Research answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research answers - Essay Example is to study with fun as when you are interested in the subject of the study you can easily focus on it, activate your thinking and memorizing processes. Each day try t dedicate a while to improving your language skills – this will bring results. Read books in English every day. Learn a few new words every day. Try to visit an English-speaking forum as often as possible. Every day read news articles. Every day perform 10 minutes’ listening English text. Try to watch English films as often as possible. To motivate yourself develope a system of rewards and punishments. It is very important for a teacher to explain students why English is useful and necessary for them. Some students have a strong motivation from the very beginning and they do not need teacher’s help/ however a wise teacher can involve these students to motivate other lacking motivation. Encourage students to answer the following questions

Back Belts Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Back Belts - Article Example The cause of back injury has not been attributed to any specific wrong doing by a worker. One of the main possibilities can be assumed to be lack of proper safety method such as wearing a back belt or any such support. Manufacturer’s claim: ITA-MED Co, 310 Littlefield Ave, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA, one of the A manufacturers of back belts and supports claims, their products will reduce pressure, strain and pain in the lower back in addition to help the users adopt easy posture when handling heavy loads and escape injuries. They assure products of higher quality, with more comfort, better look and longer durability based on unique, versatile designs. Their motto is â€Å"Stay healthy with Back Supports from ITA-MED† (Back and Abdominal Supports, 2009). NIOSH Views: NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is one of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) within the Dept of Health and Human Services. It was formed to bear the resp onsibility for conducting research and proposing improved measures to prevent injuries and illness related to work. DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 94-127. (Back Belts: Do They Prevent Injury?, 1994). In 1994, the NIOSH released a report called DHHS, 1994, a review of the published scientific literature.

Future Sustainability Of The Mauritian Economy Tourism Essay

Future Sustainability Of The Mauritian Economy Tourism Essay 1. Introduction In recent years, many studies and researches were carried out on the contribution of tourism in the economic development of a country (Mishra et al, 2011). There is a general agreement that tourism has been of central importance in the social progress as well as an important contributor of widening socio-economic and cultural contacts throughout human history. Over the past years, many developing and developed nations have considered tourism as an option for their sustainable development. Mauritius is a small independent island located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar with an area of 2,040 square kilometers (including St Brandon and Agalega Islands) and a population of almost 1.3 million. The island consists of people originating from India, China, Africa and Europe. With regard to its geographical position and of its volcanic origin, Mauritius has been gifted with natural assets that attract a very large number of tourists every year (Sobhee, 2008). As a small island economy, Mauritius has experienced very rapid industrial and tourism development during the last thirty years and until recently tourism has been growing very rapidly. In the 1970s, it has successfully transformed itself from a mono-crop economy to a diversified economy comprising agricultural, textile, tourism, Information and Technology and financial services. Tourism has become an important sector of the Mauritian economy playing a substantial part to the sustainable development of the country and in generating foreign exchange and employment opportunities. 2. Literature Review Tourism has developed itself from a relatively small-scale activity into one of the worlds largest industries and a rapidly growing global economy from the 1960s onwards. There has been an uninterrupted growth in international tourist arrivals from 25 million in 1950 to 438 million in 1990 and 681 million in 2000. In 2009, the international tourist arrivals were 880 million and the corresponding tourism receipts were US $852 million. For the year 2010, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) forecasted a growth of 3% to 4% in arrivals generating about 21.7% of world GDP, 10% of global capital investments, 9% of worldwide employment and 22.2% of worldwide exports of goods and services. All the figures demonstrate the significant role of the tourism sector in the long-run growth of host countries across the world (Mishra et al, 2011). Today, many islands depend on international travel and tourism to enhance their economies. For example, tourism industry accounted for 20% of GDP, 33% of revenue and 66% of foreign exchange earnings in Maldives. Likewise, in Seychelles the tourism sector accounted for 12% of GDP, 30% of workforce and 70% of foreign exchange earnings (Lee et al, 2010). In Vanuatu, the contribution of tourism to the GDP increases from 16% in 1991 to 21.6% in 1998 (Meheuxa Parkerb, 2006). In Fiji, the sector accounted for 29.5% of GDP and 37% of foreign exchange earnings (Becken, 2005). In Bahamas, 60% of jobs are mainly due to the tourism industry (Apostolopoulos Gayle, 2002c). The above statistics shows that many Indian Ocean, Pacific and Carribean islands are highly dependent on tourism for their economic growth (Duval, 2004). In such cases, the economies of these islands are more vulnerable to external shocks and natural calamities like in the years 2008 and 2009, unless they have diversified thei r economies. Many developing countries have managed to increase their participation in the global economy through development of international tourism. International tourism is increasingly viewed as an important tool in promoting economic growth and alleviating poverty (Richardson, 2010). Researchers are of the view that the rapid growth of tourism sector causes an increase of household incomes and government revenue through its multiplier effect, improvements in the balance of payments and the growth of the tourism industry by itself. Tourism dollars are new dollars injected in an economy as they are spent and respent by employers and employees. The more money flows within an economy, the larger the multiplier effect. As such, tourism development has usually been thought to have a positive contribution to economic growth (Khan et al, 1995). Baum (1994) identified the following as the positive impact of tourism in an economy: Generating foreign exchange and foreign direct investment; Employment opportunities; Contribution to the local/host community; Conservational or environmental impact. 2.1 Revenue and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) In terms of GDP, the tourist industry is the second most important after the manufacturing sector. Statistics (CSO, 2011) (Table 1) show that the annual tourist arrivals in 2010 has increased to more than 930,000 as compared to 871,356 in 2009, that is an increase of 7.3%. The industry contributes to 3.8% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and tourism receipts for the year 2010 amounted to around Rs 39,456 million, thus showing an increase of 10.5% as compared to Rs 35,693 million in 2009. It is estimated that 980,000 tourists will visit Mauritius in 2011with receipts of Rs 42,500 million (+7.7%). The fall in tourist arrivals in 2009 can be explained by the world financial crisis that started to attain our economy and the government has taken several measures through the Additional Stimulus Package to redress the situation. Faced with the slumping revenue from the tourism industry in 2009, Directors of the various tourism boards of the Indian Ocean islands (Mauritius, Madagascar, Reunion, Seychelles, Comoros and Mayotte) develop a plan for the regions tourism industry under a common regional label, The Vanilla Islands. The objective was to address new target groups and to launch an authentic regional destination. The concept is based on four pillars: Facilitation of visa-free travel within the islands of the Indian Ocean; Extension and enhancement of the inter-island transportation network; Close operation between tour operators, hotels and authorities; The development of a homogenous marketing strategy focusing on the uniqueness of each island and at the same time strengthening the joint identity. The government also encouraged the liberalization of air access to stimulate tourism growth. Airlines like Corsair, entered the market, by linking France and Reunion Island with Mauritius. Also, the national airline, Air Mauritius, increased its flight frequency towards Europe and Asia. As a result, the tourism sector beneficiated from this policy. Tourists from all over the world come to Mauritius. They originate from Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and America as shown in the chart below. Our main market remains France and Reunion Island. Source CSO, 2011 The competitiveness of the tourism industry in Mauritius depends mainly on the service quality, value for money, safety, road infrastructure, communication network, political stability and social harmony among the different communities and ethnic groups. The main aim of the government and the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) is to continue to attract high-income visitors whose economic impacts are acknowledged to be more beneficial to the local economy than low-spending visitors. Figure 2 : Tourist arrival and Receipts (Rs m) from 2000 2006 Source: CSO, 2011 The Mauritian government has been under economic pressure to find other ways to sustain the economy following the phasing out of textile and sugar agreements and recent shocks of rising oil prices (Ramkissoon Nunkoo, 2008). The development of integrated resorts has been considered as an alternative to generate cash flows and sustain the economy. Several Integrated Resort Schemes (IRS) and Real Estates Scheme (RES) were approved with the idea that they will bring Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the economy. The total FDI for the year 2010 was Rs 12 billion, a record mark. FDI into hospitality and real estate sector reached Rs 3.7 billion in the first eight months of 2010 (Board of Investment, 2010) groping its way towards a semblance to the level of Rs 6 billion recorded in 2009. FDI brings long lasting and stable capital flows as they are invested in long term assets such as infrastructure. These funds are introduced into the economy contributing to the aggregate demand of the economy, and therefore to the economic growth of the economy. Local firms, due to the competition brought in by FDI, tend to become more productive to effectively counter the threat of the competitor from abroad. Higher productivity of firms contribute to the growth of the economy. 2.2 Employment Several strategies for tourism development have been found to be effective in creating employment and income opportunities for vulnerable and communities (UNWTO, 2000: Ashley et al, 2001). The tourism development projects that have been most successful include those that: Promote employment of the people in tourism businesses ( including training) Promote the establishment of tourism enterprises ( such as micro and small enterprises) Promote the supply of goods and services to tourism businesses by enterprises that are owned by local people (Supply chain) Promote the direct sale of goods and services to tourists Figure 3:- Employment in the tourist industry as at end of March, 2006-2010 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Restaurants 1,805 2,012 2,251 2,431 2,464 Hotels 19,536 20,233 22,314 20,478 20,847 Travel and Tourism 4,457 4,296 4,188 4,093 3,850 Total 25,798 26,541 28,753 27,002 27,161 Source: CSO, March 2011 The tourism industry contributes to around 9% of the total employment in 2010. The table shows that there has been a continuous increase in employment from 2006 to 2008 with a decrease in 2009 and again rises in 2010. The decrease in 2009 was due to the financial crisis that hit some tourism businesses and the renovation of some hotels. Employment in the services sector is rapidly increasing in Mauritius. As employment generated by the primary and secondary industries stagnates or declines with the Voluntary Retirement Scheme in the sugar sector and closing of some textile units, tourism provides new opportunities to generate new jobs. Tourism is a labour-intensive industry in an age of great technological advancement and declining relative demand for labour. The tourism industry and the related industries provide many full-time and part-time jobs across a range of skill areas such as tour operators, car rentals. The integrated resorts newly built also demand for jobs among the local community such as baby-sitters, gardeners, personal drivers, cooks, etc. 2.3 Contribution to the local community The literature point out that host communitys support for tourism-related development is crucial for the industrys sustainability (Tovar Lockwood, 2008). Once a community turns into a destination, the quality of life of the local people tends to be affected by the development impacts (Gursoy et al, 2002).Tourism is the only export sector where the consumer travels to the exporting country, which provides opportunities for local people to become exporters through the sale of goods and services to foreign tourists. Employment opportunities (Andriotis, 2008) and revenues (Jurowski et al, 1997) for the community and government are the major benefits derived by the local community from tourism development. Local employment opportunities arise during the construction and from the subsequent staffing of the resort (Ioannides Holcomb, 2003). The creation of new investment opportunities and opportunities for local businesses are other notable benefits perceived by local residents. Tourism provides new small business opportunities. Good opportunities for development of new tourism enterprises arise from low capital requirements and comparatively low barriers to entry for small businesses. The potential beneficiaries of tourism activity are spread across various sectors of the regional economy. For example, in Grand Baie, many individuals from the region benefit from tourism through the renting of small bungalows, cars and cycles. They also benefit by running restaurants and cafes meant for tourists. O ther activities like glass bottom, surfing and boats are also other means by which the local people generate incomes. Resort developers attempt to integrate the resort within the local community through fostering economic linkages with that community (Richardson, 2010). Tourism also stimulates demand for local craftsmanship, create opportunities for cultural exchange, stimulate better services and infrastructure and provide alternatives for leisure activities. It has been pointed out that in economically depressed areas (such as Le Morne), residents tend to underestimate the cost of tourism development and tend to overvalue the economic gains (Liu Var, 1986). Var et al (1985) argue that such residents are willing to accept some inconveniences in order to receive some benefits resulting from the development. Local community involvement in the planning, development and management of the projects is a factor that contributes to the success or sustainability of a tourism development project. Strategies that can be adopted by host communities (Honey Gilpin, 2009) include: Identify and protect cultural and natural assets that form the basis for comparative advantage in tourism Maintain and focus on the community as the centre of the tourism development strategy to ensure local ownership of projects and retention of profits Encourage widespread community participation in tourism planning processes Build capacity through the development of physical infrastructure and human capital Promote improvement in the delivery of tourism services to ensure quality and authenticity Raise awareness among tourists to encourage them to appreciate and respect the sites they visit. Tourism also plays a negative role to the local community. The erosion of moral values contributing to increase the generation gap between the older generations who are more attached to traditional values and the young who are eager to adapt to the tourists way of life. Hence, it is important to keep a balance in terms of number and type of tourist the local community is capable to tolerating or sustaining. A good example of the negative impact is the building of hotels and restaurants on our beaches, depriving Mauritian to enjoy the natures gift to them. We are near to renting a parasol on a private beach for a picnic at the seaside. Another example is the imposition of entry fees at Pamplemousses Botanical Garden both on tourists and local citizens (except on Sundays and public holidays free entrance). 2.4 Environment aspect Environment is one of the major elements which form the foundation of the tourism industry of a country. The impact of tourism on both man-made and natural environment is beneficial as well as harmful. One of the major benefits is the conservation of the natural and man-made environments. Tourism can contribute significantly in environmental protection/conservation and restoration of biological diversity and sustainable use of natural resources. Tourism impacts are linked with the construction of general infrastructure such as roads and airports and of tourism facilities such as resorts, hotels, restaurants, shops, golf courses and marinas. Cleaner production techniques can be important tools for planning and operating tourism facilities and thus minimizes their environmental impacts. Tourism has the potential to increase public appreciation of the environment. It brings people into closer contact with nature and the environment. Awareness of the value of nature leads to environmentally conscious behavior and activities to preserve the environment. Tourism industry can play a role in providing environmental information and awareness among tourists of the environmental consequences of their actions. User fees, taxes on sales rental of recreation equipment and license fees for activities like hunting and fishing can be used to provide the government with funds needed to manage natural resources. Such funds can be used for conservation programs and activities. Recently, the Minister of Tourism came with a proposal to have differential paid access at Ile Aux Cerfs for tourists and Mauritians. According to the authorities, this islet attracts more than 350,000 tourists yearly with a turnover of about Rs 500 million (Star, 2011).He stated that the funds raised will be used for cleaning of the beach and for the conservation of the environment. But, the effect of this policy on the local people in terms of jobs that may be lost need to be assessed. Tourism also can have negative impact on environment. Tourism development can put pressure on natural resources when it increases consumption in areas where resources are already scarce (land, water and local resources). Pollution caused by tourism include air emissions, noise, solid waste and littering, releases of sewage, oils and chemicals. 2.5 Threats for the tourism industry. In recent years, oil prices, natural disasters, crime and international terrorism impacted on the willingness of global tourists. Small islands depend on the double efficiency of tourism income. Therefore, developing tourism industries is imperative. However, to avoid damage by natural disasters, those islands may through early warning and alarm systems reduce losses (Mehexua Parkerb, 2006). In Malta, Egypt and Greece, many factors like terrorist attacks and tsunamis may influence tourism consumers and thereby affecting the tourism industry. In Fiji, problems of climate change such as strength of wind resulted in coastline damages thereby affecting beaches which tourists prefer the most during their stay. Since November 2009, when some European countries like Greece, Spain, Portugal and Britain started facing high budget deficit and debt problems, the euro has been weakening against the dollar and as a result against our rupee. Since then, these countries adopted austerity measures to exit from these economic problems. This resulted in a drop in demand for our exports and lower tourist arrivals due to the high dependence on European markets. There was a need, then, to diversify our markets by tapping fully the rapidly growing countries like China, India and Russia. From statistics (CSO, 2011), the trend of tourist arrivals from China, India and Russia shows an increase of 9.9%, 26.8% and 17.5% respectively over the figures of 2009. Vector-borne diseases such as chikungunya and dengue fever have become a major public health problem in tropical countries, especially in Asia and the Indian Ocean. For example, one third of the population in Reunion Island was affected by chikungunya in 2005 2006 (Reiter et al, 2006). Dengue is the fastest growing vector-borne disease in the world (WHO) when 55% of the worlds population was at risk in 124 countries (Beatty et al, 2007). Mavalankar et al (2009) pointed out that a 4% decline in tourists from non-endemic countries would result in a substantial loss of tourism revenues at least US$ 65 million for Malaysia and US$ 363 million for Thailand. This indicates that the impact of these diseases on tourism revenues should not be ignored when calculating the burden of infectious diseases. Another negative factor related to tourism is the perception people have of safety and security issues. Olurunfemi et al (2008) posits that security is an important knot in tne chain because it forms an organic bedrock of a sustainable benefit for both the tourists and the host communities. For example, assurance of adequate safety of life and property during their stay must be given to tourists and on transit on sites. Safety and security in tourism refers to the protection of life, health, physical, psychological and economic integrity of travelers, tourism staff and the people constituting host communities (WTO, 1991). Recently, the tourism sector has been seriously undermined by the growing lack of security among the citizens and tourists. Some types of crime affecting tourists include attacks on tourists visiting nature parks and on beaches and in hotels. In order to tackle the issue of security in tourism, the government has taken some preventive measures. For example, a close circuit camera system has been set up in the regions of Flic en Flac and Grand Baie which are reputed places for tourists in Mauritius. The results have been encouraging in the sense that there has been a fall in the number of attacks and thefts on tourists. Even the recent murder of a popular personality of Ireland in a resort seems to have little impact on tourist arrivals due to the prompt action taken by the local police. Conclusion The governments contribution to the tourism sector has been very beneficial in terms of planning and policy formulation. During the Assises Du Tourisme held in 2006, the Prime Minister expressed his vision to welcome two million tourists by 2015. He pointed out that many less endowed countries are doing much better than Mauritius. There are many factors that must be taken into consideration in order to achieve this target and these factors will be analysed in the methodology section.

