Key Budget Factor for a Construction Company

Key Budget Factor for a Construction Company Master Science in Facilities Management Faculty of Architecture, Planning and Surveying University technology MARA, Shah Alam, Malaysia ____________________________________________________________________________ Abstract Construction companies generally have a variety of objectives designed to maintain and succeed in their business. They will also do a lot of effort to maximize profits for their companies but with minimum capital.Some companies are concerned about how management including budget management because from there they can manage their company's financial success and further profit. This paper will be discussed about the key factor for a construction company in Malaysia. The purpose of this discussion is to find out the key factors that should be considered in budget management by construction companies throughout Malaysia. Keyword: Construction Company, key budget factor, Malaysia ______________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 1. IntroductionBudget is very comprehensive; it is a formal plan that estimates the likely revenues and expenses for a company in a particular period. Budget preparation explains the whole process and use the budget more effectively. Budget management is very important especially for construction companies to ensure that projects run smoothly implemented in line with the company's capital. According to Chan and Chan (2004), the construction industry is dynamic in nature and its environment has become more dynamic due to increasing uncertainties in technology, budgets and development process.Besides that, according to Churchill (1997) accentuates the fact that businesses must understand the pressure to grow so that they can plan and prepare for it, choose the right timing for expected major changes in size and control the speed of growth. 2. Key Budget Factor for a Construction company throughout Malaysia The budget is used in construction work to determine the amount of liquid cash that will be required over the various periods of a contract, as a measurement against which actual progress can be measured.The budget is a financial forecast and important tool of management, in as much as trading position of a construction company can be establish by having budgets for all of the work on hand. According to FOA Corporate (1997), key budget factor also known as principal budget factor or limiting budget factor and is the factor which will limit the activities of an undertaking. This limits output such as sales, material or labour. Among the key factors for the company's construction budget is as follows: i. Sales budgetThis involves a realistic sales forecast. This is prepared in units of each product and also in sales value. Methods of sales forecasting include sales force opinions, market research, and statistical methods (correlation analysis and examination of trends) mathematical models. Sales budget includes company's pricing policy, general economic and political conditions, changes in the population, competition, consumers' income and tastes, advertising and other sales promotion techniques, after sales service, and credit terms offered. i. Production budget Expressed in quantitative terms only and is geared to the sales budget. The production manager's duties include two things which are analysis of plant utilization and work-in-progress budgets. If requirements exceed capacity the production manager may subcontract, plan for overtime, introduce shift work, hire or buy additional machinery and the materials purchases budget's both quantitative and financial. iii. Raw materials and purchasing budgetThis factor includes the materials usage budget is in quantities and the materials purchases budget is both quantitative and financial. Factors influencing included production requirements, planning stock levels, storage space, and trends of material prices. iv. Labour budget: Labo ur budget is both quantitative and financial. This is influenced by production requirements, man-hours available, grades of labour required, wage rates (union agreements), and the need for incentives. v. Cash budget A cash plan is to defined period of time.It cans summaries monthly receipts and payments. Besides that, it highlights monthly surpluses and deficits of actual cash. Its main uses are to maintain control over a firm's cash requirements such as stock and debtors, to enable a firm to take precautionary measures and arrange in advance for investment and loan facilities whenever cash surpluses or deficits arises, to show the feasibility of management's plans in cash terms, to illustrate the financial impact of changes in management policy, e. . change of credit terms offered to customers. REFERENCE 1. Agriculture and consumer Protection by FAO CORPORATE DOCUMENT REPOSITORY 2. Chan APC, Chan APL (2004). Key performance indicators for measuring construction success, Benchmark. Int. J. , 11(2): 203-221. 3. Churchill CF (1997). Managing Growth: The Organizational Architecture of Microfinance Institutions. ACCI on International. http://www. ebook-search-engine. com/organization-growth-ebook-all. html.

