BluePrint LSAT Courses

If youve set your sights on mastering the LSAT before you register, then you know youll need to prepare for it with practice tests, books, apps, tutoring or LSAT courses. If taking a class has been on your mind, then youre in the right spot! Many test prep companies out there offer LSAT courses to help you master the skills, testing techniques and knowledge youll need for test day. BluePrint is one of those companies. BluePrint LSAT Courses BluePrint does nothing else but LSAT test prep. Thats right. Their entire company, founded in 2005, is focused on getting you to ace this bad boy of a test. Personally, I like the companys wit and flavor. If you decide to register for a BluePrint LSAT class, which you can at the bottom of the page, and visit their website, youll see what I mean. Boring test prep it is certainly not. With some other test prep companies like The Princeton Review and Kaplan, youll get a higher score or satisfaction guarantee. BluePrint does not offer one, but on average, their students are earning 11 points higher from their first to best practice LSAT exams. Live LSAT Course At press time, the BluePrint Live LSAT course was offered in 28 different locations from New York to LA. If youre not in one of the areas, you can sign up for the online course, which is a little less expensive, too. At press time, the cost was $1,299 Whats Included 112 hours of practice: 88 lecture hours and 24 hours of practice exams16 lessons devoted to introducing new concepts and strategies. They use current events or real-life examples to help illustrate challenging material.3 workshops for review situated at the end of each course book.3 clinics, one for each type of section on the LSAT6 proctored practice exams4 Blueprint textbooks and one supplement, as well as access to every available LSAT question legal to license – 6,500 questions.MyBlueprint student page featuring hundreds of additional hours of LSAT instruction, exam scoring, and explanations for every homework questionA class TA to help track your progress BluePrint: The Movie (Online, On-Demand LSAT Course) Not in one of the locations where BluePrint offers live classes? Thats okay! They have an online version of the class, too, so youre not left out in the cold. Plus, since the class is on-demand, you can study whenever you want to. There are no set class times or dates you need to remember. Youll have access to the course for two full LSAT administrations. At press time, the cost was $799 Whats Included 112 hours of practice: 88 lecture hours and 24 hours of practice exams16 lessons devoted to introducing new concepts and strategies. They use current events or real-life examples to help illustrate challenging material.3 workshops for review situated at the end of each course book.3 clinics, one for each type of section on the LSAT6 proctored practice exams4 Blueprint textbooks and one supplement, as well as access to every available LSAT question legal to license – 6,500 questions.MyBlueprint student page featuring hundreds of additional hours of LSAT instruction, exam scoring, and explanations for every homework question Upgrades to Your LSAT Course In case you miss an LSAT class, need more study time, could use a tutor, or want help with your law school application, BluePrint offers upgrades to your online or live course. If youre a live student and want to sign up for BluePrint: The Movie for additional practice, they offer it at a discounted $200! If youd like 1-on-1 tutoring with a teacher whos earned a 170 on the LSAT (wow!), then they have 10, 20 and A La Carte Tutoring options, too. In addition, BluePrint offers application consulting, too, in case youre feeling shaky in that area. Signing Up for BluePrints LSAT Courses If you like what you see, you can call 888-4-BP-PREP or email infoblueprintprep.com to enroll. Or, you can head to BluePrints website to check availability, try a class for free, and sign up online.

Stress And Space Counterspress - 841 Words

Countermeasures The research ratings for risk of hostile behavioral conditions and psychiatric disorders has been determined to be â€Å"Controlled† for the ISS and lunar missions, â€Å"Acceptable† for near-Earth asteroid missions, and â€Å"Unacceptable† for the Mars design reference mission. Improvements that have been successfully executed for International Space Station (ISS) operations include: working with ground control concerning scheduling, support services from operational psychology personnel, multiple layers of accountability when conducting critical tasks, and education for ground crews (Kahn et al., 2014). Techniques that are currently in place to monitor the crew’s behavioral health and provide support socially and psychologically have†¦show more content†¦Journals are a safe place to vent frustrations and help researchers to study behavioral issues and other things that are on the minds of crewmembers who are living and working in isolation and c onfinement (Gushanas, 2016; Stuster, 2017). These methods and technologies will help prepare for longer, farther exploration missions Summary Analysis Behavioral health and human interaction is a major challenge in exploration missions by humans and to the success of missions that involve significant increases in time and distance traveled beyond Earth’s orbit. However, the current available data is still insufficient to make an objective evaluation or plan about the behavioral health issues that are likely to occur. Even though the data from natural analog environments and simulations are helpful, there is still a need for information on observations from research in extreme natural and simulated terrestrial environments, as well as sites like the International Space Station. Analyzing the information contained in journal entries, concerning behavior, can be used as studies as quantifiable data on the importance of the many behavioral issues in long-duration space exploration and help to propose procedures and equipment to help the performance throughout operations and

How and Why Did Hitler Kill the Jews free essay sample

How,why and with what results did Hitler persecute the Jews ? How,why and with what results did Hitler persecute the Jews ? Hitler made them numerous promises and used many techniques of propaganda. Through Hitlers entire regime , Hitler’s main goal was to persecute the jews. The Jews were severely mistreated by Hitler and his numerous followers. The inflicting of suffering, harassment, isolation, imprisonment, fear, or pain are all factors that established persecution of the Jews. There are various reason why Hitler wanted to persecute Jews in the first place. Hitler used gruesome methods of torture to persecute them. At the end of world war 1, Life for the German people became very difficult after the Treaty of Versailles. After paying a great amount of money for war damage to France and Great Britain, In 1929 Germany was in a economic depression of the worst kind. Hitler was a very inteligent man. He knew that the Germans was in a desperate state and were looking for someone to blame . He believed that the Jews were a threat to the so called superior ‘Aryan’ race, which was blonde haired,blue eyed and mainly German. He said there were many inferior races ,but the lowest of them all were the Jews. The Germans were extremely poor and unemployed. They turned to blame the Jews ,many whom were rich and successfull in business. Hitler made them promises such as new job openings and a decrease in unemployment if the Jews were taken out of the picture. Hitler was famouse for saying â€Å"If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed. † Hitler often told lies in his speeches . He was a great speaker and manged to convince the people that what he was saying was true. Hitler indoctrinated the children into beliving that the Jews were not pure blood and a threat to the nation through the curriculum and textbooks taught in school. Nother reason for his hatred were his anti capitalist and anti liberalism views. He claimed that the Jews were a part of an international conspiracy, and that he had profited from the misery of other Germans. All these were serious accusations but Germany was vulnerable other Germans. All these were serious accusations but Germany was vulnerable and was looking for something to believe in. Anti-Semitics believed Jews fit such stereotypes; ‘criminals, sexual predators, inferior, bacteria, unpatriotic’. To this day historians are confused about why Hitler personaly hated the jews . It is said that when Hitler was trying to make a living in Vienna, he often saw may Jews minting with money around him and thought it was unfair that they were extremely rich and he had to struggle to make a aliving. What further confuses the historians is that Hiters mother whom he worshiped was half Jewish resulting in him growing up in a semi jewish household. Once Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933,persecution of the Jews became official. Placards reading ‘Jews not wanted’ were hung on doors outside shops and cafes. Jews were ade to wear the Star of David and beaten up on streets . In 1935,The Nuremberg laws were made. were antisemitic laws in Nazi Germany introduced at the annual Nuremberg Rally of the Nazi Party. Only Germans or those with related blood were considered citizens of the Reich from then on. Marriage or sexual relations between Jews and those of German blood. Were forbidden. By the mid 1930s the Jews were terrified and began to fled. Some went to Palestine,others to the USA and Britain. In 1938 the jews went around smashing Jewish stoores,homes and Synagogues. Ordinary German began to help in mudering the Jews. After Germany invaded Polandand Czechoslovakia in 1939 ,more Jews were trapped under German rule. The Germans began to transport Jews into the Ghettos. Initially Hitler began sending all jews to concentration camps. In the concentration camps, the Jews were either tortured or made to do hard labour. Even with the tiniest excuses they were shot. The Nazis killed physically or mentaly impaired jews without question. They would be selected for gassing this meant they would all be placed in a room and that mustard gas would be sprayed on them. If they survived, most Jews would slowly and systematically starved to death. This was made even worse because while they were being denied proper food, they were expected to do manual labour for long hours, despite being hungry and thirsty. As they were treated so badly,the Jews began to look like how they were made to seem in the propaganda posters making the Germans agree with Hitler even ore. the food was close to not non-existent, it was calculated to starve the Jews into corpses. Sometimes Jews were publicly hanged at roll call time. Jewish prisoners froze to death because they were not allowed to have any warm clothing or protection from the elements, and winters were very harsh. thers were experimented on by the notoriously brutal Dr. Mengele who used Jews to test out his own part icular scientific theories. 2 million Jews were killed in 1941 ,when the invasion of the USSR began. The Final Solution in december 1941 was Nazi Germanys plan during World War II to annihilate the Jewish people, resulting in the most deadly phase of the Holocaust, the destruction of Jewish communities in continental Europe. about one million Jews were killed before the plans of the Final Solution were fully implemented in 1942, but it was only with the decision to eradicate the entire Jewish population that the extermination camps were built and industrialized mass slaughter of Jews began . The final solution implements what it’s name says, the final solution of getting rid of the Jews forever. Jews were rounded up in Germany,in Eastern Europe and every other part of the Nazi controlled Europe,Jews were sent to death camps. The most deadly extermination camp was in Auschwitz in Poland. 4 million people were sent and only 60,000 survived. All in all , the Holocaust will always be a big part of history as it resulted in deaths of millions of Jews who were all innocent people, who lived lives of hardships and torture to a great degree. We will never truly understand the pain and the sorrow they went through ,losing many loved ones. This was the destructive result of the persecution of the Jews. Rhea Daulet-Singh

Sir Isaac Newton Essays (374 words) - Copernican Revolution

Sir Isaac Newton Isaac Newton Sir Isaac Newton developed calculus, natural forces, and optics. Newton was born on Christmas Day in 1642. His father had died before he was born, but he was still given his father's name (Westfall 17). Isaac stayed with his grandparents when his mother went to live with her second husband. While living with his grandparents he attended day school nearby (Westfall 17). After his grandmother died and Newton was seventeen, his mother took him out of school and brought him back to the family farm. She tried to teach him how to run the farm and manage the estate; this was a failure. In all of his spare time he returned to inventing and building machines. Newton's uncle and old schoolmaster saw that he was in the wrong trade and urged his mother to prepare him to attend the University. His uncle's efforts paid off; in 1660 he returned to Grantham to finish grammar school and prepare for the university. In June of 1661 Newton entered Trinity College, Cambridge (Westfall 17). At Cambridge Newton studied mathematics. This is when Newton first started to make many discoveries. He made most of his important discoveries there: pure mathematics, theory of gravitation, and optics, all before he even graduated college. Newton made contributions to all branches of mathematics. Modern study of aerodynamics and the science of hydrodynamics would be impossible without the principles of the calculus. Newton wrote Philosophiae Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), which is usually known by the last two words. In the book Newton codified Galileo's findings into the three laws of motion. (Wilson online). Newton formulated three laws of motion, and resulting from them the law of universal gravitation. His laws of motion are the natural laws of mechanics. Newton's three laws of motion are: 1. The law of Inertia- an object at rest tends to stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. 2. 2nd Law- an unbalanced force applied to an object will result in the acceleration if the object. There was an equation that went along with this law which is F=ma. This means force equals mass times acceleration. 3. 3rd Law- for every action there is an equal but opposite reaction. Isaac Newton died in 1727. He was thought to be the greatest genius that ever lived by a French mathematical astronomer. Biographies

