Economic Commentary Essay

This article talks about a recent increase in the rate of unemployment in the Euro-zone countries due to the fall of the rate of inflation, which was caused by a decrease in the oil and commodity prices. In this commentary, I will analyze the relationship between these two economic problems, discuss their effects and evaluate the possible solutions. Europe’s inflation dropped from 1.6% to 1.1% in the last two months. According to economic theory, such a fall in the general price level (PL) is not ideal because it limits economic growth. In this case, the decrease of inflation rate is caused by a raise in the short run aggregate supply (SRAS) due to the fall of the oil and commodity prices. This also reduces the consumer’s price expectations, therefore decreasing aggregate demand (AD). [See graphs] The effects of this situation are double-sided. The fall in the European inflation rate will hurt people with variable incomes, and benefit people with fixed incomes. Due to the increase in the purchasing power of money, it will hurt borrowers and benefit lenders. As the value of money rises, savings will become more productive; however, it will cause a fall in expectations that reduces investment in the stock market. Finally, it will discourage the creation of new ventures; although, it will prevent future capital flight. In addition to these effects, inflation provokes unemployment. The European Central Bank (ECB) has reported that its unemployment rate rose from 7.9% to 8% in December, as inflation decreased. In the European Union, anyone 15 years of age or older who is not working but available for work and actively looking for one is considered unemployed. This type of unemployment is classified as cyclical because it varies with the business cycle. In order to understand better how unemployment relates to inflation, the economist A.W. Phillips did several studies showing that there is a trade-off between them. As inflation increases, people have more money in their hands. This will encourage the government to increase its spending, hence creating new jobs. Phillips designed a curve (PC) that portrayed the relationship between these contradictory macroeconomic goals. Increasing unemployment has the following economic and social costs: According to Arthur Okun, for every 1% increase in unemployment, there is a 2.5% decrease in the real GDP which will increase government borrowing and budget deficit, leading to a raise in the indebtedness of the countries. More unemployment implies more people insured by the social security programs; hence, the government welfare costs will increase. In addition, less people in conditions to pay income taxes will reduce government tax revenues. Unemployment causes an increase in homelessness and, therefore, in street violence and crime. Similarly, it incites alcoholism and drug consumption, as well as immigration and suicides. From the PC, it can be concluded that a higher inflation will decrease the rate of unemployment in the EU. This, according to the article, will be attempted by the ECB through the implementation of discretionary expansionary monetary policy, which consists in a raise in money supply and a decrease in interest rate, to increase AD and lower SRAS. This is a policy taken from the Neo-Keynesian macro-model that believes in interventionism and short run measures to prevent deflation. [See graph] One of the strengths of monetary policy is the short recognition, decision and execution lags. According to economists Mendel Gordon and Milton Freedman, they vary from 5-10 months and 6-24 months, respectively. One of its weaknesses, identified by Neo-Keynesian fiscal activists, is the weak links between banks and borrowers. This means that, regardless the interest rate changes, expectations remain unchanged. Fiscal activists also believe that monetary policy works indirectly and, thus, more slowly; however, monetary activists claim that it is not slower than fiscal policy. Finally, monetary policy would succeed in increasing the rate of inflation, although it is limited by cash leakages and volt cash. Moreover, Milton Freedman affirms that it may destabilize the economy because of insufficient information. Consequently, it is better to follow the K% rule which consists in the establishment of a constant money growth rate determined by the Central Bank.

Current Trends in Leadership Essay

Now a day leaders are following a trend of As one, which is a short phrase but it is filled with meaning and inspiration. In simple sense As one means to sum up the individual actions into collective power. According to the article individuals can collaborate to achieve extraordinary results together. Every day people meet, collaborate from different countries, organizations and industries so that to make the things happen. In this, some collaborations are unintentional, some are deliberately or sometimes it uses web technologies. But the basic fundamental reason behind these collaborations or working as one phenomenon is to have a winning edge. And this winning edge is usually determined by the organization that best works as one. Leaders have added the phrase as one which has changed its meaning completely. For e.g. working, it is an individual action but when it is connected with â€Å"as one† the entire meaning of both word and the phrase has changed, i.e. working as one, which shows the power of collectivism in an organization. Similarly winning versus winning as one, stronger versus stronger as one. Now they know that sources of inspirations are endless, just think of the possibilities and believe as one, succeed as one. The definition of leadership is evolving, such as: * Some say leadership is all about productivity, making employees work together efficiently. They say that great leader should get people to have a common interpretation around how to work together. * Some say leadership is all about people. They say a leader’s job is to develop people’s sense of belonging to their group. They believe a great leader should get people to have a strong shared identity or sense of who they are. * Some say leadership is all about purpose. They feel a leader’s job is to drive people’s commitment to act on the goals of the organization. A great leader gets people to have a strong sense of directional intensity around what they need to do together. But a real leader should involve all these things. Some leaders call it working as one and it represents the pinnacle of collective leadership, or leadership that results in a cohesive group of people working together effectively toward a common goal or purpose. As one may seem primarily available to leaders and their teams, but it doesn’t just have to be about internal interactions. The concept is a starting point for all leaders to understand how they can apply specific collective leadership techniques to best fit their situations and challenges. * Employee’s Trust in his Leader2: One out of four employees do not trust their leader. What leaders do so that their employees trust them? And how they know that whether their employees trust him or not? A leader should have answers for these questions. As a leader, you can’t afford to avoid trust between you and your employees or teammates. A lack of trust in leader results in negative impact on staff retention, employee well being and performance. Trust requires a person to have reliance and confidence in the actions of another, with no guarantee that he/she will behave as desired in return. When applied to leadership, trust is a person’s willingness to take a risk for a leader with the expectations that, in exchange, the leader will behave in some desired way. To maximize the trust leaders receive from their employees, they demonstrate three qualities. 1. Competence (Can they do the job?); 2. Benevolence (Do they care about me?); and 3. Integrity (Are they honest?). Integrity is the most important part at 41 percent, the benevolence at 34 percent, then competence at 25 percent. When the goal is to maximize the trust, leaders must know how to do their jobs well, but it is even more important for them to be considerate, supportive and honest with their employees. Leaders not only demonstrate these three qualities- honest, benevolent and competent, but they have also try to be seen to be so. Now leaders show trust in people around them. They listen to their employees, empathize with them, show their concern for the employees, are honest with them, true to their word, and treat them fairly. Leaders actively manage how they are perceived by others. They try to connect their employees at a personal level, which could be as simple as shaking hands with them. There are clear links between professional human capital management (HCM) best practices (such as mission statements, regular surveys and performance reviews) and trust in leadership. These practices, typically of progressive organizations, and are also linked to levels of trust in leadership. Employees are twice as likely to trust their senior leaders if the organization has engaged in these practices. And the more of these best practices that the organization engages in, the greater the level of employee trust in leadership. Conclusion: On the basis of the studies, I came to know that different leaders are following different trends in their leadership techniques. So there is no set trend for leadership. Also different people have different opinion about their leaders. But what I realized from my learning on these articles that to have a winning and competitive edge, organizations require leaders who can inspire, motivate, direct, etc. their employees to achieve the company’s goal effectively and efficiently. Leaders should also build their trust on employees, so that they can trust and believe their leaders for better outcomes and staff retention. Also I came to know that leaders are practicing to work in a team and currently they are using a trend of As one, that is whole organization is one and they are having a common goal, objective and vision. Sources: 1. Leadership Excellence, Art. Collective leadership, March 2012 2. Leadership Excellence, Art. How to gain trust?, May 2012

Analysis of The Merchant of Venice

Analysis of The Merchant of Venice Short plot summary. The film is about the jewish businessman Shylock who lived during the 1500’s. The wealthy prince Antonio wants to borrow money with reason to help his friend Bassanio. Antonio invested all his money on merchant ship’s. But, Antonio’s plan failed – the merchant ship’s were wrecked and now he didn’t have the money to re-pay Shylock. When Shylock didn’t receive his money, he and Antonio both agreed that Shylock would receive a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body. The married couple Bassanio and Portia, are friends with Antonio and they realized they had to help him.Portia offered Shylock triple the amount of what the money was really worth. Shylock rejected the offer but Portia had a plan to solve the dilemma – Disguise as a male judge to save her friend and also be more extreme by making Shylock worthless. Analysis. In the movie there are several motives such as good vs. evil, kindness and cruelty, religion dilemmas (Christian vs. Jew), tragedy etc. These opposites are all common with Shakespeare’s writings. Among the main character’s, Antonio is the one who is unselfish because he wants to help his friend, he represents goodness.Shylock isn’t actually the â€Å"evil-one†, he’s more of a vindictive individual because he lives in a society full of anti-Semitism and with a daughter who left him for a Christian man. I think Shylock has full right to receive a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body because both parties signed a contract (they both agreed on this) The movie is also about destiny and power. Whatever happened to the merchant ships is nothing Antonio, or any other human, can do about it. When Antonio borrows money of Shylock, he gives the Jewish businessman all the power.During the final scene when they’re all gathered in court, Shakespeare clearly shows he wants to maintain the Christian morali ty and make Shylock â€Å"clean† by converting to Christianity. Because Shylock is a Jew, he’s featured as an evil person. From the film’s and Shakespeare’s perspective, there is only one religion that is acceptable. This could be a symbol for the fights between the two religions and the main characters. Revenge is one of the main parts in this movie. Shylock uses his work and abundance to pursue his revenge. If the loan never had occurred Shylock would never had been able to take the evenge to another level. Though Shylock never succeeded his revenge, his main goal was vengeance and never hesitated to stop his work. Tragedy occurs when Shylock looses everything in court and has to beg for mercy. He has to give all his abundance to his daughter, convert to Christianity. He didn’t do anything wrong, lived in a anti-semitism society. Above all, he had a signed contract of the deal. But, Portia’s rhetorical skills turned the situation around wh en she argued that no blood, not more than the weight of a pound was allowed when cutting the flesh. This was impossible to accomplish.

