her slides for the PowerPoint show. What are Jim’s options? Jim should call Sara to see if she would answer the phone to check on her. If she answers he could then ask if she would send the power point slides by email. Or Jim could try to postpone the meeting to a later time until he can get the power point slides from Sara or she could be there for the presentation. What does he actually know and what does he think he knows? Does it matter? Jim knows that Sara called in sick and they were to give a big presentation to the CEO and he also knows he doesn’t have her slides for the Power Point show. Jim thinks he saw Sara at the gas station because he saw a car that looked like hers and he thought the license plate was her number. It doesn’t matter why she called in sick or if it was her at the gas station. Jim still needs to find a solution to his problem before the presentation. How could he apply the character qualities you’ve learned about so far (persistence, enthusiasm, optimism, and self-control) in this situation? Being positive in this state of affairs and having the determination to get through this presentation. Being optimistic will help him give the performance without Sara. Jim can exhibit self-control by not getting upset and blaming everything on Sara, when he should be focusing on the presentation. Jim exhibiting self-control, being optimistic, being persistent and enthusiastic all plays a major role in the way he is going handle this problem. These qualities will help Jim to make new slides for his presentation and overcome the urge to be upset with Sara. His ability to show enthusiasm will help him to deliver his presentation to the CEO. What should he do? Jim should try and call Sara to see if she can email the slides. If he can’t get a hold of Sara, Jim can do the slides himself and go into the meeting with confidence and enthusiasm. Jim should focus on getting through the meeting by doing the best that he can do in this type of situation by, showing that he can overcome and adapt to the situation he is facing.

Essay on Increase Cost of Living

India vs. UAE Living in India as compared to staying around the world you need to adapt to the surrounding atmosphere. Similarly I have been living in Sharjah since a while however I have lived my whole life in India. Although these two countries are far apart, very few factors such as education system and the culture between the two countries. There are a lot of difference between the Indian and the UAE education system. In India the schools mainly follow CBSE system, similarly in the UAE most of the schools follow the same system. On the other hand there are many schools and colleges that follow the IGCSE system.I have studied in a school where the school follows CBSE board. The main difference between the two of them is CBSE is much harder than the IGCSE board. The portion that CBSE covers in high school is what the IGCSE students study in collage. I had a major advantage on it because I did the CBSE board. The students who study IGCSE mainly study the Cambridge portion. In India, some schools don’t even have textbooks to study from, and still people study and get amazing grades. This is because the people in India struggle to study. That’s why there is a lot of completion as compared to the UAE.In India the education system is progressing at a slow rate. In India schools don’t use the latest technology to teach the students and are still teach on the board and chalk method. In UAE almost all the schools have computers and smart boards, which make studying much more easier and fun. The fees structure in a normal collage in India is very high as compared to the fees structure in any university in the UAE. The cultural diversity in India is very huge. In UAE it is less. The parents in India are very conservative when it comes to children. if it is a girl then they will be more protective because of the security of the girl.Parents do not allow the girl to leave the house for more until late in the night. On the other hand if it were a guy then they would have not cared much. This because of when it comes to the girl, the security of hers becomes important, as she could be raped or kidnapped or anything else can happen. Whereas in the UAE this is not the case because they know wherever their children are they will reach home safely, because of the laws. According to my personal experience the mentality of an Indian parent should change and they should leave their children free to live their lives. In India people eat with their hands.The men sitting first, to eat together in one huge plate. On the contrary, in UAE people eat by sitting on the table and in different plates and sit around the dining table. In India the women don’t sit together for food with the men. When I was a young kid I use to sit on the floor and eat food with my dad and my cousin brother. Back then I use to think why eat by sitting on the floor. As I grew up I realized that it is an Indian culture and tradition to sit down and eat. The man has the last say in any important decision. Whereas in UAE, when a decision is made by asking the opinion of all the members.In conclusion in the many years to come I would like to see India catching up with the UAE. To make a country better than the others countries, Education and cultural diversities of the country plays a major role. There are many colleges in India that have been recognized internationally. The Indian education system will come up in the coming years, as the IT sector in India is booming. This will be a turning point to them as they can make some better technology better than the other countries, whereas in the UAE, technology has played an important role and which has helped them to make education much easier and more interesting to people.

How sports influenced my life Essay

I have been participating in sports ever since I was four. Athletics has always been a very big part of my life, and that is the way I love it. I play soccer, volleyball, basketball, and lacrosse for my school, as well as playing travel soccer for the LIJSL. I also enjoy playing softball, football, tennis and any other sport. Partaking in athletics has had an extremely positive influence on my life and my development as a person. For one thing, it has taught me cooperation and teamwork. It has taught me how to be a good leader and to work well under pressure. This has become exceptionally handy during test time. Participating in sports has given me very useful problem solving skills as well as keeping me healthy and in great shape. Most importantly, taking part in sports has given me the confidence that I know I could never live without. Playing sports has helped me make a lot of friends. When I first moved to Stony Brook, I was very shy and did not know anyone. Some of my first friends were from my soccer team. It has also kept me very busy. I feel that this has prevented me from trying drugs and/or alcohol along with teaching me some very important organization skills. Since I spend so much time at practice or games, I have learned to organize and manage my time more efficiently. There is little time to procrastinate. Furthermore, I feel that from being a participant in sports I have developed a great amount of self discipline. Sometimes I just don’t feel like getting up and going to those early morning practices or taking that extra mile when I feel like I can’t go another step. Sports have shown me the importance of making the right choices. Aside from teaching me some very important life skills, being an athlete has opened many doors for my future. After I graduate high school, I plan to go on to college and continue my athletic career. I am hoping to get a scholarship so I can then become a veterinarian or a professional soccer player. In conclusion, I feel that playing sports has not only helped me to become a  better person, but it has also helped me to excel in other areas. I think that athletics is a very important part of my life and I encourage many others to participate too. Most of all, I HAVE FUN! There is nothing more I enjoy than going outside and playing any sport; it doesn’t matter which it might be.

The Challenges of Managing Behaviour Effectively Essay

The Challenges of Managing Behaviour Effectively - Essay Example According to the report managing student behaviour in a classroom is a major issue for high school teachers in the UK. Effective classroom management skills are vital issues in the teaching and learning environment. Teachers who can manage students’ behaviour help students to perform better than teachers who may not do the same. All teachers have a role to play to ensure that there is a positive classroom environment for learning.As the research highlights managing the behaviour of students effectively require knowing what to do at a particular time, when to and how to do it to bring desired results.   Teachers must understand the mechanisms that will lead to positive impacts on the behaviour of students. Although some teachers may do this instinctively without training, others will require extensive training to master these skills. Such teachers communicate high expectations, are calm in challenging situations, and motivate even the unruly students. On the other hand, admin istrators need to ensure that teachers know the mechanisms of managing behaviour in schools to direct students in the right way.  Students’ behaviour may range from those that are somewhat normal to those that are problematic. Some of the negative behaviours among students may involve failing to follow school rules and talking back to teachers and fellow students. Some of the more serious negative behaviours involve aggression, physical violence and getting involved in risky actions that include the use of alcohol or banned substances.

Aurora Textile Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Aurora Textile Company - Essay Example The operating profit in 2002 was $445 which is relatively low compared to $6,234 in 2001 and $4,109 in 2000. The company’s sales are affected by stiff competition from cheap imported yarns from Asia industries that flooded the U.S market. In addition, the profit margins are affected by the liability related to customer returns. The customer returns saw the textile company loose between 5 to 7.5 times more on revenue in reimbursements (Bruner et al. 314). In order for Aurora Textile Company to survive in the competitive market, there is a need to modernize their operations and cut costs (Bruner et al. 313). The proposal by to invest in a new machine Zinser 351 will improve the company’s performance and help to reduce the production expenses. The machine would reduce maintenance and power costs amounting to $0.03/lb, and customer returns equal to $0.077/lb based on conversion costs for 2002 (Bruner et al. 316). The purchase of Zinser 351 reduces the rate of customer returns that is critical during the period the WTO lifted the ban on quotas in January 2005. When the company makes more money, then it will attract more investments by the shareholders that will help Aurora Textile industry to operate and survive in the competitive

