Mary Shelley tell us about the education Essay

â€Å"Nothing could exceed in beauty the contrast between these two excellent creatures† – has also learnt to think logically, to reason, given very well laid out reasons as to why they are so beautiful, backing up his argument. The next thing is one of the most important things which VC learns – it is a lesson of morals. He sees â€Å"several times [the younger cottagers] placed food before the old man when they reserved none for themselves†¦ I had been accustomed to steal some of their store, but when I found that in doing this I inflicted pain on the cottagers, I abstained†. This shows that he understands and acts out of compassion. He also â€Å"observes with pleasure† when he sees he has been of help. Still to come are the most important facets of VC’s education; the ability to read, to appreciate the highs and lows of human capability and to appreciate emotion as key to humanity. It is from â€Å"Sorrows of Werter† that VC learns about â€Å"the importance of emotion to any definition of humanity† (the English Review). This is complimented with the violent but apparently glorious history of man which â€Å"Lives† provides, giving VC a varied and balanced view of what beauty there is in human nature, and what horror there is, too. Paradise Lost is another book which VC stumbles upon; though this teaches him little in it self, the parallels which VC draws between it’s key characters and himself are important; he can see different aspects of each in himself. This shows the how VC has learnt to take something from a book and place into a real-life situation (â€Å"I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed†). By far the most important part of VC’s education is his learning to speak. Though it has been proved that it is impossible to learn language in the fashion that VC does, we must remember that this is just a novel. In his learning to speak, VC gains the ability to articulate the feelings inside him, the ability to read and the ability to communicate his dreams. He learns as Safie learns, being taught by Felix. Being taught to speak and listen to speech opens the door to all other avenues of Frankenstein’s learning; his learning about humanity is increased tenfold after this. Whether this is a curse or a blessing, however, is left for us to decide – after learning how to speak and read, VC sees just how outcast he is, just how far outside the circle of love that is there between Safie, Felix, Agatha and the old man. Once he can see the extent of his loneliness, and can grasp what potential there is – once he learns that there is more to life than suffering – he is gripped by an insatiable desire to be a part of society. Society’s rejection of him, it can be argued, is what turns him from a noble savage to an educated murderer. b Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Essay

a. Round 1 = In this round I removed lichens from the ecosystems. This would have a huge effect on the ecosystem because they play a role in the creation of soil where plants obtain nutrients. If they are taken out it can affect trees and flowers which affect bees, because they depend on them. This also effect humans that depend on the bees for honey and the fruit that the bees help pollinate. b. Round 2 = In this round humans was removed. By removing humans there was a little effect on the ecosystem. We are the top of the food chain and, but our actions do more damage then good for the environment. c. Round 3 = In this round bees was removed. This is a huge problem in today’s environment and effects the pollination of plants. Because of the removal of bees it really affects the ability of plants to produce fruits, which allow humans food. d. Round 4 = In this round flowers was removed. This was an affects to the ecosystem because flowers deliver food for bees. Bees provide honey and pollinate plants. Because of the removal of flowers it eventually removes bees which effect humans and the food chain. 2. Provide one action we as humans engage in that leads to the extinction of each of these components. Action affecting Lichens = Humans affect lichens with air pollution, industrialization and the introduction of sulphur dioxide can kill lichens. (Air Quality and Lichens, 2014) Action affecting Trees = Humans cut down trees to use for lumber, and to expand. This deforestation is the largest way for humans to affect trees. Action affecting Flowers = The way humans are affecting the flowers is by over population and polluting the air with automobiles that can produce acid rain. Action affecting Bees = The actions that humans take to affect bees is by destroying habitats, 3. Provide three specific actions that humans can take to minimize our impact on the ecosystem and ensure the survival of lichens, trees, flowers, and bees. Action 1 = Humans can reduce the amount of pollution that produced by using more efficient automobiles and public transportation. Action 2 = Humans can reduce the amount of pollutants the produce by using more efficient automobiles and public transportation. Action 3 = The other action they can do to minimize the impact on the ecosystem is to recycle this will save the need to destroy habitats for more resources. Experiment 1: Diversity of Plants Table 2: Number of Each Plant Species Present in Pot 1 and Pot 2 Species Observed Number in Pot 1(sunlight) Number in Pot 2(shade) Zinnia 2 1 Marigold 2 2 Morning Glory 3 1 Cosmos 8 4 Ryegrass 3 2 Total Number of Species in Pot: 18 10 POST LAB QUESTIONS 1. Develop a hypothesis on which pot you believe will contain the highest biodiversity. Hypothesis = I believe that the plants that are in the sun will develop the highest biodiversity. 2. Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or accept the hypothesis that you produced in question 1? Explain how you determined this. Accept/Reject = I accept my hypothesis because the flowers that I grew in the planter that I placed in the sun made the most flowers and different types. 3. If each pot was a sample you found in a group of wildflowers, would you determine based on the diversity of flowers that the ecosystem is healthy? Why or why not. Answer = I was so impressed with the amount of flowers that grew in both environments. In my determination based on the diversity of flowers that the ecosystem is healthy. There was actually a lot of plants in both of the environment but of course the ones in the sunlight had a healthier ecosystem. 4. How does biodiversity contribute to the overall health of an ecosystem? Provide specific examples and utilize at least one scholarly resource to back your answer. Answer = Biodiversity is very important to the health of an ecosystem. The greater species diversity is it ensures natural sustainability for all life forms. It provides natural services such as soil protection, water resources, pollution breakdown, food, medical resources, and future resources, according to Shah (2014). She states â€Å"Each species depends on the services provided by other species to ensure survival. It is a type of cooperation based on mutual survival and is often what a â€Å"balanced ecosystem† refers to†(2014). Crops are used to feed cattle, then the cattle waste nourishes the crops. Crops, as well as yielding grain also yield straw , the straw provides organic matter and fodder, crops are therefore food sources for humans and animals then the soil and organisms such as bacteria and algae serve as nitrogen fixers. Rodents, then aerate the soil and improve its water-holding capacity Spiders, centipedes and insects grind organic matter from the surface soil and leave behind enriched droppings. This large biodiversity is accentual to maintaining health crops and animals for the food supply.

