Illegal immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Illegal immigration - Essay Example legal immigration is a deep rooted issue in the United States which affects it in many ways including it economy; thus it is important that employment regulations and penalizing policies should be maintained for these illegal immigrants. Many laws have been formulated to prevent illegal immigrants from entering the country but it cannot be denied that they have a very great impact on the economy of the United States. This is because they form a major portion of the working class in the country (Fuqua 217). The illegal workers form an integral part of many businesses. According to the Department of Labour, greater than fifty percent of the workers who pick crops are illegal immigrants. Despite of the benefit of an increased labour class provided by the illegal immigrants, they lay a negative impact on the economy as well. This is because people coming from the poor countries agree to a lower pay scale and the result is unemployment of the locals. Thus, this creates issues for the local as well as the federal government (Finnegan). The economical impact of the illegal immigrants is undeniable but their employment raises many issues for the employers who hire them. This is because the employers have to face the legal issues pressed against them for hiring the illegal people and at the same time, the illegal workers also demand compensation legally for the accidents in the workplace or for any act that they feel discriminates against them. â€Å"The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986† is an ct which clearly states the fact that illegal people residing in the United States should not be employed and it is the duty of the employers to check the legal documents of their employees to be sure that they reside legally in the country. Furthermore, if illegal immigrants are found to be working with forged documents used for employment, their jobs should be ended with immediate effect and they should also not be provided with any claims or benefits. These measures have

Ethics in International Environments Essay Example for Free

Ethics in International Environments Essay The different changes that are happening in the society greatly affect the norms and practices of people, especially those that are involved in the business sector. The existence of globalization has paved the way for business organization to expand their marketing operations outside their local countries and try targeting new consumers that are situated in foreign nations. However, in doing so, business organizations have to take into consideration the differences among nations, especially when it comes to values, beliefs, culture, legal system, and many others. In line with this, respecting and properly addressing the differences among countries also entails properly applying the decisions and business strategy of the company in such a way that it upholds business ethics. Business ethics refers to the applied or professional ethics that is used in order to identify the morality or rightness of a decision or action in ethical issues that arise in business organizations (Crane Matten, 2007). In line with this, the case study of the British American Tobacco Australia (BATA) in marketing their Winfield brand in Asia should carefully consider the ethical implications of their market expansion to the welfare of the consumers in that part of the world and also the overall effects of it in the robustness of the company. Brief Summary of the Case Study The British American Tobacco Australia (BATA) is maker of Winfield, an Australian brand of cigarette. Winfield is available in countries such as: Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, UK, and Europe. The main competitive advantage of Winfield as compared with other brands is the reputation that it has wherein it boost quality along with the concept of ‘more for less’, without being regarded as a ‘cheap’ brand. The brand has showed strong financial growth starting from its launch in Australia and other international market place. However, the stricter tobacco advertising restrictions has made it difficult for the organization to market and communicate to the consumers in order to sell Winfield. Due to this, the organization decided to enter the Asian market because their tobacco laws are not as strict as compared with the United States and Australia. BATA wants to maximize the potential of the Asian market before it begins banning cigarette advertising and tobacco smoking. In order to expand in the Asian market, BATA has to practice the multi-domestic marketing strategy. The multi-domestic marketing strategy entails that business organizations have to tailor made a marketing standard that adheres to the culture and personal preference of the target foreign market of the company (Kurtz, 2008). In relation to this, business organizations also have the ability to maintain the standard quality of the product by making sure that despite the differences in the marketing strategy, it still adheres to the core value and objective of the brand (Kitchen Schultz, 2001). Ethical Issues BATA has to address different issues when it comes to entering the Asian market. First, the organization has to identify as to what degree standardize policy on cigarette advertising and promotion has to be applied across borders. Second, BATA needs to find ways in order to establish a balance between ensuring ethical marketing activities and still gaining from the freedom of communication in some international market places. BATA has to reconcile whether a global marketing strategy or multi-domestic marketing strategy is the most effective marketing model that will benefit the organization (Kurtz, 2008). The organization has to face the ethical issue that comes with marketing and selling their cigarettes in the Asian market. BATA has to deal with the ethical dilemma that marketing Winfield in Asia might place the lives of people in danger because of ill effects of tobacco smoking. In addition, the organization also has to take into consideration the exposure of the marketing of Winfield to minors. Moreover, the reputation of the company should also be given utmost consideration because their image of giving quality products with a desire to give satisfaction to customers might be threatened by a wrong marketing move. Formulation of Alternative or Possible Solution In order to properly address the ethical issues that exist and others more that might arise, BATA has to analyze their decisions and actions through the Social Contract Theory (SCT). The Social Contract Theory pertains to a wide range of theories that try to explain the idea of how people willingly give a part of their right in order to form the state with the main purpose of ensuring social order. Every individual has their own respective rights, which they freely surrender a portion of to a higher authority usually the government, in order to prevent chaos and preserve order in the society (Crane Matten, 2007). In the context of international business ethics, the Social Contract Theory allows the establishment of a framework that will help address the ethical issues in relation with Winfield. The Social Contract Theory solves ethical issue by means of the following: (1) establish core principles that are related to the organization; (2) provides recommendations for various communities; (3) examine the appropriateness of marketing practices; (4) enables the theoretical foundation of norms and values (Crane Matten, 2007). Based on the Social Contract Theory, the possible solution entails BATA should identify specific and effective core value system for the organization. In order to properly identify the decisions and actions that the organization recognizes as ethical or unethical an outline of the core value system of the organization is necessary. Another important step is for the organization to implement the multi-domestic marketing strategy that will give importance to the specific preferences of different foreign markets. The organization has to tailor-made their marketing strategy to the needs of respective foreign countries. The appropriateness of the marketing practices of the organization should also be assured by means of establishing a separate department in the organization that will oversee that the marketing of Winfield adheres to the culture, preferences, and law of the foreign market it is being catered. Moreover, the norms and values of the company should be uphold by means of making marketing ads and other promotional materials that targets adults rather than minors. In addition, BATA should place warnings about the ill effects of smoking to the health of people in the very packaging of Winfield and also, in their marketing campaigns even if the law of the foreign country does not require such. BATA has to protect the reputation of the organization and one effective way of doing so is by effectively practicing corporate responsibility (Blownfield Murray, 2008). The organization has to be mindful of their duties and responsibilities to their consumers and the society as a whole. Recommendation The Utilitarian approach to ethics is a kind of normative ethics that assesses the morality or rightness of action based on its outcome. In utilitarianism, a decision or action is ethical when it yields the greatest benefit for the greatest number of people (Crane Matten, 2007). Based on utilitarianism, BATA has to give importance to the welfare of their consumers and not only the organization’s profit in order to make their business processes ethical. By means of establishing the core value system of the organization and also by making sure that the promotion of Winfield is focus on adults together with the corresponding health warning, BATA can be able to give the greatest benefit or happiness to almost all stakeholders that are involve. The organization will gain more profit and further develop their company by means of entering the Asian market. In addition, BATA’s greater corporate responsibility will further boost the reputation of the company. In the side of the consumers, they will have more variation when it comes to cigarette choices. The consumers are also properly informed by the company of the health risks of smoking, which will give them informed-consent on deciding whether they will smoke or not. References Blowfield, M. , Murray A. (2008). Corporate Responsibility: A Critical Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press. Crane, A. Matten, D. (2007). Business Ethics: Managing Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability in the Age of Globalization. New York: Oxford University Press. Kitchen, P. J. , Schultz, D. E. (2001). Raising the Corporate Umbrella: Corporate Communication in the 21st Century. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Kurtz, D. L. (2008). Contemporary Marketing. New York: Cengage Learning.

Personal Statement :: College Admissions Essays

Since the beginning of my academic endeavors, I have long cherished a dream to be a member of the social science research community, which gives our society progressive insights into human ecology. I began my undergraduate studies at Ramapo College of New Jersey with a passion for ecological justice and with the intention of majoring in environmental studies. Ramapo College’s progressive liberal arts foundation provided me with ample room to explore the multifarious array of social science courses. As I took more social science courses, however, my understanding of human social groups underwent a metamorphosis. As a result, I decided to pursue a degree in Social Science, with minors in the two fields I felt most passionately interested in, Women’s Studies and African American Studies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Two courses that were critical in my intellectual development were the Sociology of Social Movements and the Dynamics of Domestic Violence. In the Sociology of Social Movements, I designed a research project, â€Å"Women, War, and Resistance†. In this piece I examined crucial issues surrounding wars on a global level, such as rape as a weapon of war, sexual trafficking, and various grassroots war-resistance groups formed by women on a local level. In addition, after taking the course on Dynamics of Domestic Violence, I had the opportunity of doing field work at a domestic violence shelter. For this independent study, I met with a professor of the women’s studies department on a weekly basis to discuss my experiences and to receive assistance in my research project: â€Å"The Effects of Domestic Violence on Adolescents.† My motivation to research, discover, and stimulate social change is rooted in my childhood experiences. As a young child I grew up in a household filled with domestic violence, which ultimately ended with the suicide of my father. I subsequently came to know a variation of the typical American nuclear family: a single parent household. As I began to study family dynamics further, I was able to see my life experiences in a broader context. In hindsight, I now realize the impact and weight my own mother had on my personal development. It was through her strength, determination, and optimism that I was able to find the spark within myself to set goals and dreams for my future. She encouraged me never to accept anything at face value, including the way our society attempts to define my womanhood. As a result of this, I now question American culture’s classification of a ‘successful’ family and the factors that determine a ‘stable’ family.

