Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Estate Planning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Estate Planning - Research Paper Example Without a comprehensive estate plan, a significant part of the work you've done throughout your life, both at your job and with your investments, can be lost or given to unintended beneficiaries" (InvestorGuide.com). Estate planning is also important for recipients of social security benefits as "receiving an inheritance may alter his/her social security entitlement. This is particularly prevalent when one member of a couple dies as the survivor is then treated as a single person with lower thresholds under income and assets tests. This means that the levels of assets and income at which the pension starts to reduce and ultimately ceases are reduced which may result in a lower pension or even a complete loss of pension for the beneficiary" (Social security estate planning implications ). Now there are more than one way of planning your estate, especially what to expect after death. The most popular of which is the last will and testament. However, recent developments in finance provides estate planners a better way of handling their estate, that which entails lesser cost, direct or indirect to the heirs: trusts and superannuation. In this particular paper, we will show the many ways in which trust and superannuation supersedes the benefits of the estate planner and their heirs; both through current literatures and through analysis. "A trust is an arrangement under which one person, called a trustee, holds legal title to property for another person, called a beneficiary. You can be the trustee of your own living trust, keeping full control over all property held in trust. A 'living trust' (also called an "inter vivos" trust) is simply a trust you create while you're alive, rather than one that is created at your death" (Nolo). One good thing about living trust is it helps one evade probate, helps reduce taxes and also sets up a long-term property management (Nolo). Trust Versus Will "The Trust owns the legal title to the property in it while you are still alive, and since a Trust does not end at your death, it will still own the property when you die. You put instructions in the Trust for how the Trustee, or person controlling the Trust, should distribute the Trust property, and the Trustee will carry out those directions" (FreeAdvice.com). One important feature about the trust is it can be distributed without necessarily going through the probate process - a "legal process which inherited property goes through in order to transfer the title of the property from the decedent to the beneficiary" (FreeAdvice.com). The main reasons why trusts are advantageous especially for the high net worth individual is it is far less expensive to administer (FreeAdvice.com). On the other hand, "a will is a document that transfers property to others after your death. Because you still own the property at the time you die, all the property transferred in the Will must go through the probate process, which is often slow and costly" (FreeAdvice.com). Below is a summary of the advantages of a trust over a will: Avoid probate - Unlike

Monday, October 28, 2019

Default and Disputes Essay Example for Free

Default and Disputes Essay In this paper I will discuss the reasoning and methodology behind government contract defaults and disputes. I will also give recommendation to acquisition and cost containment. The standard contract clause which gives a customer the right to unilaterally terminate the contractor if the contractor fails to perform according to the specified terms. The contractor is generally not entitled to any payment for the unfinished part of the contract and, instead, may be liable for (1) repayment of monies advanced, (2) liquidated and other damages, and (3) excess cost incurred by the customer in completing the contract under a new contractor. Two primary types of terminations can arise under government contracts: â€Å"termination for default† and â€Å"termination for the government’s convenience†. Besides a criminal conviction or debarment or suspension for default is undoubtedly the most severe agency sanction that a termination can befall a government contactor. Terminations for default are much more common in supply contracts than in construction contracts. The standard clause used in supply and service contracts recites that the government has the right terminate for default if the contractor fails to (1) deliver the contract supplies or perform the services on time, (2) make progress so as to endanger performance of the contract. The â€Å"Termination for Cause† term also names three bases for terminating a commercial item contract for default: (a) â€Å"any default† by the contractor, (b) failure by the contractor â€Å"to comply with any contact terms or conditions,† and (c) failure by the contractor to provide the government on request, with â€Å"adequate assurances of future performance. The government’s right to terminate is not limited by standard inspection clauses, because they permit the government to exercise any other rights and remedies allowed by the contract. â€Å"Default terminations are provided for in government contracts under standard clauses set forth in the FAR. 52. 249–8 Def ault (Fixed-Price Supply and Service). As prescribed in 49. 04(a)(1), insert the following clause: DEFAULT (FIXED-PRICE SUPPLY AND SERVICE) (APR 1984) (a)(1) The Government may, subject to paragraphs (c) and (d) below, by written notice of default to the Contractor, terminate this contract in whole or in part if the Con- tractor fails to—(i) Deliver the supplies or to perform the services within the time specified in this contract or any extension; (ii) Make progress, so as to endanger performance of this contract (but see subparagraph (a)(2) below); or (iii) Perform any of the other provisions of this contract (but see subparagraph (a)(2) below). 2) The Government’s right to terminate this contract under subdivisions (1)(ii) and (1)(iii) above, may be exercised if the Con- tractor does not cure such failure within 10 days (or more if authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer) after receipt of the no- tice from the Contracting Officer specifying the failure. (b) If the Government terminates this contr act in whole or in part, it may acquire, under the terms and in the manner the Contracting Officer considers appropriate, supplies or services similar to those terminated, and the Contractor will be liable to the Government for any excess costs for those sup- plies or services. However, the Contractor shall continue the work not terminated. (c) Except for defaults of subcontractors at any tier, the Contractor shall not be liable for any excess costs if the failure to perform the contract arises from causes beyond the control and without the fault or negligence of the Contractor. Examples of such causes include (1) acts of God or of the public enemy, (2) acts of the Government in either its sovereign or contractual capacity, (3) fires, (4) floods, (5) epidemics, (6) quarantine restrictions (7) strikes, (8) freight embargoes, and (9) unusually severe weather. In each instance the failure to perform must be beyond the control and without the fault or negligence of the Contractor. (d) If the failure to perform is caused by the default of a subcontractor at any tier, and if the cause of the default is beyond the control of both the Contractor and subcontractor, and without the fault or negligence of either, the Contractor shall not be liable for any excess costs for failure to perform, unless the subcontracted supplies or services were obtainable from other sources in sufficient time for the Contractor to meet the required delivery schedule. e) If this contract is terminated for de- fault, the Government may require the Con- tractor to transfer title and deliver to the Government, as directed by the Contracting Officer, any (1) completed supplies, and (2) partially completed supplies and materials, parts, tools, dies, jigs, fixtures, plans, drawings, information, and contract rights (collectively referred to as manufacturing materials in thi s clause) that the Contractor has specifically produced or acquired for the terminated portion of this contract. Upon direction of the Contracting Officer, the Con- tractor shall also protect and preserve property in its possession in which the Government has an interest. (f) The Government shall pay contract price for completed supplies delivered and accepted. The Contractor and Contracting Officer shall agree on the amount of payment for manufacturing materials delivered and accepted and for the protection and preservation of the property. Failure to agree will be a dispute under the Disputes clause. The Government may withhold from these amounts any sum the Contracting Officer determines to be necessary to protect the Government against loss because of outstanding liens or claims of former lien holders. (g) If, after termination, it is determined that the Contractor was not in default, or that the default was excusable, the rights and obligations of the parties shall be the same as if the termination had been issued for the convenience of the Government. (h) The rights and remedies of the Government in this clause are in addition to any other rights and remedies provided by law or nder this contract. FAR 52. 249-10 â€Å"Default (Fixed-Price Construction)† Clause (a) If the contractor refuses or fails to prosecute the work or any separable part, with the diligence what will insure it’s completion within the time specified in this contract including any extension, or fails to complete the work within this time, the government may, by written notice to the contractor , terminate the right to proceed with the work (or the separable part of the work) that has been delayed. In this event, the government may take over the work and complete it by contract or otherwise, may take over the work and complete it by contract or otherwise, and may take possession of and use any material, appliances, and plant on the work site necessary for completing the work. Although the â€Å"Termination for Cause† term in commercial item contracts does not contain a â€Å"cure notice† requirement, the FAR termination procedures for commercial item contracts require the Contracting Officer to send a standard cure notice ‘prior to terminating a contract for a reason other than late delivery. Consequences And Remedies Of â€Å"Termination For Default† And â€Å"Termination For Convenience† If a board or court determines that the contractor was not actually in default or the default was excusable, the termination for default will be converted into a termination for convenience. Similarly, before the appeal is even decided, the Contracting Office r can convert the termination for default into one for the government’s convenience. The Contractor’s recovery under a convenience termination may be significant. For example, under a convenience termination, the contractor is eligible to recover its costs of performance, some â€Å"continuing costs,† settlement expenses, and a reasonable profit on completed work. Should the contractor be unsuccessful in contesting the propriety of the default termination itself, it may still be able to challenge the excess costs assessment and achieve a reduction or elimination of those costs. The Fulford doctrine permits contractors to challenge the government’s imposition of excess re-procurement costs even if the time has expired for appealing the underlying default termination, but does not trump the Contract Disputes Act election doctrine. Remedy of â€Å"Excess Cost of Re-procurement† and â€Å"Liquidated Damages† The standard measures of excess costs is the difference between the contract price of the terminated contract and the price the government is required to pay to the re-procurement contractor for quantity f supplies or services called for under the terminated contract or for completion of unfinished work remaining under the terminated contract. To assess excess costs against the defaulted contractor, the government must show that the re-procurement contract has been performed and that complete payment has been made. The government may not obtain re-procurement costs for work that the government prevented the contractor from performing. If the default-terminated contract contains a â€Å"Liquidated Damages† clause, those damages may be assessed against the contractor until the government obtains completion of the contract work. Liquidated damages are in addition to the excess costs of re-procurement The Liquidated Damages† clause used in fixed-price supply and service contracts provides that, in the case of a termination for default, the contractor shall be liable for liquidated damages (as well as excess costs) â€Å"until the time the government may reasonably obtain delivery or performance of similar supplies or services. The â€Å"Liquidated Damages† clause requires the contractor to pay the government a specific amount for each calendar day of delay. The stipulated amount of the liquidated damages is set at the time the contract is entered into and is the parties’ estimate of the extent of loss that one party’s breach of the contract would cause to the other. Government policy is to use a â€Å"Liquidated Damages† clause in a contract when both (1)the time of delivery or performance is such an important factor that the government may reasonably expect to suffer damages if the delivery or performance is delinquent, and (2) the extent or amount or actual damages would be difficult or impossible to ascertain or prove. Contract Disputes Act The Contract Disputes Act of 1978 (â€Å"CDA†), which became effective on March 1, 1979, establishes the procedures for handling claims relating to United States Federal Government contracts. All claims by the contractor against the Federal Government must be submitted in writing to the Governments Contracting Officer for a decision. All claims by the Federal Government against the contractor must be the subject of a decision by the Contracting Officer. Apart from claims by the Federal Government alleging fraud in connection with a claim by the contractor, all claims by either the Federal Government or the contractor must be submitted within six years after the accrual of the claim. Claims by the contractor that exceed $100,000 must be accompanied by a certification that (i) the claim is made in good faith, (ii) the supporting data are accurate and complete to the best of the contractors knowledge and belief, (iii) the amount requested represents the contract adjustment for which the contractor believes the Federal Government is liable, and (iv) the certifier is authorized to submit the certification on behalf of the contractor. There are procedures in the statute for remedying certifications that do not exactly mimic the required certification language. For claims of $100,000 or less, the Contracting Officer is required to issue a decision within 60 days of receipt of the claim provided the contractor requests a decision within that time period. For claims in excess of $100,000, the Contracting Officer is required, within 60 days, either to issue a decision or notify the contractor when a decision will be issued. All decisions should be issued within a reasonable time, taking into account the nature of the claim, and, if they are not, the contractor may either request a tribunal to direct the Contracting Officer to issue a decision within a specified time or treat the failure to issue a decision as an appealable deemed denial of the claim. If the contractor is dissatisfied with the Contracting Officers decision on a claim, the contractor may (i) appeal that decision to the cognizant agency board of contractor appeals within 90 days of receipt of the decision or (ii) bring suit on the claim in the United States Court of Federal Claims within 12 months. Decisions not appealed within one of these time periods become final and conclusive. There are procedures in the statute authorizing the use of mutually agreeable alternative dispute resolution techniques for handling disputes and well as for the use of streamlined and accelerated litigation procedures for smaller claims at the boards of contract appeals. The losing party may appeal a decision by either a board of contract appeals or the United States Court of Federal Claims to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. A contractor is entitled to interest on the amount found due on its claim running from the date the Contracting Officer received the claim until the claim is paid. Good acquisition planning is crucial to the overall project objective, government spending, tailored to objectives and constraints, and is flexible enough to allow innovation and modification as the project evolves. The strategy balances cost and effectiveness through development of technological options, exploration of design concepts, and planning and conduct of acquisition activities. These elements are directed toward either a planned Initial Operational Capability or retention for possible future use, while adhering to a program budget. The strategy should be structured to achieve program stability by minimizing technical, schedule, and cost risks. Thus the criteria of realism, stability, balance, flexibility, and managed risk should be used to guide the development and execution of an acquisition strategy and to evaluate its effectiveness. The acquisition strategy must reflect the interrelationships and schedule of acquisition phases and events based on a logical sequence of demonstrated accomplishments, not on fiscal or calendar expediency.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Baby Can Sing and Other Stories by Judith Slater :: Biography Biographies Essays