Communtiy service assignement Essay

In your own words, answer the following questions. 1. What does the term ‘risk of significant harm’ mean? Answer q1. If the circumstances that are causing concerns for the safety welfare and wellbeing are present to significant extent. 2. What are the types of child abuse? Answer for q2. 1.physical 2.sexual 3.neglect 4.phychological 3. Identify three possible indicators or signs for each type of child abuse/neglect. Answers q3 1 physical > bruising behaviour problems depression anxiety 2 sexual > bed wetting ,nightmares , scared of people touching them 3 neglect >can be unbathed dirty, little to no food ,too big or small clothing thats dirty 4. What does the term ‘mandatory reporter’ mean? Answer q4 a mandatory reporter is a person that delivers health care education or children services to a child/ren under 16 and authorise by the department community services and required to make reports 5. Why is it important to adopt an ‘interagency approach’? Answer q5 1,promoting a partnership approach to child protection Task 2 Read the case studies below and answer the questions that follow. Jamele You are a worker in a family support agency. Your service offers facilitated playgroups each week to young and isolated mothers. Jamelle is a 1year old and attends each week with her mother. Jamelle is a very timid and does not interact with other children during play time. On a few occasions Jamelle has arrived with several large bruises which Jamelle’s mother has explained as accidents that had occurred whilst Jamelle was attempting to walk by  herself. Jamelle often arrives smelling strongly of stale urine and appearing dirty and unwashed. When they arrived today for the playgroup Jamelle had bloodshot eyes and was very drowsy. Jamelle’s mother reported that Jamelle had not slept well that night and would probably need a lot of sleep today. During the session Jamelle began to vomit. 1. What are the indicators of risk? Answer q1. 1.neglect 2.abuse 3.suspected risk of significant harm 2. How you would respond to this situation? Answer q2 1.document and report to supervisor 2.investigate or possible involvement of police and DOCS 3.call ambulance to protect the health and safety of the child 3. How would you prepare to make a report? Answer q3 1. time and date sign all documented 2.follow all policy and procedures in your work place 3.details of child ,dob name , address phone number, parent or carer if child has disability any back ground if known 4.document what the mother has stated 4. Who would you notify and when? Answer q4 1.immediately discuss situation with your supervisor after you suspect the abuse to the child 5. What actions/work practices you would take as a follow up from the report. Answer q5 1.offer support and help for family 2.services for family eg counselling parental courses 3.comply with your work place policy and procedures Taj You are case worker in a local service that supports families where one of the parents has a mental illness. Your service offers a range of support services, one of which is a weekly support group for children aimed at  reducing isolation and developing coping skills for dealing with a parent with mental illness. Taj is a 10 year old boy who attends the service weekly. Taj is popular with both the staff and his peers and likes to participate in most activities. After the last school holidays, Taj returned to the service a changed child, he has become aggressive and picks fights with his peers. He has also become aggressive towards the other male worker and is isolating himself. Taj has started wearing jumpers and long pants, even on warmer days and refuses to remove any clothing when he shows clear signs of being overheated. During an activity, Taj’s jumper became caught on the table and pulled up revealing a mass of red welts and recent burn scarring on his stomach and back area. Over the last few weeks Taj has drawn some explicit sexual pictures during art activities and has been using very sexualised language. 1. What are the indicators of risk? Answers q1 Aggressive behaviour, picks fights, red welts, bur ns 1.physical 2.sexual 3.neglect 2. How you would respond to this situation? Answer q2 1.ask taj whats happening while on school holidays also contact the family 2. report and document speak to principal and report to your supervisor 3.make a child proctection report to DOCS and police 3. How would you prepare to make a report? Answer q3 names and addresses of the child and his parents or responsible caregiver(s) child’s age and gender nature and extent of injury, maltreatment or neglect   approximate date and time the injury, maltreatment or neglect occurred the circumstances in which the injuries, became known to case worker previous injury, abuse/ neglect of the child or siblings  name of the person suspected to have caused the injury, sexual abuse/ neglect any action taken to treat or help the child and sign   any other information the caseworker believes would be helpful What actions/work practices you would take as a follow up from the report. 1 your repsonsibilty regarding the safety welfare or wellbeing of the child does not cease once report has been made docs it is still your responsibilty to use professional resources to provide support appropriate to your role and identify and respond to any concerns for the young childs welfare Karli Karli is a 16 year old resident in a youth refuge. She is quite precocious and outgoing with all the residents. After the first few days, you noticed that she was flirting with one of the male youth workers. This is not an unusual situation and generally does not create major issues. Expectations that staff not engage in any relationship other than a professional helping relationship are clearly outlined in the agency code of conduct, staff recruitment and ongoing professional development and training. You have noticed over the last few weeks that the worker Jackson appears to be flirting back. You have noticed that there is a lot of incidental touching between them and while you have seen no touching that is clearly inappropriate you can â€Å"feel† a lot of sexual energy between them when they are interacting. You have tried to raise it in discussion but Jackson is dismissive and will not engage on the topic. 1. How you would respond to this situation? Answer q1 1.follow your work place policy and procedures 2.report incidents of your observation to your supervisor 3.discuss your concerns with jackson and karli 2. What ethical issues may arise when responding to these situations? Answer q2 1.breaching the client and workers code of ethics 2.client history and vulnerability and mental status 3.disscussion of sexual or romatic relationship have occurred 4.conflict of interest 5.mandatory and disciplinary action for the case worker Task 3 Read the scenario below and answer the questions that follow. Joseph Personal Information about Joseph Date of Birth: 31/10/04 Full Name: Joseph Timothy Drake Address: 13 Short St, Parker Languages spoken: Chinese and English Nationality: Chinese Other children: Only child Mother: Lis’s (09) 7476 9435 & Partner: Jake (no number provided) You are a community worker in a multicultural resource centre. Your service runs a range of programs to support and assist people from culturally diverse backgrounds. Many of your clients have limited social resources and one of the programs that is offered is a women’s friendship group which aims to reduce the isolation of women. Lis attends the friendship group each week. Lis lives with her son, Joseph who is 5 years old. She has had a series of failed relationships and is currently seeing Jake who you have never met. Lis has engaged you in a number of conversations over several weeks, where she often breaks down and discloses details about fights she has had with her partner. Last week, Lis recounted the events of the previous weekend, when she forgot to leave the key under the door mat and so her boyfriend broke the front door and came in yelling at Lis. Joseph was still up with her at this time, and Lis continued to say that she was worried Joseph had seen her get hit several times by Jake. Lis appears increasingly concerned that he might do something to Joseph as he keeps threatening her and arriving late at night after drinking. This week Lis turns up to the group with Joseph, although children are not part of the group. Lis mentions she is very upset as Jake had come home late again and there had been some trouble. During the group you notice that Joseph is aggressive with Lis and does not engage with other people. At one point Joseph wets his pants and you organise for a change of clothes. While Lis is changing Joseph you notice a large impact bruise on his back. When you approach Joseph lashes out. 1. Where would you find information on how your service responds to Child Protection issues? Answer q1 1. document and report to supervisor the worries and fears mother has for herself and joseph 2.ask mother consent to fill out incident report 3.mandatory reporting guide 4.multicultural services,internet/google 5.child protection helpline 2. List the legislative acts that govern Child Protection Services in your state/territory. Answer q2 1.family law act 1975 2.law reform act 1995 3.family law amended act 2006 4.national quality standards 5.onbudsman amendment act 1998 6.children and young person (care and protection) act 1998 7.children legislation amendment act 2009

The Personality of the Holy Spirit Research Paper

The Personality of the Holy Spirit - Research Paper Example The Holy Spirit has a Will    B. The Holy Spirit has a Mind C. The Holy Spirit has Emotions      IV.  The Holy Spirits Work in the Individual Believer (3 pages)      A. The Holy Spirit’s Work at Creation (ruah) B. The Holy Spirit’s Work at Salvation (Regeneration)    B. The Holy Spirit as parakletos      V.  The Holy Spirit and the Church (3 pages)    A.  Power to Witness    B.  Agent of Unity      VI.  Conclusion: (1 page) INTRODUCTION â€Å"An understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit is basic to Christian living†¦who He is, is foundational to what He does, and a knowledge of both His person and work is basic to Christian devotion and living.†1 It is not surprising therefore that the subject of the personality of the Holy Spirit remains one of the most controversial issues in Christian academic circles. The topic comes with varying views and opinions on who the Holy Spirit is and what the Holy Spirit stands for. Rig ht from the beginning of reading scriptures, the Christian is given an idea about the fact that the Holy Spirit is very instrumental in the personality of humankind2. For instance in the book of Genesis, the presence of a third person, whom most scholars argue to be the Holy Spirit is consulted when God says â€Å"let us make man in Our image†. ... In the early openings of the New Testament, Jesus Christ also gives an indication on what the actual personality of the Holy Spirit is. For example, there was the kind of divine relationship that exists between the Father and the Holy Spirit was exhibited when at the baptism of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit manifested its presence in the form of a dove after the Father spoke from heaven4. In Ephesians 4:4-6, we read 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.5 The Bible affirms the Holy Spirit as a fully divine, volitional and personal being whose works and attributes bear witness to the same. This thesis sets the pace for this paper, which seeks to confirm the assertion that â€Å"In dealing with the Spirit we are dealing with none other than the personal presence of God.†6 THE DIETY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT The Holy Spirit i s God Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is God, third member of the Trinity, equal with the Father and Son. â€Å"In Christian theology, the term trinity means that there are three eternal distinctions in the one divine essence, known respectively as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.†7 Although the Doctrine of the Trinity has long divided theologians, scholars, pastors, teachers and even laity in the ancient and modern church, the first general council of the church affirmed and clarified the position and Deity of the Holy Spirit in relationship to the other two members, God the Father and God the Son. The most difficult and far-reaching issue the Council at Nicea (325 A.D.) addressed was the attack on the Trinity by a small group known as Arians led by a Presbyter from

Brilliance Of Beethoven Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Brilliance Of Beethoven - Essay Example The jazz concert was held by Chicago old boys who performed the classical and also performed Christmas carols that they performed in an Acapella form they also performed the coward of a county and the gambler. There was a lady who also played the song coat of many colors by Dolly Parton who also DO you love me? This was a very beautiful season as this was the guest artist performing classical that have been great from the past. The Chicago boys lead conductor was Polycarp White, and he led different songs.The theme of the event was reviving the past and accepting oneself. The issue was more of trying to fight racism and declaring that we are one.The principal performers were the lady who was singing Taylor Swift song, and her name were Alison Peyton. She was performing using instruments, and also, she used Acapella form. There was the use of violin and also the flute and guitar. Not forgetting the Chicago boys band also used drumsets and piano.It was different when the guest artist joined the fray as they performed using the saxophone.Though the theme was about unity and together let's fight racism one could see other sponsors like the Walmart advising on contraceptives and responsible drinking. The pitched were many and different, and they varied depending on the performers. The string quartet was used by the lady Alison and her group as together they performed using the two violins.Oh, it was a beautiful piece.There were a vertical tone and a different pitch altogether.

Strategic Alliance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Alliance - Essay Example Nike is one of the largest and most popular athletic footwear company, but it not manufacturing even a single shoe. Similarly, Boeing is one of the biggest aircraft manufacturing companies, but it does not manufacture not more than cockpits or wing bits. These companies have entered into strategic alliances with the suppliers to do the manufacturing activities for them. Strategic Alliance is an agreement between the firms for conducting the business activities together. Strategic alliance goes beyond just informal handshake agreements or partnership. It includes lengthy formal contract in which both the parties also exchange the equity and contribute capital to establish a joint venture firm or corporation Strategic alliance means merger of two companies. This is what is generally assumed, but companies are coming up for multi-strategic alliances nowadays. This might be because they are willing to utilize their strengths to controlling the market. For example, a strategic alliance of six companies was formed to develop General Magic Corporation for developing the communication software called Typescript. The companies involved in the strategic alliance are Apple, Motorola, Sony, AT&T, Philips and Matsushita (Longenecker, & TenaLoeza, 2010, p. 224). The large organizations not only form strategic alliance with big organizations but also with the small companies too. The alliances are formed in order to form joint ventures for using their skills and expertise to promote their competitive advantage. It links two business entities, without affecting the independent legal status of the firm or company (Kale, & Singh, 2009, p. 2). Strategic Alliance Trends The strategic alliances have become a superficial form of business practice, which has its primary focus on increasing the credibility of the business through association of one of more companies. It is also done for achieving the strategic objectives of the company, entering into new market, increasing the market share, increasing the delivery capacity of the company, reducing the cost of operation, and introducing innovative products or services in the market. The alliances of the companies nowadays contribute to 20-33 percent of their annual revenue. The companies get the advantage of handling larger order volumes; they get bigger customers and can offer high quality products or services to the customers. It can be seen that the strategic alliances between the companies are growing at a pace of 25 percent annually (Keasler, & Denning, n. d., p. 3). In an alliance, the different department of the whole organization get involved such as the sales, marketing, supply chain, delivery department, etc. SO it can be well assumed that the support of the internal resources is necessary for a