An Examination of The Meditations, by Descartes :: The Meditations Essays

Descartes overall objective in The Meditations is to question knowledge. To explore such metaphysical issues as the existence of God and the separation of mind and body, it was important for him to distinguish what we can know as truth. He believed that reason as opposed to experience was the source for discovering what is of absolute certainty. In my explication, I will examine meditation two in order to discover why knowledge was so important to Descartes. Meditation One The first meditation acts as a foundation for all those that follow. Here Descartes discerns between mere opinion and strict absolute certainty. To make this consideration he establishes that he must first "attack those principles which supported everything I once believed."(quote, paraphrase) He first examines those beliefs that require our senses. He questions, whether our senses are true indicators of what they represent. By inspecting our sometimes firm belief in the reality of dreams, he comes to the conclusion that our senses are prone to error and thereby cannot reliably distinguish between certainty and falsity. To examine those ideas that have "objective reality," Descartes makes the improbable hypothesis of "an evil genius, as clever and deceitful as he is powerful, who has directed his entire effort to misleading me" (45 ). By proposing this solution he is able to suspend his judgment and maintain that all his former beliefs are false. By using doubt as his tool, Descartes is now ready to build his following proofs with certainty. Meditation Two Comparing his task to that of Archimedes, Descartes embarks on his journey of truth. Attempting to affirm the idea that God must exist as a fabricator for his ideas, he stumbles on his first validity: the notion that he (Descartes) exists. He ascertains that if he can both persuade himself of something, and likewise be deceived of something, then surely he must exist. This self validating statement is known as the Cogito Argument. Simply put it implies whatever thinks exists. Having established this, Descartes asks himself: What is this I which "necessarily exists"? Descartes now begins to explore his inner consciousness to find the essence of his being. He disputes that he is a "rational animal" for this idea is difficult to understand. He scrutinizes whether perhaps he is a body infused with a soul but this idea is dismissed since he cannot be certain of concepts that are of the material world.