An Analysis of Advertisement Essay

In the Hunter/Gatherer section of Omnivore’s Dilemma, Pollan talks about what it takes to accomplish the task of developing a meal on his own; consequently, the people of today’s society are so used to the abundance of food that they have no idea what all is involved in establishing a full meal. Americans take this great abundance of food for granted, which causes an increased craving for more. This is where the world of advertisement has been the strongest. One of the easiest ways to reach people is through their food; therefore, major food industries try to lure people in at all costs just to buy their products. The Fast food industry is the ringleader of all this trickery. They try their best to make people believe that their food is the best on the market, and in this process they hide several of their flaws with a beautiful or very appealing advertisement. The creation of an advertisement has been broken down into a specific science where the creator of the advertisement can specifically pinpoint the targeted audience’s interests. The advertisement of industrial foods has become a major weakness in the American culture; consequently, the factors of this weakness come from the inability for omnivores to make the right decision on what to eat, whether or not the food is good for them, the lack of courtesy for others and themselves, and the failure to see through the pretty colors and the attractive facade advertisements display. One example of this corruption of food culture can be viewed in a simple Carl’s Jr. ad. In this advertisement, there is depicted a hamburger and few lines of text, but the simplicity of this ad is what makes it all the more deceiving. The creator of this ad uses several pictorial techniques in order to captivate anyone that may see it. First of all, the colors in the hamburger are brilliant and eye-catching such as: the perfect golden color of the sesame seed bun; the bright yellow of the cheese between two layers of perfectly charbroiled beef patties; the vibrant red of the ketchup; and the perfectly fresh look of the tomatoes, onions, and lettuce. This ad rives its viewers to believe that this hamburger is ideal and seems almost tangible. As though the brilliant colors of the hamburger was not enough, the creator of this ad uses a black background in order to illuminate all the hamburger’s superlative attributes. As the ad is further examined, the three line of white, bolded text is inescapable, especially on the black background. Another way the advertiser att racts the viewer is through the positioning of the ad on the poster, billboard, etc. Here in this particular ad, the picture has almost perfect axial balance. This means that the main focus of the ad, the burger, is the central item of the whole ad, and this is definitely the first thing the advertiser wants his viewers to see. Another thing about the orientation of the picture is almost looks three-dimensional. The advertiser does this so that the viewer can get as close to the burger without smelling it or tasting it as possible. The next biggest thing on the advertisement is the catchy phrase that is in a special font and size that is the next thing that catches the eye. The ambience in the Carl’s Jr. dvertisement is that of a bold hunger and also casually crude. This mood is set not only by the picture but also by what the words imply. The phrase printed on the ad, â€Å" She’ll tell you size doesn’t matter. She’s lying† is an old joke that is crude and degrading for women. Here, in an underlying way, women are itemized and they are seen as some kind of prize instead of a human being. Not only does th e text degrade women but also men. It degrades men in that the creator of this advertisement thinks that all men walk around thinking about sex all the time. Unfortunately, this is probably true, and it is a pretty â€Å"low blow† to take advantage of such a serious weakness. Pollan states that one of the omnivore’s frequently asked question is â€Å"What should we do for dinner† (1). When searching for the answer, people will seek it anywhere, and sadly, many fall into the vulgarity of this ad. Pollan explains this notion when he says, â€Å"When you can eat just about anything nature has to offer, deciding what you should eat will inevitably stir anxiety, especially when some of the potential foods on offer are liable to kill you† (3). Although a hamburger may not kill someone, the insinuation of sex in the ad can drag people down to the nasty greasy level of the burger. Although this ad is crude and misleading, the creator of it uses pathos, ethos and logos very well in order to reach a future consumer. The pathos, or emotion, that the advertiser sets through his ad is that of sex and pride. Both of these are not actually stated in the ad, but these are the emotions that take place when the ad is comprehended. The creator of this ad has a certain target, and that target is any man over the age of thirteen. He uses their greatest weakness, their sex drive, to lure them I to wanting one of those burgers. This use of sexual reference is a very good example of logos because the creator uses the tactic of testing men’s pride. A great amount of a man’s pride comes from his sexual endowments. Here in this article those endowments are being tested from the standpoint of almost saying, â€Å"Are you man enough to eat this burger? † The ethos of this ad though is low. Usually it is not right to take advantage of someone’s greatest weakness, which is done here to men. But, because of the ongoing battle between fast food chains today, it is important to take advantage of any weakness the consumer may have in order to win their business. The role of this Carl’s Jr. advertisement is an excellent example of how the world views food and the lack of respect for it. The statement made in the text is a crude, humorous, cliche joke that has been a little over used. The advertiser shows not only his level of maturity, but also the maturity of the consumers that fall for this trick. It is not just what the words say on the ad that makes it wrong, but what the words imply. This underlying reference towards sex is probably the lowest advertisers could reach to appeal to their targeted consumers. Where in a hamburger does someone get sexual aspirations? There is nothing sexy or in any way appealing of someone eating a giant, messy hamburger. For people to be satisfied in their food because it is advertised in this way is absurd and disrespectful not only to the food itself, but also the people who prepared it. In this particular Carl’s Jr. ad, all that is shown is the glorious end product of a long line of â€Å"dirty work†, and the middleman who did that work is forgotten. If people had to go back to the days when the meal had to provided without the help industry, there would be a whole new level of respect for those who work to produce those foods. The hunter/ gatherer group was allowed to see a small portion of what steps it takes to get a meal on the table from the very beginning. The greatest dilemma that they faced was finding enough food, and in the beginning, having food at all. Although this was a great obstacle, it also gave the group a sense of accomplishment when they had conquered the task producing a complete meal without the help of anything but nature. This way of life is how people had to do it before there were any industrial food chains. It has almost become a lost art. Pollan explains this when he says, â€Å"Now there are some people (though not all that many of them anymore) for whom such a radically self-made meal exists firmly in the realm of possibility. I am not one of them† (277). He uses himself as an example of this loss of culture and heritage. In this advertisement of the Carl’s Jr. Super Star with cheese, many things can be taken from the simple picture of the burger and the text. The fast food industry has ruined people because they have all the food they need at a quick cheap price, and unfortunately this has caused people to take the life necessity of food for granted. People have perverted the food industry with their lack of respect for food and themselves through the food they eat and the way that food is sometimes advertised. Industrial food chains make their ads look so perfect and tasty, but unfortunately, the real thing is nowhere near what is advertised. Fast food is a trick that everyone is falling for. This quick food blinds people to the hard work it takes to get the meal from the field to the table.

