Profile of an Economist Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Profile of an Economist - Research Paper Example Friedman presented high expertise in the field of business that made him a renowned economist. In the year of 1951, he won the â€Å"John Bates Clark Medal,† an award that recognized economists under age of forty who presented commendable performance (Ruger 90). Furthermore, he received the Nobel Prize in 1976 for his contributions in the field of consumption examination, monetary history and concepts, as well as for his effort in describing the stabilization policy. The economist chaired the Chicago school of economics where he guided research plan of the economics profession. The scholar also worked as the chairperson of the American Economic Association in 1967 (Wahid 14). Furthermore, the scholar served as a senior research fellow at the Stanford University after retiring from the University of Chicago. Some surveys of economists have identified Friedman as a well-liked economist of the 20th century after John Keynes. Friedman explored various economics-related theories an d analytical procedures highlighting informative concepts. Nedomlelova (32) observes that Friedman was great scholar who had excellent knowledge of economics. The economist’s initial works include the 1945 publication titled the â€Å"Income from Independent professional Practice† that he coauthored with Simon Kuznets. This work was very relevant in the field of business and the report attracted a global attention. ... the need of adjusting such regulation in order to create constructive competition that would persuade delivery of quality services at sustainable fees. This provided strategists with effective managerial tools (Friedman et al. 32). Friedman’s effort in the development of the Theory of Consumption Function The scholar has substantially contributed in the development of the economic theories. His earliest prominent work includes the 1957 publication in which he described A Theory of the Consumption Function (Friedman & Ebenstein 19). The scholar developed the theory from the Keynesian perception that individuals and households have a tendency of adjusting their expenditures on consumption to align them with their income (Friedman & Ebenstein 26). The economist highlighted that individual’s yearly consumption reflects a function of their â€Å"permanent income.† He introduced this term as a measure of the aggregate income individuals expect over a few years. The the ory was an expression of the permanent income hypothesis, the concept that proposes that household’s consumption and investment decisions are mainly defined by changes in permanent income, but not temporary changes that household members experience within their activities. These ideas were essential because they provide bases for developing future business theories that has enriched the field (Brittan 2). Friedman challenged Keynes ideas claiming that the scholar based his consumption models on psychological assumptions. He emphasized the need of considering individuals as rational thinkers who make plans on how to spend their resources over their families. Friedman was not primarily objecting the Keynesian ideas because a reputable Keynesian economist Franco Modi-gliani also made the same observation.

Challange Faced by University Students Essay Example for Free

Challange Faced by University Students Essay Education is the most important aspect of learning for every generation established in every mode. In university there are different field of studies with different years of each program. It is obvious that new students are going to face further challenges in university. In this case, these challenges could be the burden which can pull them out of the school without completing their studies. This essay will discuss these challenges in condition of financial, social, and academic. To begin with, financial problems are a major challenge for university students includes tuition fee, rent expenses, and text books. Tuition fee is the most common challenge for these students. Though, for some they only take one or two units per semester because of financial problems. The high costs of fee causes many problems for those who are not sponsored. Besides, fee expenses for each semester cost of thousands of dollars. So, tuition fee is a great burden for the unsponsored students. Furthermore, text books are the most essential property students must have in university. First year students also suffered in buying text books regarding to financial problem. Those who are not sponsored are suffered the most on the high cost of these books. Another challenge is that some of them have not enough money in a pocket. But in this case, such challenges can create lot of troubles in their minds throughout their time in the university. Moreover, rent is also a challenge for these students. These students might live in different hostels where some are cheap but isolated from the campus, and some are nearby the campus but expensive. It is better to live nearby the campus for new students to avoid troubles. However, they have problem with monthly rent where it is expensive but must be cleared. Another reason is based on a small amount of their allowance which cannot meet their expenses on rent and others. However, these financial challenges make them concern the most. Another major [continues]. Read full essay

Essay --

Abortion is a controversial issue in the today’s society. There are many opinions on the view of abortion, whether it’s positive or negative depending on the individuals’ perspective. First of all what is Abortion? Abortion is a medical process where the foetus is removed or terminated from the womb of the mother before it is born. The reason why I chose the topic abortion is because I was fascinated to hear that an estimated 80,000 - 90,000 surgical abortions are performed in Australia each year (Garratt, 2009). I find this issue important to address because Abortion is probably the world's most common surgical procedure (Arthur, 1999) and that it is increasing over the years, to the extent that people would find it commonly natural to abort the unborn child. By examining sources in relation to the issue, its creditability is its upmost importance so that we are able to understand the issue of abortion with clear understanding and judge for ourselves whether i t’s right or wrong. Journal First Criteria: Peer Review I believe the journal article I have chosen is credible because, peer reviewed journals are considered as the basis of academic research and professional knowledge. They present information that is in a clear and concise fashion, as a result leading to a high level of credibility. Also, the care and effort it takes to develop a publishable manuscript means it can be months between the time research is conducted and the results are even submitted for publication (Solomon, 2007). This indicates that time and effort has been put in the journal article to make the information that is being conveying to the audience authentic and that only the highest quality of research is published. The journal article that I have chose... ...atistics that was established plays on the emotion of the audience as they feel sympathy for the large amount of women that had died because of their first pregnancy. Furthermore statistics also increases the credibility of the article in two ways. Firstly, using statistics establishes that extensive research has been done making the audience believe that the stats provided are factual and reliable. Secondly, using statistics from reliable sources such as World Health Organization rises the credibility of the article. The article that I have chosen is credible because the author John Flynn used statistic from different sources as well as quotes from experts to back up his statement, and also most importantly statistics sticks with the audience even after reading the article. Hence statistics are one important factor that makes an article credible and reliable.

Role of Banks

THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS NAME : TRANG THI KIEU HO STUDENT ID : 1613946 CLASS: TUTORIAL 13 (12339) Banks play a central role in the economy, they create and maintain the flow of money between surplus and deficit unit and by this facilitate the process of production, distribution, exchange and consumption of wealth. If there were no bank activities, a large of amount of capital of the economy would be idle. Hence, banking activities are vital for the development of an economy.Another function of the bank is risk spreading. They transform risky asset ( loans) to less risker liabilities ( deposits). They also conduct maturity transformation or liquidity providing function. Banks pool of short-term deposits and then give out long-term loans. They can do this base on the theory that different investors have different liquidity preferences. Hence, when banks do not work properly, it will affect the whole economy. In conclusion, a strong banking system is very important for an economy.I think it is necessary to regulate the banking system because lack of regulation can result in some banks taking excessive risks and getting into trouble. A problem in banking system can affect the whole economy. In fact, some economist said that one of the reasons that led to the global financial crisis is the lack of regulation in financial system. Hence it is necessary to have more regulation to keep the banks working properly. Too much regulation, however, will decrease the competition in financial sector, the big will get bigger and the small who cannot compete will not be able to survive.Competition between banks forces them to keep the interest margin low to compete. It also helps banks to have incentives to create innovation to work better and make more profit. This will bring much benefit to investors and borrowers. For all of these reasons, I think that we should have enough regulation to keep the banks working properly and avoid another crisis but not stri ct regulation so that not to decrease competition in financial system.