The Baby Can Sing and Other Stories by Judith Slater When a group of short stories is put together, in most cases there is a significant aspect in why the writer chooses certain stories and in a certain order, much like books of poetry. There is a reason to the writer's madness. If a writer has enough stories to fill a book that is so good it deserves to be printed and stay in print, they've probably written enough stories to fill two or more books and those that made it were what the author felt to be the best or looked the best together. The stories have a connection that links them together. In The Baby Can Sing and Other Stories, all of the stories tell the tales of going off away from the usual or the norm. Let's assume for the sake of argument that Judith Slater wasn't available to explain why she did what she did with the book and stories involved. The writer is unreachable for questions or comments for the majority of the time, so much that the idea of contacting the actual writer is often not thought of. Without knowing anything, the first story "The Baby Can Sing" is a phenomenal introduction to the collection. Based on reality, the story talks about some imaginary baby that can dance and sing. It doesn't have a beginning, middle, and end, making it different from a traditional story. It has no climax or dramatic point. It is the stream of consciousness that the narrator rides along away from whatever the reality is. The class came to a conclusion that the narrator was actually pregnant but something happened to the baby. At one point since she says, "When I was pregnant..." and that is the only comment in the past tense. Everything else is in the mystical present or the 'would be' future, both being skeptical and wishing. The class speculated that whatever happened to this woman's baby (i.e. abortion, miscarriage, etc.) was not good, as if losing a baby in any way were a blessed event. In that case, the narrator could be taking her mental state away from the harsh reality and to a dreamlike place of the impossible.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Multistep Synthesis of Benzilic Acid