Internet made the world a Global Village Essay

Gone are the days, when you had to wait for days or even hours to learn about news of some distant place an event taking place in one part of the world can be heard easily in the other. Perhaps, synchronization of such magnitude has really close-knitted this world together so much that it appears as a real single universal community comprising of different people. Thanks to technological improvements and the information revolution, the awareness is escalating rapidly; there are no more barriers between countries. Trade has increased and population movements between countries are greater than ever before. The term â€Å"global village† is used to describe a world in which people are not limited by the boundaries of nations and societies. The world today is largely interdependent and an occurrence in one part of the world has a bearing on other elements. Thus, today no one in the world can survive in isolation. The world has become integrated and undergone dramatic changes thanks to the rapid changes in technology and faster movement of information technology. The advent of printing press, telephone and telegraph connected millions of people living miles apart and made it possible to discuss new ideas instantaneously. Radio, internet and television brought the digital age into our living rooms. Satellite communications has had a tremendous impact on our lives and resulted in the increased penetration of mobile services, media and live telecasts. With the click of a button, we can tune into breaking news and entertainment from all over the world. An improvement in transportation has also facilitated the exchange of ideas and people. People are able to travel more easily and travel all around the world. Today, it is common to find people commuting from one city to another for work. In fact many people choose to migrate to a new country in search of better work and social life opportunities. New generation of fuel-efficient trains, planes and other modes of traveling have helped develop the tourism industry. The growth of this industry resulted in the exchange of cultures, knowledge and new ideas for greater progress and harmony. As the world has become shorter in distance, people have found it easier to trade and share the fruits of progress. Businesses all around the world are actively engaged in importing and exporting items to capitalize on each other’s strengths and pass on the benefits to the consumer. Although, the world has come a long way in becoming more accessible and connected in terms of information, it is still far away from the idealistic situation. To call it truly a global village we must ensure that all regions of the world grow at a uniform pace and a more humane behavior is inculcated in members of different communities and regions. Without this, the world would seem alien to people from the areas lagging behind in progress. Internet: In the 21st century, Internet has been widely used by everyone around the world, and is closely related to our everyday life. The development of Internet has made our world smaller. For instance, like Skype this kind of online free telephone saves our money, we no longer need to worry about our expensive phone bills. It draws people from different places in the world closer. The most significant thing is that it has a positive influence on us, and that people are more willing to keep in touch or communicate with others who are far away from them. Internet has made our world into a global village, it draws everyone closer. Internet can have lots of positive influence on us IF we use it correctly. We can use it to share our works online, or we can search for lots of useful information that we need. However, if we use Internet incorrectly, it will then have a negative influence on us. For instance, going out with someone you met on the Internet without knowing who they actually are. Also, the existence of Internet crime syndicate can be a negative influence on us, like some people might want to be like them because they make lots of money. The most common negative influence of Internet on us is that lots of students got addicted to online games, blog, etc. Thus they are not concentrated in their school works, not doing their job as being a student. Also, wasting more time with Internet as a replacement for of what they are believed to do. It is not only students who are like that; some office workers also got negative influence by Internet. Globalization: Globalization gives the people many motivations for serving poor countries: compassionate, supporting, and political and financially. The reason for which many countries have to help poorer ones may be a question of global security. Due to the interconnectedness of the societies, difficult situations such as conflicts, famines in poor countries influence and jeopardize the security in rich countries like the United States and the European Union. As a result, the troubles of the poor and emergent nations become the dilemma of the urban and wealthy nations of the world. The threats are multiple such as terrorism, trafficking, environmental destruction and disease. As these threats are impending, governments of developed countries take more responsibility for helping the poorer nations for a safer world. Security of the richer and developed nations is based on the development of these poor nations. Improved and up-to-date technology is coming in from developed nations to the developing nations this helps in improving quality of the products made in these countries and it also helps improve constant effectiveness. Though globalization has its positive facets it has some downsides to it. Billions of inhabitants still live in shortage and the space connecting rich and poor at an international level is getting bigger. It is said globalization directs to subordinate buy and sell barriers but the previously poor and developing states are not able to take benefit of the lessening of these trade obstacles, globalization in a way presents urbanized nations with a means of access way to come in hooked on the developing nations with more simplicity and also do trade more freely, it essentially forces out the confined competition for they are not able to gather up with the principles of the products of the urbanized nations. Globalization brings in products that are superior is quality and low in cost as compared to those produced by these developing nations which are not able to produce similar to these, this takes away trade opportunities from these developing nations which was otherwise possible between the developing nations. This leads rising the affluence gap among the urban and mounting inhabitants even more. Internet made the world a â€Å"Global Village†: Globalization, a rising experience that can be illustrated as a â€Å"change in the direction of a more incorporated and mutually supporting world’s financial system†, (Valeria Gennaro Lerda, 2002) has been the focus of numerous books and deliberations for the long-ago decade. Along with the improvement of microprocessors, the Internet is conceivably the most momentous technological modernization of our time, playing an extensive role in the development of globalization. The Internet assisted the development of the movement headed for a global village through the formation of cheaper, quicker and easier means of communication, the stipulation of an enormous collection of information, and the increase of e-commerce. The Internet offers a cheaper, more rapidly and easier technique of communication, a substitute that has shaped a â€Å"universal audience†, as stated by Renato Ruggiero, director general of the World Trade Organization. (Seoul 1997) In evaluating the cost of extended distance phone calls against that of online voice chat the Internet is much more reasonable and also better in excellence. Many web clients now acquire web cameras, microphones, and all the software compulsory to sustain this hardware. This permits users to talk, see, and be seen by the individual they are having a dialogue with. People from Asia can carry discussions with Europeans, Americans or Africans at the similar time, at no additional cost on Msn Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, or MIRC. Communication is also quicker online. An e-mail is mailed and expected by the other party in seconds, as contrasting to regular mail, which may take months to accomplish its destination when sent over the ocean. Thus, citizens all over the earth can reside in touch on a normal basis, converse online on a daily basis and even share documents. When factoring in the easiness of use of the Internet, it is simple to observe why so many persons have a preference communicating this way. All that is mandatory is typing, an ability easily mastered throughout frequent use of the keyboard. Also, the Internet provides an interesting communication with another individual, as ample of illustrations and things and emoticons go together with the software. The affordability, tempo, and handiness of the Internet are the reasons that account for the formation of this â€Å"global audience†. People all over the world are associated to the same association at the same time with the right to use to the same collection of information. This enormous amount of information being accessed by everyone connected to the Internet is in itself a powerful tool in the development of globalization. Anybody can produce a website and put pen to paper no matter what portion of information they aspire. Books, magazines, newspapers, and editorials are shared globally. Video clips, PowerPoint presentations and various materials can be viewed online and used for different purposes. This creates a form of optimistic multiculturalism, where any person with the right to use to the Internet can communicate local, ethnic, religious, and national beliefs to a worldwide and international audience. Consequently, an all-purpose homogenization or â€Å"internationalization† of traditions took place, supporting Western urbanized homelands, their verbal communication and principles, yet escorted by an understanding of a consequential strength or evaporation of confined and underground civilization. This worldwide diffusion of dominant Western and American cultures who are globalized through ownership of production and infrastructure gives â€Å"globalization† a negative connotation often termed hegemony, cultural imperialism, or Americanization by members of underdeveloped countries and by individuals who feel that their country and belief systems are threatened by English-speaking nations. The paradox of global localization is also created when local identity politics becomes a global issue through the Internet. Thus, more and more â€Å"local identity groups are using the technologies of globalization to promote their political interests†. An example is the Taliban in Afghanistan with a website, www. talibanreunited. com, containing alleged terrorist information. Thus, as Benjamin Barber mentioned, â€Å"the world is becoming more and more divided into two cultural, political, and economic camps: homogenized transnational consumerist capitalism now extended to global information, communication, and entertainment and fragmented tribal identity wars by groups rejecting transnational and international influences† (Barber, 1996). This consumerist capitalism is in part driven by e-commerce. E-commerce, a huge element of the globalization observable fact, now comprises a familiar dealing practice. The Web permits production, both little and outsized, to get bigger as a global occurrence at a subordinate cost than ever before. Business can sell their goods and services online cheaper, as the tertiary step in production is eliminated. Consequently, companies acquire a superior worldwide coverage by setting up a business website with the arrangement of products presented, cost, and resources of acquisition. The Internet allows companies to gain access to large international markets, build a wide customer base, and generate more revenue. Financial transactions that take place over the Internet requiring credit card information and other sensitive data require an effective implementation of security measures. To prevent loss and interception of data by a third party, encryption of sensitive information, a very complicated process involving keys, data encryption algorithms and various standards, must be put in place. The minimize the threat of viruses, loss or destruction of vital data, antivirus software must be installed and updated on a regular basis, also a backup of important files must be made. The Web formulates it a lot easier for customers and brokers to come across each other, everywhere they may be positioned and no matter what their size. This was the case for an undersized California-based establish, Cardiac Science, which constructs defibrillators and heart monitors. In 1996, Cardiac Science was very restless to smash into intercontinental marketplace but had slight idea of how to set up an international occurrence. By 1998, the business was advertising to clients in 46 countries and overseas transactions accounted for 85 percent of its $1. 2 million revenues. Even though a part of this trade was developed all the way through export channels, an increasing proportion of it came from â€Å"hits† to the company’s website, which, according to the company’s CEO, â€Å"creates a center of attention of international business citizens like bees to honey† (Hill, 2004). Therefore, the Internet has proven to be the most significant and fastest growing technical innovation today. In 1990, smaller quantity than 1 million consumers was associated to the Internet. The number had increased to 50 million, by the year 1995. In 2001, it raised to 490 million. By the year 2005, it is forecasted that the Internet may have over 1. 12 billion users, which is comparable to 18 percent of the world’s inhabitants (Miniwatts Marketing Group, 2008). The notion of a â€Å"global village† is becoming a reality more so than ever and the Internet played a significant role in its expansion. The inexpensive, fast and easy means of communication it provides, coupled with the medium it creates for optimistic multiculturalism, where everyone has access to the same pool of information and is free to share personal beliefs, have created a global audience, where everyone knows exactly what is going on everywhere in the world and is free to communicate at any time. E-commerce takes the Internet from the consumer level and advances it to allow financial and business transactions to take place between businesses and consumers and businesses to businesses without a middleman, and without having to go to the store to buy goods. Web sites like for instance Amazon and e-bay and have become very popular for their cheap products and convenient shipping. Taking these factors into consideration, the Internet had a very large impact on globalization and will continue to shape the growing â€Å"global village† for years to come. Conclusion: With the volatile enlargement in Internet links worldwide, networked communication has the prospective to reduce the size of geographic distances and smooth the progress of information trade among citizens of various surroundings. Telecommunications strategy in the US and other countries determines to extend access to all levels of society, assuming that this will foster greater information exchange while enhancing financial growth. Authorized by information technology such as search engines and automatic filters, IT clients are spending more of their waking hours hooked into the Internet, deciding to work together with information foundations modified to their individual benefits. No longer limited to resources or friends in their geographic areas, these users portend an interactive world without limitations. The distances between places have been reduced and the internet has played a major part in it especially through the fast paced communication it provides. Due to this communication has become so easy that you can find out what is happening in one part of the world by just a click of a button. People are able to reach the flung areas of Africa and get news from there; places which people did not even know existed. Internet has played a major role in promoting globalization. It has reduced the distances and brought the world closer. Read more: Invention Essay

Thesis proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

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Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 36

Business - Essay Example Such teams have members who are highly committed and work in a work environment that enhances collaboration and learning. Teams that lack these characteristics end up being ineffective for the organization. There are various behaviors that team members and leaders need to carry out in order to form an effective team. In an effective team leaders need have a future oriented approach and they need to have the ability to influence other team members towards the achievement of the team’s goals (Kuczma 11). Leaders need to promote anti-discriminatory behaviors and respect the importance of diversification within teams. The team members need to provide support to their leaders while accepting and respecting the differences between them and other team members. The members need to have a positive attitude towards work and develop strong bonds with other team members. According to TEAM model a new team is developed in a step by step model (Noyes 72). The model states that first a team meeting takes place and the members are informed about the purpose for which the team has been made. Next the team leader indulges in the work of identifying what roles are to be assigned and who will be responsible to carry out those roles. The team then starts performing and in its initial stages it may not perform effectively. Thus evaluation of the performance is carried out and issues are discussed and solutions are identified. This helps in developing the effectiveness of the team which ultimately results in attainment of organizational aims as well as objectives. Conflict is an issue that arises even between the most effective teams and it is the job of the members of the team and the leader to minimize those conflicts. In order to minimize conflicts the collaboration method should be used (Gido 380). While using this method, team members tend to identify a solution that benefits everyone within the team. The members need to face the conflict in

