The Roles of Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility in Essay

The Roles of Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility in Multinational Companies - Essay Example ggests that the economic functions must be exercised with a sensitive awareness of changing social values and priorities and the outer circle outlines newly emerging and still vague responsibilities that corporations should assume to become more actively involved in improving the social environment in which they operate (Shalhoub, 1999, p. 13). Theorists have identified four broad areas of strategic corporate responsibility that a MNC adopts, economic, legal, moral, and social. The main premise of the four areas is found in the basic nature of the corporation, which is a privately based, economic entity whose members are expected to make decisions that possesses a significant impact on a number of constituents (Brummer, 1991). Later MNCs realize that a corporation has not always all four responsibilities. When it came to the adoption of SCSR, global MNCs failed to respond effectively to the significant issues of their countries (Logsdon & Wood, 2005). It would not be wrong to say that multinational companies (MNCs) while responding to concerns like downsizing and environmental degradation took initiatives to demonstrate their social responsibility (Edwards et al, Feb 2007). This way the MNCs actually adopted SCSR to reduce their workforce through either voluntary or involuntary means or a combination of both. In other words, MNCs in order to defend themselves tend to adopt SCSR but with some concerns of which the most significant is the corporate downsizing in privately and publicly owned firms in recent years. The notion that MNCs have failed to adopt SCSR is depicted from some well-known examples. MNCs failure could be analysed by those protests and consumer boycotts that Nestle has experienced recently in selling its various products in Africa (Husted & Allen, 2006). Same is the case Nike has experienced as a result of child labour abuse in outsourcing in Asia. The global MNCs are unable to consider the cause of their failure which refers to those corporate

Social historical background Essay Example for Free

Social historical background Essay Religious festivals were celebrated in Athens to pay homage to the God Dionysus, the patron of wine. He brought joy and fun but rage and thoughtlessness too. This is similar to the effects of wine on people; wine makes people either happy or thoughtless. Dionysus died in winter and was reborn in spring. The festival took place for five days in spring to worship the rebirth of Dionysus and grape vines. In the mind of an ancient Greek person, the theatre was a product of Dionysus. Therefore Sophocles, when writing the play, included a scene of thanks to Dionysus which the chorus perform. This would have been interpreted by the Athenians as a noble inclusion and made Sophocles popular. The festival evolved from the rural town of Dionysia. In the large cities dramatic performances took place. The dramatic element developed when competitions called for playwrights to design plays and showcase them at the festivals. Two popular forms of drama materialised from these competitions: Tragedy and comedy. Tragedies aimed to teach religious lessons. Sophocles was a tragic playwright and his play Antigone is an example of this. Comedies were seen as trivial and a waste of time to ancient Greeks. Comedies joked about the gods and intellectuals, albeit in a respectful manner. The theatre in ancient Athens had the ability to teach moral lessons, inform of contemporary issues or amuse. It was a powerful tool and was used by governments/polis to influence peoples opinions and keep their populations up to date with current affairs. For this reason the government encouraged all men to go to the theatre. Those who could not afford to go were even offered free grants. Antigone was aimed at an Athenian audience. The play showed the downfall of man and highlighted how bad Thebes was. Athens was a democracy whilst Thebes was under dictatorship. Men visiting the theatre would see how oppressive the life of a Theban was thus increasing support for democracy. This mattered to the local polis because if the people were against a partys ideas they would not be elected in further terms. Role of Women in Society A woman was meant to be obedient to the ruling man in her life. Once a girl reached thirteen years of age she was negotiable for marriage. Women in Athens were devoid of rights. They could not go out of the house unless it was to see another woman and could not vote or influence the government. Women were not allowed to go to the theatre. The reason women were treated with so much injustice is because they were viewed by men as uncontrollable and wild. However women did play an important part of everyday Athenian life as they ran the house. In some ways men were indebted to women. Although women were generally viewed in this light, the audience of Antigone were ambivialent as to which way they viewed her. Antigone articulates the fears of every Athenian male. She is uncontrollable, untrustworthy. In this way Antigone would have been received negatively in the eyes of an ancient Greek man. However she stands for issues which Athens support such as democracy and the importance of a proper burial. Athenians had deep rooted hate for dictatorship, therefore when Antigone goes against Creon she would have won support for her character. There is ambiguity into which way the audience would have sided, but this was planned. The ambiguity forces the audience to think about the issues and politics of the play. A society at war As Antigone was being created a war was unfolding in the Peloponnese area. This was occurring as a result of a long dispute between the alliances of Sparta and Athens. Thebes was one of Spartas allies, thus was against Athens. Sophocles might use Thebes as the setting of the play as Athenians were against the city thus building more support for the city of Athens. The issue of war was contemporary, therefore the Athenian government would have wished to have it discussed in Athens favour at the amphitheatre. Sophocles and fellow Athenian men would have no doubt been adversely affected by the war. Sophocles might be trying to show that there are undesirable affecs from a war. After all, the incidents did start off when Polynices attacked Athens. Therefore, Sophocles might be trying to show that the war affects not only a nation as a whole but individual circumstances such as families and relationships. In an Athenian audience, Creon might have been viewed negatively given the fact that he was against everything that Athens stood for; Athens was a democracy whilst Thebes was an Oligarchy. An Oligarchy is a government ruled by a few influential members and is the opposite to a democracy. When Creon goes against the rules of the gods, the audience would have interpreted this negatviely. Although he punished Antigone for going against his word, which might have won him support, the crime he is punishing her for is not a crime but an action of respect for the dead. The Influence of the Gods Zeus was the final son of Cronus and Rhea. The other children, upon birth, were swallowed by their father, Cronus, as he was afraid they would overcome him. However, when Zeus was born he was hidden by his mother inside a cave, and Cronus was given a rock, disguised as a baby, to swallow. When Zeus grew up, he ordered his father to regurgitate the stone and his siblings. The male children overcame Cronus and divided up the world. Zeus became the God of Gods for doing what was right, and received the skies and the heavens. Poseidon and Hades received the sea and the underworld respectively. As Zeus was the king of Gods he was worshipped by all. Zeus was revered and respected for if he was not, he was known out of anger to throw bolts of lightning to the ground. Just the mention of going against Zeus would have caused outcry. Antigone shows reverance to Hades, god of the underworld. Hades role was to ensure entry to the underworld occurred rightfully. It was believed when a Greek person died they crossed the river of Acheron, river of life, from the baks of life to the banks of death by boat. In order to traverse the river they had to be given their rites, buried and have a coin under their tongue to pay the boats captain, Charon. This job was carried out by women and is the reason why Antigone feels so passionately about burying her brother. If a person was left unburied or lacked the coin under their mouth, they would roam the banks of life and could not cross to the banks of death. Therefore when Polynices is not buried he is left to roam the lands, so Antigone goes to give him the burial he deserves. The Playwright Sophocles was one of Ancient Greeces greatest playwrights. The reason that Sophocles was such a good playwright is because he had an ability to rebel conventional drama and produce plays that provoke debate. In Antigone, he gives the genuine thoughts and feelings of women in ancient Greece, which must have been difficult seeing as men and women were so detached. Apart from being a playwright, Sophocles was a politician and an Athenian General. He played an active part against the allies of Sparta in the Peloponnesian war and was a hero for Athens. Antigones base is war, the war fought between two brothers, between family members or father and son. As Sophocles had so much experience in war this story would have greatly appealed to him. The Oedipus Curse Oedipus is cursed to wed his mother and kill his father. The curse is a result of Oedipus father raping a young boy. Oedipus fulfills the curse and impregnates his mother with four children. When Oedipus finds out what he has done he blinds himself and his wife/mother commits suicide. Oedipus then abdicates his role as king to his two sons, Etocles and Polynices. Prior to the play, the curse is inherited by the sons as a manifestation of jealousy; both wish to be king but cannot. They decide that every year they will alternate who is monarch. Etocles is first to rule for one year but will not hand over power when Polynices turn arrives. A fight ensues and the brothers kill eachother. An audience, upon learning the characters were descendants of the incestuous Oedipus, would have perceived Antigone and her sister as filthy, cursed individuals. The audience would expect the characters to commit grave and shocking crimes. The audiences expectations come true when Antigone disobeys Creon. However, Creon might have also been expected to fail as he was Oedipus brother. When Sophocles makes the characters do what the audience expect, the audience would have interpreted this as curses never die and are inherited by ones family. The audience would have evoked a response of fear. The Life and Times of a greek citizen Men were either politicians, farmers or fighters whilst women brought up the family and helped religious festivals. This extraneous work and the lack of medicinal resources meant that people had a short life span. Even healthy people could die prematurely by an illness or disease. To combat this citizens ate healthy and exorcised. A meal was simple but full of vitamins, vegetables and oil. The family of an Athenian was very important and was built on love. Therefore, when the Athenian audience saw the fueds in Antigones Theban family, the royal family, they would have been disgusted to think people were being led by such a bad example. Thebes was located inland whilst Athens was located near the sea. This made Athens naval fleet useless when it came to attacking Thebes, whilst Thebes naval fleet caused havoc on Athens. Argos is located south of both Thebes and Athens, near the sea and was a neutral territory. Greek at this time would have been a nation under war. Greeks people would have been proud of their territory yet scared of invasion. Athens, Argos and Thebes were in the Peloponnese area.