Global Warming Poses Threat to Ski Resorts in USA Essay

The American west is marvellous, it is large with grand landscapes and mountains reaching to the sky . The plains unfold to the horizon and the vistas present an unimaginable panorama. Just like any where else in the world, water is an essential element to life here but it is scarce hence creating the west’s vulnerability. Precipitation is generally low and cannot support agriculture it is for this reason that agriculture is only possible through irrigation. This precipitation is not only scarce but scarcest in the summers when it is mostly needed but falls disproportionately and mostly in the mountains in the winter. The only saving grace is that in winter it precipitates as snow and stays as snow packs throughout the winter. It is on the basis of these weather patterns that the winter sports tourism is established. This industry has served as the main economic driving machine of the west and other other areas for decades. However, changing climatic patterns and global warming has emerged as a serious threat to the existence of the winter sports industry. Projected increases in average global temperatures due to increases in green house gases in the atmosphere has been incriminated in widespread glacial and white cap decreases, ocean level rise and warming but most importantly in the reduction of snow cover and the decrease in the duration of winter tourism. The unpredictability of the future and the climate sensitive nature of winter sports tourism has led to many initiative aimed curbing the increase in green house gases and consequently making snow available. Introduction Compelling evidence suggests that global climate has been on a progressive change since the industrial era and is projected to continue over the 21st century and beyond. Global warming and climate change is an unequivocal phenomenon. Global mean temperature has been on the increase with an approximate increase of 0. 760 C between 1850-1899. the same increase has been found between 2001 and 2005. This means that global predictions of temperature bear a >90% probability (IPPC. Climate Change and Tourism, 2007). These increases in average temperatures are a direct result of human activities that increase the concentrations of green house gases in the atmosphere. The extent of these discernible human influences have also extended to other climate change aspects such as temperature extremes, changes in wind patterns, continental average temperatures and ocean warming. The same is applicable to the widespread glacial and white cap decreases coupled with warming of the ocean surface temperatures, the result is a sea level rise of approximately 1. 8mm yearly from 1961-2003 and approximately 3. 1mm yearly from 1993-2003. The resultant effect of biological response in ecosystems and species diversity presents an unpleasant scenario and these statistics are recorded in virtually every continent. It is projected that the probability of increase in global temperatures will further accelerate green house gas emissions at the present or above the present rates. The prediction pushes overall global temperature rise by 1. 80C -4. 00C. Assuming that the atmospheric concentrations of green house gases are stabilized, the warming effect would still continue due to the levels of green house gases from past emissions and the consequent thermal inertia of oceans. The biological response would also be extrapolated to future centuries even if the levels are stabilized at the present concentrations today. The discernible manifestations worldwide will be hot temperature extremes, extreme heat waves, heavy precipitation, peak wind speeds and precipitation in tropical cyclone events and an additional heavy precipitation associated with increases in tropical sea and surface temperatures. Together with these climatic changes extra tropical storm tracks are projected to shift towards the poles. All these changes together with the decreases in show cover will continue into the future. The economic and environmental risks are unfathomable and would effectively impede nations strides towards the achievements of sustainable developments. However, there is hope that if precautions and measures are taken to reduce green house gases today the high costs of environmental and economic destruction and disruption can fairly be mitigated. This calls for lifestyle changes, economic policies and regulations and international efforts that not only help reduce the causative agents of climate change and global warming but also foster adaptation and mitigation measures to meet the challenges of climate change. Climate change and Tourism Climate change, especially global warming has grown to be a pivotal issue in the development and management of tourism. The relationship between the environment, climate and tourism sector is currently a highly sensitive economic matter. Climate change is increasingly driving tourism development and decision making, changing tourism destinations and even tourist tastes. Tourism sector remains a non negligible contributor to climatic changes. GHG emissions from transport and accommodation must be reduced in accordance with international standards. Tourism sector cannot address the challenges of climatic changes themselves and in isolation but they can only do this in the context of sustainable development and the broader international development agenda. Tourism and the sustainability of tourism destinations is dependent on climate variability. The length and the quality of seasons as well as destination choice and the level of tourist spending are all determined by climate change. Climate change and winter sports Winter sports constitute a very source of income and the reliability of snow is a key element in the touristic offer. Skiing and snowboarding are the most common forms of writer sports but others such as snow hiking and cross-country skiing also depends on the reliability and the availability of enough snow. Mountainous areas are always very sensitive to climate change hence less snow, melting permafrost, receding glaciers and extreme events such as landslides. Additionally climate change shift mountain fauna and flora. These effects pose a direct threat to ski resorts in the United States. Lower earnings in winter tourism will only serve to exacerbate economic disparities that exist between the alpine regions and the more developed urban areas. These changes will also increase the risk of only skiing at high altitude up the mountain. If this was to happen there would be an intense concentration of sports activities in certain regions as well as further putting pressure on the environmentally sensitive high mountains. The extrapolation of the effects of global warming on winter tourism extends to the viability of the mountain cable way companies that use the availability of snow as a prerequisite for their financial stability. Without snow or enough snow the profitability of the ski industry is impossible. The absence of snow in the mountains will be like having a summer without a sea. The variability of the winter season with response to climate change will deny the winter sports industry the right levels of snow at the right time. These forecasts are a necessity in planning for trips at shorter notices especially the weekends (Rolf Burki et al, 2003) Studies undertaken in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland and the United States to establish the impact of climate change on the tourism sector show severe implications especially to the winter sports industry. While some regions with high technological advances like adaptation strategies (artificial snow making) will maintain their tourism, others unable to adapt the expensive technologies will lose out. These transitions in business volumes will not only be driven by limiting snow levels but also the fact that skiers respond flexibility to snow conditions. During a snow poor season, 49% of skies are most likely to change to a resort that is fairly more snow reliable, 32% would reduce the frequency of skiing and only 4% would give up the sport. Coupled together with the fact that climate change has a direct effect on the number of ski days, those unable to adapt to expensive technologies will be disadvantaged and pushed out of business. (Rolf Burki et al, 2003). Snow resorts not concentrated in snow reliable high altitude areas will be forced to withdraw from the market because of decreasing levels of snow. For transport industries that will offer access to high altitude areas (sometimes higher than 200m) business prospects will be good due an expected increase in skiing at the high altitudes. The effect of this will be quantitative expansion of the high altitude skiing resorts hence eliciting a negative environmentally feedback effect caused by disruption of the ecologically sensitive high altitude mountain regions. Presently, this expected expansion to high altitude areas has been the theme of many concept studies that influence the opening up of High Mountain (Breiling and Charamza, 1999) It is for these effects of climate change that during a recent campaign in Portsmouth, N. H, Barrack Obama the Democratic Party presidential candidate reiterated that there is need to address the urgency of global warming on the ski industry. He said that global warming is not a future problem but a present one. This problem has made New Hampshire to have shorter sporting seasons and people are losing jobs. He further reiterated that residents of North America ski areas together with their customers should work hand in hand to change their energy spending. habits and resort to green technology if they were to prevent climate caused melt-downs (Laura Bly, 2007) Resorts have started investing in sustainable seafood practices, local food supplies, biodiesel powered snow cats and embracing the use of more energy efficient snow making equipment. To achieve this, campaigns on global warming and discounts are being offered to guests who come in hybrid cans. What is even more impressing is that resorts have taken the challenge of campaigning for these changes as well as acting as advocates for intergovernmental change. Effects of global warming have also been reported in Burlington Vt. The city is usually carpeted in December but unfortunately changing climatic conditions has created a mild situation where snowfall is meager just an inch thick. The temperatures are becoming warmer and fewer trails open. However, these fears have been allayed by the optimism of the meteorological department prediction that the season will progress as Christmas approaches. According to Michael Berry; president of the National ski Areas Association, the potential impacts winter recreation, the mountain ecosystem and the way of life of residents in these areas cannot be ignored. Global warming has a direct and profound effect on the ski business as it depends solely on the variability of weather. To drive this process of change, the association has adapted a policy to regulate and control climate change. The reduce, educate and advocate approach was adopted to help in the fight against global warming. Key in the policy is a call to ski resorts to work towards the reduction of green house gas emissions individually and collectively, educate the public and guests on the potential impacts of climate change to writer sports industry and be the advocate in pushing for institutional and regulatory changes aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions (Michael Berry, 2007). To this end almost half of the 59 ski resorts, who have purchased renewable energy credits or utilized green energy for their lifts and other facilities are 100% green powered hence reducing carbon dioxide emission by 427,596,000 pounds an equivalent of planting almost 17 million trees. Customers are encouraged to offset their emission and work towards increasing green energy use in their home. Generation of renewable energy through on site solar projects or micro hydro power projects and wind energy has greatly increased with Jimmy Peak Mountain Resort in Massachusetts installing the first wind turbine powered ski area in August 2007. Resort vehicle fleets are now using alternative fuels like biodiesel, they also provide or promote car pooling or mass transit use. Ski resorts are being built using green building techniques and retrofitting existing facilities all with the aim of saving energy. Though an outreach program called â€Å"Keep Winter cool† millions of people have been educated on global warming and encouraged to institute lifestyle changes to help curb global warming. Specific Impacts of Global Warming on Winter Tourism . Snow The financial viability and stability of the winter sports tourism industry solely depends on the availability of sufficient snow. Less snow pack is caused by higher average temperatures, on the other hand if there are extremely low temperatures at night then it follows that there is likely to be an average increase in daytime temperatures. In both cases the resultant effect is less mountain snow cover and a reduction in the duration of cover. (Stephen Saunders et al, 2005). This means that recreation will be shortened and the snow will be slushier. The big difference to earlier situation where snow cover was considerably reduced is that, the capital intensity of the winter sports tourism will be considerably high. When this is analyzed in the context of profits from ski dependent businesses, taxes from local and state governments, the financial prospects of industries in the winter tourism sector look bleak. However, the most important link between climate change and mountain tourism is less snow and, as a consequence, less earnings in ski tourism. Glaciers Statistics all over the world point to the fact that there is a general retreat of glacial cover all over the world. Taking Switzerland as an example, since 1850, the Swiss glaciers have lost slightly more than 25% of their surface. If this was to continue in the future, by 2030, approximately 20% to 70% of the total Swiss glacial cover will disappear. This is a real problem for the ski industry not only in Switzerland but across the world as ski tourists will resort to other countries with snow availability. The effect of this trend will be putting more pressure on the existing ski facilities as well as acting as an incentive for investment in high altitude areas. Permafrost Melting of permafrost due to global warming makes mountain areas vulnerable to landslides. Transport facilities such as the mountain cable way stations, the lift masts and buildings become instable. Them costs incurred in bracing and anchoring such buildings when permafrost melts are extremely high. Hiking and climbing in these areas is also made more dangerous hence the loss of revenue due to potential risk of injury like rockfall or other health outcomes. Despite of cries over decreases in snow levels in the future, there is a possibility of winters with heavy snow like that of 1998/1999 that brought a great deal of losses in the winter tourism industry. The avalanche winter destroyed mountain cable ways, ski-lifts and chair lifts. The expenses incurred on sow clearing and the overall loss incurred was in excess of US $ 130 million. Adaptations for the future ski industry should therefore inculcate these historical weather unpredictability patterns in improving the industry’s financial viability. Adaptations and Strategies Used by the Tourism Industry to Mitigate Against the Impacts of Global Warming All tourism representatives at political,organizational, entrepreneurial or operational level have been in the forefront in pushing for adaptation strategies to curb climate change and help mitigate the potential effects of global warming. The experiences that project what is going to come in the future are prevalent today and is widely accepted that snow deficient conditions will determine whether winter tourism will remain a viable economic activity. To achieve this a multi sectoral framework that consists of the National Ski Areas Association(NSAA), Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC), the federal government through the Senate Environment and Public Works, state stakeholders and other non governmental civil society organizations have developed a Climate Change policy aimed at reducing the concentrations of green house emissions. Ski resorts have been encouraged to adopt safe and efficient energy usage through the exploitation of renewable energy resources. It is this concerted effort in mitigating climate change challenges that also saw the support and endorsement of McCain/Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act to spearhead the fight against global warming. Specifically these attempts will help stabilize the US$ 5 billion mountain resort industry that currently offers employment to 165,000 people. Despite the existence of facts that predict radical effects in the industry, some argue that climate change issues are very exaggerated and politicized by science and the media. They argue that even though the effects could intensify problems in the industry, the majority of resorts in medium and high altitudes will be barely affected. Discussions should yield strategies that take into account the accuracy of statistical data disseminated on climate change and critically analyze the potential consequences. These issues should further be analyzed with reference to the global competition in the winter tourism sector. The facts that accrue from these forums should then be integrated in the construction of artificial snow flaking facilities, extend existing ski runs. Opening of high altitude ski resorts (2000-3000m)should be guided by the potential ecological effect. Climate change should not only be viewed as a negative challenge to winter tourism but also as a catalyst to drive radical structural adjustment and change. These developments should take into account the present risks and opportunities as well as foster development that is in line with the strive for environmental and socio economic sustainability. This will create a highly competitive market where customer preference is not only driven by snow availability but by the efficiency of service in some very high end but smaller less extensive resorts. Such top resorts will offer attractive offers for skiing tourists and hence reduce attention on expansive developments with less attractive offers. Artificial Snow making This is an ubiquitous strategy that is widely employed to mitigate the risk of climate change. Since its inception in 1953 at the Grossinger’s Resort in New York, it has grown to become the principle in the ski industry with an approximate 95% of the resorts engaged in the strategy. Its success has mainly been driven by its invaluable superior nature that offers a complete substitute to natural snow fall as well as making it possible to extend skiing durations(Daniel D. D. McGill, 2007). However, this technology is heavily dependent on temperature and is only effective in cases at low temperatures. Technological advances has seen the reduction of labor costs through the use of snow guns operated by computers. Snow making utilizes vast volumes of water and therefore the availability of water must be guaranteed for efficient blanketing of a large resort. Weather Derivatives. These are weather risk management tools structured to enable ski resorts make appropriate and informed decisions. They can be structured on snow fall temperature according to the customers specifications. Other factors that can be utilized to mitigate the effects of global warming include r4evenue diversification, cloud seeding and marketing to insulate the resorts against variability of weather by enabling them to maximumly capitalize when the weather is excellent. Conclusions Climate change and global warming remains will continue to remain key challenges in the winter tourism industry especially the ski resorts. Less snow, less glaciers and extreme weather events such as landslides are the key determinants of the future viability of ski resorts. Strategies instituted to meet the challenges of climatic change and mitigate the impacts of global warming can never be successful if implemented in isolation. It is commendable fact that the skiing industry has adopted sustainable building techniques,inculcated green principles and technology in their operations among others. These precedents are admirable but we have to admit that when taken in the global context, these measures do very little in stemming the worrying tide of global warming whose effects are felt indiscriminately. Global warming is a worldwide problem and therefore all the measures undertaken by the tourism industry must be in line with national and international guidelines that aim at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In the future, tourist developments will not only be evaluated and judged with respect to their environmental or socio-economic compatibility and viability but they will also be assessed with respect to the climate-compatibility angle.