Mergers & Acquisitions. Sprint-T-Mobile Term Paper

Mergers & Acquisitions. Sprint-T-Mobile - Term Paper Example The prospective merger between T-Mobile and Sprint has evoked mixed opinions among the shareholders of both the companies. T-Mobile USA is a subsidiary of German based Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE). The intention of DTE is to sell off the entity to Sprint and own a major stake in the combined entity. (Saitto et.al., 2011) The merger will be positive for both the companies in terms of the market presence. As of now both the companies are the third and the fourth largest operators. This deal would be beneficial for the shareholders of T-Mobile. The shareholders of T-Mobile are already worried with the recent drop in its share price due to drop in quarter-on-quarter profits. Therefore, any possible merger is an opportunity for the shareholders to sell the shares on a price better that a market price. Moreover, for those shareholders who are not selling off the shares, it is an opportunity for them to get more shares allotted in the new entity. The situation is slightly different in terms of the shareholders of Sprint. Sprint has a strong technology back up to compete with all the competitors in the market. â€Å"Sprint Nextel has partnered with Clearwire to build a 4G wireless network using a technology called WiMax, which is now available in 43 markets.† (ABMN, 2010) Sprint is already committed to pay Clearwire Corporation for building 4G wireless technology. Sprint is bound to pay Clearwire a minimum amount of $850 million in two years. This can even go up based on the growth in data usage. This deal though was spread over for 2 to 3 years will raise the debt level of the company. A potential merger with T-Mobile will further raise the debt level of Sprint. This will be threatening for the financial position of the company. Eventually this can lead to loss for the shareholders. At this point, it is important to look at the financial position of both the companies. T-Mobile has been facing serious decline in its cu stomer base and profitability for some quarters now. All other players in the market are well equipped with sufficient technologies to capitalize the future market. It is difficult for T-Mobile to capture additional customers as they lack the technology strength to do so. Therefore, the customer and profit erosion for T-Mobile will be much faster in the coming years. â€Å"During the first quarter of 2011, T-Mobile saw its revenue hit $4.63 billion, putting it in line with the first quarter of 2010. However, the company’s profit fell over $200 million year over year from $362 million last year to $135 million in the first quarter of 2011.† (Reisinger, 2011) The total customer loss in 2010 alone was 56,000. The second quarter results of the company have shown a decrease in the total assets to $46,291 million from that of $46,299 million. Cash and equivalents have decreased to $109 million from that of $344 million. There is an increase in the total liabilities of the co mpany. Sprint Nextel is better positioned than T-mobile in terms of the financial position. Unlike T-Mobile, Sprint reported first quarterly revenue after 3 years. Sprint was also undergoing a loss of revenue since 2007. (Bloomberg, 2011) The net incomes were on the negative side year on year. The first quarterly revenue was in fact a positive sign that the financial position of the company will pick up. But then the second quarter results were again on the negative side for the company. (Sprint, 2011) These negative revenues have taken a tall on the cash flow of the company. Especially at this stage when the Sprint is

Retail Business and Consumer Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Retail Business and Consumer Environment - Essay Example Success in retailing is the result of sensitive perceptive decisions that require imaginative and innovative techniques. For example, as the American economy continued in its slow down a few years ago, many retailers were afraid to embrace new ideas. Instead of using their creative power to increase their competitive advantage, these retailers either just continued doing things as they always had done them, cut costs without thinking about the impact on customer satisfaction or copied what their competitors were doing† (Dunne 2008). These decisions are complicated by business environment because of low margins, high capital requirements, often or cyclical consumer demands. In recent years, retailers have turned to new information technologies to fight with these challenges. Indeed, the latest generation of a retail application has become and continues to be, a game changer in this industry. Studies show that those retailers deploying advanced technology solutions realize signif icant shareholder returns on average, with the help of technology-driven improvements like enhanced customer loyalty, efficient sales channels, advanced supply chain operations, and agiler merchandising. â€Å"Three fundamental and interrelated changes have occurred in European retail environment: first, the balance of power has shifted along the distribution channels from the manufactures to the retailers, secondly, traditional independent retailers and cooperatives have lost market share to multiple chain organizations, thirdly, markets have become increasingly consolidated and concentrated† (Gilbert 2003). Long-term business success is becoming more complex, for example, new technologies make it possible for companies to compete for customers in multiple sales channels and venues, including those on the phone, and on the web, allowing retailers to gain market share. The retails need the capacity to serve customers anytime and anywhere. Here is the relevance of the study of retail business and the consumer environment. Starting with a brief description of the retail business, going through the political, socio, economic, cultural factors affecting consumption patterns by applying appropriate theories of retail development in needed portions, it further explains the implication of retailing in urban development, and how advanced technologies can help retail industry to gain market share. When one observes the international retail market, for example, in the United States, the retail industry originated from a community shop where people would shop for necessity items. Single general stores were common because of limited population, and the disconnectivity of the people within the city. Later societies advanced with population increase went to big cities, and new technologies enabled to enhance interconnectivity among people, and easy communication between distanced cities gave further opportunities for the formation of specialty stores. In the current scenario, the US retail industry is booming. With this exponential growth of retail business across the nation can in the very near future come into the category of infrastructure industry. Adaptation is an important fact in the retail industry as trends in society, a taste of various products and people’s demand are more. In business to business market, managing customer relations and fulfilling their need is a vital factor. A customer is the main focus.

Statistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Statistics - Essay Example In fact, in all the home fires that were reported during the period of the survey, smoke alarms were installed in the respective homes. Nonetheless, there still remains much more to be done in order to meet the objective of making people safe in their homes. Considering the 4% of the households that do not have fire alarms, Ahrens (2014) places the count at about 5 million. This was the cause of 37% home fire deaths. Even aggravating the issue further is the finding that of all the reported fires during the period of NFPA study, only 52% of the fire alarms operated. The malfunctioning of these fire alarms was the cause of the 23% of home fire deaths. Therefore, fire alarms play a crucial role of saving human lives from home fires. However, statistics show that much more need to be undertaken to have more homes install these devices and have them function as required. Ahrens, M. (2014, March). Smoke alarms in U.S. home fires. National Fire Protection Association. Retrieved 1 July 2014 from

Compare and contrast the philisophical positions of Thales and Essay

Compare and contrast the philisophical positions of Thales and Anaximander - Essay Example He hypothesized several things that provided a logical pattern for the critique of natural phenomenon. For instance, he assumed that earthquakes are caused because the earth floated on something and this meant that some situation could cause the earth to shake and hence cause the earthquakes. This was something most people in his generation had never really thought about. Herodotus cites that Thales used logic and mathematics to predict the solar eclipse of 585 that ended the war between Lydians and Medes. Thales’ main methodology was to explain the logic of things through geometry and this included the long, square and cube of an object Anaximander was a student of Thales and as such, he took the teachings and principles of his teacher to the next level. Anaximander was mainly interested in the mechanics of the earth and how it related to the universe(Philosophy Basics, 2008). Therefore, he went beyond the basic geometry of Thales and studied the earth’s position in the universe with principles in cosmology, meteorology and geography. This was a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach that provided explanations about the origins and position of the earth. Thales and Anaximander were pioneering scientist in Pre-Socratic Greece. Thales was the first to question things using the logic of natural science instead of metaphysics. He developed methods including geometry to explain natural events. Anaximander, his student consolidated his basic ideas and integrated other elements of scientific testing and new disciplines to deduce the position of the earth in the

Critique on The Speakers Corner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critique on The Speakers Corner - Essay Example However, the police have endeavored to be very tolerant to the speakers and only respond in cases where they have received complaints from member of the public. At times they are forced to intervene on the grounds of profanity which involves the use of offensive language. The speaker’s corner in Britain was established as a result of the increased struggles for civil liberties and a quest for a more democratic society. The speakers’ corner has provided great opportunity for people to express themselves and have their views heard by many listeners across the global. The minority groups, who do not have any other platform to address their concerns, have benefited from the speakers’ corner since it has granted them a chance to be heard. However, the popularity and strength of the speakers’ corner has been eroded by the rapidly emerging trend of blogging and the use of other social media platforms in communicating personal views and opinions. In the current set-up, speakers’ corner is set loose its meaning and will soon become a thing of the past if the current trend is to