Design, synthesis and pharmacological tests of leukotrienes A4 Dissertation

Design, synthesis and pharmacological tests of leukotrienes A4 hydrolase inhibitors as a potential targets of interest in cancer - Dissertation Example Chemical shifts (?) are reported in parts per million (ppm) relative to TMS and the coupling constants (J) are described in hertz. IR spectrums were obtained using Perkin Elmer Spectrum 100 FT-IR spectrometer, wavenumbers (?) in cm-1 Methods 1. Preparation of (Z)-(((5-(2-bromo-2-nitrovinyl)-1,3-phenylene)bis(oxy))bis (methylene))dibenzene (43) Scheme 26 Synthesis of (E)-(((5-(2-nitrovinyl)-1,3-phenylene)bis(oxy))bis(methylene))dibenzene (43). In a 25 ml round bottom flask a solution of 3,5-dibenzyloxy-benzaldexyde (318.4 mg, 1.0 mmol) in xylene (mixture of isomers, 10 ml) were added bromonitromethane (279.9 mg, 2 mmol), dimethylamine bromide (1.134 g, 9 mmol) and potassium fluoride (8.7 mg, 0.15 mmol). The flask was equipped with a Dean-Stark system and the mixture was heated at reflux temperature until the disappearance of the aryl-aldehyde by TLC (usually noted after a reaction time of 4-5 hours). Toluene (10 ml) was added and the reaction was left refluxing for 18 hours. After bei ng cooled at room temperature, the reaction mixture was evaporated under vacuum to remove xylene, then diluted with water and extracted with CH2Cl2 (3?20 mL). In some cases a filtration over Celite ® surface was required in order to remove excess of reagent residues prior to extraction. The organic phase was then washed with water, dried over anhydrous MgSO4, filtered and concentrated under vacuum. Crude product was purified by chromatography on silica gel (40 g) using mixtures of Hexane and AcOEt of increased polarity. The target compound was afforded as a brown oil (45 mg, 10% yield) 2. Preparation of (E)-1-(benzyloxy)-4-(2-nitrovinyl)benzene (50) Scheme 27 Synthesis of (E)-1-(benzyloxy)-4-(2-nitrovinyl)benzene (50). In a round 250 ml bottom flask, a solution of 4-bezyloxybenzaldehyde (6.36 g, 0.03 mol) in toluene (75 ml) was prepared. To this solution, nitromethane (17.7 ml, 0.33 mol), dimethylamine hydrobromide (15.108 g, 0.12 mol) and potassium fluoride (341.5 mg, 4.5 mmol) w ere added. The flask was equipped with a Dean-Stark system and the mixture was heated at reflux temperature until the disappearance of the aryl-aldehyde by TLC. After 3 hours and 45 minutes, the reaction flask was cooled at room temperature and the reaction mixture was evaporated under vacuum to remove toluene, then filtered under Celite surface and the filtrate was diluted with brine, dried over anhydrous MgSO4, filtered and concentrated under vacuum. After, the crude product was purified by chromatography on silica gel (90 ml of pure CH2Cl2) to provide the corresponding (E)-1-(benzyloxy)-4-(2-nitrovinyl) benzene (50) as a solid mass (0.55 g, 7.25% yield), which was later purified by flash column chromatography. IR ?max (KBr): 3109.9, 1687.9, 1625.9, 1596.8, 1509.3, 1490.6, 1463.2, 1455.4, 1425.0, 1384.9, 1336.9, 1307.3, 1245.7, 1167.2, 1122.4, 1080.9, 1031.2, 987.0, 921.2, 869.5, 849.4, 818.6, 751.1, 726.9, 697.1, 654.9, 616.2, 551.6, 528.5, 520.0, 505.3, 463.0, 416.9, 406.0 cm-1. 3. Preparation of 1-(benzyloxy)-4-(2-nitroethyl)benzene (51) Scheme 28 Synthesis of 1-(benzyloxy)-4-(2-nitroethyl)benzene. 200mg of (E)-1-(benzyloxy)-4-(2-nitrovinyl)benzene were added to a flask containing 1.55g of silica gel. Then 2.3 ml of 2-propanol and 12.5 ml of chloroform were added. Then 117mg, 3.1 mmol of NaBH4 was added. The solution was stirred at room tempera

Analysis of code of ethics in testing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of code of ethics in testing - Essay Example The Code relates widely to assessing in education that is, educational assessment, student placement, admissions and educational diagnosis. This means that the code is related to usual paper and pencil tests, performance tests and computer based tests. However, it isn’t intended to cover certificate testing, employment testing or other forms of testing outside the educational field. The Code is mainly directed at tests that are professionally developed that are used in programs that are officially administered testing. Since the Code does not cover tests prepared by teachers, teachers are persuaded to make use of the procedures so as to develop their testing performances. The Code does concentrate on the functions of test users and test developers separately. Test developers are mainly organizations and people that set up policies and construct tests. Test users are agencies and people that decide on tests, order test improvement services, make decisions on the tests illustrated and administer tests. Test users and developers roles may overlie, for instance, when a local or state education agency takes charge of test development services, setting up policies that manage the test development process as well as making decisions based on the test score. Several statements in the Code submit the use and selection of tests that have existed. The Code must provide guidance in cases where new test are developed, when the administration of a test is put into order or when modification is done to an existing test. The Code isn’t aimed to be compulsory, definitive or exhaustive and it may not be relevant to every circumstances. Alternatively, the Code is projected to be inspirational and not aimed to take superiority over the ruling of those who are competent in the subject addressed. The Code offers assistance independently for tests users and developers in four vital areas: selecting and developing suitable

World Political History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

World Political History - Essay Example This led to deaths of majority foreigners leading to political wrangles between the Yugoslavian leaders and the Soviet Union. This led to the creation of strongly organized military force. Therefore, this led to the development of powerful armament in the nation in order to counter enemies. This led to depression of the nation’s economy and deterioration of foreign relations. What are the threats in your country? Different political ideologies Yugoslavia experienced conflicting political ideologies among its key leaders. This was due to the existence of both nationalists and communists in the country. This posed a nationwide threat as it led to increased conflicts among different political parties. The communists conflicted with the nationalists as both craved to control the country (Rajak 2011). This led to increased human fear as this signaled an outbreak of another war in the country. This was highly influenced by leading nationalists and communist nations that tried to inf luence their ideologies in Yugoslavia (Rajak). Ethnicity Aftermath of the Second World War was marked by increased ethnicity in all nations that participated in the war. This was due to settlement of war soldiers and captives in foreign countries. Yugoslavia experienced high levels of ethnicity as many war captives, and soldiers who were of foreign origin were retained as captives. This led to increased human suffering in the nation leading to frequent mass protests in the country. This created high tension among the population leading to fear of ethnic clashes among the natives (Rajak 2011). Disintegration of Yugoslavia Moreover, Yugoslavia disintegrated into different nations that sought for self-governance. These conflicts among different... According to the paper Yugoslavia entered the conflict as it tried to align to Soviet Union that dominated the Eastern Europe due to factors such as strong military base, organized military forces, economic success, foreign relations and strong political organization. This caused increased hatred among the local natives and the ethnic Germans leading to increased tension. This led to deaths of majority citizens with no media coverage unlike in other nations. The paper makes a conclusion that Yugoslavia experienced conflicting political ideologies among its key leaders. This was due to the existence of both nationalists and communists in the country. This posed a nationwide threat as it led to increased conflicts among different political parties. The communists conflicted with the nationalists as both craved to control the country. The U.S influenced the International Monetary Fund to give them loans which they were unable to pay. The Yugoslavia government collapsed, and that ended communism leading to disintegration of Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia disintegrated into different nations that sought for self-governance. These conflicts among different communities were as Germany and Austria-Hungary wanted to expand their territories. People of Yugoslavia particularly politicians fled to United Kingdom where they formed a committee for the creation of united Yugoslavia. However, it was crushed by Nazi Germany. The people of Yugoslavia resisted the communist’s rule in protests.