Customer Service Operations in the telecomunication in the UK Essay

Customer Service Operations in the telecomunication in the UK - Essay Example With the increase in the market for phones, several companies both retailing handsets and providing mobile phone services have cropped up, each struggling to gain a significant segment of the market. This mostly leads to mobile wars, especially among the service providers, as each of the companies fight to provide the latest, affordable and most valued services to their customers. There is also stiff competition among handset providers, who spend millions of dollars on research and development to provide latest features to their handsets to attract different segments of the market. Hence, it is not hard to find features such as mobile TV, GPRS, e-mail and internet features on most mobile phones. UK Mobile phone industry The mobile phone industry, like most corporate industries have brought both advantages and disadvantages to the modern society. Advantages brought by the advent of mobile phones includes easy communication which has led to expansion of businesses, the creation of diff erent kinds of jobs, sharing of knowledge among people of different regions of the world, it has helped in expansion of the academic world by making research and sharing of such knowledge easy and making it easier for business transactions to be carried out among other benefits. Disadvantages of mobile phones include increase in thefts connected with handsets and identities, mobile phones distract workers and students from carrying out their duties on time, especially due to social network services on internet-enabled phones, they cause distractions leading to accidents especially on the road and mobile phones have led to deterioration of personal communication which has been reduced to short message services, calls and e-mails among other disadvantages. It is however up to individual mobile phone users to determine whether mobile phones add value to their lives or they could do better without them. Being one of the biggest and fastest-growing industries in the world, the UK not exc luded, the mobile phone industry has had to be regulated and the fierce competition among stakeholders have given rise to codes of conduct which all the players have to adhere with. Service provision is an area in this industry that the companies in the industry overlook at their own detriment. Most consumers of the mobile phone industry usually look for specific services from their providers (Ericsson 2009). These may include low call and data rates, wide coverage and polite and helpful customer care representatives. Many companies have gone miles ahead and have come up with more creative ways to attract and retain customers. Methods used in increasing client bases for companies include offering corporate packages for companies, advertising, promotions and handset and service providers coming together to offer unique products to consumers. Service delivery however remains the biggest determinant of market share for companies operating in the mobile phone industry. Service Products Developing Service Products is one of the areas explored by players in the mobile phone industry to gain significant market share. This area involves coming up with new and useful products to attract consumers in the market (Blueflag 2010). For instance, at the beginning of the mobile phone era, most phones had very few features that basically included calling and texting features, digital and alarm clocks, calculators and calendars. However with time, mobile phones have

COE Framework And Ethical Dispositions Comparison Matrix Assignment

COE Framework And Ethical Dispositions Comparison Matrix - Assignment Example I have ranked the issue of Mastery of Content at number two because these are the fundamentals of any successful learning program. For professional educators to align themselves with facts and deliver without bias, a mastery of important concepts and principles is key. According to Mowchan et al. (2015), "Any professional service provider, in this case, professional educators, should conduct business with objectivity, avoiding conflict of interest or personal prejudice and should not intentionally mislead others, for this case students." â€Å"Learners will align educational objectives to content and professional education standards, as well as design formative and summative assessments including rubrics that analyze student learning and teacher effectiveness.† (COE-GCU Framework, 2011) I have rated Student Learning and Teacher effectiveness at number three because this relationship fosters coherence and important shared values. The professional educator can be able to understand the diversity of cultures through such formative assessments that are more certainly than not set by both parties. In a research conducted by Cannaerts et al., 2014 indicated that ethics education was best attained through ethics learning integrated through a curriculum that was learner based. Learning based on diversity of views enhances active participation that is more efficient (Ann, 2013).

'' reviewing and analyzing four articles contained in the book Essay

'' reviewing and analyzing four articles contained in the book Campaigns on the Cutting Edge book by Semiatin - Essay Example In essence, different platforms have been realized in terms of campaigns due to the increased adoption of the emerging technologies. Direct interaction between candidates and voters has increased (Semiatin 29). Candidates nowadays reach out to voters though their social media accounts or even those of their campaign teams. This type of interaction has made the voter feel involved in campaign even though they might not be physical present at the campaigns. Campaign management has been widely facilitated and enhanced through technology. Through modern ways of communication which are cheap, fast, efficient and convenient. A candidate in a different region can be able to coordinate with campaign team in separate regions. Through email, Skype, fast mobile communication and other forms, coordination is easier and efficient (Semiatin 67). It is worth noting that interaction among human beings has been facilitated through the use of technology. Coordination can be done remotely without neces sarily being there in person. To some extent, this has resulted to the minimization of resources that could be incurred in terms of transport and food. What is more, this has enabled carrying out activities simultaneously in a wider region, saving time, money and enhancing campaigning. By avoiding unnecessary movements during campaigns, the campaign affair has consequently become cheap and efficient. All this thanks to new technological developments around the world. Mobility has also been enhanced by technology. Increased movement within short duration of time has enabled campaign teams to cover wider regions and in that case attaining their set goals and objectives accordingly. Use of transport systems like the electric trains and air transport has enabled campaign teams cover wider areas and be able to change locations within the same day which would previously be cumbersome and tedious if not possible. Mobility has greatly helped utilize the limited time to the maximum. Saving s ome considerable amount of time means enough time for brainstorming on the next strategic moves and reducing pressure on the campaign times especially when deadlines and time becomes a constraint. Evolution from party driven to candidate and voter driven campaigns has been achieved greatly through technology. it is worth noting that emerging technology is nearly touching every aspect of life and in that case facilitating means through which other activities are carried out accordingly. Possibility of accessing a wider voter region simply through television is now enabled. Social media sites like Twitter and Facebook have not been left behind either. Initially campaigns would involve tedious ground coverage through campaign caravans or even numerous expensive flights especially when accessing remote regions. Evolution of cable TV with the easy and cheap accessibility has made it possible and enabled the wider population to only sit at the comfort of their homes and be able to get eve ry single bit of information about campaigns without necessarily attending rallies, leading to easier and more convenient ways of voter mobilization (Semiatin 81). Through embracing of modern digital ways of relaying news and information for example though visual and print media, campaigns have never been this efficient. In other words, the implementation of technology in campaigns has played a great part in determining how different activities are performed. Through

Internet Critique Essay Example for Free

Internet Critique Essay Internet is an incredible and enormous source of information and, thereby, information searched on Internet must be evaluated for credibility to effectively serve the variety of users. This paper provides a critique of the website â€Å"Healthline†, according to the criteria of Thede and Sewell (2010). Healthline is one of the popular website among Internet users, that offers users to search for health topic and medical advise online (http://www.healthline.com). The users can find different treatment options available for a diagnosis as well as information about the drugs. It also allows the users to search for a specialist depending on their residential area. The criteria illustrated by Thede and Sewell (2010) is important in guiding users to differentiate between reliable and unreliable information. By using this criteria users become knowledgeable about evaluating the credibility of a website. The questions posed in the checklist prompt critical thinking process, and leads us to find the underlying intent of the website. The criteria assist users to check the validity of information by finding if the information is peer-reviewed or verified by qualified editor. Only if the found health information were from a valid scholarly source then it would be trusted. If the user’s intent is to validate the information then this criteria should be applied to any other website regardless of the underlying intent. For instance, commercial website’s sole intent is to sale their products. The Internet users now can search on the web for other websites that offer peer reviews on that product. Source Healthline runs by a company Healthline Networks Inc. Originally founded in 1999 but re-launched in 2005 with current name. Detailed description is given about the company’s motto, board of directors and management team in company-info section. A search for a specific disease results in a choice to go to different websites or choose the articles that are listed. If the editorial team does the article then no author name is specified, but it’s reviewed by a qualified MD with or without their credentials specified. But if the article is from an encyclopedia or another publisher, there is only author name is given with their affiliation and article’s published date but no author’s credentials. The last review date of an article is shown at the bottom of the page. The publisher name is shown as well with the copyright information. If author name is displayed, there is no link to contact the author. The link is available if the article is licensed from another publisher. There is no link available to contact the article reviewer. Funding Healthline is found to be a commercial site, generating its revenue mainly from the advertisement. It’s a free website for users. The home page is attractive and shows the advertisement at top and bottom of the page. There is also video advertisement with no audio, resulting in less distraction. The advertisements are clearly labeled and don’t spoil the user experience, therefore making the navigation easier. Validity and Quality The home page of Healthline shows the accessed date on top of the page and copyright information at the bottom. The last reviewed date is displayed at the bottom of each individual article. New articles are shown at the home page with the name of the editorial team member on top. But if user is looking for something specific then some of the articles searched are almost two years old. User has to thoroughly search for up to date information. There are appeared to be no content and typing errors. Information appears to be non-bias. The language used is comprehensible to a general user and lacks the jargon terms. If user navigates to the company info, the purpose of the website is clearly stated. Some of the articles are written by the editorial team and reviewed by an MD with published date but no credentials, while other articles are sourced from a third party publisher with some links functioning. The website claims that articles that are done by Healthline editorial teams are reviewed by the board of certified physicians and medical editors. Detailed information about Healthline medical advisory board and their editorial team is also available on the website, including the name of each member with brief summary of their credentials. Healthline acknowledges licensing the medical and health content from third parties for publication, with clear depiction of their name and a valid link. Some of their third party publisher reference partner include A.D.A.M., GALE Cengage Learning, Gold Standard, NBC Universal, StayWell, Harvard Health Publications, Reed Elsevier and more. Privacy Healthline privacy policy is well outlined in the company-info section. They clearly state what information they are collecting from users and with whom they share this information with. They gave a detailed overview of what type of anonymous information they are collecting. Anonymous information includes the type of queries done on the website by a user, but doesn’t include any personal information such as, name email-address or phone number. User can choose not to pass-on this anonymous information by disabling the cookies. Healthline pledges not to share any personal information of registered users to the third parties. In comparison to the recognized privacy policy statement of HON (Health on The Net Foundation, 2011) website, the personal information collected is also not shared with any third party. However, HON also gathers â€Å"non-personal† information using their web-server. HON’s privacy statement is short and lacks the details about the non-personal information. On the other hand, Healthline company-info section not only clarifies in detail to the users what are the â€Å"Cookies† and â€Å"Web Beacons†, but also specifies the privacy policy for the children under thirteen. Summary To summarize, the criteria by Thede and Sewell helps user develop a sense to evaluate the sources and credibility of information, based on author’s qualifications and credentials, source of publication, website’s purpose, and website’s privacy policy. All of the criteria are found to be of most importance in helping user to evaluate a website for credibility, especially if user is searching information about their health. The healthline doesn’t meet some of those criteria. The criterion of source is not met because of the lack of consistency in providing author’s name and credentials. Healthline needs to develop a consistency in displaying author’s name, credentials, affiliation, link to contact the author, article’s last reviewed date, and link to contact the article reviewer. The validity and quality criterion is also partially met. The third party publisher’s validity is verifiable in some case where links are functioning. Healthline needs to specify credentials of the article reviewers as well as the name of their editorial team’s member who wrote the article. Also the health information needs to be up to date. Healthline meets the criteria of funding and privacy policy. It clearly expresses its purpose, and acknowledges generating revenues form advertisement. Its privacy policy gives user a detailed view about the anonymous and personal information and how it is used, gaining user’s trust.