Research and development Essay

The Human resource management department of the business is responsible for the hiring and firing of the staff that work in Boots PLC outlet stores and any other jobs that are related to the company. Their main aim to make sure that there is the right amount of workers in the specified place at the right time in order to contribute to the maximum output that the staffing effort can help towards. The hiring and firing is very important as it makes sure that the right people are hired for the job that are in appropriate situations to fulfill vacancies. On the other hand however the firing is just as important. If staff are not pulling their weight or are incapable of carrying out the jobs they are meant to they may be fired. Also if there is no need for all staff then they may be laid off. This is a way of maximizing profits as less go on output of wages which is a great percentage of the businesses output. The HRM is also responsible for the training of staff. It is their responsibility to make sure that all staff is fully trained for the job they are employed for. These increases the customer reliability and satisfaction as when staff are asked questions they will hopefully know they answers and also that they are capable of approaching customers comfortably and in a good fashion. This adds to customer satisfaction and this is important to Boots it is also one of their objectives listed previously in the report. HRM are responsible for forecasting labour amounts and the amount of man power that will be needed at different times of the day week and year. If manpower is low in rush hours or periods such as Christmas then the company may not reach its maximum out put through mistake of their own. Staff receives appraisals when they work for Boots. This lets them know if the business is happy with them and if they are considered a valued member of the work force. The appraisals are again responsibility of the HRM department and they help to maximize business by insuring workers are reaching their full potential within in the business. Boots recently proposed to train up 7000 people to become more knowledgeable about technology so that the business will benefit from this. Boots PLC also employ a further 45% of their workforce on top of their usual numbers to help in outlet stores over Christmas period with tills, stock rotation and demonstrations. This shows the business has been planning the workforce amounts according to potential times of increases in demand. This area of the business can be very economical and save the business money when it comes to hiring and firing staff. This is however also very beneficial to the staff also. When jobs in the business become available instead of employing new staff they promote current staff. This saves money as described in management styles later on. The HRM area of the business works towards the organization and in turn globalization objective of the business. The statement of â€Å"we aim to develop staff and provide them with the right skills and attitude in order to achieve the organizations goals† suggests that it be aimed at all the objectives of the business, which will reflect on the globalization and expansion conclusively. The fact that more staff was hired acts on the objective of improving customer satisfaction as more staff means that there are more hands to deal with the tasks needed which leaves more staff to be available to help customers and aid them with their shopping needs. The Marketing section of the business is responsible for satisfying customers needs at the right prices and once again as in Boots objective consumer satisfaction. To do this the marketing section of Boots PLC is responsible for researching what the target markets want and interpreting what their future needs would be and how they will change. They persuade the customer to buy products by advertising. They either increase awareness by advertising to all on TV or radio, or advertise specifics. These include in store adverts for particular products, which they make the customer, think they need. Free demos of some products also help to draw in custom and Boots does this in its make-up and its perfume range where there is always trained staff available to recommend and advice. The marketing aspect of the business has lead to the birth of the Boots Advantage Card. Boots customer services is an outstanding department as they have been able to established customer loyalty by the use of this Advantage card. Referring back to Boots objectives the wish to increase customer loyalty is proven as the Advantage Card is used by more than 70% of all key customers. Boots objectives on marketing were to increase promotion and stature by globalization. This has been attempted by opening several firms in Taiwan. A strategy that separated them from their competitors and attracted thousands of consumers over the Christmas period was the three for two-mix and match strategy which was introduced after a market research poll into marketing strategies return the mix and match as a popular suggestion. This was reflected by the feedback it returned. It is very important to be able to forecast and predict what will happen to the market. In order for a company to success in the long term it must have an idea of where it is going. One of the best ways to do this, which also show the success of the business, is to look at its accounts. This will show if there is a gradual increase or decrease in profit and it will show what products sell, how they sell and in what quantity are they likely to still be required as the majority of tangible inessential goods reach saturation point and are no longer needed. The finance section of the business is the area that looks after the accounts and the money flow forecasting. The Financial area of the business makes sure all the finances of a business are properly recorded. This involves keeping detailed accounts either manually or on a computer of all the money that comes in, and how it comes in to the business and how and where it goes out. The financial information is used by Boots and published in the yearly reports to show how the business is getting on. Boots PLC uses computer technology to record all the information and trained staff regularly analyzes it to spot correlation in output or product relationships. This is done to try and find out where Boots could benefit from altering the market and changing product ranges or increasing product base. This section of the business is also capable of raising finance when the business needs to raise capital for an investment or expansion. There is only a small aspect of the objective system that it appears the financial function touches on. This is the objective to act towards modernization. Boots keeps its financial records in the form of computer files as apposed to storing them manually. This shows that Boots keeps up with the development of technology, which was a specific objective. This shows that an objective has been worked towards and met which has been beneficial as now the financial function is a lot less time consuming in storing data and retrieving it. Although there is always more problems with modern technology it is likely that in the long run it is less time consuming. Production is another one of the functional areas but as there is little that Boots actually produce due to the fact that they are in the tertiary sector this function does not really affect them. The only way it does affect them is that Boots must keep in touch with the production (secondary industry) business to ensure that they can meet the demands that they need in order to increase customer satisfaction. Coinciding with this the staff at Boots must check produce that is received from the production companies to make sure it is correct. This section does not really affect any objectives that the business has directly. However indirectly it does regard the objective of wishing to increase the proportion of their own brand. There is little evidence I can provide of this objective been carried out but they do have their own cosmetic range that goes by the name of No7. This appears to have been doing very well. The main cogs of the business are the Administration section. This keeps the day to day workings of the business going. Again these are skilled staff trained in their field and Boots pride them selves on the level of training and standards that their staff operates to. The administration maintains the business premises and equipment and if anything goes wrong they are responsible for fixing it of finding someone to do so. Anyone who works for Boots doing photocopying, printing (stationary jobs) catering, computer services, data storage, all these types of jobs come under the job description of Administration. As boots is expanding it is relying less on its own workers to carry out some of these tasks and it calls in people from out side the business, this is called ‘outscoring’, these people are usually found by the administration team. The administrative function as it is a necessity in the business and keeps it flowing hardly relates as a contribution to any objective at all. The only objective I can see that the administrative function applies to id the modernization of the company. This is due to the fact that in order for the administration staff to act efficiently they need to be modernizing as technology such as computers develops. This will benefit all areas of the business. As the target markets demands are forever changing and new fashions are coming in and the months of the years come in and out the products that Boots supply are always changing. It is hard to keep on top of the supply for goods, as there are so many aspects that alter the product demands it is hard to be aware of where they will go next. The research and development of the business is responsible for trying to find out where to go next. They keep the other parts of the business informed about changes as much as they can. This is a main part of the marketing for the business. The research and development sector look at sales figures, accounts, customer trends and spending and try and deduct where the majority of the money goes and also where it doesn’t. They do not look to replace products all the time but also to look for new products that would be beneficial to bring into the product range to increase sales or attract new business. It was the idea of the research and development of Boots to open the optician section of the business, as this was an area that they had not yet spread into and would be beneficial. The people in the research and development part of boots also look at other businesses and see how they operate, what they sell and how much they charge. All this contributes to the smooth running of the business. As Boots main objective is to produce a well-established firm that caters for the consumers needs research and development is a major part of decision making. Diversification is also reliant on this department as in order to diversify research needs to be carried out to find out which areas it would be beneficial to divert into in respects of the customers and the company as a whole. Boots has got a large research and development department. The paragraph below shown what affects the research and development has had on the company’s expansion. â€Å"The first Health and Beauty Experience store opened in Kensington High Street in September this year. It moves Boots into new areas of the expanding health and beauty market. Services include physiotherapy, osteopathy, homeopathy, herbalism, aromatherapy, reflexology and nutrition. These sit alongside beauty services including facials massage, false tan, ear piercing, pedicure, manicure, nail bars, and make-overs, plus lifestyle advice on weight management, smoking, sleep management, relaxation and stress management. All combine to offer a total wellbeing offer. † This paragraph gives list of some of the new products and services that have been introduced. These expansions in the business would not have been the result if research and development had not taken place. This shows that research and development has also contributed to the firm expanding, which was another objective of Boots.

The policy to include SEN pupils in mainstream education has failed to address many of the key issues for these pupils and as such fails to be effective The WritePass Journal