Multi-Step Synthesis of Benzilic Acid from Benzoin Abstract: The main purpose of this experiment was to convert a secondary alcohol to a ketone, utilizing a mild and selective oxidizing agent. In addition, this converted alpha diketone was then subjected to rearrangement to a carboxylate salt, then acidification, to produce an alpha-hydroxyacid. In this experiment, benzoin was used and converted into benzil, which was then used to synthesize benzillic acid. The yields were not ideal: . 081g of benzil- a 27. 5% yield; . 038g of benzilic acid- a 34. 7% yield. The matching melting points and IR readings, however, confirmed a high degree of purity for each compound: 95. 6 °C for benzil, and 104. 5 °C for benzilic acid, meager . 632% and . 333% discrepancy from literature values, respectively. Finally, the IR absorption frequencies on the attached graphs illustrate the successful removal of the alcohol in the oxidation step and successive return of the alcohol/creation of carboxylic acid, following rearrangement. Multistep syntheses are essential to producing complex molecules.This experiment illustrated the importance of verifying intermediary products are pure, by utilizing different techniques such as IR and melting point. Below is a diagram of the overall reaction. First Reaction: Second Reaction: Introduction: The multistep reaction from Benzoin to Benzillic acid involves multiple organic chemistry concepts, such as oxidation and re arrangement. The first part of the experiment involves the oxidation of benzoin to benzil, utilizing a mild oxidating agent. The process of oxidation is used in all organic chemistry labs and is essential to a wide variety of synthesis reactions.In addition, oxidation reactions are essential in the the biochemistry of most living organisms. This experiment also breaks down oxidizing agents into selective and non-selective agents. For this experiment’s purposes, nitric acid was used, as it is selective towards secondary alcohols, oxidizing them to ketones. The second part of this experiment involves the rearrangement of benzil to benzillic acid or, more generally, the reaction of an alpha-diketone to an alpha-hydroxyacid. This reaction was first conducted by Justus von Liebig in 1838 (1).The basics of this reaction involve the formation of a carboxylate salt from an alpha-diketone; acid is then added to produce an aromatic alpha-hydroxyacid. The reaction conducted in this expe riment is an essential base step in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and certain hallucinogenic drugs. The synthesis of Benzil from Benzoin is shown below: The above reaction shows the condensed oxidation of benzoin to benzil. The following diagram shows the condensed reaction of benzil to benzillic acid. Rearrangement occurs to form a salt, then the salt is acidified to form benzillic acid.Once the products of each step were obtained- benzil and benzillic acid- their melting points and IR readings were obtained. These two measurements were used to prove that the correct product was formed without any impurities. One of the major risks in this experiment is loss of product through multiple filtrations. To minimize this problem, the filtration steps should be carefully and slowly executed. This ensures that the least amount of reactants are lost. In addition, recrystallization can occur too quickly if a hot solution is directly placed in an ice bath, allowing impurities to be trapped within the precipitate’s crystal lattice.To avoid this, the solutions should be given ample time to cool to room temperature before adding the solutions to an ice bath. These precautions were taken to try to reach our goal of a high percent yield of product with little to no impurities. There were no new techniques used in this experiment, however there were old techniques used to provide information/obtain a product. The first technique was crystallization which was useful to obtain a solid product that can then be purified. Another old technique utilized was filtration, via hirsch funnel and vacuum. This technique was used to obtain a purified product, removing impurities.Once the final solid product was obtained in both reactions the melting point procedure was used to determine the level of remaining impurity of the final product, comparing the experimental and expected values found in literature. In conjunction with the melting point procedure, infrared spectroscopy was used to reveal the different functional groups of the products. In other words, the IR machine indicates whether our final product matches up with the desired one, matching carbonyl and alcohol absorption peaks (or the lack thereof) to their theoretical presence (either benzil or benzillic acid).Procedure: 1. 5ml of nitric acid was added to . 30g of benzoin in a conical vial with a stir vane. The mixture was then heated in a 70 degree Celsius water bath, while stirred, for one hour. The mixture in the conical vial was then cooled to room temperature and, using a pipette, the solution was transferred to a beaker containing 4ml of ice water. The mixture slowly crystallized in the beaker and the crystallized product was filtered on a hirsch funnel with vacuum. 5 ml of cold water was used to wash the product and then the product was allowed to dry.The solid product was then collected from the funnel and added to a hot 95% ethanol solution in an Erlenmeyer flask and completely dissolved . Once the solid was dissolved completely, the solution was allowed to cool to room temperature. Once yellow crystals formed, the solution was placed into an ice bath. The product was then collected and filtered again on a hirsch funnel with vacuum. The product was then washed with ice cold 95% ethanol. Once completely dried, the crystals were weighed and the final mass, percent yield, melting point, and IR reading of the crystallized product measured/calculated. 100g of benzil and . 30ml of ethanol were mixed in a conical vial.The solution in the conical vial was then heated to about 100 degrees celsius until the benzil dissolved. Then . 25ml of potassium hydroxide was added dropwise to the vial. The mixture was then heated to 110 degrees for 15 minutes, then allowed to slowly cool to room temperature. The product was transferred with a pipette to a 10ml beaker and cooled in an ice bath for 15 minutes. 1ml portions of ethanol were added once crystallized and filtered. The product w as then transferred to a 10ml beaker with 70 °C water, allowing the product to dissolve. 0. ml of HCL acid was added dropwise and the mixture was allowed to cool and then transferred to an ice bath. The crystals were collected on a hirsch funnel and washed with 4ml of cold ice water.The crystals were dried and collected for final mass, percent yield, melting point, and IR reading. Results and Discussion: Table 1: Mass and Molar Quantity of Starting and Synthesized Materials; Percentage Yield and Both Experimental and Theoretical Melting Points of Products and Percent Discrepancy| Compound| Mass (g)| Quantity (mol x10-4)| % Yield| M. P. EXP ( °C)| M. P. THEO ( °C)| % D| Benzoin| 0. 298| 14| -| -| -| -| Benzil Yield| 0. 081| 3. 5| 27. 50%| 95. 6| 95. 0| 0. 632%| Benzil Start| 0. 1001| 4. 76| -| -| -|   | Benzilic Acid Yield| 0. 038| 1. 67| 34. 97%| 149. 5| 150| 0. 333%| The initial mass of benzoin and its yield of benzil in the first part of the experiment, as well as the star ting mass of benzil and its yield of benzilic acid in the second part.Note that the yield from part 1 was not the same amount used at the start of part 2. Also shown: the converted molar quantity of each mass and corresponding percent yield for the two synthesized compound, as well as their experimental and theoretical melting points and percent discrepancy between these values. As noted, the â€Å"Start† weight of Benzil- in row 3 of Table 1- differs from the â€Å"Yield† weight- in row 2. The yield, itself, was not used in the second part of this experiment: the synthesis of benzilic acid from benzil. Furthermore, an error occurred in the second portion of the experiment and very little acid product was salvaged; thus, the yield shown for benzilic acid is data that has been shared from another synthesis (this product yield was from _____ and his lab partner). Additionally, this alternative product was the one used in determining a melting point. Graph 1 illustrates t he successful oxidation of benzil, as the alcohol has been eliminated. As expected, it also retains a strong peak at ~1657cm-1, indicating the carbonyl groups present in the diketone, although this is a slightly lower absorption than expected. Graph 2 also presents a successful synthesis, as a relatively strong and somewhat broad peak appears around 3390cm-1, suggesting the reemergence of an alcohol and potential presence of the carboxylic acid; that the peak at 1715cm-1 remains strong, confirms his.SAMPLE CALCULATIONSCalculation of Benzil Percent Yield: Moles BenzilMoles Benzoin=. 081g? 210. 23g/mol. 298g? 212. 24g/mol=3. 85? 10-4mol14. 0? 10-4mol=0. 275? 100%=27. 5% Calculation of Benzilic Acid Percent Yield: Moles Benzilic AcidMoles Benzil=. 0380? 228. 25g/mol. 1001? 210. 23g/mol=1. 67? 10-4mol4. 76? 10-4mol=0. 3497? 100%=34. 97% Calculation of Percent Discrepancy in Benzil Melting Point: %D=xTHEO-xEXPxTHEO? 100%= 95. 0? -95. 6? 95. 0? =. 00632Ãâ€"100%=0. 32% Calculation of Perc ent Discrepancy in Benzilic Acid Melting Point: %D=xTHEO-xEXPxTHEO? 100%= 150. 0? -149. 5? 150. 0? =. 0033Ãâ€"100%=0. 33% Both steps of this experiment’s synthesis are considered successful. Though not in the desired quantities, a product of benzil was obtained from benzoin and that of benzoic acid from benzil. The initial step, synthesis of benzil, resulted in a yield of 27. 5%, despite an encouragingly smooth synthesis. The synthesis may have called for a second, more thorough recrystallization to appeal this yield.The recrystallization was performed correctly; however, the mixture was likely not allowed to cool at an ideally slow rate. It was removed from the hot plate and, shortly thereafter, transferred to the ice bath- likely, before it had calmed to room temperature. This could have interrupted the ability for the product to crystallize without impurities being trapped within its lattice. During the second portion of this experiment, a known, pure quantity of benzil w as used to synthesize a 34. 97% yield of benzilic acid. This small yield is likely also due to factors similar to the aforementioned.Additionally, the recorded yield was shared from another synthesis; the original synthesis performed yielded too small and impure an amount of product to effectively determine a melting point and I. R. spectra. This failure may certainly be attributed to an error during the recrystallization, prior to the initial filtration. Proper care was taken to allow the solution to cool very slowly during this second recrystallization. Unfortunately, once the solution was transferred to the ice bath, a large chunk of ice crystals somehow fell over the lip of the flask and into the mixture. Being that the intermediate was relatively water

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Language Arts Essay

This topic will provide students with an interactive method of learning numeracy, literacy, inquiry and responsibility within the environment in which we live (Rice & Wilson, 1999). It gives ample leeway for creating lessons within the subject areas of Science, Mathematics, Language Arts, and Social Studies. Such a unit will make students aware of the place and role of trees in the environment. It will also enhance their knowledge of the structure and function of trees as living things. Students will also understand how humans depend on trees in the environment and also how the activities of humans have adversely affected the environment in the past. Finally, it will make students aware of how their individual actions toward trees can improve the state of the environment. Overall Expectations: 1. Students will learn how trees grow. 2. Students will learn the uses that humans have for trees. 3. Students will explore what humans and trees have in common. 4. Students will learn size and texture comparisons from parts of trees. 5. Students will learn how to count using tree limbs, leaves, and other tree parts. 6. Students will learn numeracy and estimation by exploring how many more limbs are possessed by one tree over another. 7. Students will learn vocabulary and how to construct sentences about trees. 8. Students will learn about forests and how they have been harmed by humans in the past Specific Expectations Integrated Science Students will be expected to make connections between trees and the things in their lives made from trees. They will be expected to be able to tell the facts about trees. Such prompts will be given to allow them to name such characteristics as size, colour, and the different parts of a tree that they are familiar with. Student will also be expected to learn observation and note-taking skills as part of the scientific process. Mathematics Students should be able to demonstrate their knowledge of counting objects and of the fact that one number represents on object via counting branches, leaves, and other parts of trees. They are also expected to be able to perform arithmetic operations of adding and subtracting using tree icons as computational tools. Students are also expected to learn (or reinforce knowledge of) descriptors such as larger, longer, bigger, taller, thinner, and other comparisons. Language Arts Students are expected to learn vocabulary connected with trees and to recognize them as sight words. They are expected to make connections between trees, their parts, animals and humans, and should be able to construct simple sentences that explain facts about them. Students should also be able to recognize and properly use comparative adjectives such as tall and taller, thin and thinner, long and longer, etc. Specific Expectations Students will be expected to be able to understand the interactions of humans and animals with trees. They should be able to name such things that they have seen in trees, such as birds nests and squirrels. They will then be expected to understand whether trees are alive or dead and required to say why they have answered in a specific way.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

How Have Human Activities, some of which may be Conflicting, essays

How Have Human Activities, some of which may be Conflicting, essays There are many reasons why a country would decide to change or manipulate a river. As every country is unique there are rarely occasion where two or more countries have used the same reason to change their river. However the status, possible economic, limits and dictates how many choices the country has. Generally MEDCS have more options and techniques available to change the river, because they are not restrained by large debts. However both MEDCs and LEDCs encounter their own individual problem, which affects the river and its environment. An example of an MEDC river management is the Mississippi River. And in 1993 a large flood in the basin of the Mississippi River caused great economic and environmental problems. Conflict arose as environmental groups said that trying to manage the river only makes it worse and that the damage caused by flooding would not have been so serve had minimal river management occurred. However the groups managing the river said the irregular weather patterns caused the floods. The management of the river started decades ago as America was a NIC it used the river to enhance its economic position as well as attempting to create a better living standards as the soil near the river was very fertile and would encourage agriculture into the area. The river management techniques used by the group was the creation of levees as this in turn raised the river level, and effected the environment it surrounds. The flood meant that waste products in the river were released onto the fertile soil also tow ns created along the river were flooding leaving thousands of people without homes. Therefore urbanisation was another major factor in human activities on the river. The flood itself killed 50 people and caused $10 billion of damage. This flood occurred partially because of human factors including: 1. Channelisation causing problems downstream, 2. Levees causing water to back up, &midd...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Write a College Term Paper

Write a College Term Paper Write a College Term Paper Write a College Term Paper Students are often intimidated about writing college-level term papers. By reviewing key prewriting strategies, you will learn how confidently begin writing formal college term paper. This lesson is designed to show how thinking about purpose, audience, and role can shape your writing and make it easier for you narrow down a topic. Being able to generate ideas is also a key skill for writers of term papers as you continue to narrow down your topic. You probably have already heard what a thesis statement is, and by reviewing key strategies for writing the thesis, you will be able to craft your own thesis. Once you have a preliminary thesis, you can begin to outline ideas, which will help you to organize your thoughts and make the writing process much easier. Term paper: Considering Your Writing Context The writing context includes three key factors: The writers purpose The writers audience The writers role Term paper purpose Think about any recent writing that youve done, whether it was writing an term paper for one of your classes or sending an email home to your parents. No matter type of writing youre doing, there is a reason why youre writing. In general, there are four main reasons for writing: To entertain the reader To relate an experience and/or express feelings To inform the reader about something interesting or important To persuade the reader to think or act in a particular way Understanding your purpose before you start writing is an important part of the argumentative term paper writing process: Term paper audience Having a clear idea of who your audience will be is just as important as identifying your purpose. First, you need to have a clear sense of who your reader is, and second, you need to know what the reader is like. Just about every decision you make about your writing will be influenced by your audience. For instance, what type of vocabulary would be appropriate for your audience? Will you need to define certain terms or can you assume your audience already knows the given terminology? Interesting posts: Dissertation Paper PhD Thesis My Dissertation What is a Thesis? Thesis Methodology