Information system management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Information system management - Assignment Example ferrous forgings (e.g. pressure vessels, satellite rings, aero plane undercarriages, chemical plant etc.) is performing their activities by connecting every area of it so that the whole system works together. Currently the issue is with the performance of IT system and its coordination with the business management. Any business that is established cannot proceed or grow unless there is proper integration of the divisions that are set in order to carry business. IT system and the business are two other ways, both work in their own manner and both have different ways of solving their problems and issues. Business focuses more on goals where as IT deals with the use of appropriate software’s and hardware’s. For organization’s it is difficult to bring the IT system and the management to one platform in order to bring sustainability to the business. This can only be done when there is proper communication of information between both divisions. Being a manager I know t hat the dissimilarity actually breakdowns the system and due to this the alignment of the business and the IT also get disturbs. Business success comes when there is understanding between both areas because the working ways and conditions are different of business and IT. Management can all the time be informed with the IT issues by communication and the involvement of IT specialists in the board meetings. Creating value in business is impossible unless the latest trends are not followed. Because of the changing trends and environment, businesses are creating shifts in order to bring sustainability and uniqueness in the services and operations. IT is one and the best way of providing customer service, establishing convenient distribution channels, and information regarding the products and rescheduling business boundaries. Business managers should see IT as the major component and a wheel of the business. To develop any business activity it is important to give required significance to the IT system of the firm whereas, IT plays a very important role in performing the business activities. This report will present the tools and techniques and the strategies that can be used for performing and fixing up the issues that are currently faced by this company regarding the performance of IT and the cost related issued with IT infrastructure. It furthers demonstrate the solutions to such problems to adhere the further adverse effects of IT on the organization. This report also illustrates that why this enterprise failed to follow the use of IT effectively whereas today the need of IT is rapidly increasing but due to the mismanagement and improper coordination of IT and business management it is bringing difficulties for them to manage their rapid growing costs of IT. Key Issues Following are the issues that are generally faced by the company related to IT as management failed to identify the issues and couldn’t create the solutions to it The issue that manageme nt faces consistently about IT is the change over time. As IT has moved into the strange era where the needs and demands of the market change over time and this causes IT to change their strategy whereas the strategies and working processes of the management also change. So it gets difficult for both the functions to work on one platform. Another issue is that whosoever is working in IT division need to keep themselves update and should be well

China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

China - Essay Example As assumed by Westerners, the docile population of china follows the dictates of central authority failing that of traditions. Generic Chinese lack individualism with group identification being paramount. It has been found that the population of the middle kingdom has been gripped by fervor for modernization and that they take advantage of contemporary economic opportunities in identical ways. Indeed, most Chinese share the goal of harmony and uniformity and foster the image received in the west. However, intersecting this purported centeredness and homogeneity is an immense diversity of people and everyday’s practices that are not represented outside china. (Susan Debra Blum and Lionel M Jensen, 2002) China’s Population growth Issues In 1960s, there was a threat of mass starvation in China as a result of rapid population growth. This triggered government officials to establish the word’s most extensive and intrusive birth control and family planning methods with an aim of reducing fertility and creating one child families. These methods included provision of contraceptives, abortions and sterilization to married couples as well as incentives for couples pledging not to have more than one child. This program has lowered the population growth in China and encouraged economic growth.

Promotion of peace through international institutions Research Paper

Promotion of peace through international institutions - Research Paper Example The ability of international institutions to become active participants in the promotion of peace is mainly based on the fact that most of their work is conducted globally. In addition, because of their activities, it is normal for international institutions to develop relationships with the various governments and peoples with whom they work and this helps in a big way to promote the interests of peace across the globe (Hafner-Burton and Ron 360). Most international organizations receive massive funding from philanthropists, governments, and other well wishers and this funding is normally provided as a means of developing projects, especially in conflict prone areas, which will ensure the promotion of peace. Global peace is one of the most sought after objectives among a majority of the world population, but while this may be the case, it has become extremely difficult to achieve it without the help of international institutions. Most of the projects which have been designed to prom ote peace are more often than not run by international institutions because it is they which have the ability to reach areas across the world that require their services. Thus, international organizations are indispensable in the promotion of world peace and it is because of their existence that the majority of the world has achieved the peace it enjoys today. While many international organizations declare that their activities contribute to the wellbeing of the people and the achievement of the development goals of developing countries as well as peace, their level of success has yet to be seen in some instances. The economies of the countries, where these organizations conduct their activities, have substantially benefitted from the added contributions to peace that they have received as a result (Moli 40). The activities of international institutions that help to promote peace include their employees staying at the local hotels, buying souvenirs, and doing whatever else that the

Hollywood Masculinity in the Reagan Era Research Paper

Hollywood Masculinity in the Reagan Era - Research Paper Example The hard body status was no more only for the heroes but also for the common American individuals. The people liked to see the movie stars in such personas and attempted to identify themselves as a result. From the very early days of filmmaking, movies used to convey strong political and moral messages. Movies had the power of reshaping the whole society and the higher authorities were quick to realize that. That made them create a censorship so that they could control what the public was watching. Ronald Reagan was himself an actor in the past and the public could not help but link his presidency to his acting days. He was largely identified by the roles that he had played in his movies. However, in reality, it is very difficult to find a link between his politics and his acting days. As of Reagan himself, his marriage was once seen as a typical marriage in Hollywood. But with the passage of time, as Reagan’s daughter recollects, Reagan had and lesser contribution to the fami ly decisions than his wife. When the couple broke up, Reagan remarried and formed a tradition of being masculine both at home and at the office. Also, Reagan’s political messages became more gendered. After the Vietnam War, the American society seemed to have become effeminate. Reagan ideology attempted to restore the lost sense of masculinity. Moreover, the restoration of masculinity seems to be limited to white men. Black men have not been an active part of this hard body movement. However, there are some exceptions. In the movies of the Reagan era, masculinity has been a dominant subject. These movies displayed the male body in a manner that emphasized on masculinity. These bodies were â€Å"the indefatigable, muscular, and invincible masculine body [that] became the linchpin of the Reagan imaginary.† (Jeffords, 24, 25) The action adventure movies became a norm and the display of hard bodies like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger epitomized the same. One of the most convincing embodiments of hard body virtues is the character of John Rambo. The movie series has such a thumb print on the genre of action movies that every subsequent action movie is compared to it. The original character of Rambo from David Morrell's 1972 novel is more of a sympathetic monster who is bound to destruction because of his actions. Prior to Rambo Series, there were not many movies that promoted masculinity. Even Alfred Hitchcock’s movies had limited masculinity. According to Peberdy, â€Å"†¦both Hitch and his clientele represent a softer side of masculinity, offering on the one hand additional insight in the ‘permeation of a discourse of masculinity crisis during the 1990s and 2000s.† (7) In the movie, First Blood, Rambo is made heroic and the police play the role of villains. Rambo is never directly responsible for the death of any of his pursuers. Being a veteran of the Vietnam War, Rambo is both physically and psychologically d isturbed. He keeps up the appearance of being unaffected by the war but from the inside, he is torn apart. The character is played by Sylvester Stallone who is very a good physical specimen. Rambo goes through great physicality in the movie. He suffers a lot physically but shows great endurance to physical pain. In First Blood, he falls through pine trees from a height and one of the pine branches rips his arm. He screams in pain for a moment but as a vindictive policeman,

Science tells us the truth about reality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Science tells us the truth about reality - Essay Example The results will therefore explain real behavior of the studied objects and communicate the truth that is observed. Scientific information can also be gathered from people’s opinions and perceptions on reality. Information that is developed from these approaches represents truth because they rely on people’s experiences or rationale from observations. Collecting data on people’s experiences, for example, develops information from people’s real life experiences. It therefore communicates the truth to the extent that the source narrated the truth. Other methods for developing scientific information such as making direct observation or analyzing secondary sources of information also support the position that science tells the truth about nature. This is because the methods are accurate and consistent (Cottrell and McKenzie 194- 196, 230- 234). These mean that science based information is derived from real life experiences and is therefore reflective of the tr uth about the reality that develops it. There are however arguments that science does not tell the truth about nature. The fact that some theories are not developed from actual data means that the theories cannot be proved using real life issues. The theories may therefore lack accuracy and consistency in what they say about reality. Inaccuracy of what science says in the theories may mean that science is not saying the truth. Scientific information may also be true in one area but it may be false in another area because of inconsistency (Cottrell and McKenzie 13). Existence of factors and happenings that science cannot explain also means that science may not be telling us the truth about reality. Logics and mathematical positions are examples of truths that science does not explain. Science only offers assumptions on the positions. Many other scientific positions are based on assumptions that cannot be

Epidemiology (article analyses) Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Epidemiology (article analyses) - Case Study Example The aims of the study were to estimate the impact of these risk factors among HIV-infected population as compared to the general population and to determine the relative risk death among successfully treated HIV-infected patients without such risk factors (Obe et al, 2011). The sampling frame was based on all Danish HIV-infected patients who started HAART in the period 1 January 1998–1 July 2009 while the comparison cohort consisted of individuals matched on date of birth and gender. Only patients who had been on HAART for a period of one year were included in the study. A major finding of the study was that probability of survival from age 25 to age 65 was substantially lower in HIV patients confidence interval compared to the comparison cohort. There was a significant increase in mortality among HIV-infected patients aged 25-65 as compared to the comparison cohort. However, among patients not exposed to the three risk factors under consideration, mortality was almost equal to that of the general population comparison cohort for the age group 45–65 but doubled for the age group 25–45. The probability of survival at 65 years of age was 0.48 among HIV-infected patients and 0.88 in HIV-free group. However, for HIV patients with no risk factors, the probability of survival at age 65 was 0.86. Generally, it was observed that risk-taking behavior does not automatically result in increased mortality among HIV-patients without other risk factors. The study improves onto the general thought that proper management of HIV can substantively reduce mortality rates among HIV-infected persons. However, cormobidity as well as other risk factors as well as alcohol/drug abuse can increase mortality in HIV-infected patients on HAART. In conclusion, although HIV-infected patients on HAART still have higher mortality rates, the presence of other risk-factors, which can be identified early, further inflate this risk. Consequently,