Developing a Java GUI

Developing a Java GUI GUI stands for Graphical User Interface, a term used not only in Java but in all programming languages that support the development of GUIs. A programs graphical user interface presents an easy-to-use visual display to the user. It is made up of graphical components (e.g., buttons, labels, windows) through which the user can interact with the page or application. To make graphical user interfaces in Java, use either Swing (older applications) or JavaFX. Typical Elements A GUI includes a range of user interface elements  - which just means all the elements that display when you are working in an application.  These can include: Input controls such as buttons, dropdown lists, checkboxes, and text fields.Informational elements such as labels, banners, icons, or notification dialogs.Navigational elements, including sidebars, breadcrumbs, and menus. Java GUI Frameworks: Swing and JavaFX Java has included Swing, an API for creating GUIs, in its Java Standard Edition since Java 1.2, or 2007. Its designed with a modular architecture so that elements are easily plug-and-play and can be customized. It has long been the API of choice for Java developers when creating GUIs. JavaFX has also been around a long time  - Sun Microsystems, which owned Java before the current owner Oracle, released the first version in 2008, but it didnt really gain traction until Oracle purchased Java from Sun. Oracles intention is to eventually replace Swing with JavaFX. Java 8, released in 2014, was the first release to include JavaFX in the core distribution. If you are new to Java, you should learn JavaFX rather than Swing, although you may need to understand Swing because so many applications incorporate it, and so many developers are still actively using it. JavaFX features an entirely different set of graphic components as well as a new terminology and has many features that interface with web programming, such as support for Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), a web component for embedding a web page inside an FX application, and the functionality to play web multimedia content.   Design and Usability If youre an application developer, you need to consider not only the  tools and programming widgets you will use to create your GUI, but also be aware of the user and how he will interact with the application. For example, is the application intuitive and easy to navigate? Can your user find what he needs in the expected places? Be consistent and predictable about where you place things  - for instance, users are familiar with navigational elements on top menu bars or left sidebars. Adding navigation in a right sidebar or on the bottom will only make the user experience more difficult. Other issues might include the availability and power of any search mechanism, the behavior of the application when an error occurs, and, of course, the general aesthetics of the application. Usability is a field in and of itself, but once you have mastered the tools for creating GUIs, learn the basics of usability to ensure that your application has a look-and-feel that will make it attractive and useful to its users.

4 Ways to Improve Your Resume

4 Ways to Improve Your Resume No matter how good your resume or C.V., it can always be better. Try the following four strategies to bump yours up into the category of greatness, and see if you can’t land that dream job. 1. Make it skim-ableEase of reading is key. Organize your document so that the hiring manager can find the information they need without effort or strain of any kind. Work hardest on the headers, eliminate unnecessary verbiage, and concentrate on putting the most important and relevant information in the first five words of each description. The faster they can get the gist of how great you are, the better.2. Tailor to the jobYes, tailoring each resume you send to the particular position is a pain- and requires a ton of extra work, but it’s a great habit to get into. It’s more important to do this than to have one resume that is formatted beautifully and fits perfectly on to one page. Figure out what the hiring manager wants from a candidate, and do your best to present yourse lf specifically in that light.3. Make it mobileWe never used to have to think about how our perfectly formatted resume would read on a smart phone or a PDA. This is, however, the world we live in now. Double check how your files open on these mobile devices and alter accordingly to make sure you’re not shortchanging yourself if a hiring manager reads your application on the run.4. Go liveMake a website for yourself for job search purposes. It doesn’t need to include much more than your resume, but it’s always useful to have a direct link in case a file is unreadable on one device or computer or the other. It’s also a very useful way to encourage people to look at your portfolio- without being asked for it directly.Endless tinkering of your resume is not the idea here. Just make sure you’re firing on all cylinders, then update it, and let it go. Get out there and get the job!

Law of International Sales and Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Law of International Sales and Finance - Essay Example In international sales, however, several applicable laws co-exist creating several standards that determine whether or not a valid acceptance was made. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), or the Vienna Convention, and Domestic Common Law are examples. Their applicability illustrates what Michael Bridge refers to as the "'bifocal' world of international sales law," where the broad provisions of the Vienna Convention and the details found in Common law are applied depending on the type of transaction being conducted2. Hence, it is crucial for contracting parties to understand the applicability of each in particular cases, as well as the differences and similarities embodied, to determine if a contract is duly enforceable or not. Since an acceptance of an offer indicates an offeree's assent to the terms of the offer and be bound by a contract, a set of established rules of acceptance are crucial in determining whether an acceptance is effective or not. First, a valid acceptance must be unqualified and without modifications or conditions of the offer. This is illustrated in Masters v. Cameron (1954) 91 C.L.R. 353, where in the case of a conditional offer, it was held that the use of the words "subject to contract" in the formation of the contract is "prima facie [to] create an overriding condition, so that what has been agreed upon must be regarded as the intended basis for a future contract and not as constituting a contract"3. With regard to counter-offers, Livingstone v. Evans (1925) 4 D.L.R. 769 states that "[i]f an acceptance does not mirror the offer, then it is ought to be construed as counter-offer4" and is considered as a rejection of the original offer. Second, acceptance must be communicated by the offeree to the offeror, where actual communication exists. Hence, silence or inactivity does not embody acceptance5. The case of Felthouse v. Bindley (1862) 11 C.B. (N.S.) 869 illustrates this point. However, acceptance can also expressed based on a party's conduct. In St. John Tug Boat Co. v. Irving Refinery Ltd. (1964) S.C.R. 614, although no acceptance was communicated, it was held that if a man's conduct indicates acceptance to an offer, "the man thus conducting himself would be equally bound as if he intended6." As illustrated in Powell v. Lee (1908) 99 LT 284, acceptance must also come from the offeree himself, or a person authorized by the offeree to accept the offer7. The manner in which an acceptance is communicated must also be given consideration. In this regard, Eliason v. Henshaw [1819] US SC, concludes that acceptance of an offer must be communicated "according to the terms in which the offer was made" such that "[a]ny qualification of, or departure from, those terms, invalidates the offer8." Offerees are therefore bound to abide by the stipulations of the offeror in terms of deadline for acceptance, method of acceptance, and the like. In Tallerman & Co. Pty. Ltd. V. Nathan's Merchandise Pty. Ltd. (1957) 98 CLR 93, the date and time that an acceptance is communicated and becomes effective is also the date and time that a contract is formed9. However, since offers are revocable10, and an offer is only effective until a time specified by the offeror or

Behavior and manners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Behavior and manners - Essay Example These events leave a strong impression upon one’s mind, which cannot be forgotten easily. Although I have proven to be a very good boy throughout my life, yet there is a regretful experience when I punched a person who was misbehaving with me. I ended up at police station. This experience is important for me as I learnt a very good lesson which benefitted me many a times after that. I was driving with my dad to the beach on a hot summer day when our car got stuck in traffic. It was a holiday and, thus, most of the people were out. Our car was at a signal. On green light, the driver in front of our car did not move. My dad has always been against rudeness but, still, he kept his nerves. We got out of the car, and went to the driver. I saw that he was trying to grab his cell phone from the back seat that his kid had thrown there. â€Å"Excuse me! The signal is green from ages. Will you mind moving? The whole traffic is waiting for you to move on, and you seem like not caring at all,† I asked him. â€Å"Yes, I will mind moving until I grab my phone. You’d better stay back,† he replied with much arrogance. â€Å"How rude that is!† I exclaimed, â€Å"Don’t you know you are bugging others in the line?† ... Move your car right now. I’m getting late.† Everyone was giving horns and shouting at us to move. I could see all other drivers staring at us. The man had found his phone by then. He grabbed the phone while still shouting at his kids. He gave us a wave with his hand with a look as if trying to tell us to shut up. I heard him say, â€Å"Piss off, you son-of-a-bitch!† â€Å"What did you just say?† I was infuriated like hell. â€Å"You would know if you were travelling with little kids in the car, you rascal!† shouted the man while trying to concentrate upon his keys. That enraged me even more. My dad held my arm and told me not to indulge in quarrel. But I would not get convinced after the man called me names. When he turned his ignition on, I jumped at him, and punched him hard on his face. He came out of the car fuming with anger; but till then, a couple of passengers had come between us. Two policemen arrived at the scene. I was not expecting such a big scene. All that happened within fifteen minutes. However, I landed at the police station, where my dad tried to argue with the policemen. Eventually, I was fined. The worst thing is that I had disappointed my dad very much. I regretted behaving so uncivil to hit a man. I knew that mom was going to be furious at me. When I came home, mom got angry when she came to know. Both dad and mom had a hard talk with me, and dad said that he would not let me drive a car ever again if I continued to be that uncivil. He had forgotten how that driver had behaved with me, but he remembered my incivility. That was the moment I got familiar with regret. I had never regretted anything in my life. It was the first instance that invoked regret in me. But, here’s the good part. I

How to plan and provide environments and services support children Essay Example for Free