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Learn About Scarab Beetles of the Family Scarabaeidae

Learn About Scarab Beetles of the Family Scarabaeidae Scarab beetles include the biggest insects in the world, in terms of sheer mass. Scarabs were revered in ancient Egypt as symbols of resurrection. More than just powerhouses, scarab beetles serve important roles in the habitats where they live. The family Scarabaeidae includes dung beetles, June beetles, rhinoceros beetles, chafers, and flower scarabs. What Are Scarab Beetles? Most scarab beetles are robust, convex insects with brown or black coloring. Whatever the coloration, size, or shape, scarabs share a key common feature: lamellate antennae that can be closed tightly. The last 3 to 7 segments of each antenna form plates that can be expanded like a fan or folded together into a club. Scarab beetle larvae, called grubs, are c-shaped and usually live in the ground, feeding on roots. The grubs have a distinctive head capsule, and easy to identify legs on the thorax. The family of scarab beetles falls into the following classifications: Kingdom - AnimaliaPhylum - ArthropodaClass - InsectaOrder - ColeopteraFamily - Scarabaeidae What Do Scarab Beetles Eat? Most scarab beetles feed on a  decomposing matter such as dung, fungi, or carrion. This makes them valuable in their environments as they are a bit like the cleanup crew or garbage haulers of the animal kingdom. Other scarab beetles visit plants, feeding on pollen or sap. Flower scarabs are important pollinators, for example. Larvae feed on plant roots, carrion, or dung, depending on the type of scarab. The Life Cycle of Scarabs Like all beetles, scarabs undergo complete metamorphosis with four stages of development: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Scarab beetles generally lay their eggs in the ground, in dung, or in other decomposing materials including carrion. In many species, the larvae feed on plant roots, though some feed directly on dung or carrion. In areas with cold winter climates, grubs typically move deeper into the soil to survive freezing temperatures. They then emerge as adults in early summer. Special Adaptations and Defenses Some male scarabs, such as rhinoceros or Hercules beetles, bear horns on their head or pronotum (the hard dorsal plate covering the head-body junction). The horns are used to spar with other males over food or females. Dung beetles excavate burrows below manure piles, then mold the dung into capsules in which they lay their eggs. The mother cares for her developing young by keeping the dung ball free of mold or fungi. The June beetle (or June bug) feeds at night and is attracted to light, which is why theyre often seen on warm evenings in early summer. The female can lay up to 200 small pearl-like eggs and the larvae feed on plant roots for three years before emerging as adults. Some plant-eating scarabs such as the rose chafer are poisonous to chickens and other poultry who eat them. Range and Distribution Some 20,000 species of scarab beetles inhabit terrestrial habitats around the world. Well over 1,500 species of Scarabaeidae live in North America.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Higher Education Challenges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Higher Education Challenges - Essay Example long-standing problems such as racial inequity in education, new challenges like economic recession and falling value of dollar have only made the problem worse to such an extent that it is feared that US needs urgently to reform its higher education system or it will lose its unique position of strength and competitiveness.   (Blue Ribbon Commission) The Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher education further observes: â€Å"Out of every ten 9th graders nationally, only three will obtain an associate’s or bachelor’s degree on time. These results simply are not good enough. We need more people attending and finishing college with a certificate or degree in order to keep up and move up in the global economy.†Ã‚  (Blue Ribbon Commission)    In order to maintain its global competitiveness, the US society should not afford to underestimate the importance of its human resource.   This is even more so important in this new knowledge-based economy where knowledge is its main capital.   Proportion of public funding on higher education has declined over the years in many states.   For example, the state of Connecticut in 1989 received 6.6 percent of the state’s budget.   It declined to 3.9 percent in 1997 and then rose slowly to a peak of 4.5 percent in 2001.   It is again estimated to be 3.9 percent for 2010 budget, matching 1997 low of 3.9 percent.   The trend of reduction in proportional funding within the higher education over the period of 1990s was typical for many states.   This led to the rise in tuition fees for several students.   (Connecticut Public Higher Education)   Such rising costs did not serve the cause of already reeling Blacks and other economically disadvantaged class.   (Johnson)   In the meantime, US has been reduced to only two nations where young population (25-34 years old) is less educated than its older population (35-44 years old)   (Blue Ribbon Commission). This reflects how terrific the situation is, when it comes to higher education.   Over

Friday, October 18, 2019

Public Relation - BlueJet case study Term Paper

Public Relation - BlueJet case study - Term Paper Example Jet Blue Airways has had its share of difficulties in the public relations sector such as the stranding of two planes in the JFK airport in the snowstorm of February 14, 2007. Public relations are defined as the management and practice of passing on information between the management and public in an organization. In this report, I shall focus on how Jet Blue Airways is able to keep a growing number of local and domestic flyers. The growth of the company is documented in numerous sources, such as a growth that has recorded over 23 million passengers in the New York, New York, Boston, Massachusetts, Orlando, Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and long beach, California cities in the August- July 2010 season. This report shall assess the methods, strategies and practices used by Jet Blue Airways with respect to improving public relations. Improving the public relations positively affects the running of the company such as in marketing, advertising and sales department of the company. The report shall also focus on the elements useful is improving the public relations of the company. The SWOT analysis of Jet Blue Airways consists of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that the company faces in running its operations. The analysis should involve all the elements that involve the company’s operations. The SWOT analysis of a company is normally done to aid in marketing the services and products in an aim to attain sustenance and growth. When it comes to the public relations, there are minimal differences in the SWOT analysis as the concerns of the company are in regards to the loyal customers the airline has established (Broom, 2008). The following are the strengths of Jet Blue Airways in public relations, in accordance to the marketing strategy used by the company (Cutlip, Center, & Broom, 2005). These strengths involve the management, staff

Profile of a Learner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Profile of a Learner - Essay Example As a teacher, I have to make sure each student gains from the course by trying as much as possible to accommodate their needs in my teaching methods. My current class consists of students with a wide range of capabilities, talents and learning abilities. As a teacher, I have had to change my teaching mode in order to enhance learning outcomes of each of the students. In this essay, I will profile one of my students, Emmy. Emmy is an eighteen-year-old female student taking various subjects including as working in partnership, health and safety, and principle of practice, which are the main elements of the Health and social care Course. Each of these course elements equip students with different skills and are all essential to their general understanding of health issues and social care. Therefore, it is essential for the students to perform well in all the course elements, in both theory and practice in order to excel in the course as indicated by Armitage, et al, (2012). Description of Initial Assessment Procedures In order to fully understand Emmy, I endeavored to conduct an assessment on her academic and general behavior in order to know how to help her. This, according to Keeley-Brown, (2007), is the best way to conduct an initial assessment of the student and get a clear picture of the student’s needs.... In order to help her and the other students, I decided to take a keen assessment of Emmy and her behavior in order to help her achieve the best learning outcomes at the end of the course. I therefore went through her academic records, talked to her friends as well as sitting down worth her in order to assess her mental abilities. A look at her academic records revealed that she had one of the lowest average grades with extremely poor results in theoretical subjects. She performed pretty well in practical subjects. After looking at her results and comparing with other students in her company, I concluded that she was somewhat nonchalant in reading a lot of the theory notes given to her by the teachers. She preferred doing practical; assignments on the other hand. Theoretical subjects demand that students use up their time reading in order to grasp the content. Her lack of interest in reading could have contributed to her poor results in theory. Upon keeping a keen eye on her behavior in class, I noticed that she shunned away from students who performed better than her and preferred to hang with average students like herself. She also did not like participating in group assignments. Most of the groups were formed around the idea that the students with different learning abilities would come together to share their skills and learn from one another. The groups therefore consisted of both average and excellent students. I tried to sit down with Emmy and chat with her and I discovered that her mental strength was a little bit lower than the course required in order for one to excel. She had a low self-esteem and feared interacting with students she felt were clever. She also had a negative

Thursday, October 17, 2019

3 English Assignments Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

3 English Assignments - Assignment Example Below examples of all five definitions, this will hopefully help everyone understand vectors. Scalars are quantities that can only be measured. Temperature and time are examples of a scalar. Examples of time being measured would be a child’s word per minute (wpm). Supposes Child X reads 118 wpm. The equation for this example would be: This equation states velocity equals 17 meters per second. That is the measurement of velocity, but velocity has another part. Velocity also has direction. To correctly state velocity one must state an object is travelling 17m/s South. The measurement of velocity is called speed. Thus velocity is made up of direction and speed. Velocity is a quantity that can be defined as a vector. Directions as defined in relation to vectors are as seen on a compass; North, South, West, and East. In order to be considered a vector, the object must be going a direction that can be seen on the compass. If an individual is unsure if a quantity qualifies as a scalar or vector, just question if the quantity is heading a direction that can be mapped on a compass like the one below. The compass is separated into 360 °. Right angles are between each direction (N,S,E,W). North and South are separated by 180 °. Thus vectors are given a specific direction. Examples can be written two ways: The easiest way to explain this concept is the 30 ° North of East is 30 ° of the arrow from the East sign to the North sign or 60 ° North to the East side. The directions are 90 ° for each four sections of the compass. Vectors are quantities that have measure and direction. A bicycle, ball, car, and other objects can be measured and follow a compass direction. Vectors are symbolized as arrows and points. Below is an example of a vector. Vectors are simply something that can be measured with direction that can be tracked on the compass. Vectors are extremely important in physics. Vectors can be â€Å"acceleration, force,