Politics Essay -- essays research papers

An essay on politics In this essay I will consider the social, economic factors of politics. At first glance politics may seem unenchanting, however its study is a necessity for any one wishing to intellectually advance beyond their childhood. Remarkably politics is heralded by shopkeepers and investment bankers alike, leading many to state that it is yet to receive proper recognition for laying the foundations of democracy. It still has the power to shock those politicaly minded individuals living in the past, trapped by their infamous history. Complex though it is I shall now attempt to provide an exaustive report on politics and its numerous 'industries'. Social Factors Comparisons between Roman Society and Medieval Society give a clear picture of the importance of politics to developments in social conduct. I will not insult the readers inteligence by explaining this obvious comparison any further. Back when Vealinger reamarked ‘the power struggle will continue while the great tale of humanity remains untold’ [1] he created a monster which society has been attempting to tame ever since. While the western world use a knife and fork, the Chinese use chopsticks. Of course politics is quite good. When one is faced with people of today a central theme emerges - politics is either adored or despised, it leaves no one undecided. To put it simply, people like politics. Economic Factors The dictionary defines economics as 'the social science concerned with the productio...

An exploration into play, provision and pedagogy

Greek children enjoyed making balls for pigs' bladders showing heir creativity side and Roman children liked to play with toy soldiers. They also took part In running and Jumping games and piggybacked flights. Hoops were made out of the iron frames of wheels. Depending on the society in which children live, children's play would be reflected. In the case of Greek and Roman children, physical activities took place alongside adults. During this period, play was never documented as it was not considered worthy of doing so. By the 18th Century play was valued.Rousseau believed that children should be able to roam freely and explore the outdoors ready to learn and read through play. He believed that children looked at play and work as a whole and that children should play as a right for it showed their potential. In 1998, Scratch and Spoke (2007, pap) describe two approaches to play in the 19th and 20th centuries; classical and modern dynamic. The classical theories were to explain the re ason that play existed. The reasons being: – The relaxation theory in which individuals recharge energy that they exhaust in work.Therefore play is relaxation and a source of energy before beginning work again. – The surplus energy theory, in contrast to the relaxation theory, viewed play as a means of eliminating excess energy. Play therefore was regarded as an instinctive behavior with no immediate goal. Herbert Spence's theory was heavily influenced by the work of Schaller. – Play as pre-exercise. According to this perspective play is an instinctive way of preparing children for adult life. Play experiences are similar to those they will experience as adults, and therefore children are rehearsing adult skills In their play.Gross adopted this view in the late nineteenth century, he believed play was functional and characterized by undefined activity, pleasure and dominated by process rather than reduce. He believed that experimental play developed mental skill s and self-control, and Imitative play developed Inter-personal skills. In contrast to the classical theories. The modern perspectives have a different view on the context of play. The theorists 1 OFF that Piglet believed children's knowledge was increased through engaging with the environment.He studied play primarily from a cognitive viewpoint. From Piglet's perspective, learning takes place through two processes, these being ‘assimilation' and ‘accommodation'. Assimilation is when new knowledge is accepted from the oral and accommodation is adapting this new information to make links with previously developed understanding or schemas. Piglet believed that learning is a continuing process of adaptation to the environment. Piglet viewed the child's development as leading learning, with play having a strong influence on development.Therefore play has an important educational purpose however Piglet paid less attention to the role of language in learning. McLeod (2007) sta tes that Weights believed all children's learning happened within a social context. He was a social constructivist and in his theory he placed the support of others such as adults which is well known as scaffolding. These adults are as central to developing children's understanding. Therefore, language makes a critical contribution to the development of the child's learning. The adult has a distinct role in moving children on from their present, to their potential development.In contrast to Piglet, Weights understood learning to lead development. He believed children create play that has purpose which in turn determines their affective states. Weights stated that the child's greatest achievements were possible in play because: ‘In play a child behaves ended his average age, above his daily behavior; in play it is as though he were a head taller than himself (Augusto 1978: 102). Essentially then, the child moves forward through play activity. One approach to play in which the s etting have shown some links to is Regis Emilie.This approach believes that collaboration and documentation is vital to a child's development. Regis also sees the environment as the third teacher. The settings behavior policy (2013 p. L) states that We place great emphasis on our values of mutual trust and respect for all and for the community ND environment in which we live' This can therefore link into the fact of the environment acting as a third teacher as the children are able to use the outdoors area for a number of different occasions such as learning days and playtime's.The settings play provision supports this evidence as the main form of play which is offered is free play. Free play is when a child is able to choose what activity they would like to do, how they want to do it, when to stop and start something else. Free play does not have any external goals that are set by the adults and there isn't a curriculum in which to follow. Although practitioners usually provide the space and resources for free play and might be involved, the children take the lean and the adult responds to cues from the children.The setting provide a set period of time when the children are able to access whatever resources they wish, including the outdoors, and they are able to develop their play and learning in this time, in their own way. Developing different hypothesis about life and make their own conclusions. The setting has a number of children that acquire challenging behavior and therefore, supports the theory of Surplus energy. Today it is evident that children have fewer opportunities for outdoor play. The environment for outdoor play is generally understudied and the role of the adult in this is frequently involved.In play children tend to seek out risks, because through these they develop their self-esteem these skills. Adults in the setting are now overly cautious and their fear reduce children's opportunities to set themselves challenges and take risks. Early E ducation (2012) states that ‘Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong readership between practitioners and parents and careers. ‘ It has become evident that the behavior in the children has seen to be more challenging when the weather is bad and the outdoors area is shut.Perhaps down to the fact that the children are then not able to access all areas of play in which they feel benefits them. The setting should therefore have an undercover area, or an area in which children who feel they need to work off any additional energy that they may have, can do so. This should be accessible for these children in all weather situations. If this is not available for the children to access, then it will slow down part of their development in which play helps to aid. Children are highly motivated to play, although adults' find defining and understanding children's play a challenge.All a spects of development and learning are related in play, especially their cognitive development. When children have time to play, their play grows in complexity and becomes more cognitively and socially demanding. Through free play children are able to explore different materials and discover their properties which will help them then to use heir knowledge of materials to imaginative play such as role play. During role play, children are able to express their emotions and reveal their inner feelings which is a key time for the adults to be observing the children and ways in which they handle different situations.It helps to give an insight into each child's interests. If a child is experiencing any traumatic experiences, play can help that child to deal with these in their own way which is helping them to maintain emotional balance, physical and mental health, and well-being. Free play not only lets a child to explore different activities but it also enables them to develop a sense o f who they are, their value of themselves and others. Play also helps a child's language and social development as they are learning the skills to communicate and share. Play England (2007, p. 6) state that Early pioneers in early childhood studies such as Forbore, Interiors and Steiner, who were influenced by the work of Rousseau, influenced the early year's curriculum. They all believed that childhood is a distinctly different state from adulthood and that adults therefore should not seek to prepare children for adulthood. This is therefore in contrast with the play as pre-exercise theory. Forbore, Interiors and Steiner all believed children are self-motivating that adults have a tendency to be too dominant and cut across this motivation.Interiors, however, did not believe in play or toys. Children in her kindergartens experienced real household tasks. Forbore believed that children were strong and confident and that through play they saw things through to completion. The setting supports Steiner's theory as he believed that children need free, creative play to develop their spirit, their bodies and heir minds and in the setting there are many different creative