Case Study from Employment Law Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

From Employment Law - Case Study Example 312). In the case study, there are very serious violations of the law that are evident. In the first scenario, Paul faces direct sex discrimination, work place harassment and victimization. Under the Equality Act 2010 S11, sex is a protected characteristic for both male and the female. Under section 13(1) of the same act, it is unlawful to treat an individual unfairly on the grounds of sex. Such act amounts to direct sex discrimination. Paul in this case faces direct sex discrimination. This is evident in that Paul’s boss is never interested in training him for the job he was doing. Most banks of the world do train their employees before they start working because banking jobs are very demanding. Paul is further harassed by his boss. She shouts at him and down talks him in front of the customers. Shouting and use of abusive words in workplaces is a form of work place harassment (Swarnalatha, 2013, p. 2). Harassment and victimization in the place of work carries the same weight as d iscrimination. However, in some cases, work place harassment and victimization are not prohibited by the law no matter how abusive they can be. In such cases therefore, the employees are protected by the Trade Unions. Under the Trade Unions and Labor Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, the trade unions are adequately defined and equipped with adequate powers to protect the employees from any form of workplace harassment, victimization and any form of discrimination. Also, under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations Act 2006 S1 (246), the right to continuity in employments is well covered in the Act and therefore Paul has a right to go back to work. On the other hand, Amy is directly discriminated. Under the Equality Act 2010 S11, Religion is yet another protected characteristic. It is against the law to discriminate a

Peloponnesian War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Peloponnesian War - Essay Example Division was evident especially due the two rival systems of alliances where neither could allow the other to be superior to the other. Sparta led the Peloponnesian league while Athens headed an empire of city-states 454 BC, the Delian league treasury, was transferred to Athens. After two years, Athens which dominated the vast Mediterranean Sea naval alliance started treating the league members as subjects rather than partners. Sparta had initially rejected the proposal of formation of the league. Athens then began fighting short wars to force members who had any intentions of defecting from the league to stay and those who had already left to rejoin. 433 BC, Athens, signed a treaty with Corcyra (modern day Corfu) to provide mutual protection, the move was interpreted as an act of provocation by Sparta and its allies and the following year Sparta cancelled her treaty with Athens. 433 BC, Athens, banned trading activities with city-states allied to Sparta. Athens also introduced high taxes to other states that led to the weakening of the Delian league. Sparta then declared war to stop Athenian control and dominance. 431 BC, Spartans ally, Thebes, sent a contingent of soldiers to seize and control a town called Potidea. However, they failed and the soldiers were caught and imprisoned. The residents of Potidea put the advancing troop of 200 to death. A day later Athens sent a messenger to plead with the townspeople against such abrupt action but it was too late as it marked the beginning of a long battle, a war. According to Thucydides the immediate causes of the Peloponnesian war were the Corinthian opportunism. It all began when Corcyra and Corinth began disputing over Epidamnos; the dispute drew Athens and Sparta which lead to the formation of a powerful group of allies. As the initial dispute escalated another one sprung up over Potidea in northern Greece between Athens and Corinth. The squabbles began a free fall into deeper conflict. The Epidamnos and

Mountain Top Coal Removal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mountain Top Coal Removal - Research Paper Example These kings receive many benefits from the mining yet most of them do not live in the region. This is because they know the effects of coal mining to the environment in the area. Current research has shown that mountain top removal has caused serious health impairments to many residents in the Appalachian region. In addition, this mining has made the environment ugly. This activity has caused a lot of destruction: it has degraded ecosystem, driven out communities, caused flooding, and brought about divisions among people. The worst effect of mountain removal is the toxic wastes that it exudes into air and water. These toxic wastes are very harmful to people. Most of the people who live in this region are Christians. They have experienced many health problems due to this coal mining. These Christians have teamed up together to eliminate this menace that have affected their lives for many decades. They are trying to fight this problem with all their strength. However, better ways of re ducing the effects of mountain removal on the environment have to be incorporated as quickly as possible, since it is going to destroy the whole environment at large. Residents in Appalachian Mountains have been worried about the effects of coal mining to their neighbors and friends. These effects have been there for several decades, and it seems not to be ending. Many cases of cancer, asthma, skin ailments, kidney diseases, and many other maladies have been related to the coal mining on the mountaintops. Cancer has buried many people in this region, and not all cases are reported. The current government statistics have shown that there are increased cases of illnesses and deaths in these regions that correlate with the mountain top removal. Many studies are going on to diagnose the cause of the calamity. There are increased rates of birth defects that are linked to the mountain top removals. The recent peer-reviewed study shows that the causes of these defects are directly related to the coal mining. This mining emits the highest amount of mercury into the air causing neurological damage to the newly born babies. The Christian community is encouraging every individual in the region to resist further coal mining in the region. (Veit, Heinz, & Thomas 225). Fight against mountain top removal started very long time ago. The first organization to fight this danger was Commission on Religion in Appalachia. This organization came into existence in 1965, and its main aims were to deal with issues of poverty and justice. CORA taught people about the God’s love to the people who reside in the Appalachian Mountains. It was used to train people concerning the community structure of activists and how to fight for the rights of the community members. CORA joined the debate about the effects of coal mining to the people and the environment. It joined hands together with the other West Virginia counties in fighting against the strip mining that was becoming a menace t o the people in that society. CORA expanded its role in the society. It stated to fight for many issues that were affecting many residents, i.e. civil rights as well as labor and environmental issues. This organization was inspired by the biblical quotes, one of them being the book of Amos 5:23-24 that says â€Å"

Emerging Infectious Diseases Essay Example for Free

Emerging Infectious Diseases Essay Emerging infectious diseases are diseases that are new or changing, and are increasing, or have the potential to increase in incidence in the near future. (Pearson, Microbiology) Some important contributing factors to the development of EIDs are evolutionary changes in existing organisms, the movement of previously identified diseases to new geographic locations and populations by modern transportation, and increased human exposure to previously undocumented, uncommon infectious agents in areas of ecological growth or change. This includes previously uninhabited areas that may be undergoing deforestation or construction. EIDs also emerge as a result of resistance, and in recent years, an unusually high incidence of EIDs has drawn the attention of the global population in reaction to unsatisfactory health care facilities and geographic locations with tendency toward breakdown of public sanitation measures. (Pearson, Microbiology) Avian Influenza A (H1N1), or bird flu, became a subject of global attention in 2003 when it caused he death of millions of poultry and 24 humans in eight countries in central and south Asia. Avian Influenza A is transmitted by birds around the world, however, certain wild birds, particularly waterfowl, do not get sick but instead carry the virus in their intestines and release it through their excretions. Most frequently, wild birds spread influenza to domesticated birds and poultry farms, where the virus causes death. Most avian influenza viruses actually do not naturally cause disease in humans. However, some Influenza strains, like Avian Influenza A, are zoonotic, meaning that they can infect humans and cause disease possibly resulting in death. World Health Organization) The NS1 protein of the influenza virus is the most critical virulence factor that allows it to antagonize the host’s antiviral response. In doing this it employs several mechanisms, including the binding and sequestration of double-stranded RNA. The structure of full-length NS1 protein has now been identified using samples from a virulent H5N1 avian influenza virus strain. â€Å"The molecules RNA binding domain displays noticeable differences when it is compared to that of the non-H5N1 strains, whereas the effector domain is significantly altered. The two domains interact in such a way as to form tubules that may act to sequester dsRNA, allowing the virus to evade the hosts innate immune response. † (International Weekly Journal of Science) The following groups od individuals are at an increased risk for contraction Avian Influenza A: Farmers and others factory farm workers who handle poultry, Travelers who may be visiting visiting affected countries during an outbreak, Those who touch an infected bird, or Those who consume raw or undercooked poultry products from birds infected with the disease. Health care workers may also be at an increased risk of contracting the bird flu from an infected patient. (NYT Heath Guide) The avian flu virus (H5N1) has been proven to survive in the environment without the help of a human or animal host for long periods of time. Infection is possible simply by touching contaminated surfaces. Birds who were infected with Avian Influenza A can continue to foster the virus and release it in their excretions for as long as 10 days, and are still a risk after death. NYT Health Guide) Infection with the H5N1 virus in humans causes flu-like symptoms that often progress quickly to more adverse complications such as Acute Respiratory Distress, Organ failure, pneumonia, sepsis or death. The initial onset of symptoms may include cough, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, unusually high fever, headache; muscle aches, a runny nose or a sore throat. NYT Health Guide) Tests to verify Avian Influenza in an individual exist, but are currently not widely available to the public. If you are unable to receive a preliminary test which yields results in four hours, your physician may also conduct the following tests: Auscultation, to detect abnormal breathing and lung function, a chest x-ray, a nasopharyngeal culture and blood work, all to determine the presence of the virus in an individual based on their bodily immune functions. (World Health Organization) Many strains of the influenza virus have become resistant to the effects of the antiviral drugs that were previously being used to treat them. Health officials are now recommending the use of Oseltamivir, known as Tamiflu and possibly Zanamivir, known as Relenza as the newest, most helpful pharmaceutical treatment options. (Mayo Clinic) These drugs must be taken within forty-eight hours after the appearance of symptoms in order to be effective, but this may prove as a roblem in the vent of a global outbreak. Because of the short supply, its not entirely clear how Influenza drugs would be distributed and administered if there were an epidemic of global proportions. In terms of prevention, physicians recommend that all healthy patients receive an influenza shot (commonly called a â€Å"flu shot†) to reduce the likelihood of an existing avian flu virus mixing with a human flu virus, which would create a new virus that may easily spread and cause an epidemic. The U. S.  Food and Drug Administration has approved a vaccine to protect humans from the avian flu, and experts say that the vaccine could be used if the current H5N1 virus began spreading between humans. (NYT Health Guide) Human infections with Avian Influenza viruses detected since 1997 have not yet resulted in sustained human- to-human transmission. However, because Influenza Viruses have the potential to mutate and gain the ability to spread easily between people, monitoring for inter-human transmission is extremely important.