Definition and Examples of a Persona in Literature

Definition and Examples of a Persona in Literature A persona is a voice or mask that an author, speaker, or performer puts on for a particular purpose. Plural: personae or personas. Persona comes from the Latin word meaning mask, and may also be referred to as an implied author or an artificial author. Author Katherine Anne Porter explained the relation between writing style and persona: A cultivated style would be like a mask. Everybody knows its a mask, and sooner or later you must show yourself - or at least, you show yourself as someone who could not afford to show himself, and so created something to hide behind (Writers at Work, 1963). Similarly, essayist E.B. White observed that writing is a form of imposture. Im not at all sure I am anything like the person I seem to a reader. Various Observations on Persona [L]ike the I of the lyric and of the real and invented autobiography, the I of the essayist is a mask.(Joseph P. Clancy, The Literary Genres in Theory and Practice. College English, April 1967)The artful I of an essay can be as chameleon as any narrator in fiction.(Edward Hoagland, What I Think, What I Am)He who speaks is not he who writes, and he who writes is not he who is.†(Roland Barthes, quoted by Arthur Krystal in Except When I Write. Oxford University Press, 2011)You may rely on it that you have the best of me in my books, and that I am not worth seeing personally - the stuttering, blundering, clod-hopper that I am.(Henry David Thoreau, letter to Calvin H. Greene, February 10, 1856)Writing is a form of imposture. Im not at all sure I am anything like the person I seem to a reader. . . .[T]he man on paper is always a more admirable character than his creator, who is a miserable creature of nose colds, minor compromises, and sudden flights into nobility. . . . I suppose r eaders who feel friendly toward someone whose work they like seldom realize that they are drawn more toward a set of aspirations than toward a human being.(E.B. White, Letters of E.B. White, ed. by Dorothy Lobrano Guth. Harper, 1976) [T]he person in a personal essay is a written construct, a fabricated thing, a character of sortsthe sound of its voice a byproduct of carefully chosen words, its recollection of experience, its run of thought and feeling, much tidier than the mess of memories, thoughts, and feelings arising in ones consciousness. . . . Indeed, when personal essayists write about self-embodiment in the essay, they often acknowledge an element of fabrication or of artful impersonation.(Carl H. Klaus, The Made-Up Self: Impersonation in the Personal Essay. University of Iowa Press, 2010) Perlman on Person and Persona Persona is the Latin word for the masks used in the Greek drama. It meant that the actor was heard and his identity recognized by others through the sounds that issued from the open mask mouth. From it the word person emerged to express the idea of a human being who meant something, who represented something, and who seemed to have some defined connectedness with others by action or affects. (We still use person to connote this: we say of an infant who begins to show awareness of self in relation to others, Hes becoming a person.) A person makes himself known, felt, taken in by others, through his particular roles and their functions. Some of his personae - his masks - are readily detachable and put aside, but others become fused with his skin and bone.(Helen Harris Perlman, Persona: Social Role and Personality. University of Chicago Press, 1986) Hemingway's Public Persona According to those who knew him well, Hemingway was a sensitive, often shy man whose enthusiasm for life was balanced by his ability to listen intently . . . That was not the Hemingway of the news stories. The media wanted and encouraged a brawnier Hemingway, a two-fisted man whose life was fraught with dangers. The author, a newspaper man by training, was complicit in this creation of a public persona, a Hemingway that was not without factual basis, but also not the whole man. Critics, especially, but the public as well, Hemingway hinted in his 1933 letter to [Maxwell] Perkins, were eager automatically to label Hemingways characters as himself, which helped establish the Hemingway persona, a media-created Hemingway that would shadow - and overshadow - the man and writer.(Michael Reynolds, Hemingway in Our Times. The New York Times, July 11, 1999) Borges and the Other Self It is to my other self, to Borges, that things happen. I walk about Buenos Aires and I pause, almost mechanically, to contemplate the arch of an entry or the portal of a church; news of Borges comes to me in the mail, and I see his name on a short list of professors or in a biographical dictionary. I am fond of hourglasses, maps, 18th-century typography, the etymology of words, the tang of coffee, and the prose of Stevenson; the other one shares these enthusiasms, but in a rather vain, theatrical way. . . .I cannot tell which one of us is writing this page.(Jorge Luis Borges, Borges and I)

The Bluest Eye Essay Example

The Bluest Eye Essay Example The Bluest Eye Essay The Bluest Eye Essay movies, etc. They conducted studies that showed magazines, video games, T. V. , music videos, etc. all have a dramatic effect on young girls self esteem. ‘Sexualization can lead to a lack of confidence with their bodies as well as depression and eating disorders. ’ Just like Pecola, ‘role models’ and figures in society perceive beauty one way- and young girls believe they must look like these people in order to be seen as beautiful. In conclusion, Pecola did not find and accept herself for the girl she was, therefore she lost everything that was important to her- her friends, family, and ultimately herself. The issues the Breedlove’s go through could have been overcome easily by searching for the answers: they needed to learn how to forgive someone, learn how to handle vice with self-control, and learn to believe in themselves. The Breedlove’s could not seem to answer these questions, and although our world can’t either- we can try.