The policy to include SEN pupils in mainstream education has failed to address many of the key issues for these pupils and as such fails to be effective Introduction and Background The policy to include SEN pupils in mainstream education has failed to address many of the key issues for these pupils and as such fails to be effective Introduction and BackgroundAims, Objectives and MethodologyCurrent Theoretical PositionConclusionsReferencesRelated Introduction and Background The broad policy which involves the inclusion of pupils who are considered to have special educational needs (SEN) within mainstream schooling across England and Wales first originated as part of the Warnock Report, 1978 (DES, 1978). However, over the years, several different codes of practice and governmental guidance documents have established strong policies and even legislation which states that it is essential in mainstream schools to provide a learning environment that is suitable for a diverse range of pupils and abilities, including SEN. In accordance with the Education Act 1996, this requirement is a statutory requirement and therefore mainstream schools are bound to have a facility within them to deal with SEN. Despite this, there remains a seeming lack of understanding when it comes to the best practical ways in which these individuals can be managed within the mainstream environment, with a focus primarily being on ensuring that there are school level policies in place in order to facilitate the needs of these individuals, with a particular focus on behavioural concerns. In reality, however, it is suggested here that the handling of SEN pupils in the mainstream environment needs to be much more individualised, so that it can offer valuable guidance to all teachers, not simply those directly involved in the support of SEN pupils (Harden, 2003). One of the immediate difficulties which arise when undertaking this type of research is that of defining what is meant by special educational needs, in the first place. This definition can have a dramatic impact on how the particular school or educational establishment then goes on to actually include such students. For example, there is an argument to be had that a particularly gifted student would potentially have special educational needs. If the concept of a special needs pupil is simply based on the amount of time that is required from the teacher and is based on requirements which go beyond the â€Å"average† student, these types of questions and the influence that they would have on teaching practices, in general, is potentially huge for the development of the success of the inclusion policies, started back in 1978. Aims, Objectives and Methodology The overall aim of the research is to determine whether or not the specific policy and now legislative requirement placed upon mainstream educational establishments to have an agenda in place to include SEN pupils has been effective or not. In order to achieve this, there are several strands to the research which need to come together through the use of an interpretivist approach, recognising that opinions and activities vary, depending on the surrounding circumstances, but with the ability to draw central themes and ideas such that the original statement can be answered. The actual concept of special educational needs will be looked at in terms of how policy defines these pupils with recognition that this definition will have an impact on the way in which the students are to be supported under the general inclusion of these students within mainstream education. Inclusion is a critical factor in this regard and this is also one of the strands of the research, which requires a larger amount of attention. By stating that the policy aims to include SEN pupils, it is impossible to determine whether the policies are proving successful or not, without considering what precisely is meant by inclusion and whether it is judged, based on educational achievement, or whether it is based on some softer issues such as social inclusion. Taking an interpretivist research approach to this paper, the aim is to establish more specifically whether inclusion in mainstream education can impact on particular individuals with special needs, with the recognition that the impact will naturally vary, depending on the surrounding circumstances and it may also vary from school to school and classroom to classroom. The research question here has expanded the issue of inclusion within mainstream school by taking on an interpretive paradigm as it is thought that, in order to gain a greater understanding of the various factors that may ultimately impact on the practical application of the policies being produced. From an ontological point of view, the research will establish an understanding of the nature of the area of special educational needs and how these pupils could potentially be integrated into mainstream education. The research will, therefore, focus largely on how special educational needs are defined and the practical ways in which the policies deal with the requirement, in order to add value to this research area. The secondary stage of the research takes a more epistemological perspective and looks at the nature of the knowledge that has been established and whether there are fundamental flaws in the approach which has been taken, so as to question whether some of the known factors remain valid. Consideration will also be given as to whether a different form of reality within the area of special educational needs should be established. The area of SEN within mainstream education is, potentially, relatively complex and it is therefore necessary to take a balanced approach between questioning current policies and looking at the foundations behind them and looking towards the future of how these policies could be shifted or applied, in order to achieve the underlying aim of genuine inclusion at every level. Current Theoretical Position The area of educational needs and the treatment of those with special educational needs have gained considerable attention from both academics and professionals, particularly since the government created a formal policy to demand greater inclusion within mainstream education. As noted during the introduction, there is now a statutory requirement on mainstream schools to ensure that they have suitable methods of provision for including SEN pupils within their organisation and this has created a large body of information and research as to how this has been implemented and whether or not it has been effective. As part of the â€Å"general statement on inclusion† in Curriculum 2000 (QCA, 2000), some general principles of inclusion were established which argue that, if these principles of inclusion were suitably pursued, the general policies relating to the effectiveness of SEN inclusion would be achieved. The three areas included: setting suitable learning challenges; responding to the learning needs of individuals who are often very diverse; and thirdly, recognising and putting in place processes to overcome any potential barriers (Wang and Algozzine 2008). Previous research in this area has, however, typically fallen into specific areas, namely the way in which mainstream educational establishments can provide an appropriate response to any behavioural concerns and behavioural issues within their school, as a result of the inclusion of SEN pupils (Harden, 2003). Research has also been relatively extensive when it comes to determining the impact that this additional support can have on participation and inclusion, e.g. the role of the assistant teachers. Finally, there is also a body of research which has looked at the approaches taken at school level to manage a variety of different communities which may be around them. However, whilst this point of view clearly offers valuable information as to how inclusion is achieved, it is argued here that a somewhat limited view has been taken by the existing literature in this area (Dyson et al., 2002). Inclusion in itself needs to be questioned and there is a large volume of research which has looked specifically at whether or not inclusion should automatically be viewed as a positive aspect of these types of social policies. For example, Oliver (1996) argues that inclusion is, in fact, an automatic right for all children with any form of special educational needs, regardless of the extent of the need or the personal reasoning for each individual. Other researchers have taken a different approach and have failed to take on board the underlying assumption that inclusion is a positive aspect, in all cases. For example, Smelter et al. (1994) argues that placing an individual within mainstream education may not always be the best approach for that individual. Therefore, the focus needs to shift towards establishing policies where the underlying aim is to provide the best possible educational environment for each individual. This would automatically mean that some pupils would not neces sarily be focused upon in terms of gaining inclusion within mainstream education, but rather the policy setters would be looking at the broader issues of educating SEN pupils in such a way that they gained the best overall results and this may require a different educational approach to be taken. The perceptions of both teachers and teaching assistants in the area of inclusion of SEN pupils are also a crucial factor and has gained some attention, in recent years. For example, the way in which support provisions are provided is in itself potentially a vitally important research area. According to the SERC Report in 1993, approximately 8,000 SEN pupils were found to be educated in mainstream classes, within primary school education. However, only 50% of these pupils were receiving additional support which was primarily focused on learning and remedial support, rather than social needs. The way in which additional support interacts with the mainstream educational establishment is arguably a crucial aspect of this research. The research, therefore, takes an interpretivist approach which recognises that the effectiveness of inclusion may depend on whether or not the support structure is in place for effectively filling the gaps that would prevent an SEN pupil from struggling with being involved in mainstream education. It also looks at the underlying policies for achieving inclusion in mainstream education, and how these needs should to be accommodated within mainstream education, looking at the practical approaches taken when it comes to providing specific support that is tailored for each individual. Due to statutory requirements, it is taken as a given that inclusion is the ultimate target, yet research in this area has looked primarily at how precisely this should be achieved. INTO (2000). For example, research has looked at how SEN pupils should be accommodated within mainstream education, so that these pupils remain within the mainstream education establishment, but are required to attend special c lasses to assist with their specific area of difficulty. This focus is primarily aimed at establishing the resource needs of teachers who are providing support for special educational needs; however, it also gives a strong indication of how these SEN pupils can be accommodated within mainstream education, but can also have their own needs met through the use of special classes, where appropriate (Norwich and Lewis, 2001). The increasing need to provide teachers and resources to support inclusion in mainstream education is justifiably one of the key areas of literature that has previously been established within the area of special educational needs, as the current situation seems to suggest that the need to achieve inclusion within mainstream education is a given. However, the real difficulty comes when it is necessary to this area is how to implement inclusion in the most appropriate way. It could be argued for example, that inclusion is potentially beneficial, provided it is suitably resourced and supported, so as not to be the detriment of any pupil, whether they are SEN pupils themselves or, indeed, others within their peer group. Conclusions Even a cursory glance at issue of including SEN pupils within mainstream education indicates a much broader range of factors and issues which need to be considered when looking to implement such a policy. Statutory requirements for inclusion are already part of this system within the UK. Therefore, the chosen area of research is to look at how effective these policies have been, while also questioning whether indeed setting policies is the appropriate way of providing the best educational background for all pupils. The research will also look at ways in which these policies should be practically applied and the types of resources that need to be made available in order to support the inclusion of SEN pupils within mainstream education. By taking a rounded view of the issue of SEN pupils within mainstream education and even questioning the foundation of the original policy, a stronger understanding of the various different factors can be had. These finding should help prevent mainstre am schools from becoming too focused on practical issues such as achieving educational results, but also recognising that issues such as social inclusion are likely to be of considerable concern, when it comes to the overall picture of achieving inclusion within mainstream education. References Department of Education and Science (DES) (1978) Special Educational Needs, Report of the Enquiry into the Education of Handicapped Children and Young People (Warnock Report). London: HMSO. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) (1998) Meeting Special Educational Needs: A Programme of Action. London: DfEE. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) (2001) Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs. London: DfEE. Harden A (2003) Supporting pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) in mainstream primary schools: a systematic research of recent research evidence of strategy effectiveness (1999–2002). In: Research Evidence in Education Library. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education Howes A, Farrell P, Kaplan I, Moss S (2003) The impact of paid adult support on the participation and learning of pupils in mainstream schools. In: Research Evidence in Education Library. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education. INTO (1997) The Visiting Teacher Service for Special Needs, INTO Report. Norwich B, Lewis A (2001) Mapping a pedagogy for SEN. British Educational Research Journal 27: 313–330. QCA (2000) General Statement for Inclusion in Curriculum 2000. London: QCA. Roaf C, Bines H (1989) Needs, rights and opportunities in special education. In: Roaf C, Bines H (eds) Needs, Rights and Opportunities: Developing Approaches in Special Education. London: Falmer Sebba J, Sachdev, D (1997) What Works in Inclusive Education. Basingstoke: Barnados Wang C, and Algozzine B (2008) Effects of targeted intervention on early literacy skills of at-risk students. Journal of Research in Childhood Education 22: 425-439.

patented algorithms essays

patented algorithms essays Software consists of lists of instructions that a computer reads and executes. The tasks done by a computer are largely repetitive; the same chunks of instructions are executed many times. Each chunk performs one specific task and goes by the label algorithm, a method for accomplishing a specific task. In the United States, it is possible to obtain a patent for a software algorithm. One example of a patented software algorithm is the LZW software algorithm. The LZW patent is owned by Unisys. The algorithm is commonly used to compress an image file into a format know as the Graphics Interchange Format (gif). Patent law was created to protect the rights of the inventor and to encourage innovation. The thinking was that an inventor would be more inclined to reveal his invention to the public if he knew that a rival would not steal his design and undercut the original inventor's business. By encouraging inventors to share inventions with all, patent law tries to improve society. Patent law, however, is far from perfect; particularly in the area of software patents it has failed miserably to create innovation or to improve society. Like the prophecy of the witches in Macbeth, things are not always as they seem. Software patents may appear to be good at first glance, but in reality they stifle innovation First, the idea of patenting a software algorithm steps into the realm of absurdity. As previously stated, an algorithm describes a concrete set of instructions which, upon execution by a computer, perform a specific task. The above definition, however, includes one erroneous detail; the instructions in an algorithm need not be executed by a computer. A computer greatly speeds the execution, but a human being can just as easily, albeit slower, execute the steps in an algorithm. With this knowledge, one struggles to grasp what exactly Unisys has patented. Have they patented the ...