How to plan and provide environments and services support children Essay Describe the factors to take into account when planning healthy and safe indoor and outdoor environments and services: All staff has a duty of care for children and each other within the setting. It is important that everybody is aware of government legislation regarding the schools Health and Safety policy in regards to potential risks and hazards and what should happen if an incident occurs. As health and safety is primarily common sense it becomes second nature when working with children to abide by the Health and Safety policy. When working within a school staff should always make sure that areas are fit to purpose prior to any learning or play activities this could mean doing a risk assessment to ensure areas are safe and free from any potential risks. If a risk is spotted it should be reported immediately or logged for attention. The factors to take into account are: Every child is an individual and progresses at different rates and each child has different needs which depend on their age and ability. When we plan activities we should think about ways in which way we can keep all children active and the layout of the room and the needs of the child if you have a baby in the room you would not allow toddlers to be running round. Also if children wanted to ride bikes this should be done outside with more space and under supervision. Some children may have more specific needs than other children if they are have a sensory impairment provisions should be put in place so the child will enjoy mainstream school as much as the next child. An adult could also have specific needs where a risk assessment may need to be done at some time like if the person is pregnant or impaired in some way. Individual support may be offered to families/carers that have different needs to others. When working with children we should always be aware of our environment as we would not allow a child to run around the classroom with scissors, if this did happen we would explain or ask the child why this is a dangerous thing to do. In any school yard there should be separate sides of the yard were say football is played rather than all the children playing in line of the ball as this may cause injury. Explain how health and safety is monitored and maintained and how people in  the work setting are made aware of risks and hazards and encouraged to work safely: Within school settings health and safety is monitored and maintained by the schools policies and procedures these are implemented by a governing body then must be carried out to the letter. Anybody running a place where members of public visit must have a duty of care and not let people be exposed to hazards that may cause illness or harm them. Visitors must follow the set guidelines to ensure the safety and well being of all children within the setting. Children who are being collected must be collected by a person known by the teacher unless prior information given, if a child requires medicine then this will be left in the office with a consent form received from the parents. Within school if a accident / incident happens then it is recorded and parents are informed of the child’s injury i.e. bumped head letter. W ithin schools there will always be a first aider available to deal with an injury. Confidentiality policy is always kept within school the only time confidentiality should be broken is when neglect or a form of abuse is suspected and the relevant authorities need to know. Risk assessments are carried out daily by teachers and all staff to ensure no potential risks or hazards. If anything is found it must be recorded and reported immediately relevant staff must be notified. Identify sources of current guidance for planning healthy and safe environments and services: All settings should have copies of the latest legislation as recorded in 1.4 they will also have their own policies and procedures. There is also a lot of information to be found on the internet: Health and safety executive Child accident prevention trust Department for education Explain how current health and safety legislation, policies and procedures are implemented in own work setting: When working with schools we have a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of all children and fellow colleagues as they are entrusted in our care listed below are the main policies: Policies and procedures regarding Health and Safety at Work are given to all staff including volunteers on the first day of employment  within the setting this is based on the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The main responsibilities of this act are that all buildings should be maintained to a high standard, designed with safety in mind. The environment should always be clean and tidy; all equipment should be stored away safely. As is good practice working practice should promote the health and safety of children. These acts also provides protection for employees by the workplace being a safe place and not pose a risk to employee’s health as stated in COSHH all hazardous substan ces and cleaning equipment stored away safely. Training should be provided for all employees on health and safety. PPE clothing should be provided free of charge. Certain injuries, diseases and incidents should be reported immediately to the Health and Safety Executive. First aid facilities and a first aider should be accessible at all times, within each setting there will be a safety representative who can be consulted regarding issues which may affect health and safety. Finally the legal duties of all employees must be responsible to take care of their own health and safety and that of others affected by their actions. All employees must cooperate with the health and safety at work act. This will be kept in the office and available to all. Fire precaution act 1971 and regulations :The fire authority will issue a fire certificate when happy that all correct procedures are in place .They also check the fire equipment and correct fire escapes and routes of departure COSHH (control of substances hazardous to health) this is monitored and maintained within schools by ensuring all chemicals and cleaning equipment is locked away in a cupboard away from all children. All chemicals must be clearly marked. RIDDOR 1995 (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Da ngerous Occurrence Regulations )this is a legal duty to explain work related deaths, any major incidents or injuries, work related diseases and dangerous occurrence. When carrying children or equipment always promote good practice. The Childcare Act 2006 this sets out the statutory framework for health and safety within all settings including that of the EYFS their standards are monitored by Ofsted. Product safety marking these must be (PAT tested) regularly and they will hold the kite mark to say they have been tested. Toys must carry a CE showing that the product meets European standards. Motor vehicles regulations 2006 seat belts must be worn at all times and booster seats provided for children under a certain height (135cm). Smoking ban 2007 EYFS  this includes a legal requirement to ensure all children are in a smoke free zone. The manual handling operations regulation act 1992Employers must ensure that correct guidelines are followed when lifting pupils or equipment. Hygiene legislation 2006 This covers the safe preparation and storage of food .All kitchen staff must hold a current food hygiene certificate .There must be posters displayed within the kitchen reminding staff of good practice i.e. different coloured chopping boards and how food is stored correctly. The early years foundation stage (EYFS) Statutory framework for eyfs 2008 ensuring all aspects of welfare for children is covered ,this includes safeguarding ,suitable people ,suitable premises and equipment .There must be correct documentation within the organisation. Other procedures which are in place to safeguard children are: Safety fence and locked gates disallowing children to leave when in outdoors areas. All doors which provide entry and access are locked and door handles unobtainable to children. All visitors must sign in and wear a badge if there for a while must be notified about health and safety. Children must be picked up by the named person unless by prior arrangement. Confidentiality maintained at all times unless abuse is suspected. Admissions where no child can be looked on more favourably than another. Accident/incident must be recorded if a child has a bump or injury then this must be sent home to parents explaining what happened if a major incident must be forwarded to relevant people. Taking of medic ines they must be stored correctly parents must sign a consent form to say what the medicine is and how much and when their child is allowed it. Within the setting there will be a notice in the staff room of which child is asthmatic or allergic to food or other things so each staff member can see.