resources available for the children to access such as a craft area, outdoors area and role play.Steiner also believed it was important to provide real life tasks for children which will then give them a sense of belonging and connectedness to the environment and again this is achieved through the outdoor area. The setting offers the opportunity for allows children to cook different recipes based on ingredients found in the outdoors. Steiner also believed that educators needed to provide rhythm and structure in the hillside's day. The setting has a visual timetable in order for the children to understand the structure of the day ahead.There is also circle time in which the children are able to communicate with both their peers and their adults and can talk about their own individual interests. These are then taken into account for future planned activities. However, if for whatever reason the setting is unable to stick to this plan this can confuse the children's understanding of the day and put them on edge. It also makes it harder for practitioners to be able to take the time to observe ND document the interests of children and therefore resulting in activity plans that aren't quite suitable to the needs of the children.In conclusion, I feel that the play provision in the setting could use a lot more structure in the sense of planned activities which are more vital to the children's development. These activities should be based upon their interests and although it is hard to find the time in the day to document these interests, I believe it should be made a priority as the children will not gain all that they could from their play time. I also believe that the outdoors area deeds more accessible and more appropriate resources to help aid their development; not Just in there c ognitive aspects but also their social and language development.

Tanyag Na Manunulat

Intro to internet What is Internet The  Internet  is a global system of interconnected  computer networks  that use the standard  Internet protocol suite  (often called TCP/IP, although not all applications use TCP) to serve billions of users worldwide. It is a  network of networks  that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks, of local to global scope, that are linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless and optical networking technologies.The Internet carries an extensive range of information resources and services, such as the inter-linked  hypertext  documents of the  World Wide Web  (WWW) and the  infrastructureto support email. Advantage & Disadvantage of Internet Advantage: Faster Communication The foremost target of Internet has always been speedy communication and it has excelled way beyond the expectations. Newer innovations are only going to make it faster and more reliable. Now, you can communi cate in a fraction of second with a person who is sitting in the other part of the worl Information ResourcesInformation is probably the biggest advantage that Internet offers. Internet is a virtual treasure trove of information. Any kind of information on any topic under the sun is available on the Internet. Entertainment Entertainment is another popular raison d'etre why many people prefer to surf the Internet. In fact, the Internet has become quite successful in trapping the multifaceted entertainment industry Social Networking One cannot imagine an online life without Facebook or Twitter.Social networking has become so popular amongst youth that it might one day replace physical networking. It has evolved as a great medium to connect with millions of people with similar interests Online Services The Internet has made life very convenient. With numerous online services you can now perform all your transactions online. You can book tickets for a movie, transfer funds, pay utility bills, taxes etc. , right from your home. Some travel websites even plan an Itinerary as per your preferences and take care of airline tickets, hotel reservations etc. -commerce The concept of e-commerce is used for any type of commercial maneuvering or business deals that involves the transfer of information across the globe via the Internet Disadvantages: Theft of Personal Information If you use the Internet for online banking, social networking or other services, you may risk a theft to your personal information such as name, address, credit card number etc. Unscrupulous people can access this information through unsecured connections or by planting software and then use your personal details for their benefit.Needless to say, this may land you in serious trouble. Spamming Spamming refers to sending unwanted e-mails in bulk, which provide no purpose and needlessly obstruct the entire system. Such illegal activities can be very frustrating for you as it makes your Internet slower and less reliable. Virus Threat Internet users are often plagued by virus attacks on their systems. Virus programs are inconspicuous and may get activated if you click a seemingly harmless link. Computers connected to the Internet are very prone to targeted virus attacks and may end up crashing.Pornography Pornography is perhaps the biggest disadvantage of the Internet. Internet allows you to access and download millions of pornographic photos, videos and other X-rated stuff. Such unrestricted access to porn can be detrimental for children and teenagers. It can even play a havoc in marital and social lives of adults. Social Disconnect Thanks to the Internet, people now only meet on social networks. More and more people are getting engulfed in virtual world and drifting apart from their friends and family.Even children prefer to play online games rather than going out and mingling with other kids. This may hamper a healthy social development in children. Thing you needs to have Inter net: To connect to the internet you simply need a modem, an ethernet cable, and a high speed internet connection. the connection can be set up by your cable company, phone company, or a private Internet provider. Of course a computer is needed to view the internet but to connect you simply need the three things above. To connect to the internet you need an ip address, a subnet mask and a default gateway Tanyag Na Manunulat Intro to internet What is Internet The  Internet  is a global system of interconnected  computer networks  that use the standard  Internet protocol suite  (often called TCP/IP, although not all applications use TCP) to serve billions of users worldwide. It is a  network of networks  that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks, of local to global scope, that are linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless and optical networking technologies.The Internet carries an extensive range of information resources and services, such as the inter-linked  hypertext  documents of the  World Wide Web  (WWW) and the  infrastructureto support email. Advantage & Disadvantage of Internet Advantage: Faster Communication The foremost target of Internet has always been speedy communication and it has excelled way beyond the expectations. Newer innovations are only going to make it faster and more reliable. Now, you can communi cate in a fraction of second with a person who is sitting in the other part of the worl Information ResourcesInformation is probably the biggest advantage that Internet offers. Internet is a virtual treasure trove of information. Any kind of information on any topic under the sun is available on the Internet. Entertainment Entertainment is another popular raison d'etre why many people prefer to surf the Internet. In fact, the Internet has become quite successful in trapping the multifaceted entertainment industry Social Networking One cannot imagine an online life without Facebook or Twitter.Social networking has become so popular amongst youth that it might one day replace physical networking. It has evolved as a great medium to connect with millions of people with similar interests Online Services The Internet has made life very convenient. With numerous online services you can now perform all your transactions online. You can book tickets for a movie, transfer funds, pay utility bills, taxes etc. , right from your home. Some travel websites even plan an Itinerary as per your preferences and take care of airline tickets, hotel reservations etc. -commerce The concept of e-commerce is used for any type of commercial maneuvering or business deals that involves the transfer of information across the globe via the Internet Disadvantages: Theft of Personal Information If you use the Internet for online banking, social networking or other services, you may risk a theft to your personal information such as name, address, credit card number etc. Unscrupulous people can access this information through unsecured connections or by planting software and then use your personal details for their benefit.Needless to say, this may land you in serious trouble. Spamming Spamming refers to sending unwanted e-mails in bulk, which provide no purpose and needlessly obstruct the entire system. Such illegal activities can be very frustrating for you as it makes your Internet slower and less reliable. Virus Threat Internet users are often plagued by virus attacks on their systems. Virus programs are inconspicuous and may get activated if you click a seemingly harmless link. Computers connected to the Internet are very prone to targeted virus attacks and may end up crashing.Pornography Pornography is perhaps the biggest disadvantage of the Internet. Internet allows you to access and download millions of pornographic photos, videos and other X-rated stuff. Such unrestricted access to porn can be detrimental for children and teenagers. It can even play a havoc in marital and social lives of adults. Social Disconnect Thanks to the Internet, people now only meet on social networks. More and more people are getting engulfed in virtual world and drifting apart from their friends and family.Even children prefer to play online games rather than going out and mingling with other kids. This may hamper a healthy social development in children. Thing you needs to have Inter net: To connect to the internet you simply need a modem, an ethernet cable, and a high speed internet connection. the connection can be set up by your cable company, phone company, or a private Internet provider. Of course a computer is needed to view the internet but to connect you simply need the three things above. To connect to the internet you need an ip address, a subnet mask and a default gateway