Technology effects on children Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Technology effects on children - Research Paper Example f the social media, which includes twitter and Face book have a negative impact on children, because they play a role in making them to waste time, and it also enables them to engage in unnecessary social interactions†. This is basically because it makes them vulnerable to criminals and pedophiles that are using the internet for purposes of taking advantage of them. However, it is important to assert that technological innovations are not used for purposes of social interactions, but it can also be used in the school environment, and educating children. For instance, the use of power point illustrations is an efficient and effective method of teaching children various concepts within the classroom set up. This paper focuses on the impact of technology on children who are between the ages of 9 to 12 years, and the ones who reside in United States. 2. Napoli (2011, p. 66) examines this debate and he asserts that, â€Å"There are people who support, and those who area against the use of technology in schools, and by children, and hence it is a controversial topic†. Those that claim that technology has a negative effect on children’s development and growth base their arguments on a number of findings, for example, anti-social behavior among children, poor anger management, health issues such as diabetes caused by obesity due to the over use of technology (Adamy &Milman, 2009). However, the opposing side bases its evidence on early knowledge development in children especially in technological fields, better coordination and quick reception and response which are better developed in children exposed to technology. Moreover, the use of technology offers children with hand dexterity, quick reasoning and critical thinking. It’s still obvious that people haven’t reached a consensus over this issue, and the society seems greatly divided over it. Philosophers have argued over the years and competed with each other in trying to establish the real position of the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

3 English Assignments Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

3 English Assignments - Assignment Example Below examples of all five definitions, this will hopefully help everyone understand vectors. Scalars are quantities that can only be measured. Temperature and time are examples of a scalar. Examples of time being measured would be a child’s word per minute (wpm). Supposes Child X reads 118 wpm. The equation for this example would be: This equation states velocity equals 17 meters per second. That is the measurement of velocity, but velocity has another part. Velocity also has direction. To correctly state velocity one must state an object is travelling 17m/s South. The measurement of velocity is called speed. Thus velocity is made up of direction and speed. Velocity is a quantity that can be defined as a vector. Directions as defined in relation to vectors are as seen on a compass; North, South, West, and East. In order to be considered a vector, the object must be going a direction that can be seen on the compass. If an individual is unsure if a quantity qualifies as a scalar or vector, just question if the quantity is heading a direction that can be mapped on a compass like the one below. The compass is separated into 360 °. Right angles are between each direction (N,S,E,W). North and South are separated by 180 °. Thus vectors are given a specific direction. Examples can be written two ways: The easiest way to explain this concept is the 30 ° North of East is 30 ° of the arrow from the East sign to the North sign or 60 ° North to the East side. The directions are 90 ° for each four sections of the compass. Vectors are quantities that have measure and direction. A bicycle, ball, car, and other objects can be measured and follow a compass direction. Vectors are symbolized as arrows and points. Below is an example of a vector. Vectors are simply something that can be measured with direction that can be tracked on the compass. Vectors are extremely important in physics. Vectors can be â€Å"acceleration, force,

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

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

Brand Audit - Research Paper Example However, with appropriate brand audit the particular brand will get more strength to retain its strong brand image within the market. Introduction: There are many cases in the industry where the business got badly affected for the major brand failures and for these factors the main reason would be the lack of initiative in brand audit process. Target is a brand which is into the retailing. It has to be remembered that a retail store sales products which are of different brands. Target retail is a chain which is selling multi branded products in their stores. In this case many brands are associated under one name and that is the reason auditing of the main brand Target is an important factor to be taken seriously to measure the ultimate output in a quantitative manner. Brand audit and background analysis of the Brand Target: The brand is the name, logo or some marks associated with the product which distinguishes the product from the other identical products (Clifton, Simmons, and Ahm ad 2009, 23). According to Martin Jelsema 1 the six major factors for the brand evaluations are brand matrices, brand positioning, market segmentations, internal strength of the brand, brand personality and differentiators which differentiate the brand from the other competing brands. The brand audit is basically the valuation of the brad in a quantitative manner. ... As an example brand equity can be stated as the strong mental association within the consumers related to the specific brand. It also can be associated with the aggregate value of the brand in the customers’ mind (Majumdar, 2009, 3). Customers are the assets of the companies and the brand identity and the brand equity relates closely towards the customer equity. The brand Target has a great brand value among the customers of Australia. There are some factors which are closely related to the evaluation of the brand Target and they are, value equity, relationship equity and the brand equity. The customer centric approach of the retail brand Target is the key of the success. The Brand Target was founded in early 1925 and from that time it is growing with a great pace and in the present time the brand operates as a subsidiary of the company named Coles Group Limited (Target Australia private Ltd.). The company has a great existence in the market as the brand name of Target and it has also created great brand equity in the country side of the Australia with the brand name of Target Country Stores. However, the mother brand Target is having more than 290 stores in all over Australia (History in the making: Target). The Target Australia Private Ltd has shown a great endeavor towards building the brand and more importantly it has got a sustainable market capitalization within the Australian consumers for many years. Brand Culture: The brand culture is a structural function which creates the identity of the brand for a long term within the organization. The proper culture shows the ultimate path for the improvement. The brand culture has got a great significance in the industry for the last few decades

Monday, October 14, 2019

Effects of Video Games on Children Essay Example for Free

Effects of Video Games on Children Essay Although video games can increase aggressive behavior, they can improve memory and logistical thinking, as well as teach perseverance. Over the course of the last few decades video games have been integrated into the lives of our children. Video games are very appealing to children of all ages, and even to some adults. There is a variety of video games out there, and they range from educational to very violent. Because of this diverse selection of video games, there is a wide range of positive and negative side effects that these games can have on children. Because a large percentage of our children’s time is spent playing video games, there has been a lot of research in recent years on the positive and negative effects these games have on them. â€Å"Among elementary and middle-school populations, girls play for an average of about 5. 5 hours/week and boys average 13 hours/week,† (Gentile, D. A. 2004). Teenagers also spend a time playing video games. According to Media Analysis Laboratory (1998),†Eighty percent of teens said they played at least occasionally and the average amount of time spent gaming for the sample was 5 hours per week† (para. 19). Video game play has become not only a leisurely pastime for children, but for families also. When parents are not involved in some of their game play the outcome can become a little scary. Children who play video games with their families have a more pro-social attitude compared to their counterparts who play alone. Children who are less social or somewhat anti-social tend to develop aggressive tendancies when spending long hours gaming alone especially when violent video games are involved. Video games have been shown to increase aggressive behavior in some children. Neubert, S. P. (2004) said, â€Å"Individuals high in hostility are more likely to become aggressive when exposed to violent video games. † â€Å"Games in which the only positive outcome is the violent demise of enemies reinforces anti-social behavior. Violent video games desensitize people to aggression,† (Neubert, S. P. , 2004). According to a study done by Douglas A. Gentile. References Media Analysis Laboratory (1998). Video game culture: Leisure and play preferences of B. C. teens. Retrieved from http://www. media-awareness. ca In-Text Citation 1. [Insert the paraphrased material] (Simon Fraser University, Burnaby B. C. , 1998). 2. The Media Analysis Laboratory (1998) website [Insert the paraphrased material]. 3. , [Insert the quotation]† (para. 19).

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Agent orange in Vietnam: Effects and remediation