Consider the business model Essay

The easiest way to start a design is to consider the business model that you sat down with when starting these designs. You now need to recreate that structure in Active Directory using Organizational Units as the building blocks. Create a complete Organizational Unit structure that exactly mirrors your business model as represented by that domain. In other words, if the domain you are designing is the Finance domain, implement the finance organizational structure within the Finance domain. You don’t create the entire organization’s business model within each Organizational Unit; you create only the part of the model that would actually apply to that Organizational Unit. Draw this structure out on a piece of paper. Figure 8-3 shows the Organizational Unit structure of mycorp.com’s domain. We’ve expanded only the Finance Organizational Unit here for the example. Figure 8-3. The Mycorp domain’s internal Organizational Unit structure Once you have drawn an Organizational Unit structure as a template for your Active Directory hierarchy within the domain, you can begin to tailor it to your specific requirements. The easiest way to tailor the initial Organizational Unit design is to consider the hierarchy that you wish to create for your delegation of administration. Two Tier Hierarchies A two tier hierarchy is a design that meets most company’s needs. In some ways it is a compromise between the one and Three Tier hierarchies. In this design there is a Root CA that is offline, and a subordinate issuing CA that is online. The level of security is increased because the Root CA and Issuing CA roles are separated. But more importantly the Root CA is offline, and so the private key of the Root CA is better protected from compromise. It also increases scalability and flexibility. This is due to the fact that there can be multiple Issuing CA’s that are subordinate to the Root CA. This allows you to have CA’s in different geographical location, as well as with different security levels. Manageability is slightly increased since the  Root CA has to be brought online to sign CRL’s. Cost is increased marginally. Marginally speaking, because all you need is a hard drive and Windows OS license to implement an Offline Root. Install the hard drive, install your OS, build your PKI hierarchy, and then remove the hard drive and store it in a safe. The hard drive can be attached to existing hardware when CRLs need to be re-signed. A virtual machine could be used as the Root CA, although you would still want to store it on a separate hard drive that can be stored in a safe. Three Tier Hierarchies Specifically the difference between a Two Tier Hierarchy is that second tier is placed between the Root CA and the issuing CA. The placement of this CA can be for a couple different reasons. The first reason would be to use the second tier CA as a Policy CA. In other words the Policy CA is configured to issue certificates to the Issuing CA that is restricted in what type of certificates it issues. The Policy CA can also just be used as an administrative boundary. In other words, you only issue certain certificates from subordinates of the Policy CA, and perform a certain level of verification before issuing certificates, but the policy is only enforced from an administrative not technical perspective. The other reason to have the second tier added is so that if you need to revoke a number of CAs due to a key compromise, you can perform it at the Second Tier level, leaving other â€Å"branches from the root† available. It should be noted that Second Tier CAs in this hierarchy can, like the Root, be kept offline. Following the paradigm, security increases with the addition of a Tier, and flexibility and scalability increase due to the increased design options. On the other hand, manageability increases as there are a larger number of CAs in the hierarchy to manage. And, of course, cost goes up.