Phrasal Verbs - English Definitions for ESL Students

Phrasal Verbs - English Definitions for ESL Students There are four types of phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs can be separable or inseparable and they can take an object or not. Here is a guide to the basics of phrasal verbs. Phrasal Verbs which Take Objects Phrasal verbs which take objects are known as transitive phrasal verbs. These verbs can be separable or inseparable: Separable phrasal verbs can remain together when using an object that is a noun or noun phrase. I picked Tom up. OR I picked up Tom.They put their friends up. OR They put up their friends.My friends gave bowling up. OR My friends gave up bowling.   Separable phrasal verbs: pick up, put up, give up Separable phrasal verbs MUST be separated when a pronoun is used: We picked him up at the station. NOT We picked up him at the station.They put them up. NOT They put up them.She thought it up the other day. NOT She thought up it the other day.   Separable phrasal verbs: pick up, put up, think up Inseparable phrasal verbs always remain together. It makes no difference if a noun or pronoun is used. We set off for the beach. / We set off for it.They are looking after the children. / They are looking after them.The teacher called for the answer in class. / The teacher called for it in class. Inseparable phrasal verbs: set off, look after, call for Phrasal Verbs which Dont Take Objects Some phrasal verbs do not take objects. Verbs that do not take objects are also known as intransitive verbs. These phrasal verbs are ALWAYS inseparable. The thieves got away.The bus broke down on the way to work.She got up early. Intransitive phrasal verbs: get away, break down, get up If you are not sure whether a phrasal verb is separable or inseparable, ALWAYS use a noun or nouns phrase and DO NOT separate. In this manner, you will always be correct! Separable Phrasal Verbs: bring up, take off They brought up their children to respect others.She took off her jacket before she began the lesson.The boss put off the meeting until next week. Inseparable Phrasal Verbs: look for, set off, keep at She was looking for her books when he arrived.They set off for a wonderful holiday in Hawaii.You should keep at your homework for at least an hour.   Three-word Phrasal Verbs Some verbs are followed by two prepositions (or adverbs). These phrasal verbs are ALWAYS inseparable. Im looking forward to meeting John. OR Im looking forward to meeting him.They didnt get on with their mother. OR They didnt get on with her.Peter came up with a great idea. OR Peter came up with it.   Three-word phrasal verbs: look forward to, get on with, come up with Phrasal Verb Type Quiz Check your understanding by identifying each phrasal verb as transitive or intransitive and separable or inseparable. For example:   My friend picked me up at the airport. - pick up: transitive, separable We set off at six oclock in the morning.  Tom looks forward to meeting you next week.Unfortunately, the thieves got away.He told me that he had given cigarettes up last year.I got up and went to work.Jennifer thought it up during the meeting.  I was so tired after the race I broke down.He brought the subject up during class yesterday.Ill look after your dogs while youre away on vacation.She came up with a great idea. Quiz Answers set off: intransitive / inseparablelook forward to: transitive / inseparableget away: intransitive / inseparablegive up: transitive / separableget up: intransitive / inseparablethink up: transitive / separablebreak down: intransitive / inseparablebring up: transitive / separablelook after: transitive / inseparablecome up with: transitive / inseparable Continue Learning Phrasal Verbs This phrasal verbs reference list will get you started with short definitions of approximately 100 of the most common phrasal verbs. Teachers can use this introducing phrasal verbs lesson plan to help students become more familiar with phrasal verbs and start building phrasal verb vocabulary. Finally, there are a wide variety of phrasal verb resources on the site to help you learn new phrasal verbs.

Strategic Change Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Change Management - Essay Example In this essay, the significant and application of strategic change in organizations would be considered. One of the examples of the strategic change in the current economic scenario is that of Marks & Spencer. The example of this organization would also be discussed. WHAT ORGANIZATION STRATEGIC CHANGE MEANS AND HOW IT IS SITUATED AS LITERATURE Strategic change is highly important for all the organization in today’s global situation. This section describes what strategic change is and a basic model for change. Strategic Change in Organizations Strategic change in organizations means bringing a change in the internal environment in accordance with a defined strategy that is implemented through synchronization of the organization’s vision, mission, goals and objectives. A strategy is a framework on which the decisions and operations of an organization depend. A strategic change is changing the way an organization operates by changing its strategy. Strategic change is a ver y wide term it may also include radical transitions undergone by organizations that include changing the strategy, structure, culture and processes of the organization. ... Such indicators are named Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which indicate the difference in the performance of the organization before the implementation of the change and after the implementation of the change. If the difference is in line with the projected results, it can be concluded that the strategic change is being implemented successfully; however if the difference in performance is not as planned, it can be concluded that a modification in the strategy is required. There are a number of factors that can cause pressure for a strategic change in an organization. Such factors can be so significant they can sometimes harm the very survival of an organization. Therefore, in order to survive in the market, an organization needs to bring change in its system as a result of the pressure from such factors. Factors that can create pressure for change may be; change in external environment of an organization that is, change in technology, change in economic scenario, change in social trends or a change in political scenario. There are a number of ways in which a change may happen in an organization. The strategic core of an organization, which normally comprises of the board of directors, may inform the other levels of organizations that the organization is under a crisis and they may suggest a strategy for change. On the other hand, the change may be a gradual process with a number of short term goals. In this manner, the change would happen without raising an alarm throughout the organization. Another manner of bringing a change in the organization may be through a change agent. A change agent may be the leader of an organization or any other person who is inspiring

Illegal Immigrants and Their Effects on Crime in America Research Paper

Illegal Immigrants and Their Effects on Crime in America - Research Paper Example USA, illegal immigrants represent a relatively high percentage of the population – if compared with other countries with similar political and economic frameworks. The reason is probably that job market in the USA is highly developed – following the high performance of the country’s industries; another reason could be also the fact that the countries surrounding USA – referring especially to the countries cited in the south, especially Mexico – have weak economies– compared to that of USA; therefore, USA is considered by immigrants as an exceptional chance for improving the quality of life; under these terms, immigrants decide to enter USA even illegally – most of them do not meet the requirements for entering the USA legally. This practice has led to the increase of the number of illegal immigrants across USA; at the next level, the increase of criminal activity developed in most states has been related with illegal immigrants. This i ssue is set under examination in this paper; it is proved that the rate of illegal immigration in USA has started to be decreased; however, the crimes in which illegal immigrants are involved have not been particularly reduced; it is concluded that measures need to be taken by the USA government so that immigrants are discouraged from entering the country illegally; in other words, preventive measures should be rather developed instead of punitive ones. The population of illegal immigrants in USA is high; in accordance with a recent report the illegal immigrants in USA are estimated to 11.9 million – a figure reflecting the country’s illegal immigrants population for 2008 (Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee, ALIPAC, 2010); it is also noted that ‘the nations immigrant population (legal and illegal) reached nearly 38 million in March 2007, one-third of which are comprised of illegal immigrants’ (ALIPAC, 2010). In a series of statistics presented by the Center for Immigration Studies, the

Criminal Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

Criminal Law - Essay Example For criminal law to be effective there is the need for proof for some of the social ills that take place in society. It is these justifications that enable criminal law to make some of the rules that society prescribes to on a regular basis (Samaha, 2013). For criminal law to be successful there must the presence of a relationship between all agents of the criminal justice system. This means that all branches responsible for the upholding of the law must share some common ground if the law is to be upheld and/or maintained. One of the common things that they share includes the responsibility by all branches. Law enforcement agencies are all responsible for the protection of people in society. Correctional facilities and the courts are there to ensure that offenders do not escape or get away with going against the law. Furthermore, all these branches share a commonality that involves punishment (Samaha, 2013). Law enforcement agencies are there to arrest offenders; correctional facilities are there to ensure that they are penalized and properly rehabilitated; while the court systems are there to ensure that the appropriate course of punishment for the offender is provided. These relationships all aid in the protection of the laws in so ciety and the protection of the rights and privileges of all free

Is your model the best model why and why not Essay

Is your model the best model why and why not - Essay Example Based on that information, the organization structure model that has been designed is the best; reason being that, first, the model is a hybrid structure. A hybrid organization structure model is one that seeks to implement both the divisional and functional organization structures. Such a combination enables the organization to reap a number of benefits within the organization itself and also on the business arena. As such, there are a number of benefits that a hybrid model brings. These include: Efficiency: Due to the fact that the hybrid model combines the functional and divisional structures, the organization tends to increase work and processes efficiency. For example, Kind Saud University has a functional unit that seeks to cater fully to female students. As a functional unit, they report directly to the Dean of the College. With that, this functional unit also provides a disciplinary panel to female students. Based on the designed model, it is without doubt that there is work efficiency in the University since the functional unit â€Å"Vice Dean for Female Student Affairs† seeks to cater fully to female students with regard to matters such as: Graduate studies; educational and academic affairs; finance and administration matters; development and quality unit. As such, all female students get their needs handled with this department. Based on that, the designed model has fully aligned with the needs of their market – both female and male students. Increased flexibility: A hybrid structure is more flexible than an independent functional structure or an independent divisional structure. Hybrid organizations have a number of product categories which tend to offer a competitive strategy in the business arena. In the case of King Saud University, the product and/ or services categories include the different Schools/ Colleges that the University has. That is,