Plans to Lay Off Workers Essay Example

Plans to Lay Off Workers Essay Example Plans to Lay Off Workers Paper Plans to Lay Off Workers Paper Special Feature: Chapter Opener: Caterpillar Announces Plans to Lay Off Workers 2) The economy has gone into a recession. You have majored in computer science and, because of the recession, have difficulty in finding a job. Should you go back to school and get a second major? A) Yes, the recession will ensure that you will never find a job as programmer _ B) Yes, the recession will lower income in my field permanently. C) No, the recession will most likely be short-lived and I can get a job after it is over. D) No, the recession will have no impact on my ability to get a job or my future income. Answer: C Dif:2 Page Ref: eggnog Topic: How Long Are People Typically Unemployed? Learning Outcome: Macro-14 Identify different types and measures Of Special Feature: Economics in Your Life: Should You Change Your Career Plans if You Graduate During a Recession? 3) The unemployment rate is an important economic statistic that can tell us about the health of the economy. If the unemployment rate turns out to be high or higher than anticipated, we would expect A) it is more likely that an incumbent president will be re-elected. B) that stock prices are more likely to C) that jobs are less difficult to find. D) that investors will be more optimistic about the economy. Answer: B Dirt: 1 Page Ret: 630/264 Topic: The Unemployment Rate Recurring Learning Outcome: Macro-14 Identify different types and measures of 4) The Bureau of Labor Statistics would categorize a person as if they were temporarily away from their job because they ever ill. A) employed B) unemployed C) a discouraged worker D) out Of the labor force Dif:l Page Ref: 630/264 Topic: The Household Survey * Recurring Learning Outcome: Macro-14: Identity different types and measures of 5) The Bureau of Labor Statistics would categorize a retiree who is not working as A) employed, B) unemployed. C) a discouraged worker. D) out of the labor force. Answer: D Differ Page Ref: 630/264 6) The labor force equals the number of people A) employed. C) employed plus unemployed. D) in the working-age population. Answer: C 7) Suppose that homemakers are included as employed in the labor force statistics, rather than being counted as out of the labor force. This would A) increase the measured unemployment rate, B) increase the measured labor force participation rate. C) decrease the number of persons in the labor force, D) decrease the number of persons in the working-age population. Answer: B Dif:3 Page kef: 632-633/266-267 Topic: Labor Force Participation Special Feature: Solved Problem. What Happens if You Include the Military? 8) Suppose the working-age population Of a fictional economy falls into the following categories: 90 are retired or homemakers; 60 have full-time employment: 20 have part-time employment; 20 do not hue employment, but are actively looking for employment; and 10 would like employment but do not have employment and are not actively looking for employment. The Official unemployment rate as calculated by the U. S. Bureau of Laborious equal A) (20/60) x 100. B) (20/80) 100. C) (30/80) x 100. D) (20/100) 100. Dif:2 Page Ret 631/265 9) Suppose the labor force stays constant, and the working-age population stays constant, but a greater number of persons who were unemployed become employed. The labor force participation rate will A) increase. B) decrease. C) remain constant. D) not change in a way that can be predicted. Dif:2 Page Ref: 631/265 10) The unemployment rate equals the number of unemployed divided by the , all times 100. A) number of employed B) labor force C) working-age population D) total population Answer: B Dirt: 1 Page Ref: 631/265 1) Suppose the government launches a successful advertising campaign that convinces workers with high school degrees to quit their jobs and become full time college students. This would cause A) the unemployment rate to decrease. B) the labor force participation rate to decrease. C) the number of discouraged workers to increase. D) no change in the unemployment rate. Dif:3 Page Ref: 631/265 12) Someone who is available for work but has not actively looked for work in the previous four weeks would be classified as A) employed. B) unemployed, C) not in the labor force. D) not in the working-age population, page Ret 630/264 3) The labor force participation rate equals the A) (number of employed divided by the labor force) x 100. B) (labor force divided by the number of people not in the labor force) x 100. C) (labor force divided by working-age population) x 100. D) (labor force divided by the total population) x 100. Dif:l Page Ref: 631/265 14) Fifth 81_S counted persons that are on active military service in the totals for employment, the labor force, or the working-age population, this would A) decrease the measured unemployment rate. B) decrease the measured labor force participation rate. C) decrease the number to persons in the labor force. D) decrease the number of persons in the working-age population. Answer: A Dif:2 Page Ref: 632-633/266-267 Special Feature: Solved Problem: What Happens if You Include the Military? IS) Which of the following labor market statistics best indicates the amount of labor that is available to the economy from a given working-age population? A) unemployment rate B) discouraged-worker ratio C) labor force participation rate D) the ratio of minimum wage to inflation *: Recurring Learning Outcome: Macro. 14: Identify different types and measures of 16) Which of the following cause the unemployment rate as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to understate the true extent of joblessness? A) inflation B) discouraged workers C) people employed in the underground economy D) unemployed persons falsely report themselves to be actively looking for a job Dif:2 page Ret 633-634/267-268 Topic: Problems with Measuring the Unemployment Rate _ Recurring 1 7) Which Of the following cause the unemployment rate as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to overstate the true extent of joblessness? A) inflation C) counting people as employed who are working part time, although they would prefer to be working full time D) unemployed persons falsely report themselves o be actively looking for a job Answer: D Dif:2 Page Ref: 633-634/267-268 18) Which of the following explains the changes in the LIST. Adult male labor force participation rate since 1948? A) More men are joining the military as compared to the past. B) More men are retiring later in elite as compared to the past. C) Fewer men consider themselves discouraged workers as compared to the past, D) Younger men are remaining in school longer as compared to the past Answer: Dif:l Page Ref: 634/268 Topic: Labor Force Participation unemployment and discuss its causes I g) After the recession of 2007-2009, the unemployment rate peaked at 10. Percent in October 2009. Eighteen months later, it had A) dropped by SO percent. B) declined by only 1 percentage point. C) remained at 10. 1 percent. D) fallen to the natural rate of unemployment.