How Hair Detangler Works and Recipes to Make It

How Hair Detangler Works and Recipes to Make It If you have long hair, chances are youve experienced the pain and frustration of trying to comb out snarls. Hair detangler is like a magical elixir, able to smooth away your cares with the spritz of a pump or wave of your hand. How does it work? Its an example of chemistry in action. Hair Detangler Basics Although there are many possible ingredients in hair detangler, they all work by altering the surface of your hair. Hair detangler is a type of hair conditioner that smooths your hair by coating it with an oil or polymer and/or by acidifying it so that the hairs surface tightens up, smoothing the scales on the hairs outer surface or cuticle and imparting a positive electrical charge to prevent the static that can worsen tangles. Common Chemicals in Hair Detanglers If you check the ingredients list of a hair detangler, youll likely see one or more of these ingredients: Silicone (e.g., dimethicone or Cyclomethicone), a polymer that adds gloss to hair by binding to its surface.Acidifier, a ​chemical that lowers the pH of the detangler, strengthening the hydrogen bonds between keratin molecules in hair, smoothing and tightening each strand.Hydrolyzed Protein helps to repair damaged keratin, smoothing the broken edges so strands of hair dont catch on each other as much.Cationic Surfactants binds to the negatively charged keratin, becoming the new smoother surface of the hair.Oils fill in the pores of dry or damaged hair, making it softer, more pliable, and less likely to tangle. Homemade Hair Detangler If you dont have detangler on hand, you can mix up some yourself. There are several options: Dilute regular hair conditioner. Spritz a mixture of 2 tablespoons conditioner in 16 ounces of water onto damp hair.Fill a spray bottle with the following herbal hair detangler mixture: 8 ounces distilled water1 teaspoon aloe vera gel10-15 drops grapefruit seed extract1-2 drops glycerin1-2 drops essential oil (e.g., lavender, jojoba, chamomile) Rinse hair with rainwater (usually acidic) or make your own acidifying rinse by adding 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar to an empty 20-ounce water bottle. Fill the remainder of the bottle with water and use the mixture to rinse clean hair.Rub tangled dry hair with a dryer sheet prior to combing it out.

Fact or Fiction Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fact or Fiction Assignment - Essay Example He is considered to be the one of the most important and successful guitarist of the decade. In the 1990’s John White was the lead guitarist in the first album named â€Å"The Go†. He also played drums for a group named Goober and the Peas. He married a bartender named Meg White, in 1996. He adapted his last name and started playing music with her. Jack use to sing and play guitar in the band whereas Meg was on drums. The marriage of Jack and Meg did not last longer but the band did. It was at the age of 38 when White achieved the success which all the musicians dream of. He collaborated with different bands and musicians such as the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Loretta Lynn and Beck were some of them. The band â€Å"The White Stripes† was formed in the year 1997. Jack White formed this band along with his wife Meg White. The career of the band started as an underground band playing with other local bands like the Paybacks, Bantam Rooster, Rocket 455, the Dirt bombs and Henchmen. It was in the year 1998 that White Stripes signed for the Italy record, which was an independent and small garage punk rock label conducted by Dave Buick based on Detroit. The self-titled album of the band was released in the year 1999. It was a year after this album was followed by another cult classic named De Stijl. This album was there on 38th position on the Billboard’s Independent Album’s chart because of which the popularity of the band got established. Jack White and Meg were easily recognizable during their performances as they dressed completely in black, white and red. â€Å"The White stripes† is considered to be the most influential and popular rock band of the 20’s. It was only the first of Jack White’s three bands which was able to create a mark on the decade. The second band named â€Å"The Raconteur† started in the year 2005, when Jack White and some of his friends and other fellow musicians like Brendan Benson were spending time jamming in the

Health Care Delivery Model Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health Care Delivery Model Interview - Essay Example I decided to choose my interviewee since he was readily available, and considered one of the best primary care providers we have so far. Primary care provider is a medical doctor and one who gives both the first aid for people with an undiagnosed issues of health. They also continue in providing health care for the varied medical conditions, not limited either by diagnosis or cause. Managed care as they call it today began during the years of 1940s with Maintenance Organizations (HMOs). As the costs for health care rose, employers signed contracts with different companies that offered to manage the health care issues (Minnesota Department of Health, 2006). Managed care in the United States has become common since the early years of 1990s, and up to date it is still the most dominant health insurance. Managed care creates incentives for primary care providers so that they can reduce their services, which has been a case study for researchers in the recent past. Systems of managed heal th care do not face the challenges cost balancing control with the provision of quality care; hence the care providers forced to tell about their financial incentives to the public (Starfield, 2005). Q; what changes are taking place in the healthcare delivery model? Dr. MacGann: There has been rapid growth during the recent past in managed health care, but the restricted practices have drawn unending criticism from both patients and physicians. The role of managed care has also declined in the recent years, in the constraining of health care services. This is due to the uprising concern about the restrictions. Reforms in the healthcare department currently taking part nationwide are advantageous for significant change. The new model in healthcare will integrate a chain supply of payers, brokers, providers and employers. If managed care can become restrictive, then this could be hugely beneficial towards patient access and also their care. Q: Why should the employers take note? Dr. M acGann: the most fundamental thing is that due to changes in the current industry, compliance with the regulations, shifting concerns and related requirements will be extraordinarily challenging. This challenge makes changes that are regulatory that will continue to be processed, thus encouraging the employers more and more through the years. To this also is that the rising costs in the market are also bringing changes in the options of healthcare. Q: what are healthcare providers doing in order to stay ahead in this competitive market? Dr. MacGann: Those that provide healthcare must be able to think of not competition and also about competition in day to day changing marketplace. Implementations and initiatives implemented that are to be witnessed are driving efficiencies for the betterment of the market places. Most of the entrepreneurs are giving a helping hand in making sure that that offering are available to help maintain the higher efficiency and lower costs for those that pr ovide healthcare, which in the ultimate end will provide a higher value to the employers. Q: What will this program provide to its attendees? Dr. MacGann: The program will try to provide brokers, providers, payers and employers of how the current health marketplace is and also concerning the future. It tries to open up an overview of the delivery marketplace as a whole. Q: What are the new opportunities under healthcare reform? Dr. MacGann: A good example to this would be the creation of new market of insurance for both small employers and

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and its relation to the Bible Essay

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and its relation to the Bible - Essay Example Watson to read and learn about significant people in the Bible. Mark Twain satirizes the misuse of Christianity by depicting Christian’s lack of understanding, hypocrisy, and over-reliance of text by using Hulk as the most moral character. Christianity values are integrated in American history and tend to act as the driving force of the American culture; these are the values that Mark Twain is able to satirize while indicating views that have been altered through time (Web). Twain utilizes many situations in the story to compare his characters and real people by giving his characters a very realistic tone. He has successfully satirized real people and showed how hypocrites Christians can be. Huck is presented as the most moral character in the novel; this role is also played well by Jim. Interestingly, there rest of the characters is unable to understand such kind of moral presented by and the only evident thing is his exterior character (Twain Web). In The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, Huck’s father is thought to be dead and a woman named Window Douglas, portrayed as a kind Christian, takes care of him, and teaches him bible stories (Twain Web). Widow Douglas is committed in civilizing Huck as she takes care of him out of goodness and urges him to live a good life and pray often without expecting any reimbursement from him. However, later in the story, Huck runs away with Miss Watson’s property, feels guilty for stealing, and believes he will go to hell for helping Jim escape (Berkove & Csicsila 81-85). Such kind of belief is believed to have been contributed by the teachings he got from Widow Douglas. Widow Douglas and Miss Watson are depicted as having a very controlled Christian mold from people and with their fixed idea; they are trying to adopt Huck to fit this mold (Ezekiel 33:31). They feel that Huck’s physical attributes are not in line with Christian

Womens Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Womens Human Rights - Essay Example This paper is aimed at analyzing the very depth of Canada's women's rights. More specifically, this tackles the history of women's rights in Canada, the benefits that it has given to its populace - both for the men and women, and the comparison of Canada's women's rights versus that of the other countries. The United Nations' Charter protected the equal rights of women. The human rights of women is one of 12 critical areas of concern in the Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and was further elaborated at the 42nd session (1998) of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/foreign_policy/human-rights/Iwe2-rights-en.asp, 2006). Canada was one of the first countries to sign and ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 1979. CEDAW introduced a gender component to the rights outlined in other international human rights treaties. It sets international standards for eliminating gender discrimination (http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/foreign_policy/human-rights/Iwe2-rights-en.asp, 2006). This human rights of women remains a central foreign policy priority for Canada, both in bilateral discussions and in multilateral forum. Canada has been working so hard make women's human rights a strong focus of the Commission on the Status of Women and the Commission on Human Rights, and Canada has actively promoted the integration of the human rights of women throughout the UN system (http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/foreign_policy/human-rights

A literature review 'what are the concepts behind sustainable housing Essay

A literature review 'what are the concepts behind sustainable housing development' - Essay Example The term ‘sustainable development’ is perhaps one of the most important terms in the context of global society. World Commission on Environment and Development defined ‘sustainable development’ as â€Å"development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs† (Munier, 2005). Often people think that ‘sustainable development’ is synonymous with ‘economic development’. However the concept of sustainable development is applied to every area. Fundamentally there are three major areas that are addressed by sustainable development. These are In the present era when activities are more involved in destructions rather than constructions, it is very important to have sustainable development in both economic and social sectors. Housing development is basically a part of both social as well as economic development of the region. As a result sustainable housing development has to be considered crucial if the objectives regarding sustainable economic and social development are needed to be achieved. Housing can be seen as a basic human need and it is one of the major issues in the everyday life of people. In 1948, United Nations stated that â€Å"everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Bakar, A. H. et al, n.d.). Housing initiatives have to be socially acceptable, economically viable, environmentally compatible and technically feasible in order to achieve sustainability. Sustainable housing has been defined in several different ways by different experts and organizations. The European Union provided a definition from three different perspectives – economy and society (e.g. psychological impacts and affordability), construction (e.g. construction quality) and