Academic and Professional Development Assignment

Academic and Professional Development - Assignment Example The paper manages to set up questionnaires that were used to capture accounting students’ attitude towards plagiarism. The questionnaires were administered to accounting students in both undergraduate and post graduate levels. The final results were then analyzed and comparisons were made (Yeo, 2007, p.12). Previous empirical studies have discovered a number of factors that relate to student plagiarism such as environmental factors, demographic variables and moral capability. However, none of the research has ever considered comprehensive factors of plagiarism (Barrett and Cox, 2005, p. 14). Most of the previous studies have often tested linear relationships between constructs instead of constructing the validity of hypothesized models. Considering the collection of data, all the previous studies sampled only undergraduate students and not post graduate students (Bornstein, 2007. p.17). This paper introduces a number of factors that have been left out in the previous empirical studies into a hypothesized model, for instance, accounting education (Bretag and Carapiet, 2007, p.19). The objectives of the paper is to identify factors that influence the plagiaristic behaviors of students, to develop and empirically test a model of factors that influence students plagiaristic behaviors and to make recommendations for accounting educators prevent student plagiarism. The paper has empirically tested and developed a model of factors that influence student plagiarism within the context of accounting education. 2. Analysis The internet is no doubt the major cause of plagiarism amongst students as the paper suggests. There internet has a lot of information that students can access without having to read a lot of books from the library. The internet has been expanding rapidly with information from a number of sources and this has facilitated plagiarism. There has also been the development of a number of online software that is used to detect plagiarism ((Sierles, Hen drickx, and Circle, 1980, p.29). Some of these online software include Turnitin and grammarly.com that are used to detect work that has been plagiarized. Approximately sixty percent of UK institutions use Turnitin to detect work that has been plagiarized. When lectures discover that students have plagiarized their work, they often penalize students. These penalizations are what make students fear plagiarizing their work. Students who intend to gain academic qualifications are expected to reveal appropriate levels of attainment and ability through examinations and coursework. This requires students to produce submissions that meet a certain assignment specification that is marked by a tutor to confirm that the work reaches the required standard. In most institutions, students are required to confirm that the submission is the result of their own work. Plagiarism may also occur when students self-plagiarize their work. Self plagiarism is usually a delicate and complex issue. Some acad emics argue that self plagiarism may not occur because plagiarism is theft and one cannot steal from himself. The major types of self plagiarism include duplicate and redundant publications, partitioning a larger sturdy into smaller published studies. The paper mentions plagiarism but fails to mention self plagiarism, which is one of the major concerns in academics. Students often plagiarize their previous works because of their laziness or to complete their work faster. The paper reviews nine factors that concern student plagiarism and these factors include demographic variables, cultural influences, institutional support, and new technology, accounting educat

The session of learning the digital content Essay

The session of learning the digital content - Essay Example The best part of this class was that I got to learn the usage of Google docs with the coworkers and students. Part of the studies also contained the lessons regarding proper usage of software like Skype and PBLs/Podcasting. I was provided with the strong basic and essential knowledge about the strengths and weakness of this software. We learnt their everyday application, in both personal and professional contexts. This learning, particularly, proved to be very beneficial for us as we had to use such parts of the information system for our routine communications as well. Then, the studying and understanding regarding the use of content specific software and screen capturing through Voki opened our minds to the entirely new world of IT advantages and benefits. With each passing session, I kept on learning more and more about the computer sciences which have been introduced for the ease and benefits of the mankind. Learning Wikis was also a major part of our course during the semester. We learnt the application and benefits of all the elements of Wikis and had also developed an extensive lesson plan on it. Using Wiki spaces opened another broader era of knowledge for our minds through the course of computer sciences. We prepared lesson plans by including the application, which was extremely content specific and collaborative in every aspect. This lesson plan was made at the end of many sessions and classes and it served the purpose of depicting our understanding of the content that we were taught in the class.

Academic and Professional Development Assignment

Academic and Professional Development - Assignment Example The paper manages to set up questionnaires that were used to capture accounting students’ attitude towards plagiarism. The questionnaires were administered to accounting students in both undergraduate and post graduate levels. The final results were then analyzed and comparisons were made (Yeo, 2007, p.12). Previous empirical studies have discovered a number of factors that relate to student plagiarism such as environmental factors, demographic variables and moral capability. However, none of the research has ever considered comprehensive factors of plagiarism (Barrett and Cox, 2005, p. 14). Most of the previous studies have often tested linear relationships between constructs instead of constructing the validity of hypothesized models. Considering the collection of data, all the previous studies sampled only undergraduate students and not post graduate students (Bornstein, 2007. p.17). This paper introduces a number of factors that have been left out in the previous empirical studies into a hypothesized model, for instance, accounting education (Bretag and Carapiet, 2007, p.19). The objectives of the paper is to identify factors that influence the plagiaristic behaviors of students, to develop and empirically test a model of factors that influence students plagiaristic behaviors and to make recommendations for accounting educators prevent student plagiarism. The paper has empirically tested and developed a model of factors that influence student plagiarism within the context of accounting education. 2. Analysis The internet is no doubt the major cause of plagiarism amongst students as the paper suggests. There internet has a lot of information that students can access without having to read a lot of books from the library. The internet has been expanding rapidly with information from a number of sources and this has facilitated plagiarism. There has also been the development of a number of online software that is used to detect plagiarism ((Sierles, Hen drickx, and Circle, 1980, p.29). Some of these online software include Turnitin and grammarly.com that are used to detect work that has been plagiarized. Approximately sixty percent of UK institutions use Turnitin to detect work that has been plagiarized. When lectures discover that students have plagiarized their work, they often penalize students. These penalizations are what make students fear plagiarizing their work. Students who intend to gain academic qualifications are expected to reveal appropriate levels of attainment and ability through examinations and coursework. This requires students to produce submissions that meet a certain assignment specification that is marked by a tutor to confirm that the work reaches the required standard. In most institutions, students are required to confirm that the submission is the result of their own work. Plagiarism may also occur when students self-plagiarize their work. Self plagiarism is usually a delicate and complex issue. Some acad emics argue that self plagiarism may not occur because plagiarism is theft and one cannot steal from himself. The major types of self plagiarism include duplicate and redundant publications, partitioning a larger sturdy into smaller published studies. The paper mentions plagiarism but fails to mention self plagiarism, which is one of the major concerns in academics. Students often plagiarize their previous works because of their laziness or to complete their work faster. The paper reviews nine factors that concern student plagiarism and these factors include demographic variables, cultural influences, institutional support, and new technology, accounting educat

Title Primary and Community Care Services need to provide Essay

Title Primary and Community Care Services need to provide comprehensive, integrated and coordinated care for individuals and their families - Essay Example In collaborative healthcare practice in the clinical setting, it can be an action dependent on opinions based on a process of reasoning that builds on academic learning. A multidisciplinary team comprises professionals from different specialities who work as a group towards care to the patient. The main reason for such a care strategy is diversity and complexity of healthcare, rapid advancement of medical specialities in terms of knowledge, technical dexterity of members of the team, enhanced client concerns about health and care, and many other intricate issues in present-day healthcare where no profession has superiority over another across the contexts of healthcare delivery plan to a patient. This is a case study of a patient, whose identity will remain undisclosed in this work for ethical and confidentiality reasons. A nickname, Mrs. Chang will be used throughout the work. This writer had an opportunity to assist in her care while she was admitted to the hospital following a tri p and fall in the shower few days back, and she was admitted to the hospital due to her age of 82, frailty, baseline neurological disorder Parkinsonism with gradually declining cognition and deteriorating mobility, and lack of support at home and community, for further assessment and evaluation. In this work, based on nursing assessment of the case, a nursing discharge plan was enacted and presented with an attempt to critically analyzing the discharge plan based on her needs and at the same time finding evidence from contemporary literature about the justification of the discharge plan in association with other professionals involved in care, coordinated so that the family can participate in the care when the patient is discharged to the community. This condition is characterized by gradual slowing of voluntary movement, muscular rigidity, stooped posture, and distinctive rigid gait. Over and above that, she has evidence of rheumatoid arthritis of both hands. She tripped and fell in the bathroom; this impairment of mobility may get accentuated with her rheumatic disease. A thorough examination of all her joints indicated osteoarthritis and associated osteoporosis, which are age related, and these would further aggravate her problem of mobility. During this admission, she was admitted since she sustained a fall at home in the bathroom, and she had been admitted to the hospital for observation and further evaluation. She had been on ibuprofen. This indicates her baseline chronic pain, which may further compromise her mobility. The impaired mobility was further accentuated by the fact that at home, she stayed with her husband who was older than her by 4 years, who himself might be frail enough to be insufficient to help her out in these activities at home. The discharge plan must include provision for the patient to maintain joint mobility and range of motion while exhibiting adaptive coping behaviour. Improvement in muscle strength and endurance would be the goal. With age, there is baseline muscle wasting from the 50-80 years of age, and this is the result of aging process in the