The advantages and disadvantages of traditional Absorption costing techniques

The advantages and disadvantages of traditional Absorption costing techniques Introduction Through the years when it comes to planning Managers has developed techniques and methods of forecasting future costs. One of such methods is Absorption costing and activity based costing (ABC) What is Absorption costing? Absorption costing is the traditional method of costing and stock evaluation, having been developed around the 1870s to 1920s is widely used by the manufacturing companies. The idea behind absorption costing to spread all overheads of the manufacturing cost centers as well as the direct cost between the finished products, and treat all non-manufacturing overhead as period costs. CIMA defined Absorption Costing as a method of costing that, in addition to direct costs, assigns all, or a proportion of, production overheads costs to cost units by means of one or more number of absorption rates. What is activity based costing? Is the modern method of cost management having been developed in 1980s. it is the preferred method for the services industry. The CIMA definition for activity based costing is an approach to the costing and monitoring of activities which involves tracing resource consumption and costing final outputs. Resources are assigned to activities, and activities to cost objects based on consumption estimates. The latter utilise cost drivers to attach activity costs to outputs. CIMA Official Terminology, 2005 (http://www.cimaglobal.com/Documents/ImportedDocuments/cid_tg_activity_based_costing_nov08.pdf.pdf) Analysis Why does the company need either absorption costing or ABC? Its very important for managers to have an idea of the actual  cost  of processes, departments, operations or product which is the foundation of their budget. and in order to achieve that they need to have a cost accounting system; such as absorption coting or activity based costing. Here are the advantages of having such systems and their disadvantages The advantages of Absorption Costing: It recognizes the importance of fixed costs in production; is method is accepted by Inland Revenue as  stock  is not undervalued; is method is always used to prepare  financial  accounts; When production remains constant but sales fluctuate absorption costing will show less fluctuation in net profit and The disadvantages of Absorption Costing: As absorption costing emphasized on total cost namely both variable and fixed, it is not so useful for management to use to make decision, planning and control; as the managers emphasis is on total cost, the cost volume profit relationship is ignored. The manager needs to use his intuition to make the decision. The advantages of Activity Based Costing: More accurate  costing of products/services, customers, SKUs, distribution channels. Better understanding  overhead. Easier to  understand  for everyone. Utilizes  unit cost  rather than just total cost. Integrates well with  Six Sigma  and other  continuous improvement programs. Makes visible  waste  and  non-value added activities. Supports  performance management and scorecards Enables costing of  processes, supply chains, and value streams Activity Based Costing  mirrors  way  work  is done Facilitates  benchmarking The disadvantages of activity based costing: It costs a lot to maintain it, it takes a lot of time and resources to collect, check and enter it into the system for the date needed to measure activity based costing. Is not accepted by GAAP (accepted accounting principles) therefor companies need to have a different system when preparing external reports. What are the differences between Absorption costing and ABC? There are many differences between absorption costing and activity based costing. Difference in Approach One of such differences is the way it approached. Absorption costing allocates costs to product units, whereas activity based costing traces the costs of product units. Absorption costing is the traditional cost accounting method that focuses on the product or service when fixing costs. It works under the simple approach of assigning resources to products or services directly. Activity based costing is a modern cost accounting approach that focuses on activities as the fundamental cost. ABC presumes that products or services consume activities, and activities consume resources. It thus, works to convert indirect costs into direct costs. Difference in Methodology Absorption costing divides equally the fixed overhead costs with the number of product units whereas activity based costing identifies the actual proportion of fixed overheads costs incurred by the product unit. Comparing absorption costing and activity based costing, the latter follows a more scientific approach. Price fixation in absorption costing depends on the inventory. The higher the inventory, the lower the product cost and lower the inventory; or the higher per-product cost. Price fixation in activity based costing bases calculations to derive the actual overheads incurred on a unit, and does not vary with change in inventory levels. Activity based costing, however, faces serious challenges in practical application, for appropriating some of the fixed overheads such as the chief executives salary on a per-product usage basis, is next to impossible. Moreover, process of data collection, data entry, and  data analysis required  to divide the fixed overhead costs among units based on usage, requires substantial resources and remains costly to maintain. Absorption costing that divides all fixed overhead costs with the number of units produced is a simple and easy approach and free from such complexities. Legal Validity Absorption costing complies with the  generally accepted accounting principles  (GAAP) whereas the  Financial  Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) do not accept ABC for externally published financial statements. Firms that follow activity based costing, therefore, need to maintain two cost systems and accounting books, one for internal use, and another for external reports, filings, and statutory compliance. Difference in Scope Absorption costing helps ascertain the overall profitability or efficiency of the manufacturing system but fails to provide the real cost of individual product units. Activity based costing mirrors the functioning of the  enterprise  and contributes to strategic decision-making processes. ABC provides the real cost of individual product units and, thereby, helps identify inefficient or non-profitable products that eat into the profitability of other highly profitable products. ABC also helps price products equitably, allowing breaking down of product or service into sub-components or offering top ups based on customer needs. Comparing absorption costing and activity based costing, activity based costing improves the quality of management accounting information, especially in large and multi-product operations where conventional overhead allocation methods such as absorption costing may produce misleading results. Absorption costing, however, remains more suitable for small firms and  enterprises  with homogeneous products or services. Recommendation and implementation I recommend to introduce activity based costing system as its more suitable for the public service industry.