Traditional Digital Infrastructure

Traditional Digital Infrastructure Introduction As time goes on, our clubs are expected to have more and more of an online presence. This is especially true for those university organizations that are technology oriented. People expect us to have our own website, email, calendar and other services. Traditionally, having all these services can be costly and time consuming. However, using virtualization, many of these problems can be mitigated. In this paper we will discuss the problems faced by university organizations (thus giving us critereon for our solution), and walk through the best solution for virtualization. After reading this paper, you will fi the best solution for your specific organization. Problem With Having A Traditional Digital Infrastructure You may not think it affects your organization, but increasingly it is expected of us to have digital infrastructures. Part of maintaining a professional organization or student organi- zation with credibility is having an online presence (websites, emails, calendars, etc). This faces us with many new problems that come with having a digital infrastructure: cost, time needed, complexity, and security. Cost of Maintaining a Traditional Digital Infrastructure Traditional digital infrastructures require organizations to have servers, networking capabil- ities, and public domain names. Servers can be made out of almost any computer; however, for it to be reliable for your users it should be a dedicated and powerful machine. This is usu- ally in the form of a server blade; which can cost anywhere between $380[1] and $45,751.95[2]. Similar costs are found when buying networking equipment such as routers, switches, hubs, networking cable, etc. Then to top it all off you need a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for people to fi your website and email. This cost is usually minimal: usually are around  $20 or so. In the end, it all adds up and can be very costly. Time Needed to Setup and Maintain a Traditional Digital Infrastructure Not only does it cost money to buy equipment, it costs time. The fi thing that has to be done is determining the specifications of the server(s) and networking equipment you need. After your organization has determined this, someone needs to search the web for the servers and networking equipment that meets these specifications for the lowest price. Then, if your universitys student clubs are organized anything like Virginia Techs, your club needs to request the funds to do so and justify it. Now, you have acquired the server and networking equipment; but, that isnt the end of your time commitment. Next step is to set it all up; which takes, someone who knows what they are doing, a few days. The servers are all set up and networked; it is time to put them on the internet. Someone needs to buy a FQDN, and assign it to the IP addresses of your servers. After all is said and done, the servers are up and running. However, this is only the beginning. As time goes on you will need to update the servers, fi errors, and change configurations based on your needs. As you can see, having a traditional digital infrastructure is very time consuming. Complexity Maintaining a Traditional Digital Infrastructure As stated in the above section, there is quite a bit of maintenance that needs to be done to servers and networking equipment: updating, debugging errors, configuring, etc. There are many diff t ways to go about doing these tasks; however, they are outside the scope of this paper. No matter the way to complete these tasks, you need to worry about the complexity of these methods. Most methods require someone who has worked in a command line interface (CLI). Otherwise, it is necessary to fi or build a graphical user interface (GUI) that everyone can understand. Making it simple to complete these tasks is important; the officers that take over after you need to be briefed on it. If it is not simple, they will probably not follow it. It will become broken, no one will use it, or even worse it could be hacked and used for malicious purposes. Simplicity is key when it comes to keeping things running smoothly. Securing A Traditional Digital Infrastructure The fi problem, but not the least important, is securing the digital infrastructure you have created. There are many people out there who would love to have the power of your server at their disposal. To keep them from gaining control of your systems it takes time, adds complexity, and may increase costs. Securing them requires someone with the time and mindset to keep up with current vulnerabilities, monitor the systems, keep them updated, and configure them. Therefore this needs to be someone who is either willing to learn, or knows what he/she is doing. This is a big and multifaceted area of the digital world, and cannot be delved into in this paper; but, it should never be taken lightly. Virtualization: The New Digital Infrastructure There is a better way to go about creating a digital infrastructure: virtualization. Virtu- alization allows you to use one server to create many virtual servers within it. All these servers are managed by what are called hypervisors. There are many companies that even provide virtualization in what is called Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Amazon Web Ser- vices, Rackspace, SoftLayer, and DigitalOcean (to name a few). We will be excluding these from our virtualization solutions in this paper as we are focused on hosting our own digital infrastructures. There are two types of hypervisors: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 hypervisors run directly on the hardware of the server; whereas, type 2 hypervisors run inside of an Operating System (OS)[3]. Type 1 hypervisors allow us to virtualize our services as if they were on their own physical servers and are largely more efficient than their type 2 counterparts. Type 2 hypervisors on the other hand, usually have well thought-out, and easy-to-use GUIs. As part of our critereon we are looking to reduce cost, increase fly (decrease com- plexity), and increase security. This is achieved by using type 1 hypervisors which are both efficient in their usage of server resources, but also in their programming itself: fewer lines of code means less vulnerabilities. By using up less resources, we are able to provide more services (or better services) with fewer servers thus lowering costs. Out of these type 1 hypervisors, we are looking for the cheapest ones. There are many projects via open source that provide free hypervisors. In addition, some companies have made versions of their en- terprise hypervisors free for people to use/try. This leaves us with a few options at this point: KVM, Xen, Citrix XenServer, VMWare ESXi, and Microsoft Hyper-V. The next critereon was the time necessary to setup and maintain this digital infrastructure. Naturally by using virtualization we have reduced the number of physical servers to take care of. All of the above hypervisors have large wikis and support communities[4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]. However, two of these communities VMWares and Microsofts arent as varied as those of the OpenSource community, and must be paid for to get quality customer support. Our second to last critereon was the complexity of the solution. From personal experience, all three of these solutions are very simple. However, not all three are very fl Citrix XenServer is OpenSource, but requires a host OS of Microsoft origins. This means one would have to have Windows installed on the server. Thus reducing the amount of fl y one has with the configuration of the server. The other two, KVM and Xen, are both OpenSource and Linux based: allowing for the most customizability. Xen used to be the best type 1 hypervisor in use, and is still used by major companies such as AWS[13]. However, recently Linux has been moving further and further away from Xen. From my experience, it has been relatively diffi to get an up-to-date version of Xen running on many Linux distros that are supported. This is not a problem, as KVM is absolutely comparable, and was recently added into the Linux kernel. Thus, KVM can be used on any base Linux distro and can  even run Windows OSes, Linux, and with some tweaking Mac OSX. Finally, security is our last critereon. As discussed, the fewer lines of code, ostensibly the more secure the hypervisor is. Looking at Xen and KVM, both have extremely small amounts of base code; however, KVM, being part of the linux kernel, is smaller. It is also more integrated into the most secure part of the Linux OS, and is thus considered more secure. In addition, both are OpenSource, allowing them to be reviewed by hundreds of thousands of people. Thus security is inherent with these two hypervisors. Conclusion University Clubs are requried increasingly to have digital infrastructures for websites, email, and calendars. However, creating and maintaining traditional infrastructures is costly, time consuming, diffi and can be insecure. Virtualization has become the best way for com- panies and clubs to provide a digital infrastructure in the most efficient and cost effective manor. More specifically for clubs, KVM seems to be the best solution, and the easiest to implement on a server. References [1] Server Supply, IBM7870G2ABLADECENTERHS22-1XINTELXEONQUAD-COREE5620/2.40GHZ,6GBDDR3RAM,GRAPHICMATROXG200EV,GIGABIT ETHERNET,BLADESERVER.NEW.INSTOCK., ServerSupply.com, Inc., January 11, 2017. [2] Neobits, CiscoUCS-SP7-B200-VCiscoB200M3BladeServer2xIntelXeonE5-2640v2Octa-core(8Core)2GHz128GBInstalledDDR3SDRAMSerialAttachedSCSI(SAS)Controller0,1RAIDLevels2ProcessorSupport768GBRAMSupport 10Gigabit, Neobits, Inc., January 11, 2017. [3] IBM, Hypervisors,virtualization,andthecloud:Learnabouthypervisors,systemvirtu-alization,andhowitworksinacloudenvironment, ibm.com, January 11, 2017. [4] Debian, KVM, wiki.debian.org, January 11, 2017. [5] Canonical, KVM, wiki.ubuntu.com, January 11, 2017. [6] Arch, KVM, wiki.archlinux.org, January 11, 2017. [7] Xen Project, MainPage, wiki.xen.org, January 11, 2017. [8] Citrix, MainPage, wiki.xenserver.org, January 11, 2017. [9] Debian, Xen, wiki.debian.org, January 11, 2017. [10] Arch, Xen, wiki.archlinux.org, January 11, 2017. [11] VMWare, vSphereHypervisor, vmware.com, January 11, 2017. [12] Microsoft, Hyper-V, technet.microsoft.com, January 11, 2017. [13] eWeek, AmazonRebootsCloudServerstoPatchXenHypervisor, QuinStreet Enter- prise, January 11, 2017.