Risk Assessment in Residential Care Home

Risk Assessment in Residential Care Home PART A The group selected the COSO ERM programme to be used as the basis for making the policies and processes of the Kindly Residential Care Rest Home. The following are the main risk drivers for a healthcare business. STRATEGIC RISKS Risk is always included when talking about health care organizations. The organizations should have a well-defined risk management to mitigate and monitor critical threats to the health of clients; also to understand and identify the causes of the risks. Risk can be external or internal based, these can become major setbacks for the organization that can affect the attainment of objectives.[1] Strategic risks are those risks that can derail organizations which make the strategic plans useless. Some examples are competition, market changes, availability of capital, disasters, reputation issues, trends on regulations and technology. Variables like market or economic condition, corporate governance and stakeholders are strategic risks relating to the long-term performance of the organisation. The economic situation of a country can change suddenly, as well as the market. Corporate governance risk relates to the reputation of the organisation. And stakeholder risk refers to the risk associated with the shareholders, business partners, customers and suppliers. Shareholder decisions can change quickly if dividends fall. These things surely will affect the organization as a whole if anything happens. [2] Strategic risks should be handled by an approach which emphasizes on the overall health of the organization. There are two ways to keep the healthcare organization on track. The first one is to lessen uncertainty by identifying possible strategic risks then increasing the knowledge of the whole organization. And the second is the utilisation of performance enhancement tools to make adjustment of the strategies. FINANCIAL RISK Financial Risk relates to budget, cash flow, tax obligations, credit and debt management, remuneration and the organisation capital structure. There are two areas of financial risk that must be considered. Charges relating to non-fulfillment of duties and responsibilities of Directors: The shareholders or other stake holders like creditors may file suit against the BOD under Companies Act for inappropriate conduct in the fulfillment of directors and officers duties. Also, the entity itself may be sued by shareholders or by creditors Therefore it is important for risk management professional to be knowledgeable of the organization structure, the requirements imposed by the charter, bylaws or other documents. And he/she should discover the chances to transfer such risk through insurance policies to protect the assets of the organization. A situation in which the financial risk will arise is when the organisation use debt to finance for risk reduction eventually increasing the possibility of financial distress and the variability of the return to shareholders. The organisation must be very careful in considering the decisions regarding capital structure and the development of strategic planning objectives that will lessen the risk. There are four strategic planning goals to avoid increase in financial risk. First is to analyse and improve management information systems to make sure that enough information is available. Second is to involve administrators and support staff to make them understand the process of care and the outcomes of care. Third is to assess the cost benefit of shifting operations risk to another organisation. And lastly, to analyse the effect of changes in tax policy on the business risk of the health care organization.[3] OPERATIONAL RISK The risk associated with the operation includes breaches of patient privacy, diagnostic, medical, surgical or medication errors and other harmful situations. The responsibility of the manager is to identify risk by making a review of past incidents, reports as well as losses. Also, monitoring the activities of the staff in the work place is important to make sure the compliance to the policies and procedures. The manager should report any findings, issues and solutions regarding the problems. Also, he/she observes the management program to aid in developing improvement in the procedures and help department managers to educate other staff about the policies and procedures. HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK Risk relating to health and safety always exist in a workplace even in a healthcare organization. This includes physical, biological and chemical agents. Things that can affect the health and safety in the workplace are ventilation, temperature and humidity, positioning of equipment and work area, lighting, space and cleanliness of work area. Safety measures to be utilised involves regular maintenance, safe route for people, control of hazardous like chemical and biological agents, and stress. HAZARD RISKS A hazard is any source of possible damage or adverse health effects on someone under certain circumstances at work. In some instances, it is considered as the actual harm or the health effect it caused rather than the hazard. The hazards in a workplace come from various sources. It can be any substance, material or practice that can cause harm or adverse health effect to a person. INFORMATION RISKS As the technology progresses, many organisations nowadays are utilising innovations especially on information technology. Business entities heavily rely on information systems using networks and computers, exposing them to threats such as viruses, hardware and software failure, suspicious electronic mails, incorrect data processing, and accessing infected mails. Criminal IT threats are also risk that relates to hackers who enter the systems illegally, alter data, accessing password, and do online attacks to prevent access of authorised users. And natural disaster such as fire, flood, damages to buildings and computer hardware are also a threat in information which can result in loss or corruption of customer records[4] HEALTHCARE BUSINESS AREAS WHICH ARE HIGH RISK Operational risk is one of the high risk areas of a healthcare business. Rest homes operate everyday dealing with residents including their health and safety. A singular error can lead to negative effects for the organisation. And another area is the information matters, the occurrence of health information security breaches, fraud, and privacy violations can affect the balance of the organisation. POTENTIAL IMPACT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF RISK ON THE HEALTHCARE BUSINESS ORGANISATION’S OBJECTIVES The potential impact of the various risks on the healthcare business can be positive and negative for the organisation. If these identified risks are managed effectively and efficiently, the well-being of the facility will be good and can bring more clients and opportunities; and lessen the exposure to losses. However, if these factors are neglected, the organisation will face the consequences. PART B RISK MITIGATION MANAGEMENT PLAN AND STRATEGIES EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES A professional work environment is essential between the manager and employees. Managers need to have a good understanding of the laws and regulations regarding employment and shall comply with it to lessen claims. And policies are needed to maintain order in the workplace. The healthcare organization needs a clear written policy and process when hiring new employees, the policies and procedures should be implemented consistently, performance management tools to evaluate employees, trainings for both the employees and managers and considering retention of valuable staff. The aforementioned practices will decrease the exposure of the healthcare organization to employment liability claims eventually mitigating risks. FRAUD PREVENTION MEASURES A fraud is untruthful representation of a substance of fact; it can be by words, by conduct or misleading allegations. This kind of event can affect a healthcare organization that can lead to misunderstanding and conflicts. The following are measures to avoid fraud in a business. The facility must have a checklist of suggestions for best practices to lessen the possibility for fraudulent activity. Next is operational control to be implemented such as setting limit to employee transaction and access to administrator, and making policy and procedure to disable access for the employee who is no longer employed in the organization. Then putting a management policy and procedure will come next to update network services, security software and operating system. And last is establishing policy listing acceptable use regarding uses of mail, web browsing and social networking to make sure that the employees are aware of the hazards or risk in opening attachments or clicking unknown links. HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY The law relating to health and safety is the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 (HSE Act). Under this Act, organizations are legally required to make sure are not hurt in their workplace. Therefore, this Act requires the Kindly Residential Home Care to make sure their staff and employees have a safe place of work and that no visitors are harmed in the workplace. Included within the Act is the eliminating, isolating or minimizing workplace hazards for the facility. The healthcare organization should record all the incidents, and training and supervision the staff had to prove to a Health and Safety Inspector in case of an incident. PROTECTION OF PHYSICAL ASSETS The physical assets of an organisation are utilised to achieve the business goals and objectives. These assets should be protected and used in compliance with the policy of the company. Physical assets include office facilities, equipment, supplies, furniture, information systems and technology assets. In a healthcare organization, where high value equipment is being used, management of these things is significant. The equipment must be tracked down across the facilities with the right procedures. The assets should have routine maintenance schedule to make sure they are operating well. And of course, the organization needs a great security procedure in place and accountability as well. The above activities will lessen the costs for a healthcare facility by providing an up to date inventory of equipment and meet the financial and security audit requirements. Also, these solutions uplift the accountability of equipment, sharing of high cost equipment and enhance the maintenance of the critical assets. DISASTER MANAGEMENT Disaster has classification depending on its onset. Some are slow or creeping such as drought and HIV/AIDS. Others are sudden or rapid like earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, fire and strikes. In relation to healthcare facilities however, disasters can be internal and/or external. Internal includes those relating to structural such as building damage, oxygen leakage, and faulty electrical systems. Also is functional disaster such as strike action, or surge of patients. External are those relating to floods, mass casualty incidents, natural and human induced disasters. The people in charge of healthcare facility must keep in mind that disaster preparedness planning is a continuous process. Written preparedness plans must be vigorous in order to be effective. Training must be done on regular basis. The disaster preparedness planning process involves the development of an emergency plan within the healthcare facility by the authority. Then establish planning committee to call representative from significant department and services. Next is conduct hazard risk assessment such as internal and external hazards, detailed vulnerability analysis to determine the scope and priorities. Set planning objectives based from the results of analysis and determine the disaster management strategies. The next step is determining of responsibilities among the departments and personnel of the organization. Followed by, analysing of the resources of the facility. The planning committee must point out the sources of personnel and equipment which can be utilised speedily. Development of systems and procedures is next. Strategies for prevention, preparedness, response and recovery must be identified. This includes communication systems, public information, education, relations and resource management systems. Writing the plan is the next step of the process. It must be relayed to all concerned individuals. It must be simple and straight to the point. Then, the facility will train the personnel, test the plans and procedures. Lastly, plans must be tested, reviewed and amended if needed regularly. Remember, planning is a continuous process. PART C VULNERABILITY FACTORS AND IMPACTS ON KINDLY RESIDENTIAL CARE REST HOME BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANNING A sudden incident can interrupt a business and affect the whole operation that can lead to revenue loss, increase costs and decrease in productivity. Being prepared is significant for the organisation to keep things running again as quickly as possible. The business continuity planning will aid in the recovery of the business. Business continuity planning (BCP) is the process and procedure that are carried out by a business or organization to make sure that critical functions continue to operate during and after a disaster. It should include procedures for protecting the employees as well as protecting the business. BCP usually cover most of the critical business processes and operations of an organisation such as emergency contact details, communication strategies, HR policies, alternate premises, strategies to lessen the impact of an incident, alternate hardware, information back-up and the implementing procedures during an incident. These are some benefits of BCP in the healthcare facility; protect patients, initiate continual improvement, increase commissioner confidence, reduce risk of financial loss and protect the reputation. IMPACT AND CRISES ASSESSMENT The Kindly Residential Rest Home needs to assess regularly their capability to withstand a disaster. The buildings should be checked on regular basis; the protection of equipment is also a priority; supplies, medicines and food should be assessed as well in order to lessen the impact and possibility of crisis if a disaster happens. One important thing is providing training for the staff to response effectively during a disaster. Guidelines should be assessed; it is important in order to save lives. THREAT ASSESSMENT SCENARIO DEFINITION Threat-based vulnerability assessment emphasizes on the different kinds of threats a healthcare facility security encounters. The threats include those low frequency, high impact like patient abduction and wide emergencies like typhoons, fire or earthquakes. The threat-based assessment estimates vulnerability through the ways a patient may be abducted, how the healthcare facility is prepared if the materials and supply are cut off for a period of time or how any interruption of utilities will affect the patient care. The assessment team must be knowledgeable and has a good understanding of historical events of the facility especially the conceptual threats. Although history is a primary indicator, not all future threats can be anticipated based from the past. Scenario-based assessments are advantageous because they are better in assessing high value assets and high consequence threats. Unfortunately, this advantage also creates a problem whereby lesser threats may be ignored and security measures not implemented. RECOVERY SOLUTION DESIGN The disaster recovery plan is intended to make sure that the crucial business processes is continuous if any disaster happens. The plan will give a real solution that can be utilised to recover all the vital processes inside a time frame. In a residential care rest home, the major concern is getting the people to safety when a disaster occurs considering that the clients are all elderly. It is a huge challenge because the residents will have hard time to get to a safe location. The disaster plan should be in place and the staff can use it to ensure the safety of the residents when there is a disaster. First step in disaster plan is the assessment of possible risk of a disaster such as fire, earthquake, flood, typhoon or landslide. Each type of disaster involves different procedures. For instance, in an earthquake, there is a need of evaluation of the building for damage and utility interruptions before moving the residents. However, in a fire incident, speedy evacuation is required due to the nature of the event. Equipment should be checked in order to secure the safety of residents as well staff. Next is planning such as making arrangements beforehand to transfer residents to the evacuation place with a transportation company. In case of fire, flood or damaged buildings, there must be an alternative facility ready for the patients. Also, the transfer of important files and records, and medications should be made. Supply of food and water must be enough to last for one week for both the residents and staff. Detailed evacuation maps are important during disasters highlighting the possible routes. And provide a section for communicating with families of residents and staff who are off-duty. IMPLEMENTATION AND COMMUNICATION Specific procedures should be developed to notify staff to implement the disaster plan. The manager must describe the hierarchy of the decision makers in the facility. For a weather-related disaster, train staff that will monitor conditions and start preparing to perform their roles and responsibilities during a disaster. And assign a staff to contact important agencies to alert them of the situation and express the actions of the facility. TESTING It is important to rehearse and test the business continuity plans; exercises should be conducted at set intervals and top management should be involved. There must be a clearly defined objective for each exercise. Scenarios should take into account both internal and external incidents and supply chains. All work streams should be tested through a programmed approach; exercises should include trigger points, escalation procedures, communications and plan execution. MAINTENANCE AND UPDATE After the testing of the procedures, make a report specifying the upside and downside to make improvements. An action plan appointing responsibility for each action should be developed, including timescales. REFERENCE http://www.business.qld.gov.au/business/running/risk-management/information-technology-risk- http://www.dnv.com/binaries/BCP%20Top%2010%20Steps_tcm4-575649.pdf http://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/risk-management/ http://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/insurance-risk-management-plan/#step1 Paterson M. A., Wendel J. 1996. Managing risk in a changing health care system. Retrieved from http://www.aspenpublishers.com/books/kongstvedt/Readings/Chapter 28/JHCF 22-3.p15-22.pdf Roberts, A., Wallace, W., McClure, N. 2003. Strategic risk management. Retrieved from http://www.ebsglobal.net/documents/course-tasters/english/pdf/h17rk-bk-taster.pdf Stephen, B. 2007. Understanding strategic risks. Retrieved from http://www.wipfli.com/resources/images/5023.pdf [1] Stephen, B. 2007. Understanding strategic risks. Retrieved from http://www.wipfli.com/resources/images/5023.pdf [2] Roberts, A., Wallace, W., McClure, N. 2003. Strategic risk management. Retrieved from http://www.ebsglobal.net/documents/course-tasters/english/pdf/h17rk-bk-taster.pdf [3] Paterson M. A., Wendel J. 1996. Managing risk in a changing health care system. Retrieved from http://www.aspenpublishers.com/books/kongstvedt/Readings/Chapter 28/JHCF 22-3.p15-22.pdf [4] http://www.business.qld.gov.au/business/running/risk-management/information-technology-risk- management/information-technology-risk