Corporate Social Responsibility of Oil and Gas industry in Nigeria

Corporate Social Responsibility of Oil and Gas industry in Nigeria The main objective of this literature review is to attempt answering the research questions posed in our proposal because it is the focus of this research. In doing that, we shall review definitions, recapitulate and employs insights to the studies of previous prominent researchers on the topic particularly as it concerns MNOC in Nigeria. The work shall mainly consult books, journals and articles amongst others. With the general growth of CSR in many multinational companies, it is hardly surprising that CSR attracted considerable attention in recent years. In an attempt to digest CSR, studies have focused on the meaning, drivers and scope of CSR. While some researchers say it should not exist, others said it should be philanthropic, some said it is to enhance business, and others even think it regulatory compliance. Much of the earlier work emphasized two prominent definitions: philanthropy or business enhancement. Ojala (1994) said it has three major facets: complying with the law; setting and abiding by moral and ethical standards; and philanthropic giving. The first popular/acceptable definition of CSR is by Bowen (1953, p.6) He defined CSR as the obligations of businessmen to pursue those policies, to make those decisions, or to follow those lines of action which are desirable in terms of the objectives and values of our society. Since then, many definitions followed ranging from Carroll (1979), McWilliams and Siegel (2001), Whetten et al (2002), Maignan and Ferrell (2004) and Sriramesh et al. (2009) EUs Green paper on CSR defined it as a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development defines CSR as the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of its workers. . .as well as the local community and society at large. These definitions are important to this work as they see CSR as voluntary. To CSR advocates it is giving back to the land/people from whom it has taken so much, else poverty, unemployment, lop-sided development would continue to haunt Companies. Shankar Venkateswaran (2000) said that Islands of prosperity cannot survive in a sea of poverty the sea will ultimately engulf the islands. On the contrary, critics believe that CSR are used to distract public from asking questions posed by MNC operations. To them, CSR is not committed to sustainable development as claimed because activities of MNCs are contrary CSR. Example is Shells CSR led to pioneering in triple bottom line reporting, still there was a scandal of its misreporting of oil reserves in 2004. REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS People view CSR differently, some advocate while others criticize. Peter Drucker (2004) is of the view that CSR should not exist at all. He said corporate social responsibility is a dangerous distortion from business principles. If you find an executive who wants to take on social responsibility, fire him. Fast. Others said that the organizations pay taxes to ensure that society and the environment are not adversely affected by business activities. This leads us to the first research question. What could be the main drivers of Corporate Social Responsibility by multinational companies? Is it to promote corporate image and benefit business or do they have positive responsibilities that add value to the communities they do business in? Motivations to engage in CSR are varies. Some are response to market forces, globalization, consumer and civil society pressures, etc. Some see it as a higher incentive to protect brands and investments (NEEDS). CSR drivers will be reviewed in three categories: economic, institutional and social drivers Economic Drivers There has been a lot of literature supporting that CSR is to enhance business. This proposition was clearly supported by Milton Friedman (1970). To him, a corporations purpose is to maximize returns to its shareholders and not to society as a whole. He said When I hear businessmen speak eloquently about the social responsibilities of business in a free-enterprise system, I am reminded of the wonderful line about the Frenchman who discovered at the age of 70 that he had been speaking prose all his life. The businessmen believe that they are defending free enterprise when they declaim that business is not concerned merely with profit but also with promoting desirable social ends; that business has a social conscience and takes seriously its responsibilities for providing employment, eliminating discrimination, avoiding pollution and whatever else may be the catchwords of the contemporary crop of reformers. In the same vein, McKibben Bill (2006) suggests that corporations which exist solely to maximize profits are unable to advance the interests of society as a whole. Also, Lord Justices Pill, May and Keane (1997) in proving that McDonalds business contradicts its social responsibility principles ruled that eating enough McDonalds food may make ones diet high in fat therefore increase the risk heart disease in McDonaldHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonalds_Restaurants_v_Morris__SteelHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonalds_Restaurants_v_Morris__Steels Restaurants v Steel HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonalds_Restaurants_v_Morris__SteelHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonalds_Restaurants_v_Morris__Steel Morris. For Johnson (1971p.54 cited in Vrabic, 2010) Social responsibility states that business carry out social programs to add profits to their organizations. He perceives CSR as long-run profit maximization not just activity to demonstrate ethical s tandards. Orlitzky, Schmidt, and Rynes (2004) in their study found a correlation between social/environmental performance and financial performance. Kurucz (2008, p.86), in his study identified four general types of business cases to support that CSR enhances business: cost and risk reduction, profit maximization and competitive advantage, reputation and legitimacy, and synergistic value creation. Cost and risk Reduction: Firm engage in CSR to reduce costs and risks to the firm, since stakeholders demands can present a potential threat to corporate financial goals (Kurucz, 2008, p. 88). Competitive Advantage: CSR can be used to gain competitive advantage over industry rivals (Kurucz, 2008, p. 89). It is also used as a lobbying strategy for tighter regulations that leads to higher market values especially in oil companies with heavy polluting activities. (Porter 1991, cited in Vrabic, 2010) Reputation and Legitimacy: CSR is made for strategic reasons and are designed to extend legitimacy and enhance corporate reputation, to maintain its legitimacy, repair or defend its lost or threatened legitimacy (Kurucz, 2008, p. 91). Miles and Covin (2000 cited in Vrabic, 2010) opined that environmental stewardship creates reputational advantage that enhances marketing and financial performance. To Brown and Dacin (1997), negative social reputation can have detrimental effect on product evaluations and positive social reputation can enhance product evaluations. This could be seen from the boycott of Shell gas station by European consumers due to Shells attempt to dispose Brent Spar oil platform in the Atlantic Ocean and the consequent 50% decline sales (Neuger, 1995 cited in Vrabic, 2010). Synergistic Value Creation Approaches advocating synergistic value creation are focused seeking opportunities to reveal, relate, and synthesize the interests of diverse set of stakeholders. Some studies, however, have taken a different approach. Lerner and Fryxell, (1988 cited in Vrabic, 2010)) argue that firms incur unnecessary costs that does not add value and reduce profitability by increasing social performance. Institutional Much as there may be economic drivers of CSR, to serve long term national interests, Governments have a strong interest in promoting CSR initiatives mostly through regulation to complement their environmental and social programs (Mazurkiewicz, 2004a). Prominent CSR researchers consider regulation as a natural adjunct to improving the social performance of business, contingent only on the correct design of market incentives (Porter and van der Linde 2000, p. 156, cited in Vrabic, 2010). In Europe, many countries have introduced legislation to mandate environmental reporting for corporations (Haigh and Jones, 2006). Also, Inter-governmental organizations like EU, UN and OECD promote CSR through various policies that encourage companies to voluntarily engage in more sustainable and socially responsible conduct of business. In the oil sector, (Frynas, 2009, p.50 52) argue that decisions are becoming politicized especially with joint venture agreements. With joint venture, Government owns shares, oil, grants licenses, provides regulatory framework, and defines respective rights and responsibilities of investors. Social Factors Moon and Vogel, (2008, cited in Vrabic, 2010) argue that in the global market, MNCs often appeared to be as powerful as states, yet unaccountable as Governments and international institutions most times create regulatory vacuum to control their actions. This vacuum the NGOs normally fill by questioning MNCs actions (Held and McGrew, 2002, cited in Vrabic, 2010). NGOs demand that companies follow the conventions and agreements signed within UN, respect basic environmental regulations adopted by western governments or regional organizations (Bandell, 2004). The second question is Why are there proliferations of youth militancy and movement, protests, invasion of oil facilities and abduction of oil workers, intense dispute and conflicts against the MNOCs in the Niger Delta despite the CSR? The problems between the oil companies and host communities are best described by Watts, (2004:198) as the story of development and counter development working with and against one another in complex and contradictory ways. The crises and hostility according to Eweje (2007) arise sometimes because indigenes feel they dont get enough social and economic infrastructures/assistance from the MNOCs. The CSR seem to escalate the crisis. This is because either by omission or commission, CSR activities and processes impact negatively on local communities, often outweighing the positive benefits CSR brings (Watts, 2004). Christian Aid (2004) says that despite Shells claims about honesty, integrity and respect for people, the oil company has failed to bring about change in the delta. It also confirmed that some of the acclaimed schools, hospitals and other social amenities have been abandoned or did not meet the needs of the communities they were meant to support. It found evidence that Shells clean-up of oil spills and repair of pipelines in Nigeria is scandalously inadequate and would never be tolerated in Europe and North America. This failure of CSR added to the bad feeling between the local community and Shell (Andrew Pendleton Christian aid report). Sometimes oil companies carry propaganda by way of CSR. Example is the CSR that followed Ogoni crisis to redeem Shells image especially with several publications and propogandas.58 Oil companies sometimes connive with the state to be violent, using private security and state agents who are often overactive in their tasks of protecting oil installations and workers. This leads to harassment, intimidation and suppression of environmental development and rights activities. Sometimes crises arise because of oil spills. Nembe indigene 3 (cited in Tuodolo 2007) said Oil activities cause serious environmental problem. Oil spills; discharge of drilling and production waste; and gas flaringà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The negative impact of these on the peoples health and livelihood is enormous: All of us in this community are fishermen à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ there is always spillage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ have destroyed our marine life and our occupationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. To show Shells negligence and non-sustainability, it spilled 14,000 tons of oil into the Niger Delta in 2009 while that of 2008 is between 2,200-8,000 and a daily flaring of about 604 million per day (SPDC, 2009). On their part, Shell CEO Peter Voser(2010, reported in Guardian newspapers) said that Nigeria, especially the Niger Delta, remains a very challenging place in which to operate. Security issues and sabotage are constant threats to our people, assets and the environment. Even when the crises arise, oil companies respond when and how they like. They sometimes pay compensation and initiate community projects, but do not enhance their social responsibility credentials (Omotala 2010). He said One, the oil companies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ are known for paying compensations that are far lower than international minimum standards. They are also reputed for the avoidance of payments of compensation on frivolous grounds such as attributing oil spills to sabotage for which they may not be culpable. In some instances, they only pay compensation after protracted court cases that are usually very costly to the host community. Sometimes the development does not worth it even when they are implemented. Idemudia (2009) said CSR developments must protect, preserve and conserve the environments upon which the livelihood of rural inhabitants depends to be meaningful and sustainable. MNOCs are being accused of living by their words. Example, a community leader asserts that most of these developments are only reflected on their books, not on the ground and even then it is not based on the priorities set by the communities but what suits their public relation image of the company ( Eweje, 2007). All this culminated together causes the rising violence, militancy, protests, invasion of oil facilities, pipeline vandalization and abduction of oil workers in the region which sometimes swings both the oil companies and Government to actions. Eweje (2007) concludes that no matter how laudable the CSR initiatives are if the host communities do not feel that the projects will create a sustainable economic, social and environmental development the conflict and unrest in the Niger Delta will continue. There have been questions of whether CSR differ in developing and developed countries. Amaeshi et al. (2006) in their work asked if there is a Nigerian brand of CSR or is it an imitation of western CSR practices. NEEDS XV argue that socio-culturally framed and that the socio-cultural characteristics of Nigeria are unique and as such, the practice of CSR would mainly be shaped by the socio-economic conditions in which these firms operate. To NEEDS, CSR in Nigeria would be aimed towards poverty alleviation, health care provision, infrastructure development, education, etc, not necessarily reflection of popular western standard like consumer protection, fair trade, green marketing, climate change, social responsible investments, etc. Oil spills are more in Nigeria and even where there is, prompt actions are not taken (Christian Aid 2004). Considering this point, Frynas, (2005) said that where government fails to effectively make and enforce environmental regulation, MNOC only voluntarily care to avoid oil spills and may be label it CSR. CSR today looks more of regulatory compliance in developed countries with more effective government. In Nigeria, Shell admitted that its approach to CSR causes community disorder (SPDC, 2005:28), yet Shell has not changed the practices despites its claims to CSR. While the more popular opinion like (Frynas, Christian Aid) is that there is double standard, sometimes MNOCs act the same way in both developing and developed countries. This can be justified by signing of collaborative agreements with Colombian with the Colombian Defence Ministry to provide $2.2 million on top of the mandatory war tax in 1995 by BP (Muttitt and Marriott, 2002). BP was accused of forming its own army and hiring security people with histories of human rights abuses and even murder (Beder, 2002, cited in Vrabic, 2010). Investigations revealed that BPs security firm, trained the Colombian police in counterinsurgency and intelligence techniques used against local communities, and also provided weapons to the 16th Battalion of the Colombian army, which then conducted a massacre (Gillard, 1999 cited in Vrabic, 2010). There was fierce stakeholder pressure on BP and BP evaluated its social and environmental strategies (Frynas, 2009, p. 22-23). Some years after, a senior BP manager admitted: Weve learned from our mistakesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. In Colombia we were accused of getting too close to the army and police in order to protect our operations. We listened, approached the Human Rights Watch for advice, and then organized new security arrangements (Rice, 2002, p. 135). Could it be safe to say CSR in developing countries are not at its best and if so is overlap, ineffective coordination and communication, absence of regulatory framework, partnership with Government/local communities major problems hindering the effective implementation of CSR projects? In Nigeria, Rauscher (1992, cited in Frynas 1998) says that Governments sought to attract foreign investors by permitting ecological dumping, for the sake of economic development. Ite (2004) also argued that the government has continued to renegade on its commitment that it becomes almost impossible for the CSR investments by the oil firms to contribute positively to their host communities. Oil companies blame oil pollution on political instability like sabotage because there is no comprehensive legislation on compensation payments to communities in Nigeria (Frynas 1998). But Walter and Ugelow (1979) in their work said that Nigerias environmental policy is been tolerant to corporate polluters for a long time compare to international standard. Frynas argues that there is a direct relationship between state welfare provision and the need for CSR initiatives. To him, greater social and environmental responsibilities should be taken in countries where the government does not have effective mechanisms of regulation and provision of public goods. He cited Nigeria as his example. Patricia Werhane (2007) on her own part cited corruption as a serious problem hindering CSR implementation in developing countries. She said A big challenge facing multinational corporations is how they should respond to local corruption. Both Shell Oil and Exxon/Mobile sought to carry out drilling operations at sites plagued by corrupt local and national governmentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (Patricia Werhane 2007) This is also Watts view when he said What passes as development is usually contracts and bribes-so-called cash payments-with influential traditional elites, orchestrated through ineffective or corrupt community liason officers (Watts, 2004). CSR ineffective coordination manifests in commercialized conflicts between individuals and groups who always fight over the benefits; community funds for development are mismanaged, misappropriated, and embezzled or shared by community leaders or clique (Watts, 2004). Social disorders like arms possession, increasing illiteracy, criminality, lawlessness and the disintegration of tradition and culture now became order of the day. CSR should be considered more as a corporate moral responsibility, and limit the reach of CSR by focusing more on direct impacts of the organization (Patricia Werhane 2007). It is suggested that for CSR to worth its onion, there should be better governmental and international regulation and enforcement, rather than voluntary measures. This is EU approach. For example, Denmark on 16 December 2008, adopted a bill making it mandatory for the 1100 largest Danish companies, investors and state-owned companies to include information on CSR in their annual financial reports. In Nigeria, FEC approved CSR policy on 21st May 2008. Also, Akwa Ibom state enacted oil and gas law stipulating social responsibility of oil companies. To Christian Aid (2004:2) the only way to instill honesty and integrity into business practice is to strip CSR of its voluntarism and enact laws that spell out minimum social and environmental standards that companies must meet. Jettison corporate social responsibility: make it corporate social accountability, because for too long CSR has served as merely a branch of PR and in some cases as the only spurts of development activity by large companies. CONCLUSION This work had defined CSR and explored the fundamental drivers of CSR. The observation is that today CSR is a consequence of various factors together interactions of various social groups and NGOs, state institutions and self promoting economic motives. Three main drivers were seen as the main promoters of CSR, and one could conclude that CSR is more of business strategy than social. In the Niger Delta the continued crises could be attributed to the fact that MNOSs do their things in their own way without actually touching indigenes lives. They employ any means to protect their business interest As regards the standard, MNOC adopt different standard for different stroke that is why this work is of the view that there should be laws guiding CSR not just MNOCs doing what they think is suitable to them. This work also found out that there are structural factors, systemic failures, absence of enabling environment hinder positive impact of CSR. Although the popular view from this review is that MNOCs engage in CSR to enhance business therefore there should be CSR regulations, it cannot be ruled out that regulations especially stringent ones and host communities problems will discourage the MNOC who may decide to move their investment to a more friendly business environment. This clearly gives room for more research.

