Different Types of Paragraph

Comparison Paragraph In spite of these differences, the similarities are striding. First, both cities are the political centers of their countries. The president of France lives in the heart of Paris, in the Elysees Palace. Likewise, the president of the United States has its meeting place in Washington, in the Capitol. Second, the two cities look similar. L’Enfant, the French engineer who designed Washington, was greatly influenced by the layout of the capital of France. For this reason, many of the buildings and monuments in Washington are symmetrically located in views of one another, just as they are in Paris.Both cities are also the sites of magnificent monuments, important historical landmarks, fine museums, beautiful parks, and board, treelined avenues. Finally, tourism is as important for Washington as it is for Paris Every year millions of tourists from all parts of the world visit these cities to view their attractions. Contrast Paragraph Paris is much older than Was hington. The French city is over2000 years old. Washington, in contrast, is very young. It is less than 250 years old. The population of Paris is also much larger than Washington’s Paris has more than 2,500,000 people.Washington has just over 700,000. Classification Paragraph Paraphrasing is used for different purposes. Some paraphrases will be designated to support already existing evidence. Others will reinforce argumentation against evidence. Still others will help to develop existing arguments and provide back-up for any conclusion drawn in the course of writing. Depending on the function, paraphrases will be introduced in accordance with their unique context. Quotations require yet another approach. They are not self-expressive because every quotation can signify a number of different things in various contexts.It is both the introduction and the commentary that follows it which decides about its context and the ultimate meaning of a given citation in an essay. Paraphras ing quotations – changing the original words or sense is not allowed. Informative Paragraph The Sundarbans is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world. The name Sundarban can be literally translated as â€Å"beautiful jungle† or â€Å"beautiful forest† in the Bengali language. The name may have been derived from the Sundari trees that are found in Sundarbans in large numbers.Alternatively, it has been proposed that the name is a corruption of Samudraban or Chandra-bandhe. But the generally accepted view is the one associated with Sundari trees. The forest lies in the vast delta on the Bay of Bengal formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers across southern Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. The seasonally-flooded Sundarbans freshwater swamp forests lie inland from the mangrove forests on the coastal fringe. The forest covers 10,000 km2 of which about 6,000 are in Bangladesh. 2] It became inscribed as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1997, but while the Bangladeshi and Indian portions constitute the same continuous ecotope, these are separately listed in the UNESCO world heritage list as the Sundarbans and Sundarbans National Park, respectively. The Sundarbans is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests. The area is known for the eponymous Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), as well as numerous fauna including species of birds, spotted deer, crocodiles and snakes.The fertile soils of the delta have been subject to intensive human use for centuries, and the ecoregion has been mostly converted to intensive agriculture, with few enclaves of forest remaining. The remaining forests, together with the Sundarbans mangroves, are important habitat for the endangered tiger. Definition Paragraph Democracy is a political form of government in which governing power is derived from the people, either by direct refer endum (direct democracy) or by means of elected representatives of the people (representative democracy). 1]The term comes from the Greek: – (demokratia) â€Å"rule of the people†,[2] which was coined from (demos) â€Å"people† and (Kratos) â€Å"power†, in the middle of the 5th-4th century BC to denote the political systems then existing in some Greek city-states, notably Athens following a popular uprising in 508 BC. Even though there is no specific, universally accepted definition of ‘democracy', equality and freedom have been identified as important characteristics of democracy since ancient times. 5] These principles are reflected in all citizens being equal before the law and having equal access to power. For example, in a representative democracy, every vote has equal weight, no restrictions can apply to anyone wanting to become a representative, and the freedom of its citizens is secured by legitimized rights and liberties which are gener ally protected by a onstitution. Descriptive Paragraph Chittagong is the port city of Bangladesh. Chittagong sea port is the biggest sea-port of our country. The city is on the river karnafuli. There are many small hills.They are covered with green trees and plants. The hills look beautiful. The roads of the city are wide and clean. There are many trees on both sides of the roads. The climate of this area is healthy. Narrative Paragraph Caliph Omar used to go out at night to see the condition of the poor. One night, while he was passing by the road, he heard the sound of crying from a worn-out hut. Going up to that hut he found a widow with a number of children. They were demanding food from their mother and were crying without getting that. This sight filled the heart of Omar with pity.Argumentative Paragraph I believe that smoking is bad for you. It is important to give up but it is even better not to have started at all. One reason for my thinking this is that it is unhealthy. Sm okers suffer a range of diseases from lung cancer to high blood pressure. Another reason is that it’s very expensive. Regular smokers can spend up to ? 1,500 a year just on buying cigarettes. A final reason is that smoking is very unattractive. Smokers’ clothes smell of smoke and it gives them bad breath. There are a number of reasons why smoking is bad for you.It is unhealthy, it is expensive and it makes you unattractive. Don’t even think of starting. Persuasive Paragraph Five million people died last year from lung cancer due to deadly smoking habit. Yet sales of cigarettes increased by 10% this year as compared to last year. Is smoking not waste of time and money? Is it not injurious to health? Is it not like one is intentionally burning himself? Do you want to be like one of those five million died last year? So think before a cigarette reaches your lips. You are important for your loved ones.