Psychology Content Analysis

Violent Language and Phrases Used in the Media: A Content Analysis of a Newspaper Article Zowie George 08351856 Abstract Introduction Previous research suggests that there is a potential influence of violent media on youth violence. According to Levermore & Salisbury, (2009) their recent study found that there was a relationship between virtual aggression and actual aggression in youth exposed to various forms of violent media. There are a variety of ways to analyse texts or documents, from grounded theory to discourse analysis.Wilkinson (2008) suggests that content analysis is a commonly used approach to analysing qualitative data. Content analysis involves physically organising and subdividing the data into categories, whilst the interpretive component involves determining what categories are meaningful in terms of the questions being asked (Breakwell et al. , 2006). The theory of social representations offers a model of social knowledge, its social construction, transformation and distribution, and describes the function of experience and knowledge in social practises (Flick, 1995) and was introduced by Moscovici (1976).Social representations refer to shared beliefs and understandings between broad groups of people (Crisp & Turner 2010). The theory of social representations was adopted from Durkheim (1951), as he was the first to focus on the importance of collective representations embedded in our language, institutions and our customs (Flick, 1995). Moscovici (1973) has defined social representations as: system of values, ideas and practises with a twofold function: first to establish an order which will enable individuals to orientate themselves in their material and social world and to master it; and secondly to enable communication to take place among the members of a community by providing them with a code for social exchange and a code for naming and classifying unambiguously the various aspects of their world and their individual and group history (1 973; xvii in Flick, 1995) Two concepts are seen as central in the process of social representation; anchoring and objectification.According to Flick (1995) anchoring is to integrate new phenomena – objects, experiences – into existing worldviews and categories. Moscovici (1984, in Flick, 1995) described objectification as an imprecise idea or object being discovered, a concept converted into an image, which then becomes integrated within a pattern of figurative nucleus – a complex of images symbolizing a complex of ideas. Research of social representations has not only been about social knowledge but also, cultural objects like health and illness (Herzlich, 1973 in Flick, 1995) and politics.These issues are usually formed from theories and then transformed into popular everyday knowledge, as Crisp & Turner (2010) suggests, through discussions between individuals, or the news, media or literature. According to Flick (1995) social representations are generated, ch anged and exchanged, and spread through social groups. Social influence should also be considered within the social representation theory, as people may alter their beliefs or attitudes about certain issues, because of the effect another individual or group has on these beliefs.According to Crisp & Turner (2010) social influence is all about how our thoughts, feelings and behaviours change when in the presence of others. A classic example is from Asch (1951) where participants were asked which comparison line matched the original standard line, however when majority of people gave the incorrect answer, others would still say the same answer if even they thought it was the wrong answer and so they would conform to the majority’s viewpoint.Social representations are often used by the media to persuade, encourage and evoke certain beliefs within a group, community and society, and influence everyday practises (Jodelet, 1991, in Flick, 1995). Social representations used in the me dia allow people to understand and gain information about important issues in society, including violence. Devereux (2007) suggests every day we are presented with a plethora of images and messages about the social world; living as we do in a media-saturated society. From these media messages, people make decisions, establish and encourage beliefs about their ocial world. According to Devereux (2007) it is within media content that the shaping and framing of our understanding and perceptions of the social world takes place. Most people gain information through the media and so their perception of certain issues are moulded by the way the information is communicated (Furedi, 2002). Media does have the ability to influence people’s attitudes about violent representations as Trend (2007) suggests that media violence convinces people that they live in a violent world and violence is required to make the world feel safer.From the content analysis of my newspaper article, I establi shed two categories; group behaviour and violence, from my research question; whether there is a strong presence of negative words and phrases, used by the writer, to describe violence in the article? After analysing my article and establishing my categories, I wanted to establish the social representations of violence used by the media in our society. After studying previous research about gang violence in the UK, I found that the media helps to influence violence through films, television, internet and video games.As Gunter (et al. , 2003) suggests, a casual link exists between violence on television and viewer reaction, where governments worry about the role such a mass medium plays in promoting antisocial conduct. There are concerns that the media has the power to influence the public and in turn people’s behaviour as Trend (2007) suggests violent representations are so deeply ingrained in our culture and part of human nature so deeply that we can’t root it out.The ultimate concern about television violence is founded on the view that it contributes toward social violence (Gunter et al. , 2003). However Trend (2007) argues that media violence simply reflects today’s society, as Furedi (2002) suggests, we live in a violent society. Method Holsti (1969:14, in Bryman, 2008) describes content analysis as, any technique for making inferences by objectively and systematically identifying specified characteristics of messages. Content analysis is used to determine the presence of certain words or phrases within a text or set of texts.Bryman (2008) suggests how research has also been conducted on visual images, radio and television news and song lyrics. As the analysis technique is done systematically, the approach is done in a consistent manner in order to avoid personal bias from the researcher. This will result in anyone being able to repeat the analysis and come up with the same results. (See Fig. 1. 7 for advantages and disadvantages). Fo r my own research analysis, I used content analysis to analyse a chosen newspaper article about gang violence in Britain.The research question for my analysis was; Whether there is a strong presence of negative words and phrases, used by the writer, to describe violence in the article? I decided to use an article from The Independent as I wanted to use an article that had a variety of information and a strong content, as that would make it easier to analyse and would give a good amount of data to interpret. The research question is vital when using content analysis, as this will guide the selection of media content to be analysed and the coding schedule.According to Bryman (2008) if the research questions are not clearly articulated, there is a risk that inappropriate media will be analysed or the coding schedule will miss out key dimensions. During the content analysis of my article, I counted the number of words that related to my research question, afterwards I was able to code t he data into categories for me to analyse. Content analysis offers the prospect of different kinds of units of analysis being considered (Bryman, 2008). Certain coding units that could be used to analyse a piece of text include; words, phrases, themes and characters.The two categories I established to be analysed are; group behaviour and violence. I came to these particular categories because of the use of certain words in the article that related to violence including; murder, bloody and shooting and for group behaviour; gangs, feral and tribal loyalty. Once I had my two categories I was able to count the number of words that fall into each category and present my results in a table. During the process of content analysis, I worked within a group in order to validate the content analysis of my chosen article.Each group member analysed each others article to ensure the coding units related to the research question, so hopefully each group member would come up with the same results. Findings After completing the content analysis of my chosen article, the results support and answer my research question; whether there is a strong presence of negative words and phrases used by the writer, to describe violence in the article? The results of the analysis (See Fig. 1. 1) show that for the violence category there were 63 words, 3 phrases and 9 sentences which related to violent language.In total 75 words and phrases were used in the article to describe violence. For the second category in my content analysis, group behaviour, there were 51 words, 10 phrases and 7 sentences that had a reference to a violent nature in the article, equalling to 68 words and phrases altogether. In total 143 words out of 975 words, for the whole article, related to and described violence, with the use of negative words (See Fig. 1. 2). Some of the negative words used in the article to describe violence include; criminal, virus, fatality and risk being victimised. See Fig. 1. 3, 1. 4 & 1. 5 ). Following the group analysis, in which we each analysed the other member’s newspaper article, I found there were several similarities; a majority of words and phrases that both I and my group member had found in the article and chosen categories, with several new words that I had not used in the first content analysis that I conducted. And some differences; in which some words I had used, my group member had not highlighted, which I later used in the my final content analysis. (See Fig. 1. 6).For the first page of the article, the writer is describing the events of the riots, a recent set of disturbances committed by youths and gang members all over the UK and some of the violence that had taken place. Violent language is used frequently throughout the first page of the article such as; attacks on police, shot and burning. In addition, several other violent words and phrases were used in relation to group behaviour, for the first page of the article in which the writer des cribes how gangs were acting violently and some of the group dynamics in gangs.These included words such as; form alliances, declare allegiance and competes for territory. The second page of the newspaper article is describing some of the first accounts of gangs and gang related behaviour in Britain. In addition recent reports about gun and knife crime is mentioned as well as some of the characteristics of gangs, with words including; feral groups of very angry young people and mask gangster-style. Discussion From the results of my content analysis into a newspaper article, the research question has been supported and there is links to support the theory that media has an influence on violent youth behaviour.Escobar-Chaves & Anderson (2008) suggest researchers have found strong evidence that media contributes towards violence. In addition, Trend (2007) states that the consumption of violent media can be liked to crime and violence. Individuals learn aggressive responses in much the same manner as they learn other social behaviours, either by observation or through direct experience (Anderson & Bushman, 2002; Bandura, 1978, in Levermore & Salisbury, 2009).If violent behaviour is something people learn, media might have a huge influence (Trend, 2007). According to Escobar-Chaves & Anderson (2008) youths are spending increasing amounts of time using electronic media, with an average youngster now spending one third of each day with some form of electronic media. This suggests adolescents may be influenced by the media, into learning aggressive behaviour, pick up any newspaper or turn on the TV and you will find either violent imagery or a story about violent media (Trend, 2007).According to the US Senate Committee (1999, in Trend, 2007) a young person will witness 200,000 simulated violent acts and 16,000 dramatized murders by the age of 18. In addition, children are exposed to ever-increasing amounts of actual violence in their communities as well as virtual vio lence in the media (Hill, Levermore, Twaite, & Jones, 1996, in Levermore & Salisbury, 2009). This could have a negative effect on children as Gunter (et al. , 2003) suggests children may learn aggressive behaviour patterns from watching television.This assertion of social learning theorists was demonstrated in Bandura, Ross, and Ross's (1961; 1963) famous Bobo doll experiments where children imitated aggression toward dolls just after they had witnessed an adult being aggressive toward the dolls, either in person or on film (Hayes, Rincover, ; Volosin, 1980, in Levermore ; Salisbury, 2009). Children are constantly limited to watching television than doing any other form of social interaction, leading the mass media to dominate their socialization (Gunter et al. 2003). This may have a negative effect on children if they are frequently viewing violent scenes in their social surroundings; an increased likelihood of aggression being triggered by screen violence (Berkowitz, 1984, 1994: B erkowitz ; Rogers, 1986 in Gunter et al. , 2003). Gender is a factor of importance in violent representations showed in the media, as the biggest audience of media violence is adolescent boys, as young men are socialized to view violent media as an important part of gender identification (Trend, 2007).The ability to tolerate violent imagery within the media can be regarded as a measure of a young man’s masculinity and strength between peers. The media image of men these days also tells them that they have to be tough in certain ways (Trend, 2007) which is where violent behaviour comes in, as the media violence shapes peoples thinking to behave a certain way and make them feel as if they should use force. However there have been studies trying to establish why there is so much youth violence in society, with some evidence to suggest that the media is not the only factor as to why youths act violently.A study by Hood (2001) showed how violence in the media was found to have an impact on aggression learnt in the home, in which; violence in the family exerted profound impact on children, leading to indirect and direct aggression. Most psychologists will say that it is what is learned or acquired through experiences that cause people to become violent (Trend, 2007). Violent social representations can be found in all different forms of the media; from the internet, video games and television programmes; television is the source of most broadly shared images and messages in history (Gerbner et al. 1980) and violence on television can take many different forms (Gunter et al. , 2003). Even programmes such as the News can broadcast violent imagery to its audience, as according to Trend (2007) the news media serve up accounts of murder, gang warfare, workplace violence and killer moms, and is far more likely to broadcast stories about negative activities such as; crime and conflict, than a positive story. A common accusation is that television contains too much vi olence (Gunter et al. , 2003).Other forms of media representing violence in society include computer games as Trend (2007) suggests; they are fast advancing to become the leading source of violent entertainment. Anderson (et al. , 2007) suggests that students spend inordinate amounts of time playing video games with violent themes and seems more interested in the violent images than in the game itself. The results of a recent survey by Gentile, Lynch, Linder ; Walsh (2004) show how boys played video games 13 hours per week and 5 hours a week for girls (Anderson et al. 2007). After watching violent social representations people will become accustomed to such images in the media, with some individuals wanting to see more violence in various media formations. Trend (2007) suggests the desire for violent representations is not a deviation from a social norm, it is the norm. Guttmann (1998, in Gunter et al. , 2003) suggests an attraction to violence in entertainment has a history that pr edates the modern mass media and can be traced back to the popularity of violent sporting spectacles in Greek and Roman times.With a desire for violent representations, comes aggressive behaviour and violent acts towards society. By the late 1990’s a consensus around the notion that violence in the media must produce violence at home and in the streets, was solidified (Trend, 2007). According to Trend (2007) people commit violence simply because they’ve become aroused or excited, and violent scenes in TV or film heighten the viewer’s emotions and could relive tension or built up hostility. One explanation for the enjoyment of screen violence is that it is exciting and therefore arousing (Zillmann, 1978 in Gunter et al. 2003). Therefore representations of violence have remained popular (Trend, 2007). Conclusion To conclude, people can be influenced into having certain beliefs or attitudes about a variety of issues including youth violence, by other individuals an d the mass media in society. Both can have an effect and cause people’s behaviour to change more violently. As violent representations are ingrained in our media environment, they need to be understood in order to protect our communities and so that youth violence in society can be controlled.Otherwise, there may be people growing up with the belief that the world is a violent place, that violence is a good way to solve problems and that violent characters are people to be admired and emulated (Trend, 2007). My analysis has shown that perhaps too many violent representations are in our society and throughout the media, with people growing up wanting to act violently towards their community. If people are going to be fed violent imagery through different forms of media, then there will be a profound effect on their attitudes and therefore their behaviour will change towards a violent nature.Media and the society have to accept some responsibility for a rise in violent behaviou r in youths and adolescents, and will need to think of changing how the media represents violence in society and whether there should be violent images broadcasted to individuals at all. References Anderson, C. A. , Gentile, D. A. and Buckley, K. E. (eds. ) (2007) Violent video game effects on children and adolescents: theory, research and public policy. NY: Oxford University Press Inc. Barry, M. (2006) Youth offending in transition: the search for social recognition. NY: Routledge. Berryman, J. Ockleford, E, Howells, K, Hargreaves, D. and Wildbur, D. (2006) Psychology and you: an informal introduction. 3rd ed. Oxford: BPS, Blackwell Publishing. Breakwell, G. M. , Hammond, S. , Fife-Schaw, C. and Smith, J. A. (eds. ) (2006) Research methods in psychology. 3rd. ed. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Bryman, A. (2008) Social research methods. 3rd. , ed. NY: Oxford University Press Inc. Crisp, R. J. and Turner, R. N. (2010) Essential social psychology. 2nd. ed. London: SAGE Publications Lt d. Devereux, E. (2003) Understanding the media. 2nd. ed. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Doyle, A. 2003) Arresting images: crime and policing in front of the television camera. Toronto: University of Toronto Press Incorporated. Escobar-Chaves, S. L. and Anderson, C. A. (2008) Media and risky behaviours. Journal of the future of children, 18. 1 pp. 147-180. Field, A. and Hole, G. (2003) How to design and report experiments. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Flick, U. (1995) ‘Social Representations’ in Smith, A. J. , Harre, R. and Langenhove, L. V. (eds. ) Rethinking psychology. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, pp. 70-96. Furedi, F. (2002) Culture of fear: risk taking and the morality of low expectation.NY: Continuum. Gerbner, G. , Gross, L. , Morgan, M. , Signorelli, N. and Shanahan, J. (1980) ‘Growing up with Television: Cultivation Processes’ in Bryant, J. and Zillmann, D. (2008) Media effects advances in theory and research. NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc. Gunter, B. , Harrison, J. and Wykes, M. (eds. ) (2003) Violence on television: distribution, form, context and themes. NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc. Levermore, M. A. and Salisbury, G. L. (2009) The relationship between virtual and actual aggression: youth exposure to violent media. The forensic examiner, 18. 2 pp. 2-42. McGhee, P. (2001) Thinking psychologically. NY: Palgrave, Macmillan. Trend, D. (2007) The myth of media violence: a critical introduction. USA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Wilkinson, S. (2008) ‘Focus groups’ in Smith, J. A. (ed. ) Qualitative psychology: a practical guide to research methods. 2nd. ed. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, pp. 197-201. Appendix Fig. 1. 1 Categories| Frequency| Violence| | Words | 63| Phrases| 3| Sentences| 9| Total| 75| | | Group Behaviour| | Words| 51| Phrases| 10| Sentences| 7| Total| 68| | | Overall Total| 143| Fig. 1. 2 Coding Unit| Frequency| | Words| 114| Phrases| 13| Sentences| 16| Characters| 6| Themes| 4| | | Fig. 1. 3 Fig. 1. 4 Fig. 1. 5 Fig. 1. 6 Group Analysis of Article| Zowie Zoya | Gangs| x| x| Ghettoes| x| | Rioters| x| | Fatality| x| x| Riots| x| x| Dying| x| x| Shot| x| x| Violence at heart of the riots| x| x| Incident| x| | Gang culture| x| x| Anarchy| x| x| Group of friends| | x| Another group| | x| Altercation| x| | Car chase| x| | Shooting| x| x| Rivalry| x| x| London’s gang culture| x| x| Alliances| x| | Criminal| x| | Groupings| | x| Looting| x| x| Hatred of the police| x| x|Gangs gathered| x| x| Burning| x| x| Attacks on police| x| | Click (clique)| x| | Turned on feds| x| | F**k| | x| Click on click beef| x| | Man got duppied (killed)| x| x| Kill some of the fed man| x| x| Burning shops and buses| x| x| Dashing rocks| x| x| Bloody| x| x| Perverse| x| | Britain’s gang culture| x| x| Code of the streets| x| | Ruthlessly enforced| x| x| Rules| x| | Chaotic| x| x| British street gangs| x| x| Spread| x| | Virus| x| | Crime| x| | London has 257 street gangs| x| x| Ga ng members| x| x| Tackling gangs| x| x| Youth violence| x| x| Gangsterism| x| x|More young people are being drawn into a minor affiliation even those who do not take part in crime| x| x| Allegiance| x| | Risk being victimised| x| x| Youths| x| | Form alliances| x| x| The NPK gang| x| | Competes for territory| x| x| Targets| x| x| Terrified of| x| | Dispute| | | Territorial| x| x| Turf war| x| x| Declare allegiance| x| | Johnson gang| x| | Murder| x| x| Street gang culture| x| x| Need for protection| x| | Stabbed to death| x| x| Mask gangster-style| x| | Aiming a shotgun| x| x| Gang activity| x| x| Represent whole neighbourhoods| x| x| Enemy| x| x| Hardened| | x| Gangsters| x| x|Disturbances| | x| Worst rioting| x| x| Highest gang activity| x| x| Rising gang violence| x| x| Rival crews| x| x| Targeted| x| x| Dangers| x| x| Feral groups of very angry young people| x| x| Tribal loyalty| x| x| Violence and drugs is a way of life| x| x| Fig. 1. 7 Content analysis has several advantages, such as it being a very flexible approach to analysing texts, as the technique can be applied to a variety of different media (Bryman, 2008). Wilkinson (2008) suggests an advantage of content analysis is that, it also allows for the conversion of qualitative data into a quantitative form.Content analysis also allows information to be generated about social groups (Bryman, 2008). Wilkinson (2008) suggests that a main disadvantage of using this technique is that a great deal of detail is lost. Other issues include; the analysis is reliant on one researcher, where as it is advisable to involve two or more people in the coding of the texts, so that the reliability of the analysis can be systematically assessed (Breakwell et al. , 2006) and most often the context of the text is ignored. In addition content analysis can be extremely time consuming.