Tyranny essays

Tyranny essays Within The Republic, Plato states that tyranny is the most diseased kind of society (Republic, 544c). Aristotle echoes this belief when he boldly asserts within Politics that great honours should be bestowed... on him who kills a tyrant. (Politics, 1267a15) From these quotes alone, it is clear that both share a disdain for tyranny. This essay will compare and contrast Plato (the Republic) with Aristotle (the Politics) on the causes and consequences of tyranny. In order to grasp how Plato accounts for the development of tyranny, it is important to understand how he equates the city with the soul. Within The Republic, Plato explains that the soul consists of three parts: reason (wisdom), spirit (courage/honour) and appetite (moderation/desire). The class structure of Platos ideal city also embodies these divisions: The guardians or philosopher kings represent wisdom and are entrusted to rule; the auxiliaries represent courage and serve to protect the city; the producers represent moderation and serve to provide the economic and agricultural base for the city. While, as Plato connotes in this analogy, all three parts have a place in constructing the ideal, reason is the guiding force that mediates and draws from the competing nature of these parts to produce a just city. Accordingly, since change in every regime comes from that part of it which holds the ruling offices, (Republic, 551d) it is the loss of reason by the ruling class which destroys the just city and provides for the eventual onset of tyranny, a state devoid of harmony amongst its parts. In explaining how the ideal city would eventually degenerate, Plato puts forth a four-stage linear digression towards tyranny. From the ideal state, a timocracy is first born from the love of honour. As wealth becomes cherished among the citizens, timocracy gives way to oligarchy. In an oligarchic state, the desire for f...

Dude and Dudette

Dude and Dudette Dude and Dudette Dude and Dudette By Maeve Maddox The greatest Dude of all is without question Jeff â€Å"the Dude† Lebowski. But when did the word dude become a title to aspire to? When I was growing up, dude was a word to denote a somewhat prissy man concerned with nice clothes and clean fingernails. We even used the word as a verb: Well, look at you in that fancy outfit! You’ve really duded up for the occasion. In the context of the Wild West, a dude was an inexperienced Easterner or European being introduced to the rougher manners of the frontier. Once the West was tamed, the â€Å"dude ranch† came into being: a working ranch that catered to guests who wanted to play at being cowboys and could pay well for the privilege. The OED defines dude as â€Å"A name given in ridicule to a man affecting an exaggerated fastidiousness in dress, speech, and deportment, and very particular about what is aesthetically ‘good form.’† The first documented use of the word is from 1883. The OED citations indicate that it originated as American slang to describe young men who affected the dress, manners, and speech of an English gentleman. The Online Etymology Dictionary says that dude may derive from Yankee Doodle, a plausible idea, considering the lyrics of the song: Yankee Doodle went to town Riding on a pony; He stuck a feather in his hat, And called it â€Å"macaroni.† Macaroni was mid-18th century British slang for an Englishman who affected Continental fashions and behavior, incurring the ridicule of fellow citizens who valued â€Å"plain Englishness.† The American dude affected what to Americans were overly fastidious British mannerisms. According to Online Etymology Dictionary, dude to mean fellow, chap, buddy, guy, individual, etc. was in use by 1966, â€Å"originally in Black English.† Google Ngram Viewer shows the use of dude rising precipitately from the 1960s to the present. Dudette as the feminine of present-day dude is a recent surfer slang coinage dating from the early 1990s. Its existence is not yet acknowledged by OED, M-W, or the Ngram Viewer. Feminine forms existed for the earlier dude as well: dudine and dudess. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 English Grammar Rules You Should Know"Certified" and "Certificated"Neither... or?

Dockside Cranes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dockside Cranes - Research Paper Example The prominent quayside cranes were exceptionally quick and those operating the heavy gears were so skilled enough to timely and efficiently cause the lifting, turning and and luffing in order to expedite the given jobs in a synchronized and corrdinated manner. The responsibilities of those drivers became more important considering the safety concerns of the other workers and laborers involved in crane and cargo operations in the port. Added to that was the fact that goods for shipment then were mostly in sack, packets or boxes and all had to be handled with utmost care to avoid merchandise damage. S & P manufactured all those sophisticated cranes which were designed, in a large part, to All the cranes were made by Stothert & Pitt in Bath. S & P were pioneers of the use of electricity to drive cranes and came to specialise in dockside models like these - at one time, almost every port in the world had S & P cranes. These lifters were generally designed to raise objects weighing two to five tons. One dockside crane had a ten-ton capability. Somnetime in the month of November in the year 1974, the last trader call was served by these machines.1 The goods moved, loaded and unloaded by the dockside cranes in Bristol were varied, from fruits to coffee and cocoa, to nuts and beer and spirits, to tobacco and coal and even included frozen meat and many others. The strengths of the machines differed from one another and there were those with specialized functions. Many of the cranes had been dismantled for junk. The four in the photograph, all electric cranes made by S & P, were built in 1951 and still survive today. These are the last remaining old city dockside cranes in the United Kingdom which fully or partially function.2 There are no available data on the cost of each equipment, meaning the amount of money then needed to complete a dockside crane set. Neither are there information on the safetry mechanisms incorporated in every machine when it was fabricated. Nevertheless, further research and investigative study will surely arrive at those details albeit the process may take some time considering the period that had alread y elapsed. Dockside cranes used for ship repair and other services This is one of the two Stothert & Pitt dockside cranes being used by Harland and Wolff in its facilities in Northern Ireland within the east coast area. The duo consists of (a) one with a capacity of eighty tons and a height of thrity eight meters, and (b) another with a forty-ton capacity which is twenty five meters high. The complex renders ship module design, repair, construction and decommissioning services.3The same observations have to be made that there are no available facts and figures anent safety measures and features established within the cranes and fabrication costs. There is therefore a need for inquiries with Harland and Wolff. Cranes from China A company from the People's Republic of China named Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. advertises availability of gigantic dockside cranes called the Goaliath cranes. It