Coca Cola Marketing Mix Essay

Soft Drink demand market is very strong all over the world. Now there are 2 major Company of Soft Drinks †¢ Coca Cola †¢ Pepsi Co they are competitors to each other. The world’s largest beverage’s company Coca Cola began more than a century ago. The Coca Cola company world headquarter is at Atlanta Georgia, USA. Formation of Coca Cola company was in a simple way, but today it is spread worldwide. It has a Wonderful history and an exciting future. From sometime before 1970-s Coca Cola had started doing business in India. But due to changes in the policy of Indian Government, Coca Cola had to wind up its business from India in 1977. After 16 years, in 1993 it again started doing business in India through one of its subsidiary company Coca Cola India Private Limited. It gradually went in for merger by acquisition the various well known products to stop the direct competition from the local market. Coca cola is the brand with the highest brand equity. No doubt it has gone through the ups and downs of business to reach that position. The marketing mix of Coca cola has been changing over time with more and more products being added such that today it has 3300 products. So what is the marketing mix of Coca cola? Product The company has the widest portfolio in beverage industry comprising of 3300 products. Beverages are divided into diet category, 100% fruit juices, fruit drinks, water, energy drinks, tea and coffee etc. As per Nielson’s data, Coca cola is the No.1 brand in sparkling beverages, juice, and retail packaged water in 2010. Coca cola has its market presence around 200 countries. Coca cola brands in India are Fanta, Maaza, Limca, sprite, Thums up, Minute Maid, Nimbu fresh, Nested iced tea etc. Coca-Cola made its return to India COCA – COLA in 1993 and made significant investments to ensure that the beverage is available to more and more people, even in the remote and inaccessible parts of the nation. Sprite has not only established itself as a brand which successfully boasts it’s ‘cutthru’ perspective with an authentic, edgy, irreverent, urban and straight forward style, but has also achieved status of an undisputed youth ‘badge‘ brand. Fanta entered in the year 1993. Perceived as a fun youth brand, Fanta stands for its vibrant color, tempting Taste and tingling bubbles that not just uplifts feelings but also helps free spirit thus encouraging one to indulge in the moment. Limca has remained unchallenged as the No.1 Sparkling Drink in the Cloudy lemon Segment. The success formula is the sharp fizz and lemoni bite combined with the Single minded proposition of the brand as the provider of â€Å"Freshness†. Maaza has today come to symbolize the very spirit of mangoes. Universally loved for its taste, color, thickness and wholesome properties, Maaza is the mango lover’s first choice Price Due to the availability of wide range products the pricing is done according  to the market and geographic segment. Each sub-brand of coca cola has different pricing strategy. Their pricing strategy is based on the competitors pricing, Pepsi is the direct competitor to coke. Beverage market is said to be a oligopoly market (few sellers and large buyers), hence they form into cartel contract to ensure a mutual balance in pricing between the sellers. Price strategies are important to Coca Cola because the price determines the amount of sales and profit per unit sold. Businesses have to set a price that is attractive to their customers and provides the business with a good level of profit. Long before a sale was ever made Coca Cola had developed a forecast of consumer demand at different prices which inevitably determined whether or not the product came on the market, as well as the allocation of adequate money and resources to produce, promote and distribute the product. Place Coca cola is the world’s most favourite brand and is available all over the world. The distribution system of coca cola follows the FMCG distribution pattern. The effective distribution network of coke has almost eroded the small and middle level players in the market. In India they have captured even the rural market by extensive distribution and have eroded the market share of Bo onto, Kalmar etc. Promotion Coca cola adopts various advertising and promotional strategies to create an increased demand in the market by associating with life style and behaviour and mainly targeting value based advertising. You are more likely to see a coke ad individualised for a particular festival or in with a general positive message. Coca cola uses CSR as its marketing tool to gain emotional benefits in consumers mind. The current promotions through CSR include â€Å"Support my school† campaign with NDTV. It has many brand ambassadors like Shahrukh khan, Hrithik Roshan, South Indian Actor Vijay and Trisha , Ghambir, Aamir khan etc and has signed contract recently with Imran khan. It allows price discounts and allowances to distributors and retailers in order to push more products into the market. It employs both push  strategy through promotions and pull strategy through advertisements and campaigns. Company introduces different themes and concepts to sell their product and advertises mainly in electronic media and out of home advertising. These advertisements build brand image and create awareness. ïÆ'ËœBig names of Indian film industry mainly become the brand ambassadors of the Company. ïÆ'ËœThroughout the years, the slogans of the Coca-Cola have been memorable. For E.g. Thanda Matlab Cola-Cola Jo chaho ho jae Cola-Cola enjoy Coca-Cola-Piyo sir utha ke Brrrrrrr!!! Coca Cola on a regular basis Advertise through Billboards, Hoardings. They occupy the prime locations of the Urban and Semi Urban areas to advertise their products †¢ Bill Boards are used on Highways, main City roads, Across big buildings, Shops etc. †¢Also in India the Coca-cola can be seen painted on walls, bus stands, dhabas etc focusing in rural areas if India Coca-Cola uses direct marketing in many ways. First, the company partners with various restaurants, movie theatres, etc. to carry its product. This way, when a customer orders a drink, the only brand they are offered is Coca-Cola, which forces them to buy a drink from that brand. By doing this, Coke forces out other competition, and keeps the restaurants, or other businesses, purchasing their product over and over again. E.g. Mc Donald’s. According to mobilemarketingmagazine.com, Coke uses mobile graphics and texts to appeal to markets on a more personal level. Coca Cola also sponsors various sporting events in India and around the world in major sport events like Cricket, Football, Hockey, Olympic and Motor Racing etc. Coca-Cola uses the internet to promote its products. The company has its own website, which is quite simple to navigate through. The website allows customers to become interactive through various games, contests, shopping, and through a special section of the website that enables consumers to find out how they can help their community. ïÆ'ËœAlso in the modern era of communication and networking, the company uses various social networking sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter to connect with the consumers. The  internet marketing thus helps to reach to those consumers who can’t afford to spend time on T.V and are always online

Finance Strategy

Strategic Corporate Finance Required Articles/Cases (Included in Harvard Course Pack) The following is a list of articles you will find when you register with HBR and purchase the Course Pack. Cost of Capital (CAPM, WACC): Case: Midland Energy Resources, Inc. : Cost of Capital (Brief Case), Joel L. Heilprin, Timothy A. Luehrman (Product number: 4129-PDF-ENG) Accompanying Student Spreadsheet: Midland Energy Resources, Inc. : Cost of Capital, Spreadsheet for Students, Joel L. Heilprin, Timothy A. Luehrman (Product number: 4140-XLS-ENG) Article: â€Å"What's Your Real Cost of Capital? James J. McNulty, Tony D. Yeh, William S. Schulze, Michael H. Lubatkin (Product number: R0210J-PDF-ENG) Article: â€Å"Applying the Capital Asset Pricing Model,† Robert S. Harris (Product number: UV0402-PDFENG) Article: â€Å"Does the Capital Asset Pricing Model Work? † David W. Mullins Jr. (Product number: 82106PDF-ENG) Article: â€Å"The Corporation's Cost of Capital and the Weighted-Aver age Cost of Capital,† Kenneth Eades (Product number: UV0389-PDF-ENG) Article: â€Å"Business Valuation and the Cost of Capital,† Timothy A.Luehrman (Product number: 210037PDF-ENG) Financial Accounting (Statement Analysis): Article: â€Å"Introduction to Financial Ratios and Financial Statement Analysis,† William J. Bruns Jr. (Product number: 193029-PDF-ENG) Article/Case: â€Å"An Overview of Financial Statement Analysis: The Mechanics,† Brandt Allen, Paul Simko (Product number: UV0911-PDF-ENG) Case: Financial Statement Analysis (Identify the Industry), Graeme Rankine (Product number: TB0069PDF-ENG) International: Case: Groupe Ariel S.A. : Parity Conditions and Cross-Border Valuation, Timothy A. Luehrman, James Quinn (Product number: 4194-PDF-ENG) Accompanying Student Spreadsheet: Groupe Ariel S. A. : Parity Conditions and Cross-Border Valuation, Timothy A. Luehrman, James Quinn (Product number: 4196-XLS-ENG) Article: â€Å"Cross-Border Valuation,† K enneth A. Froot, W. Carl Kester (Product number: 295100-PDF-ENG) Mergers and Acquisitions: Article: â€Å"The New M&A Playbook,† Clayton M.Christensen, Richard Alton, Curtis Rising, Andrew Waldeck (Product number: R1103B-PDF-ENG) Net Present Value: Book Chapter: â€Å"Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return: Accounting for Time,† (Product number: 5245BC-PDF-ENG) Strategy & Innovation: Article: â€Å"Blue Ocean Strategy,† W. Chan Kim & Renee A. Mauborgne (Product number: R0410D-PDFENG, 2004) Article: â€Å"The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy,† Michael E. Porter (Product number: R0801EPDF-ENG) Article: â€Å"Innovation Killers: How Financial Tools Destroy Your Capacity to Do New Things,† Clayton M. Christensen, Stephen P. Kaufman, Willy Shih (Product number: R0801F-PDF-ENG)

Antibiotics essays

Antibiotics essays The last time you took your five-year-old to the family physician with a serious case of strep throat were they hesitant to prescribe him an antibiotic? Its scary to think that as more and more bacteria develop immunity antibiotics are losing their potency. Bacterial resistance is a real problem in human health, but the question is, how much impact does animal drug use have on the problem? You may think this is only an issue for humans, but this immunity to antibiotics is also causing a serious situation in the livestock industry, and their issues could quite possibly affect you too. Its scary to think that doctors are facing problems like hospital pneumonia that will not respond to any of their antibiotics, or resistant strains of sexually transmitted diseases. For cattle producers its as equally frightening to be facing strains of food-borne pathogens that resist treatment. How does bacteria become immune to antibiotics? The reality is that this is not just some theory doctors are testing. Its the same syndrome that is affecting pesticides. When a farmer has his crops sprayed the treatment might kill a billion bugs, but the one or two it misses will flourish. If thats because of genetic resistance to the treatment youve got a problem you can no longer treat with that compound. You now have to change compounds. It works the same way with the antibiotic scare; only you are now dealing with bacteria that might infect both livestock and humans. Last spring the General Accounting Office (GAO) produced a study on the question. It talked about some theoretical problems and in the end recommended more study. It also noted that several other countries were imposing more strict regulations on antibiotic use in food animals, and warned that the U.S. could face trade restrictions in the future. The Animal Health Institute (AHI) is the trade group representing the animal healt...

A Review of Things Fall Apart essays

A Review of Things Fall Apart essays I really enjoyed reading the book Things Fall Apart. Achebe did an excellent job of portraying the pre-colonial culture of the Ibo. This book was not only educational, but entertaining as well. His ability to focus mainly on one individual and still show the complexity of the entire clans beliefs and self-governing tactics was incredible. It is hard to believe that he was able to show us so many aspects of the pre-colonial culture in so few pages. This book definitely left me wanting to learn more about their culture. Some of the areas, I feel, really stood out to show they were a civilized people included their social organization, their economic system, and their religious beliefs. The Ibo seemed to have a very structured social order. Everything from the way one attains status in the village to the way the people receive their guests leads me to believe this. The use of titles in the village to determine status demonstrates that they had a hierarchy of sorts in place, much like we have judges, mayors, senators, and a president. For instance, the egwugwu acted as judges by passing sentence in disputes between the people. Their use of titles also seemed to make up a sort of government. Along the same lines, the way they interacted shows that they were a civil people. They seemed to try to settle everything peaceably, if at all possible. As Achebe pointed out, they believed that a war of blame was an unjust thing. Also, the way they interacted between each other leads me to believe they were not the savages the English had thought. The sharing of the kola nut and palm wine between neighbors shows a mutual respect for each other. They seemed to have a deep feeling of kinship not only among their families, but with the clan as a whole as well. Although it may be considered somewhat primitive by English standards, the Ibo had an existing economic system as well. Their economy was...