I want to be president of the united states Essay

I want to be president of the united states - Essay Example ts will have President Obama as its standard bearer while the Republicans are still in the process of primaries and caucauses in determining who would be their candidate for the Presidency (Anon). The general theme of my candidacy will be the revitalization of America that Americans will have a renewed confidence in their country which previous leaders has put a doubt on it. The mismanaged economy which slid this country into a recession caused many Americans lost their jobs and homes that even until today, many Americans are still unemployed and poor. This was unthinkable during the heyday of America. Today, Americans are full of self-doubting that they are already entertaining that America will no longer be the strongest economy of the world with the US dollar be replaced by the Chinese yuan . a. List the main things (at least 4) you want to accomplish as president. Explain why. Foremost of my agenda when I will become a President is to revitalize the American economy. This involves creation of jobs and removing the unemployment rate to zero. I will restore confidence in the American economy by getting back the triple AAA credit rating to help revitalize economy by making credit that will be used by business for expansion to be cheap so that businesses will be encouraged to expand their operations and create more jobs. b. Minimize war spending to reduce public debt. If I become President of the United States, I will minimize America’s interventionist foreign policy that takes toll on public budget. Also, this foreign policy which has been adopted by previous presidents has earned America implacable enemy that made defense spending more expensive. c. Rationalize immigration law and make it non-discriminatory. One of the things that I want to accomplish as President of the United States is to abrogate/veto the Arizona Immigration law which makes America discriminatory in the eyes of the world. I will have the law removed that empowers law enforcers

A literature review 'what are the concepts behind sustainable housing Essay

A literature review 'what are the concepts behind sustainable housing development' - Essay Example The term ‘sustainable development’ is perhaps one of the most important terms in the context of global society. World Commission on Environment and Development defined ‘sustainable development’ as â€Å"development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs† (Munier, 2005). Often people think that ‘sustainable development’ is synonymous with ‘economic development’. However the concept of sustainable development is applied to every area. Fundamentally there are three major areas that are addressed by sustainable development. These are In the present era when activities are more involved in destructions rather than constructions, it is very important to have sustainable development in both economic and social sectors. Housing development is basically a part of both social as well as economic development of the region. As a result sustainable housing development has to be considered crucial if the objectives regarding sustainable economic and social development are needed to be achieved. Housing can be seen as a basic human need and it is one of the major issues in the everyday life of people. In 1948, United Nations stated that â€Å"everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Bakar, A. H. et al, n.d.). Housing initiatives have to be socially acceptable, economically viable, environmentally compatible and technically feasible in order to achieve sustainability. Sustainable housing has been defined in several different ways by different experts and organizations. The European Union provided a definition from three different perspectives – economy and society (e.g. psychological impacts and affordability), construction (e.g. construction quality) and

The Influence of International Training on Firefighters' Training Dissertation

The Influence of International Training on Firefighters' Training Performance Outcomes - Dissertation Example As an attempt to decrease the unfavorable outcomes among firefighters, majority of fire departments incorporate these fire training regimens, including physical training programs that will ensure the competence and physical fitness of firefighters when in duty. Firefighters obtain learning through a combination of classroom and practical training that enables these individuals to maintain or further enhance such competences. The importance of providing training and development opportunities for firefighters has been signified by the implementation of policies and considerable amount of resources invested for workers to acquire learning and knowledge. However, it has been asserted by Moats, Chermak, and Dooley (2008) that for training systems to yield positive outcomes, its effectiveness must be assessed as well. Many organisations have been known to lack the resources for providing training that is not measured with regards to its significance in the attainment of organisational goal s. According to Brinkerhoff (2005), training and development of workers must be in adherence to the accomplishment of long-term objectives. Effectiveness is a major aspect of worker training and development for any organisation due to the fact that this enables workers to attain and enhance the necessary skills and knowledge for successfully carrying out their duties. For these organisations to establish and maintain efficient programs, it is highly significant for these training systems to be evaluated to ascertain its consistencies with the overall strategy of the former. Exploring the related procedures and decisions that are carried to ensure training effectiveness is equally important as well (Mitroff, 2005). While organisations who require workers for increased security, including the use of fire departments, have allocated a significant amount of money for developing well-trained and competent workforce members, there remains a need to look into their efficiency in carrying o ut these services. Therefore, this study places an emphasis on the training programs provided to firefighters, particularly in the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco), to evaluate these activities and programs and their outcomes on both the organisation and the firefighter themselves. Saudi Aramco is known as the Saudi Arabian Oil Company that is a state-owned oil company in Saudi Arabia and is expected to be the most valuable company that is privately-owned in the world. Aside from maintaining a large hospital and offer health insurance for workers, Saudi Aramco is also known for having a number of fire stations that provide both residential and industrial services. Its industrial security was established twenty years ago as a means of ensuring the safety of the industrial and residential vicinities within and surrounding the company. However, a major challenge for the company is to provide satisfactory fire protection with which both the hard and soft infrastructure should be emphasized (Shelley and Smith, 2008). While the hard infrastructure is comprised of the facilities, its soft counterpart focuses on the individuals who carry out the work. It has been a concern for the Saudi Aramco to enhance their fire protection services as well as the safety of their own firefighters by

Musical Style and Innovations of Beethoven Essay Example for Free

Musical Style and Innovations of Beethoven Essay Musical Style and Innovations Beethoven is viewed as a transitional figure between the Classical and Romantic eras of musical history. Above all, his works distinguish themselves from those of any prior composer through his creation of large, extended architectonic structures characterized by the extensive development of musical material, themes, and motifs, usually by means of modulation, that is, a change in the feeling of the home key, through a variety of keys or harmonic regions. Although Haydns later works often showed a greater fluidity between distant keys, Beethovens innovation was the ability to rapidly establish a solidity in juxtaposing different keys and unexpected notes to join them. This expanded harmonic realm creates a sense of a vast musical and experiential space through which the music moves, and the development of musical material creates a sense of unfolding drama in this space. In this way Beethovens music parallels the simultaneous development of the novel in literature, a literary form focused on the life drama and development of one or more individuals through complex life circumstances, and of contemporaneous German idealisms philosophical notion of self, mind, or spirit that unfolds through a complex process of contradictions and tensions between the subjective and objective until a resolution or synthesis occurs in which all of these contradictions and developmental phases have been resolved or encompassed in a higher unity. Beethoven continued to expand the development section of works, extending a trend in the works of Haydn and Mozart, who had dramatically expanded both the length and substance of instrumental music. As Beethovens major immediate predecessors and influences, he looked to their harmonic and formal models for his own works. However, both Mozart and Haydn placed the great weight of a musical movement in the statement of ideas called the exposition, for Beethoven the development section of a sonata form became the heart of the work. Beethoven was able to do this by making the development section not merely longer, but also more structured. The very long development section of the Eroica Symphony, for example, is divided into four roughly equal sections, making it, in effect, a sonata form within a sonata form. The first movement alone of this symphony is as long as an entire typical Italian-style Mozart symphony from the 1770s. His focus on the development would, like others of his innovations, set a trend that later composers would follow. Although Beethoven wrote many beautiful and lyrical melodies, another radical innovation of his music, compared especially to that of Mozart and Haydn, is his extensive use of forceful, marked, and even stark rhythmic patterns throughout his compositions and, in particular, in his themes and motifs, some of which are primarily rhythmic rather than melodic. Some of his most famous themes, such as those of the first movements of the Third, Fifth, and Ninth symphonies, are primarily non-melodic rhythmic figures consisting of notes of a single chord, and the themes of the last movements of the Third and Seventh symphonies could more accurately be described as rhythms rather than as melodies. This use of rhythm was particularly well suited to the primacy of development in Beethovens music, since a single rhythmic pattern can more easily than a melody be taken through a succession of different, even remote, keys and harmonic regions while retaining and conveying an underlying unity. This allowed him to combine different features of his themes in a wide variety of ways, extending the techniques of Haydn in development (see Sonata Form). He also continued another trend towards larger orchestras that went on until the first decade of the 20th century, and moved the center of the sound downwards in the orchestra, to the violas and the lower register of the violins and cellos, giving his music a heavier and darker feel than Haydn or Mozart. Gustav Mahler modified the orchestration of some of Beethovens music most notably the 3d and 9th symphonies with the idea of more accurately expressing Beethovens intent in an orchestra that had grown so much larger than the one Beethoven used: for example, doubling woodwind parts to compensate for the fact that a modern orchestra has so many more strings than Beethovens orchestra did. Needless to say, these efforts remain controversial. In his Fifth Symphony Beethoven introduced a striking motif, drawn from a late Haydn symphony, in the very opening bar, which he echoed in various forms in all four movements of the symphony. This is the first important occurrence of cyclic form. He was also fond of making usual what had previously been unusual: in the Fifth Symphony, instead of  using a stately minuet, as had been the norm for the dance movement of a four-movement work, he created a dark march, which he used as the third movement and ran into the fourth without interruption. While one can point to previous works which had one or more of these individual features, his music, combined with the use of operatic scoring that he learned from Mehul and Cherubini, created a work which was altogether novel in effect too novel, in fact, for some critics of the time. On the other hand, his contemporary Spohr found the finale too baroque, though he praised the second movement as being in good Romantic style. His Ninth Symphony included a chorus and solo voices in the 4th movement for the first time, and made extensive use of fugues, which were generally considered to be a different form of music, and again unusual in symphonies. He wrote one opera, Fidelio. It has been said that he wrote beautiful vocal music without regard for the limitations of human singers, treating the voice as if it were a symphonic instrument even though his conversation books note his desire to make his music singable and include references that indicate that he had remembered his fathers singing lessons. Beethovens development and works are typically divided into three periods: an early period in which his works show especially the influence of Mozart and Haydn; a middle, mature period in which he developed his distinctive individual style, sometimes characterized as heroic; and a late period, in which he wrote works of a highly evolved, individuated, sometimes fragmented and unorthodox style sometimes characterized as transcendent and sublime, where he tried to combine the baroque ideas of Handel and Bach with his icons Mozart and Haydn. In his late years he called Handel my grand master. In contrast to Mozart, he labored heavily over his work, leaving intermediate drafts that provide considerable insight into his creative process. Early drafts of his Ninth Symphony used rough vertical marks on the score in place of actual notes, to indicate the structure he had in mind for the melody. Studies of his sketch books show the working out of dozens of variations on a particular theme, changing themes to fit with an overall structure that evolved over time, and extensive sketching of counter-melodies.