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Essay Example for Free

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Essay 1. How do you  explain the Mariner’s killing of the albatross? I would describe the Mariner’s killing of the albatross as very ungrateful. If the albatross had not come along, the entire crew would have most likely died in the ice field. The Mariner was completely senseless in shooting the albatross; therefore, of course there was going to be very bad consequences. The consequences tend to be even worse than death at some points. The albatross did the Mariner and his crew a favor, by saving their lives, and the Mariner ungratefully shoots and kills his own savior. The lonely sailors treat the albatross like a person, a â€Å"Christian soul.† In Christian symbolism, Christ is sometimes metaphorically compared to a bird; hence, the albatross can be a symbol for Christ. Since the Mariner senselessly shot the albatross, he was persecuted, which is why the rest of his trip did not go very well. The poem describes the bird as a holy thing â€Å"hailed in God’s name.† The Mariner is like the Christian who commits sins, causing Christ to die on the cross. It’s God’s rules that Man should respect all of His creations; the albatross is part of God’s creations. In respecting the albatross, the Mariner would be respecting God himself. Furthermore, if the Mariner decided to respect God, and his creations, he may have had a better remainder of a trip. 2. One literary critic has said that the poem begins in despair and ends in hope. Telling the tale leaves the Mariner â€Å"free† for a time. Another critic has called the Mariner â€Å"the voice of experience that transcends what man can learn in space and time.† Discuss the validity of these ideas in relation to the poem as you understand it. Lastly, connect the theme of redemption to another literary work we have studied. 3. The idea of one’s life beginning in despair and ending in hope reflects the idea of redemption. The mariner begins the poem in despair and guilt after he has killed the sacred albatross. The guilt is present in both the natural and the super natural world and is clearly depicted in the albatross that hung around his neck. It is not until the mariner appreciates both nature and prayer that he has found the road to redemption. The mariner is condemned to a life in death situation placing him in a different world than everyone else. He teaches us through space and time in his new form of living. He learns from his sins and searches for the path of redemption. The Christian allegory shows the bridge between the idea of fate being chosen for you and the ability to redirect fate. Like in The Scarlett Letter, Hester Prynn was searching for redemption from the sin she committed. She was forced into another world in which no one could quite understand. She had to overcome the judgments of another society and achieve her redemption in which she found in the natural world, her house in the woods, and the supernatural world, he redemption with God. 4. One scholar believes the Wedding Guest is chosen because he represents â€Å"unsophisticated innocence preoccupied with pleasures of the moment in a universe of whose full dimensions and population he is quite ignorant.† As a result of hearing the Mariner’s tale, the Wedding Guest changes, becoming â€Å"a sadder and wiser man.† Of what has he been forlorn (deprived)? Address this criticism in light of your understanding of Coleridge’s narrative. I believe that the Wedding Guest becomes, in a sense, under the possession of the Mariner. The wedding-guest sat on a stone,/He cannot choose but hear;/And thus spake on that ancient man,/The bright-eyed mariner (Rime 1.17-20). The Mariner even refers to the guest as immature when he says that he â€Å"listens like a three years child.† After the Mariner’s story comes to an end, it is affirmed that the Wedding Guest has taken in knowledge that dramatically changes him as a human. He went like one that hath been stunned/And is of sense forlorn:/A sadder and a wiser man,/He rose the morrow morn (Rime 7.622-625). I believe that the Wedding Guest is the type of person who tends to take everything in his life for granted; hence, he wanted a change in his routine life. This story was one of the many instances that changed a person. I definitely see this as a point of reflection in his life, of what his life used to be. It can also be seen as a prevention to change his way of thinking before it becomes much too late.

Business Ethics Wages And Working Conditions Commerce Essay

Business Ethics Wages And Working Conditions Commerce Essay International business ethics is a particularly complex issue as ethical standards are different depending on where you are. Corporate governance, bribery, corruption, working conditions and targeted marketing are all issues that require organisations to establish an ethical standpoint from which they can work on. There is an increasing emphasis on the corporate responsibility of large organisations from developed nations and the way they operate in third world countries. Many nations now impose their ethical standards on developing countries even though they themselves have been guilty of arguably unethical practices in the past. For example, the poor working conditions suffered in the third world were commonplace during the industrialisation of many western economies. Some of the most common international ethical issues surround the environment, child labour, working standards and conditions, targeting marketing to vulnerable individuals and corruption. Unethical practices include not paying workers a fair wage, employing children under the legal working age and unsafe or unsanitary working conditions. Any practices that are not in compliance with fair labor standards and federal working guidelines fall into this category. 2.2Some of the Types of Unethical Practises Relating To Wages and Working Conditions 2.2.1Child labor   Even today, millions of children in developing countries such as India, Indonesia, and Pakistan are doing hard labor for miniscule payment. Nike and Reebok, as well as other major businesses, have been accused of buying goods from subcontractors which we are produced by child labor. Alongside of this, there have been strong allegations that China is using the free of price labors of prisoners to produce exportable materials. It seems that businesses are sacrificing human rights in order to cut costs. 2.2.2Exploitation of workers (by paying them low wages) Paying extremely low amounts an hour is not far from  slave labor, even if workers are happy with their pay. People should be paid a fair wage based on the benefit you gain from them, not what the fair wage is based on the standards in their economy. If people work for you at pennies on the dollar, and you reap massive profits because of that in other words, they do the work and you keep the money its simply  not fair. Why should one group do most of the work for enough money to survive, while another group becomes stinking rich? Reason behind International Businesses Acting Ethically or Unethically Advantages and disadvantages for a business to act ethically The advantages of ethical behaviour include: Higher revenues demand from positive consumer support Improved brand and business awareness and recognition Better employee motivation and recruitment New sources of finance e.g. from ethical investors The disadvantages claimed for ethical business include: Higher costs e.g. sourcing from Fair-trade suppliers rather than lowest price Higher overheads e.g. training communication of ethical policy A danger of building up false expectations 2.4Recommendations for Businesses to Act Ethically There are ways to curb unethical practices these include having pressure groups, aiming to motivate people to choose morality over greed. 2.4.1 Pressure Groups Businesses and industries increasingly find themselves facing  external pressure  to improve their ethical track record.   An interesting feature of the rise of consumer activism online has been increased scrutiny of business activities. Pressure groups are a good example of this. Pressure groups are external stakeholders they Tend to focus on activities ethical practice of multinationals or industries with ethical issues Combine direct and indirect action can damage the target business or industry Some examples of business-related pressure groups can be found from the following links: Direct consumer action  is another way in which business ethics can be challenged. Consumers may take action against: Businesses they consider to be unethical in some ways (e.g. animal furs) Business acting irresponsibly Businesses that use business practices they find unacceptable Consumer action can also be positive supporting businesses with a strong ethical stance record.   A good example of  this is Fair trade. 2.4.2 Choosing Morality versus Greed Even though $300 USD a month may not seem like much to someone living in a developed country, in Thailand, or Romania, the Philippines, or India, its above the average monthly wage. Sometimes as much as three times the average wage in that country, meaning this person is actually very well off when  compared to others in their country. That money affords the worker a quality lifestyle in their homeland. It may even provide enough money for them to support their family, which no one is going to argue, is a bad thing. Throw in a few bonuses, some extra incentives for good work, and you have a situation where you feel like you are empowering someone and saving them from a situation where they might otherwise be earning half that money doing something like washing dishes. Solution to many international ethic practices lies in the development of international agreements and code of ethics. 2.4.3 Standardized and Strict Laws against Unethical Behavior. Basic laws should be made to protect human rights. Although laws, traditions and beliefs may differ in different countries a basic set of laws should be followed in order to safeguard human rights. 3. Introdution to Apple Organization of Apple was established in 1976 as a computer company. However, in the last decade, Apple has expanded into a complex company that specializes in much more than just computers. In 2001, Apple broke the barrier with the iPod, eventually becoming the dominant market leader in music players. In following, Apple joined the phone industry in 2007 with the iPhone, which has also been widely successful. Apple is known as a consumer goods company; therefore evaluating its value requires understanding its products and consumers. This would be very challenging where Apple competes with many different companies throughout the different industries it takes part in. 4. Unethical Practices by Apple. Apple outsources the production of its goods to countries where labour is cheap. One of apples biggest plants is Foxconn which is located in Schengen, China. Thats why the prices of iPhones and iPads in America and Europe are so cheap. Despite the products being cheap Apple makes super-high profits. This is only possible because iPhones and iPads are made with labor practices that would be illegal in the United States. And its also disconcerting to realize that the folks who make our iPhones and iPads not only dont have iPhones and iPads (because they cant afford them), but, in some cases, have never even seen them. 4.1 Illegal and Poor working conditions Foxconn is a plant in Shenzhen China where apple products are made. Foxconn doesnt really check ages. There are on-site inspections, from time to time, but Foxconn always knows when theyre happening. And before the inspectors arrive, Foxconn just replaces the young-looking workers with older ones. Most of the factory floors are vast rooms filled with 20,000-30,000 workers apiece. The rooms are quiet: Theres no machinery, and theres no talking allowed. When labour costs so little, theres no reason to build anything other than by hand. The official work day in China is 8 hours long, but the standard shift is 12 hours. Generally, these shifts extend to 14-16 hours, especially when theres a hot new gadget to build. The workers stay in dormitories. In a 12-by-12 cement cube of a room, Daisey counts 15 beds, stacked like drawers up to the ceiling. Normal-sized Americans would not fit in them. Unions are illegal in China. Anyone found trying to unionize is sent to prison. One group talked about using hexane, an  iPhone  screen cleaner. Hexane evaporates faster than other screen cleaners, which allows the production line to go faster. Hexane is also a neuro-toxin. The hands of the workers who tell him about it shake uncontrollably. Some workers can no longer work because their hands have been destroyed by doing the same thing hundreds of thousands of times over many years (mega-carpal-tunnel). This could have been avoided if the workers had merely shifted jobs. Once the workers hands no longer work, obviously, theyre canned. One man got his hand crushed in a metal press at Foxconn. Foxconn did not give him medical attention. When the mans hand healed, it no longer worked. So they fired him.   4.2Reasons why Apple has plants in Shenzhen China According to some of the Apple executives, Shenzhens factories, as hellish as they are, have been a boon to the people of China. They say the grimness of the factories, is actually better than the grimness of the rice paddies. So, looked at that way, Apple is helping funnel money from rich American and European consumers to poor workers in China. Without Foxconn and other assembly plants, Chinese workers might still be working in rice paddies, making $50 a month instead of $250 a month   With this money, theyre doing considerably better than they once were. Especially, women had few other alternatives. If Apple decided to build iPhones and iPads for Americans using American labor rules, two things would likely happen: The prices of iPhones and iPads would go up Apples profit margins would go down Almost all of the major electronics manufacturers make their stuff in China and other countries that have labour practices that would be illegal here. One difference with Apple, though, is the magnitude of the companys profit margin and profits. Apple could afford to pay its manufacturers more or hold them to higher standards and still be extremely competitive and profitable. Therefore Apple can afford to pay their workers more or even improve the working conditions. 5. Recommendations for further improvements. Apple should started unprecedented probes into its factories all around the world; these probes will put pressure on the plants that make iPhones and iPads. Apple should increase the amount it pays its employees and therefore give them a larger share of profits. They should reduce the working hours of the employees and pay overtime. They should try to follow the labour laws of their country of origin (USA) and not the lax laws of China where workers are allowed to be overworked. They could increase loans offered to these workers at lower rates, improve the working conditions of these workers by investing in their factories rather than investing so much money in marketing and advertising. They could pressure its branch, converse to improve the working conditions in their factories. 6. Conclusion A small sacrifice in terms of profits from a big company like Apple can go a long way for poor workers in underdeveloped countries. But companies like Apple face the dilemma of voluntarily dropping their profits in order to help these workers or exploiting these workers for large profits. The motivation for a company like Apple to help these workers comes from the fear of bad publicity and the reward of goodwill for being an ethical company. It is therefore important to keep close checks on unethical companies and boycott goods from companies that are unethical towards their workers. The hard truth is that several companies need to be motivated or threatened so that they do not indulge in unethical practices, therefore the responsibility of pressuring these companies falls on the consumer. By buying products from these unethical companies we are indirectly supporting them in their activities.