The Ship Operations Cooperative Program.

The Ship Operations Cooperative Program. Founded in 1993, with five members, and now standing at over 40 , the Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP) was created to improve the "competitiveness, productivity, efficiency, safety, and environmental responsiveness of U.S. vessel operations" through-out the world through the joint venture between the United States government such as Maritime Administration (MarAd) and those industries which are related to the maritime business. Those industries include not only many of the U. S. flagged shipping companies, but also such entities as the seven maritime academies (one of them being Maine Maritime Academy) and other schools sponsored by the maritime unions such as Marine Engineer's Beneficial Association's (MEBA) Calhoun MEBA Engineering school and Seafarer's International Union's (SIU) Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education. Also included are the non-profit certification and classification societies such as the American Bureau of Shipping and their European equiv alent, Det Norske Veritas.Membership in the SOCP is accomplished by paying a $5,000.00United Statesannual fee. With this membership the companies and government agencies get together to work out issues pertaining to maritime affairs. This membership offers the industry a way to stay abreast of current events and allows all members to work together to better understand future trends. The SOCP is in the forefront on forming venues for parties to communicate through conventions around the United States, newsbriefs and newsletters, and up-to-date online web casts.The SOCP is supported by its members to develop Research and Development strategies for future projects and policies.The SOCP also works bringing together organizations with like interests for projects of mutual benefit so as to better utilize resources of those companies participating. In doing so, the SOCP can also assist in differences that surface during such projects.The SOCP can assist in keeping members up-to-date with c hanges in maritime...

Free Essays on Dorothy Allison

Dorothy Allison – A Childhood Creation The events that happen in our day-to-day lives, help create who we are. It will help develop your personality, your outlook on life, and your day-to-day attitude. For instance, you go to your first class of the day and there is a pop quiz, which you fail, it puts you in a bad mood for the rest of the day. Tragic incidents too will assist in creating who you are, and depending on the severity of the incident, will through your whole world upside down. How do ones life happenings reflect upon their lives? Some people may go to see a psychiatrist; others may just bottle it up inside. Another way for one to get these things off their mind would be to write about them. Most, if not all authors tend to write about a real life happening. One such person would be fifty-two year old author and feminist, Dorothy Allison. Dorothy Allison was born April 11, 1949, in the town of Greenville South Carolina ( ). She was born the first child of Ruth Gibson Allison, â€Å"a fifteen-year-old unwed mother who dropped out of the seventh grade to work as a waitress† (5). She grew up in the low class end of society. â€Å"Allison was raised in extreme poverty by her mother’s family; she remembers â€Å"hiding out under the porch† so she could listen to her grandmother and aunt tell randy stories† (5). All was well until about the age of five, her mother married and there was now a stepfather; not your typical nice guy who loved the kids, or maybe he did love them just a little to much. â€Å"When Allison was five, her stepfather – her mother having since married – began sexually abusing her† (3). Although he did sexually abuse her, it was physical abuse also, not to mention the mental damage it may have caused. â€Å"Her childhood was scarred from the time she was five to eleven years old, when she was often beaten and rap! ed by her abusive stepfather† (5). There was nothing she could do at first b... Free Essays on Dorothy Allison Free Essays on Dorothy Allison Dorothy Allison – A Childhood Creation The events that happen in our day-to-day lives, help create who we are. It will help develop your personality, your outlook on life, and your day-to-day attitude. For instance, you go to your first class of the day and there is a pop quiz, which you fail, it puts you in a bad mood for the rest of the day. Tragic incidents too will assist in creating who you are, and depending on the severity of the incident, will through your whole world upside down. How do ones life happenings reflect upon their lives? Some people may go to see a psychiatrist; others may just bottle it up inside. Another way for one to get these things off their mind would be to write about them. Most, if not all authors tend to write about a real life happening. One such person would be fifty-two year old author and feminist, Dorothy Allison. Dorothy Allison was born April 11, 1949, in the town of Greenville South Carolina ( ). She was born the first child of Ruth Gibson Allison, â€Å"a fifteen-year-old unwed mother who dropped out of the seventh grade to work as a waitress† (5). She grew up in the low class end of society. â€Å"Allison was raised in extreme poverty by her mother’s family; she remembers â€Å"hiding out under the porch† so she could listen to her grandmother and aunt tell randy stories† (5). All was well until about the age of five, her mother married and there was now a stepfather; not your typical nice guy who loved the kids, or maybe he did love them just a little to much. â€Å"When Allison was five, her stepfather – her mother having since married – began sexually abusing her† (3). Although he did sexually abuse her, it was physical abuse also, not to mention the mental damage it may have caused. â€Å"Her childhood was scarred from the time she was five to eleven years old, when she was often beaten and rap! ed by her abusive stepfather† (5). There was nothing she could do at first b...

Deferred Compensation

Deferred Compensation Deferred compensation plans are arrangements by which a part of an employee’s compensation is paid at a later date, or put into investment instruments that the employee can only access at some point in the future Benefits and Hazards of Deferred Compensation There is a large variety of deferred compensation plans, arrangements by which a part of an employee’s compensation is paid at a later date, or put into investment instruments that the employee can only access at some point in the future. There are two basic reasons for deferred compensation. From the employee’s point of view, it reduces  or at least postpones his income tax liability. For employers, deferred compensation helps to manage payroll costs and can be used as an incentive for better employee performance. Types of Deferred Compensation The most common type of deferred compensation plan is the â€Å"defined contribution plan†: A  portion of the employee’s pay is deducted and invested on his behalf, usually in some form of mutual fund.   These are familiar to workers in the US as the â€Å"401(k)†, named after the section of Internal Revenue Code that pertains to them. The deferment from the employee’s salary is made before income taxes are withheld, which is a benefit to both employees and the employer. Employees do not pay taxes on their investments until they withdraw them sometime in the future, and employers are able to reduce the amount of withheld taxes they must remit to the government. Many employers also match all or part of the employee’s contribution, providing an extra incentive for employees to participate in the program; this helps to reduce the company’s transactions costs for maintaining the investment package. 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Facebook employees who had exercised their options prior to the IPO were able to profit handsomely from the high price Facebook shares fetched in the market, but their returns were reduced somewhat by a condition that they hold their shares for a time before selling them; Facebook’s share price dropped rapidly after the IPO, so employees who waited too long to sell shares saw very little profit, or even lost money in some cases. Another less well-known version of a stock-based deferred compensation plan is called the â€Å"phantom† stock plan: It provides employees benefits similar to those they would receive from owning company stock, without actually giving stock to the employees.   For example, employees might be compensated in â€Å"stock credits† equivalent to shares of stock, from which they can receive bonus payments based on the stock’s performance or dividends paid. Because phantom stock plans are hard to regulate and do not provide many benefits to employers as conventional purchase or option plans. What Should  Employees Look for in Deferred Compensation Plans? Because deferred compensation programs are based on investments that can lose as well as gain value, employees considering a compensation offer should make sure they understand the details of the deferred compensation package. 401(k) programs are the most highly-regulated and most secure  but vary in the specific funds or investment instruments they contain. In the 2008 financial crisis, many 401(k) holders watched their investments vanish  because a large number of 401(k) funds were heavily invested in popular but ultimately worthless mortgage-backed securities. For stock-based deferred compensation plans, the biggest issue is what part of the employee’s compensation the plan is supposed to represent since it is very difficult to quantify the future value of stock. Employees should ask for details about whether a certain level of returns or other incentives is guaranteed, and what limits are imposed on stock purchases or sales. Compensation is compensation, whether deferred or not, and it is up to an  employee  to decide whether or not what he can expect to earn, in whatever form he will receive it, is a fair exchange for his work.