The Rising Price of Food Essay Example for Free

The Rising Price of Food Essay Recent years have seen dramatic increases in the world prices for food commodities. The first half of the year 2008 saw the price of rice go up by 50% and generally speaking, similar increases in other food commodities such as maize, soybeans and wheat have been seen across the world, resulting in various forms of panic. In the Philippines, farmers have begun hoarding supplies of rice, while Indonesians have initiated strikes due to soybean shortages. Generally speaking, these food crises have been attributed to the supply and demand factors resulting from meteorological catastrophes, shortages resulting from poor harvests and swelling populations. (BBC 2008; Lewis 2008) Steinberg (2008) reports that from early 2006 to early 2008, the world prices for corn has risen by 125%, rice by 217%, soybeans by 107% and wheat by 136%. Feilden (2008) opines that while foodstuffs have never been cheap to the point of absurdity, the past thirty years have seen a long period of stability that was bound to end following an expanding middle class emerging from rapidly developing nations such as China and India. Feilden asserts that for the most part, the cost of wheat, corn and soya has fallen in real terms, but continuingly volatile climatological conditions, a diversion of agriculture towards the production of biofuel feedstocks and increasingly luxuriant middle class appetites have made this inevitable. Parry, et al (66) have found that based on projections based on the Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that when population growth and rising levels of carbon emissions are combined they create anthropogenic climate change effects that have a detrimental effect on food production. Simply put, they have a negative effect on simulated crop yields, with greater disparities existing between developed and developing countries. Fortunately, these disparities are such that the shortfalls of developing nations are compensated for by the yields of developed nations which derive a limited benefit from climate change. What is problematic is that because of the complex nature of a globalized food supply, there is little to guarantee that these shortfalls in developing nations will be addressed through distribution. Another problematic causal factor driving the food crisis is the increased demand for value-added food commodities resulting from populations that have improved in class standing. For example, prospering Asian peoples have begun to substitute more basic food commodities with input-intensive or highly processed foods, most notably in their consumption of beef. For every kilogram of beef consumed, a great proportion of grain is used for feed. Other examples of value-added commodities include processed foods that utilize corn oil and high fructose corn syrup. (FAO 4) Richard Manning (35-37) opines that grain-based diets are generally diets for the poor. Thus, as nations prosper, the global food supply is stretched to its limit to accommodate a middle class that is increasing to levels it was never designed to anticipate. Following this chain of thought, recent price increases have come from increased use of food inputs rather than an absolute increase in food consumption. However, as suggested, the expanding middle class plays only a fractional role in the food price crisis. It does not mean that the global South is ultimately getting better. For the more than 2. 5 billion people who live on less than two dollars a day, the rise in food prices is a life or death matter, and as such, many from the world’s underclasses are turning towards cheaper food commodities as substitutes for increasingly costly equivalents. Faiola (2008) reports that in Mauritania, some have turned towards consuming sorghum in place of bread, whilst others have begun Indians have replaced soybean oil with groundnut oil. In the Philippines, the local Food and Nutrition Research Institute has proposed replacing some of the flour used in producing the staple known as pan de sal with squash puree instead to allow bakeries to keep the price down. The rise in food prices have also been affected by recent developments in global energy. Heinberg (2007) observes that the yields of industrial agriculture are highly dependent on fossil fuel inputs. While innovations such as crop rotation and the usage of manure and compost help reduce instances of famine, it is the use of fossil fuels in the production of fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and tractor-powered tillage that permits existing levels of production. In this context, it comes as no surprise then that as oil prices increase, so too does the price of food. Further amplifying the effects of oil price increases, is the diversion of agriculture towards providing for the booming biofuel industry. In a cover story for TIME Magazine, Michael Grunwald (28-33) observes that the diversion of grain-based agriculture from the food supply and towards the production of fuel means that biofuels like ethanol are imposing dramatic impacts upon the costs of maintaining food supply for both the world’s hungry and the world’s well fed, noting that â€Å"the grain it takes to fill an SUV tank could feed a person for a year. † Barrionuevo (2008) notes that while â€Å"ethanol has raised the incomes of farmers† and â€Å"given new hope to flagging rural economies† it is a major impact on the cost of food. The demand for biofuel cannibalizes the existing food supply, increasing the collective demand for grain. Steinberg notes that what also compounds these very real long-term factors is the role which commodity speculation plays in shoring up food prices. He attributes the food price crisis to an onslaught of investment speculation comparable to the subprime crisis which drove up house prices earlier this decade. Quoting the British publication The New Stateman, Steinberg notes that hedge fund groups have thrown billions of dollars into commodities instead. But rather than going into gold and oil, they have gone into cattle, cocoa and corn as ‘soft commodities. ’ Excessive investment drives up food prices, which encourages hoarding. Because a crisis of food supply guarantees a return on these investments, a vicious commodity super-cycle ensues. REFERENCES Lewis, L 2008, ‘Fear of rice riots as surge in demand hits nations across the Far East,’ The Times Online, 8 April. Available from: http://business. timesonline. co. uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/consumer_goods/article3701347. ece [October 15, 2008] BBC News 2008, ‘Cyclone fuels rice price increase,’ BBC News, 7 May. Available from: http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/business/7387251. stm [October 15, 2008] Steinberg, S 2008, ‘Financial speculators reap profits from global hunger,’ Global Research, 24 April. Available from: http://globalresearch. ca/index. php? context=vaaid=8794 [October 15, 2008] Feilden, T 2008, ‘QA: Rising world food prices,’ BBC News, 4 March. Available from: http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/business/7276971. stm [October 15, 2008] Parry, ML, Rosenzweig, C, Iglesias, A, Livermore M Fischer, G 2004, ‘Effects of climate change on global food production under SRES emissions and socio-economic scenarios,’ Global Environmental Change 14, 53-67. Available from: http://www. elsevier. com/framework_aboutus/pdfs/2-Effects_of_climate_change. pdf [October 15, 2008] United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization 2008, ‘Crop Prospects and Food Situation,’ Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture, 2, April. Available from: ftp://ftp. fao. org/docrep/fao/010/ai465e/ai465e00. pdf [October 15, 2008] Manning, R 2004, Against the Grain: How Agriculture Has Hijacked Civilization, New York, New York: North Point Press. Heinberg, R 2007, ‘What Will We Eat as the Oil Runs Out? ’ Museletter, 188, 22 November. Available from:http://globalpublicmedia. com/richard_heinbergs_museletter_what_will_we_eat_as_the_oil_runs_out [October 14, 2008] Grunwald, M 2008, ‘The Clean Energy Scam,’ TIME Magazine, 7 April. Barrionuevo, A 2007, ‘Rise in Ethanol Raises Concerns About Corn As a Food,’ The New York Times, 5 January. Faiola, A 2008‘The New Economics of Hunger,’ The Washington Post, April 27. Page A01. Available from: http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/26/AR2008042602041. html? sid=ST2008042602333 [October 15, 2008] Walt, V 2008 ‘The World’s Growing Food-Price Crisis,’ TIME Magazine, 27 February. Available from: http://www. time. com/time/world/article/0,8599,1717572,00. html [October 14, 2008]

Enhancing quality in assessment Essay Example for Free

Enhancing quality in assessment Essay Quality assurance refers to refers to any systematic process aimed at ensuring that services and products being developed meet the specified requirements and standards (Sale, 1990). Thorough testing by the quality assurance on products and services is important so as to give developers a chance to fix glitches before new technology prior to the products or services being unleashed to the consumers (Hernon Altman, 1998). Appropriate quality assurance can also support firms in attaining a competitive edge in the trading ecosystem which is extremely complex. It can also help in improving customer acquisition and retention rates through helping in distributing cutting edge services to consumers more dependably and faster. Assessment refers to any process which appraises skills, understanding, knowledge and knowledge of an individual. The vital elements of assessment which requires being quality assured include the assessors, the assessment process, the assessment system, collecting the evidence and making the judgment (Oakland, 1989). Assessment principles propose that assessments should be reliable, fair, flexible and valid. Assessors carrying out the assessment should make sure that assessment decisions engage the evaluation of adequate evidence which will enable a judgment to be made regarding competence of an individual. Assessors judge the individuals against benchmarks or competency standards which are developed by the industry with an aim of assessing whether such individuals are competent. Individual needs of the customers should also be assessed in order to find out whether the products and services provided to them satisfy those needs. This assessment will help in understanding and improving those individual needs (Oakland, 1989). When individual needs are met this will increase the customer’s satisfaction, customer loyalty and also the company will be having a competitive edge over its competitors (Fox, 1993). In order for a company to be successful it should be able to meet the customer expectations. Customer expectations should be made public in organization where appropriate criteria should be introduced and also high standards should be set with an aim of meeting the individual needs of the customers. Also during the assessment there should be a systematical way of analyzing, gathering and interpreting evidence in order to find out how well the performance of the company matches the standards and expectations of the consumers (Harlen, 1994). The information gathered will be used in explaining, documenting and enhancing performance. This will help in creating an organization culture which focuses more on satisfying the individual needs of the consumers which will eventually increases the performance of the company (Garcia, 2009). Assessment is frequently subdivided into two categories namely formative assessment and summative assessment. Formative assessment possess a developmental purpose which is aimed at helping individuals in a company to work more effectively through giving them feedback in connection with their performance and also ways of maintaining or enhancing their performance. This will help the company in ensuring that the customers’ needs and expectations are achieved. On the other hand, summative assessment is used to show the extent of the individual’s success in attaining the assessment criteria used in appraising the intended performance outcomes of the company. Different customers have different needs and requirements and therefore companies should assess those needs in order to satisfy all their individual needs (Gitlow, 2005). Quality assurance process prevents hitches from occurring, detect and correct hitches that do happen, and promote higher standards of care. Assessment activity should be within a quality management system concerned with constant improvement. Two main factors which drives the demand for ensuring the quality of assessment include philosophy of quality management and the desire to follow the set requirements. Assuring assessment quality will leads to many benefits to the organization. Improving the consistency and quality of assessment will assist the assessors to have more confidence on their judgments, individuals to deem that they have been treated in a just way, and community, employers and other groups to value assessment judgment issued. A great concern on quality in assessment easily forms part of the overall approach of the organization and management of quality processes (Quality management and quality assurance standards, 1994). Quality assurance is very concerned on a systematic approach to enhancement that is aimed at responding and recognizing to the expectation and needs of all the groups of stakeholders in organizations. Stakeholders expect quality assessment and training carried out in an environment which is systematic that also assures its services and processes. Quality assurance processes the support staff which supports them in providing effective and efficient service that is focused appropriately on the needs of customers and clients. Quality assurance involves constant improvement (Vitale Vengroski, 1993). The cyclical approach of ‘plan, do, assess, and act’ encourages the need to execute processes, assess their efficiency and act to continue with further improvement (Fox, 1993). Organizational needs should also be assessed where all departments should be assessed and also the employees. Employees should also be allowed to have self-assessment and peer reviewed assessments so as to determine their performance and help in knowing areas to improve in order to enhance their performance (Gitlow, 2005). All the groups and stakeholders which contributes to the performance of the company should be assessed and analyze them in order to come up with effective ways of enhancing the performance of the company. This will also help in increasing customer’s satisfaction since all their needs will be assessed and therefore working towards fulfilling those needs. Assessing individual, groups and organizations needs therefore it very significant towards improving the performance of the company. References Ciccone, K. R., Lord, J. T. (1992). IQA-2: continuous performance improvement through integrated quality assessment. Chicago: American Hospital Pub.. Fox, M. J. (1993). Quality assurance management. London: Chapman Hall. Garcia, D. (2009). Quality management. Chandni Chowk, Delhi [India: Global Media. Gitlow, H. S. (2005). Quality management (3rd ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Harlen, W. (1994). Enhancing quality in assessment. London: P. Chapman Pub.. Hernon, P., Altman, E. (1998). Assessing service quality: satisfying the expectations of library customers. Chicago: American Library Association. Oakland, J. S. (1989). Total quality management. Oxford: Heinemann Professional Pub. ;. Quality management and quality assurance standards. (1994). Sydney: Standards Australia ;. Sale, D. N. (1990). Quality assurance. London: Macmillan. Vitale, B. A., Vengroski, S. M. (1993). Quality assessment and improvement in long-term care: a continuous process. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis. Source document