Benefits of Recycling

Recycling has been around for generations, sometimes in different forms, but still around. Earlier generations preserved food items, a unique form of reducing, or recycling (Blashfield and Black). Most people see recycling as throwing paper, plastic, glass, and other items into a blue bag then throwing it on the street for a local company to dispose of; however, others reduce and reuse items to recycle and make items last longer. Recycling has been proven to make a difference in many aspects of materials and energy. According to Nicky Scott, â€Å"The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle will operate a 100-watt light bulb for four hours.†Recycling doesn’t have to be complicated and tedious; it can be easy and very beneficial. As society has grown and the impact of the economy has set in, recycling has become more popular. Many people are seeing the gracious financial, economical, and useful benefits of recycling and its components. Not only are individuals recyc ling, but businesses are too. â€Å"Greening the office will therefore have significant benefits environmentally and financially†¦as many other businesses have experienced† (Clift and Cuthbert 1). Businesses are realizing, as well as individuals, the positive effects of recycling.The benefits of recycling are endless. Virtually anyone can accomplish the task and make a positive change while doing it. With so many items that can be reused or recycled, every person should recycle. According to Nicky Scott â€Å"thirty percent of America now recycles. † Everyone in America should recycle because it helps the environment, benefits society as a whole, and is a cost effective choice. Recycling efforts have been proven to help the environment we live in. Reducing, reusing, and recycling truly help the environment and essentially preserve it.Simple items such as composting help the environment. â€Å"Recycling and composting diverted nearly 70 million tons of material aw ay from landfills†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (National Recycling Coalition). Another major component to the environment that benefits from recycling, or its sub-parts reducing and reusing, are the trees in the environment. Essentially, the more paper products people use, the more trees are needed to supply this habit. Supply and demand play a key role in waster and recycling. If one ton of paper is recycled, twelve trees can be saved.Destruction of forests occurs whenmore paper is needed and trees are cut down, therefore, using less paper reduces this destruction. (Nicks J). The global environment also is positively effected by recycling, or reducing and reusing. Carbon emissions are put out everyday by coal mines, cars, houses, and other buildings. By reducing, a part of recycling, the usage of heat, or energy, can substantially help the environment. â€Å"Recycling benefits the air and water by creating a net reduction in ten major categories of air pollutant† (National Recycling Coalit ion). Many pollutants can be eliminated or diminished if everyone simply recycles or reduces.Many people drink items out of an aluminum can. Aluminum is one of the easiest items to recycle, and it also takes 95 percent less energy to recycle aluminum than it is to produce it (National Recycling Coalition). This reduces the negative effect on the environment greatly. Main energy sources such as coal, methane, and oil will not last forever, maybe hundreds of years, but not forever. Recycling helps preserve sources of energy and other products for future generations and people (Bainbridge). The benefits of recycling on the environment are endless.Simply math calculates that the benefits outweigh the negatives. For future and current generations to recycle is a must, the benefits prove that the environment is a major beneficiary of the efforts to recycle. After all, facts are facts, and recycling has been proven a fact to benefits the environment we all live in. Opposing viewpoints and other sources claim that by not recycling, the environment benefits more than if someone does recycle. Although there are many benefits to recycling, there also are some negative aspects, as with any situation.Opposing viewpoint states, â€Å"Curbside recycling is substantially more costly and uses far more resources†¦This means more iron ore and coal mining, more steel and rubber manufacturing, more petroleum extracted and refined for fuel†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Opposing Viewpoints 81). This negative effect to the environment is focused on the emissions put out and material used, not the natural environment. Recycling, in some cities although, can be somewhat costly and unorganized. Some people also claim that recycling can be harmful to the natural environment.Recycling sites and places at landfills for recycling can become dirty and unhygienic if managed improperly. The chemicals the recycled material puts of can be harmful if not taken care of precisely. The rainwater also can mix with the material making an especially uncleanly environment, if not organized effectively (Nicks J). If recycling is not managed or organized properly, as with any program or organization, negative effects will occur. Minor oppositions and negatives are associated with recycling, but with anything in life, there are always a few resisting aspects.The environment benefits greatly from recycling by reducing emissions, saving trees and destruction, and preserving wildlife that lives in the environment. Most recycling plants are managed by professionals and attain the highest level of organization; this diminishes many hazards that are caused by mismanaged material. Recycling and composting materials has been proven to benefit and nourishes the environment, not create hazards and risks (Kalenberg). Also, recycling programs cost less to run than landfills or other â€Å"dumping† organizations.â€Å"Well-run recycling programs cost less to operate than waste collection, landfill ing, and incineration† (National Recycling Coalition). These costs also indicate that fewer emissions are put out because many recycling centers are located where the everyday traveler is going, reducing the amount of time a car is running and creating emissions. Recycling also cuts down the need for more energy to be created, reducing emissions in the air and helping the environment. â€Å"Recycling used materials reduces energy requirements in many manufacturing processes such as refining and mining† (Nicks J).By cutting down the destruction and emissions mines, plants, and factories cause, the environment is enhanced not hindered. Another reason why recycling is beneficial and not a hindrance to the environment is pollution. Everyday, in any situation, aluminum cans, plastic containers, and paper products are thrown, not into a garbage can, but out into the environment. People who litter cause many damaging effects to the environment. With recycling, this problem is diminished; there is no garbage lying around and the environment prospers.Recycling is an enormous and outweighed benefit to the environment, not a restraint like Opposing Viewpoints and others claim it to be. Next, recycling is a must because it benefits society in many positive ways. Recycling has become more popular every year because of social and convenience benefits. More people of society are realizing the benefits of recycling. â€Å"The recycling business continues to expand at a faster rate as more and more people are emphasizing the need for eco-friendly surroundings† (Bainbridge). Another benefit to society is the â€Å"lead by example† teamwork aspect.Many people lead byexample and come together for a certain cause. In many cities and towns across the United State, this cause is recycling. People come together, which is a great social benefit. â€Å"Any place you go—school, church, club, business—can become a place where you can get recyclin g activities started and get other people caring about the Earth† (Blashfield and Black 117). Recycling has been proven to bring members of a community together to support a cause, on of the most marked benefits of recycling. Many large cities also have gotten into the realm of recycling, realizing the benefits, but also leading by example.â€Å"New York City leaders realized that a redesigned, efficient recycling system could actually save the city $20 million and they have now signed a 20-year recycling contract† (National Recycling Coalition). Recycling also is very easy to accomplish and virtually anyone can do it. Simply digging a hole and putting many garbage items in it, then covering it up with dirt provides an easy and beneficial compost site (Kalenberg). Recycling is so easy that many children can get involved. Children love to help; recycling also can be a game for children, putting certain items where they go.â€Å"Children really like the idea of recycling (and composting)†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Scott 35). Blue bins and bags also make recycling very easy. Most people can recognize a blue bag and put recyclable materials (represented by three arrows) into the bag, an idea that is simple and easy. Three key â€Å"R† words also make recycling simple. Reduce, reuse, and recycle combine to create the perfect and simple reminder for recycling. Many household and common products can be recycled in some way. Taking wire hangers to a second hand store or giving them to a steel center is a simple recycling fix (Scott 39).Recycling has been proven to benefit different because it is very easy and provides many widespread social benefits. Opposing Viewpoints, however, claims that recycling is not beneficial to society in any aspect. Some sources say that a recycling program can be unorganized and confusing. Some social negatives towards recycling are also presented. â€Å"Despite the many thousands of curbside recycling programs†¦packaging w aste still account for between 35 and 40 percent of the household waste†¦Americans don’t care enough about recycling, it seems†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Opposing Viewpoints 42).Socially Americans will not become environmentally conscious until all of our energy and consumable resources are used up, Opposing Viewpoints also claims. Some people find recycling confusing by sorting out certain materials, deciding what to recycle, and how to go about recycling. Opposing viewpoints adds, â€Å"Mandatory recycling programs aren’t good for posterity. They offer mainly short-term benefits to a few groups†¦Recycling may be the most wasteful activity in modern America†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Skepticism is only represented when little evidence is to prove against recycling.Other groups believe that certain types of recycling can also be complicated and tedious. â€Å"There are different kinds of plastic and one has to sort them systematically† (Nicks J). Different materials call for different types of action when recycling, considered a negative view to some. Very little penalties contribute to the effects of recycling on society as a whole. Minimal negative benefits are present to society; however, the positive benefits of recycling to a society outweigh the minimal negatives. â€Å"It seems† does not contemplate a fact or something solid when arguing a point, the first mistake on the Opposing Viewpoints side.Also Nicky Scott states, â€Å"360 million plastic bottles were recycled in 2002. † This shows how many people are taking advantage or recycling because it is very easy. The number shows that each day over 1 million bottles are recycled! Socially, it is important to take care of future generations; daughters, sons, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and so on are the future of America. For these generations to thrive and make the world better, resources are needed, and we need to start preserving them now. Americans and leaders are not wait ing for energy sources to become fully used before recycling.â€Å"Many cities now collect part of the trash for recycling† (Blashfield and Black 15). This shows how society is starting to influence government and cities to do what is right for society. Also, with more people recycling, the packaging waste would be cut down dramatically. Over 80 percent of all the plastic products we use end up in a landfill somewhere (Scott 68). Recycling plastic and reusing plastic cans cut this number dramatically and the need for processing anymore. Also, sorting through recycled material is very easy. Labels on the products (usually a three arrow diagram) explain how to recycle the item.Most directions in recycling are simple and easy. When in drought, put an item with your already recycled material. â€Å"Remember the three Rs of 3RC. Reduce the waste you make. Reuse those items your can. Then, recycle everything possible† (Blashfield and Black 29). The claims that have been made against the benefits recycling can provide for society are merely statements, not facts. Recycling has been proven to help society in aspects ranging from convenience to social bonds. Attempts to nullify these benefits lack research and observation.Recycling is also very economically smart because it costs less and provides more jobs. A conscious financial decision can be to recycle. From a multi-million dollar corporation, to a family in a small town, recycling has been proven to be financially beneficial. Companies are very smart and often set a trend for many Americans. â€Å"Thousands of U. S. companies have saved millions of dollars through their voluntary recycling programs. They wouldn't recycle if it didn't make economic sense† (National Recycling Coalition). Reusing items, reducing consumption of energy, and recycling old products save money, plain and simple.Each time a product can be cut back or reused, is one less time more money has to be spent. Recycling also p ositively effects society by creating more jobs. Research and development can also benefit from recycling by creating fresh and new ideas. â€Å"It [recycling] stimulates the development of eco-friendly technologies†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Bainbridge). Private sector jobs that are created almost every day to help research and conduct recycling programs along with other recycling-involved jobs create almost 1. 1 million careers in the United States (National Recycling Coalition).This helps stimulate the economy and creates American jobs, which stay in America. Recycling and buying recycled materials also helps to cut down costs. If more items were recycled or made out of recycled material, the cost of a product would be dramatically reduced. â€Å"Roughly 30 cents of every dollar consumers spend on packaged goods goes towards paying for the packaging† (Scott 12). Recycling can be very cost effective to companies and families when accomplished correctly. Some companies and organization s can even increase productivity to become more competitive in a certain market by recycling, reusing, and reducing.Companies in society can benefit from recycling and reducing. Overhead costs, energy costs, water bills, and other expenditures are cut down when recycling and reducing is involved; sales and productivity also are increased due to a good recycling reputation and cost minimization (Clift and Cuthbert 1-2). Also with the current economy recycling is beneficial. Reusing, a part of recycling, can be a very smart financial decision. If materials are reused and recycled, the need to purchase new items decreases. This is very beneficial in an economy that is recovering from a recession, and when budgets are tight.