Collaborative Fund-Raising Activit Essay Example for Free

Collaborative Fund-Raising Activit Essay The Phoenix Homeless Agency (PHA) needs to increase funding to continue funding job counseling to qualifying recipients. While they regularly access traditional contracts and grants, the economy has increased the need for services immensely and required them to look for other sources. The Executive Director and Board of Directors have begun their search by using the internet, other agencies, and community networking. They have decided that there are three options that would yield revenue while also keeping costs under control so that they have money left over for their program; appealing to local government officials, contacting local businesses for donations, and holding a strong public donation campaign. First, by contacting local government officials the agency may access information about funding that is available to community agencies that are not related to federal or state traditional grants and contracts. These may include United Way, connections to people who may wish to donate, grants from large out-of the area businesses and foundations, or city donations to help people find work. They may also employ grant writers who may be able to help organization understand the locating and writing process to achieve better results. Second, local businesses are often feeling the pinch of the economy as hard as individuals. They understand that people need help and will donate products to be sold in exchange for tax donation credit. These donations could either be sold or used within the program; either raising money by their sale or saving the program money, respectively. Ultimately, the people they help may become their future employees and/or consumers; people remember who helped them when they were in dire straights. Auctions, in-kind trade of services, and door-to-door product sales may raise money which can be helpful in the continuation of the program with very little if any cost. Lastly, the option to run a strong donation drive within the community may be quite successful. This agency has been helping the local people for many years and many will wish to see it continue its work. At a time when support may be needed the most, communities tend to rally behind local agencies rather than donate to larger, more nationally-based organizations because they can see the way their money is being spent. Asking people for money is never a pleasant or easy task, but when the option is ceasing to exist, it must be done. Appealing to individuals helps pull the community together and provides much needed assistance to agencies.

Anxiety and Depression Among Working and Non-Working Women

Anxiety and Depression Among Working and Non-Working Women DISCUSSION Results in the previous chapter had been very informative and will be discussed in context to hypothesis discussed in chapter 4. The present study was carried out to assess the level of anxiety and depression among working and non working women. A sample of 60 women was taken consisting of 30 working and 30 non-working women from Delhi and NCR region. The independent variables used for the study were working and non working women and the dependent variables studied were anxiety and depression. The results obtained in chapter 4 were analyzed and the discussion related to the hypothesis is presented below. In addition to this, the anxiety and depression was compared in the following groups. Levels of anxiety and depression were compared between working and non working women in anxiety and depression. Levels of anxiety and depression were compared between working and non working women on the basis of nuclear and joint family. Levels of anxiety and depression were compared between working and non working women belonging to the age group 25-35 and 36-50. Correlation between anxiety and depression was also calculated and interpreted. Keeping in view the objectives, four hypotheses were formulated and their discussion and interpretation is as follows. Problem 1: There will be significant difference between anxiety levels of working and non working women A comparison was made between the working and non working women on the basis of their anxiety levels. As it can be seen from the analysis of table 4.2(chapter 4), the anxiety levels of working women is higher than the non working women. The mean value for the working women was 25.00 whereas for non working women the value was 20.23. From the same table it was inferred that there was no statistically significant difference in the anxiety levels of working and non working women. Many studies have been done relevant to this research. A research done by Aleem and Danish (2008) on Marital satisfaction and Anxiety among single and dual career women at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi summarized that pressure and hassles of jobs not only affect marital life but also proved to be a major source of anxiety particularly among women and also marital satisfaction among working women hardly get disturbed due to their multiple roles but the thought processes seemed to be disturbed that is manifested in the higher anxiety among women. This study supports the findings which show higher mean values in working women than non working women. Mukhopadhyay et al (1993) researched on Working status and anxiety levels of urban educated women in Calcutta and summarized that non working mothers showed higher anxiety levels than their working counterparts with respect to the total anxiety score as well as components, although the differences were statistically non-significant. This s tudy supports the statistically insignificant difference in the results of the present research. Problem 2: There will be significant differences between the levels of depression in working and non working women. A comparison was made between the working and non working women on the basis of their levels of depression. As it can be seen from the analysis of table 4.2(chapter 4), the depression levels of working women are higher than that of non working women. The mean value of depression levels of working women is 11.13 whereas the mean value of the non working women which is 6.1000 showing difference in the depression levels of the two groups. From the table it is inferred that there is statistically significant difference between the two groups (sig 2 tailed=0.034). Many researchers have worked in this field, one such research done by Weiclaw et al(2008) Psychosocial working conditions and the risk of depression and anxiety disorders in the Danish workforce show high risks of depression related to high emotional demands and working with people. Results of another research done by Netterstom et al (2008) The Relation between Work-related Psychosocial Factors and the Development of Depression showed moderate evidence for a relation between development of depression and the psychological demands of the job. Yet another research done by Melchior et al (2007) studied depression and anxiety in young, working women and men due to work stress. The results showed that participants exposed to high psychological job demands (excessive workload, extreme time pressures) had a twofold risk of major depression or generalized anxiety disorder compared to those with low job demands. The study stated that in previously healthy young workers, diagnosable depression and anxiety is precipitated by work stress. Another research relevant to the present research was done by Balaji et al (2014). A Comparative Study on Depression among Working and Non-Working Women in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. This study was done to assess the burden of depression its risk factors among adult female working and non working population. The results indicated that working women suffer more from depression than non-working women. The risk factors for depression were identified as economic problems workplace problems, relationship problems and no personal life satisfaction. The above studies support the results in the present research. The reasons for higher levels of depression among working women could be due to the reason that working women have to focus not only on their work sphere but also on their family life. It has also been observed that working women are not clear about their expectations which not only affect their daily routine but also health status of each and every woman especially in the developing nations like India remains precarious. Also since working women are unable to spend time with their family and not able to give time to their children due to their work it leads to depression in them. And working women also do not have enough time to look after themselves leading to a lot of health issues. These reasons are also supported by a research done by Greenhaus Beutell (2000) Sources of Conflict between Work and Family Roles. This study examined the literature on the conflict between work and family roles and found out that work-family conflict exists when: (a) time devoted to the requirements of one role makes it difficult to fulfill requirements of another; (b) strain from participation in one role makes it difficult to fulfill requirements of another; and (c) specific behaviors required by one role make it difficult to fulfill the requirements of another. Whereas non working women have more time to spend with their family, they are able to concentrate on their health, family life and have a lot of time for themselves. These might be some of the reasons why working women rate higher levels of depression than non working women. Problem 3: There will be higher levels of anxiety and depression in females belonging to nuclear families than those staying in joint families. A comparison was done on the basis of anxiety and depression levels among working women of nuclear and joint families. As can be inferred from table 4.4(chapter 4) the anxiety levels of working women from nuclear families is higher than those from joint families. The mean scores of working women from nuclear families is 39.1667 which is higher than working women from joint families which is 15.5556. There is a statistically significant difference between the two groups as can be seen from the value of sig. (2 tailed) =.000 It was also inferred from the same table that the depression levels of working women belonging to nuclear families was higher than those working women belonging to joint families. The mean scores of working women from nuclear families is 18.33 which is higher than those of joint families which is 6.33.There is also a statistically significant difference between the two groups as seen from the value of sig. (2 tailed) = .003 Then another comparison was done on the basis of anxiety and depression levels among non working women of nuclear and joint families. As can be inferred from table 4.5(chapter4) the anxiety levels of non working women from nuclear families was higher than that of non working belonging to joint families. The mean scores of non working women of nuclear families have a mean score of 28.5358 which is higher than the mean score of non working women of joint families which is 13.8824. There is also a statistically significant difference between the two groups as seen by the value of sig. (2 tailed) = .002. It was also inferred from the same table that the depression levels of non working women belonging to nuclear families was higher the non working women belonging to joint families. The mean scores of non working women of nuclear have a mean score of 8.2308 which is higher than that of non working women of joint families which is 4.4706. There is also a statistically significant difference between the two groups as seen by the value of sig. (2 tailed) = .047. So from tables 4.4 and 4.5 (chapter 4) it is inferred that women belonging to nuclear families report higher levels of both anxiety and depression than those belonging to joint families be it working women or non working. Many studies have been done on this and one such research was done by Doby Caplan (1995). Organizational Stress as Threat to Reputation: Effects on Anxiety at Work and at Home. The results of this study showed that high threat stressors were most likely to generate the anxiety experienced at home and for this the anxiety experienced at work was the key mediator. As the above study supports our finding in the present research some of the reasons for this finding could be as in a joint family most of the responsibilities are taken care of by the other family members. There isn’t a lot of burden alone on one woman of the family. The family members of a joint family not only provide physical support but also financial support and are also present mentally and emotionally. So this leads to the overall being of an individual. Whereas in a nuclear family all the work load and responsibility is on one person only be it of work or of the household sphere. Hence it was found that anxiety and depression levels of women belonging to nuclear families are higher than those belonging to joint families. Problem 4: There will be higher levels of anxiety and depression in females in the age group of 36-50 than those in 25-35. A comparison was done among the working women belonging to the age group of 25-35 and 36-50. As can be inferred from the table 4.7(chapter 4) that the working women belonging to age range 25-35 report higher on anxiety levels than that of age group 36-50. The mean score of working women lying in the age group of 25-35 is 30.3684 and of working women lying in the age group of 36-50 is 15.7273. There is a statistically significant difference in the two groups as seen by the value of sig. (2 tailed) =.031 It was also inferred from the same table, that working women of age group 25-35 showed higher levels of depression than the 36-50 age group. The mean score of working women lying in the age group of 25-35 is 13.7368 and that of working women lying in the age group of 36-50 is 6.6364. But there is no statistically significant difference between the two groups as seen by the value of sig. (2 tailed) = .106 Another comparison was done among the non working women belonging to the age group of 25-35 and 36-50. As can be inferred from the table 4.8(chapter 4) that the non working women belonging to the age range of 25-35 show higher mean values on anxiety scale than the age group 36-50 but there no statistically significant difference between them. The mean score of non working women lying in the age group of 25-35 is 22.2308 and of age group of 36-50 is 18.7059. But there is no statistically significant difference in the two groups as seen by the value of sig. (2 tailed) =.489 It was also inferred from the same table that the non working women of age group 25-35 show higher mean values on depression scale than age group 36-50 but there isn’t any statistically significant difference between them. The mean scores of non working women lying in the age group of 25-35 are 6.8462 and of the age group of 36-50 is 5.5294. But there is no statistically significant difference between the groups as seen from the value of sig. (2 tailed) = .499 So from the tables 4.7 and 4.8 (chapter 4) it is inferred that working women of age group 25-35 show higher levels of anxiety than 36-50 age group and other than this no other significant differences were seen in the levels of depression in these two groups. Also no significant difference was seen in the non working women for the two groups. One study which supports our findings was done by Melchior et al (2007) studied depression and anxiety in young, working women and men due to work stress. The results showed that participants exposed to high psychological job demands (excessive workload, extreme time pressures) had a twofold risk of major depression or generalized anxiety disorder compared to those with low job demands. The study stated that in previously healthy young workers, diagnosable depression and anxiety is precipitated by work stress. Another studied stating the importance of family support was done by Dew et al (2009) studied mental health effects of job loss in women. This study reviews literature on involuntary job loss and its effects on mental health among women. The occurrence and duration of lay-off was significantly associated with increased depressive symptoms, but not anxiety-related symptoms. Results showed that among women who were laid off, those who had poor levels of support from their husband and those experiencing more financial difficulties reported higher levels of depression. A study done by Fall et al (2013) on Comparative study of major depressive symptoms among pregnant women by employment status does Multivariate analyses showing that factors such as low education, low social support outside of work, having experienced acute stressful events, lack of money for basic needs, experiencing marital strain, having a chronic health problem, country of birth, and smoking were significantly associated with major depressive symptoms The reasons for higher level of anxiety in working women of age group 25-35 could be since they have just stated with their career so they are mostly anxious about their work. They are new to the professional world, burden of work, new set of responsibilities. Also in India this is the time for women to get married so the pressure of marriage, newlyweds and work leads to anxiety among this age group. Problem 5: There will be correlation between depression and anxiety among working and non working women. It was assumed that there would be a relationship between depression and anxiety. From table 4.9(chapter 4) it was seen that there is a positive correlation between depression and anxiety. This could be seen from the above mentioned table that if anxiety levels increase then so does the depression and vice versa. Research supporting our hypothesis was given by. Birch Kamli (2000) Psychological stress, anxiety, depression, job satisfaction, and personality characteristics in preregistration house officers. This study got lifestyle questionnaires filled by the officers and measured the self rated psychological stress, state anxiety, job satisfaction, and personality characteristics. It was seen that more of women suffered psychological stress, possible anxiety and possible depression Another study was done by Bhadoria (2013). Level of Anxiety and Depression Among Working Women and Non Working Women of Gwalior. As today’s women have a whole set of responsibilities and problems involving the professional and family life, this study tried to compare the levels of depression and anxiety among working and non working women. The results obtained showed significant levels of difference between working and non working women. The above mentioned researches support our hypothesis that if someone has high levels of anxiety then that person shows high levels of depression as well.