Agent orange in Vietnam: Effects and remediation ABSTRACT Many types of herbicides were used during the Vietnam War for the purpose of destroying the forests, where Vietnamese soldiers sheltered. Among them, the chemical that was used the most and most hazardous was Agent Orange. This paper, based on secondary research, will discuss some main issues of Agent Orange in Vietnam. In particular, three facets are mentioned, including the effects of Agent Orange on the environment and human in Vietnam, the manner of overcoming its consequences and the struggle for justice for Agent Orange sufferers. Overall, the paper draws the conclusion that the remediation of Agent Orange effects is gradually carried out, but it requires a lot of time and manpower to basically clean-up the remainder of the toxic. Agent Orange In Vietnam: Effects And Remediation Introduction. In Vietnam War, the U.S. Army used a chemical substance called Agent Orange to reveal Vietnam soldiers’ cover and shelters during their chemical warfare in Vietnam. Agent Orange is a name of the herbicide established for military, which contains a dangerous chemical contaminant called dioxin. Dioxin in Agent Orange is a highly toxic and it can cause disabilities, birth defects, diabetes and even cancer. The main purpose of using this deadly substance is to destroy dense terrain in jungles, where Vietnam Armies may be hiding; and to devastate Vietnam’s vegetation and sources of food. It is noteworthy that Agent Orange was sprayed up to about 50 times concentration recommended by manufacturers for eliminating plants in agriculture. The Agent was sprayed over South Vietnam by trucks, boats, infantryman backpack sprayers, and mostly by cargo aircrafts. In fact, not only the environment was destroyed, but human who exposed to the chemical could also be associated with seriou s health issues. It affected both Vietnamese people, and U.S Army veterans, who directly spread this substance into environment. This paper discusses the tremendous impacts of Agent Orange on environment as well as on people in Vietnam, how to remedy its consequences and describes the struggle for justice for Agent Orange victims. Effects of Agent Orange in Vietnam. Effects of Agent Orange on environment. For the first time in human history, a kind of noxious herbicide was used on a large scale in Southern Vietnam, and it caused severe consequences for the ecological environment. In fact, about 72 liters of herbicides (include 44 liters of Agent Orange) was sent out by U.S Army. 86% of the toxic was sprayed directly onto forest land, while 14% remaining was sprayed straight onto agriculture land, where mostly planted rice (H.T 2005). Such enormous amount of these fatal herbicides had created many terrific impacts on environment in Vietnam. From 1965 to 1971, the U.S Military sprayed Agent Orange over approximately 24% of Southern Vietnam, at least 5 million acres of forests and 500,000 acres of crops were destroyed (Vo, cited in Joseph 2011), corresponding to 12% of forest cover and 5% of arable land in total area (H.T 2005). As said by Stellman (cited in Vo 2009, unpub.), they sprayed the herbicide repeatedly in high concentrations, which comprised 3-4 mg/l, much higher than in circumstance of large-scale production and emergency. As a result, this chemical toxin had killed trees, animals, caused ecological imbalance and did great damage to forest resources. The abundant rainforest ecosystem completely vanished, and replaced by a ragged ecosystem. Various types of forests and natural resources in Southern Vietnam were influenced. Animals’ natural habitat was also heavily affected. A lot of plants in forests died and this led to the depletion of genetic resources of a number of rare species. The use of Agent Orange and some else herbicides in Vietnam War had devastated vast areas of forests, which is a very essential basis for stable development of Vietnam. Besides the ecosystem, the soil was also contaminated as a result of the herbicides. The nutrient composition of the soil was damaged and the topsoil became exhausted. When the forests were exterminated, the soil would no longer be covered, and this brought about soil erosion. Research have pointed out that 3.3 million hectares of natural land, including 2 million hectares of domestic forest land were affected by herbicides. In many large areas, land has not been able to be used for cultivation and grazing livestock because the toxic have absorbed deeply into the soil. Since the contaminant dioxin is not broken down quickly and easily in soil, even today, traces of dioxin are still found in soil in many parts of Southern Vietnam. Effects of Agent Orange on human. A. Schecter J. Constable wrote that â€Å"There is no doubt that during and after the war, many Vietnamese absorbed this very toxic material (dioxin). It is our belief from toxicological research and epidemiological studies from many countries that this dioxin probably resulted in significant health effects in Vietnam.† Dioxin, even with infinitesimal amounts could seriously damage human’s health and reduce the lives of people exposed to it as well. In fact, dioxin can cause a great deal of diseases, such as Hodgkin’s disease, mental disorders, soft-tissue sarcoma, diabetes and several kinds of cancer (Martin 2009). Additionally, there is a potential that it can create several legacies for future generations. According to War Legacies Project (Dwernychuk et al. n.d.), herbicides, including Agent Orange had compromised about 4.5 million Vietnamese civilians and 2.8 million U.S veterans. Among them, it is estimated by the Vietnamese Red Cross that up to 3 million Vietnamese have suffered health effects and 150,000 children were born with birth defects (Fawthrop, 2004). The truth is there are so many people were killed by Agent Orange that there are not any firm statistics of the number of people died after exposing to this chemical toxic. With people who survived in the chemical warfare, dioxin would exist in their body for at least 10-12 years. Consequently, their offspring might be at risk of legacies, although they were born many years after war and far from battlefields. There are some kinds of birth defects namely cleft lip, cleft palate, fused digits, muscle malformations and paralysis; and some developmental disabilities as stated by NAS (cited in Dwernychuk et al. n.d.). More dangerous, plants and animals, which are sources of human’s food might consumed dioxin in soil and water, then the toxic may enter bodies through food chain, destroying human from cells. In short, the consequences of Agent Orange/Dioxin are enormous, long lasting and not been thoroughly studied. For those reasons, there have not been any ways to overcome its effects completely and swiftly. Remediation of the consequences of Agent Orange. Process of overcoming Agent Orange’s effects on environment and human. To surmount the consequences of Agent Orange/Dioxin in Vietnam, it requires both effort from this country and the U.S government. The very first thing needed is starting an afforestation program to green the area destroyed by Agent Orange. Scientists have planted rapidly growing trees to create the necessary coverage for bare land, and then they intercropped native plants to recover the featured ecosystem. Furthermore, a project called â€Å"Training for local human resources to restore forest ecosystem and reuse of degraded land due to the effects of toxic chemicals during the war† was launched with the financial support from Ford Foundation (Vo 2009). On the U.S Government’s side, they have also launched a project to clean up Agent Orange in Vietnam. Accordingly, they are providing $43 million to diminish the contamination degree in an area of 73,000 meters square from 2013 to 2016 (Ho, cited in Perry 2012). A decontamination clean-up site was established in Da Nang to allow the clean-up and Vietnam and the United States are looking at new sites in Dong Nai and Binh Dinh in the near future. Both of the two nations also hope to reach the target of fundamentally resolving the aftermath of Agent Orange/Dioxin by 2020. Besides, addressing health issues is also an integral part on the way eradicating Agent Orange/Dioxin in Vietnam. A report in the Make Agent Orange History (2012) revealed that in an effort to remedy health effects, Vietnamese government makes a grant of about $40 million each year to Agent Orange victims. The Vietnam Red Cross has also raised a donation of more than $22 million to assist Vietnamese affected by the toxic herbicides. Likewise, the Ford Foundation, UNICEF along with other organizations and contributors has given $39.1 for health care and other services for the sufferers. An amount of $40.1 million had also been distributed for remediation and health programs by the U.S Congress The struggle for justice for Agent Orange victims. For many years, Vietnam has tried to require the U.S government to take responsibility for environmental and health consequences of Agent Orange used in Vietnam. Nevertheless, the negotiations are still not getting anywhere. As a consequence, a group of Vietnamese scientists decided to sue 39 chemical companies and those people who responsible in a number of courts in America (Dinh 2005). However, the lawsuits were judged unfairly and all dismissed. Although did not achieve the goal, the lawsuit has helped many people around the world have a closer look at the tragedy of Agent Orange. In the meantime, Vietnamese community has launched a campaign to appeal for the support from people around the world by collecting signatures. Fortunately, public opinion is supporting the lawsuit very strongly. The more good news is, in 2009, the Tribunal of Conscience concluded that the using Agent Orange of the U.S government is a war crime against humanity and a genocide crime human and environment and Vietnam. Accordingly, the U.S government and 39 chemical companies must take full responsibility and compensate the victims of Agent Orange (Hoang 2009). That is the biggest success so far of the Vietnam Association of Vi ctims of Agent Orange so far. However, the struggle to find justice for the victims is still challenging. Vietnamese people have to be persistent, thus, it requires the help of millions of people to heal the â€Å"Orange Pain†. Conclusion The above analysis has pointed out a great deal of massive consequences of Agent Orange on both the environment and human in Vietnam. Numerous negative effects caused by this chemical toxic still remain until now and they are likely to continue to exist in many, many years. Meanwhile, the process of overcoming the consequences is still carried out step by step by Vietnam, along with the help of the USA as well as many other organizations. What is more, the fight for the rights of casualties also has achieved certain success. However, these are the very first steps. In order to completely eliminate the effects of Agent Orange, this process need a lot more time and effort as well as the assistance of millions, even billions of people around the world. REFERENCES Dinh Vuong 2005, ‘Và ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ ¥ kià ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¡n cà ¡Ã‚ »a cà ¡c nà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¡n nhà ¢n chà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¥t Ä‘Ã ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â€ž ¢c da cam/Dioxin Vià ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¡t Nam Hà  nh trà ¬nh Ä‘Ã ²i cà ´ng là ½Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, Khoa Hoc Phap Ly Magazine, vol. 3, viewed 22 February, 2014. Dwernychuk, W Bailey, C., n.d.,‘Health effects of Agent Orange/Dioxin’, War Legacies, viewed 15 February, 2014, http://www.warlegacies.org/health.htm. Fawthrop, T. 2004, ‘Vietnams War against Agent Orange’, BBC News story, viewed 18 February, 2014, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3798581.stm. H.T, 2005, ‘Chà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¥t Ä‘Ã ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â€ž ¢c mà  u da cam huà ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ · dià ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¡t mà ´i trÆ °Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ ng à ¡Ã‚ »Ã… ¸ Vià ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¡t Nam nhÆ ° thà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¿ nà  o?’, Khoahoc, viewed 12 February, 2014, http://www.khoahoc.com.vn/doisong/moi-truong/tham-hoa/606_Chat-doc-mau-da-cam-huy-diet-moi-truong-o-Viet-Nam-nhu-the-nao.aspx. Hoang Nghia 2009, ‘Toà   à ¡n LÆ °Ãƒâ€ Ã‚ ¡ng tà ¢m Nhà ¢n dà ¢n thà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¿ già ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ºi: Cà ´ng là ½ là   lÆ °Ãƒâ€ Ã‚ ¡ng tri nhà ¢n loà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¡i’ [online] Available at URL: http://www.tapchicongsan.org.vn/Home/Binh-luan/2009/1887/Toa-an-Luong-tam-Nhan-dan-the-gioi-Cong-ly-la-luong.aspx (Accessed 23 February, 2014) Joshep, J. 2011, ‘Là ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ch sà ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ ­ chà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¥t Ä‘Ã ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â€ž ¢c Da cam và   Dioxin à ¡Ã‚ »Ã… ¸ Vià ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¡t Nam’, viewed 10 February, 2014, http://www.aspeninstitute.org/vi/policy-work/agent-orange/history. ‘Make Agent Orange History 2012’, ‘Solutions for Agent Orange In Vietnam’, viewed February 20, 2014), http://makeagentorangehistory.org/agent-orange-resources/background/solutions-for-agent-orange-in-vietnam/. Martin, M.F., 2009, Vietnamese Victims of Agent Orange and U.S.-Vietnam Relations, United States Congressional Research Service, p.10, viewed 14 February, 2014 Perry, M. 2012, ‘U.S. starts its first Agent Orange cleanup in Vietnam’ [online] Available at URL: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/09/us-vietnam-usa-agentorange-idUSBRE87803K20120809 (Accessed February 20, 2014) Vo Quy, 2009, Report in the cahier of Agent Orange, 2nd at United States House of Representatives, viewed 14 February, 2014. `

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Great Gatsby :: essays papers