Functional Requirements Of Cladding System Construction Essay

Functional Requirements Of Cladding System Construction Essay Cladding can be defined as a protective or insulating layer fixed to the outside of the building or any other structure. The objectives of cladding system to be built are: To provide enclosure. The cladding was made to provide enclosure to the building which will give the necessary protection against the weather and external changes. Speed of dry construction. The usage of off-site prefabrication for the cladding can provide a drier and faster construction. It imposes minimal additional dead load. The cladding is usually made from a lightweight material and thus the additional load impose on the building is minimum. It enhances architectural concept and impress the appearance of the building. The cladding is made from a different type of materials. So, each of the material used may extrude the appearance of the building according to the concept and function of the building that the architect wants to design. It can control internal environment. The cladding system can control the internal environment of the building such as controlling light penetrating into the building, controlling the radiation and conduction of heat from the sun, and many others. To achieve the objectives, the cladding system should obey some of the functional requirements. The primary functions of cladding system is to separate the indoor environment of a building from the outdoors in such a way that the outdoors environment will not affecting the indoors and the indoor environment can be maintained at levels suitable for the intended use. The other functional requirements of the cladding system are as follows: The cladding system should have a good strength and stability. The cladding system must have adequate strength to support its own weight between the points of support or fixings to the structural frame whereas the sufficient stability is needed to against the lateral wind pressure exposed to the building. Both of these features are required in the cladding system to allow the differential movement between itself; in terms of material expansion and contraction, between the structural frame or the differential movement in other adjacent building element. The cladding system should have exclusion of wind and rain. To fulfil these criteria, a common practice is to construct a solid cladding system with an outer leaf as a rain screen and inner leaf as insulator. Thus, the materials used to seal joints are required to be resilient enough to accommodate movement and resist weather deterioration. To sustain the pressure and suctions by the wind, the cladding must be adequately strong and stiff. The wind directions and velocities are greater at the upper reaches of building. The cladding system must have durability and freedom of maintenance. The minimum frequency and extent of work is necessary to maintain the minimum functional requirements and acceptable appearance of the cladding. As an instance, the glass cladding requires frequent cleaning and renewal of seal to maintain its performance whereas the sheet metal cladding need to be observed and carefully take care of it as it is easily undergo oxidation process and faded. The cladding system has the control of internal temperatures. This is due to the solar gain through the glass panels. The internal temperature can be controlled by three ways. First is by using a deep recessed window in conjunction with external vertical fins. Secondly, by using non-transparent external louvers and thirdly is by using a special solar control glass. The cladding system has a great resistance towards fire. The system must fulfil the building regulations by the local authority. The materials used as a lining for insulation must be made from a non-combustible material. The cladding system should include thermal properties by controlling the radiation and conduction of heat. The lining of the cladding material need to provide additional insulation to control the heat. To radiate the flow of heat from the sun, the interior surfaces of the cladding need to be at the temperature that will not cause radiant discomfort which is neither too hot nor too cold. To control the conduction of heat, the cladding must be made from a low conductivity of heat material to avoid localised condensation on interior surfaces, thermal bridges and stabilised the required degree of the conduction of heat into and out of the building. The cladding system should be equipped with sound insulation. The cladding system should isolate the noise outside the building from the interior of the building or the interior of the building from the external noise. The isolation of noise is best achieved by walls that posses the features of airtight, massive and resilient. The used of resilient pad to prevent sound originating within the structure to be transferred vertically through the cladding members. The airborne sound can be prevented by utilising double glazing panel to windows area. The cladding systems must provide sufficient openings for the admittance of natural daylight and ventilation. The admittance of the sunlight into the building must be controlled as the sunlight has ultraviolet ray which is harmful towards human skin and must be kept off from inferior material that easily disintegrate or fade. The visible light of sunlight is useful for illumination but it can also be bothersome because it causes glare. Question 2 (b) A client requires a road that requires little maintenance with reasonable non-skid properties. With the aid of diagram, suggest a type of road and the construction methodology for the proposed road. The type of road that requires little maintenance and reasonable non-skid properties is a rigid pavement or also known as concrete road. A rigid pavement consists of a concrete slab resting on a thin granular base. The pavement may be Unreinforced Concrete (URC), Jointed Reinforced Concrete (JRC) or Continuously Reinforced Concrete (CRCP). The concrete slab should be Pavement Quality Concrete (PQC), manufactured, laid and cured according to the specification required. Figure 1: Cross-section of Pavement Structure The basic rigid pavement structure consists of subgrade (existing soil), sub-base course, base course and surface course (concrete). The sub-base course and base course are optional depending on the location of the road to be made. Sub-base layer consists of a lean concrete base and a layer of cement-bound granular base or soil cement base. The total thickness of sub-base and concrete slab should be a minimum of 450mm. The function of sub-base is assisting the drainage, protecting the subgrade against frost, and, in the case of fine-grained soils is to prevent pumping where the ejection of water and silt through joints or cracks occurs due to the downwards movement of the slab caused by heavy wheel loads. The materials used as a granular sub-base are crushed rock, crushed slag, crushed concrete, natural sand, gravels or well-burnt non-plastic shale. After the placement of sub-base layer, an anti-friction membrane is placed over and normally polythene sheeting that performs extra function of preventing grout loss from freshly laid concrete. The concrete slab is normally placed by a concreting train that runs on a heavy duty road form to prevent deflection and is bedded in position at least 24 hours before concreting tthe slab. A hopper unit is usually included in the concrete train to feed the concrete on the base through a conveyor belt. This operation may be carry out alternatively by using a screw-type spreader. Then, the concrete is laid onto the fabric reinforcement, followed by the placing of the fabric, a second spreader and compactor unit to complete the slab. Next, a surcharge is placed on the top layer of concrete to gain maximum compaction. An alternative method to lay the slab is by using a slip-form paver. This plant requires no side forms and mounted on crawler tracks. It is capable of laving pavement at 2m per minute. The general method of rigid pavement costruction consists of placement, consolidation, finishing, curing and jointing. Placement This process involves equipments and procedures use to place the pre-cast concrete on a desired thickness of surface. The concrete can be pour and spread by using truck or truck attachments. For a more accurate and even placement, a placementmachine can be use instead. The concrete will become less homogenous or tend to segregate after it has been unloaded from the truck. Thus, the screeding process is carried out immediately after the concrete placement. The excess portion of roughly pre-cast concrete are cut off to the required level of slab elevation. This can be done by dragging a straightedge at the required elevation across the slab. Figure 2: Placement Over Dowel Bars in an Intersection Figure 3: Placement in Front of a Rolling Screed Consolidation This process is use to eliminate undesirable voids in any ways possible. This process removes undesirable air voids and causing it to move around reinforcing steel or other potential obstruction and thus, makes the freshly placed pre-cast concrete more uniform and compact mass. The process of consolidation is completed by using a vibrator that can be characterised as a long and slender vibration rods. The vibrator works by moving back and forth to rotate an eccentric weight which causes the particles in the pre-cast concrete mass to excite to move close together for a better flow around obstruction. However, the vibrator need to be controlled carefully as the exccess or too little vibration can cause the coarse aggregate particles to be non-uniformly distributed. Finishing Finishing process involves all the steps and equipment used to create the final surface finish and texture of fresh pre-cast concrete. This process can be divided into two parts; floating and texturing. Floating. This process involves different tools and may use multiple passes over the same surface. This is done by running a flat surface across the concrete to remove high and low spots, eliminate the imperfections, and compact the mortar at the surface for texturing. Texturing. The concrete is quite smooth after the floating. So, texturing process is carried out to create a slip resistance surface for traffic. The pattern is done by dragging a rough-texture item across the surface. There are two types of texturing; microtexture and macrotexture. Microtexture. The texturing is done by dragging a section of artificial turf or burlap behind the paver. This can enhances frictional force between the tires of vehicles and the surface of pavement and thus increases safety at lower speeds. Macrotexture. The texturing is done by tining the pavement surface. This type of texturing allows the water to escape from between the tyres of vehicles and the pavement and thus increases the safety at high speeds.   Figure 4: Microtexture Figure 5: Macrotexture Curing The curing process is the maintenance of required temperature and satisfactory moisture in pre-cast concrete as it hardens to develop desired properties such as strength, durability and density. These properties related to the extent of hydration of concrete which depend on the moisture and temperature of the site. The perfection of the hydration can results in the better concretes properties. Jointing This process involves the actions to insert purposeful discontinuities in the pavement and seal them appropriately. Joints are formed in slab for allowing and controlling the movements such as expansion,contraction and warping. There are two types of materials used in joints, a sealer that separates the slab and a sealing compound that fills the top of joint. The material used as a joint fillings are cork, rubber or sheet bitumen. On completion, the surface of the slab may be textured by brushing with a wire broom at right angles to the centre line of the carriageway to gives a better skidding resistance and uniform appearance. The slab should be cured immediately after brush treatment by spraying with a curing compound. Question 2 (c): Describe the performance and specify the material that can be used to fill the void of disused structures, e.g. culverts, redundant sewers, cellars, and basements and also for soil structural stabilisation, e.g. bridge abutments, tunnel stabilisation, and embankments. The material that can be used to fill the voids of disused structure is foamed concrete. Specifically, it is called Highly Air-entrained Mortar (HAM) or also known as aerated concrete. Ready-mix foam concrete is highly workable and contain up to 50 percent air-entrained which lead to a low density material. This type of concrete can self-levelling, self-compacting and can be pumped with the risk of settlement cracking and plastic shrinkage is lower than a normal concrete. The performances of the foamed concrete can be divided into three categories which are plastic state advantages, working improvements and final concrete performance. At plastic stage advantages, the foam concrete can be implemented to a variety project needs and operational conditions as it is more practical than any other materials. The features of concrete that satisfy at this stage are as follows: The concrete can be produced on site or off site. This feature allows an immediate placement on delivery and thus, no space is needed for storage. This will also lead to nice workability retention. The concrete has wide range of possible mixes of materials according to its usage. The proportion of mixture is adjustable to fulfil required performance. This may results in controlled density and strength of the concrete. The concrete has a stable chemical structure. So, no soil analysis and moisture checks between layers are required. This is due to its compatibility with almost all building products and materials. The concrete has a cellular fill. This may cause the external contamination face difficulties to penetrate into the concrete. At the working improvements category, the free-flowing properties of these concrete contribute to the following features and benefits: The concrete is easy to place and finish. It uses only a single process of installation where the concrete is pour and then levelled. This lead to a reduction in cost for labour and supervision. Besides, the specialist machinery such as compactors or vibrators is not needed. The foam concrete is pumpable. They can be pumped at a significant distance by using a simple conventional concrete pump. The concrete is self-compacting and self-levelling. This feature makes it ideal for an inaccessible trench where the compaction is difficult to carry out. It allows the concrete to discharge into narrow space and fully fills the void. At final concrete performance category, the plastic state qualities have finally translated into significant final performances. The performances are as follows: The concrete has high entrained air content. This feature makes the concrete becomes more resistance towards freezing or thaw damage. The entrained air content also acts as a good thermal and acoustic insulation. The foam concrete has a good cohesion. The cohesion makes the concrete as a stable foam structure that reduces settlements. The cohesion also helps in the reduction of bleeding and segregation of concrete The density and strength of the foam concrete can be controlled. The range of densities and strengths is available for each type of foam concrete. The lower strength concrete allows removal of subsequent access to services The foam concrete has a stable structure which makes it can be surfaced after twenty-four hours. Question 2 (d): Briefly describe the activities involved in external works at the start of the contract. External works can be generally defined as the construction works done externally from the main building. The external works can be divided into two; at contract commencement and at the end of contract. The activities involved in external works at the start of the contract are drainage, temporary access and buildings, and public utilities whereas the activities involved at the end of contract consists of road and pavement, fencing, landscaping and minor external works. Drainage can be divided into two types; underground/subsurface drainage and surface drainage. Subsurface drainage was made to collect the water from where it is not wanted to some other place such as removing and disposing of surplus groundwater from gardens and other plots of open land. The system usually deals with foul water from kitchen, toilets and any industrial process or combining foul water with surface water. The subsurface drainage system consists of underground pipe line, manhole/inspection chamber and culvert. The underground pipe line pipes and sewer pipes can be made of vitrified clay, uPVC, concrete, high density polyethylene (HDPE) and many others. The jointing of plain ended pipes is made by means of a coupling where the socketed pipe that has distinguishable male and female ends must be laid with female end pointing upstream. To construct underground pipe line, the pipes should be laid in straight line from point to point with a fall to a steady gradient. The type of bedding is depending on the pipes material to protect the pipes from ruptures or breakage. The fittings and access points must be installed at head of run, bend or change of direction, change in pipe diameter and at junction, unless all runs connected to junction can be rodded from another access point. The second part of subsurface drainage system is manhole, access point and inspection chamber. The access chambers are intended to provide simple access for cursory inspection and access for drain rods or other maintenance equipment. The inspection chambers (IC) are larger than access chambers. It provides access for maintenance equipment, but tends to have more branches feeding into them. The manholes (MH) are the largest chambers providing access to sewer or drain for maintenance equipment. The manholes can be made from brick (brick manhole) or pre-cast concrete manhole. The brick manhole typically have 215mm thick brickwork with a mass concrete as benching whereas the pre-cast concrete manhole only 50-60mm thick, although those built beneath vehicular trafficked areas should have been haunches with mass concrete at least 150mm thick. Figure 6: The Cross-section of Pre-cast Concrete Manhole The third part of subsurface drainage system is culvert. Culvert is a structure which provides a waterway or other opening under a road. The type of pipe culvert should be class Z spun reinforced concrete with spun concrete collars or spigot and socket type. Figure 7: The Culvert The second type of drainage is surface drainage system. The system collects water from the roof and the paving, often discharging this relatively clean water into a local watercourse to reduce demand on the effluent treatment plant. The surface water systems are gulley and access point, continuous grating over pre-cast concrete channels and combined kerb and drainage systems. The gulley and access point can be classed into individual trapped gulley and road gullies. The individual trapped gully commonly used with rainwater downspouts for draining large area of paving. The road gullies are basically much larger and used within carriageways. The continuous grating over pre-cast channels can be made from wide range materials such as HDPE, polymer concrete and stainless steel. The combined kerb and drainage systems act as road isolator and discharge point of collected surface water. Figure 8: The Kerb Second external works done at start of the contract is the construction of temporary access, storage area, car parking and site facilities. These are the major components to be built before any construction of building can take places in provision of difficult access to all parts of the site, difficulties in storage of materials and for the site facilities and car parking. For the construction of temporary access, the contractor will lay the base course of permanent road to minimise the cost. The site temporary road can be kept dry by laying the drainage system as soon as possible. The third external works at the commencement of contract is the public utilities services. The services that involves are water system, electricity and cabling for telephone. The public utilities need to be planned ahead before any major structures are built. Any constructions of service mains and ducts should start concurrently with foundation construction stage so that it will not hinder the construction activities.