Porters Five Forces On Aviation Industry

Porters Five Forces On Aviation Industry The Indian aviation industry is one of the fastest growing aviation industries in the world with private airlines accounting for more than 75 per cent of the sector of the domestic aviation. It is stated that the Indian aviation sector will become one of the top five civil aviation markets in the world over the next five years. Currently, India ranks ninth in the global civil aviation market. The Hyderabad International Airport has been ranked amongst the worlds top five in the annual Airport Service Quality (ASQ). With the growth in the industry, airport retailing has also gained pace in the recent times. Development of new terminals and airports such as the recently inaugurated T3 in New Delhi has provided added impetus to this segment. The highest margin earners in this segment are food and beverages, beauty product, electronic items, apparel etc. It has been predicted that airports would provide around 300,000-400,000 square feet retail space by 2015. Many companies are also plan ning to leverage on this growing segment by launching specific products for air travelers. In addition, the emphasis on modernization of non-metro airports, fleet expansion by airlines, service expansion by state owned carriers, development of the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry in India, opening up of new international routes by the Indian government, establishment of new airports and renovation and restructuring of the existing airports have added to the growth of the industry. Present Indian Scenario It is a phase of rapid growth in the industry due to huge build-up of capacity in the LCC space, with capacity growing at approximately 45% annually. This has induced a phase of intense price competition with the incumbent full service carriers (Jet, Indian, Air Sahara) this- counting up to 60-70% for certain routes to match the new entrants ticket prices. This, coupled with costs pressures (a key cost element, ATF price, went up approximately 35% in recent months, while staff costs are also rising on the back of shortage of trained personnel), is exerting bottom-line pressure. The growth in supply is overshadowed by the extremely strong demand growth, led primarily by the conversion of train/bus passengers to air travel, as well as by the fact that low fares have allowed passengers to fly more frequently. There has, therefore, been an increase in both the width and depth of consumption. However, the regulatory environment, infrastructure and tax policy have not kept pace with the industrys growth. Enactment of the open sky policy between India and Saarc countries, increase in bilateral entitlements with the EU and the US, and aggressive promotion of India as an attractive tourism spot helped India attract 3.2 million tourists in 2004-05. This market is growing at 15% per annum and India is expected to attract 6 million tourists by 2010. Also, increasing per capita income has led to an increase in disposable incomes, leading to greater spend on leisure and holidays and business travel has risen sharply with increasing MNC presence. Smaller cities are also well connected now. Passenger traffic has increased and over 21 million seats have been sold, resulting in a growth of over 50%. The Indian travel market is expected to triple to $51 billion by 2011 from $16.3 billion in 2005-06. Application of Porters Five Forces strategy in the Aviation Industry Threat of New Entrants A lucrative industry is always a target for investors looking at investment. One of the foremost factors in consideration while looking at the attractiveness of an industry is the threat of new entrants. In the airlines industry, this was a major threat a few years ago. The airlines operating in the industry were limited and the industry had few players like Indian Airlines and Jet Airways. However, as the industry had scope for accommodating more players many players joined the fray. The airlines industry however comes with its fair share of barriers. The investment in the airlines is very huge and acts as a major barrier to entry. Bundled with it were different permits for running an airline company from the civil aviation company and FDI limits. Factors that can limit the threat of new entrants are known as barriers to entry. Some examples include: Existing loyalty to major brands Incentives for using a particular buyer (such as frequent shopper programs) High fixed costs Scarcity of resources High costs of switching companies Government restrictions or legislation Power of Suppliers This is how much pressure suppliers can place on a business. If one supplier has a large enough impact to affect a companys margins and volumes, then it holds substantial power. In the airlines company there is certain amount of bargaining power the suppliers have. Firstly, suppliers in the form of aircraft builders, who very often exceed the time limits. Adding to it are suppliers of oil who hold the key to running of the airlines. Here are a few other reasons that suppliers might have power. There are very few suppliers of a particular product There are no substitutes Switching to another (competitive) product is very costly The product is extremely important to buyers cant do without it The supplying industry has a higher profitability than the buying industry Power of Buyers This is how much pressure customers can place on a business. If one customer has a large enough impact to affect a companys margins and volumes, then the customer hold substantial power. Predominantly, in the airlines industry, it has been seen that the civil aviation ministry has been in favour of the customer and buyers thus have reasonable power. While most airlines companies are running with wafer thin margins, it is pretty difficult for companies to increase prices as the capacity utilization will be seriously affected. Here are a few reasons that customers might have power: Small number of buyers Purchases large volumes Switching to another (competitive) airline is simple The airline is not extremely important to buyers; they can do without the same brand for a period of time Customers are price sensitive Availability of Substitutes What is the likelihood that someone will switch to a competitive product or service? If the cost of switching is low, then this poses a serious threat. Most airline companies have similar facilities and are listed on website such as makemytrip.com, yatra.com where customers choose from the cheapest available tickets. This shows that the customer has a lot of options and would Not mind shifting to a new service. Here are a few factors that can affect the threat of substitutes: The main issue is the similarity of substitutes. All low cost airlines have similar facilities. If substitutes are similar, it can be viewed in the same light as a new entrant. Competitive Rivalry This describes the intensity of competition between existing firms in an industry. Highly competitive industries generally earn low returns because the cost of competition is high. The competition in the airline industry is cutthroat and each player is trying to gain an upper-hand based on non price factors. A highly competitive market might result from: Many players of about the same size; there is no dominant firm Little differentiation between competitors products and services A mature industry with very little growth; companies can only grow by stealing customers away from competitors SWOT ANALYSIS OF THE AVIATION INDUSTRY Strengths: Growing tourism: Due to growth in tourism, there has been an increase in number of the international and domestic passengers. The estimated growth of domestic passenger segment is at 50% per annum and growth for international passenger segment is 25% Rising income levels: Due to the rise in income levels, the disposable income is also higher which are expected to enhance the number of flyers. Growth potential Liberalization of sector. Modernization of non metro airports. Rising share of low cost carriers. Fleet expansion by state owned carriers. The opening up of new international routes by Indian government. Establishment of new airports and restructuring of old airports. Weaknesses: Under penetrated Market : The total passenger traffic was only 50 million as on 31st Dec 2005 amounting to only 0.05 trips per annum as compared to developed nations like United States have 2.02 trips per annum. Untapped Air Cargo Market: Air cargo market has not yet been fully taped in the Indian markets and is expected that in the coming years large number of players will have dedicated fleets. Infrastructural constraints: The infrastructure development has not kept pace with the growth in aviation services sector leading to a bottleneck. Huge investment requirement for physical infrastructure for airports. Shortage of qualified instructors due migration to schedule operation. Pressure on quality standard of inducted pilots. Infrastructural constraints. Opportunities: Expecting investments: investment of about US $30 billion will be made. Expected Market Size: Average growth of aviation sector is about 25%-30% and the expected market size is projected to grow up to 100 million by 2010. Economic Growth Vibrant middle class: Increasing Consumerism and Affordability common man Under-penetrated markets Growth in Tourism Currently domestic passenger market is growing at 50% Threats: Shortage of trained Pilots: There is a shortage of trained pilots, co-pilots and ground staff which is severely limiting growth prospects. Shortage of Airports: There is a shortage of airport facilities, parking bays, air traffic control facilities and takeoff and landing slots. High prices: Though enough number of low cost carriers already exists in the industry, majority of the population is still not able to fly to other destinations. Security and safety. Low profit margins and high operating costs.

Barn Burning Essay -- essays research papers

William Faulkner is concerned with the south and its problems with black slavery. The issues in Barn Burning deal with the conflict between father and son. The theme of this story focuses on justice. The boy, Sarty, objects to his father burning barns and wants people to be treated fairly. His father, Abner, believes his son should respect and support kin. Abner thinks family is right no matter what. Faulkner’s intent is to show that choosing between one’s own family and justice is very difficult to do, and in the end justice must prevail. The theme is best illustrated by its point of view, its characterization, and setting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Faulkner represents his point of view using both first and third person to translate his theme. The story is being told by Sartoris Snopes who is a boy at the time the story takes place. Throughout the story he shifts from first to third person narrative voices. At times in the story he would speak as only a child would, then something would be said by him which was too knowledgeable for a boy his age to know. This gives an impression that he is older and is remembering things of his past. Switching between first and third person shows that the choice he made greatly affected him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The way the characters are portrayed remarkably depicts Faulkner’s theme. The two conflicting characters are described in similar ways to show their differences. Abner is described by how people see and think about h...

My Educational Goals and Philosophy Statement :: Philosophy of Education Teaching Teachers Essays

My Educational Goals and Philosophy Statement Imagine your life without a proper education. Without the proper education you could properly provide for yourself or your family. All students are born with a different nature, however; the reason for their education remains the same. The purpose of education is to provide a foundation for students. Many methods of teaching and methods of discipline are used in the classroom. There are also many areas of curriculum that are important in the elementary level. Education provides the necessary grounds to succeed in our country today. Students’ intelligence levels vary drastically from student to student. However, their dispositions are identical at birth. All children are born with the ability to be a wonderful and loving person. Our society has the power to change the caring dispositions of our children. This is why many of our children live difficult lives; the world has made them mean or evil. This is described as having a relative nature, meaning that a child is constructed and dependent upon person, place, or time. Not all children have the ability to become one of our countries doctors or lawyers, but all of them are born with capability of living a joyful and happy life. The overall purpose of education is to prepare students for challenges that life brings to them. Challenges such as applying for a job, providing for a family, and managing a business. Education is important because it provides a solid background for the child to begin a healthy and happy life. As a teacher I hope to give my students the confidence to continue with their education. I also hope to provide a good educational foundation so that my students are well prepared as they do continue their education. I hope that my students acquire self – confidence. I hope that my students have the drive and the compassion to further their education. I also hope that my children understand that education is necessary in order to live a successful life. There are many ethics that a teacher must follow inside and outside of the classroom.

Waking up too early is unhealthy Essay -- Expository Essays

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! You’re familiar with that sound, it’s the sound of you’re alarm clock. It’s really hard for kids to wake up to the sound isn’t it? It’s not even good for them either! Yet, kids, whose appetites for sleep are the biggest, have to wake up as early as 6:00 a.m.! It’s crazy how they, the school boards, set the system up. And bus drivers, who also have to wake up quite early, might be having problems waking up. Even if they don’t, someone behind them might be and that puts the whole bus at risk! Anyways, the point is that the decision made for the school arrival time was wrong and it needs to be changed on a large scale. This means in EVERY high school. Starting school too early is not only a nuisance but it can also be very dangerous and it can have negative effects on a teen’s education. A Chicago chief of medicine states that sleep deprivation, found in many teens, can have negative affects on a teen’s mood, performance, attention, and behavior. Because teens start driving in high school, their safety in a car is also related to sleep deprivati...