Training Responsibilities of Supervisors and Managers Dissertation

Training Responsibilities of Supervisors and Managers - Dissertation Example The supervisors and managers, therefore, have a responsibility to look after the needs and aspirations of the employees who work under their aegis and are trying their utmost to give in the best, on a proactively consistent basis. The training realms within any organization remain significant in entirety because the training modules teach so much more than merely training the employees. They tell them the basics related to conducting their respective chores, tasks, and undertakings. They also dictate the exact basis through which work processes get manifested in entirety. What is even more significant is an understanding that the supervisors and managers play their necessary roles at inculcating the kind of training that is needed by the organization in essence. The HRD department is therefore dependent on the supervisors and managers but what is ambiguous is the fact that these supervisors and managers are not a part of this HRD philosophy at all. The supervisors and managers hold t he fort for the organization when it comes to training and its imparting for the sake of the employees who are present in different departments of the organization. The organizations, therefore, find the best ways and means through which the HRD can become an independent department and work on its own to achieve the end objectives and results; all of which remain significant on a proactive basis. The list of responsibilities might comprise of preparing training procedures and plans for the employees, drafting policies which can tell them exactly what to expect of their relevant domains both in the short term as well as in the long run, and coordinating with clients and stakeholders on a constant basis. The training procedures are important to ascertain because these take into consideration the aspects of inculcating the true spirits of the organization on to the employees who remain significant during such undertakings. The supervisors and managers need to come out of their related realms to make sure that the employees are on track and are able to complete their jobs in a proper way.

Priorities of the Office of the Mayor of London and the Greater London Essay - 1

Priorities of the Office of the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority for a sustainable future of Environment - Essay Example In his tenure since 2008, Johnson has managed to create and implement some policies that are aimed at transforming London into one of the greenest and most energy efficient cities in the whole of Europe. Powers and Responsibilities of the GLA and the Mayor The GLA and the Mayor are responsible for matters to do with: housing, learning and skills, planning, waste management, culture, health, climate change and energy as well as water and sanitation. The GLA is responsible for ensuring that every resident of the city of London has access to good quality life. This includes proper and well maintained housing, a clean environment and easy access to public services such as healthcare and education. In its duty to keep the city friendly for its residents, the Mayor and GLA normally ensure that the infrastructure in the area is well planned and that waste is properly managed (Institute for Public Policy Research, 1997). It is also the duty of the authority to ensure that open and public spa ces remain as clean as possible so that the residents can relax comfortably safely. Another important duty of the Greater London Authority and the Mayor is to ensure that the city operates by international environmental standards. This means that the authority is responsible for looking into and tackling any issues regarding climate change and the environment in all corners of the city. ... to ensure that the environmental condition is such that all Londoners live a quality life free of any kind of pollution and irritants that are characteristic of most major cities all across the world (Johnson, 2008). Some of the environmental issues that have plagued the city for a long time include the lack of enough public space, development pressure, air pollution, noise pollution, litter and graffiti. Although the city of London is well known for its greenness, there is a big problem in how Londoners access green spaces for relaxation purposes. Government funding for green spaces and public parks has been on the decline for the last ten or so years and this has led to the depletion of these important resources (Johnson, 2009). Development has also been a big problem to London’s green environment. Pressure for new housing and public infrastructure expansion has seen most of the open green areas being cleared. The loss of green spaces has also led to the loss of wildlife tha t relies of these spaces for survival. Air pollution has also been a big problem for the city for a very long time, but there are measures in place to ensure that the air quality improves. Noise is also blighting many of the city’s beautiful features. Most of this noise comes from the streets and the airports. According to the World Health Organization, at least 25% of London’s population is affected by noise that is way above the organization’s standards (Greater London Authority, 2010). The Mayor’s Vision for a Better Environment In his mayoral campaigns and post-campaign strategies, the mayor laid down his vision for what he considered a better and greener environment. According to Johnson (2008), some of the plans he had for the city include: 1. Greening the city’s streets and

Crash character analysis of Graham quote as relates to Los Angeles Movie Review

Crash character analysis of Graham quote as relates to Los Angeles landscape(life) - Movie Review Example Because of his indifferent attitude towards life and eccentric nature, other characters such as his partner Ria and Flanagan cannot figure him out at first. Graham is a poor communicator because throughout the movie he often fails to communicate or does not attempt to do so at all; he hides his feelings, particularly because he is reserved and instead opts to remain silent than to share with people through communication. Graham strikes as a submissive character because he does not care to change things or to respond to situations in his life, but rather accepts them resignedly; for instance, he accepts his brother’s death and his mother disowns him almost as if they were expected ("Crash"). Graham has a strong personal drive for success through hard work, and he goes out of his way to take care of his mother and brother, even though they seem to be dragging him back. Graham is a very misunderstood character because most of the times, he chooses to keep his thoughts to himself and this is particularly because of his leaned helplessness; his selfless nature comes out clearly, when he chooses to let his mother think his brother put the groceries in the fridge. Graham’s most notable quote has effectively captures the real LA landscape because it is a place that deprives individuals the sense of touch, particularly because in any real city, people you walk, brush past each other, and even bump into each other sometimes unlike in LA where nobody touches you. According to Graham, LA inhibits human contact because people are always behind metal and glass, and they miss that touch so much, that they crash into each other, just so they can feel something ("Crash"). Graham’s quote is a true depiction of LA landmark that strongly impedes human contact, and the lack of human contact leads to confusion and misunderstandings between individuals, thereby leading to wrong conclusions being made concerning other people. Graham, for instance, is very distant from the people around him and worse still, he does not attempt to communicate his genuine feelings towards them because he chooses to reserve his thoughts to himself. It is the desperate need to feel something that causes individuals to often crash into each other because by doing so, they discover things they hardly knew about each other; at the end of the movie, most characters emerge as better people because they learn new things about themselves after crashing into each other. In conclusion, it is clear that Graham is not only an odd character, but also a thoroughly misunderstood character, particularly because of his inability to communicate his true feelings towards the people around him, and his self-reserved nature. Lack of human contact in LA City, unlike in normal cities where people come into contact on the streets, creates a high desire for touch, which impels individuals to crash into each other so they can feel something. Work Cited ‘