Explain What Is Meant By The T :: essays research papers

Explain what is meant by the term â€Å"an economic model† and outline a model of price and output determination in a free market. Examine the effect of a change in real disposable income on equilibrium price and output. An economic model or theory is a simplified explanation and analysis of economic behaviour. It allows us to predict, and therefore intervene, if we do not like the outcome of a possible chain of events.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Theories and models are mainly derived from past responses to similar stimuli or from statistical surveys, and this information may not always be accurate as it assumes ceteris paribus, or all other things remaining equal. For example, figures may show that the number of people smoking doubled when the price of cigarettes halved in the 1960’s. This does not mean to say that following a similar price reduction today, the response would be the same, as advertising has increased the awareness of the dangers of smoking. Such a difference in behaviour patterns can be explained when we consider that economics is a social science, concerned with people, who have a free will and cannot be made subject to laws. This also explains why many models are generalised, dealing with trends in economic behaviour rather than the choice of the individual, as this varies and is difficult to surmise and predict.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A market is a place where buyers and sellers communicate for the purpose of the exchange of a good. In free market, the price of a good can fluctuate, determined by supply and demand. When economists discuss demand, they mean effective demand, or how much people will want, and can afford to buy at any given price of a product. This means that demand is dependent on price. The graph above is a demand curve that illustrates that as price rises, demand falls. This enables movement along the curve, which we term an expansion or contraction of demand, depending on the direction of this movement. Like most economic models, it is simplified and assumes ceteris paribus that price and demand have an inversely proportional relationship. This theory does not account for goods which are nesscessities or that have few close substitutes, for whom demand may remain constant with price changes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Similarly, there is a supply curve that shows the relationship between price and supply. The economic theory here is that the higher price a good commands, the higher your profit margin will be (assuming costs of production remain constant).