Grapes of Wrath Essay: Steinbecks Political Beliefs -- Grapes Wrath e

The Grapes of Wrath and Steinbeck's Political Beliefs      Ã‚   Steinbeck's relationship to the transcendentalists [Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman] was pointed out soon after The Grapes of Wrath appeared by Frederick I. Carpenter, and as the thirties fade into history, Jim Casy with his idea of the holiness of all men and the unreality of sin seems less a product of his own narrowly doctrinaire age than a latter-day wanderer from the green village of Concord to the dry plains of the West.    Although Steinbeck argues for collective action to achieve specific goals, only the most unperceptive critics continue to argue that he is a collectivist in either philosophy or politics. Throughout his work he decries the mindless indoctrination of the totalitarians and maintains that only through reflection upon his bitter experience can learn the value of acting in concert with others for the relief of emergency conditions -- like the flood at the end of The Grapes of Wrath -- so that the individual may subsequently be free to realize his own potentialities. Nothing better illustrates Steinbeck's concept of social organization than the pictures in Chapter Seventeen of The Grapes of Wrath of the world that is created each night a people come together, and disappears the next morning when they separate.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In reference to the government camps in The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck never suggests that these camps should offer more than temporary relief during emergencies; he never suggests that the government should provide work for the people. We must recall, too, the camp manager's comment that the people in the camp had taken his job away from him by assuming responsibilities for self-government. Steinbeck's approval ... ... the question: How can any form of government avoid playing a continual role in the shaping of people's lives, whether directly or indirectly?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Simply to prove that Steinbeck was not a socialist, a rather easy task these days thanks to the work of Steinbeck scholars in the 60s and 70s, does not mean that he was a conservative bastion of American individualism and an opponent of "big government." Such a portrait of Steinbeck is as inaccurate as the socialist portrait French and Lisca exposed.       Works Consulted French, Warren. A Companion to The Grapes of Wrath. New York: The Viking Press, 1963. Hawgood, John A. America's Western Frontiers. New York: Alfred P. Knopf, 1967. Jones, Evan. The Plains States. New York: Time Life Books, 1968. Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: The Sun Dial Press, 1939.      

Characteristic Downfall :: essays research papers

In T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the author is establishing the trouble the narrator is having dealing with middle age. Prufrock(the narrator) believes that age is a burden and is deeply troubled by it.. His love of some women cannot be because he feels the prime of his life is over. His preoccupation with the passing of time characterizes the fear of aging he has. The poemdeals with the aging and fears associated with it of the narrator. Prufrock is not confident with himself mentally or his appearance. He is terrified of what will occur when people see his balding head or his slim and aging body. He believes everyone will think he is old and useless. They will talk about him behind his back. (They will say"How is hair is growing thin!") My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin, My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin-- [They will say: "But how his arms and legs are thin!"] This insecurity is definitely a hindrance for him. It holds him back from doing the things he wishes to do. This is the sort of characteristic that makes Alfred into a tragic, doomed character. He will not find happiness until he finds self-assurance within himself. The repetition of words like vision and revision, show his feelings of inadequacy in communicating with the people around him. J. Alfred Prufrock's self esteem affects his love life greatly. The woman he is in love with is younger than he is and this distresses him. He does not believe that some younger women could possibly accept him or find him attractive. Expressing any kind of affection to her is awkward and difficult. Prufrock knows what he must say but cannot bring himself to say it. "Should I, after tea and cakes and ices, Have the strength to force the moment to it's crisis?"(79-80) His apprehensiveness in his love life, is very troublesome for him indeed. He wishes greatly to express his affection but it becomes suppressed within him. He compares himself to Lazarus who was an aged man restored to life by Jesus. He feels that it will take a miracle to make him feel young again. Prufrock sees his age as the end of his romantic zeal. He assumes the response to his love will be snappy and heartless. Prufrock believes that women do not find older men attractive or see a possibility of romance in them. The rhyme scheme Elliot uses in this poem depicts the disenchanted and confused mind of the narrator. The poem is written using a non-uniform

Womens Issues and Multiculturalism Essays -- Feminist Feminism Cultur

Women's Issues and Multiculturalism ABSTRACT: In part one of this paper, I offer a description of the main versions of multiculturalism, with its liberal interpretation among them. In part two, I give an outline of the changes that have taken place in women's social status in the course of history and of the various stages of their emancipation process. In the third part I examine the relationship between multiculturalism and women's issues in general. Finally, I explore the same in Hungary, and attempt to draw some general consequences. Does a minority group (e.g., Gypsies in Hungary) in a multicultural society have the right to maintain their traditional patriarchal culture? I argue that the liberation of women is not a "women's issue"; it is part of the persistent enforcement of human rights. My address is divided into four parts. In the first part I offer a description of the main versions of multiculturalism, with its liberal interpretation among them. In the second part I shall give an outline of the changes that have taken place in women's social status in the course of history and of the various stages of their emancipation process. In the third part I examine the relationship between multiculturalism and women's issues in general. Finally, in the fourth part I explore the same in Hungary, and attempt at drawing some general consequences. (I) It is appropriate to distinguish between two types of multicultural societies-the traditional and the modern. In traditional societies, several ethnic groups may have lived together, which, despite their differences, basically belonged to the same civilisation. In countries which belong in the European civilisation, for instance, English and Scots, French and Bretons have li... ...oup have the right in a multicultural society to maintain their traditional patriarchal culture? Members of a minority group are as good citizens as those in the majority. They therefore have the same rights. However, they also have the same duties. Maintaining traditions that violate civil liberties is not to be tolerated. Preserving the mother tongue or cultivating the arts is one thing, wearing chador or clitoral circumcision is an entirely different matter. If the female members of a minority group undertake to follow such traditions of their own will, they are similar to members of such sects as may go as far as committing collective suicide. In the majority of cases, however, coercion of some sort is present. The liberation of women, therefore, is in the spirit of the modern world not a 'women's issue'; it is part of the persistent enforcement of human rights.

Paternalistic Family Essay

I have came from a strict family. My household was based of 2 boys and three girls. But I would say that yes, I came from a paternalistic family. Even though it was more girls than boys, my brothers was older and things were different. My father having a strict background he raised me and my siblings by strict rules. The men were to protect the women. And the women was raised to cook, clean, and become a ideal housewife. Growing up I wouldn’t think that I had a good childhood because I couldn’t have many friends. I couldn’t hang with any males even male cousins, uncles, or whoever. And my father would always tell his girls† Im just giving you the tools you need to protect yourself.† I never understood that. Until now. I would say that my brothers had more freedom than the girls, and it wasn’t because of their age. It was because of their sex. And my father wasn’t the only one who was that strict it was all my uncles and great cousins. So that kind of destroyed my relationship with my family when I grew up. Because I just don’t raise my daughters to cook and clean and become a good wife to a man. I raise all my kids the same boys and girls to grow up and take care of their things. My kids have the same curfew and same responsibilities. But growing up in a paternalistic family have some advantages too. There are things you could do now that would benefit your future self, at the expense of your present self. If a paternalist really does have a lower discount rate in this way, they could justify all kinds of interventions that benefit someone’s future self: preventing suicide, reducing smoking, encouraging exercise, requiring people to save for emergencies and retirement, and so on.