The anecdotes A Good Man is Hard to Find and The Comforts of Home will

The anecdotes A Good Man is Hard to Find and The Comforts of Home will be examined with respect to color Flannery O’Conner – Color Connotations The anecdotes A Good Man is Hard to Find and The Comforts of Home will be examined with respect to color connotation and imagery. This essay will discuss how colors affect the reader’s abstract senses and emotions. Colors are also used to suggest the nature of the piece and characters within. Various cultures perceive colors differently which could change a reader’s perspective. A Good Man is Hard to Find is told from the grandmother’s point of view. The first significant color is describing her son’s wife. â€Å"†¦ a young woman is slacks, whose face was as broad and innocent as a cabbage and was tied around with a green head-kerchief that had two points on top like rabbit’s ears.† The use of this color is ambiguous. It could be construed as either positive or negative. The positive is that it may be suggesting the woman’s youth, fertility and vigor. The negative connotation is the grandmother’s jealousy and envy towards her youthfulness. There is apparent animosity between the two. When the grandmother suggests visiting Tennessee â€Å"The children’s mother didn’t seem to hear her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The grandmother never speaks directly to the mother. She repeatedly refers to the woman’s attire with a definite manner of superiority. â€Å"[The next day] the children’s mother still had on slacks and still had her head tied up in a green kerchief, but the grandmother had on a navy blue straw sailor hat with a bunch of white violets on the brim and a navy blue dress with small white dots in the print. Her collars and cuffs with white organdy trimmed with lace and at her neckline she had... ...the color yellow appears. â€Å"[The dog] opened one yellow eye, took him in, and closed it again.† This indicates and Thomas’s cowardice and avarice. He is greedy because he wants his house and mother’s attention. Violence shortly ensues. Black is related to Sarah twice; although there is only one reference to black regarding Thomas. Thrice were both characters correlated with red, demonstrating they mutually played a role in the death of the mother. Colors are in effect word-pictures which work by a method of association. Images and emotions are created when readers make connotations of colors within the text. In United States of America, white is a representation of purity, peace, cleanliness, innocence and marriage; however, in China, white is symbolic of mourning and death. Universally, blue has the fewest negative connotations across various cultures.

HR Management Roles

The Human Resources Department an important system to any organization and is a key component in the healthcare industry. It is the HR department that is built on skills, performance, and knowledge of the organization and is responsible for hiring and training the new employee’s healthcare services. â€Å"Human resources, when pertaining to health care, can be defined as the different kinds of clinical and non-clinical staff responsible for public and individual health intervention† (WHO, 2000). The roles and functions of the Human Resources Department (HR) management in the health care industry is to work closely with all staff to ensure each employee recognizes the needs and standards of the organization. Management is about planning, performance and team work. Planning is a vital in any organization and in healthcare it is pertinent for proper flow and function of the organization. â€Å"High- performance organization show a greater commitment and skill development† (Gomez-Mejia, 2010). This is the prime element in HR management roles the organization has opening positions, new programs for employees and creating a plan is essential for success. As a representative of management HR a plan to promote employees who show exceptional ability to lead. Management must look at these employees who show skill and focus on how to move them into positions that need their talent. Hiring new personnel for an organization includes providing extensive training for employee development. A program from management would include building proficiency requirements, develop mental skills of potential new employees. The functional roles of the HR department is to provide assistance to all managers who execute responsibilities of the health care organization. The department monitors daily functions of the healthcare organization to ensure the organization is running smoothly. It is their duty to oversee the organization success in practice. The HR department responsibility is to confirm that each employee has the proper skills and training required for the position. This guarantees that the organization is operated effectively day-to-day. The methods used in the HR department creates a team effort atmosphere for the organization. This set clear goals, standards and success in a healthcare organization this gives each employee something to accomplish. The HR department’s role in the healthcare industry is very important, and the functions of the department’s plans, skills, and programs help achieve the organizations goal success in the healthcare industry. Management is the center of the organizations achievements. Proper management in HR is crucial in delivering quality health care. Management in HR is needed to develop new programs and policies. Effective management keeps the healthcare industry in a position to provide quality care to patients.