Explain How Rational Organisational Design Business Essay

Explain How Rational Organisational Design Business Essay Rational organisational designs, suggested by Max Weber, rely on logic, order and authority, paying particular attention to the division of labour, promotion by merit and hierarchal control; with the belief that this provides perfection in organisations (French et al, 2009). Organisations implement this design with the optimism of increased efficiency; however, have dismissed social organisation and the impacts this can have. In this essay, rationalisation will be discussed, focusing on the effects it has on an organisation and its employees; concluding with the argument of whether a rational organisational design is desirable for Junction Hotel. Scientific management, established by Frederick Taylor, aims to simplify work by following set principles. These principles routinize work; organising it into repetitive tasks in order to achieve maximum efficiency, giving managers responsibility and a span of control, (Morgan, 2006). TAYLORISM Rational organisational designs develop depending on the size of the business they are used with in. The simple design is often used within organisations with few staff, such as small retail stores. This type of design often has one member of staff, usually the manager, in control of the majority of other employees; the hierarchy design resembling a pyramid, showing the manager has a large span of control. This span of control shifts all responsibility for the organisation of work from the worker to the manager according to Morgan (2006), meaning employees only have to implement the work which is assigned to them by the manager. BUREAUCARCY As a business grows a more complex rational organisational design has to be enforced to ensure that efficiency is still maximised. The more intricate design is known as bureaucracy. The bureaucracy design uses the same principle of the simple design, although has a larger number of managerial staff and specific working departments, developing the chain of command. Bureaucracy design uses more rules and regulations than the simple design, due to the increased number of employees which have authority over other employees. This is so that there is a clear direction of discipline, resulting in all employees knowing who is in charge. This direction is the scalar chain; showing the line of authority due to the unity of command. Also it makes clear what each worker has to achieve, due to it being established by the specific departments. This also means that training for this specific job can be completed by workers, making them more efficient. This is of importance to rational organisations ; for instance, the McDonaldization theory established by Ritzer (2008) states that efficient workers can perform their tasks more rapidly and easily. This is also achieved in bureaucracies by working like clockwork; having staff perform a predetermined set of activities, rest at appointed hours, and then resume their tasks until work is over, as described by Morgan (2006). This is a typical example of how bureaucracies are designed to function. Businesses which have these design characteristics are described by Morgan (2006) as organisations that are designed and operated as if they were machines. It is argued that rational organisational designs help to cut costs and increase control for a business, overall maximising efficiency and having a positive impact on the business; evidenced by various real-life organisations. A typical example of a business today which has used a rational organisational design to achieve this is McDonalds. Ritzer (2008) helps to highlight the effectiveness of the organisational design McDonalds has implemented by quoting Ray Krocs thoughts on the arrangement; I was fascinated by the simplicity and effectiveness of the systemà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Each step in producing the limited menu was stripped down to its essence and accomplished with a minimum effortà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This statement from Kroc identifies that McDonalds streamlined processes and organisation has maximised efficiency. By producing limited number of menu choices the business is able to assign set tasks to specified departments, to be completed at a set time; routinizing work. This increases control as the higher authority staff can over-see that the departments are completing their set tasks to ensure the food is made quickly and efficiently in order for customers to receive fast food from McDonalds. Also, by off ering a limited menu, McDonalds cuts costs and as suggested by Ritzer (2008) the limited number of menu items also allows for highly efficient ordering of food and supplies; the business does not use cash buying items which will be wasted due to fall in demand from customers and there is no extension of the streamlined process meaning the employment of further staff or purchase of equipment or supplies. Hotels such as the Travelodge have used rationalisation, in terms of value engineering. Davis (2007) states that businesses, such as the Travelodge, participate in an exercise called value management to optimise their process, trim costs and enhance quality. Value engineering is a result of this activity; where businesses cut costs by taking out the frills which not all customers want. For instance Davis (2007) focuses on how Travelodges dont have shampoo in the bathroom. By following this constituent of rationalisation, the organisation cuts costs, however does not necessarily reduce value for the customer as the business, like Travelodge, will have already weighed up cost versus benefit. The above examples show how rational organisational design is present in businesses today. However, it was first derived in the 1700s by Frederick the Great. Morgan (2006) talks about how Frederick developed rational organisation to increase control amongst his military. Frederick reduced soldiers to automatons by introducing ranks and uniformsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦regulations, increased specialization of tasksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦command language and systematic trainingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ By introducing these to the army, the men were taught to fear their officers; increasing the control that the higher ranks of the hierarchy had over the lower ranks. This turned the unruly mob into machines as they now completed commands set by Frederick. This is an example of how rationalisation has increased control, even in the earliest organisations. Despite rational organisational designs evidentially showing positives for businesses, there are likewise negative impacts on both the organisation and workers. If a business implements a rational organisation design then limitations do arise. These are addressed by Morgan (2006); there is great difficulty in adapting to changing circumstances, Ritzer (2008) states that although efficiency is generally a good thing it does cause dehumanization of workers as businesses drive for increased efficiency. This is evidenced an Anonymous BBC article (2010) stating that Bureaucracy hampers social workers', with a fifth of 4,141 social workers agreeing that they had sufficient time to work effectively with the young people on their case load and 50% of those who disagreed said that their workload was simply too large. This is related to the bureaucracy that the organisation has. Staff find it harderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to spend time face-to-face with children and families due to the organisational design. This makes the workers feel dehumanized because they have too much paperwork, and not enough time to concentrate on the cases they should be dealing with. This is also supported by Morgan (2006) who states that mechanistic approachesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦can have dehumanizing effects upon employees, especially those at the lower levels of the or ganizational hierarchy and also that assembly-line work is simplyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦alienating. Mechanistic work, which stems from rational organisation also makes staff adopt mindless, unquestioning attitudes, which consequently results in some workers refusing job change, or a new responsibility because they have already a clear idea what is to be done by them due to the management and delegation rationalisation. Looking at this impact in the long term, it is likely that an organisation will find it difficult to change the bureaucracy it has already developed, causing changes in aims for the business also hard to achieve. This is another limitation of rational designs, which is suggested by Morgan (2006) when declaring those working in the organization take precedence over the goals the organization was designed to achieve. The theories and studies behind social organisation also show some negative impacts that rationalisation has. POSTIVE AND NEGATIVES ON BUSINESS/EMPLOYEES ARGUMENT USING SOCIAL DESIGNS IS IT DESIRABLE FOR JUNCTION HOTEL HOW? WHY? ENFORCING IT?

The Difference Between Life and Breath :: essays research papers

The Difference Between Life and Breath   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Respiratory therapists are highly skilled practitioners who provide treatment, management and care of patients with breathing deficiencies and abnormalities. I chose to go into this profession not just for the money, as some might think, but because of my own life experiences in having to deal with taking care of my Dad, who died from third stage emphysema and because my son has asthma. Part of my acceptance into the respiratory program at Ivy Tech was to job shadow a therapist for a day. I chose to do this at St. Clare Medical Center in Crawfordsville. I called to set up my appointment for the job shadow and found out I would be shadowing Pam Ehrie, which was good because I already knew her as she helped to care for my Dad and also cared for my son.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I arrived at the Respiratory Department at 10 a.m. on Monday of the following week and Pam came out to greet me with a scrub jacked and a name tag and briefly explained that I would go with her to make her rounds for the day. â€Å"Oh yesterday would’ve been a much better day to have come,† she exclaimed. â€Å"We had three codes so there was a lot more going on and it would‘ve given you a better idea of what we really do.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"What are codes?† I ask, although I already had a pretty good idea.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Oh that is when the patient arrives and they are basically gone, not breathing, and we have to recessitate them back to life.† Pam says. â€Å"I forget that you are just starting into this, so if there is anything that I say and you do not understand it, just ask me.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pam is a rather petite, bubbly individual who stands about five foot tall with shoulder length reddish brown hair and green eyes. She is pretty, with a warm smile that hugs you when you first meet her and a friendly face with kind, gentle eyes. Pam has been a therapist for fourteen years and she also went through her schooling at Ivy Tech. She loves her job, co-workers, and helping others. â€Å"It is my passion in life,† she says. She embraces the idea that she is giving a better quality of life to others. She is also the senior Registered Respiratory Therapist on staff at St. Clare Medical Center and she does all of the clinical sequences with the new students at Ivy Tech.