About role of the United Nations in the changing World Essay

Accordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations†. Those are words from Preamble of Charter of the United Nations. The Charter of the United Nations was signed on 26 June 1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, and came into existence on 24 October 1945. The Statute of the International Court of Justice is an integral part of the Charter. The day is now celebrated each year around the world as United Nations Day. The purpose of the United Nations is to bring all nations of the world together to work for peace and development, based on the principles of justice, human dignity and the well-being of all people. It affords the opportunity for countries to balance global interdependence and national interests when addressing international problems. There are currently 191 Members of the United Nations. See more: Satirical essay about drugs They meet in the General Assembly, which is the closest thing to a world parliament. Each country, large or small, rich or poor, has a single vote; however, none of the decisions taken by the Assembly are binding. Nevertheless, the Assembly’s decisions become resolutions that carry the weight of world government opinion. The United Nations Headquarters is in New York City but the land and buildings are international territory. The United Nations has its own flag, its own post office and its own postage stamps. Six official languages are used at the United Nations – Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. The UN European Headquarters is in the Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland. It has offices in Vienna, Austria and Economic Commissions in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Amman in Jordan, Bangkok in Thailand and Santiago in Chile. The senior officer of the United Nations Secretariat is the Secretary-General. The Aims of the United Nations: *To keep peace throughout the world. *To develop friendly relations between nations. *To work together to help people live better lives. * to eliminate poverty, disease and illiteracy in the world. * to stop environmental destruction. * to encourage respect for each other’s rights and freedoms. *To be a centre for helping nations achieve these aims. The Principles of the United Nations: *All Member States have sovereign equality. *All Member States must obey the Charter. *Countries must try to settle their differences by peaceful means. *Countries must avoid using force or threatening to use force. *The UN may not interfere in the domestic affairs of any country. All countries should try to assist the United Nations. Now some information about the UN system: The basic structure of the United Nations is outlined in an organizational chart. What the structure does not show is that decision-making within the UN system is not as easy as in many other organizations. The UN is not an independent, homogeneous organization; it is made up of states, so actions by the UN depend on the will of Member States, to accept, fund or carry them out. Especially in matters of peace-keeping and international politics, it requires a complex, often slow, process of consensus-building that must take into account national sovereignty as well as global needs. The Specialized Agencies, while part of the UN system, are separate, autonomous intergovernmental organizations which work with the UN and with each other. The agencies carry out work relating to specific fields such as trade, communications, air and maritime transport, agriculture and development. Although they have more autonomy, their work within a country or between countries is always carried out in partnership with those countries. They also depend on funds from Member States to achieve their goals. Recently, international conferences organized by the UN have gained significance. UN conferences have been held since the 1960s, but with the Conference on Environment and Development, known as the Earth Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992, they turned into real fora for deciding on national and international policy regarding issues that affect everyone such as the environment, human rights and economic development. Since the Earth Summit, UN conferences have turned into forums in which non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can voice their concerns alongside those of governments. Such conferences focus world attention on these issues and place them squarely on the global agenda. Yet, once the international agreements produced by these conferences are signed, it is still up to each individual country to carry them out. With the moral weight of international conferences and the pressures of media and NGOs, Member States are more likely to endorse the agreements and put them into effect. I also would like to ad some basic information about structure and budget, to make brief of UN more visible. The six principal organs of the United Nations are the: General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice and Secretariat. The United Nations family, however, is much larger, encompassing 15 agencies and several programmes and bodies. When it comes to a budget, the budget for the two years 2000-2001 was $2,535 million. The main source of funds is the contributions of Member States, which are assessed on a scale approved by the General Assembly. The fundamental criterion on which the scale of assessments is based is the capacity of  countries to pay. This is determined by considering their relative shares of total gross national product, adjusted to take into account a number of factors, including their per capita incomes. In addition, countries are assessed for the costs of peacekeeping operations. What is the role of the UN nations in the changing World? I already gave some simply answers at the beginning of this assignment. I will try to answer this question in depth in the following part of my work. The UN has been effective, even indispensable, in post-conflict development in Mozambique, Guatemala, Afghanistan, the Balkans and elsewhere. It also has guided and monitored political change (democracy and governance) in Bosnia, Kosovo, East Timor and Georgia. The UN has been involved in the conflict in Abkhazia since Georgian forces stormed the Abkhaz parliament in Sukhumi in August 1992, triggering a war that remains unresolved today. In 1993, the UN and the CSCE (Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe) agreed that the international lead on the conflict in Abkhazia should be taken by the UN. In the same year the UN, faced with urgent requests from the government of Georgia to deploy a peacekeeping force to Abkhazia, decided to establish an observer mission for Georgia (UNOMIG) to monitor implementation of the July ceasefire agreement between the two sides which had been mediated and guaranteed by the Russian Federation. The decision to send an observer force rather than a fully fledged peacekeeping force reflected the desire of the Russian Federation to take the lead in the management of conflict in the ‘former Soviet space’, and the unwillingness of the other permanent members of the Security Council to challenge Russian prerogatives. There was also a general concern that the peacekeeping apparatus of the UN was overloaded, and disagreement among the parties as to what the mandate of a more substantial force would be. The UN Secretary-General also designated Swiss diplomat Eduard Brunner as Special Envoy for the conflict. He served until 1997 when Liviu Bota, a Romanian diplomat, was appointed Special Representative (SRSG) for the Abkhaz conflict. Both were responsible for the mediation of a process of negotiation leading to a political settlement of  the conflict. Bota has had a more or less permanent presence in the conflict zone, whereas Brunner was only delegated to visit intermittently. Russia’s special status in this process was recognized in its designation as ‘facilitator’ of the talks. In the early years of negotiation matters were not helped by the passive attitude taken by the Special Envoy to mediation of the conflict. The UN’s failure to take a more engaged approach was one factor among several contributing to the obvious lack of movement towards a political settlement in 1994-96. The fact that the more proactive approach adopted by Liviu Bota has also not produced a settlement would suggest, however, that the extent of UN activism is not the determining factor in conflict resolution. While the first personnel of UNOMIG were being deployed, the ceasefire collapsed and hostilities resumed. The UN Security Council condemned the renewal of conflict and associated displacement of population and demanded that the parties cease fighting. They also decided to extend the mandate of UNOMIG pending clarification of the situation. Traditionally, the UN has had a similar approach to its work since its conception in 1947. Gradually it became more and more involved; adding different organelles, agencies, and addressing more issues that weren’t necessarily new as it grew in size and scope. The International Court of Justice, the Economic and Social Council, and agencies like the International Maritime Organization were created to solve problems in these areas. It grew out of the General Assembly and the Security Council; to an organization with thousands of employees worldwide doing hundreds of completely different things. To put it simply, and to generalize, it has gotten bigger, and more involved. The Secretary General NOW has the ability to change the way a leader runs his country, make two warring countries sign a peace treaty, and even route money through areas in the world that would have never gotten any before. The Secretary has assumed power or the power of influence, he or she does not have any written or given power, Still however, this clearly shows how much more the UN has gotten involved and grown, even more like the feared â€Å"world government† that it vows to never become. It is a little misleading to speak of the role of the UN. The UN is nearly  powerless as an abstract entity or even as a representative of the world’s nations. It can act, instead, only insofar as it is given authorization by the great powers, which means primarily the United States. The UN has no standing peacekeeping force and thus is dependent on finding countries willing to contribute troops for any particular mission. The organization suffers as well from an extreme shortage of funds because of the continual U.S. refusal to pay its dues. Any peacekeepers sent to East Timor will probably not be a UN force because the U.S. Congress has required that there be a 15-day delay before the U.S. government can approve any UN peacekeeping operation and has forbidden Washington from paying its authorized share of the costs of any such operation. U.S. influence is greatest in the Security Council, but some organs of the UN, such as the General Assembly or bodies dealing with economic and social issues have had a Third World majority ever since the era of decolonization. Accordingly, U.S. policy has been to undermine and marginalize the UN. The United Nations should have an important role in world affairs, but U.S. policy and the policies of other leading states, severely limit the international organization. From the point of view of U.S. policymakers, however, there is one crucial role played by the UN: it serves as a convenient scapegoat when something goes wrong. For example, the current catastrophe in East Timor is directly attributable to the refusal of the United States and other Western powers to deter the atrocities there over a period of a quarter century, yet the UN will probably take the blame. So as we can see, we can look for the subject of my assignment from the different point of view. Another UN’s role: The Asian crisis, has become a global crisis, was by no means a purely financial matter. It had disastrous consequences for millions of people in their everyday lives. Moreover, it was the poor who are hardest hit. In Indonesia, almost 15,000 workers lost their jobs in 1998. And poverty came with its usual sorry retinue: hunger, social unrest, violence, abuse of human rights. The least developed countries, the ones least able to influence world priorities and policies, were penalized. So the human dimension was at the heart of the response (including debt relief)to this  first major crisis of globalization. Of course, the role of the seven major industrial powers, and of the world’s finance ministers and central bankers, remained crucial. But they could not undertake this task alone. All parts of the international system came together. President Clinton has suggested wide-ranging discussions on the new world â€Å"financial architecture.