Living in a World of Warcraft: the Complex Sociality of Virtual Worlds

Living in a World Of Warcraft: The Complex Sociality of Virtual Worlds Through the convergence of gaming, the internet and Web 2. 0 technologies, the virtual worlds of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) have emerged: complex new social and cultural environments that bring with them tremendous opportunities for learning. This convergence of contexts, a defining feature of new media, combines the potential sociality of the internet with the fun and challenge of gaming, blurring the lines between entertainment, play, information and socialisation (de Freitas & Griffiths, 2008, p. 1). Through fantasy-styled role-playing MMOG (MMORPG) World of Warcraft (WoW), I will explore evidence of the benefits and drawbacks of these new forms of sociality, and examine ways in which of MMORPGs show potential to develop new social practices and ways of learning, both from a player/learner perspective (Jenkins, 2006; Shaffer, Squire, Halverson & Gee, 2005, p. 106), and in terms of studying and u nderstanding social dynamics of human groups on a larger scale (Szell & Thurner, 2010, p. 14). WoW's enormous success exemplifies the massive social phenomenon of online gaming and virtual worlds (Shaffer, Squire, Halverson & Gee, 2005, p. 106). Released in 2004, Steinkuehler & Williams describe WoW as â€Å"the latest step in a progression of social games† (2006, p. 887), referring to the many evolutions in this style of game since its early origins in Dungeons and Dragons-style pencil and paper games (Bradford, 2010, p. 7). Socialisation and the building of relationships is central to the game, which attracts an extremely broad audience worldwide: within 5 years of release, WoW's subscriber base grew to 11. 5 million (Bradford, 2010, p. 56). Steinkuehler & Williams posit that – as new social environments outside of home, school and work – virtual worlds can provide a social context akin to â€Å"pubs, coffee shops, and other hangouts† (2006, p. 889).Cha t channels within the game not only facilitate in-game activities, they also carry â€Å"constant conversation about the game and topics well beyond it† (Steinkuehler & Williams, 2006, p. 894), to the extent that the in-game social interaction is considered by some players to be more important than the actual gameplay (Stetina, Kothgassner, Lehenbauer & Kryspin-Exner, 2010, p. 473). The virtual worlds of MMOGs – such as WoW's Azeroth – are â€Å"known for their peculiar combination of designed ‘escapist fantasy' and emergent ‘social realism'† (Steinkuehler & Williams, 2006, p. 887).Indeed, opportunities for socialisation in virtual worlds are incredibly diverse, evidenced by the unusual records WoW holds for the â€Å"Most People at a Virtual Funeral† and â€Å"Largest Virtual Beer Festival† (Guinness World Records, 2012). Real-world issues can impact the virtual world too, exemplified by WoW's annual â€Å"Running of the Gnomes †, where low-level pink-haired gnome avatars – most created or â€Å"rolled† specifically for the event – run through dangerous terrain to a designated location and, by grouping together, â€Å"form a heart for breast cancer awareness† (Iserloth, 2012).The event raises money for the Cleveland Clinic for vaccine research, and this year exceeded the $1,000 goal (O'Neal, 2012). Such events epitomise the unique social culture of MMORPGs: impervious to the physical boundaries of real-world events, creative player-instigated socialisation takes full advantage of the flexible social environment of the virtual world. Games, in all of their various forms, have given rise to â€Å"new forms of sociality† (Bradford, 2010, p. 63), as evidenced by the role Communities of Practice play in game culture.Bradford's research shows that, whether a game is designed to be played with others or not, â€Å"communities which cluster around games constantly engage i n negotiations over strategies, experiences and opinions† (2010, p. 56). Like most video games, WoW is surrounded by a powerful network of knowledge (Gee, 2003, p. 187) through these Communities of Practice, consisting of â€Å"a content domain, a group of persons interested in this domain and a shared practice to increase the effectiveness of each member† (Wolf, K, 2007, p. 191).There are also communities dedicated to a seemingly endless wave of user-created media, from webcomics created using WoW screenshots to highly-produced â€Å"machinima†, a convergence between games and cinema which combines film-making techniques with computer-generated imagery (CGI), rendered in real-time using game engines (de Freitas & Griffiths, 2008, p. 13). Players forge reputations amongst these robust communities (Shaffer, Squire, Halverson & Gee, 2005, p. 106), participating in forums to share advice on how to advance in the game, hosting news sites or writing FAQs and walkthrou ghs.Along with in-game social facilities, they make up â€Å"a crucial component of MMORPGs† (Bradford, 2010, p. 58), necessitating the learning and development of â€Å"effective social practices† (Shaffer, Squire, Halverson & Gee, 2005, p. 106). Despite the growing popularity of gaming culture, a lack of understanding of the social contexts of gamers still produces stereotypical views of gamers, attributing to them â€Å"deviant behaviours and emotional problems† (Stetina, Kothgassner, Lehenbauer & Kryspin-Exner, 2010, p. 477).In a recent example, Colleen Lachowicz, a Democratic Party candidate for the Maine State Senate, was the subject of a campaign organised by the Maine Republican Party in October 2012 to make public what they called Lachowicz's â€Å"bizarre double life† (Benedetti, 2012) as an orc in WoW. A website created for the campaign proclaimed â€Å"Maine needs a State Senator that lives in the real world, not in Colleen’s fantasy w orld† (Colleen's World, 2012), and a mail-out, featuring images of Lachowicz's avatar with highlighted quotes including â€Å"I love poisoning and stabbing! and â€Å"I can kill stuff without going to jail† was posted to voters (Maine Republican Party, 2012). Lachowicz's casual comments typify the playful tone of MMOG socialisation (Steinkuehler & Williams, 2006, p. 899) and the misinterpretation, whether accidental or deliberate, is evidence of stereotyping due to a lack of understanding of the complex social culture of MMORPGs. When considering the social potential of MMORPGs, it is also important to acknowledge â€Å"problematic play†: playing excessively at the detriment of real-life priorities and relationships (Snodgrass, Lacy, Francois Dengah II, Fagan, 2011).Not all players are effected and numerous studies show that many cases of problematic play are associated with pre-existing psychopathological problems (Stetina, Kothsgassner, Lehenbauer & Kryspin-Ex ner, 2010, p. 474; Snodgrass, Lacy, Francois Dengah II & Fagan, 2011, pp. 1212-1213) including depression, OCD and low self-esteem. Certain player motivations may increase risk of problematic play, such as reliance on online socialisation and escapism as a coping strategy (Stetina, Kothsgassner, Lehenbauer & Kryspin-Exner, 2010, p. 478).A 2011 study suggested playing with real-life friends or family minimises problematic play, by helping to retain awareness of the real world (Snodgrass, Lacy, Francois Dengah II & Fagan, 2011). Furthermore, such play can enhance existing relationships (Steinkuehler & Williams, 2006, p. 891). While immersion – â€Å"experienc(ing) the avatar as ‘I'† (Bradford, 2010, p. 57) – can play a role in developing problematic behaviour, it is important to note that not all immersive play is problematic (Stetina, Kothsgassner, Lehenbauer & Kryspin-Exner, 2010, . 478). Immersion plays a vital role in games such as WoW, allowing players to â€Å"think, talk and act in new ways† and â€Å"inhabit roles that are otherwise inaccessible to them† (Shaffer, Squire, Halverson and Gee, 2005, p. 105), creating a more level playing ground for socialisation and situated understanding (Steinkuehler & Williams, 2006, pp. 891-892). With their complex economic, social, political and cultural systems and the potential to access the data of thousands of online players at any given time (Szell & Thurner, 2010, p. 14; Shaffer, Squire, Halverson and Gee, 2005), MMOGs are potentially ideal environments for researching â€Å"collective human phenomena and social dynamics† (Szell & Thurner, 2010, p. 314). In 2007, Lofgren and Fefferman suggested that WoW could be used as a tool to â€Å"substantially boost the reality quotient of disease simulators† (Vastag, 2007), following an in-game epidemic of the virtual disease â€Å"Corrupted Blood† in 2005. Corrupted Blood, introduced through a downloadable upda te, was a highly infectious â€Å"de-buff† designed to make combat more challenging in a new area of the game, accessible only to higher level players.A programming error allowed the disease to spread beyond the intended area into heavily populated areas of the game, â€Å"mimicking the travel of contagious carriers over long distances that has been the hallmark of many disease outbreaks in history† (Lofgren & Fefferman, 2007, p. 625). Lofgren and Fefferman noted that players' â€Å"dedication to the virtual community† (2007, p. 627) provoked diverse reactions – some risking their own character in an effort to heal others, others logging out in â€Å"a panic response† (Vastag, 2007, p. 264) and some even propagating the chaos by intentionally spreading the disease (Vastag, 2007, p. 64) – approximating to â€Å"reactions of people in real-life situations of danger† (Lofgren & Fefferman, 2007, p. 627), suggesting MMORPGs hold great prom ise in terms of measuring social dynamics and collective human response for purposes of scientific research. At its core, gaming culture relies on effective cooperation and collaboration, both in-game and through communities of practice outside of the game. Participation in video games and the communities surrounding them teaches and encourages players to engage in â€Å"effective social practices†, establishing and building upon new and effective forms of entertainment, pleasure and sociality. Bradford, 2010). The success and popularity of these unique worlds has shown immense potential for further study into large-scale social dynamics and human phenomenon, potential which has yet to be fully explored. As contexts and media forms continue to converge, it seems certain that the millions of players whose avatars inhabit the rich virtual worlds of MMORPGs and other online games will continue to create and explore new and innovative opportunities for socialisation and learning. Works Cited Benedetti, W. (2012). Republicans out Democrat in World of Warcraft Witch Hunt.Retrieved from http://www. nbcnews. com/technology/ingame/republicans-out-democrat-world-warcraft-witch-hunt-6283586 Bradford, C. (2010). Looking for my corpse: Video games and player positioning. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 33(1), 55-64. Retrieved from http://www. informit. com. au Colleen's World. (2012). Retrieved from www. colleensworld. com de Freitas, S. , & Griffiths, M. (2008). The convergence of gaming practices with other media forms: what potential for learning? A review of the literature. Learning, Media and Technology, 33(1), 11-20. doi:10. 080/17439880701868796 Gee, J. P. (2003). What Video Games Have To Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. New York, NY: Palgrave Mamillan. Guinness World Records. (2012). Retrieved from www. guinnessworldrecords. com Iserloth, A. (2012). World of Warcraft gathers for breast cancer. Retrieved from http://www. universitychronicle. net/index. php/2012/10/22/cancer-wow-walk/ Jenkins, H. (2006). War Between Effects and Meaning: Rethinking the Video Game Violence Debate. In D. Buckingham & R. Willett (Eds. ), Digital Generations (pp. 19-31). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.Lofgren, E. T. & Fefferman, N. H. (2007). The untapped potential of virtual game worlds to shed light on real world epidemics. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 7(9), 625-629. doi:10. 1016/S1473-3099(07)70212-8 Maine Republican Party. (2012). Candidate's Bizarre Double Life Raises Questions. Retrieved from https://www. mainegop. com/2012/10/candidates-bizarre-double-life-raises-questions/ O'Neal, A. (2012). World of Warcraft players go pink to raise money for breast cancer research. Retrieved from http://www. examiner. com/article/world-of-warcraft-players-go-pink-to-raise-mo