Sexuality and Aggression in Hamlet Essay -- GCSE Coursework Shakespear

Sexuality and Aggression in Hamlet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚           Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In "Man and Wife Is One Flesh": Hamlet and the Confrontation with the Maternal Body, Janet Adelman argues that the motivating force behind the plot action in Hamlet is the collapse of boundaries between relationships of individuals, sexes, and divisions of public (state) and private (love) life. The primary cause of the breakdown results from the bodily contamination spread through overt sexuality, specifically maternal sexuality. Janet Adelman asserts her feminism into the sexist view of psychoanalysis to define the contamination as that power of women that men fear.    Adelman's case for the collapse of boundaries is her strength and weakness. Extensive textual evidence supports her claim for the melding of the men, but her choice to ignore the women's differentiation is a critical error. Gertrude and Ophelia define themselves through sexuality, memory retention and communication, existing as two individual beings separate from the collapsing masculine world. Adelman continues to argue that the power of women's sexuality contaminates all life associated with it. While sexuality is women's most potent power, it is the power to give life and sustain it through maternal fulfillment, not to promote death and further erasure of boundaries through contamination, poison and death. For madness and death follow promptly after the removal of the women's sexuality.    Shakespeare expresses the Freudian concept of sexual and aggressive conflict by assigning the traits to female and male characters respectively. The alternating suppression, sexuality over aggression and aggression over sexuality, plays out in Hamlet ultimately proving their symbiotic relationship. The sup... ... strips away female sexuality, life ends. Aggression does not create life. The eradication of the conflict-boundary is a self-sacrificing effort by the men, who in so doing, deny everyone sexual satisfaction to balance the aggression, thus resorting to fatal violence and ending their immortality through procreation.    Works Cited Adelman, Janet. "Man and Wife is One Flesh": Hamlet and the Confrontation with the Maternal Body. William Shakespeare: Hamlet. Ed. Susanne L. Wofford. Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism. Boston: St. Martin's, 256-282. Calhoun, J. "Personality and Psychoanalytic Theory." Psychology 1101. UGA. Athens, 6 Nov 1998. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Susanne L. Wofford. Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism. Boston: St. Martin's, 1994. Stoppard, Tom. Rozencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. New York: Grove, 1967 Sexuality and Aggression in Hamlet Essay -- GCSE Coursework Shakespear Sexuality and Aggression in Hamlet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚           Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In "Man and Wife Is One Flesh": Hamlet and the Confrontation with the Maternal Body, Janet Adelman argues that the motivating force behind the plot action in Hamlet is the collapse of boundaries between relationships of individuals, sexes, and divisions of public (state) and private (love) life. The primary cause of the breakdown results from the bodily contamination spread through overt sexuality, specifically maternal sexuality. Janet Adelman asserts her feminism into the sexist view of psychoanalysis to define the contamination as that power of women that men fear.    Adelman's case for the collapse of boundaries is her strength and weakness. Extensive textual evidence supports her claim for the melding of the men, but her choice to ignore the women's differentiation is a critical error. Gertrude and Ophelia define themselves through sexuality, memory retention and communication, existing as two individual beings separate from the collapsing masculine world. Adelman continues to argue that the power of women's sexuality contaminates all life associated with it. While sexuality is women's most potent power, it is the power to give life and sustain it through maternal fulfillment, not to promote death and further erasure of boundaries through contamination, poison and death. For madness and death follow promptly after the removal of the women's sexuality.    Shakespeare expresses the Freudian concept of sexual and aggressive conflict by assigning the traits to female and male characters respectively. The alternating suppression, sexuality over aggression and aggression over sexuality, plays out in Hamlet ultimately proving their symbiotic relationship. The sup... ... strips away female sexuality, life ends. Aggression does not create life. The eradication of the conflict-boundary is a self-sacrificing effort by the men, who in so doing, deny everyone sexual satisfaction to balance the aggression, thus resorting to fatal violence and ending their immortality through procreation.    Works Cited Adelman, Janet. "Man and Wife is One Flesh": Hamlet and the Confrontation with the Maternal Body. William Shakespeare: Hamlet. Ed. Susanne L. Wofford. Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism. Boston: St. Martin's, 256-282. Calhoun, J. "Personality and Psychoanalytic Theory." Psychology 1101. UGA. Athens, 6 Nov 1998. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Susanne L. Wofford. Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism. Boston: St. Martin's, 1994. Stoppard, Tom. Rozencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. New York: Grove, 1967