The Bennets: Experts in the Field of Inter-Family Conflict Avoidance :: essays research papers

The Bennets: Experts in the Field of Inter-Family Conflict Avoidance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Father looks across the dinner table and kindly asks his darling wife to pass the dinner rolls while Suzie is lovingly telling about her second grade teacher’s neat handwriting. The linen tablecloth is firmly pressed and the home-cooked meal is thankfully devoured. The yellow-checkered dinner plates are freshly washed, and the smell of lilacs from the garden drifts through the sunlit dining room. Billy smiles at his mother as he asks her if he could please have some more of her â€Å"deliciously home grown asparagus.† Mother nods to Billy and passes him the serving dish. When the family has had their fill, Suzie volunteers to do the dishes and Billy habitually clears the table and brings each of his parents a glass of dessert wine. Mother and Father then proceed to enjoy their wine as they talk of Beethoven and Monet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is a family without conflicts. Everybody dreams of one, nobody has one. It is impossible, and makes for a very unrealistic, and also a very boring, story. An imperfect family can be used in literature in order to make fiction believable and often more relative to the reader. By showing a character’s flaws, the author can add texture and depth to a story. Jane Austen definitely uses this idea in her famous novel: Pride and Prejudice. Not one of her characters is perfect. These flaws add drama to the plot in the same way that dressing adds flavor to a salad. The weaknesses of one character often foil the strengths of another: Lydia’s goofy foolishness has the affect of bringing out the sense and patience of Jane and Elizabeth. Mr. Wickham’s false personality and immoral behavior toward the Bennets proves Mr. Darcy’s truthfulness and emphasizes his kind and thoughtful personality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although faults often bring out the best in literature, a psychologist would suggest that the Bennets need some severe family counseling. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet should never have been married; they contradict the idea that opposites attract. Mr. Bennet had married because he was â€Å"captivated by youth and beauty, and [the] appearance of good humour which youth and beauty generally give†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (201) He married for the wrong reasons and suffers the consequences of his choice. Mrs. Bennet is described as an ignorant woman with weak understanding and an illiberal mind. Mr. Bennet is unhappy with the relationship as soon as the physical attraction wears off.

Misunderstanding The Day We Were Dogs :: Day We Were Dogs Essays

Misunderstanding The Day We Were Dogs      Ã‚  Ã‚   Writers as well as many people make or mislabel stories. Magical, unreal, real, fantastic, and the sublime are just a few types of different labels that a person can use. The different types of stories are amusing and fun. The world is made up of all types of different labels of material for stories that people like to read and enjoy. Elana Garro is one of the Spanish authors who has written stories that have been mislabeled and put with other stories that were listed under the magical and the unreal. The short story "The Day We Were Dogs" is one of the stories that has been misplaced. Elana Garro wrote this story in 1993. The magical and the unreal of this story could easily be identified; during the first part of the story, the girls woke to find a day with two days inside the day. Now either this situation is unreal or it is crazy. A person can think of a day and then think of the present, or a person can think of the future and be in the present. The thought of two days being together in the same day is ludicrous; the thought of this statement being real is also ludicrous. The real aspect of this story is that the children are pretending to be dogs. The children have wild and creative imaginations. The short story has two children out in the yard with their dog, Toni. While in the yard, the children are talking to the dog and talking among themselves. "Look for your dog name, I'm looking for mine. I'm a dog? Yes were dogs"(208). Children can actually be playing and really think that they are living in their pretend world. They can actually believe that they are really living their imaginations. People who actually read stories question the plot and the story as the story progresses. The characters in the story accept everything; however, they are pretending. Questioning and receiving ideas about time and space with the identity of the characters worked well with the characters of the story. By the experience of being a reader, this person can verify that looking for a plot and the story line is very important. The attitude of the characters of the short story of "The Day We Were Dogs" did well. The way the characters acted through out the story was like real children playing out side with the pet dog.

Grey Market

A  grey market  or  gray market  also known as parallel market  is the trade of a commodity through distribution channels which, while legal, are unofficial, unauthorized, or unintended by the original manufacturer. Unlike  black market  goods, grey-market goods are legal. However, they are sold outside normal distribution channels by companies which may have no relationship with the producer of the goods. Frequently this form of  parallel import  occurs when the price of an item is significantly higher in one country than another. This situation commonly occurs with electronic equipment such as  cameras. Entrepreneurs  buy the product where it is available cheaply, often at retail but sometimes at wholesale, and import it legally to the target market. They then sell it at a price high enough to provide a profit but under the normal market price. International efforts to promote  free trade, including reduced  tariffs  and harmonized national standards, facilitate this form of arbitrage  whenever manufacturers attempt to preserve highly disparate pricing. Because of the nature of grey markets, it is difficult or impossible to track the precise numbers of grey-market sales. Grey-market goods are often new, but some grey market goods are  used goods. A market in used goods is sometimes nicknamed a Green Market. The parties most concerned with the grey market are usually the authorized agents or importers, or the retailers of the item in the target market. Often this is the national subsidiary of the manufacturer, or a related company. In response to the resultant damage to their profits and reputation, manufacturers and their official distribution chain will often seek to restrict the grey market. Such responses can breach  competition law, particularly in the European Union. Manufacturers or their licensees often seek to enforce  trademark  or other  intellectual-property  rights against the grey market. Such rights may be exercised against the import, sale and/or advertisement of grey imports. In 2002,  Levi Strauss, after a 4-year legal fight, prevented UK supermarket Tesco  from selling grey market jeans. However, such rights can be limited. Examples of such limitations include the  first-sale doctrine  in the United States and the doctrine of the  exhaustion of rights  in the European Union. Manufactures power towards the Grey Market When grey-market products are advertised on  Google,  eBay  or other legitimate web sites, it is possible to petition for removal of any advertisements that violate trademark or copyright laws. This can be done directly, without the involvement of legal professionals. eBay , for example, will remove listings of such products even in countries where their purchase and use is not against the law. * Manufacturers may refuse to supply distributors and retailers (and with commercial products, customers) that trade in grey-market goods. * They may also more broadly limit supplies in markets where prices are low. Manufacturers may refuse to honour the warranty of an item purchased from grey-market sources, on the grounds that the higher price on the non-grey market reflects a higher level of service even though the manufacturer does of course control their own prices to distributors. * Alternatively, they may provide the warranty service only from the manufacturer's subsidiary in the intended country of import, not the diverted third country where the grey goods are ultimately sold by the distributor or retailer. This response to the grey market is especially evident in electronics goods. Identifying the Grey Market Product * Manufacturers may give the same item different model numbers in different countries, even though the functions of the item are identical, so that they can identify grey imports. * Manufacturers can also use batch codes to enable similar tracing of grey imports. Parallel market importers often de-code the product in order to avoid the identification of the supplier. In the United States, courts have decided that decoding which blemishes the product is a material alteration, rendering the product infringed. Parallel market importers have worked around this limitation by developing new removal techniques. * The development of  DVD region codes, and equivalent  regional-lockout  techniques in other media, are examples of technological features designed to limit the flow of goods between national markets, effectively fighting the grey market that would otherwise develop. This enables movie studios and other content creators to charge more for the same product in one market than in another or alternatively withhold the product from some markets for a particular time. ————————————————- Five reasons for not buying a grey market product ————————————————- ————————————————- The grey market holds a lot of attraction for a number of people looking for tech products. In many cases, it provides people with products that have not been officially released in their countries (consider the iPad) and in others, allows them to buy a product at a much lower rate – a grey market iPhone 3GS for instance comes for around Rs 28,000 as compared to its prim and proper counterpart, which costs in the vicinity of Rs 35,000. However, making a purchase from the grey market comes with its own set of pitfalls, some of which can be significant. Here’s a look at five of the biggest ones. 1. No assurance of authenticity:   No matter how well you know the dealer from whom you have bought the product, you have virtually any way of knowing that what you have got is a genuine, first-hand article. There is a chance that you might end up with a second-hand product that has been repackaged. 2. Absence of warranty and support:  Products purchased from the grey market are not covered by official warranty and support. So the Lord help you if something goes wrong with it – you will have to head right back to the grey market to get it repaired, without any assurance whatsoever that things will be fine. 3. No updates:  In the case of many grey market products, software updates are simply not possible. You therefore run the risk of not getting the latest improvements the company might have made to a product. Many people using pirated versions of Windows have been unable to install the special packages Microsoft released for the software. 4. Limited functionality:  A number of products will work only with limited functionality if you purchase them from â€Å"unofficial† sources. For example, those who have purchased their PS3 from the grey market might have trouble playing games online. 5. No receipt:  A grey market purchase being not strictly legal, you are unlikely to get a proper receipt for your product, which effectively prevents you from showing it in your accounts, when you head to the taxman to show your revenues and expenses. The Darker Shades of the Grey Market The grey market has long been an issue for manufacturers and their retailers, but the problem has grown exponentially because of the Internet. The simple definition of the grey market is â€Å"the sale of products by unauthorized dealers, frequently at discounted prices. † Grey market worries go way beyond the scuba industry. It is a global issue for manufacturers as large as Sony, Hewlett-Packard and Xerox, and a major worry for retailers as sophisticated as Best Buy. It is also a problem within numerous industries, some of which you wouldn't guess. For example, broadcasting has its grey market resellers of Dish Network and DIRECTV. And consider the wine business — for marketing purposes wine is sold for much less money in parts of Europe. Because of the price disparity it is possible to buy wine from an authorized distributor, say in France, and resell it in the United States, often for less than the wholesale price of a U. S. authorized distributor. No, the scuba equipment industry is not uniquely paranoid. You are not alone in your concernsGrey market goods are not necessarily illegal, so some ask, â€Å"What is the harm, especially when consumers can benefit from lower prices? † The answer is that the grey market undermines normal distribution channels. It does this in a number of ways. The most obvious is that products that are diverted to unauthorized resellers usually end up competing with a manufacturer's legitimate dealers with substantially lower prices. This devalues the products, reduces everyone's profits, and alienates the manufacturers' dealers. It also puts the manufacturers' network of dealers, and thus the manufacturers' future distribution, at risk. Pricing is a big issue. The argument that lower prices benefit consumers is grossly incorrect. In a service business the grey market winds up hurting everyone, including the consumer. As price cutting gets out of hand and retailers have to compete with price their margins suffer. Consider that, as a general rule, a 10 percent reduction in a retailer's gross profit requires the retailer to sell to 50 percent more customers to earn the same profit dollars. In a specialty business like scuba that increase is near impossible to achieve. The grey market puts the business of the legitimate dealers in jeopardy. That pressure goes up the line to the manufacturers who are forced to watch their dealer base dwindle, and/or make concessions to dealers to help them compete. Then manufacturer margins suffer. In diving, many companies work on slim net margins, so when the gross margins suffer†¦. Let's put the price and margin factors aside for a moment. Another large issue is that since manufacturers have no control over unauthorized dealers, products and brands can be devalued not just from (the consumer's perception that results from the) low pricing, but because of negative issues surrounding consumer protection, product integrity, service and warranties, and recall notifications. In short, when a manufacturer loses control of its distribution, negative consumer experiences can damage the goodwill and reputation of a brand. And finally, a manufacturer's product pricing structure includes its costs for marketing, promotion, product research and development, product liability and regulatory compliance. Although unauthorized resellers benefit from selling the products, they do not contribute to these expenses. It's a very important consideration that for consumers, the scuba business is as much about service as it is about equipment. The service component becomes such a tangible part of every product's retail price. The profit represents no less than your consumers' access to this sport. And anyone who thinks that price is the pressing issue for our customers doesn't understand the importance of service in the consumer's perception of a product's value. In other words, in this business consumers expect retailers to supply them all of the other (including the social) aspects of the sport. Of course, there's a limit to that loyalty when it's tested by low grey market prices. In short, anyone who thinks that the grey market's lower prices are good for consumers is wrong. It's a Tactical Issue Unauthorized dealers acquire products in a number of ways. In scuba, as in the wine example above, much of the product comes from overseas, where favorable exchange rates or pricing structures make America an attractive market. Unauthorized dealers also work to acquire product from sources within the authorized dealer network. I would like to emphasize again that people in the diving business tend to see their industry as paranoid, too provincial, too protective of retailers. But you are not. In fact, in all industries afflicted by the grey market, concerned manufacturers use a number of tactics to fight those sales. In the electronics industry, for example, Sony and many others won't honor the warranty on products bought through the grey market. The U. S. division of Nikon goes further. They will only service products that are purchased through an authorized retailer. It declines grey-market repairs even if a customer is willing to pay for them. Another lever that manufacturers use is the threat of prosecution of trademark laws to restrict advertisements for the products. So when grey market products are advertised on Web sites it is possible to petition for removal of advertisements that violate trademark or copyright laws. Our business, Net Enforcers, has been helping companies combat grey-market distribution of their wares. We understand the darker sides of the grey market because we work in a number of industries for some very large companies like Samsung and Sony as well as for many of the manufacturers in the scuba industry. The companies hire us as a private police force to monitor Web sites for illegal use of product photography, copyrighted product descriptions, trademark logos and branding material. We also look for false or fraudulent statements of warranty or statements to the effect that the manufacturer supports the product they sell. We're the plumbers, finding leaks in the distribution pipes through sophisticated methods of investigation. When we find sites that we suspect are illegitimate, we issue takedown notices, a method of copyright enforcement that compels Internet service providers to pull suspected copyright infringements. The purpose of this piece is to explain the problem that the grey market has become in many industries and why you are right to be concerned about it, and to encourage your industry to continue working to keep it in check. This s especially critical because the dive business is so safety- and service-oriented, and its retailers create diving's customers. It's why maintaining the integrity of brands, products and pricing requires an especially strong commitment to stay within the proper distribution channels. PRESENCE OF GREY MARKET: Grey Market is present in many industries. Some of them are: * Automobiles * Cell phones * Computer games * Pharmaceuticals * Pianos * Photographic equipm ent * Broadcasting * With securities * IPO * Electronics * Textbooks