â€Å"Recycling helps families save money, especially in communities with pay-as-you-throw programs† (National Recycling Coalition). Programs all over the United State are designed to make sense financially and economically. A simple task, such as using less p aper towels for clean-up by using and recycling cloth rags, can be a conscious cost decision also. Opposing Viewpoints, however, claims that recycling is not beneficial to society in any aspect. Some sources say that a recycling program can be costly and not a financially sound decision for society.Opposing Viewpoints states that in Ann Arbor, MI the cost of a recycling program is around 1,014,000 dollars, and with other costs associated the program costs over 400,000 dollars more than a typical garbage program (Opposing Viewpoints 103). Others also claim that certain types of recycling are costly and not economically smart for a program. â€Å"Paper recycling can be a bit costly, as additional industrial processes such as bleaching, are required to make the paper reusable† (Nicks J). Recycling programs have also been accused of being expensive to maintain and enforce.Opposing viewpoints also claims that curbside recycling is 35 to 55 percent more than disposing of an item. T hey also state, â€Å"Using less of one resource usually means using more of another† (Opposing Viewpoints 81). This statement refers to recycling and the benefits of it. Some sources agree that recycling costs more than a generalized landfill, or garbage program. Others claim some of the items and products that are made of recycled products can be costly because some items cannot be used, even after being recycled. â€Å"There is no guarantee that the new recycled product obtained will be of good quality.This is because recycling involves manufacturing products from used materials† (Nicks J). There is a slight risk that is associated with recycling and the products that come as a result of a recycling program. Overall, little evidence is presented on why recycling is not beneficial to the American society. Although mismanaged recycling programs can be costly, most recycling programs cost less than a traditional garbage system. Using words like â€Å"usually† of ten result in a lack of research and representation, concluding why the opponent used these words.Opposing Viewpoint’s information for society was based on one city, Ann Arbor. This cannot speak for the entire nation; it is one cities bias towards recycling. The facts that benefit economically outweigh the opinions of the opponents. Society does benefit from recycling with regards to economic interests. Compared to the landfill industries, recycling is definitely more beneficial. â€Å"Recycling creates four jobs for every one job created in the waste management and disposal industries† (National Recycling Coalition). Creating jobs can be one of the most important blessings to society economically and socially.According to Ross Bainbridge recycling is beneficial to society because it offers financial and social benefits such as cutting costs and increasing production for some businesses. Although, the opponent claims that recycling costs more than other programs, there is no support or statistics to support these findings. On the other hand research has been done to prove otherwise. â€Å"Well-run recycling programs cost less to operate than waste collection, landfilling, and incineration† (National Recycling Coalition). Many curbside programs cost no extra money at all.The recycled items are placed beside garbage and are disposed of at the same time. Despite the faulty claims by opponents of recycling, organized recycling programs have been proven to be cost effective and economically comprehensive. Recycling programs are beneficial and continue to be. The benefits of recycling are endless. Many benefits offer no reason not to recycle. Every person should recycle because it helps the environment, is economically sound, and benefits society. With so many items that can be reused or recycled, every person should recycle.Recycling also is very simple and easy to do. Even many children and teens are getting involved with the revolutionary pro cess. According to Nicky Scott thirty percent of America now recycles. An increase that has happened in just a few years. Everyone should to recycle and help this figure grow until every American is recycling and witnessing the benefits of it. Everyone also should recycle because it benefits the natural environment, provides many positive effects on society as a whole, and is very cost effective. Benefits Of Recycling The highly material intensive nature of the modern industry has led to huge resource consumption and compilation of large amount of industrial and municipal waste leading to depletion of natural system, erosion of earth’s resource base, global warming, rise of sea level, deterioration of environment, and increasing extinction rate of animal life, causing severe impairment to earth’s ability to support the human civilization in its current framework.The dangers presented by the unchecked growth and resource consumption became manifest to the world in 1985 after the discovery of the ozone hole over Antarctica that informed the global community of the urgency of problem. As a consequence and in the response to the challenge presented to humanity’s future by its own march towards development, leaders of world met in June, 1992 in Rio De-Janeiro in the first earth summit where against the current pattern of development, sustainable development was identified as the re quired path for the world to follow.One of the important aspects of sustainable development has been recycling of products and waste. Benefits of recycling for society Recycling as a process holds important place in the course of sustainable development for any society. As an activity, its relevance extends beyond a goodwill action to one that holds crucial environmental, economic and social significance for the society and the country (Pellow, Schnaiberg, Winberg, 2000).Recycling helps to constitutes a perfect model of social and urban development where resource consumption is optimized and needs for new material contained while production is maintained at the same levels, thereby driving up the profits and quality of life in the urban communities. The urban community in the post industrial phase has been swamped by the problem of municipal waste and garbage, which has taken menacing proportion, both from the point of view of making valuable urban landscape as redundant as well as causing significant environment damage.In the initial phase of recycling that started in 1960s, it was an avenue for employment for the marginalized section and profit making opportunity to many private entrepreneurs. The hauling, collection and dumping of garbage was a big problem for municipalities of many cities and was considered an unnecessary drain on their already constrained financial resources, causing deterioration in quality of city life.As the private entrepreneurs saw opportunity in the business of waste management and trash disposal they developed professional expertise in gaining maximum value out of the waste that was an important step in emergence of recycling (Pellow, Schnaiberg, Winberg, 2000). In the forthcoming years it was realized that recycling was also an important tool with tremendous potential to reduce the human pressure on environment, land and natural resources that were strained due to continued cycles of consumptions and waste production over years (Y oung, 1995).It was a vital break from its image of a ‘just a do good activity’ to one that was fundamental to driving economy and society on a new path. Environmental benefits of recycling Various studies in industry and academic circles have reported that recycling is among the most effective techniques to reduce the threat of greenhouse gases, contain global warming and alleviate the dangers of extreme climatic change that the world is facing (Benefits of Recycling, 2005).These studies point out that as reusable material is made available through recycling prevents the environmental damage that the fresh extraction of these materials would have caused. Further it also saves the amount of energy, water and other raw materials that are considerably higher in manufacturing of virgin products than recycling. The Department of Environment and Conservation conducted a comprehensive study on the feasibility and benefits of recycling of some of most used substances which are (Benefits of Recycling, 2005) (a)Paper/Cardboard; (b) Liquid paperboard; (c) Glass;(d) Aluminum, (e) Steel;(f) PlasticIn addition, research has also shown the usefulness of recycling for solid and municipal waste and water in optimizing the resource use without compromising with the requirements of the society. The major environmental benefits of recycling are in the area of 1. Green house gases. Recycling helps to contain the extraction of resources and limit the release the green-house gases thereby helping to reduce global warming. The gases whose emission is commonly controlled and mitigated by recycling processes are (a). Carbon Dioxide; (b) Methane; (c) Nitrous Oxide and (d) Oxides of sulphurMost of the households in world use considerable amount of products that are easily recyclable, such as paper and cardboard. Their recycling prevents thermo mechanical pumping of wood, a process that releases gases like carbon-di-oxide and methane in the atmosphere leading to greenhouse ga ses concentration. Similarly useful results come from recycling of glass, which is third in weight proportion among all recyclable materials. Manufacturing of fresh glass requires treatment with soda wash and lime, that contribute significantly to the concentration of greenhouse gases.Recycling of aluminum also saves cutting down in emission of many environmentally harmful gases and products that cause global warming. 2. Energy savings: Energy consumption has been recognized as environment conservation, as it’s the disproportionately greater flow of energy through natural systems that is causing problems of greenhouse gases and global warming. Recycling helps to greatly improve energy efficiency by reducing the energy demands otherwise required for manufacturing and processing of virgin materials.As most of the heat required for creation of products such as paper, cardboards, and packaging materials is obtained through burning bio-mass, recycling become significant in both th e protection of the bio-mass, increasing earth’s capacity to contain carbon dioxide as well helping to reduce the production of carbon-dioxide and methane. Water savings: Decreasing fresh water resources have become a cause of global concern. The scarcity of drinking is already prominent many Asian and African countries, and its estimated that it would effect even the developed European, American and Pacific countries in the eventual run.Among the sectors consuming fresh water, industrial processes emerge as the primary users as well as pollutants of the rivers, lakes and other fresh water resources. Recycling of substances, especially plastic materials and products, results in saving of enormous quantities of fresh water that is otherwise wasted in first batch production. Industrial benefits Recently attempts have been directed towards improvement in recycling process through introduction of recycling parks and recycling industrial zones, that are based on generic concepts o f reuse and recycle etched in the industrial ecology framework (Pellow, Schnaiberg, Winberg, 2000).A recycling industrial park or zone contains a host of facilities and technical features such as solar power inputs, waste reduction technologies, refinery, greenhouse gases monitoring plant, and central heating plan. All of these facilities are integrated in a system design that helps them to share and transfer energy and waste, thereby minimizing the requirement and production of them. Further, the wastes produced in one process is used as input material for another processes (ibid).Paper industry and aluminum industry have been among the foremost users of recyclable products, introducing structural changes in their operation and functional modes to help them use the huge amount of recyclable material that was available through just one decade of emphasis on recycling (Young, 1995). The increasing prices of aluminum raw materials and wood also made recycling a very prospective and co st cutting option for these industries. As a result, in New York alone, whereas the annual cost of disposing newspaper was $ 6 million every year until 1992, recycling made it a profitable business generating over $ 30 million from 1994.Business and industries are also more focused on recycling after a general social consciousness towards environment that has increased the demand of recyclable products. Hazardous and municipal waste management United states produces enormous volumes of solid waste, a great part of which is hazardous and presents serious risks to health of people if left unattended. The problem of managing hazardous waste became a challenge for government and civic administration in 1970s as it required landfills and incineration at wide scale, thereby creating the dangers of severe land pollution and air pollution (Needleman, 1994).In response the EPA instituted policies that started to govern unchecked disposal of hazardous wastes in landfills and encouraged compan ies towards using a significant part of the recyclable material, causing a significant reduction in amount of waste being disposed (Needleman, 1994). It was immediately recognized in the civic administrative circles that by far, recycling was the cheapest and most convenient method of waste management, as well as promising avenue to boost economic development.Consequently various city administration and states have taken steps towards financing measures, tax assistance and technical help to promote recycling on a wider platform (Young, 1995). Various facts related to benefits of Recycling Various informative facts related to benefits of recycling are (Benefits of Recycling, 2007) 1. One ton of paper made from recyclable material helps to save 17 trees, 7 gallon of water, approximately 460 gallon of oil, 590 pounds of air pollution, 3 cubic yards of landfill space and 4 kilowatt hours of energy.Effectually it results in reduction of air pollution by 74 percent, water pollution by 35 percent and energy consumption by 64 percent. 2. Recycling of aluminum helps to save every year around 19 million barrel of oil. For a comparative analysis, this is equivalent to energy supplied to about 18 million household every year. 3. Recycling one glass bottle saves energy that is sufficient to light a 100 watt bulb for four hours. 4. Recycling one ton of plastic helps to save energy that is equivalent to 1100-1200 gallons of gasoline. 5. Use of recycled aluminum to make cars decreases the comparative air pollution by a margin of 95 %.6. More than 41,000 tress could be saved every day in US alone if all the newspapers published in a day are recycled. 7. Recycled motor oil helps to reduce dependency on the imported oil. 8. Recycling industry helps create a number of jobs, helping in growth of economy in generating income as well as cutting costs. According to the Office of Federal Environmental Executive, Recycling and remanufacturing industries have helped to create more than one million jobs in the economy and their aggregate revenues have been over a staggering $ 100 billion (EPA, 2006).Further, the industry has a rich job profile offering employment to part time and low level workers to top management personnel and scientists. Recycling industry is also instigating discovery and invention of new research and development techniques to utilize greater number of materials as recyclable products, along with keeping the process of recycling cost incentive, so that it is able to compete with the mainstream industrial production processes on the real-time scale of quality, cost and profits.Conclusion As the recycling industry is maturing and creating its own niche, it has become evident that the industry holds enormous potential in restructuring the entire economic, environmental social paradigm. On the one hand the recycling industry helps to save precious and limited natural resources, while bringing down the cost of manufacturing, and on the other it crea tes hundreds of thousand of jobs as a full fledged industry in itself.By reducing the pollution of land, and helping to cud down greenhouse gases, recycling also plays a foremost part in containing the threats of global environment and securing the future of humanity on the path of consistent development and progress. Reference Pellow, D. N, Schnaiberg ,A. Weinberg , A. S 2000. Urban Recycling and the Search for Sustainable Community Development. Princeton University Press. : Princeton, NJ. Young, J. E. 1995. The Sudden New Strength of Recycling. World Watch. Volume: 8. Issue: 4. Benefits of Recycling. 2005. Department of Environment and Conservation.Accessed online on 16. 05. 2007. http://www. environment. nsw. gov. au/resources/2005140_gov_benefitrecysum. pdf Benefits of Recycling. Hamilton County Environment Services. Accessed online on 16. 05. 2007. http://www. hcdoes. org/sw/benefits_of_recycling. htm Economic benefits of Recycling. 2006. Environmental Protection Agency. Access ed online on 16. 05. 2007 http://www. epa. gov/jtr/econ/index. htm Needleman, B. 1994. Hazardous Waste Recycling under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act: Problems and Potential Solutions. : Environmental Law. Volume: 24. Issue: 3. Page Number: 971-1044