Analyzing some of the traditional HRM FUNCTIONS AT nike (EX selection, Essay

Analyzing some of the traditional HRM FUNCTIONS AT nike (EX selection, training; evaluation & compensation) - Essay Example This objective of Nike reflects in its human resource management functions. The company has introduced the educational assistance programs because it is very important to have workers who are willing to learn and who show the interest to develop themselves. Hence, their recruitment policy is to consider only those employees who have an inclination to improve their skills and educational levels. After the recruitment and selection of employees with this kind of specific attitude, the next step of training and development is planned and implemented. The training and development of the workers is done by offering opportunities for general education purposes like, if workers want to learn to read, write and fill any gaps in their early childhood education. In another aspect the company also conducts seminars and workshops for supervisors in factories so that they improve their production and management skills. The main advantage of this policy to give improve the quality of human resourc e is to increase the value of human resources and to create a favorable learning environment in the company which is very essential to grow in the highly competitive globalised economy. The next aspect for discussion is the compensation. At Nike the wages of the twenty thousand employees are based on the qualifications and skills and the policies are designed so that all the hours worked (regular and overtime) are compensated. In addition to this the workers who have shown interest in improving their skills and who have completed any educational program are given promotions and their salaries and perks are increased. The company also has a detailed human resource information system to store all the information about the employees’ profile, education and training, performance. It can be accessed anywhere in the world by a certain group of

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

Ibn-Sina - Research Paper Example The Samanid dynasty ruled so well until the 10th century when it began weakening. As such, by the time Avicenna was born, Nuh ibn Mansur had taken over Sultan in Bukhara, though he was struggling to maintain control of the empire. Ibn Sina was lucky to come from one of the influential families in the country. At the time of his birth, his father was the governor of the village. As a result, he was able to receive good education with the help of his father. He was also lucky to have grown up alongside some of the most learned people in the country. His biography indicates that Ibn Sina was a very clever child right from his childhood (Khan 3). At the age of ten, he was not only able to memorize and recite the Quran, but was also able to memorize most of the Arabic poetry. At only thirteen years of age, Ibn Sina began studying medicine. To the amazement of many, he was able to begin treating patients after just three years of his study. Apart from medicine, he also studied metaphysics and logic, being taught by some of the best lecturers of his time (Goodman 3). However, being passionate of knowledge, he was able to further his studies on all areas on his own. In his autobiography, we learn that Ibn Sina was mostly self-taught even though he also received help from others at crucial times. Ibn Sina remained unknown to many for a very long time. It is reported that his knowledge and skills in medicine is what made him known to the public. In this regard, Goodman (4) shows that his skills in medicine made him receive recognition from Samanid ruler Nuh Ibn Mansur and the rest of the nation. His medicine publications immediately proved of great value to the nation and the beyond. For example, his first major work, the canon (al-Qanun fi’l-Tibb), was adopted by many universities in Europe as a medical textbook (Heath 23). Like in the European countries, the Islamic world also used the canon as a medical textbook until the early modern period. After the success of his first major work, the canon, Ibn Sina came up with another publication, the Cure (al-Shifa’), which also had a huge influence upon European scholars of the time, like Thomas Aquinas. As a metaphysical philosopher of being, Ibn Sina was a philosopher with a lot of interest in understanding his existence in the world with regard to his contingency (Janssens 31). In fact, his philosophies were mainly rooted in trying to build a coherent and comprehensive system that conforms with the religious exigencies of the Islamic culture. It is for this reason that many people regard him as the first major Islamic philosopher. The most evident is his philosophical articulation of God as the Necessary Existence, from which his theory of the soul, cosmos, and intellect is based (Khan 14). In addition, Ibn Sina articulated a development in the philosophical enterprise in Islamic tradition, as opposed to apologetic issues of concern for building the relationship between philosophy and r eligion in an attempt to make a philosophical sense of key religious doctrines, as well as analyze and interpret the Quran (Goodman 6). Several researches have been conducted in the recent past in an attempt to locate Ibn Sina within the Neoplatonic and Aristotelian tradition. However, Ibn Sina strongly rejected the pre-existent theory, despite accepting Neoplatonic epistemology. In Islamic sciences, Avicenna wrote several short stories commenting on the selected verses of the Quran and chapters

Globally relevant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Globally relevant - Essay Example This results in no disarmament at all. Also, certain counties have threats from other countries. Such countries have, therefore, a national interest in having weapons. Countries that have weapons are facing a lot of pressure from other countries. The powerful countries of the world are co-operating the least in the movement against weapons. Such countries have the capacity to create weapons of mass destruction that include nuclear and biological weapons. However, poorer countries are also gaining access to such weapons. That is continuously giving chances to terrorists to strengthen themselves and create big disasters. Further, many countries allot a great portion of their budgets to making or acquiring of weapons. The same amount can also be spent on education, environment or other development projects, but it does not happen due to the requirement of a strong military. There is also very limited gun control in many countries which is why the percentage of gun violence related incid ents is very high. According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)’s recent trends summary, world military expenditure in 2010 was estimated to have reached $1.63 trillion at 2010 prices. This is almost 2.6 percent of world gross domestic product (GDP) or $236 for each person in the world. Out of the total military expenditure in the whole world, the expenditure by the US accounts for 41% of it. SIPRI also found out that the major portion of the total military expenditure in the world is made by large countries. 15 major countries of the world spend 81.8% of the total military expenditure. An important point is that the world faced a very bad economic depression in 2008 hence resulting in many countries cutting their spending in various sectors. However, the spending in the military sector is continuously on a rise. It does not seem to be justified but it has valid reasons. (GlobalIssues) Just before the time the depression arrived, it was not reasonably foreseeable. It could not have been expected that a crisis of such magnitude was about to hit. Many countries were happy with their economic growths and they had easy access to credit. They had their fixed or pre-planned foreign policy objectives, the knowledge of available resources were satisfactory, the peacekeeping operations were expected to go as normal and the policies were fixed. Countries like China and India saw a boom in the economies and they increased the spending on military. Also, the high prices of minerals and fossil fuels enabled quite a few countries to increase military expenditure. However, after the 2008 financial crisis had hit, military spending still appears to have increased. It has been observed by SIPRI that some nations like China and India did not face a financial crisis but continued to grow. As the financial crisis hit big countries like the US, the governments responded by employing expansionary fiscal policies according to which they increased the government expenditure. Among these expenditures which were made to counter the crisis, many new military projects were started too which is why there has been an increase in the total military spending. Most importantly, many countries have continued to put the strategic and geopolitical concerns above other matters. If these concerns demanded an increase in military expenditures, the governments did not hesitate to increase the spending despite dire economic straits. In contrast,

Airport Security Checkpoints Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Airport Security Checkpoints - Research Paper Example There is no single solution of SSCP design that will work for all airport terminals given the variation in designs and operational requirements. (Elias, 2009) A number of methods and technologies can be used to implement SSCP including walk through metal detectors, X-ray device for whole body scanning, carry-on baggage x-ray and explosive detection systems (EDS). Among these technologies and methods, X-ray machine for whole body scanning such as X-ray Backscatter technology proves to be efficient and convenient for passenger screening.(Elias, 2009) X-ray Backscatter is one of the best screening technologies as far as airport SSCP is concerned given that it has the potential to accomplish what most of the other technologies have failed to accomplish in terms of passenger and language screening. Even though, the technology is considered to be the closest solution to a perfect airline travel safety, privacy issues have been brought to light on the type of imaging on the passengers. X-ray Backscatter uses x-ray beam which are capable of digitally striping a passenger and in the process reveal such contraband materials as liquid explosives, ceramic knives or drugs which are may have passed undetected by conventional x-ray machines and metal detectors. (Hicks, 2010) X-ray Backscatter technology stores images produced when organic objects scatter x-ray photons. The lower periodic table elements have a high capability of scattering photons while those items such as metals absorb more photon. The technology uses this principle to correlate measure and produce an image of the scanned object. The technology has the ability to penetrate items such as clothing and baggage that are usually used to conceal dangerous objects such as weapons and explosives. Unlike the convectional X- ray machines which produce blurry images, X-ray backscatter produces clear images which are easily interpreted and

Internatoinal business mangement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Internatoinal business mangement - Essay Example It helps to stimulate the economic growth. On the other hand, under the stated directed economies income and resources are funneled to the governmental central agency. It is the responsibility of the governmental central agency to allocate appropriate financial resources back into the action that the central agency deems important. State directed economies are high risk associated. If the organizations find it difficult to allocate appropriate financial resources then it can stifle the economic growth. Democratic political system can be considered as an important condition for the sustainable economic growth. There are several advantages of the democratic political system as it helps an economy to betterment the income distribution. In addition to this, democratic political system helps to adopt and develop free market economy system. Free market economy system can increase the buying and selling activities in an organization. In addition to this, it reduces the level of corruption in a country. Adoption and development of free market economy can help a country in several ways. First of all, it motivates several foreign players to invest in the country. It helps a country to increase the buying and selling activities. In addition to this, it helps to increase the employment generation aspect as the number of businesses or organizations increases due to these political systems. The market growth rate increases of an economy under this democratic political system as it helps to incr ease the market demand for a particular products and services. Intense market competition as well as demand for differentiated products and services can help a country to overcome several economic challenges, such as inflation, recession and depressions as the democratic political system motivates the business enterprises to produce goods and services according to the existing market demand. Therefore, limited threat of oversupply can help a country to gain effective

Assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Assignment 3 - Essay Example Customers: The stores of Boots UK are mainly located in well-known localities and streets of UK. Hence, its main consumers are male and females between age group 15-45 years from nearby neighbourhoods. Strength: The primary strength of the company is that it has a well-recognised brand with wide product range. The company is established in the market and has strong reliance on research and development. Weakness: Boots UK considers that location and ambience of its store are outdated, which can prove to be a weakness. Apart from this, analysis showed that the company has little dependence on technologies, which increase processing time of activities. Furthermore, the company also charges comparatively high price. The company has applied SMART techniques to determine goals and objectives. The company is planning to achieve an increase of twenty-five percent in the sale annually. It also has an objective to attract ten percent more male consumers every year, compared to the previous year. These goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-specific in nature. Realizing such goals can prove to be company’s competitive advantage. The company has used demographic and geographic segmentation while determining its target segment. Boots UK has placed stores mainly in the high streets of UK; so, the obvious target market of company is individuals from the neighbourhood. From demographic point, the company ensure that both genders, male and female, are its product users and the age range is between 16 and 45 years (Armstrong, Cunningham and Kotler, 2002). In its strategy, the company is planning to implement Ansoff’s matrix to decide upon products for existing as well as new markets. The model was proposed by mathematician, Igor Ansoff. It states that there are four growth strategies that a firm can adopt: Market penetration and product development for existing market and market

Internatoinal business mangement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Internatoinal business mangement - Essay Example It helps to stimulate the economic growth. On the other hand, under the stated directed economies income and resources are funneled to the governmental central agency. It is the responsibility of the governmental central agency to allocate appropriate financial resources back into the action that the central agency deems important. State directed economies are high risk associated. If the organizations find it difficult to allocate appropriate financial resources then it can stifle the economic growth. Democratic political system can be considered as an important condition for the sustainable economic growth. There are several advantages of the democratic political system as it helps an economy to betterment the income distribution. In addition to this, democratic political system helps to adopt and develop free market economy system. Free market economy system can increase the buying and selling activities in an organization. In addition to this, it reduces the level of corruption in a country. Adoption and development of free market economy can help a country in several ways. First of all, it motivates several foreign players to invest in the country. It helps a country to increase the buying and selling activities. In addition to this, it helps to increase the employment generation aspect as the number of businesses or organizations increases due to these political systems. The market growth rate increases of an economy under this democratic political system as it helps to incr ease the market demand for a particular products and services. Intense market competition as well as demand for differentiated products and services can help a country to overcome several economic challenges, such as inflation, recession and depressions as the democratic political system motivates the business enterprises to produce goods and services according to the existing market demand. Therefore, limited threat of oversupply can help a country to gain effective

A Monologue for Love Essay Example for Free

A Monologue for Love Essay What becomes of the broken hearted? Nothing. You think you know love then that love turns out to be an egotistical self-involved bastard whos no braver than the house mouse living in your walls waiting til you least expect it. Ive made mistakes before. But nothing compares to the ones made with him. The ones made in his arms, his unloving false arms embrace that somehow once made me feel warm and made heart be tender. And in that false embrace I made mistakes under false illusions. Illusions that this.. boy, this child, could love me and make me feel like a woman! A woman I am not, I am but a child, a girl who has been broken by the same boy too many times and more. I tried to end it once, twice, and ended it be on the fifth. But this was all too little too late, as he had touched me and I him. And is it so much to ask that I be loved again? It must have been for once another man loved me A man this time. Not a child, a boy. A man. And this man I turned down. I gave him false reason. For the real reason was that I did wish to be with this man but I was too afraid. The fear growing inside of me, a seed planted by a boy. And in the heat of the moment I fell for that man only to wake the morrow to tell him it cannot be. Months later now, I thought I had convinced myself of this false reason. But in a moment of peace, no distractions to cloud my judgment, my heart caught up to my head and told me of the real reason. And now I am dead. The seed has stopped growing. But its venomous flower has already bloomed and done its damage. I am but one of many broken hearted souls with many mistakes done and many more to proceed, to follow. And I ask of you now What should a girl do? When she no longer welcomes love But instead wishes it she had never known?