The Perspective of Moral law and Circumcision Essay

The Perspective of Moral law and Circumcision - Essay Example They are ones who do not consider Jesus as God instead believes that a Messiah will be the one to unite everyone towards the kingdom of God. Gentiles on the other hand are those people who are not seen as a descendant of Israel and at the same time people who do not see themselves as one, which often takes their right to worship God. However, they still do worship God based on His teachings told to them through different people chosen by God such as Moses. Now, after clearly setting enough light on what Gentiles and Jews were, it is now easier to know the difference between how each perceived moral law. The latter are those who obeyed the law based on their traditions rather than what God truly meant in His teachings. On the other hand, Gentiles are those who followed Jesus because they put importance in living under no other law but Christ’s (New International Version (NIV Bible) - Version Information - BibleGateway.com. (n.d.)). Thus, when it comes to the topic on circumcision in the olden days, each of them would have different purposes and attitude towards doing so. For the Jews, circumcision, which was one of the clearly stated teachings in the Old Testament was just an act they had to do to be able to avoid persecution from the people. Another reason why they do not really believe in circumcision being a holy and biblical act is because of the fact that even those that are circumcised sin. However, for Gentiles, circumcision is a whole different thing. Even when Gentiles are seen as those who do not have the law and not being the chosen people of God, they do things that are required by the law of God not only obeying by word but at the same time has the law written in their hearts (New International Version (NIV Bible) - Version Information - BibleGateway.com. (n.d.)). Thus, for them, circumcision is an act done to please God by not only getting circumcised but at the same time by observing the other laws and not just pick out the laws that might

THE GLOBAL ECONOMY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

THE GLOBAL ECONOMY - Essay Example This sort of anticipation has led to the further fall in oil prices. Another issue that the researcher discusses is that of the fluctuating exchange rates that has in turn caused variability in interest rates. The main aim of the research is to analyse the various issues faced by the global economy and how has the economy dealt with the challenges. The research allows the researcher to study the various economic issues across the globe and the main reasons behind such issues and derive a solution to overcome these issues. The crude oil prices in the economy have experienced a recent decline which had serious impacts on the economy. The global demand and supply conditions for the crude oil has led to the possible decline in crude oil prices (Fornari, et al., 2002). Prices are expected to change rapidly based on the anticipation of the researchers before the actual change. Expectation for the global oil demands have been anticipated downwards in the economy and the growth in oil prices was expected to be much lower in the economy (Jimenez-Rodriguez and Sanchez, 2005). Further, the intensity of the rise in oil prices have become half of what it was during the previous years. It had resulted in declining oil intensity and the energy efficiency of the oil prices. The researcher has found that Saudi Arabia has reduced OPEC’s oil supply and the prices were stabilized (Jimenez-Rodriguez and Sanchez, 2005). The oil price fluctuations and the inflation rates have a positive correlation in the economy (Kim and Roubini, 2000). High inflation led to high rise in oil prices within the economy and it had an impact on the oil producing companies as there was a very low demand for crude oil. The low demand was due to rise in price for crude oil. As a result, there was excess supply of crude oil in the economy and gradually the prices fell in the later years. Rise in oil prices has led to lower output production in the

The Perspective of Moral law and Circumcision Essay

The Perspective of Moral law and Circumcision - Essay Example They are ones who do not consider Jesus as God instead believes that a Messiah will be the one to unite everyone towards the kingdom of God. Gentiles on the other hand are those people who are not seen as a descendant of Israel and at the same time people who do not see themselves as one, which often takes their right to worship God. However, they still do worship God based on His teachings told to them through different people chosen by God such as Moses. Now, after clearly setting enough light on what Gentiles and Jews were, it is now easier to know the difference between how each perceived moral law. The latter are those who obeyed the law based on their traditions rather than what God truly meant in His teachings. On the other hand, Gentiles are those who followed Jesus because they put importance in living under no other law but Christ’s (New International Version (NIV Bible) - Version Information - BibleGateway.com. (n.d.)). Thus, when it comes to the topic on circumcision in the olden days, each of them would have different purposes and attitude towards doing so. For the Jews, circumcision, which was one of the clearly stated teachings in the Old Testament was just an act they had to do to be able to avoid persecution from the people. Another reason why they do not really believe in circumcision being a holy and biblical act is because of the fact that even those that are circumcised sin. However, for Gentiles, circumcision is a whole different thing. Even when Gentiles are seen as those who do not have the law and not being the chosen people of God, they do things that are required by the law of God not only obeying by word but at the same time has the law written in their hearts (New International Version (NIV Bible) - Version Information - BibleGateway.com. (n.d.)). Thus, for them, circumcision is an act done to please God by not only getting circumcised but at the same time by observing the other laws and not just pick out the laws that might

Love for Scrambled Tofu Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Love for Scrambled Tofu - Essay Example Based on the fact that being from an African American origin, the reporter feels more like tofu. This paper outlines how tofu can be related to real life practices and lifestyle. Tofu is the result of the interaction of different cultures in different generations. Having originated from parts of Asia, it has spread to other parts of the world where it is preferred by vegetarians. The spread of tofu is believed to have coincided with the spread of Buddhism since the diet was an excellent source of proteins required in the vegetarian diet of those that followed Buddha. Just like tofu, am dedicated to accomplishing my work. Am loyal to all those around me and have the undying compassion for everyone in my circle. Like tofu is the source of many minerals in our lives, am enthusiastic in learning new things so that I may get the required knowledge to reach my career. Like tofu has essential minerals, he believes in straight-forward lifestyle in order to succeed in life. Tofu’s low-calorie count is what gives it the large amounts of proteins. Also, it has high iron content due to coagulants used during its manufacturing accompanied by high calcium contents. This ensures that tofu is one complete meal for people of all ages. Similarly, my origins have instilled life virtues in him. Am an honest person and have come to learn that being honest costs nothing but can cost one heavily. Also, am a person full of integrity and hate to associate with people who are not straight-forward and live a short-cut free life. Notably, tofu is made from different coagulants that originated from different places and were brought together to form tofu in Asia and my different origins brought me to where he currently lives and instilled the virtues in me. The essay shows that tofu is an origin of different ethnicities coming together to create one cuisine. Mongolians contributed to making of tofu by use of cheese.