Workplace Honesty: Learning and Unlearning

Honesty is a virtue that is of major importance especially in business, yet very much neglected in the context of today’s rat race. Employees play a big role in uplifting the culture of honesty in their workplaces, a culture that is nevertheless radiated to the clients or end-users of the company’s offerings. But what if the employees are having problems with their own attitudes toward honesty? What can a company do to help maintain a culture of trust and trust worthiness among the employees, the management, and the customers as a whole? Who wins when a company wins over the battle for an honest corporate culture?This was the problem of Gerald Sy. Managing a training institution, Sy discovered that his instructors were cheating him on their timekeeping, costing him big sums for a long time because he was paying the instructors in full despite rampant tardiness. Sy moved against the problem and devised a process of accounting the instructor’s timekeeping even if i t meant additional work for him and additional time needed on his timeframe to process the salaries.As if that was not enough, he also ruled an 11-tardiness per month standard wherein whoever fails to meet the regulation shall be dismissed. This showed that it was not the money that the company can save from deductions which was important. On the contrary, it was the standards of the company, and how the employees uphold it, and how the final service is perceived by the customers. Sy expects that the measure will work, and is ready to evaluate if it really did.Dishonesty in Many FormsThere are many forms of dishonesty in the workplace. Most are as petty as stealing a paper clip from one’s officemate (no one saw anyway) or breaking down the coffee machine and not admitting it (it could be broken before I used it, I would not really know). It was easy to be dishonest in the workplace because people often mind their own businesses while at the peak of work. No one will ever both er to watch after an officemate making coffee to see if he will break the machine at some chance.Steven Gaffney, the writer behind Honesty Works!, states that it is not only lies and dishonesty that costs companies most of its revenues. He insists that the mere fact that many employees cannot honestly communicate with each other has wasted time, money and effort of employees and businesses. (Newswise, 2005) When a worker avoids a confrontation about an operational flaw with a co-worker to avoid conflict, the flaw will stay unresolved and may even result in bigger loopholes.Small lies also often lead to bigger dishonesties that are harder to get away with. Personnel who steal equipment from their companies, or money, or even work hours are nothing new in many workplaces. They are so common, yet they still do not fail to surprise. Some get away, yet some are caught to pay the big price of cheating. The problem with honesty, or the lack thereof, is that it becomes vicious. The more a p erson commits a work of dishonesty and gets away with it, the harder it is to be honest. The bottom line is how to end the vicious cycle.Can Honesty be Taught?From a young age, almost every child is taught basic values that are essential for living. One of these values is honesty. It is easier for children to understand its value, and when they learn it they often grow with it. Michael Daigneault agrees. However, he states that factors affecting the workplace, such as workplace pressure and competition, will require a person to have bedrock values to maintain righteousness. Otherwise, he will be tempted to sway away from childhood-learned ethics. (HR Magazine, 1999)Rigterink and Louzecky (n.d.) also concludes that virtue can be taught but do not agree that it should be taught as other academic subjects are taught. Moderation, they said is an important key. Teaching honesty, the authors propose, should convert the subjects into thinkers, analyzing the absorption of the value and its advantages before really absorbing it.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They assert that doing so will instill the value into the subjects more than when it is taught outright.End of the GameIf honesty like other values can not be taught in its simplest sense, how then can companies promote honesty? First, we should consider how a virtue is instilled. Fact is, ethics is not automatically learned. You can tell a hardened criminal to change his ways and there are chances that he will, but given a chance to strike a crime again there is definitely a slim chance for him to decline the opportunity.Thus, virtues are imbibed through practice. As aforementioned, the more a person practices the act of honesty the stronger it stays within his values and the harder it is to break. On the same way, the more a person cheats the harder for that person to be honest and break from the bondage of lies.The management is the best venue for a company to start promoting honesty. A company needs to be led by honest b oard of directors, managers, supervisors, team leaders, however the heads are called. If the top of the pyramid is governed by upright people, it is easier for the leaders to impose rules on moral values to the base of the pyramid. Honesty in this level may be showed by transparent management of funds, upfront and realistic relations with the subordinates, and open communication lines.A boss of a company who is married and is caught by his employees cheating on his wife will definitely drive down the morale of his people. His employees will be tempted to resolve in idle talk about him and his affair and forget about work altogether since the boss is not acting very boss-like anyway. Given that that is in a personal level, consider a scenario were the act of a boss’s dishonesty is on a professional scale.For instance, a manager was audited and the auditors discover that he was paying ten people in the payroll whereas there are actually only five people in his department who is actually reporting for work. The event will definitely pull down the confidence and team spirit of the five people in his team. Moreover, the manager himself will lose the drive to work for shame and guilt. Ultimately, it is not the manager or the employees who are the only ones who will suffer. The company as a whole loses considerable work time and revenue, just because of a single act of dishonesty from just one person. It is therefore safe to conclude that honesty is an individual decision that has collective effects.It is also important that the company verbalize subscription to a value. If the management discovers major flaws on dishonesty, the management can choose to make honesty a core value in the company. They will then need to define honesty in the context of their workplace, and define it as specific as possible. Does it mean creatively communicating issues and problems? Does it include choosing not to engage in secrets that may hurt co-employees? How does it affect cl auses on confidentiality?When the management has defined the core value to subscribe to, it is important that they communicate this decision to every person in the company. A general assembly as well as departmental meetings will be a great help. In doing so, an open forum should be encouraged so that questions can be immediately answered and reactions can be resolved.For continuity, it is equally important that people are trained about—not taught on—moral values. From the moment that a person is oriented on the vision, mission, and goals of the company, to the time that he is undergoing annual trainings within the organization, the value system of the company should be stressed and internalized by them. First, it is a good way to make them feel that they belong to the organization. Secondly, it will help them find a basis for actions and decision making processes. Learning good values at work will also make them worthwhile people even if they are out of the workplace, which is important especially because employees represent their companies.The orientation is another good venue for value formation. Each newly hired employee should be made familiar with issues in the company and how the management is resolving them. Values should be highlighted. Thorough discussion on how the management is working against it shall be made and stress that honesty is a very important virtue for anyone wishing to join the company. This will imply the value of such virtue in the company without being popish.Annually, it will help if value system is integrated in annual improvement seminars for employees usually done after evaluation periods. The training should discuss the ethical standards that the company subscribes to, and how each employee is expected to follow through. Lapses shall also be discussed along with solutions that can be done to prevent the occurrence of such ethical issues from arising again.It is still easier said than done. However a company makes efforts on promoting honesty, it is still virtually impossible to create a cheat-free workplace. Even if a company is good, employees will have their own attitudes to live with—employees will always undergo circumstances where they will be pressed on engaging into an act of dishonesty. It is therefore important for a company to follow through and have an open eye to see to it that their core value is being followed and respected for its benefit and for the welfare of its employees and customers.Mission Accomplished?It is hard to be honest in the corporate environment. Oftentimes the ones who are honest are the ones who are left behind, or even smeared with nasty labels and judgments. However, it is important for companies to promote the value of honesty because it greatly affects the company, employees, as well as the customers.If a company succeeds in achieving an honest workplace, the employees can enjoy a harmonious working relationship with each other. This will make them more productive and beneficial for the company. The company, in return, will maximize its potentials and prevent loss of revenue. It may even gain more. An honest workplace also reflects honesty with its customers. As such, customers will feel comfortable in transacting with the company and can become long-term clients.The company should anticipate failure in promoting honesty, though, and should be prepared in making follow-up actions. When failure occurs, an evaluation should be done identifying the weak points of the plan. This will enable determination of follow-up plans and corrective actions to try. Research and study is essential, as well as patience and determination by the company and the proponents of the core value being promoted.ConclusionHonesty is a choice. If the company chooses to be honest, and it can convince its employees to choose to be honest, there is more chance for such culture to exist and benefit the people surrounding the business. While it can be taught, it is still up to every person in the company to use such knowledge. It is therefore important to make them think and realize the value of honesty to them, to their work, and to their clients. After all, it is the best policy.BibliographyHR Magazine. 1999. Teaching business character. Retrieved February 15, 2007Newswise. 2005. Honesty in the workplace sorely lacking. Retrieved February 14, 2007 from http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/516781/Roger, R. Louzecky, D. n.d. Can virtue be taught? If so, should it be thought? Retrieved February 13, 2007