† Some would say that this was none of the U.N.’s business. There are other international bodies, more specialized and perhaps more competent to deal with economic problems: the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, the Bank for International Settlements. But the U.N. is the one truly global institution we all belong to. It must have a seat at the table. Economic and financial strategies will succeed only if they are applied within a clear political framework. That framework will command much wider support if, through the U.N., all affected countries have played a part in working it out. Over the long term, globalization will be positive. It draws us closer together and enables us to produce more efficiently, to control our environment, to improve our quality of life. But such benefits are not felt equally by all. For many people, â€Å"long term† is too far off to be meaningful. Millions on this planet still live in isolation, on the margins of the world economy. Millions more are experiencing globalization not as a great new opportunity but as a profoundly disruptive force that attacks both their material living standards and their culture. Some of those who had benefited most from open markets and capital flows were feeling the greatest pain. The temptation to retreat into nationalism or populism is strong. But, fortunately, in most developing countries, those false solutions are being rejected. Each country’s crisis has its own local features and causes. Each country has to address its own specific problems and shortcomings. But many countries need help, for these are not just financial or macro-economic problems. They have grave social and political consequences, and some of their causes are to be found in political and social systems. The U.N. has a responsibility, as the universal institution, to insist on the need for worldwide solutions based on rules that are fair to all. It is the UN job to ensure that nations do not react to crisis by turning their backs on universal values. In such crises, the UN must come together to find solutions based on the founding  principles which all their member states have in common: those of the U.N. Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In particular, the UN has a special responsibility to speak up for the victims or potential victims. The UN cannot forget the countries in Africa and elsewhere whose debt burdens the crisis has made even more unsustainable. Debt relief is often resisted on grounds of â€Å"moral hazard,† that it rewards the reckless and penalizes the prudent. But were not the lenders often just as reckless and irresponsible as the borrowers? Can it really be moral for them to insist on full interest and full repayment if the result is that children not yet born when the debts were contracted are denied even a subsistence diet or an elementary education? Many nations feel their interests are ignored or neglected in specialized economic bodies, where the strongest voices, for quite understandable reasons, tend to be those of countries which have already achieved economic success. But the U.N. provides a forum for informed debate among all those affected by the crisis. It has to represent all stakeholders in the global economy. The U.N. must play its part in the search for solutions that preserve the benefits of globalization while protecting those who have suffered or who have been left out. UN has kept women’s issues and interests on the agenda of change when they risked being set aside for a â€Å"later† that would never come in Afghanistan, Kosovo and East Timor. It has protected children in conflict and in post-conflict stress. The UN is bringing justice post-conflict to the repressed through ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia), ICTR (International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda), and the nascent Sierra Leone court. In each case, the role and the centrality of the UN have been different. The United Nations is an organization that has always been based on respect for nation’s sovereignties, peace, and judicial cooperation regarding topics which are salient to the current time period. As the entire world moves further into the â€Å"technological age†, and with the turn of the century coming (which is really only symbolic of a new era), new issues are bound to develop. The world will gradually change, and the UN ne eds to address these needs by evaluating its current state along with what it can do to change for the better. The increasingly global economy, the European Community, and the development of the sagging Asian market (with  the rest of the world in a recession also) show action needs to be taken economically. Hostility remains in the Middle East, human rights are being violated every day around the globe, and people everywhere are disgruntled with their current governmental situation. How will the UN curb nuclear terrorism, help the homeless and uneducated, and still maintain and outside role in political matters? Or should they maintain an outside role? These are merely a few of the hundreds of issues addressing the world today, and the UN must prepare for the coming decade with open minded foresight. As Secretary General Kofi A. Annan said, every conflict is different, every post-conflict is different, and each model of intervention by the international community is different. In Iraq, we have an immediate post-conflict humanitarian and reconstruction challenge in front of us. It is in eve ryone’s interests, especially in the Iraqi people’s interest, to ensure that Iraq becomes an economically functional, politically stable and self-governing state that is respectful of the rule of law, of democratic principles and of international norms. The coalition nations currently controlling Iraqi territory have distinct responsibilities as occupying powers to maintain public order and safety, to protect civilians and to provide essential services. The wider international community, especially the United Nations, also have indispensable roles to play. While systems are in place for humanitarian assistance, a framework is needed to facilitate greater engagement and support in the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq. The United Nations has extensive expertise that can and should be brought to bear. The UN and its agencies have been heavily involved in Iraq since the first Gulf War, and have an in-depth understanding of the circumstances, and the challenges. The UN is fully engaged through its agencies and has resources on the ground in Iraq, providing much-needed assistance to the Iraqi people. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the WFP (World Food Programme)- they all know Iraq. Countries need to build on the strength of the engagement of these and other UN agencies in Iraq, and determine how best they can make further use of this experience and expertise. In Iraq, as in all post-conflict situations, common over-arching goals must be to meet the needs of the people, and to support them in their course towards stability, recovery and reconstruction. After Kosovo, many thought NATO would become let say â€Å"Globocop† that the G-8 would supplant the Security Council, that the UN would be sidelined. But, in fact, the UN picked up the pieces in Kosovo, mandated the intervention in East Timor and has helped Afghanistan put itself back together. What about issues that should to be addressed in a Resolution? As for what should be addressed, there almost are more topics than one is able to think about. Should there be more staff running relief efforts in Zaire? Is the International Court of Justice really necessary, or is it wasting money and time that could be spent on other things. Analyzing this, you could say that since nations only sue each other, and no real action is taken, and the courts have no real power to enforce anything, what is the use? Possibly the funding used for this could go towards building schools in Africa. This may seem fairly ludicrous, but one needs to have the foresight to see these things, and there i s only a certain amount of money around for things like this. Possibly the UN relief troops should be allowed to use loaded weapons and fire at hostile parties, for their own safety and to help curb violence more. Maybe the Secretary General should be stripped of all his power, and put all diplomacy matters in the hands of the General Assembly or Security Council. The Secretary could have increased power that would force nations to comply with his decisions. A UN that is much like a world government could possibly work as long as there was representatives from every nation. Because the world is more complex, if the UN was simplified it might make things smoother. Instead of having an agency for every little issue, such as the ACC Sub-Committee on Nutrition, or the UN office for Outer Space affairs. Are these REALLY necessary? They may be, but it is the decision of the delegates. The UN’s image with â€Å"Security Council† and a Court System might look bad to some conservative minded citizens of a nation. Economically, are the proper funds being allocated to areas and agencies in need? Should a worldwide mandatory educational requirement be put into effect? What exactly is the most pressing area right now that needs the fiscal help the UN can offer? Again, in the past 50 years help has been going to the same places, while the Secretariat grew larger and larger, and the entire UN gradually began becoming a complex political bureaucracy, and began to focus less on its original mission as stated in the charter, to  promote peaceful relations between the nations of the world. This doesn’t seem to be working anymore, possibly because the current UN is obsolete. In summation, United Nations reform is a daunting task. As a member of UN, Poland should remember to use foresight, think of what kind of world we will live in next century, what new things will happen, and how the UN should evolve to meet these needs with vigor. The UN is still only an organization, not a government, and it is based itself on precedent. That is, actions of the past determine future decisions. If precedent is broken, we should remember what has been built for all of us for the past 51 years. Bibliography: www.alertnet.org www.globalpolicy.org www.undp.org www.globalissues.com/Geopolitics/EastTimor www.un.org/ www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/chapter1.html United Nations: 50 Years of Peace and War, University of California Press, John Taylor, Phd. 1998 United Nations Published Charter The History of The United Nations, Paladin Press, Jonathon Kingsley. 1994