Analysis And Strategies Of The Company Ikea Marketing Essay

Analysis And Strategies Of The Company Ikea Marketing Essay Ikea’s mission is simple, ‘keep making furniture less expensive without making it cheap† (www.Ikea.com) .Because IKEA concentrated on standardizing their products and operations throughout the world, their operating costs were reduced. However, they learnt quickly enough that if they wanted to penetrate the United States (US} market they had to change their operations and adapt to meet the needs of the local market. This resulted in increased cost but it was necessary in order to encourage sales. Today the US Market is ranked in the top five (5) sales countries in the sales area. Sustainability report 2010 STRATEGIES Ikea’s four additional countries to move to thirty- eight. Their stores are strategically located and conducive for family outing with places available for children to be pre-occupied. For a holistic shopping experience their outlets are equipped with reasonable price restaurants and cafes. Promotion – The IKEA Catalogue is a vital part of its existence with a wide reach. It assists consumers find the right product at the right time. In 2010 the catalogue was printed in 198 million copies in 27 languages and 56 editions .A new more resource efficient format was introduced in 2009? (Sustainability report 2009). The second feature of IKEA’s promotion is the standardized theme. Their logo can be spotted at a distance. The following are examples of some of the strategic analysis that may have been considered by Ikea: SWOT ANALYSIS In order compete effectively as they have been doing. Ikea would have had to perform a (SWOT) analysis to assist in obtaining their objectives. This analysis is a strategic planning tool that looks at the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of any business undertaking. Strengths Looking at the table above it is clear to surmise that Ikea has ridden the waves fairly well and is a profitable company, earning 23.8(Eur. billion) in sales in 2010. Ikea has brand appeal. Because of their modern style and attractive furnishings they are able to attracts consumers of different origins and cultures with their same range of functional and well-designed products and quality across borders which can play a vital part in Ikea being able to keep its’ customers The company has a strong international presence. Ikea’s store was visited 699,000,000 compared to 404,000,000 in 2004 worldwide (ikea .com). They are unique in that customers are allowed to be part of the value chain by playing a direct role in the selection, assembly and transportation of their furniture. It’s also all inclusive to allow families to come in and sit and enjoy with their playgrounds and food courts. Weakness One of Ikea’s weaknesses could be the location areas of their stores which are located outside of city centres and may not be accessible to pedestrians. The ‘do it yourself’ motto may not appeal to everyone and some may even feel intimidated by the wide range and lack of assistance. Opportunities Sourcing from China is seen as an opportunity to lower cost and by extension increase market share. Today Ikea has over 120 suppliers in 54 countries (Ikea sustainability report 2009)They have taken advantage of technology by introducing its online catalogue as a means of generating more sales, because of e-commerce, a lot more people shop online an. Statistic shows that more people are viewing the catalogues because circulation have increased from 131,500,00 in 2003 to 198,000,000 in 2010.

International law, environment and multinational enterprises (MNEs) Essay

International law, environment and multinational enterprises (MNEs) - Essay Example Responsibilities of MNEs Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) are â€Å"enterprises which own or control value-added services in two or more countries† (Jones & Dunning, 1997). In other words, a multinational enterprise controls components of its organizational structures across two or more nations. This implies that such an organization will have to adhere to two or more legal jurisdictions. In this sense, a multinational can be viewed from the point of dealing in two countries, the home country and the host country (Morschett et al, 2010). Thus, every multinational will have to set its global standards from the perspective and requirements of the home country. This becomes the basic system of standards that it will adhere to in its drive to expand into other nations and territories. When it expands to other nations, it will have to also become sensitive to the local requirements and adhere to it. This brings up the issue of internationalisation versus nationalisation. An MNE will have to examine the right blend it will undertake in order to honour the legal and ethical requirements of a given nation. Will it have to adhere to the standards of the home country or the host country? Living by home country standards can mean loss of opportunities and potentially offending local partners. Adhering to host country standards could also lead to international condemnation and serious reputational issues if they are revealed in the home country thereby presenting the company as hypocritical. This inherent issue with MNEs are materialised strongly in environmental and human rights issues. These two major issues come with a room for potential conflict in deciding whether to internationalise or nationalise. How should a US or British firm operate in a nation where human righ ts are not respected? How should a European firm set its environmental reporting standards in a nation where those standards are seen as a sheer waste of money? All these are dilemmas that need to be handled in the expansion bid of an MNE. As identified in the introduction, the presence of international laws makes some of these things much easier to handle. Without them, there will be serious variances in the way MNEs behave and this will lead to double standards and serious implications for poorer countries and countries with lower human rights and environmental standards. Environmental Footprints Environmental footprint refers to the effects of an organisation's operations on the natural environment (Mares, 2007). The environmental footprints refers to the resultant effect of an business' operations on the natural environment. It involves the residual and sometimes unintended degradation of the