Career Trends Assignment (Restaurant and Hospitality Management) Coursework

Career Trends Assignment (Restaurant and Hospitality Management) - Coursework Example (3) Social trends is another factor that affects career growth where fads and shifts in social philosophies outlines which industries are more or less demanding career-wise .(4) Population affects career trends given that people of different age, gender and, education have varying demand of goods and services. On this, people are able to outline what jobs falls on the path for them to satisfy their demands. (5) Politics and economic factors outline policies that direct the flow of goods and services in the market, and inflation factors that affect hiring rates. (6) Life roles apart from being employed people play other roles in life e.g. parenting, student, or childhood. How we think about them may influence how we look at careers in general and how we make choice in our lives (All Star Directories, 2011). The above factors are important in career trends, especially in the hospitality industry. Hospitality industry being a day-to-day industry requires skilled and trained personnel to be involved. Economic globalization in this industry, where people of different cultures need our services, provides room for career growth in linguistics. New technology brings about more skilled personnel to embrace it in the industry (Jitendra, 2008). It creates career growth for persons to take a career path in adapting the new technology in this industry. Demographic here means that more people will have high demand for our services. Social trends in philosophies influence peoples’ habits. It opens new doors, example on emphasis on living a healthy life or taking rest will make people look for hotels where these factors are essential. Careers will be open for people to learn on how the philosophies affect the industry (Jitendra, 2008). There are a number of career trends in the hotel with predictable outcomes. First is where employers are raising the educational bar. This has made many colleges that use

Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Activity Research Paper

Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Activity - Research Paper Example Within thÐ µ fiÐ µld of Ð µntrÐ µprÐ µnÐ µurship studiÐ µs, it is dÐ µbÐ °tÐ µd whÐ µthÐ µr thÐ µ Ã' rÐ µÃ °tion of nÐ µw Ã' ombinÐ °tions rÐ µquirÐ µs thÐ µ Ã' rÐ µÃ °tion of Ð ° nÐ µw orgÐ °nisÐ °tion or if it is Ð °lso mÐ °dÐ µ possiblÐ µ through innovÐ °tion in Ð µxisting orgÐ °nisÐ °tion (;).In Ã' ompÐ °rison, thÐ µ psyÃ' hologiÃ' Ã °l Ã' hÐ °rÐ °Ã' tÐ µristiÃ' s sÃ' hool of Ð µntrÐ µprÐ µnÐ µurship foÃ' usÐ µs on pÐ µrsonÐ °lity fÐ °Ã' tors Ð °nd Ð ° numbÐ µr of diffÐ µrÐ µnt Ð °spÐ µÃ' ts hÐ °vÐ µ bÐ µÃ µn Ð µxplorÐ µd in thÐ µ rÐ µsÐ µÃ °rÃ' h. ThÐ µsÐ µ Ð °rÐ µ pÐ µrsonÐ °l vÐ °luÐ µs suÃ' h Ð °s honÐ µsty, duty, rÐ µsponsibility Ð °nd Ð µthiÃ' Ã °l bÐ µhÐ °viour, risk-tÐ °king propÐ µnsity, thÐ µ nÐ µÃ µd for Ð °Ã' hiÐ µvÐ µmÐ µnt (MÃ' Ã ¡lÐ µllÐ °nd, 2000) Ð °nd loÃ' us of Ã' ontrol (StorÐ µy, 2001: p25). Ð dhÐ µrÐ µnts to this sÃ' hool of thought do not bÐ µliÐ µvÐ µ thÐ °t Ð µntrÐ µprÐ µnÐ µurs Ã' Ã °n bÐ µ dÐ µvÐ µlopÐ µd or trÐ °inÐ µd in thÐ µ Ã' lÐ °ssroom. ThÐ µ Ã' lÐ °ssiÃ' Ã °l Ð µÃ' onomiÃ'  sÃ' hool is rÐ µflÐ µÃ' tÐ µd in thÐ µ rÐ µsÐ µÃ °rÃ' h by Ð °uthors suÃ' h Ð °s Ð ¡Ã °ntillon (1992) Ð °nd SÃ' humpÐ µtÐ µr (1986). In fÐ °Ã' t Hjorth (2004) points out thÐ °t ЕuropÐ µ hÐ °s Ð ° long Ð µstÐ °blishÐ µd trÐ °dition of Ð µntrÐ µprÐ µnÐ µurship Ð °nd thÐ °t thÐ µ tÐ µrm â€Å"Ð µntrÐ µprÐ µnÐ µur† dÐ µrivÐ µs from thÐ µ FrÐ µnÃ' h vÐ µrb â€Å"Ð µntrÐ µprÐ µndrÐ µÃ¢â‚¬ , mÐ µÃ °ning to undÐ µrtÐ °kÐ µ. KÐ µy Ð °spÐ µÃ' ts of this sÃ' hool of thought Ð °rÐ µ innovÐ °tion, Ã' rÐ µÃ °tivity Ð °nd disÃ' ovÐ µry. In pÐ °rtiÃ' ulÐ °r, SÃ' humpÐ µtÐ µr (1986) sÐ °w thÐ µ Ð µntrÐ µprÐ µnÐ µur Ð °s somÐ µonÐ µ who would disrupt thÐ µ Ð µÃ' onomiÃ'  Ð µquilibrium, thÐ µ SÃ' humpÐ µtÐ µriÐ °n Ð µntrÐ µprÐ µnÐ µur would bÐ µ Ð °n innovÐ °tor providing thÐ µ indispÐ µnsÐ °blÐ µ driving forÃ' Ã µ for Ã' Ã °pitÐ °li st Ð µÃ' onomiÃ'  growth. ThÐ µ mÐ °nÐ °gÐ µmÐ µnt sÃ' hool of Ð µntrÐ µprÐ µnÐ µurship is bÐ °sÐ µd on thÐ µ bÐ µliÐ µf thÐ °t Ð µntrÐ µprÐ µnÐ µurship Ã' Ã °n bÐ µ tÐ °ught (SpinosÐ °, 1997). Ð s Ð ° rÐ µsult, Ð µntrÐ µprÐ µnÐ µurship is viÐ µwÐ µd Ð °s Ð ° sÐ µriÐ µs of lÐ µÃ °rnÐ µd Ð °Ã' tivitiÐ µs with foÃ' us on thÐ µ Ã' Ã µntrÐ °l funÃ' tions of mÐ °nÐ °ging Ð ° firm. In Ã' ompÐ °rison, thÐ µ lÐ µÃ °dÐ µrship sÃ' hool of Ð µntrÐ µprÐ µnÐ µurship is oftÐ µn viÐ µwÐ µd Ð °s thÐ µ non-tÐ µÃ' hniÃ' Ã °l sidÐ µ of thÐ µ mÐ °nÐ °gÐ µmÐ µnt sÃ' hool Ð °s foÃ' us is upon thÐ µ Ð µntrÐ µprÐ µnÐ µur Ð °s Ð ° â€Å"pÐ µoplÐ µ mÐ °nÐ °gÐ µr† or Ð °s Ð °n Ð µffÐ µÃ' tivÐ µ lÐ µÃ °dÐ µr/mÐ µntor whosÐ µ mÐ °jor rolÐ µ is in motivÐ °ting, dirÐ µÃ' ting Ð °nd lÐ µÃ °ding pÐ µoplÐ µ (Ð ldriÃ' h, 1999). ThÐ µ FrÐ µnÃ' h trÐ °dition Ð °ssoÃ' iÐ °tÐ µd with thÐ µ work of Ð ¡Ã °ntillon (1992) suggÐ µsts thÐ °t thÐ µ Ð µntrÐ µprÐ µnÐ µur is thÐ µ kÐ µy figurÐ µ who opÐ µrÐ °tÐ µs within Ð ° sÐ µt of Ð µÃ' onomiÃ'  mÐ °rkÐ µts. HÐ µ hÐ °s thÐ µ forÐ µsight to Ð °ssumÐ µ unÃ' Ã µrtÐ °inty; hÐ µ rÐ µÃ °Ã' ts to profit opportunitiÐ µs Ð °nd bÐ µÃ °rs unÃ' Ã µrtÐ °inty. This Ã' ontrÐ °sts with thÐ µ GÐ µrmÐ °n-Ð ustriÐ °n trÐ °dition rÐ µprÐ µsÐ µntÐ µd by SÃ' humpÐ µtÐ µr (1986) whÐ µrÐ µ thÐ µ SÃ' humpÐ µtÐ µriÐ °n Ð µntrÐ µprÐ µnÐ µur plÐ °ys Ð ° disÐ µquilibrÐ °ting rolÐ µ by innovÐ °ting, i.Ð µ. introduÃ' ing nÐ µw goods or mÐ µthods of produÃ' tion Ð °nd thÐ µ opÐ µning of nÐ µw mÐ °rkÐ µts.ThÐ µ Ð ¡hiÃ' Ã °go trÐ °dition is Ð °ssoÃ' iÐ °tÐ µd with thÐ µ work of Knight (2000), who suggÐ µsts thÐ °t Ð µntrÐ µprÐ µnÐ µurs Ð °rÐ µ rÐ µsponsiblÐ µ for thÐ µir own Ð °Ã' tio ns. ЕntrÐ µprÐ µnÐ µurs Ð °rÐ µ prÐ µpÐ °rÐ µd to tÐ °kÐ µ risks in Ð °n unÃ' Ã µrtÐ °in Ð µnvironmÐ µnt. Knight Ð °lso suggÐ µstÐ µd thÐ °t Ð µntrÐ µprÐ µnÐ µurs hÐ °vÐ µ skills Ð °nd Ã' ompÐ µtÐ µnÃ' iÐ µs thÐ °t Ð µnÐ °blÐ µ thÐ µm to suÃ' Ã' Ã µssfully Ã' o-ordinÐ °tÐ µ sÃ' Ã °rÃ' Ã µ rÐ µsourÃ' Ã µs, whiÃ' h distinguishÐ µs thÐ µm from othÐ µr individuÐ °ls.