Production Planning And Control System Commerce Essay

Production Planning And Control System Commerce Essay Businesses can be of different types. Some industries focus on providing the customers with different types of services. Some others concentrate on selling of products. Majority of ventures are in the business of manufacturing something or the other. To start with, you would need some basic raw materials to which you would add some value to make something else. Simply put, this is production. Therefore, we can say that production is a business process in which a raw material is converted into finished or semi-finished products, in the process adding value to the of utility of products. This production procedure is measured by calculating the difference between the value of what goes into the production and the value of what is produced in the end. The things which go into the making of things are called the inputs and what is produced in the end is called the outputs. Say for example, if you want to manufacture dresses you will need cloth, labor, and machines at the primary level. These are all inputs. The end product, that is the dress, is the output. What is meant by production? Production can be described as a process of manufacturing or producing goods for trading purpose. It is a method that uses the intangible inputs like creativity, ideas, knowledge, research and perception in action. With the help of these intangible inputs, the tangible inputs like the raw materials are converted into finished products and made ready to be sold in the market. Production Function In mathematics, a function determines the relation between a set of inputs and the set of outputs. Similarly production function is that kind of a function through which assumed specification is made by the industry or a firm about the output in relation to all the input which went into the project. Production function serves to cater to the customer needs and demands in a cost effective way. Therefore planning and carrying out the production function in an efficient way is of prime importance to obtain this objective. Production Management Managing anything has to include proper planning at the initial level. The same thing is applicable in case of production management. You start with planning about how the production procedure will take place. Then you organize it according to your needs or requirements only after which you can execute the plan, direct and control the production activities. Hence, we can say that production management is the managing process which deals with the conversion of raw materials to the finished products that too in an economical way. Production management is guided by 6 Ms- a) money, b) men, c) materials, d) machines, e) methods and f) markets. If the same concept is applied to the management of services then the subsequent management activities are termed as operation management. Definitions of Production Management Here are some common and widely accepted definitions of production management: Production management deals with decision-making related to production processes so that the resulting goods or service is produced according to specification, in amount and by the schedule demand and at minimum cost. Elwood Spencer Buffa Production management,  also called  operations management, deals with planning and control of industrial processes to ensure that they move smoothly at the required levelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.In manufacturing operations, production management includes responsibility for product and process design, planning and control issues involving capacity and quality, and organization and supervision of the workforce. -Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Hence, we can easily say that, production management is the conversion of production inputs into outputs which when distributed in the market will cater to meet the demands of consumers. History of Production and Operation Management Industrial Revolution For over two and half centuries, production and operation management has been regarded as one of the important factors responsible for the economic growth and development of any country. With the outbreak of the industrial revolution in England in the mid 1700s a havoc change was observed in the industrial sectors. The changes began to be observed when the stream engine was invented by James Watt in 1764. It largely replaced the man power in the factories. In the year 1776 Adam Smith published his revolutionary book, The Wealth of Nations, where he talked about the specialization of labors in manufacturing and the economic benefits it avails to an industry. Therefore, the factories of the late 18th century experienced not only the use of the power by the newly invented machines but also new means of planning and controlling a factory production. About the same time the concept of division of labors came into being. Rapidly the industrial revolution spread from England to the other parts of Europe and also to America. Further development was observed as an American named Eli Whitney came up with the concepts of interchangeable parts and cost accounting. Early 1800s saw the advent of electricity and gasoline engines which enhanced the industrial revolution to a great extent. During the post civil war period an increased rate of production capacity was recorded which on the other hand led to growth of the capital. A massive production explosion followed in the newly developed U.S. market. Scientific Management- The concepts of scientific management, work study and time study was introduced by Frederick Taylor. He talked of the shop system as well which brought the skill, strength and learning ability of the workers into question. The shop system was the first to initiate the idea of the incentive pay. Specification of materials, methods of work and routing systems were used to organize the shop. It was the Ford Motor Company who embodied the major facets like interchangeable parts, low manufacturing cost, mass production, and standardized designs of the product of scientific management in 1920s. The scientific management was popularized by Henry Ford, who used it in his firms. These approaches helped him in maximizing the production at the plant. Operational Research System- During the Second World War enormous resources were installed. Military operational research squads were formed to deal with the complications of the deployment. P.M. Blacker is regarded as one of the main contributors in the field of operational research application in the Second World War. The operational system brought to the fore front the positive aspects of the system which helped the operational manager to control the complexities of production. Service Revolution- The publication of the Hawthorne studies in the 1930s revealed that human factors are influencing the production process to a great extent. The study report said that the ambiences, sociological and psychological conditions of the worker are affecting the production. It was the behavioralists who talked about these factors which made the industrialists change the way of treating the factory workers. The idea of the labors responding positively to the attention thus paid to them came to be acknowledged as the Hawthorne effect. The change in the thought process and the introduction of this new philosophy had a tremendous impact on the production planning and control system of the factories. Studies showed that the due to the increased use of machineries work became monotonous to the workers which affected the rate of production. In order to resolve this problem the workers were conferred a greater role in the planning procedure of the whole production so that they c an find interest in their work. Computer Revolution- It was the 1930s which witnessed the advent of the computer age. There was an explosive growth in the communication technology. Gathering information became very easy as everyone had an effortless access to it. Advancement in the software technology made the people aware about the usage of e-mails. More and more plants took initiation in starting E- Business. A special computerized system known as the Material Requirement Planning was developed which proved to be very useful in managing the business. Where we stand now? Today the whole production or operational management wholly stands on the demands and needs of the customers and providing them with quality products. This is because the competition level in the market is very high and in order to build and maintain the image and reputation of a company, customer satisfaction is the absolutely necessary. Other factors which are influencing the operational management these days are the advancement of the technologies, competition in the world wide market, cost challenges etc. Why Production and Operation Management is required? Any firm or industry needs production management. To achieve all its objectives- Every firm or industry possesses certain objectives behind the projects they undertake. Production management enables the firm to fulfill all its objectives in time and at the same time fulfill the demands of the customer. To gain reputation as well as to build up a good image in the market- One of the main objectives of production management is to satisfy the consumers. Production management helps in achieving this goal. Aids other functional fields- Production management aids the functional field of the industry or firm. Other functional sphere includes finance, personnel and marketing. It will be easier for the marketing department to sell good quality goods which in turn helps the financial department to gain more finances due to the increase of the sale of the products. This will also enable the company to acquire loans for expanding the firm. Proper management of the production will also help the personnel sector to handle the human resources properly and increase the efficiency of the resource. Aids in promoting new products- Production management controls the research and development section of the firm. It enables to study the market and needs of the customer depending on which they can introduce newly manufactured goods in the market. Helps in coping up with the competition level in the market- Same products may be produced by other companies as well. Production management helps the firm to cope up with the competition level in the market by keeping the quality, price, quantity of the products as per needs of the consumers. Produce the goods in a cost effective way- Cost of production can be checked and reduced to a great extent through proper management of production. It tries to minimize the input keeping the output to the optimum level. Maximize the use of resources- Production management assists in maximization of the use of resources like machines, human resources etc. Helps the firm to grow- Production management helps the company to expand itself which in turn enables the firm to yield greater profit. Production management is important to the consumers because- Improves the standard of living of the people The research work that the production department carries out reveals the demands and needs of the consumers which the industries cater to fulfill. This increases as well as improves the standard of lining of the people as they get to use good and new products. Enhances the economy- Production management helps to produce goods in a cost effective way. This leads to the proper economic growth of the country. Decreases the problem of unemployment- Unemployment is a major problem of our country. The activities of the production department of any firm open up many job prospects for the people. Quality of the products increases- As mentioned earlier production management controls the research and development sector of a firm. These researches help to provide the customers with the better quality of the product. Provides the customers with low cost products- Production management facilitate the customers with low cost products so that the majority of the population can avail that product for use. What is a system? System as we understand comprises of various sects which works together as a unit. All the processes are interdependent and function as a whole. The system operates with a distinct intention to fulfill the predetermined objectives. Massive systems are often a compilation of various sub-systems. Production System In a broader sense production system is the framework which supports all kinds of production activities that may take place within an organization. The process of manufacturing involves the conversion of inputs into outputs. A suitable designing of production system makes sure the coordination of the different procedures which undergoes in the production. There is no hard and fast rule that only a single pattern of production system is to be followed universally and have to be applied to all kinds of productions. It differs from one project to another. Definition The methods which include all functions required to collect the inputs, process or reprocess the inputs and produce the saleable outputs. Ray Wild defines production or operation system as a configuration of resources combined for the provision of goods and services. Production system has three main components namely- inputs, conversion process and outputs. Inputs comprise of machines, man-power, capital, raw materials, drawings, paper works. Conversion process includes all kinds of processes and procedures which can be mechanical or manual or chemical. These operations are responsible for converting all the inputs into the desired outputs. This stage of production system also has some supporting operations like obtaining of raw materials, storing, production planning, product designing etc. Outputs comprise of the end products which the firm will provide it to the customers like services, finished goods etc. Production management.png A Systematic Diagram of Production System Types of Production System In general there are two types of production system. They are- Continuous Production- It is a process which is used to produce products without any hindrance in a continuous way. This type of production system is void of any interruption. Continuous production is often referred to as continuous flow process or continuous process. It is so named because the raw materials which go into making of the product are continuously moving and at the same time are exposed to chemicals or heat or cold as required in the making of the product. By continuous we mean running twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, with rare shutdown of the working force which can be quarterly, semi-annually or annually. Goods are manufactured on a massive scale in a continuous production. They are not produced depending on the customers orders. This system of production requires huge investment in machineries. This type of production system is found in oil refineries, power stations etc. Characteristics of Continuous Production Production is continuous. Large scale production of goods takes place. Does not depend on the customers orders. Standardized products are produced. Quality of the goods is predetermined. Types of Continuous Production System Mass production flows-Here same kind of product is manufactured to fulfill the demand of the market. This system needs good planning for material, process, maintenance of machines and instruction to operators. Process production flows- The distinction between mass and process production is the kind of product a firm produces. Mass production manufactures the same products and is produced in a large scale. If the demand ceases, the machineries are used for manufacturing products of similar nature after slight modification. In process production, the plant and equipment is designed for a specific product. Hence if the demand falls for the product or ceases, the firm cannot be used for manufacturing other products. Intermittent Production System Unlike continuous production system intermittent production system as the name suggests is such a system where goods are produced on the basis on customers orders. Usually the goods are produced in a small scale. The production flow is not constant. Various types of products of various sizes are produced in this type of system. The system is very plastic. Ex- Production found in automobile plants, electric goods plants. Characteristics of Intermittent Production System Production is not continuous. Halts are made frequently. Various kinds of goods are produced. Machines used for general purpose is used. Production depends on the order of the clients. The level of production is usually small. Types of intermittent production system Project Production Flows- Here a firm accepts a single complex contract or order. The project has a deadline within which the contract has to be finished that too within an approximate calculated cost. Project production flows include projects like building a high rise, constructing a dam or an airport. Resource requirements are high at the beginning of the project but ultimately ceases as the project nears its end. Job Production Flows- Items are manufactured only on the basis of specifications made by the customers. The cost is determined at the time of signing the project. Highly skilled labors are required in job production flows. Ex- Services the tailoring shops, repairing stores provide. Batch Production Flows- The production schedule is decided before commencing on the project. It depends on the estimate of consumers demands or upon the specific customers orders. The manufacturing process of the product is divided into a number of batches sequentially. Each batch is to be completed first to start with the next. A detailed production planning is required in batch production flows. Ex. Manufacturing of drugs. Factors Influencing Production Process Supplies The production or manufacturing process largely depends on the supplies of raw materials. If the supply of materials is hampered due to problems like transportation or bad weather, the fixed target cannot be achieved within the promised time. On the contrary if there is a smooth supply of materials then the flow of production will be normal and the production schedule can be easily followed. Power Supply- For running any plant, supply of incessant power is required. Even if the power supply is gets disrupted temporarily can have a great impact on the production process. Machineries and Equipments- A sudden shut down of any of the machineries of the equipments used in the production of product can lead to minimization of the production rate. Continual operations of the equipments are necessary in order to improve the efficiency of the machines. Man Power- The labors directly associated with the manufacturing process can influence the production in many ways. For example, sick leaves and vacations taken by key workers have a negative impact on manufacturing. Capacity of the plant is also influences the production procedure of a firm. The larger the firm, the larger will be the production, all the other factors remaining constant. Flexibility- The production process should be elastic in order to adapt to the changes that take place during the production process. Product Design Designing a product by a firm includes a strategic procedure of planning to create a new product to be sold to the customers. The product design is one of the most crucial and sensitive aspect for an organization. Success or failure of the sale of the product depends on a number of factors which ultimately decides the reputation and image of the company in the market. So during the designing period of the product there are a number of things which need to be paid heeded to. Everything is analyzed while designing a product right from what the general public likes to the cost and the process which undergoes in making the product. Production Planning and Control (PPC) The main aim of any manufacturing plant is to produce the products. Therefore the production is the core of the entire business operations. It is the driving force to which all the other functions of the plant depend. Once the industrialist has taken the decision about the product design, the next step he takes is planning the production and chalk out the controlling process. This is very much important for the economical aspect of the project. PPC is absolutely necessary for the small scale industries. A question may arise that why controlling of the manufacturing process is required. Well production planning without production control is like a school without the Headmaster. Planed decisions when put to action can go wrong, but checking the damage due to the mishap is production control. Objectives of Production Planning and Control a) To determine the ability of all producing sectors b) To plan the manufacturing activities in a systematic order depending on the sales demand of the market c) To endorse the fullest utilization of the firm d) To train labors for effective performance e) To ensure means of finding out the manufacturing needs and requirements so that the materials needed for the production can be attained at right time in the right quality as well as quantity f) To maintain coordination between the various sectors of the production process. Stages of Production Planning and Control The following tree will show you what the stages of PPC are PPC.png Production Planning and Control Process Production Planning It is a practice of foreseeing the stages of production process before commencing on a distinct project and also to judge the efficiency level of all those stages through which the maximum profit of the industry can be brought about at the scheduled time. It enables the entrepreneur to estimate the quantity of raw materials, money and labors to be needed for the production. Routing It helps in determining the course and progression of the production activities of a plant. The machines which will be required for the operations and the executives to be engaged for the work are determined in the routing stage. The main intention of routing is arrange the production procedure in a cost effective manner. It also makes sure that the decided sequential arrangement is followed firmly. The discussion about the quality and estimation of the cost of the product to be produced is also done in the routing stage. Scheduling Scheduling means determining the approximate time to be taken by each production activity and also all the operations taken together. It highly differs from one job to the other. Time is the main factor which is worked upon at this stage of production planning. Loading Here the schedule planned in the previous step is put into practice. Loading therefore decides who will be given the responsibility to do the work at hand. It helps in judging the existing work load and also to predict how early the remaining work can be finished. Production Control As mentioned earlier every production process must be controlled to keep the process running smoothly and fulfill the production of the products within the specified time. The production control department can perform effectively only when the financial manager, personnel manager, work manager and purchase manager works together in case of small scale industry. Dispatching To start a production process an authorization is required which is done in this stage. From the movement of materials to the different work stations, keeping a track of the cost occurred in each operation of the production, inspection of the activities are all looked after in the dispatching stage of the production control. This step is very significant because it converts the production plan into action. Follow Up Follow up, also regarded as reporting, is that stage of production control where the follies of the production plan or in the schedule structure of the operations are recorded. The main objective behind the follow up stage is to make sure all the decided plans and programs are been followed. It finds out whether there is any deviation from the production plan or not. And if there is any, immediate action is taken to resolve the fault and finish the production within the scheduled time. Inspection This stage is concerned about checking the quality of the finished goods because it is the most vital factor as the image, the name and the reputation of the company in the market depends on it Corrective Measures Corrective measures involve all those activities which are done to rectify the faults which may have occurred in the routing, scheduling, loading scheduling or in any of the stages of the production planning or control system. Decisions regarding the inclusion of more labors, transfer of personnel to other work stations, training of the employees are also taken in the corrective stage. Conclusion From the above discussion one thing can be easily understood that without efficient planning and control no business company can fulfill its objective of earning a profit. Production planning and control becomes very much crucial for the small scale industries because they frequently face the challenge of producing goods at a very low cost. Production planning not only aids the companies to determine the convenient production procedure they need to follow but also reveals the risk factors which they are likely to face during the manufacturing process.