How have theoretical orientations in cultural criticism evolved and Essay

How have theoretical orientations in cultural criticism evolved and changed since 1900 Outline challenges facing arts criti - Essay Example In addition, the role of artist is explored and their significance and contribution to the cultural space can be critically analyzed, at some point every consumer of art engages in criticism whether formally or informally (James 1994, p.13). Through criticism, artist can learn from their mistakes and get honest if blunt feedback from critics which will inspire them to improve their output thus generally building up the quality of art produced in the long run. Art criticism has been defined in a variety of ways, Arthur Danto, defines it as the process of analyzing the structure significance and problems in a given work of art by making external and internal comparison to come up with an evaluation of the art. The primary intention of the endeavour has been in the past, and remains to provide rational grounds for the appreciation of artistic works. The exact origin of formal artistic criticism as a genre can be traced back to the 18th century and the first individual to acquire a reput ation of a critic of art was La Font de Saint-Yenne, is renowned for his writing about the salon of 1737 and 47. In the late 19th century, of the artistic expressionism and critics occurred in these salons which were societies made up of artists an critics, many of this were centred around Paris in France as the city acted as one of the centres of art and culture (Eagleton 1984, p.97). However, these salons kept multiplying owing to the dissenting views of different artist and in the dawn of the 19th century a group of young painters and sculptor took over the institution and founded the salon of d’Autumne. They were reacting against what they deemed to be the too conservative approaches of the previous salons and from this salon the salon of modern art emerged. Parisian and other galleries all over the world begun to show Avant grade work and new art dealers such as Daniel Henry Kahnweiler emerged presenting contemporary artists such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque as we ll as several other young artists of the time. The early 20th century was an inaugural period where art and culture critics took on retrospective assumptions and generalization of the social cultural evolution; many of the subjective theories of the past were rejected. Throughput the 20th century, critics seem to constantly be in a quest for the relationships between the art created and that which it represents (Lassalle, 1993, p. 1999). One of the preeminent anthropologists of this period was Franz Boaz and some of his students such as Ruth Benedict and Margaret Mead who later became some of the leaders of the anthropological rejection of social and classical evolution. Contemporary critics at the time eschewed the previous discriminative and subjective assumptions many of which were based on a distinction between primitive and civilized. Many of the artist works produced from non-western societies especially in Africa was previously not seen as genuine art since the inhabitants we re primitive and uncivilized people. These critics were cognizant of the fact that cultural and artistic progression terminated at a stage of civilization that was not unlike what was happening in modern Europe. Nevertheless, they also noted that the theory presumed communities are distinct entities and did

Brazil's Education Minister Forges a New Role for the Ministry Essay

Brazil's Education Minister Forges a New Role for the Ministry - Essay Example As such there different processes that need to be implemented in order to turnaround the activities of the ministry such that the education sector can be improved. First and foremost, the new minister and his executive have a task to design the functions as well as jobs in the ministry so that it can operate towards the attainment of the desired goals. Basically, job design is the process by which characteristics and qualities of jobs are determined and created (Jackson & Schuler, 151). Technology is one major factor that affects job design and it is the duty of the Ministry of education to ensure that they harness the use of new information and communication technology in gathering information about the necessary steps that should be taken in order to improve the performance as well as quality in the education sector in Brazil. The other important function of job design is to attract, accommodate, motivate and retain a workforce that is diverse in terms of lifestyle, gender as well as capability (Jackson & Schuler, 153). Without a proper job design, it may be quite difficult to attract the talented people to certain jobs since they would also not be aware of what would be expected of them. Having designed different job tasks in the Ministry of Education in Brazil, the other processes that ought to be taken into account is to recruit competent employees and make sure that measures designed to retain them are put in place. Robbins (165) posits to the effect that recruitment helps the company to select the best candidates out of a potential poof of employees. This process is not an end in itself since it is supposed to be complemented by other activities that are designed to improve the overall performance of the whole sector. The Ministry also ought to put in place measures that are designed to motivate the employees so that they can put optimum performance in their

ETH501, Business Ethics, Mod 4 Case Assignment Essay

ETH501, Business Ethics, Mod 4 Case Assignment - Essay Example ation is presented to us in the rejection of the promotion test results by the New Haven CT for its fire department due to the lack of minority representation. This paper aims to understand the managerial and organizational performance consequences resulting from a demographic representation in the workforce. After carefully analyzing the arguments and evidences available, a conclusion shall be made on whether organizations should indeed undertake a demographic approach in determining the composition of their workforce. Representation is one of the basic tenets of social justice especially in a society priding itself of civility. Morality and ethics dictate that all members of society should have the opportunity to contribute to the development process. Power should be distributed and not confined to a few for democracy to persist. Carroll (1990) formalizes these concepts to two principles: the Golden Rule and the Disclosure Rule. The former takes root in religion and history and states that ‘if one wants to be fairly treated then one should treat others fairly too’. The Disclosure Rule states that if you are comfortable with decisions after asking yourself if you would mind if others were aware of them, the decision is probably ethical. Velasquez (1996) states that the respect for fundamental rights emanates from the principle of Rights Approach where people should be given the right to self-determination and adequate opportunities to do so. Public service organizations will find these ethical and moral obligations as enough motivational reasons to adapt demographic representation in the workplace. Nonetheless, idealistic principles can often be disregarded by prejudiced preferences and operational requirements. This is especially true in business settings where the desire for production, operational efficiency and sales volume often take priority rather than moral and ethical obligations. Adapting a demographically representative workforce must have

The Settling of the Frontier (US History) Assignment

The Settling of the Frontier (US History) - Assignment Example He fought well during the American Civil War and also helped win the Battle of Washita over the Cheyenne. Six years later, in the year 1874, he helped tap gold in the Black Hills and two years later led a force against the Sioux uprising. By the age of 23, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-general. â€Å"He was a brave warrior and died a brave man.† (Low Dog, a Sioux warrior). The frontier period was one of the most important phases of American history that lead to the westward expansion of the country through the colonization of the Great West and ended in a war between the states. â€Å"We are great, and rapidly, I was about to say fearfully growing!† (Calhoun, 1817). Hollywood has chosen to glorify and thus distort this period from 1862-1900 as this most â€Å"rapid and effective period Americanization was also the meeting point between savagery and civilization.† (Frederick J. Turner, 2006). To portray the rejection of England in a new light and glorify the victory of America and its success in the double transformation of the society, Hollywood decided who the heroes and who the villains were and projected the frontier period as a pseudo reality. Its nature and mentality is akin to that of the frontier

The Effects of the governmental mandatory furlough policy on employees Essay

The Effects of the governmental mandatory furlough policy on employees in Michigan - Essay Example These policies additionally state that employees who are not subject to any collective bargaining contracts when being employed are also subject to abrupt dismissal from employment (Morris, 2005). However, the employees may lay claims against discrimination in their employment on civil rights grounds. Discrimination based on gender, race, age, disability or religions has been prohibited by the federal and state laws in America (Schoeni, 2010). These laws state that the employers may dismiss employees who violate the lawful discharge of their duties, refuse to violate a law in the course of their employment or as an exercise of the rights that have been conferred on them (Kingdon & Thurber, 2010). Furlough programs that are mandatory within the state of Michigan have been implemented for the purpose of addressing the budget shortfalls that have faced the city (Bureau of National Affairs, 2009). There are employers who are legible for the mandatory furlough programs from the government while others are ineligible (Morris, 2005). There are several disadvantages and advantages that the employees within the state of Michigan have encountered due to the mandatory furlough programs that the government has introduced. An employee may take any benefits that have been accorded to him without being interrupted by the days that have been set for mandatory furlough. In addition, their health and dental insurances are also unaffected by these mandatory days (Kingdon & Thurber, 2010). The employees within the state of Michigan are allowed to receive holiday pays under these mandatory programs as though they were performing their regular duties at the workplace (Bureau of National Affairs, 2009). The time that employees serve on mandatory furlough is considered as though they were on regular duty when their benefits under their life insurance schemes are being

Internal Memorandum of law for negeligent supervision(the Tuttles) and Assignment

Internal Memorandum of law for negeligent supervision(the Tuttles) and negeligence( the Jone's) - Assignment Example Owen and Dolly Jones, who own and operate the campground, dont have any security on the premises because they are a "mom and pop" operation, and many of the campers come back year after year. They posted a sign out front that says, "Everyones family at the O & D Family Campground!" Tamaras family has been looking for a summer spot to which they can return year after year, so they gave the O & D Family Campground a try this year. The first morning after arriving, the two 10 year-old girls hit the pool at about 9:30, even though a sign posted at the pool entrance states that the pool is not supposed to open for another half hour, at 10:00 am. Tamara dove into the pool, and said, "Ow! Its shallow here, but it is warm! Come on in!" Shayla yelled, "What?" and dove in right next to Tamara, but she hit bottom and broke her arm. Tamara saved Shayla from drowning by pulling her to the side of the pool, and then helping her out to the pool deck. The girls yelled for Tamaras parents, who came out and immediately called an ambulance. Owen and Dolly returned from breakfast in town, and rushed into the pool area before the ambulance even arrived. Tamaras mom wondered why the pool was not marked as shallow on that end, but Dolly says they put up the signs every morning when they get ready to officially open the pool, plus the pool is sand bottom and relatively soft anyway. First: The Americans with Disabilities Act and other jurisprudence protects Shayla. Even though she is dyslexic, that does not mean that she is any more responsible or that the campground is any less responsible. Second: A business has some defense against negligence if what occurred happened outside normal business hours. However, this defense is not ironclad: If a company has an employee do an errand and the employee gets into a crash while carrying a company-issued cell phone or pager or is a non-designated driver, the company can be liable even outside of normal operating hours (FindLaw,