Miseducation of Filipino Essay

Prof. Renato Constantino, in his essay entitled â€Å"The Miseducation of the Filipino†, writes about the coming about of the miseducation and the consequences of such action in the lives of the Filipinos, then, now, and perhaps the future. Promoting and imposing the â€Å"unFilipino† identity in Filipinos was the miseducation that Americans pursued during the time when they â€Å"posed† as a benevolent ally to the Philippines, and they proved victorious indeed because they had completely subjugated the Filipinos, both in minds and in hearts. Education is a very vital factor for one’s development. And as we all know, through education, one’s mind is molded because of the teachings, ideas, and values taught to him. Due to this fact, it’s only either of the two that will happen: the person will become productive provided that he was taught with the right things, or, the person will become otherwise since he acquired negative things. Personally, I learned and realized many things about the history and relationship between the Americans and the Filipinos upon reading this paper. It is quite intriguing what the main reasons really were the Americans in taking power over the Philippines. Was it for the good of the Filipinos or the Americans’ good? Whatever it was, they succeeded in almost every aspect of conquering the land because they knew the most effective way to subjugate Filipinos minds: by controlling our education. They created a new generation of good colonials, the â€Å"unFilipino† Filipinos. The indigenous ways of life of Filipinos had been changed to the American way of life. That was ridiculous because certainly, America and Philippines vastly differed from each other in so many ways, and therefore, their ways of life based on their differing needs should be entirely different. But the Americans insisted on creating a â€Å"carbon-copy† of themselves in Filipinos through the imposition of their language in their education. I went to elementary and high school in the Philippines, and I know for a fact they used both English and Tagalog as the media of teaching. In the long run, I think this resulted in both positive and negative ways — positively, because I was uprooted to the U. S. and I was able to use the â€Å"smattering† English I know to communicate with others, and negatively, because as I have just realized, I feel the â€Å"impediment† in my thought process because I cannot think consistently in one language. All in all, I liked this piece because it reiterates the importance of education to not only produce literate people but also to produce people who would use that education to better their nation.