Literary criticism Essay

Literature represents a language or a people: culture and tradition. But, literature is more important than just a historical or cultural writing. Literature introduces us to new worlds of experience. We learn from books and literature; we enjoy the triumphs and the tragedies of poems, stories, and plays; and we may even grow through our literary journey with books. In conclusion, we may discover meaning in literature by looking at what the author says and how he/she says it. We may interpret the author’s message. However we interpret literature, there is still an artistic quality to the works. Literature is important to us because it speaks to us, it is both universal and individual, and in many ways it affects us, for the better. When some people think of the word â€Å"Literature† they think of books like, Walden, Old man and the Sea, Tom Sawyer, Great Expectations, or Moby Dick. These are what some call â€Å"the classics. † While these few books are indeed literature do we subconsciously judge other books based on the styling’s of these few? People believe that the true meaning of â€Å"Literature,† is a literary work in which the readers mind is opened to new concepts and ideals. For a writing to be called â€Å"Literature† it doesn’t have to be considered a â€Å"Classic† nor does it need to follow the same construct as these so called â€Å"Classics†. The book, 11/23/63, is much more of a form of â€Å"Literature† than A Tale of Two Cities. Based solely on the fact that in the Stephen King novel, he places the thought of, â€Å"What if? † into your mind.. Whereas, â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities†, depicts the plight of the French peasantry in the years leading up to the revolution, as opposed to opening your mind. While A Tale of Two Cities, shows you what life was like in those times. Stephen King shows you an alternate universe in which there was but one change, and how that one change affects how history takes its course. When the author helps your mind, explore worlds of endless possibility, or sheds light on a new way to perceive things. That is when the author has created a â€Å"True† work of literary merit. The thing about the term, â€Å"Literature†, is that it doesn’t have just one meaning. Literature is comprised of many things, but while Webster definition of â€Å"Literature† is, â€Å"the production of literary work especially as an occupation. † The â€Å"True† meaning is open to interpretation, meaning that one person’s definition of the word may be completely different than another person’s definition. This is both the great and horrid thing about the term. When scholars classify writing as literature, they often consider it a book or writing that has stood the test of time and despite its age it has surpassed many other great works through history by receiving merit from the scholars, based on their description of the word, influential. You may agree that it should be considered a piece of â€Å"Literature†, if it has done this, and you would be right, but what if it was a great piece of literary art that didn’t become a best seller? And thus was cast into the abyss to be forgotten until stumbled across one day by a mind ready to take in what the author wanted to say. Would you consider it â€Å"Literature? † Or would you just leave it in the abyss because it never became a best seller? Take Moby Dick for example, it is considered to be one of the Great American Novels and a treasure of world literature. However, it never received enough credit to title it a â€Å"Best seller. †One literary work, also helps define my idea of the word Literature, is The Hobbit by J. R. R Tolkien. The reason I consider this a piece of â€Å"Literature† is because of the amount of imagery Tolkien uses to bring his world to life in the imagination of the reader. In this excerpt from that book, he describes every thought of the characters and his use of imagery helps create the scene in the mind of the reader. â€Å"The dark came into the room from the little window that opened in the side of The Hill; the firelight flickered-it was April-and still they played on, while the shadow of Gandalf’s beard wagged against the wall. The dark filled all the room, and the fire died down, and the shadows were lost, and still they played on. And suddenly first one and then another began to sing as they played, deep-throated singing of the dwarves in the deep places of their ancient homes; and this is like a fragment of their song, if it can be like their song without their music. † (The Hobbit, Page 15) Tolkien’s powerful use of imagery in that passage painted a clear picture of what happens while the dwarves sing. However, Splatterpunk also uses powerful imagery to paint pictures. The key difference between the imagery used Splatterpunk and the imagery used in The Hobbit, is how the imagery is used. In the novel, The Cipher, which combined intensely poetic language and lavish grotesqueries, the author, uses imagery to place the pictures into the mind of the reader using powerful and descriptive words. As opposed to Tolkien, who draws upon the reader’s imagination with basic descriptions to help create a sketch in his mind. Now, many would not consider this a form of â€Å"Literature† due to the lack of personal connection between the story and the reader. However, I consider this book, and even this passage alone, to be a form of â€Å"Literature† solely because it opens my mind to a new world full of adventure and intrigue, while keeping the reader glued to the book during the time he reads. Imagery is a powerful tool for both the author and the reader, for if the author isn’t clear with his use of imagery it breaks the reader’s attention and allows him to be lost within the story, and not in a good way. Tolkien also uses diction to place an image into the readers mind, and he does this in such a way the reader begins to sing the song in his own head. Far over the misty mountains cold To dungeons deep and caverns old We must away, ere break of day, To claim our long-forgotten gold. Goblets they carved there for themselves And harps of gold; where no man delves There lay they long, and many a song Was sung unheard by men or elves. The pines were roaring on the height, The winds were moaning in the night. The fire was red, it flaming spread; The trees like torches blazed with light (The Hobbit, Page 16) Literature is important to us because it speaks to us, it is both universal and individual, and in many ways it affects us, for the better. In ways we sometimes may never understand. Ultimately, we may discover meaning in literature by looking at what the author says and how he/she says it. We may interpret the author’s message in one way, while someone else finds the message a different way. In this way we see how the definition of â€Å"Literature,† is subjective to both the readers own interpretation, and the overall meaning of the work. Because even when it is ugly, literature is beautiful. Sources Cited Tolkien, John R. R. The Hobbit. N. p. : George Allen & Unwin, 1937. 15. Web.