Psychology, Theology in Chrisitian Counseling Essay

SUMMARY The book begins with at brief selection as it addresses the importance of the counselor utilizing the Christian faith in counseling in addition to focusing on the relationship between psychology and theology. It addresses the issues and concerns that religion may bring into counseling sessions and how the counselor should address and handle these challenges. McMinn addresses the facts that spiritual development must take place with the client as well as the counselor. The counselor must personally address the regulation of prayer, scripture, sin, confession, forgiveness, and redemption these formulations are a necessity for smooth sessions for the client and counselor. The objective of the sessions is to create a healthy sense of self for the client. Once this objective is achieved, the client can move from being broken, and begin a self-motivated and fulfilling relationship with God and others. In the section, Toward Psychological and Spiritual Health, McMinn focuses his main position to the varied individuality of an individual’s life. He proposes that Christian counseling strengthens three areas of a person’s life: sense of self, awareness of human need, limitations, and confiding interpersonal relationships with God and others. The book appears to be focused on the many important attributes of a Christian’s life i.e. prayer, scripture, sin, confession, forgiveness, and redemption all which should be the foundational make-up of the Christian counselor’s method of treating client’s. Dr. McMinn (1996) believes prayer should be used in and outside of the counseling session, however; with caution. According to McMinn (1996) Christian counselors should depend upon Scripture for truth by determining how to use it appropriately. The use of scripture should be utilized as a therapeutic intervention in the counseling setting. In addition, it would solely depend upon the client’s emotional, mental and spiritual health and how it is perceived. The chapters are formatted in a very straightforward layout. The chapters have sections to address the challenges counselors face, psychological and spiritual health focus points, and also expected results by each foundational element of counseling – psychological, theological, and spiritual. McMinn further discusses the topics of sin, redemption and forgiveness. From the text, it is apparent that the discussion of sin must be handled with care at all times. This subject should be approached with caution and only be discussed if there is a healthy client counselor relationship. Forgiveness is one of the other attributes discussed. Forgiveness has the ability to lead an individual to a healthy and fulfilling life with others and self. It can produce spiritual, mental and emotional reprieve for a client. Redemption is the sole objective for counseling and the counselor must first recognize his redemption before he is urged to be a vessel to redeem someone else. (Ephesians 1:7-8) In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. (NIV) Christ’s redemption has freed us from guilt, being â€Å"justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus† (Romans 3:24). To be redeemed we first have to be lost, separated, and captive, be in slavery, and so on. In the case of the Christian redemption definition, we are separated from God and need redemption to be able to be reconcile back to God. CONCRETE RESPONSE This book is a very good outline of spiritual and psychological health and functioning. It gives a very detailed outline of what a Christian counselor should be. Having had some counseling sessions with my pastor in regards to debating on divorce, I was able to relate to McMinns outlines. My pastor was firm and consistent and did not waiver from the word of God as it related to my personal issue at the time. Before the sessions begin, one of the major items my pastor discussed with me was prayer. He asked before the sessions started if I would like for him to pray and before the end of each session. He advised me that through prayer I would be able to feel the presence of God in which I did. As I became more acclimated with my relationship with God, I was able to feel his presence. However; at some points during the sessions I felt as if he was forcing his personal beliefs on me as it related to divorce. I was at a point in my life that divorce appeared to be the only option I felt I had. With prayer and the act of forgiveness and continued efforts, I was able to forgive my spouse and move forward. After my sessions, I was able to find my healthy sense of self again which lead to a more positive, healthy and productive life with my spouse. REFLECTION The proficiency of counseling must be carefully implemented in order for the counselor and client to eventually envision and reap the benefits. This action may not happen in two or three sessions or may not happen at all depending upon the counselor and client’s relationship. We as Christian counselors must equip ourselves with the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:11, 13). The Holy Spirit should be in the midst of each counseling session in order for the sessions to be productive and prosperous. McMinn (1996) intra disciplinary approach to healing the emotional, mental, and spiritual life of man must be taken in small steps. One question that comes to mind is the section which related to counseling adolescents. According to the book, a teenager appears to be the most difficult to communicate with. In view of the fact that teenagers are faced with an array of complex situations on a daily basis, how would one effectively bring across information for a teenager to perceive who is currently going through a dilemma? Would the same outline be used in treating adults? ACTION As I read Mark McMinn’s book I began to feel a hunger and thirst for the Word of God which became more prevalent as I continued to read. My spirit began to search for more of God . It is apparent that I must fast, pray and read my bible on a daily basis so that I can focus on God and build a closer relationship with him. This book is an excellent resource for counseling for those who need guidance in incorporating spiritual disciplines in a secularly dominated society. The only way this will be instrumental in counseling is to refer to its teaching and allow the Holy Spirit to make it conducive and acceptable in the counseling session. Many Christian counselors can use this resource to reach a level of maturity that will translate into true healing and redemption. As a Christian Counselor, I must first recognize the fact that each person is different mentally, physically and emotionally. Therefore, different methods must be utilized. There is not an outline written in stone; each session evolves into a different method according to the client and the positive or negative response of the previous sessions. The information given by McMinn has truly broadened my outlook in respects to counseling and the relationship I should have with God in reference to becoming a counselor. I would truly recommend this book to any existing counselors or those perusing a counseling career. REFERENCE McMinn, Mark R. Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality In Christian Counseling. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1996.