Convergence Law and Its Relevance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Convergence Law and Its Relevance - Essay Example As such, the paper discusses the multiple factors that have had an influence on the formation and convergence of European law. Primarily, this convergence is the result of the necessity of uniformism that has been demanded since the European Union first formed. As a result, integrations have taken place based on the interpretation of individual laws, as well as entire constitutional understanding. As the idea of citizenship has been defined to incorporate an individual into the greater whole of the European Union, likewise individual interpretations of existing law has been forced to be understood, fabricated, and analyzed through the very same constructs. As a vehicle for understanding this concept, Tryfonadou introduces the topic of free movement of persons and free movement of goods as it evolved in the late 1990’s through early 2000’s. Perhaps, one of the best examples of this convergence can be seen in what Tryfonadou describes as the â€Å"restriction† and â€Å"discrimination† of free movement law. ... persons, existing laws have made an attempt, according to Tryfonadou, to juxtapose the two and come to a common understanding and definition in the scope of the laws. (1) The author goes on to explain to the reader the differences between subsidiarity law principles and proportionality principles. Subsidiarity requires that the community adopt the legislation only if it is a requirement to achieve a given object. Accordingly, proportionality requires that the burden of the law’s enactment be proportionally weighted so as not to be too heavy with relation to the objective that is trying to be achieved. An unavoidable facet of the European Union’s construction requires that one understand and realize the importance of the many different legal systems that make up its component parts, as well as how each of these systems begins to find a certain commonality within the law, i.e. the convergence principle that Tryfonadou has written. Due to the additional fact that the Europ ean Union is made up of a multiplicity of differing legal systems of its member states, recognition of the defining legal principles which each system espouse combined with the aforementioned principles of subsidiarity and proportionality lead invariably to a form of legal diversity. In short, even though the diverse systems of law that are extant within the European Union espouse similar legal views on a variety of different and diverse topics (i.e. Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Scandinavian law) all have a host of commonalities with which to draw from. Regardless, the formation of the European Union has provided a type of centrifugal force that has worked to mold each of the aforementioned member states particular understanding into a more common and generally accepted form of jurisprudence which had

Mislead the officer Essay Example for Free

Mislead the officer Essay He says this in a calm voice so not to annoy the officers. The officers dont await an invitation in to the house and with their authority they just step inside and Eddie says; Whats all this? He says this with an astonished look upon his face, making the arrival of the officers appear to be a complete surprise to him. But unlike the characters in the play, the audience has full knowledge of his deceitful phone call to the Bureau, so it is ironic when he appears to know nothing. The first officer in a demanding voice says; Where are they? He says this expecting a straight answer and no messing about. Eddie will now put on a puzzled expression and frown as he says; Wheres who? He makes out to be confused and pretends to know nothing about their presence as an attempt to mislead the officer. The officer doesnt accept his over up and tries to reason with him. This shows the audience that the officer is in control of the situation and is used to people making attempts to cover up and trick him. The officer now says; Come on, come on, where are they? This is said in a calm reasoning voice to try and just get an easy answer so they can capture the immigrants hassle-free. Again Eddie with a confused look says; Who? We got nobody here. He says this with a clueless expression and an astonished voice to try and convince the officer that there has been a mistake. In this first section Eddies attitude was ironic as he made out to be bewildered and surprised by their visit, but he was the one that contacted them about the immigrants in the first place. In the second section, we get to see Beatrices reaction to his deviousness, as she immediately knows that it was Eddies doing when the officers turn up. Eddie glances at Beatrice and she quickly turns her head away to make out she is tempered towards Eddie and he confronts her straight away; Whats the matter with you? He says this with a raised tone of voice to sound annoyed as shes accused him for the officers. Even though she only gave him one glance and angrily turned her head away, I want the audience to sense her suspicion and accusation, of him calling the Bureau. The officers continue to search the building and one approaches Eddie and asks if he has the correct room number, Eddie replies with; Thats right. I want him to say this in a shaky voice so the audience can sense that he is beginning to crumble and he is fearful of the consequences of his actions. He then stares at Beatrice and I want the expression on his face to say everything. He will put on an expression, which will suggest that hes just been hit by reality, and realises the terrible situation he has got everyone in to. Eddies fearful look at Beatrice will give her conformation of his deceitfulness. But there is still the question of why he is worried? Is it to maintain his reputation in the street or the fact that he has landed Marco and Rodolpho in trouble? Maybe Both? The fact that he carries on to deny that it was him that made the phone call suggests that its to maintain his reputation. When Beatrice accuses him I want him to get frustrated to cover up for his actions. After Eddies fearful glance at Beatrice, she too is struck with fear and this is made clear by the stage directions: [weakened with fear]: She goes on to say; Oh Jesus, Eddie. She says this in total disbelief and she puts her hands on her face. This will tell the audience that she cannot bear to know what her own husband has done. Eddie continues to protest his innocence and Beatrices final action is to turn towards him, instead of running. This shows the audience that even in crisis she will not desert her husband. Her final words to him are; My God, what did you do? I want her to say this with lots of fear and anger at Eddies actions. However the fact that she didnt run from him doesnt take anything away from the shock and horror she is experiencing at the realization of what he has done. In the third section, Catherine and Beatrice make a last effort to save Marco and Rodolpho and fight with the officers. However, the officers are immune to the pleas of Catherine and Beatrice for mercy and do not express an opinion or concern. I want Catherine to seem desperate and more aggressive when attempting to persuade the officers and I want her to be more frustrated and argumentative. The first stage direction says: Catherine [backing down the stairs fighting with the first officer]. The audience can immediately tell that she is taking a more aggressive approach. She then shouts; What do yiz want from them? I want her words to have aggression in so they know that she isnt going to back down. She then says; They aint no submarines, he was born in Philadelphia. I want the audience to see her determination to save Rodolpho and her sheer frustration at what is happening. On the other hand, I want Beatrice to be seen by the audience to be taking a calmer and more diplomatic approach. She tries to reason with the officer; Ah, Mister, what do you want from them, who do they hurt? I want Beatrice to say this in a calm, less-threatening voice, so not aggravate them. The officer takes little notice of Catherine or Beatrice and merely just says to Catherine; Step aside, lady. I want him to say this in a calm, but firm voice to show the audience that he doesnt want any trouble and remains in control of the situation. I want Catherine to now appear upset and infuriated. I will do this by using her body language and tone of voice. I want her to speak in a quite angry and distressed voice; You cant just come in the house and- I want her body to be blocking the officers from getting past. I also want her to really speak face to face with the officers, to look like she is trying to intimidate them. She becomes increasingly upset as her campaign doesnt seem to be working and she screams; No, you cant! Now, get outa here! I want this shout of hers to turn in to an upset scream as she realises that she cant save Rodolpho. The men proceed to take away the immigrants and Beatrice confronts them one more time. Instead of an aggressive approach like Catherine, I want the audience to see how Beatrice stays calm in the chaotic situation. Beatrice makes an emotional appeal about what drove the immigrants to leave their own country; what do you want from them? Theyre starvin over there, what do you want? I want her to say this in a persuasive voice to try and play on their consciences, but the officers just walk off. I want them to just ignore her to suggest to the audience that they are not affected by her emotional appeal and are immune to her pleading. From this section, the audience gets to see the aggressive and frustrated Catherine character that I wanted them to see and the calm Beatrice. The audience also gets to see the very calm and dominant officers who always stay in control of the dramatic situation and do not show concern or opinion to the pleas and appeals of Catherine and Beatrice. In this next section Marco performs the malicious act of spitting in Eddies face, which results in Eddie becoming extremely furious and mad at him. This is where I get to reveal the ruthless and unpleasant side of Eddie, which I want the audience to see. It starts when Marco breaks from the group while being escorted out by the officers and spits in Eddies face. This is a powerful dramatic moment in the play and is conveyed by actions, rather than words. I want the act of spitting in his face to not only show Marcos contempt for Eddie, but also contempt for Eddies breaking of the social code. By informing the immigration bureau a social taboo has been broken and the act of spitting in his face tells the audience Marcos identification of the culprit.

Rational Emotional Behavior Therapy Case Study Conceptualization and Tr

Rational Emotional Behavior Therapy Case Study of Sarah: A Conceptualization and Treatment Plan Rational emotive behavior therapy, REBT, was developed by Albert Ellis and holds the central belief that the events in our lives do not cause our disturbances but that they are instead caused by our view of the events (Murdock, 2009). Murdock (2009) states that â€Å"people are seen as responsible for their behavior† (p. 279) but, because they are constantly changing and processing, their value or worth is not measured by their behavior. According to REBT, healthy individuals function with rational beliefs (Murdock, 2009). Sarah’s needs can best be met through the use of REBT as the therapist incorporates the interventions of role-playing and disputing, stop and monitor, and recognizing and changing irrational thought patterns, while striving for the goal of eliminating irrational thinking, dysfunctional emotions, and behaviors and teaching Sarah the philosophy of REBT. REBT will allow Sarah to overcome and replace her irrational beliefs and in turn experience healthy consequences and emotions. Presenting Concerns Sarah James, a 26-year-old Caucasian female, is seeking counsel in response to the unveiling of a family secret. Upon learning of the existence of an older brother and the, in her mind, poorly handled events surrounding the secret, Sarah is questioning her relationships and views of her family members. Sarah is unsure of what to do with the information she has been presented and is reevaluating her childhood, which she once thought had been near perfect. She is feeling confused, frustrated, angry, and isolated and these feelings and emotions have brought her to seek counsel over the situation. Case Conceptualization Ba... ... and religion. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 31 (1), 29-33. Jones, S.L., & Butman, R.E. (1991). Modern psychotherapies: A comprehensive Christian appraisal. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. Lega, L.I., & Ellis, A. (2001). Rational emotional behavior therapy (REBT) in the new millennium: A cross cultural approach. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 19 (4). 201-222. Minor, J. (2007). Some reasons why I use REBT in my private practice and personal life. Et Cetera, 64 (4), 320-323. Murdock, N.L. (2009). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy: A case approach (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill-Pearson. Ziegler, D.J. (2000). Basic assumptions concerning human nature underlying rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) personality theory. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 18 (2), 67-85.

Organizational Performance Management System Essay

In the pursuit of developing most appropriate organizational performance management system, many organizational performance management systems have emerged, making it difficult to choose the best organizational performance management system. The paper reviews the published literature on organizational performance management, and discusses the shift from traditional to new performance management system framework. Also, Balance Scorecard, which is one of the most commonly used approaches in measuring organizational performance, is discussed. Finally, five most important factors in designing organizational performance management are addressed. Introduction In increasingly competitive market, it is imperative that organizations design and implement an effective organizational performance management system to gauge their competitive advantage in the market. An Organization Performance Management System includes multiple activities that help in establishing the goals of the organization, and monitor the progress towards the target. It is used to make adjustments to accomplish goals more efficiently and effectively. Organizational Performance Management System can be best understood through considering the definitions of the words â€Å"performance† and â€Å"measurement† according to the Baldrige Criteria (NIST, 2001): Performance refers to output results from processes, products and services that permit evaluation and comparison relative to goals, standards, past results, and other organizations. Performance might be expressed in non-financial and financial terms. Measurement refers to numerical information that quantifies input, output, and performance dimensions of processes, products, services, and the overall organization (outcomes). Performance measures might be simple (derived from one measurement) or composite. Underlying performance management at both the organizational and employee levels is a set of performance measures. Performance measures with respect to organizational performance are an instrument to assess progress against stated program and organizational objectives. With respect to individual performances it is to assess progress against stated performances objectives, or â€Å"results to be achieved† for individual employees or teams of employees (Good & Carin, 2004). The objective of such system would be to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and performance at both organizational and employee level. The challenge for organizations today is how to match and align both organizational and individual performance measures with business strategy, structures and corporate culture, the type and number of measures to use and how to deploy the measures so that the results are used and acted upon. To address these challenges, organizations have been continually searching for an effective organizational performance management framework. Measuring organizational performance management has variety of uses. As per Vince Kellen (2003) those uses include monitoring and controlling activities, driving organizational improvement, maximizing the effectiveness of the improvement effort, achieving alignment with organizational goal and objectives, rewarding and disciplining. The Changing Role of Organizational Performance Measurement System How to create and measure organizational performance measurement system has been a persistent source of debate. Traditionally, organizational performance management system included measuring financial ratios, such as return on investments, cash flows, and cost of sales. Figure one below depicts traditional performance indicators, focused mostly on financial measures. Figure One Source: Frederico and Cavenaghi 2009 In the recent years the focus has been on measuring non-financial ratios, such as quality, customer satisfaction, safety and other stakeholders. Figure Two shows the new performance indicators, incorporating quality together with other financial indicators. Figure Two Source: Source: Frederico and Cavenaghi 2009 Furthermore, according to Shackleton (2007) financial measures prohibit the guidance and evaluation of an organization’s ability to create future value through investments in customers, suppliers, employees, processes, technology and innovation. Shacketon agues that the pressure for reporting on corporate performance today, has confronted the traditional managerial mindset of historical models for performance measurement, and has required them to be more innovative. Table one below illustrates the shift in the mindset and provides a comparison between traditional and more recent performance measurement systems. Table One TraditionalInnovative Based on cost/ efficiencyValue-based Performance orientedPerformance compatibility oriented Profit –orientedCustomer-oriented Short-term orientedLong-term oriented Prevalence of individual measuresPrevalence of team measures Prevalence of functional measuresPrevalence of transversal measures Comparison with standardImproving monitoring Aim at evaluatingAim at evaluating and involving Source: Shackleton, 2007 From the table it can be concluded that organizational performance management systems are moving towards relationship-oriented understanding of the whole organization progress. It is clear that financial indicators are not ignored, but treated as one piece of the puzzle in a more complex set of criteria’s in measuring organizational performance. Organizational Performance Measurement Approaches: Balance Scorecard Several approaches for measuring and managing organizational performance management system have evolved over time, including Balance Scorecard, Benchmarking, Business Process Reengineering, Continuous Improvement, ISO9000, Total Quality Management, Stakeholder Approach, and Performance Prism Approach amongst others. There is no single framework or model that will ensure success in implementing an organizational performance management system. Exploring all the approaches is beyond the scope of this review, hence Balance Scorecard is review at length since it most commonly used for measuring organizational performance. Balance Scorecard was developed by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton in 1992. It was developed to remedy the weak and vague performance management strategies developed earlier that mostly concentrated on financial indicators.