Coffee delight Essay Example for Free

Coffee delight Essay I agree with Lisa’s view to a certain extent that the marketing budget is the most important component in the marketing plan. Harry has set a market objective of two million subscribers by 2015; a target that is very ambitious to achieve a fifth of the forecasted market share which is seen as very unrealistic with a basic marketing budget and Robert media plc will need to do a higher proportion on research than normal which will cost a lot more than usual. Another reason why the marketing budget is so important is that Roberts’s media is changing from print format to digital as they seek to achieve their object of increasing ROCE to 8%. Digital media is a new market for the business and therefore will need extensive research to see what the target markets’ needs and wants are. Although the marketing department had previously won awards for the way it promoted print magazines, but was concerned that the new technology would require a very different approach. As digital is completely different to print media, it obviously needs research conducted. However, Harry is being stubborn and dismissive stating that the marketing budget is un-important and will not provide additional funds. This could therefore mean that the businesses target the wrong people and that their objective to increase the ROCE to 8% could be dented and un-applicable. The rivals of Roberts media plc are already one step ahead of the business as they were already launching their own digital magazines within the next sic months and had already started their marketing campaign. This will have a big effect on the Roberts media as their targeted customers are already being targeted by rivals which could therefore mean fewer sales in the future. As the business is behind its rivals, a big promotional campaign will be needed in order to attract potential customers away from rivals. A big promotional campaign will require a big marketing budget but is what is needed in order to out beat its competitors in the race for customers. However, I agree with Harry not to provide addition funds to the marketing budget as the financial situation of the business is not very stable at this moment in time. The return on capital has fallen from 10% to 2% meaning that it will not be wisely to invest as it’s not really worth it to invest. Along with the poor state of ROCE, the current ratio is also in a bad state fallen from 1. 5:1 to 0. 5:1. This means for every 50p of current assets the business had ? 1 of liability. Having such a poor financial position will rupture the finance available and will need to use the scares finance available wisely. To conclude, I certainly agree with Lisa that the business’s marketing budget is the most important feature on the marketing plan. This major change from print to digital will cost a lot and will be in need of a big marketing budget to be successful. Also, Roberts media is already behind its rivals on its marketing and therefore will need something big to attract customers. Finally, Harry has set a very ambitious objective and therefore it will need a big marketing budget to be able to fulfil its purpose. Although the financial state of the business is poor, harry will need to help its marketing team and provide which they feel what is needed as the long run.

Stock Market Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Stock Market Research Paper Essay Brooke Boll Boll 1 Ms. Huneke English 2A January 24th 2010 America’s All Time Low The United States of America has always been known as a very strong, free, wealthy country. People all over the world immigrated to the U. s for many reasons one of them being the freedom and the opportunity to choose their own living. After World War I the United States of America went through a wide economic expansion because of the new technology. The stock market benefited greatly to all this money the country was making. Many people began putting money into stocks to make a fast killing. Most of these people never even thought that what was about to happen was even possible. The stock market will always go up is what everyone thought and never realized that it would soon come crumbling down. In September of 1929 the stock market hit an all time low which resulted in one of history’s greatest stock market disasters (Quinn). As everyone knows what goes up must come down there for in October of 1929 the market began to crash. â€Å"Even though most people did not own stocks the effects of the stock market crash were not limited to stockholders†(ABC-CLIO). The stock market crash affected the whole entire country. This down fall was one of the major factors that caused the great depression. â€Å"After ten years of soaring values, Wall street Boll 2 commodities plunged to frighteningly low depths on Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929. The stock market collapsed in a frenzy of selling in which a record 16 million shares were dumped† (Wukovits, 19). The millions of shares in the stock market being cut created financial issues for everyone. Very rich business men lost money in their stock and started to raise prices and cut salaries. Men and women all over the country lost their jobs and or saw their salary slashed. The unemployment percent skyrocketed and almost seven hundred banks were closed in the year of 1929, and eighty-five thousand businesses went bankrupt between 29 and 32(Wukovits, 18). The unemployment rate was nearly up to 25% in the 1930’s and did not drop back to 10% until the 1940’s. Not only did the unemployment ratio build but so did the amount of suicides throughout this time. The stock market affected everyone in the country due to the loss of money, jobs and homes. Homeless Americans then started to ride the rails. This was dangerous and when the railroads began to hire security that often started riots on the rails. Thousands of deaths were caused by jumping on and off train cars just to have somewhere to sleep. Americans all over could not pay for everyday things because they have lost so much money. â€Å"I knew the depression had really hit when the electric lights went out. My parents could no longer pay the one dollar electric bill† (ABC-CLIO). Prices of almost everything dropped hoping to fix the economies problems but with the salaries getting cut and jobs being lost the amount of income for most families could not even pay for basic life essentials. A winter coat was only twenty Boll 3 eight dollars, but people froze on the streets. A gas stove was nineteen ninety nine yet people all over America died of hunger due to the stock market crash and great depression. At only eight months in office the president of the United States during this crisis Herbert Hoover believed that the government should only play a small part in fixing the economy crisis. He tried to persuade the people and work force of America that the economy was perfectly fine and to keep living life as usual. He begged businesses not to lower their prices or cut down salaries and he also asked workers not to go on strike. Hoover firmly believed that government handouts would make the people of America weak. In Hoovers eyes handouts would not allow America to come together and fix this problem. â€Å"Herbert Hoover made massive public works programs to provide jobs for unemployed workers. He helped establish the federal farm board to assist farmers, the Federal Home Loan Bank Act to provide money for home purchases and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to provide financing for large businesses† (Wukovits, 19). All of Hoover’s ideas and plans to make the market rise again could only do so much. So many banks tried to raise their interest rates on loans to brokers to raise money and help the economy build again but the stock market was like a roller coaster when it went up it fell back down just as hard. â€Å"Many investors lost their life savings, and many businesses and banks failed due to their losses. One economist, Roger W. Babson, was the first to predict the crash he drew on evidence that consumers’ credit burdens were increasing, steel production was dropping, auto sales were falling, and some stocks were showing signs of price inflation. Other Boll 4 economists, like Irving Fisher, dismissed the markets downward trend as a shaking-out of speculators that would ultimately bring stability† (Galbraith). The stock market crash may have been one major cause of The Great Depression but it was also a major part in American history. The crash started the reform of laws and led to the establishment of the