Evaluating HRM’s contribution to Organisational Effectiveness Essay

Human Resource Management is a key component in the maintenance and utilization of an effective workforce. HRM includes myriad activities ranging from recruitment to training and even the development of compensation systems. HRM has evolved significantly since the early 1900s. The need to deal with labor unions and the human relations movement has increased the need for competent human resource professionals (Dessler, 2002). 3. Reasons for Measuring Human resource managers are required to balance the requirements of management against those of the organization to ensure staffing requirements are consistent with the overall organizational objectives. There is always a focus on results and measurement, the benefits from such analyses are numerous. Some of the key reasons for measuring HRM are (Phillips, 1996) 1. To identify HRM’s contribution to organizational effectiveness 2. To determine whether HRM is accomplishing its objectives 3. To identify the strengths and weaknesses of HRM processes 4. To calculate the return on investment in an HRM program 5. To determine if an HRM program or policy justifies investment of resources 6. To establish a database that can assist management in making decisions about HRM 4. Indicators of HRM The main impacts of HRM to the organisation can be gauged from the following key indicators (Frost et al, 2001) Figure 1: 4 Quadrants of HRM Indicators 5. Measuring HRM The influences and impacts mentioned previously provide an indication of the relative success of HRM within the organisation. As is evident, there are a number of indicators and their measurements and applications are quite varied. Some of the more common ways of measuring HRM are Surveys There are myriad proforma surveys that are available to HRM Managers to review and measure the feedback from employees and customers. OPM’s (Office of Personnel Management) Organizational Assessment Survey was created to assist organisations in the assessment and improvement of their performance and has since become an industry standard. The survey contributes to organizational performance improvement by: 1. â€Å"assessing organizational strengths and weaknesses; 2. providing a basis for effective action-planning to determine training and organizational change strategies; and 3. establishing measures for benchmarking and evaluating change in organizational performance over time.† (Fitz-Enz, 2000) Financial Analysis Cost- Benefit and ROI Analyses Return on Investment (ROI) is a cost-benefit analysis that offers HR managers a way to explain, in financial terms, how HR contributes to the bottom line. This helps in boosting HR’s credibility in management circles. To date, a major obstacle HR professionals have had in becoming full partners with senior agency management teams is proving its value to business discussions. Historically HR has not had the statistical data or business cost benefit analysis to prove its influence and impact on the organisation. However, using ROI to show that human resources management is an investment, rather than an expense, helps move HR further in the direction of becoming a strategic partner. Activity Based Costing (ABC) ABC is a process of estimating the costs associated with each step of a process. It has been used to identify the costs of HRM programs and processes. â€Å"It is an accounting system that assigns costs to products based on the resources they consume. The costs of all activities are traced to the product for which they are performed. Overhead costs are also traced to a particular product rather than spread arbitrarily across all product lines† (Albrecht, 2000). The breakdown of costs increases the visibility and transparency and proves how effectively resources are being used, which in  turn can help improve strategic decision-making. Several organisations have successfully used ABC to reveal the true cost of HRM, either to inform the overall budgeting process or to help benchmark HRM costs against other key industry players. Benchmarking â€Å"Benchmarking is a systematic process of measuring an organization’s products, services, and practices against those of a like organization that is a recognized leader in the studied area† (Phillips et al, 2001). Organisations across industries and geographical boundaries are using this practice to discover ways of improving service and increasing business efficiency and profitability. Strategic Analysis Balanced Scorecard/Balanced Measures The Balanced Scorecard is a strategic measurement approach that provides a method of aligning business activities with the organization’s strategic plan and monitoring performance of strategic goals over time. A set of balanced measures is used, rather than focusing on the single, traditional bottom line. The original scorecard developed by Kaplan and Norton (2004) was divided into five perspectives (or measurement areas): 1. Financial: Demonstrates how our initiatives, activities, and actions contribute to the organization’s bottom line, or how they provide value for the money spent. Cost and revenue are the main measures for this perspective. Labour costs expressed as a fraction of revenues is a common financial measure. 2. Customer: Tells us what we must do to meet the needs of our internal and external customers. Time, quality, performance and cost are the main areas in which customers are interested. Good government is accountable to the customer. 3. Internal Business: Shows where we must excel internally to succeed in accomplishing our mission. Cycle time, quality, employee skills, and productivity are examples of internal measures. 4. Learning and growth: Illustrates how the organization can continue to improve and create value. This includes how we sustain the growth of our people. The ability to innovate, improve, and learn are key characteristics of this perspective. 5. Human Resources Employee Empowerment: Tracks how leadership and working environment enhance HR employee’s job performance. The Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence The Malcolm Baldrige Criteria are a framework based on a set of core values and concepts that any organization can use to improve overall performance. â€Å"They integrate key business requirements into a results-oriented framework and reflect validated, leading-edge management practices against which an organization can measure itself† (Becker et al, 2001). Organizations are assessed, using a scored point system, on approach, deployment, and results. The Criteria are recognized nationally and internationally as a model for performance excellence and therefore represents â€Å"a common language for communication among organizations for sharing best practices† (Kaplan & Norton, 2004). 6. Conclusion The history of HRM has been characterized by a continues attempt in justifying its impact and influence within an organization. The rise of unions along with the expansion of companies into foreign markets has made efficient HRM critical. HRM has moved from the position of justifying its position in an organization to adding to the organizations profits by â€Å"managing its most important asset – its people† (Dessler, 2002). 7. Bibliography Kaplan, R. S. & Norton, D. P. (2004) Strategy Maps: Converting Intangible Assets into Tangible Outcomes, Harvard Business School Press. Becker, E. B., Huselid, M. A. & Ulrich, D. (2001), The HR Scorecard: Linking People, Strategy and Performance, 1st Edition, Harvard Business School Press. Phillips, J. J., Stone, R. D. & Phillips, P. P. (2001) The Human Resources Scorecard, Butterworth-Heinemann. Albrecht, M. H. (2000) International HRM: Managing Diversity in the Workplace, Blackwell Publishers. Fitz-Enz, J, (2000) The ROI of Human Capital: Measuring the Economic Value of Employee Performance, American Management Association. Frost, P. J., Nord, W. R. & Krefting, L. A, (2001) HRM Reality, 2nd Edition, Pearson Education. Phillips, J. P. (1996), Accountability in Human Resource Management – Improving Human Performance Series, Gulf Professional Publishing. Dessler, G. (2002) Human Resource Management, 9th ed., Prentice Hall.

Starbucks Internationalization in Recent Years

With the first coffee shop opened in Sydney CBD, Starbucks entered into Australian market in July of 2000 and then expanded rapidly to 85 coffee shops in the following years. However, in August of 2008, Starbucks Coffee Company Australia announced to shut down more than 60 of its 85 coffee shops and to date it has scaled down to 22 opened in Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Melbourne (Starbucks 2010).This writing will focus on the analysis on the attributes of Starbucks’ products and marketing, and identify the opportunities and threats facing the Starbucks Australia. The second part of the analysis also draws attention to the changes in social economy, competitors’ move and the main trends in the hot drink market. Based on the findings, recommendations are offered, aiming to help Starbucks gain competitive advantages in Australian marketplace and long run sustainability in a larger social context.In terms of coffee products and service quality, the cafe market in Australia is extremely mature and competitive. It is understandable that consumers’ expectation towards the newly-introduced coffee brand has been exalted high, especially when they are charged with premium price (Marketing Lessons 2010). However, the exotic coffee brand does not bring specialty to the local coffee culture as expected, the consuming experience stay mediocre. Meanwhile, products do not suit Australians' coffee tastes (Marketing Lessons 2010).Starbucks’ positioning in Australian cafe market has departed from the consuming needs and patterns of the local customers. Dismantled with the uniqueness it possessed and its success in the US and other Asian countries, Starbucks Australia seems to be as ordinary as one of the numerous choices for customers in Australia (Coffee Break and review 2008), and people never genuinely felt the necessity to go to a Starbucks shop. Evidently, Starbucks overestimates its points of difference, as well as th e customer-perceived value of its services (Marketing Lessons 2010).To compete out in Australian Cafe market, Starbucks needs to find new ways of creating competitive advantage to differentiate itself from local market competitors. What could make Starbucks special? It could be the menu including items catering customers’ special needs in coffee tastes, or the store environment which makes customer feel comfortable to sit in and enjoy the time, or the excellent service offered by people. Or it could be the combination of all the specialties makes the consuming experience unique.Datamonitor (2010) points out that the core competence of Starbucks is the quality of products. However, it is far from enough, because the best coffee and best equipment in the world could only make 20 percent of success, just as Ed Charles (2007) describes that success of product and service is 80 percent due to the performance of staff, and they must be trained to perform at their best both on produ cts and service to maximize the perceived value of customer.More specifically, customers’ perceived value is related to both tangible benefits such as price, product quality, service, convenience and price, as well as intangible benefits concerning reputation, aesthetics, social and emotional needs like self-enhancement and sensory pleasure needs. Quality service performed by staff could highlight both tangible and intangible benefits of customers. The attributes of the quality service in coffee shop can be demonstrated by thinking of the best consuming experience you could ever imagine.When entering a clean, well-furnished coffee shop with attractive decoration and cozy ambience, customers are recognized by friendly employees and greeted by own names. Order is made in an attentive manner, and fulfilled accurately and timely. Coffees with appealing aroma are served at moderate temperature and they are great and unique in taste. Market players could acquire some of the attribu tes depicted in the scenario to survive in the marketplace and their service quality varies depending on the competency of the service staff.What customers need is consistent quality services, which is discovered in the report by Chen and Hu (2010) that if customers feel confident that they can have a consistent quality consumption experience each time they come, they tend to choose the same coffee shop to enjoy their coffee. And such favorable attitude towards the service they have received could evolve into customer loyalty, since the essence of customer loyalty is, as Barnes (2001) depicts, â€Å"all about how you make them feel†, vice versa.Customer loyalty may result in consistent purchasing behavior of the brand over time. Therefore, it could be concluded that the all-round quality service performed by staff with high consistency could be the competitive advantage of Starbucks, which can make it special and achieve long run sustainability in Australian market. In light of this finding, Starbucks Australia should devote more efforts to human resources management. More specifically, a series of human resource practice could be designed and implemented to strategically improve employees’ competency and working attitude.For example, staff training could help them be more competent to perform all tasks involved up to standards and with high consistency and staff motivation could boost morale and let them know what is expected of them in a quite specific way. Both staff training and motivation could increase employees’ satisfaction to the extent that they are willing to exert effort to perform the service well and taking initiative to improve the service quality. It is supported by a study that a 5 percent increase in staff satisfaction can result in 1. 3 percent increase in customer satisfaction (Kleinman 2007).By improving the service performance of each staff, which is as Kleinman (2007) defined ‘employee-centered outcome’, Starbucks could achieve higher customer satisfaction, which is ‘organization-centered outcome’, and as the customer satisfaction accumulated and boosted, Starbucks would successfully deliver its positioning as ‘best coffee with premium service’ to the Australian market. And the company’s competitive advantage lies in its human resource management which includes a combination of human resource practice to increase employees’ competency and willingness to render consistent quality service to customers.Compared with the strategies which focus on price, menu and store environment, strategies on HRM would be less susceptible to imitation, since it is intangible and tacit and it is hard for competitors to know the exact HRM practices which could be replicated Additionally, the human resource management (HRM) practices should be facilitated with other non-HRM measures. For example, particular resources related to improving the service quality should be prioritized and allocated by the management to enhance the service performance.If Starbucks managed to acquire the quality service and achieve high customer satisfaction and loyalty through its competitive advantage in human resource management, it could have stayed profitable even during tough social economic condition and keep competitors away from its marketing territory. Since 2007, customer’s consuming confidence was dramatically decreased due to the economic recession and they spent money with more discretion as a result of or threatened by unemployment, bankruptcies and degraded credit. The decreased confidence of consuming caused the curbed spending which in turn resulted in pressure on the company's margins’ (Datamonitor 2010). Such tightening of consumers’ spending has encouraged defection. McDonald's, for instance, has already made small forays into providing decent coffee, and achieved some successes (Economist 2008). To retain customer, Starbuck s need to stress on premium service quality to achieve high customer satisfaction and further differentiate its products and service from McDonald’s, so that existing customers feel attached to the unique consuming experience in Starbucks and reluctant to defect.Although McDonald’s could offer decent coffee with a reasonable price, the premium consuming experience and series of HRM practice behind the strategy will be the major barriers for McDonald’s. Like most other coffee products, Starbucks' products contain caffeine, dairy, sugar and other active compounds. It is proved by public research that excessive consumption of these ingredients may lead to variety of health hazardous. The health issues are increasingly calling for public awareness and the public are suggested by doctors and experts to choose foods with discretion and reduce the frequency or quantity of intake.Such trends of food choice will reduce the demand of Starbucks’ beverage and food pr oduct (Datamonitor 2010). Noticeably, despite the threats from the health issues against the coffee products, a report by Parker (2005) reveals that the coffee demand in Australia will keep increasing from USD268. 57 million in 2006 to USD307. 13 million in 2011. This can be partly explained by the research (Luciano et al. 2005) that people’s preference to coffee beverage is genetic in Australia, and it is different from their preference to tea which is affected by the environment.It is understandable that although people’s consuming concept is becoming increasingly health-oriented, they still maintain their coffee-drinking habit. In this sense, Starbucks could retain the coffee demand by adding more decaffeinated coffee beverages and other coffee products incorporated with healthy components. The overall increase in coffee market could be seized if Starbucks manage to tune in the market trend by adjusting their coffee product structure.According to the research by Che n and Hu (2010), one of the attributes of the coffee industry is that it is highly competitive and homogenous in terms of services and products, and the availability of alternatives to the customers can be considered as an important attribute in decision making of purchasing. Therefore, Starbucks could offer a wide range of selection of coffee products as well as other beverages like tea and juices. This proposal of strategy could be justified by the finding that Wong (2010) mentions in her report.The culture of hot drinks in Australia has been evolved towards heath, and consumers are becoming mature while choosing the beverage in better taste as well as showing their preference toward premium products in both coffee and tea categories. The estimation by Datamonitor (2010) of the overall growth in the hot drink market in the next five years is 9. 1 percent, which will increase from AUD1350 million in 2008 to AUD1473million in 2013. Noticeably, the emerging tea market will increase b y 8. 1 percent, from AUD437million in 2008 to AUD473million in 2013.To optimize the profits, Starbucks could bank upon such trend and launch new products featured in tea category. Tea product can serve its market among the health conscious Australian consumers well in the next few years, due to its healthy and medicinal benefits. There is another marketing feature draws our attention. As discovered in the research by Luciano et al. (2005), women consume more beverages than men and show a lower preference for coffee than men, but higher preference for tea, which implies that the primary driving force for tea consumption is its appeal to women.This feature drives Starbucks to develop more tea products to cater for women’s preference in taste. By adding ingredients in women’s favor and making the beverage attractive in color and design, Starbucks just launched a series of tea products (Starbucks 2010) to attract more female customers. At the same time, Starbucks has creat ively combined the tea with coffee (Starbucks 2010) to create a product with specialty, which introduces a different way of enjoying coffee and tea product and also is an effective ay to surprise and delight their customers continuously. To be successful in the competitive Australian market, it is necessary for Starbucks to focus more on the human resource management practices to achieve sustainable and competitive advantages, which make their staff more capable and motivated to perform outstanding services with high consistency, so as to restore brand specialty in the marketplace. It is also important for Starbucks to be alert to all the changes in the market, as customers’ consuming habits and preferences in taste are always changing.The product structure, according to the market trends and new marketing strategies, should be adjusted to seize the opportunity facing the company. Just as Cairns put it in the report Starbucks (2008), the company needs to put the specialty to the market and grows with its customers. The winner could even proactively guide the market trends and foster the new consuming needs of customer to boost profitability. This requires the market player to be consistent in quality service performance but active and creative in marketing changes.