Ethics and Corruption

What is corruption? Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It is damaging to a country because decisions are taken not for the public benefit but to serve private interests. Corruption undermines good governance, fundamentally distorts public policy, leads to misallocation of resources, and particularly hurts the poor. There is a case in 29th July 1995, where the collapse of the Sampoong Superstore in Seoul, South Korea, represents an example of a structural collapse attributed in large part to corruption. The collapse of this structure left 937 people injured and had a death toll of over 500 innocent lives. Due to that, Engineer’s integrity and ethical standard will be put to test when involving project worth millions dollars. As the saying goes, â€Å"money is the root of all evil,† it is not unusual to find engineers who are tempted by the amount of money that they are entrusted with; whether to fully utilize the money in the project or to fulfill their individual greed. Hence, engineers need to be truthful. The level of truthfulness in engineering is very high, much higher in everyday life. It imposes what many consider an absolute prohibition on deception, and in addition it establishes a high ideal of seeking and speaking the truth (Martin & Schinzinger, 2005). Being truthful keep the engineers away from corruption and cutting corner. One of many ways to prevent corruption and unethical practice of cutting corner in engineering field is the development of honest and ethical engineering culture by creating or increase awareness of ethical practice among engineers since large amount of money or projects are often being handled by engineers. This is important in a sense that engineers must aware of the types of corruption as well as the punishments and consequences for involving in corruption. Punishments such as retracting the title of engineer and blacklisting the particular individual in the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) and more severe punishments such as imprisonment, confiscating of properties and summonses. When engineers aware of the punishments subjected, then corruption can be prevented. Besides, awareness among engineers towards corruption can be created by implementing subjects or courses concerning engineer’s ethical issues into engineering course in university. Students that vow to become an engineer must first be taught of the ways to become an ethical engineer. Furthermore, BEM can include seminars or talks about ethical issues into Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programs for local engineers. Seniors engineers are compulsory to participate to gain points in CDP. By doing so, senior engineers that left university for long could still be educated on ethical issues. Therefore, self-awareness is a long term strategy in curbing corruption and unethical practices. When corruption is involved, competitions are not fair anymore. People will find various methods to undercut competition. Instead of using a well-organized process for contracting based on technical criteria to judge bids and firms, it is decentralized and is subject to monopoly power plus discretion minus accountability. Some political appointees have the discretion to let contracts without competition or technical reviews. Therefore, tendering process must be more transparent and have strict control over project variation. Handling of tenders should be fair and just where the project should only be awarded to the bidder who offers lowest price on the project without ignoring the quality of materials and services as well as the customers’ requirements. Any conflict of interest or bribes should be notified by the engineer to the corresponding company during the process of evaluating all the offers made by the bidders in order to ensure an outcome of decision which are fair, just and also the best for the company. By doing so, the opportunity of the engineer to work together with the bidders in falsifying the receipts or offers to gain profit without alerting or the knowledge of the company can be decreased or at some point, being completely eliminated, to avoid putting the lives of workers, employees and publics at risk due to corruption. Advantage or authority given to the engineers must not be misused in unlawful deeds, engineers should report to their company for how they handle or use the given authority to complete the project in order to prevent falsification and exaggeration of the project funds. Corruption usually occurs because a certain individual or organization has too much power and authority. Engineers themselves should always alert toward orders they get from company or requirement from customers. Any conflicts of the order or requirement with the codes of ethics should be advised by the engineers to the customer or company. If the advice failed to change their mind, then the engineers have the responsibility to carried forth the case to corresponding authority. Besides, in order to eliminate the unnecessary power and authorities, the administration approval process should be optimized. A complete supervising system should be implemented to prevent any corruption and this supervising system should allow the officials to work without administrative interference at the same time protecting the innocent public. Besides, institution of regular and random checks is important to review the conduct of the officials involved in engineering, project or construction industry. These checks include detailed review of the entire procurement process on selected projects. It must be fair and done by an anti-corruption body. The checks should not single out any individual official or company. Consequently, officials are less likely to participate in corrupt conduct or deliberate maladministration as they cannot be confident that their conduct will not be detected by detailed scrutiny of supervisory officials. As a consequence of these random and regular reviews or checks, may be a pattern of misconduct can be identified at one or more specific stages during the construction process. Furthermore, hot lines or whistle-blowers protection is another measure in curbing corruption and unethical practices of cutting corners. Hot lines improve accountability by enlisting workers and public to report corrupt acts. The government office responsible for investigating such acts often operates a hot line. For example, in Hong Kong, the Independent Commission Against Corruption runs a hot line and guarantees that every allegation is investigated. It also protects those who make reports by granting file access to officers on a â€Å"need to know† basis only. However, in cases where anonymity cannot be guaranteed, those who protest corruption often place themselves at risk. In many countries, whistle blowers are often fired or punished, subjected to administrative harassment, and exposed to violence. For this reason, anti- corruption efforts need legislation to protect whistle blowers from official sanctions or even to reward them. Although whistle-blowing is not desirable in a company as it will affect the reputation of the company, but it is an essential way in combating corruption. With every engineer practicing whistle-blow, others will not even consider unethical practices such as corruption and cutting corners. Thus, effectively preventing misbehavior among engineers and subsequently safeguarding the good image of the engineering profession. Professional engineers should aware that it is important to conduct the duty assigned to them responsibly and professionally especially when it involves he confidential information about certain project because bribery and cutting corner can also occur in such way that the information is used by other company to compete in an unfair condition. The professional engineers will never disclose the confidential information of their client or companies to others in order to maintain their professionalism and they must also knows that the consequences of revealing those info rmation can be a great risk for themselves and companies, such act is punishable and will affects their reputation as an professional engineer. Furthermore, transparency of a project progress can reduces as well as avoids corruption to occur as the activities of the project are visible to all and the engineer can hardly alter it for cutting corner purpose. The transparency of a tender progress or engineering project can be made clear or enhanced by doing the publication of the procurement procedures. Procedures involved in the projects shall be clearly defined and stated so that the publications are understandable and clear to public, details such as stating how and where the supplies originated from shall be included. Through this step, the procedures made in the projects are transparent to the public and the chance for the engineers to corrupt would be greatly reduced. The publication can be made through media such as newspaper, internet, and magazine at which these media are easily reached by the public. According to the BEM code of ethics, a registered engineer shall conduct himself honorably, responsibly, ethically and lawfully so as to enhance the honors, reputation and usefulness of the profession. This code should always be abided by the engineer and keep in mind that one should be avoiding from corruption, bribery and also cutting corner and have to be very well aware that these are the actions punishable by the Board of Engineers or court of law and also might risk the safety and health of the public. Every engineer should aware of their own responsibility toward the company, client and public which includes preserving the reputations of company and themselves. They should do everything lawfully to increase the reputations of their company and engineers. Reputation of an engineer is very important in order for them to be employed and keep their professions as an engineer. Engineers also should uphold their professionalism in order to honor and enhance their usefulness in the field. Failing to abide the codes might result in drop in reputation, being fired, the license of engineer being revoked or the worst is, might end up in jail. Based on the first principle of BEM Codes of ethics, a registered engineer holds paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public. The engineer should always make the public as his first priority because in the profession of engineering, the whole community is the ultimate client rather than the individual client. Corruption and cutting corner always put the safety of public at the edge of risk as the bidders always tend to make more profits from the project, hence they might altered the materials for the project to lower quality materials in order to save cost and this might lead to disastrous consequences such as collapse of buildings and dangerous behaviors of machines due to malfunction or system breakdown. Engineers have the responsibility to report to corresponding authority if their client or company failed to fulfill the instructions of the engineer that abide the code. Even though engineers have their own responsibility toward their client, but the first code of ethics erases this responsibility if their clients or company fail to follow what have been set by the engineers which did not against the codes of ethics. Failing to abide the first code might result in disciplinary action to be taken or the license as an engineer to be revoked because they put the lives of public in danger, even though at the end no harm or loss of life occur. The first code of ethics is also applicable to the case with other professions at which the general public’s safety is the main consideration to be made before others. In conclusion, engineers should always take consideration and action according to the codes of ethics. Any action that might lead to bribery, corruption or cutting corner should be avoided. Prevention methods for unethical practice have to be carried out by engineers and the importance of upholding the professionalism in engineering field has to be kept in mind in order to create an honorable, responsible, ethical and lawful profession. The impression or reputation of engineers can be improved through actual practice of the codes of ethics and avoiding corruptions. Engineers should always remind themselves that not only the project, reputation, and wealth are in their hands, but also the safety and life of public, therefore, it is important for them to make safety issues as the main priority of making consideration. In addition, the integrity of the country also can be improved through such practice as the corruptions, briberies, and cutting corners are reduced.