Great Gatsby In, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the story is brought to us through a "flawed" narrator, Nick Carraway. It is through his eyes and ears that we form our opinions of the other characters. This makes the audience blind to any discrimination or bias he might have towards the other characters; so Fitzgerald knowingly tries to establish Nick as a trust worthy source. This is important because our only descriptions of Gatsby’s character come from Nick. In The Great Gatsby, Nick goes to some length to establish his credibility, including his moral integrity, in telling this story about this "great" man called Gatsby. He begins with a reflection on his own upbringing, quoting his father's words about Nick's "advantages" which we could assume were material but, he soon makes clear, were moral advantages. Nick wants the reader to know that his upbringing gave him the moral foundation with which to withstand and pass judgment on an immoral world, such as the one he has observed in his stay in the East (New York). He says, rather pompously, that as a consequence of such an upbringing, he is "inclined to reserve all judgments" about other people, but then goes on to say that such "tolerance... has a limit.† This is the first sign that we can trust this narrator to give us an even-handed insight to the story that is about to unfold, but we later learn that he neither reserves all judgments nor does his tolerance reach its limit. He admits early into the story, for example, that he makes an exception of judging Gatsby, for whom he is prepared to suspend both the moral code of his upbringing and the limit of tolerance, because Gatsby had an "extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness." This inspired him to a level of friendship and loyalty that Nick seems unprepared to extend towards others in the novel. For example, Nick overlooks the moral failures of Gatsby's bootlegging, his association with speakeasies, and his liaison with Meyer Wolfsheim yet, he is contemptuous of Jordan Baker for cheating in a mere golf game. And though he says that he's prepared to forgive this sort of behavior in a woman: "It made no difference to me. Dishonesty in a woman is a thing you never blame too deeply... I was casually sorry, and then I forgot," it seems that he cannot accept her for being "incurably dishonest", and then says that his one "cardinal virtue" is that he's "one of the few honest people" he has ever known .

Friday, October 11, 2019

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere Essay

Injustice refers to either the absence or the exact opposite of justice. The term is applied either in reference to a particular event or even a larger incident. Injustice throughout society today is heard a lot about. People hear about major injustices all the time especially now media access is a lot easier. Many people can also come together and confront one another to either support or contradict these transgressions. This can also be contemplated throughout innumerable historical events and even ones that encourage Martin Luther King Jr.’s proclamation that any place with injustice means it is a portent everywhere else. Children both men and women are held in slavery over the course of the entire trans-Atlantic slave trade. The National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 1988 directed the National Park Service to commemorate and honor the history of the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was the resistance to enslavement through escapes and flights throughout the Civil War. It also referred to the efforts of enslaved African Americans to gain their equality by escaping bondage. Wherever slavery existed, there was some sort of effort in escaping. While most completed their journey of escaping unassisted, each subsequent decade in which slavery was legal in the United States saw an accumulation in active efforts to reinforce these escapes. The decision to assist a freedom seeker was quite an experience. However, in other places, particularly after the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, the Underground Railroad was surprisingly organized and even deliberate; seekers spread out into different directions to discuss the important movement in American History as an examination of the areas in which people were enslaved. The power of the word â€Å"injustice† results in many people abusing it and trying to apply it to situations where uninformed people will react by taking their side of the altercation. In the short passage â€Å"Protecting Freedom of Expression on the Campus†, Derek Bok discusses the problem of attempting to reconcile the rights of free speech along with the desire to  avoid racial tension. Derek begins his explanation by using two of his students, one who hung up a confederate flag in public view in Harvard along with having one who protested that same situation by hanging swastika. Oppositions may state that anything that may have been a threat or harm to human life should definitely contain limitations and restrictions. Bok stated how extraordinary perspectives argued by various student groups on the campus were also adding on to express how unique student groups suggested revolving this issue that Bok continued to explain the certain campuses resolving around sim ilar dissensions. â€Å"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.† A nation where most citizens are free to choose their careers, their homes and jobs can be both profitable and content. Having freedom being given freely to the oppressed which means they must fight for their own rights. Most of the time an oppressor benefits from its oppression and the oppressed has to be the first one to set an example of a better situation and then beginning the process of releasing the continuity of oppression. At any rate, it may not be the freedom that â€Å"freedom isn’t free† but it definitely is the basis for it. There is freedom in both social and political senses especially when others abstain from interfering with certain activities that they attend. Freedom in the sense of the inborn capacity to act as people rather than machine figures portray the fact that freedom is free. And that people’s obligations are mostly under a negative connotation rather than a positive connotation in respect to emancipation. In the book, â€Å"The System of Liberty: Themes in the History of Classical Liberalism† by George H. Smith, he discusses the difference between the positive and negative freedom as a huge part of the division between the â€Å"old liberals.† And how the newer liberal comprehension of freedom would require people to do more work instead of initiating force against others because newer liberal-T.H. Green believed that nobody could be free who lacked certain materials. And in order for them all to be free, everybody would be required to submit to the states  demands in the variety forms of taxations and regulations of consensual negotiations. However, oppositions may state that protecting one’s negative social freedom requires usage of scarce resources and in that sense, freedom is not free. Because liberals have spent a decent amount of time proving that new liberalism is founded on a contradiction, that the freedom of one postulates aggressive force upon one another because freedom cannot directly be accustomed; therefore, resulting in people having to work for their liberties. Freedom is not to be given freely because the rights that are already given to us are both significant and immeasurable. In the novel, â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† by Harper Lee, Atticus is appointed by the court to defend Tom Robinson-an African American who had been accused of raping a young White woman. Even though many of Maycomb’s citizens disapproved, Atticus continued to defend Tom. And that resulted in having other children taunt two children Jem and Scout by calling them a â€Å"nigger† for the actions that they have made. Scout was tempted to stand up for his father’s honor by fighting even though Scout’s father told her not to. It was also not the proper way to deal with a situation like this so her father did not want his daughter to get into trouble even though she was not treated as an equal. Though others may disagree and state that it was completely Scout’s fathers’ decision to defend the African American, he deserved the decision he made. Scout’s father stood up for Tom Robinson because he knew that he was innocent and he did what he believed was right. And in the end, Tom Robinson gained his freedom by trying to escape from prison because he knew he did not belong there and ended up getting shot. That was his definition of gaining his freedom and it was definitely not free since he practically sacrificed his life.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Beowulf: The Battle of Good and Evil

Beowulf is one of the oldest and most extensive poems in the history of literature today. It is also considered to be one of the pioneers of the â€Å"good versus evil† theme. While the poem revolves around the adventures and battles of Beowulf, the message of the story consistently conveys the concept that good would always defeat evil. The plot itself is already evidence enough to the theme of the poem. As a warrior, Beowulf helps fight the evil Grendel, his mother, and the dragon to save the people of Heorot.Beowulf clearly believes in goodness as it is the will of God. Several texts from the poem illustrate the theme of good and evil. During his battle with Grendel, he proclaims, â€Å"Whichever one death fells / must deem it a just judgment by God† (lines 440-441). Beowulf is also described to be a man of faith as he declares that, â€Å"the Geat placed complete trust in his strength of limb in the Lord's favor† (669-670). This emphasizes the fact that Beowu lf relies on the guidance of God and believes it to be his strength.Even his friend Hrothgar illuminates this goodness in character when he warns Beowulf about the moral dangers caused by pride. â€Å"O flower of warriors, beware of that trap. / eternal rewards. Do not give way to pride† (1758-1759). On the other hand, evil rests on the characters of Grendel and his mother—the villains of the story. Grendel is introduced in a much darker tone, â€Å"until finally one, a fiend out of hell, / began to work his evil in the world. / Grendel was the name of this grim demon† (100-102).He is also described in the story to be a descendant of Cain which further highlights the evil in his character, as Cain is widely known to be the biblical character who has slain his brother Abel out of jealousy. The story of Beowulf may seem to be just an extensive poem which tackles the never-ending issue of good versus evil. It is like a prolonged epic fairytale of defeating evil ami dst the hardships. Yet, it is a unique literary piece that deserves its length in further reminding people that good really does conquer evil.