Stages Of A Typical Performance Management System Management Essay

Stages Of A Typical Performance Management System Management Essay Performance can be defined as the end result of an activity. A performance management system therefore is defined as a process of establishing performance standards and evaluating performance in order to arrive at objective human resource decisions as well as to provide documentation to support those decisions. (Stephen P. Robbins, 2005, p. 296) A good performance management system is essential for Interact to be able to manage the dwindling individual performance. To develop a good system Interact will need to consider the three main aspects of managing individual performance, these include: planning performance, delivering and monitoring and formal assessment and reward. These are well illustrated in the performance cycle as illustrated by figure 1 below Figure 1 Stages of a typical performance management system Source: (Derek Torrington, p. 263) The first key aspect of managing individual performance is the planning performance stage. This is where a manager at interact sits down with his subject and they collaboratively set individual objectives originally obtained from team objectives and the agreed job description. These objectives are designed in a way that they also offer potential development as well as fulfilling the general organisations general objectives. They should also include measures of how they can be assessed. One common approach managers use in setting these objectives is with the SMART acronym. This suggests that the objectives set should be Specific, Measurable, Appropriate, Relevant and Timed. A good example of a good objective for an employee working in the component development department could be: To develop a new mobile phone component by March 2010 (started in January 2010) It is important that managers do not forget to plan for the support, development and resources necessary for the employee to be able to accomplish the objectives. The second key aspect is the delivering and monitoring performance stage. As the interact employee sets about to achieve the performance agreed, the manger should ensure that he is available at all times so that the employee can consult him/her at any moment when needed. There may be some unpredicted hindrances towards the achievement of performance and in some instances targets may have to be revised. Ongoing coaching is important whereby the manager can guide the employees through discussion and providing constructive feedback. Continuous informal reviews held between the employee and his manager should be carried out so as to ensure that work is going as agreed and whether the agreed performance will be attainable by the agreed dates. Objectives signed off as complete and recognition of work done so far help to act as motivation for the employee in the future for other objectives yet to be completed. The last key aspect of the performance cycle is the formal assessment and reward stage. This stage involves regular reviews of the development of the objectives and to motivate the employee. Annual reviews are also necessary in this stage whereby what has been achieved is compared with what had been set to be achieved which may affect pay and salary increments. Interact managers should take note that employees see reviews as fair only if the targets set are achievable and judgements were seen to be consistent throughout the organisation. Different styles of appraising employees could be adopted in order to make the best assessment but a popular and widely used approach is the problem solving style which is one of the styles developed by the American psychologist, Norman Maier. This approach suggests that The appraiser starts the interview by encouraging the employee to identify and discuss problem areas and then consider solutions. The employee therefore plays an active part in analysing problems and suggesting solutions, and then evaluation of performance emergence from the discussion at the appraisal interview, instead of being imposed by the appraiser upon the employee. (Anderson, 1993, p. 102). However, it should be taken note that this style works best if the employees are ready for it and the mangers are willing to behave in this way which is not always the case. After the reviews have been conducted and achievement of tasks has been high, reward is necessary. Most management systems include pay in the reward package but ongoing research has shown that element of pay had very little effect in the motivation of employees. Other forms of reward other than monetary such as promotion and offering of individual development opportunities are found to be more motivating to employees. In order for the successful implementation of a performance management system, line managers who are closer to the employees need to be included in the Human Resource team when designing the system. Training of the line managers is essential before and during the introduction of the system. Task 2 Learning can be defined as the process of acquiring knowledge. Learning and development is an essential part in keeping the performance of Interacts employees up to standard. Currently, there have been issues and complains from the employees about the quality of training being offered, and the lack of enough training to keep the component developers up to date with emerging technologies. This is a serious problem for interact being the fact that it is operating in an industry that requires a high degree of innovation and creativity. It indicates the need for an effective people development strategy. A good approach that could be used to establish an effective people development strategy would be the systematic training cycle. This cycle includes for steps that are; identifying training needs, designing development activity, carrying out development and evaluating development. This can be illustrated by the diagram below. Environment Business strategy People development strategy Figure 2 A systematic model of learning and training Source: (Derek Torrington, p. 391) Considering figure 2, the first step in the model is identifying training and learning needs. Before any activity can commence, interact managers should take note that identifying these needs should not be the sole role of the human resource team but should be a process that involves the employees too. Employees about to receive training should not be considered as subjects but as participants of the scheme. Interact managers should also take note that modern day effective training requires not only a focus on development of technical skills alone but also personal skills, attitudes and self-management therefore broadening the needs scope. One approach that interact managers could use to identify the training and learning needs is the problem centred approach. This approach analyses whether there are any performance problems and analyses whether they are caused by lack of skill and if so, which. The gap between expected performance and actual performance is the one that helps to bring about the training need. For example, an identified problem with interact is that the component developers are not up to date with new technological development therefore the training need would be to continuously keep the developers up to date. After training needs have been identified, the next step will be designing the development activity. There various methods of learning and development that Interact managers could use such as; education and training courses (off job), manager coaching and teaching, self development groups and open and distance learning. (On job). The next step is carrying out the development activity. For education and training courses, Interact managers could use the consultancy courses. They could range from one day to several weeks in some cases. These have the advantage that they enable employees from various organisations to meet and share their experiences. In order to be very effective, they should concentrate on specific skills of knowledge, such as being introduced to new technological developments. Management should take note that these courses are usually expensive despite the fact that they are of short duration. There is a big challenge that Interact managers should be prepared to face and that is the ensuring of the transfer of what the employees have learnt back to the organisation. To counteract this problem, managers could set goals for implementing new skills once the employees return from training. In case the Interact management decide to use on job training methods take manager coaching and teaching as an example, the line manager will act as a mentor or coach for the trainees involved. He will provide feedback, counselling, encouragement discussion and sincere feedback. Management should however take note that not all line managers can provide effective coaching, as it requires good interpersonal skills and commitment from the manager to accept the coaching role. Interact management could also support the use of self development groups whereby informal groups formed by employees come together and discuss organisational issues, personal development and individual work problems. The group should however be headed by an experienced leader who plays the role of a facilitator and to some extent, a source of information. This group leader could drop off as the group matures. Such a method of learning and development requires a high level of commitment from the group members and a close follow up on the side of management. The final step in the learning cycle is the evaluating development stage. While evaluating development, changes in skills, knowledge, behaviour and attitudes need to be considered. However, research has proved that it is actually very difficult to asses some aspects of learning or training that have been carried out such as changes in attitudes and behaviour. A post course questionnaire could be issued out to the trainees but this usually tends to evaluate the course and not the training. Evaluation could also be carried out by setting up goals basing on what the individuals have learnt during training and the extent to which the employees meet these goals would indicate how effective the training had been. It is recommended that managers should keep on evaluating the trainees continuously from the beginning as they attend the training courses and not to pin the evaluation process at the end of the course. Task 3 Leadership can be defined as the Process in which an individual influences other group members towards the attainment of group or organisational goals. (Shackleton, 1995, p. 2) There is a close link between leadership and motivation and performance implying that the leadership style being used may have either positive or negative impacts on these. Due to the recession, Interact adopted a rather autocratic approach and have become more task focused. An autocratic leader is a leader who tends to centralise authority, dictate work methods, make unilateral decisions and limit employee participation. (Stephen p. Robbins, 2005, p. 593) The advantage of such a style is that it leads to quick decision making and work getting done on time. However, there are various negative impacts Interact could face as result of applying such a leadership style. To start with, according to Vrooms expectancy theory which says that An individual tends to act in a certain way based on the expectation that the act will be followed by a given outcome and on the attractiveness of that outcome to the individual. (Stephen p. Robbins, 2005, p. 405), we can see that expectancy has an impact on motivation. Therefore not expecting employees to perform unless they are directed to will only cause them to behave in that way leading to demotivation and poor performance. Also using Maslows hierarchy of needs, the need for affiliation could be a motivational factor. Therefore not involving employees in the decision making process and centralising authority only makes the employees feel alienated and thus end up feeling demotivated. The autocratic style of leadership also fails to recognise that social needs are a motivational factor for employees. Maslow recognised the need for affiliation as an important attribute in human motivation therefore making decisions or planning activities while excluding those who are going to be affected may demotivate them. Autocratic leadership also makes the employees feel that the organisation does not trust them enough to make wise decisions for the good of the organisation. This demotivates them and makes them feel like they are not a part of the organisation or not responsible enough. As a result of being very task oriented, such as style does not have much concern for the needs of their subordinates. This is clearly indicated by the lack of a sound human resource function and the fact that the Interact management has so far refused to meet with the group of employee representatives who are trying to voice employee concerns. This has led to feelings of resentment, alienation and a drop in performance levels. In conclusion, the autocratic style of leadership has a rather more negative impact than positive effects, but this is not to say that Interact should not apply it, rather they could blend it in with other styles of leadership. Using the managerial grid designed by Blake and Mouton, THE MANAGERIAL GRID High concern for people Low concern for production Country Club management High concern for people High concern for production Team management Low concern for people Low concern for production Impoverished management Low concern for people High concern for production Authority-compliance management High People Low Production High The managerial grid Source: (Derek Torrington, p. 304) Most managers agree that the best leadership style would be the team management which has both high concerns for people and production but there is a new approach that suggests that the best style is to use all these four styles together basing on different times and different situations. Task 4 The complaints voiced by employees over the need to work harder and longer to keep their jobs and increased levels of stress are a sign that the quality of the working life at Interact is deteriorating. Work-life balance is very important as it keeps the employees happy and contented with their jobs therefore reducing absenteeism and turnover. There are a number of practices that management at Interact could implement so as to improve the situation. To begin with, offering the employees flexible working hours would greatly help employees who need more time outside the job. Allowing female workers to have their maternity leaves also enables to keep the employees happy with their current jobs. The Interact management can also train their line managers to deal with employee stress. The line managers should encourage the employees to talk and voice out what is truly getting them stressed up. An increased level of stress at work is a total wake up call that Interact needs to change its style of leadership and control. Not allowing employees to freely raise their voices over the different issues in the organisation and refusing to recognise their representative group only makes them feel unappreciated and demoralised. Interact could also reorganise their working practices such that the workers could get work done without having to spend extra long hours to work while maintaining the same quality of performance. The amount of days employees can get in their leaves should be adequate giving employees enough time to rest and relax so that they can return to work revitalised. For those workers who may not be able to get to work but and yet their jobs do not demand their physical presence at the premises, interact could offer them alternatives of working at home. This will help to boost performance while at the same time saving valuable time lost when the work is not done at all. In case workers are having to work overtime, Interact should devise a payment scheme that covers these extra hours in a manner that is of mutual benefit with the employees. Interact could even go to the extent of ensuring that maternity pay is reasonable and comfortable for the employees. This will make them return to work much more happily and boost their attachment to the company. For those in areas where the work demands them to do the same routine job everyday, Interact management could introduce rotation where other employees doing other routine work could be set up to be exchanging activities so as to prevent them from getting bored. However there are some limitations that Interact should take note about work-life balance policies. For example, some policies such as maternity pay only target the female employees therefore bringing about a feeling of neglect with the other employees. Another problem is the fact that some policies may actually be put in place and yet employees may not take them up and use them. Task 5 Absenteeism can be defined as the To tackle this problem, Managers at Interact need to set up a procedure to solve the absenteeism problem. The process could involve the following steps; Identify the absence problem Locate the absence problem Identify and prioritize the cause of absence Evaluate the current control method Design the absence control program Implement the absence control program Monitor the effectiveness of the program The first step of solving the absenteeism problem is assessing it. Interact could do this by collecting statistical data about thee current absence levels. This can be done by gathering information on how many people did not come in to work for a certain period of time. After the pattern has been identified, the next step is to locate the absence problem. This is done by using collected data to find out which specific departments had the highest levels of absentees for the period. The next step is to identify the cause of absence in the departments selected. An autocratic leadership style of the line managers in Interact, longer working hours, low levels of responsibility and decision making could result into dissatisfaction with the job situation therefore leading to a rise in absence levels. Evaluating the current absence control method is what follows after the causes of absence have been identified. During evaluation, Interact should be able to see the weaknesses of the current control program and why it is failing to work effectively. After evaluation, Interact should design a new control program that tackles the problem. There are a few recommendations of measures that could be put in place to help reduce the problem, First of all, I would recommend to Interact that they should try and maintain continuous contact with the employees who are absent from work. This is known to greatly reduce the length of absence and shows the employee that the organisation in concerned about the well being of its people. One visit a month by the line manager of the employee could be effective. Another useful activity that interact could do to manage absence is to include attendance levels in the performance review at the end of the year. Having high levels of absence during the year would be considered as underperformance in the review. I would also recommend that the line managers undergo training so as to ensure that the absence procedures are effectively carried out. Proper training on how to handle employees who are frequently absent could greatly reduce the absence levels. A deep understanding of the causes of absence would enable Interact to be able to tackle the absenteeism problem. Known causes of absenteeism at Interact include, employees working longer hours and increased levels of stress. When trying to identify the problems, management should not only consider what the absentees have filed as the reason for their absence as research has shown that they tend to write excuses that appear valid to the organisation. Interact should build a culture of trust with its employees such that they can get them to explain the real causes of absence and thus they can respond to them effectively. The last step after the absence control program has been designed is to implement it while continuously monitoring it by collecting statistical data to observe whether the absence levels are falling or not. If it is not effective then Interact have to find out why, make the necessary corrections and continue with it Task 6 Employee turnover is the rate at which employees voluntarily leave their jobs. At interact, the level of employee turnover has been relatively high. Collecting information on staff turnover is quite difficult to collect though one best approach could be by using exit interviews. However, there are some major reasons why staff could be leaving interact. Push factors One reason why Interact employees could be leaving their jobs is because of Push factors. This concept suggests poor working conditions, people development strategy, dissatisfaction with company policies, negative effects of autocratic leadership style, job insecurity among others to be the cause of forcing people to leave the organisation. In other words, Interact is pushing away its employees by failing to provide a good organisational and working environment to keep the employees satisfied. Interact could control this cause by making the organisation more employee friendly. Another reason why employees could be leaving Interact is because of pull factors. This concept implies that rival employers in the telephone component manufacturing industry are pulling Interact employees towards them. This could be because they are paying higher salaries, offering better benefit packages, training opportunities or they have more attractive working environments. The best way Interact could reduce turnover caused by this way is by first of all analysing what other organisations in the industry are offering that is making them more attractive and therefore making sure they can level up. Another approach is by identifying unique selling points offered by Interact that other organisations dont have and communicating them to staff. Employees could also be leaving Interact as a result of functional turnover. This is a situation where employee resignations are accepted by both Interact and the employee involved. This could be because of failure of the employee to conform with the organisational culture or as a result of continuous poor performance. The best way to handle turnover caused in this way is by improving the recruitment process so as to avoid such people in the first place. Outside factors could also be making employees leave Interact. These are reasons that have nothing to do with the job. They could be leaving because their partners are leaving the city, personal desire for self employment. In this situation, there is nothing much that Interact could do to stop these kinds of employees from leaving the organisation as it is beyond their control. The rate of employee turnover at Interact could be greatly reduced by putting in place certain strategies so as to manage the turnover rates. Firstly one tool that Interact could use is pay. Research has shown that organisations offering higher salaries appear more attractive than those with less. However, pay alone may not be enough to keep the employees from leaving. It should be combined with other benefits such as holidays, healthcare offers and staff discounts. The best approach in offering such benefits is by letting the employees pick benefits that they prefer as different employees may be interested in different packages. Another tool that Interact could use to help reduce turnover rates is putting in place family friendly Human Resource practices. Considering the fact that many people leave work due to family and personal reasons giving employees more time to spend with their families through holiday packages, flexible working hours and a well paid maternity leave may greatly help to reduce the rates. Improving the quality of line management may also help to reduce the turnover rates as these managers play a critical role in employee relations. To ensure that the selected line managers are effective, they should be selected basing on their supervisory capabilities, undergo training and appraised on their supervisory skills. Finally induction is also known to help in reducing early staff turnover rates as it helps to fit the employee into the organisation and defines his/her role in it. Organisational induction could be done by the Human resource department and may include a presentation on health and safety regulations and fire evacuation procedures. This type of induction could last a few days. The other type of induction is the job-based induction. This usually takes longer and is mostly carried out by the immediate line manager and in the background, fellow employees and includes activities like getting to know the organisation culture, how work is done and what is expected of him/her. Managing employee expectations from the beginning could also play a crucial role in reducing the turnover rates. This is done by letting the employee know exactly what to expect from his job right at the start of his/her career so that they are more prepared when they face the challenges. Challenges could include time pressures etc