Auditing and Assurance Notes Essay

Week 1 Purpose of audit – enhance the degree of confidence of intended users in the financial report. Expression of an opinion by the auditor on whether – the FR is prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with applicable financial reporting framework. Opinion – whether the FR is presented fairly, in all material aspects, give a true and fair view in accordance with the framework. ASA require auditor to exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the planning and performance of the audit to Identify and assess risk of material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, based on an understanding of the entity and its environment, including the entity’s internal control. Obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence about whether material misstatement exist, through designing and implementing appropriate responses to the assessed risks. Audit process (planning, audit evidence, audit reporting) 1. Planning Understanding the business and determining risk Assessment of the internal controls Determining ‘significant risks’ for which special audit attention needs to be focused 2. Evidence gathering Tests of controls Substantive tests 3. Formation of the audit opinion Planning Risk identification what approaches/ procedure the auditor needs to adopt to reduce audit risk. Plan- so that audit will be performed in an effective manner. Key engagement team members in the planning  appropriate quality control procedures Consideration of comparisons of the entity’s financial information: Comparable information for prior periods  Anticipated results of the entity  Similar industry information Audit Risk- the risk of material misstatement of financial report Assertion level Inherent Risk (IR)  the susceptibility (æ„Ÿå â€"æ€ §) of an assertion(ä ¸ »Ã¥ ¼  ) to material misstatement, assuming there are no related controls, IR factors are generally business risks (BR) affecting a specific account assertion. Control Risk (CR) the risk of an assertion being materially misstated because controls will not prevent, or detect and correct errors on a timely basis. CR is the impact of the presence or absence of effective internal control designed to mitigate entity’s business risk Detection Risk (DR) the risk that the auditor will not detect the material misstatement. Can be reduced by proper planning, assignment of staff, professional scepticism (çâ€"‘éâ€" ®), supervision and review Planning Materiality ASA320 Materiality – no specific criteria for determining materiality, but rather considers it a matter of professional judgement. Determining materiality for planning- 2 stages 1. An appropriate benchmark need to be chosen 2. Risk assessment based on auditor’s knowledge of client’s business

he cost associated with running Essay

Candidates should be limited on the amount of money they can spend during a campaign. The cost associated with running for public office is expensive, especially in the case of large national scale elections, but also in smaller local ones. The money factor discourages regular middle class individuals from running for office, often leaving the ballot seriously one sided. If spending limits were placed on campaigns, our government could represent the views and issues of the majority of Americans, rather than only those of the wealthy. Further, if candidates are given a spending limit, they are less likely to take money from supporters who will benefit or profit from a particular view. Candidates then are more likely to make choices based on the good of the community, state, or country, rather than what will bring in the most money. Although mandatory voting could produce both positive and negative outcomes, voting should be a requirement of all Americans. On one hand, forcing people who do not support any of the candidates on the ballot might lead to careless voting. Those citizens who have no knowledge of the people who are running or no interest in voting at all will most likely cast their votes simply to uphold the law. On the other hand however, if all people are required to vote, and they do so in an educated manner, the government could represent all people of our country, rather than only those who choose to vote. Additionally, if Americans are forced to vote, candidates will spend less money campaigning. The months leading up to election become a time of voicing views rather than persuading people to vote in the first place. The decreased spending will, once again, ease the chances of a candidate taking a particular stance on an issue due to the influence of those who donate to their campaign. Texas should not hold partisan elections whereby candidates run as a member of a given political party. In these elections, voters are more likely to vote based upon the party that they support in substitution to the views held by the candidate. In a state that is populated by a majority of Republicans such as Texas, a partisan election would limit the amount of Democratic candidates elected to office, resulting in a severely unbalanced government. Suddenly every public office would be held by a Republican. The only real race in a partisan election would be which Republican to vote for. Furthermore, a non partisan election calls attention to the views of the candidate on an individual level, rather than on the views of the political party to which they belong. Those who do not join parties, or who take a stance that is not supported by any party, are more likely to run for office in a non partisan election. These non partisan elections make holding an office more accessible to a wide variety of candidates, instead of only people who share similar views of Republicans or Democrats.

HP Distribution Centre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HP Distribution Centre - Essay Example 2. It is misleading to think that the advantages accrued from specialization are lost or diminished when a team is created from specialists in different fields. On the contrary, cross-functional team is an environment where the benefits of specialization can be realized to the greater extent. Members of such a team approach the problem from different perspectives. As a result, working together they can see "big picture" and work out a better solution. Diversity is not a limitation; it is a success factor for a team. 3. In my opinion, Loretta Wilson's team was successful in achieving its objectives. Consolidation, automation of sorting, packing and crating activities, redesign of work stations, and use of modern technologies were "smarter and simpler ways to handle parts fewer times at several points in the distribution channel". Rethinking the way distribution was done allowed the team to fulfill the self-formulated goal and at the same time achieve the initial requirement of four-hour limit for parts delivery. 4. Wilson's team has demonstrated the characteristics of the high performing teams, and text contains explicit and implicit proofs of it. The team had clear goals - "to find smarter and simpler ways to handle parts" and started working quickly and with passion, which requires unified commitment.

Aviation System Safety Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Aviation System Safety - Assignment Example In the past we had been getting complaints of malfunctioning air conditioning unit on our Boeing 737 series. Six out of 10 air crafts have such problems much to our ignominy. Because of this problem we have lost many of our frequent flyers. Some of the Pilots have refused to fly the plane. The paucity of apt spare parts simply adds fuel to the fire. But after such a pandemic problem of mal functioning of the A.C units, I along with board members had decided to completely replace the critical components of the A.C units on all our jets. The results of our move were truly remarkable as we no longer faced any problem related to the A.C units. None of our planes after the replacement have been grounded due to inaction of the A.C. later that year we also earned ourselves a reputation of being a five star air line in terms of safety. Today we face stiff competition from all corners. Our rival airlines get the spares from Boeing earlier; our planes are late because of sloth of air traffic controller leading to delayed flights. These problems only compound to further delaying of our flights. Unfortunately we are blamed for it. All our efforts seem to go in vain. The vast majority (80%+) of incidents & accidents are caused by human error. Error is a natural condition of being human! It is a primary function of personal development. We are all error prone, even the most experienced engineers and managers including myself. Management should not be surprised when Human Error occurs! But they should be surprised if systems of work are not robust enough to contain that error.

There are no children here Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

There are no children here - Essay Example Of the two boys, Lafayette assumes the responsibility of his family’s protection and care of his mother. The project is under the control of gangs that are a source of constant threat to the family. The gangs are drug sellers and from time to time, keep involving the residents of the project in their heinous crime. The gangs also possess weapons and have made a lot of children in the neighborhood sell the drugs. Because of the gangs, children living in the project are insecure. Even if they manage to escape the hold of gangs, their future otherwise is also quite vague. The story is an excellent picture of the hidden truths of the lower class families in America. The reader is told how children in America as young and immature as thirteen years of age get involved in the business of drug dealing and violence. The story offers several points to inculcate robust understanding of the life of urban youth in America in the reader’s mind. The story covers many aspects of the s ocial attitude and activities of juveniles and explains the underlying reasons of their involvement in the domestic violence. The author has nicely conveyed the way urban youth in America is deprived of the innocence of childhood before the right age. The sort of life that prevails in the project makes the children rough and violent as the time passes. With the passage of time, their personal security becomes more important for them than to see whether the acts they involve themselves in are ethically justified or not. The story also tells that these deprived children can not be underestimated despite all of their sorrows and failures. This is evident from the fact that Pharaoh shows considerable growth and excellence in his studies, when he is provided with a chance. The author has also pointed towards a harsh reality pertaining to the injustice in America. People in authority that are allotted funds for the improvement of the conditions of the housing project use the funds for per sonal gains, and do not do their job. Much of the mess in the project can be attributed to the insincerity and carelessness of the personnel representative of the Chicago Housing Authority. Children of the project suffer because of lack of parental care and nonexistence of role models in their life. To conclude, the story sufficiently explains the effects of greed of the people in authority over the society. Alex Kotlowitz has revealed a unique side of American culture that is conventionally portrayed as very advanced culture with a well cultivated system of justice. This is true that children do require parental care at least for the period when they have not reached adulthood. Lack of parental care exposes a child to innumerable social threats. Also, children who are not able to enjoy their childhood completely mature before the right age. Hence, they become susceptible to falling prey to various odds of the society. In order to grow children into responsible citizens as adults, i t is imperative that they are offered adequate nurturing and grooming when they are in their learning and growing stage. Without the care and supervision of the adults, and with all the insecurity in the neighborhood of gangsters, future of innocent children can not be deemed secure, and they may end up becoming criminals. The author has made use of reliable sources to make his argument that adds to the validity of information, and