african american religious music Essay -- essays research papers fc

African American religious music is the foundation of all contemporary forms of so called â€Å"black music.† African American religious music has been a fundamental part of the black experience in this country. This common staple of the African American experience can be traced back to the cruel system of slavery. It then evolved into what we refer to today as gospel music. The goal of this paper is to answer three main questions. What are the origins of African American religious music? How did this musical expression develop into a secular form of music? What is the future of African American religious music? These questions will be answered through factual research of African American traditions, artists, and various other sources.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The origins of African American religious music are directly linked to the Negro spirituals of enslaved Africans. One cannot research religious music of blacks in this country without first exploring these spirituals. The spirituals were part of a religious expression that enslaved people used to transcend the narrow limits and dehumanizing effects of slavery. It was through the performance of the spirituals that the individual and the community experienced their God, a God who affirmed their humanity in ways whites did not and a God who could set them free both spiritually and physically. These â€Å"sacred songs† were also used as secret communication. That is not to say that all spirituals functioned as coded protest songs or as some sort of secret language. The structure of the spirituals and the way in which they were created and performed allowed for flexibility in their function and meaning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The primary function of the Negro spirituals was to serve as communal song in a religious gathering, performed in a call and response pattern reminiscent of West African traditional religious practices. During these ceremonies, one person would begin to create a song by singing about his or her own sorrow or joy. That individual experience was brought to the community and through the call and response structure of the singing, that individual’s sorrow or joy became the sorrow or joy of the community. In this way, the spiritual became truly affirming, for it provided communal support for individual experiences. Slaves used the characters of the bible, particularly the Old Testament,... ...erself expanded gospel’s exposure when she appeared twice on â€Å"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.† Meanwhile, television producer Bobby Jones reaches four and a half million viewers each week with his BET program, â€Å"Gospel Explosion.† However, the test for Gospel music reflects one that all Christian musicians must wrestle with: Can Gospel continue to increase its fortune in the mainstream marketplace while still maintaining its spiritual base? Despite what you believe the answer to be, African American Religious music will continually evolve. Since Thomas Dorsey first stretched the boundaries to create gospel music, choirs, quartets, and power vocalists have been singing the same song, albeit in different styles and places. As African American religious music continues to grow beyond even Dorsey’s expectations, one can only hope that it will be embraced regardless of how it is labeled by everyone who needs to be reminded of the good news it repre sents. Bibliography 1. Score Magazine, May 2002 edition 2. Gospel Today Magazine. August 2003. 3. http://afgen.com/gospel 4. http://www.americangospelquartet.org 5. http://www.jcchorus.com/

Critical response †Of mice and men Essay

Within The novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men† by John Steinbeck the reader is presented with a selection of sad, lonely individuals who have no families. As soon as the novel starts, the author creates a picture of the surroundings in the reader’s mind â€Å"the river drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green† this gives the reader a feeling of peace at mind. The reader is then presented with George, a small man with strong features, and Lennie, a gentle person who enjoys who enjoys the company of a pet. In the novel Lennie continuously gets the pair into all sorts of trouble and by the end of the novel George has no choice but to shoot Lennie, due to the fact that he murdered an innocent woman, who happened to be Curley’s wife, the boss’s son. It soon becomes apparent that the theme of loneliness is illustrated through characterization between the main characters. The first character we are introduced to is Lennie. Lennie’s character is illustrated by his mental immaturity. â€Å"Blubberin like a baby? Jesus Christ a big guy like you! † The reader first sees that Lennie’s loneliness and need for companionship during his journey to the ranch. â€Å"What you want of a dead mouse? â€Å", to which Lennie responds â€Å"maybe I could pet it with my thumb while we walked along. † Lennie wants to carry a dead mouse round as a constant companion. This shows how desperate he is to feel loved and to have a friend. One of the characters that illustrates loneliness is a man named Crooks. Crooks is a colored man s been isolated from the rest of the ranch due to the fact that he is a â€Å"nigger†. The reader feels sympathy for crooks because he has his own shelter and has no friends. As soon as a â€Å"white man† enters his shelter, Crook’s initial reaction is to tell them to â€Å"get lost I don’t want to know†. This again shows the reader that Crooks is a lonely individual. Another character that emphasizes the theme of loneliness is Curley’s wife. To the reader’s surprise, the author never gives Curley’s wife a name. This reinforces the fact that Curley’s wife is there to look after Curley and that she is not important to anybody else but himself. It also shows that the other ranchers are not used to talking to other woman. Curley’s Wife is generally considered to be a tramp by the men at the ranch and shamelessly uses sex to intimidate the workers. She married Curley so she could leave home and be spoilt with gifts and do whatever she wanted. However it is obvious that this did not happen and she hates her husband. . She still holds some hope of a better life, by claiming that she had the chance to become a movie star in Hollywood. Another interesting character is Candy, an old man who only has a dog to keep him company. Candy is the oldest out of all the other ranchers, who has only one hand because he lost the other hand in an accident on the ranch. Candy is a frail person because he has had to work on the ranch for so long because he has no friends. There comes a sad point in the novel when candy’s dog is shot because he is giving off a bad odour. This shows the readers that the ranchers don’t care for anyone else but themselves and that they have a short temper. This incident seems to put Candy down more because he now has no companion. In addition to this, Candy feared that he was going to be on the ranch until he died. This image is reinforced when he ws caught ease dropping on George and Lennie â€Å"I didn’t here nothin you guys was saying. I was just standing in the shade scratching my dog†. Although the novel is filled with men trying to earn money so that they can fulfill their dreams, it is obvious that the main theme of the novel is loneliness. This is illustrated through the sad, traumatic, lonely characters that work on the ranch. The entire novel is devoted to reinforcing the main theme, loneliness, and therefore creating sympathy for the characters on the ranch.   

Newell Strategy Essay

Yes, Newell does have a successful corporate strategy and it does add value to the businesses within its portfolio. Newell’s corporate strategy can be summarized as follows. Newell manufactures low-technology, high-volume staple products in the categories hardware/ home furnishings, office products as well as housewares and sells to large mass retailers. It mirrors the consolidation in the retail business and the related market power of volume merchandisers by a continuous flow of acquisitions of companies. These companies are well-known brands and often claim a #1 or #2 position in terms of market share but that on the other hand are poorly managed on the cost side and hence financially underperforming. Newell substantially increases their operational efficiency and hence profitability by introducing Newell’s financial system, IT-based sales and order processing system and flexible manufacturing system (â€Å"Newellization†), i.e. by streamlining their processes. Regarding its mass retail customers Newell aims at a solid reputation for its high service quality (e.g. use of EDI and POS data along with reliability of JIT delivery), commanding a price premium. This quality level is also established in the acquired companies. Moreover, by consolidating industry capacity at high and low price points Newell reduces price pressure in the market, creates economies of scale and entry barriers based on â€Å"critical mass†. Newell also capitalizes on economies of scope by leveraging relationships with discount retailers to get shelf space and favorable terms and conditions for products of other subsidiaries in its portfolio, too. Centralized training programs, comprehensive and frequent management meetings and regular transfer of managers between divisions contribute to best practice sharing and knowledge transfer within the corporation. The corporate office provides its various product divisions with capital infusion when necessary and with financial, technological, operational and legal support.

How Do the Novel Holes Deal with the Issue of Power? Essay

Essay questions: how do the novel holes deal with the issue of power? . Intro: Holes, by Louis Sachar, are a very important novel for students to study when learning about power and justice. The novel explores these two themes closely as we are taken an a journey through around camp green lake with Stanley, a character who has been wrong fully accused of stealing a pair of sneakers. Through the techniques ideas of characterisation setting and themes, the author is successful in communicating different ideas about power. The first technique is characters in holes are used to show how different people have different levels of power. Stanley, the main character is described as being overweight, shy and unpopular. And he was innocent of the crim for which he was convicted. Stanley was a given a choice by the judge, ‘’you may go to jail, or you may go to camp green lake.’’ (Chapter 2, page 5). He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Whenever something went wrong Stanley’s family would always blame Stanley’s no –good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great—grandfather because of his awful luck and hopeless luck. The warden is very different character who is described as powerful, mean and unjust and the only rule was in the camp green lake is ‘don’t upset the warden’ , the warden was feared by many of the kids , because she pushing the boys to work harder . the evidence of her being powerful is in (chapter 1 page 3 )’’ the Warden owns the shade’’ X-ray, one of the boys Stanley’s makes friends with at camp green lake is described as powerful person in the powerless group. He earned a day off because Stanley gave the lid lip stick X-ray said to Stanley that he should give whatever he finds to him because he has been there for a year and he deserves the day off more than he does, so the warden lets X-ray have the rest of the day off, a double shower and a clean set of clothes and she also orders Mr.Pedanski to fill all the canteen with water. The evidence of these is when X-Ray said ‘’ if you find something else give it to me, okay?’’. (ch.11, Pge52) All of these characters demonstrate that power is not distributed evenly in camp green lake and highlight that in society, people can feel powerful and powerless depending on their experiences. The second technique, setting is used to show how the boys experience very unfair and uncomfortable condition during their time at camp green lake. The name of the camp is ironic because the lake is actually dry and brown. Camp green lake name’s fall somewhere between a joke and a curse, nothing is green there and there is no lake, its full-blow desert. ‘’the average temperature in the shade is 95 degrees’’ (ch1, page 3), and the boys have a very difficult life there because they work hard and they didn’t have a rest time just when they find something they will take a day off like X-ray. And they were sleep in coat, get 4 minute shower and relax in a recreation room where ever thing is wrecked. Mr. Sir makes the bandage out of his sunflowers seeds sack and tells Stanley to go right back to work â€Å"it is not nap time.’’ (ch 17 page 78). Sacher creates barren setting to emphasise how the boys at camp were mistreated and that sometimes in life, people are powerless to their living conditions. The third technique that made Holes such an effective novel for students to read is dialogue; dialogue is used by Sacher to communicate all of the emotions felt by the character at different points in the story. When Stanley talks to Zero about teaching Zero how to read, but Stanley rejects Zero’s request. But then after awhile Zero dagged Stanley’s hole while he was away so Stanley found out that he have the power over Zero with simply teaching him. On the other hand Stanley has justice between him and Zero because their deal was to dig hole for Stanley and in exchange he teaches Zero. An evidence of this is when Stanley said â€Å"I’ll try to teach you to read†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ch.22.Pg.96) he expresses what he will do and how much f ability he will put to teach Zero. Therefore, dialogue is the most effective technique in Holes and that the novel Holes is an important novel for students to study while learning about power and justice. In conclusion the idea of power is expressed in a different ways in the novel Holes. The author, Louis Sacher, has used a many different techniques including characterisation, setting and dialogue to communicate his ideas easily and in a fun way. This book is very entertaining for young readers and teaches that power is an important issue that affects all people in society.