Schizophrenia, A Matter of Perception :: Schizophreania Science papers

Schizophrenia, A Matter of Perception Part 2: Reality, What Reality? What is reality? To many, reality is the ability to validate a sensory experience with another sensory experience, for example, when one is able to touch what he sees, then that something is real. Yet, our perception, the collection of all our sensory inputs formatted into the framework of the mind, is unreal. A blue box is not really blue, but consists of waves transmitted to our visual receptors. What sounds like music is really a collection of vibrations, and smells are really different molecules interacting with our nasal receptors. Our perception does not correctly reflect the true identity of an object. The electromagnetic waves absorbed and transmitted off an aggregate of mass, manifests itself as a blue cube, and all our visual limitations allows us to see is a blue cube. If reality were defined as the existence of an object as we perceive it, then reality is unreal. There are many errors to the human experiences and the human mind because mankind needs the affirmation t hat information and facts are either right or wrong. Once upon a time, the world was the center of the universe, with mankind standing at its' pedestal. Even when evidence was present, it took many years before people then learned to accept a new form of thinking. So what we view as real and right today, may just be a summary waiting to be replaced. Yet, are we ready to accept a new reality? Perception in itself varies greatly from one individual to another. No two people are the same, and no two people have the same fine tunings that discriminate the sensory environment. What our environment presents to our sensory receptors differs from what our brain presents to our perception. When presented with a painting of a blue cube, one person might notice the different textures of the paint and the background, while another might focus on the dimensions of the cube. As these images are transmitted to the brain, the schemata that is accessed by this input also varies from one individual to another. Jo may see the color blue and remember the time her father bought her a blue bike, bringing her back to happy childhood memories. The color blue may send a shiver down Bob's spine as he remembers the blue vodka bottle his alcoholic and abusive father used to drink.

Dylan Thomas Essay -- essays research papers

Despite Dylan Thomas’ often obscure images, he expresses a clear message of religious devotion in many of his poems. He creates images that reflect God’s connection with the earth and body. In “And death shall have no dominion,'; Thomas portrays the redemption of the soul in death, and the soul’s liberation into harmony with nature and God. Thomas best depicts his beliefs, though abstract and complicated, to the reader with the use of analogies and images of God’s presence in nature. Appreciating the virtue of humility in “Shall gods be said to thump the clouds,'; Thomas associates God with thunder, rainbows, and night only to remind us that He is even more present in a simple stone as He is in other great entities. In “The force that through the green fuse drives the flower,'; Thomas again makes the connection of body and earth, implying that there is only one holy force that has created all motion and life on this planet. This force, becaus e it is so pure and boundless, is present in the shadows and poverty of our world, as depicted in “Light breaks where no sun shines.'; God’s sacred presence in the body and earth is the ultimate theme within these chosen poems. In “The force that through the green fuse drives the flower,'; Dylan Thomas illustrates the connection between the earth, the body, and God. He discusses how both nature and man are propelled by the same holy force and therefore are united. He does not propose the question of how the stem grows to create a flower or how blood circulates within the body, but rather what is the ultimate force behind all motion and life on the earth. “The force that through the green fuse drives the flower / Drives my green age/…The force that drives the water through the rocks / Drives my red blood;'; In these analogies, Thomas humbles the human race and depicts God’s presence in all natural things, including humans. Thomas reveals that we are not a separate entity, but only part of a greater existence. Aside from the holy force that propels the world, Thomas also examines how we alter the way our lives should naturally progress. Death is a stage of life; as a rose is bent or killed by the cold so should we age and eventually die in due time. However, Thomas analyzes human and natural... ...s,'; and “waste allotments.'; This stanza is the most important because it claims that “When logics die, / The secret soil grows through the eye, / And blood jumps in the sun.'; Making the final connection with the holy presence in the earth that grows up through the body and into the brain, Thomas conveys that God will save us and be there when we are empty and he will bless us at times when we need it most. In these poems and many others, Dylan Thomas expresses God’s presence and unconditional love for everyone. He has conventional spiritual views, occasionally alluding to the Bible, but his images are unique. He describes heaven with the stars and the wind, and connects God with thunder, rainbows, and gravel. Using the motion and life on the earth, Dylan Thomas facilitates these concrete ideas to describe his abstract spiritual beliefs. Nature is an ideal way to describe God because He is present everywhere on our earth. Whether it be the soul’s redemption into heaven with God and the earth or God’s great force that creates all motion on the planet, His presence is the theme that Dylan Thomas expresses best of all of his poetry.