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Is it Cost-Effective to Invest on Simulation Training in order to Improve the Management and Leadership Skills of the Doctors - Dissertation Example ng the doctors’ level of confidence, the provision of simulation programmes is also useful in terms of improving the medical doctors’ competency and patients’ safety. Without the need to practice on patients who are admitted to the hospital, Temple (not known) mentioned that the use of simulation technique will provide each of the doctors the opportunity to review and learn from their own errors and actual performance results. Considering the significance of simulation training programmes over the learning outcomes of the doctors, this study aims whether or not the use of simulation training is cost-effective in terms of improving management and leadership of doctors. To improve the quality of healthcare throughout the United Kingdom, the National Health Service (NHS) is promoting medical leadership and management. In line with this, a literature review will be conducted to examine the attitude of the healthcare institutions and people from the academic world wit h regards to the NHS’ active promotion on healthcare management and medical leadership. In general, the NHS is a publicly funded health care organisation. Therefore, in response to the growing healthcare demands in the United Kingdom, the NHS management team should be made responsible and held accountable when it comes to utilising the most out of its investment fund. In order to examine whether or not it is necessary on the part of the NHS to promote the use of simulation training gadgets for doctors, a literature review will be conducted to determine the importance of teamwork, collaboration, and inter-professionalism in the role and responsibilities of the doctors followed by examining the impact of simulation training on teamwork and doctors’ overall work performance. Eventually, this study will... The scope of this study includes examining the attitude of the healthcare institutions and people from the academic world with regards to the NHS’ active promotion on healthcare management and medical leadership, determining the importance of teamwork, collaboration, and inter-professionalism in the role and responsibilities of the doctors, examining the impact of simulation training on teamwork and doctors’ overall work performance; identify possible future improvements with regards to the use of simulation training devices for doctors, and determining how simulation technologies could affect healthcare management and medical leadership throughout the United Kingdom. Furthermore, this study will also determine whether or not the investment on simulation training is cost-effective in terms of improving management and leadership of doctors. Aside from justifying that not all of the NHS’ investment on training simulation programmes for doctors is effective in terms of improving their knowledge and skills on healthcare management and medical leadership, this study will also provides some suggestions on how the NHS will be able to effectively fulfill its healthcare objectives.

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Population Change and Economic Growth - Research Paper Example The instantaneous rate of growth of GDP is expressed as the sum of rates of growth of variables on the right hand side of the above equation; hence, logarithms are introduced in the equation. The rate of GDP per capita is thus expressed as: The base data for the study are taken from Statistics Canada National Income and Expenditure Accounts for GDP (available from 1961), and the population series from the Statcan (available from 1971). Both data series have been extended backwards from 1951 using "old-onto-new" splicing. The labor force source population, as defined in the labor force survey, is the non-institutional population of 15 years of age, or older. Based on the growth rate equation defined above, the data for half a century has been generated for historical analysis, and with which forecasts have been compared. Historical trends indicate that GDP growth rate was highest in 1960s touching 5.2%, and lowest in 1980s at 2.33%. The study forecasted GDP for 2001-2011 as 2.52, which is quite near to the actual of 2.7%, as reported in the World Fact Book for Canada (2008). A high GDP growth rate in 1960s is explained by the fact that baby boomers along with augmented female participation added to the workforce. During 1980s it is worth noting that both the labor workforce and employment rate declined. It is also of interest to note that the population growth along with labor force source population continued to decline since 1950s. By 1980s, the inflow of younger people joining the labor workforce and the participation rate of older people declined. The net immigration

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The Current State of the Caribbean Is Better Explained Through Reference to Contemporary Rather Then Past Global Relations - Essay Example This report stresses that the very conspicuous feminist changes within the Caribbean would be noted in the visibility of Caribbean women in different occupational positions which were once reserved only for European people and the challenges to a transforming relationship between gender and global capitalism are also highlighted This paper makes a conclusion that globalization and its impact on the Caribbean thus seem to depend on several factors such as improved education that can highlight the particularities and specialties of the Caribbean region and bring out the features that would attract the world. Tourism would be a major reason for which businesses and industries would be willing to invest in the Caribbean and the region remains as an attractive tourist destination, making it a full blown participant in the global economy and the process of globalization. The importance of equal gender relations and the significance of comparative education have been discussed considering that women’s position in society and especially within the Caribbean society in this context could be very important in bringing out the changes in global relations. Caribbean society is changing with the changes of global economy and women’s relations may actually define how the Caribbean society projects itself to the world. The importance of education also should not be undermined as only a modern form of education within the Caribbean would help it to relate to a globalized changing and interlinked society.

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