The importance of time management

There are many reasons to have time management and organization in your office; they both can lead to failure of you or your business, and or your team etc. If you don’t have time management then you will not have the time to ensure you complete the tasks that need to be done and when they are suppose to be done, even worse ensuring that the ones that work under you will not complete what they need to complete. Ensuring that you stick to a tight schedule and pushing through to the final completion is what you need to do to accomplish the job.Time management is important in ensuring that all missions are accomplished proficiently and in a timely manner. When you can maintain your time management you show your leadership ability to accomplish the jobs. When you use time management to accomplish your tasking, this will give you more time to ensure that you can work on your organization. Ensuring that your office stays organized and clean is to ensure that at any given time you ca n find a form or any information you may need at any time.You need to ensure that you have the space to complete paper work and to ensure you are keeping paper work separated so you don’t lose where your place of work. When you complete your task it is very important to file the completed work to ensure that you keep the work together and don’t lose the information you have already to complete. This helps to ensure that you keep your work together and complete. When you ensure the organization you are normally more proficient. This allows you to work better and faster.When you work time management and office organization you become a more proficient as a leader, employee or as a boss. They work together to ensure success of your career if you take your time and put emplace the program. It’s your career take a hold of it and do what you have to do to ensure success. The 4 components of Office Organization, Filing system- Having a great hard copy filing system is a must, since at any given time a computer could crash, get a virus or just about anything else.A lot of businesses use share drives which load all or the files, work,  pictures and meeting schedules to where everyone involved can look at them, and these can all become corrupt as well. But if you keep hard copies of all your work no matter if the computer system crashes you always can do your research. For example I load drivers packets onto the share drive for the Army so when new soldiers need to be trained they can print off their paperwork needed, but when they come to me I as well keep their file in my filing system, so if they lose their license or move to a new post they can take their entire packet with them showing their training.I also keep all of the tests and files needed on hand in my filing system so that I can copy at any time. This ensures that I will always have my past and future training for all soldiers in my company past and present. Pitch method- This is my p ersonal favorite since it lowers the amount of paper useless information leaving from my desk. This is important so that information that is needed is used and the not needed is trash.It limits what we have to act on; it leaves us with future information as needed and things that need to be acted upon at this very moment. This here ensures that we have the best information for the school, public or the students at the present time. Office flow- Ensuring the flow of the office is very important to anyone and all of us to ensure we get the best results of our time being used. Ensuring you have the best conditions for you in your office so that your comfortable while you work is important to accomplishing the best work you can.Computers- Computers can make almost everyone’s job easier. As a mechanic they have the test equipment that brings up the diagnostic readings that can limit what is wrong with the vehicle. The computer can be organized and set up however that is convenient for you or to give a presentation, or for anyone to use. It can make your job easier. You can ensure proper order while using power point for presentations if you have to give more than one at time.

Describe in Molecular Detail the Biological Function of Langerhans Essay

Describe in Molecular Detail the Biological Function of Langerhans Cells - Essay Example The antigen presenting cells move in and out of lymph nodes to initiate immune responses. The interaction of Langerhans cells with immuno competent cells initiates the formation of a number of antibodies in various parts of the human body. Langerhans cells(LC) are epidermal dendritic cells that take shape in the bone marrow and moves toward the T cell region of lymph nodes to function as expert antigen presenting cells. Langerhans cells can be identified using a wide range of cell surface markers like ectoenzyme adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), CD1a antigens and Ia+ (PÃ ©rez-Torres, A. & Ustarroz-Cano, M 2001). Paul Langerhans first observed the dendritic Langerhans cells in the skin in 1868. Birbeck et al explained the presence of rod like granules in the cytoplasm of Langerhans cells (Indrasingh. 2006). Ultrastructural detection of Langerhans in the epidermis is performed by the recognition of an exclusive and typical cytoplasmic organelle called the Birbeck granule (BG) (PÃ ©rez-Torres, A. & Ustarroz-Cano, M 2001).Langerhans cells belongs to the system of antigen presenting cells and combines with the antigen that moves into the epidermis and the LC presents the combined cells to T-lymphocytes that later create s immune response (Indrasingh. 2006). Dendritic cells (DCs) in the immune system have the natural ability to recognize and seize foreign antigens and effectively provide antigens to T cells. Even though DCs have the capability to present antigens to T cells, cell surface markers, tissue distribution and the ability to assign different methods of adaptive immune responses are responsible for the function of DCs. Paul Langerhans found the presence of DC’s in the skin precisely in the epidermis and the identification of Langerhans cells indicated that it is the only cell in the epidermis to mark MHC class II molecules in normal

LET4 (Performance Evaluation) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

LET4 (Performance Evaluation) - Essay Example The ability to organize criteria normally falls in this category. c) Job result – in the case stated, this is the strongest trait of the engineer and his saving grace because he is able to do a job well despite faring poorly in this criteria. This is the ability of an employee to deliver expected work outcomes. a) Trait – traits are the intangible characteristics of an individual that will facilitate an employee to perform a good job. Traits like initiative, social skills and reliability are being factored in performance appraisals because this is one of the key attitudinal factors that get a job done. The 360 degrees performance appraisal which the engineer has been subjected to is the classic example of an evaluation where supervisors, peers and subordinates are included in the evaluation process. This provides an advantage of providing an employee a feedback and holistic perspective of his performance not only from the point of view of the superiors but also from co-workers and subordinates as well. In the process, an employee is given the opportunity to reconcile his perceived performance compared to the perceived performance of his peers and subordinates. The disadvantage of including supervisors, peers and subordinate in performance appraisal is that it can be subjected to human dynamics and relativity. In the case stated, the engineer who has been rated poorly in social interaction might have been a victim of this. It is human nature that those who are stand outs are not liked by its peers which could be the case of the engineer in the problem stated. In addition, subjective factors like personal resentment or sheer dislike of a particular individual may be factored in the evaluation process. As mentioned above, 360 degree appraisal involves not only the employee and his superior but also his peers and subordinates. This provides a holistic perspective

INFLUENCE OF CULTURE ON SAFETY AND PROJECT PERFORMANCE Dissertation

INFLUENCE OF CULTURE ON SAFETY AND PROJECT PERFORMANCE - Dissertation Example It is a fact that there has over time, developed a lot of debate concerning the influence of safety culture in the construction industry of Saudi Arabia. According to Williamsen (2013), safety culture provides the project leader with the courage to follow through all the decisions that he has made because without it, then his decisions will most likely not be taken seriously by his subordinates, and will,  in fact, become meaningless. It has been found that in the Saudi construction industry, there has developed a need for the integration of conservative Saudi safety culture into the design of the building being constructed (Zou, Redman & Windon, 2008). It is a fact that many project leaders in Saudi Arabia in the past have been unsuccessful because they have failed to consider the importance of culture in this society when making decisions concerning safety and project performance, especially when these decisions were needed the most (DeJoy, Gershon & Schaffer, 2004). In this indu stry, every project leader should be conscious of the situations involving safety of their workers and this enables them to ensure that the safety of those who work in the construction site is ensured; they have to consider the best safety solutions that are culturally acceptable (Nelson, 1996; Simon & Frazee, 2005). They have to study the cultural needs exceptionally well and understand them so that their decisions concerning the project can be correct and well informed and this is likely to ensure that safety standards and the project performance are of the high. The purpose for this research is to explore how Saudi safety culture has come to influence the safety and performance of construction projects in the country. The study is based on the construction industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and seeks to explore the impact of this culture on the safety of employees as well as on project performance. The current aspects of safety culture and safety policies that have been ado pted by the construction industry in Saudi Arabia, as well as the factors that influence implementation of safety culture in construction companies will also be examined. Among the cultural factors that are going to be explored in this research include the religious recommendations on safety, the economic considerations, as well as the willingness of the construction companies to ensure the safety of their employees. The research would be helpful in determining the degree to which culture influences safety and performance of construction projects. Background According to Carrillo (2012) the failure of those taking on projects in Saudi Arabia to understand the importance of safety culture means that they will likely make decisions that are unacceptable, and these might end up jeopardizing the entire project. Moreover, individuals in the construction industry have to consider the fact that the safety culture of the Saudi Arabia is prescribed not only on the Holy Quran but also on the Sunnah. They therefore need to conduct investigations in order to come up with as much information about it as they can to ensure that all the construction projects that they undertake are in compatibility with the Sunnah (Chileshe & Dzisi, 2012). They should be extremely careful when attempting to stop those old practices which might be detrimental to the project, but part of the local culture, because the adoption of new ones leads to the immense failure of the safety standards as well as the project