McCormick Company Essay

â€Å"Since 1889, McCormick has been the Company (McCormick) to turn to for flavor expertise. Today the world relies on their prized consumer brands, trusted ingredients and culinary know-how. McCormick is a global leader in the manufacture, marketing and distribution of spices, seasonings and flavors to the entire food industry. Customers range from retail outlets and food manufacturers to food service businesses.† The McCormick & Company was started in Baltimore, in one room and a cellar by 25-year-old Willoughby M. McCormick. McCormick’s first products were root beer, flavoring extracts, and fruit syrups and juices, sold under â€Å"Bee Brand† and â€Å"Silver Medal† trademarks; â€Å"Iron Glue† (Sticks Everything But the Buyer) and â€Å"Uncle Sam’s Nerve and Bone Liniment† (For Man Or Beast). Products were sold door-to-door and the motto was â€Å"Make the Best – Someone Will Buy It.† In 1896 McCormick bought F. G. Emmett Spice Company of Philadelphia. All machinery was shipped to Baltimore, as the firm prepared to enter the spice field. In the 1900’s its export office opened in New York City, products were shipped to South and Central America, South Africa, East and West Indies, and Europe. The â€Å"Banquet Brand† was established for spices and mustard and they incorporated in Maine, and the firm now enjoyed a wide good standing reputation as manufacturing chemist, drug & spice millers, importers and exporters. The company suffered a great loss of all material assets and records in the Great Baltimore Fire, but within 10 months, a new five-story building was erected on the old site. McCormick added â€Å"Bee Brand† Tea to the product line and became one of the first manufacturers of tea in gauze pouches, thereby introducing â€Å"tea bags.† In the summer of 1912, Charles P. McCormick began working as shipping department clerk and in 1925 he was elected to the Board of Directors. On November 4, 1093 the founder Willoughby McCormick died, thereby leaving 36-year-old C. P. McCormick as elected President and Chairman of the Board. Faced with the serious crisis of the Depression, he quickly implemented a new business philosophy called â€Å"Multiple Management.† A Junior Board of Directors was established. Though out the early 1900’s many business of the like were acquired and the McCormick’s target market was broadened. In 1970 Charles P. McCormick died of a heart attack and Harry K. Wells became Chief Executive Officer on December 1 following John N. Curlett’s retirement from the Company. Mr. Curlett remained Chairman of the Board. Just as in the early portion of the 19th century McCromi 1972 The Company entered a joint venture with Promociones y Commisiones, S.A. of the Republic of Mexico, purchased from the John Kraft Sesame Corporation of Paris, Tex. The venture was renamed Sesame Products, Inc. Industrial Flavor Group is established to encompass activities of Industrial Flavor Division (formerly Industrial Products Division), Botanicus Pte. Ltd., and Sesame Products, Inc. 1974 Acquired Golden West Foods, Inc., of Gilroy, Calif., to manufacture and distribute frozen food products. The Company entered the frozen foods field under the Schilling label with frozen sour dough breads at the retail level and with food service products. 1975 Acquired All Portions, Inc., for $4.5 million, which manufactures portion-control packets of condiments, with plants in San Fernando, Calif., Indianapolis, Ind., and Atlanta, Ga. The two major retail units of the Company the McCormick Division in the east and the Schilling Division in the West, were consolidated to form a new Grocery Products Division, headquartered in Baltimore. The Management Services Division was established to provide improved information services to all units. 1976 Chicago-based TV Time Foods, Inc., producer of popcorn products, was purchased for $3.75 million as a wholly owned subsidiary. 1977 Harry K. Wells elected Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. John N. Curlett named Chairman Emeritus. Astro Foods, Inc., of San Rafael, Calif., producer of specialty frozen food products for airlines and restaurants, was purchased for $325,000 as a wholly owned subsidiary. 1979 $3.5 million plant in Bedford, Va., opened for production of frozen onion rings by Golden West Foods. Gilroy Foods dedicated solar energy project to be used for dehydration of onions and garlic. Han-Dee Pak, Inc., a portion-control manufacturer in Atlanta, Ga., was purchased for $6 million and became a subsidiary. Harry K. Wells was elected Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, and Hillsman V. Wilson was elected President and Chief Operating Officer. Sandoz, Ltd., a Swiss pharmaceutical firm, announced its intentions to buy the entire company in October 1979. McCormick supplies spices, herbs, extracts, seasoning blends, sauces, marinades and specialty foods to an assortment of retail outlets such as grocery, mass merchandise, warehouse clubs, discount and drug stores. In the U.S. their principal brands include McCormick ®, Lawry’s ®, Zatarain’s ®, Thai Kitchen ®, Simply Asia ® and El Guapo ®. In Canada their brands are Club House ® and Billy Bee ®, in the U.K. it’s Schwartz ® and in France it’s Ducros ® and Vahine ®. In other markets, including Australia and China, the McCormick brand is primarily used. Consumers can find thier products in nearly 100 countries around the world. To drive thier consumer business we are developing innovative products, increasing marketing effectiveness, expanding distribution and acquiring leading brands and niche products. The industrial business supplies products to many of the world’s top food manufacturers and food service businesses from locations primarily in North America, Europe and the Asia/Pacific region. Products include seasoning blends, natural spices and herbs, wet flavors, coating systems and compound flavors. While the McCormick name may not be on the package or menu, we add great taste to a wide range of packaged food including snacks, savory side dishes and cereals, as well as restaurant items that include sandwich sauces, chicken coatings and bread toppings. To grow our industrial business we are supporting the global expansion of customers, building current and new strategic partnerships and developing consumer-preferred, value-added products. With a solid balance sheet and strong cash flow, McCormick has paid dividends every year since 1925 and increased its dividend per share in each of the last 24 years. Effective strategies, our Multiple Management philosophy and a great team of employees are key ingredients behind our financial performance and increased shareholder value. Retail outlets, food manufacturers and food service businesses – they all depend on their spices, seasonings and flavorings. McCormick is so prevalent throughout the food industry that it’s very likely you enjoy the taste of McCormick every day. McCormick employees conduct business under the leadership of their Chief Executive Officer who is subject to the oversight and direction of a Board of Directors. We are open and honest in business dealings both inside and outside the Company. We serve our customers, consumers, suppliers and communities in accordance with the highest standards of business ethics.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Approaches to reduce occupational stress Research Paper

Approaches to reduce occupational stress - Research Paper Example We will discuss the stress involved in their work. Moreover, we will analyze the situations in which stress arose among employees in Wal-Mart, the programs they initiated to increase productivity and recommendations will be provided to curb its adverse effects on the individual so that there is a minimum impact on productivity. Wal-Mart Wal-Mart is a multi-national retail corporation, which has numerous chains, departmental stores and warehouses in different parts of the world. This company is owned by Walton Family in the United States of America and is operating in 15 countries. The employees at Wal-Mart in retail sales have been subjected to various issues over a span of time due to which the stress among employees is rising and there is a need to initiate such progressive programs through which the working conditions can become conducive and there is a regulation that promotes and projects a fair treatment among employees. Issues at Wal-Mart Employees who deal with sales at Wal-M art are always required to submit a report at the end of the month regarding the percentage of sales, which have occurred during that time. It was seen that the company faced a weak performance and sales were a total disaster. The factors, which were highlighted, showed that the decrease in sales was due to the fact that the economic condition of the United States is affected. It was seen that there was an increase in the Social Security tax due to which the customers could be facing unemployment issues, rise in price of gas etc. Due to these crises the management in Wal-Mart initiated a plan to increase workload but cut hours of employees who were working as retailers which gave rise to a period of lost sales and lower morale of employees (Boyle). The Composition of Stress at the Workplace In organizations, there are certainly outer fields of risk, uncertainty, and challenges which create the inner field of stress for employees at the workplace. Every organization contains this int ernal influential factor of stress which is described as one state of transaction between individual and environment (Dewe & Cooper, 2012). According to the Lazarus model of stress, employees’ needs and wants make them accept the factor of stress in their working environment. They accept stress because of the formal agreement with their organization or workplace which induces the elements of obligation and responsibility on employees. When employees are to fulfill the obligation and responsibility they inevitably catch the element of stress which is associated to work responsibility and obligation altogether. These are some primary causes of how stress gets involved in employees’ lives (Dewe & Cooper, 2012). The Theory of Work Design by Theorell describes stress as an influencing state that originates from employees’ work designs and more specifically from work demands (Aldwin, 2012, p.73). If demands of work are complex and are of burdening nature, stress is mo re prominent on employees at the work time. Karasek proposes Job Demands-Control model to control the demands of work on employees at the workplace. The author describes two levels of work demands- physiological work demands and psychological demands. If these two levels of work demands are controlled by employees, they can control the affect of stress at the time of work. According to Karasek, moderate stress is optimum for

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

202#3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

202#3 - Assignment Example However, those confirmed guilty though to them being a difficult situation, I think ought to serve own respective sentences. Alternatively, if the sentences were lighter compared to what they are serving the respective authorities can review them to mention the appropriate sentences. Yes. I believe this is because many who find themselves in situations of this calibre do not exactly expound their actions similar to a reasonable person. However, legal systems due to their overreliance to psychiatrists’ reports, which may not reflect exact state of the involved party, end up convicted them unfairly (â€Å"Psyche Truth†) Since what most of them undergo is much and end up unmentioned or altogether disregarded by those supposed to help them lodge their cases. This is due to relying to psychiatrists who may err in undertaking their roles despite the legal system having numerous statutes claimed to protect each person based on his or her one is experiencing especially the ill patients who might have involved themselves in any

Monday, October 7, 2019

LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR (520) Case Study

LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR (520) - Case Study Example 171). In order to foster good relationship with the customers, it is imperative that the employees know how the customers form perceptions, what factors play a role in affecting their perceptions about the salespersons or the company’s products for the better and worse, and what behaviors in the salespersons are appreciated by the customers. Since statistics are available that reflect that the employees who have had good terms with the customers have outperformed their coworkers in terms of sales, understanding the process of formation of perceptions and development of attributed by the customers becomes very important for Joe’s employees. Suitability of Leaning Theories Several learning theories are suitable for Joe to apply in this situation that include but are not limited to operant conditioning learning theory and social learning theory. While there are certain theories that apply more in the case under consideration as compared to others, none can be completely re futed as most learning theories apply at least to some extent. ... Employees come in the company and try their fortune by executing their individualistic behaviors; for some, it works whereas for others, it does not. Employees are only able to find out the impact of their behaviors on their ability to make sales after they have executed their behaviors as part of the company’s workforce. Likewise, since the employees are provided with the opportunity to earn certain commission on the list price, they are motivated to make more sales to make more commission which makes it obvious that the reward is tied to the performance, thus justifying the suitability of the operant conditioning theory for Joe in this case. On the other hand, the social learning theory is also suitable for application in this case because many behaviors are learnt by the employees in the workplace. For example, employees can witness that their coworkers who have fostered good relations with the customers are able to make more sales as compared to other employees who do not manage to develop as good relations with the customers. Having observed this, employees feel intrinsically motivated to take steps to develop good relations and association with the customers. However, certain end up achieving this successfully whereas others fail to develop good relations with the customers, and the social learning theory provides rationale for this difference. According to social learning theory, while people may observe what behaviors lead to success in a particular setting, it is not imperative that this learning brings a change in their behavior. Although the employees know the importance of fostering good relationships with the employees, yet they fail to enhance their sales because this learning did not cause them to