Economics of Competitive Advantage Essay Example for Free

Economics of Competitive Advantage Essay A globalized economy in its theory entails opening up of the local economy of a certain country towards internationalization, creating a â€Å"borderless world economy†. Thus, ideally, it should pave the way for economic interdependence and promote economic fair play amongst participating countries. Globalization shall surely expose an economy towards the world market due to increased amount of global trade and exchanges in products and services and by encouraging application for an open-economy. Globalization has imposed too many changes on the international monetary policies. On the other hand, international monetary has seriously influenced trade and investment policies, finance, tourism and many other aspects that are coincided with the modernity imposed by globalization. Moreover, open-economy principles have profoundly affected exchange rate policies on the macro level. Thus, international economic migration has increased exposure towards international financial changes and commercial flows. (Frieden, p. 1) Moreover, according to Betts and Kehoe (2004), the aggregate real exchange rate movements are believed to be influenced by inter-country movements with regards to the relative prices of their traded goods within countries. Also, the currency denomination of international trade widely influences the trade prices of goods and services. Thus, it also turns out that changes or fluctuation in the on currency will decrease the buying power of a particular currency if compared to other currencies that have less amount of fluctuations in their market. In addition, the strong market competitors in this case, are those who are believed to have strong economic relations with participating countries, thus they carry an edge towards their trade practices. Nevertheless, they don’t act to stabilize world exchange rates, rather they only work to provide balance of trades and multi-lateral interaction amongst participating nations. There are several factors that affect the bilateral rate movements which have significant economic effects. According to the Reserve Bank of Australia Bulletin (RBAB) (1998, p. 2) These are: (1) divergences between export and import and aggregated trade-weighted exchange rates; (2) role of US dollar as currency for international trade; (3) longer-term pricing of commodity exports in terms of other major currencies; and (4) importance of bilateral rates vis-a vis competitor countries with relatively little direct trade. These changes however, the depreciation or appreciation can create effects on international competitiveness. Moreover, aside from purely economic reasons of rate fluctuations, the political side behind changes in the market activity is also significant. This political-economic aspect is important most especially amongst developing nations. The emergence of developing countries and the continuing influence of strong countries amongst less empowered countries create domestic and international political pressures that are integral to the competitiveness of the participating countries (Freiden, p. 12) Thus, economically speaking, exchange rate fluctuations have impacts on the country’s competitiveness. Stability or non-stability of their currency has adverse effects on the currency’s buying and trading power. On the political aspect, excluding the changes and fluctuations in the currency rates, powerful groups and powerful consumers affect international economic integration. And thus the openness of world economy therefore pushes more politicized movements and political pressures in the economic arena.

Challenges And Opportunities During Handover Nursing Essay

Challenges And Opportunities During Handover Nursing Essay Variations in communication during staff handover cause a significant number of errors and near misses to occur, leading to adverse outcome In medical care, a hand over (also known as hand off, sign-out or end of shift report in the USA) refers to information about a patient that is transferred by one professional or a team to another. The primary objective of a hand over is to provide accurate information about a patients care, treatment and services, current condition and any recent or anticipated changes. The number and types of handovers for any given hospital patient can vary and may involve physicians, nurses, pharmacists, transport and other services Handovers are not simply a mechanical means for transmitting and receiving information. In medical care, a hand over requires that the sender consider a patients present condition and his/her likely future over the next 8-12 hours. Likewise the receiver must comprehend what is being transmitted and feel confident about the clarity and reliability of the message. In addition handover also involves the transfer of rights, duties and obligations as they relate to the meaning and interpretation of communication between one professional and another. Interest in handovers has grown steadily over the past decade and researchers, hospital administrators, educators and policy makers have learned that variations in communication during handovers cause a significant number of errors and near misses to occur leading to adverse outcome According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) USA, up to 98000 patients die and another 15 million are harmed in US hospitals annually due to medical errors, and two-thirds of these errors are due to communication failure. Question 1 Read the case study 1, and based on the information given; write an essay to include the answers to the following questions Analyse the methods of internal communication you would recommend to ensure that hand over process in hospital wards is made efficiently A patient can be cared for by five different units during one hospital stay the operating room, postanesthesia care unit, critical care unit, step-down unit and medical/surgical unit which makes effective communication between the units all the more important. Hand offs help staff members process information, plan care and build the health care team. The five strategies for effective hand-off communication include (a) the usage of clear language healthcare professionals should avoid and refrain from using unclear or potentially confusing terms ( such as she is a little unstable, he is doing fine, she is lethargic). Define the terms being used and never use abbreviations or jargons that could be misinterpreted. (b) Healthcare professionals should incorporate effective communication techniques such as limit interruptions, focus on the information being exchanged, and allocate sufficient time to this important task. There is a need to implement read-back or check back techniques to make sure there is a common understanding about expectations. There is a need to encourage interactive questioning to allow for better information absorption. Keep the report patient centered and avoid irrelevant details, (c) there is a need for standardized shift-to-shift and unit-to-unit reporting. Using a consistent format increases the amount of info rmation staff members accurately record and recall and improves their ability to plan patient care. Organize the data with a sign-out checklist, a script or an at a glance status display. Make sure you can provide cues of important information to pass on that is otherwise likely to be forgotten in the chaos of shift or unit changes. Keep the report concise and accurate. What is included in hand-off communication varies by setting and discipline but can also include a summary of the patients current medical status, resuscitation status, recent lab values, allergies, a problem list and a to-do list for the covering physician or nurse. Get input from frontline staff to identify what should be included in the report. Smooth hand offs between settings is possible through the transition between the settings of care such as from the hospital to home, community or long term care can be undependable. To prevent problems, communicate with the physician when a patient is admitted and update him or her whenever the patients status changes significant. On discharge, provide the patient with information about discharge medications, discharge diagnoses and results of procedures and labs. A simple follow up call to the patient by a physician, nurse or pharmacist can prevent many postdischarge errors. Assess the impacts of barriers of internal communication within the hospital to achieve effective handover Hand off communication provides a forum for the exchange of ideas, opportunities to express concerns and a pace for offering peer support. Hand off can be a time when health care workers may find it permissible to express and communicate emotions such as grief, anxiety, loathing or amusement that must be suppressed outside the health care arena and can be particularly important for hospital staff members who are caring for terminal patients in hospital acute medical wards. Communications among care providers, responsibility for the patient, shift-change handovers, coordination among providers and different areas of the hospital and physician- nurse interaction are just some of the problems evident in the case. According to Anderson and Helms (1995), continuity of care is a series of interconnected patient care events within a health care institution and among multiple settings that requires coordination across time, settings and providers of health care. In the health care setting, hand offs include nursing shift changes, temporary relief or coverage, nursing and physician hand offs from an emergency department, various transfers of information in inpatient settings and transfers to different hospitals, nursing homes and home care or community health care. In addition to causing emotional harm such as anxiety and confusion to patients and their family members during already stressful situations, poor transition can cause physical harm to patients in which poor hand off communication lead to patient harm. Proper communication between nurses at all points during a patients hospital stay can be difficult because of high patient turnover, lack of overlap between shifts and time constrains. Adding to the problem is the increasing use of agency nurses and the large number of nurses involved in each patient care4. For a number of other reason, there may be gaps in information that is handed from one nurse to the other like new admissions just prior to shift change, fragmentation of communication between physicians and nurses, time available to conduct hand offs and the lack of knowledge about an individual patients condition as well. Due to these barriers to effective hands off there are certain things to improve communication, (a) increase consistency in assigning nurses to the same patients over a number of shifts, (b) structure hand offs to focus on patient progress rather than on tasks (c) include physicians in the hand-off process when feasible and (d) combine the strengths from the di fferent styles of hand-off communications strategy that meets the needs of the individual patient and the organization or unit. Identify how to create an effective communication structure which is standardised within the hospital to improve compliance with effective handover As part of the transition in care, hand offs transfer knowledge as well as responsibility and authority. Failures in adequate hand-off communication may result from the inability of staff members to construct a shared picture of what is going on with the patient at the time of transition, as well as expectations and plans. Standardizing hands off communication can help health care workers avoid common causes for communication failures during hand offs such as the following : (a) physicians and nurses consistently perform their rounds separately, (b) no formal tools are used to support the transition, (c) hand off communications vary greatly, with some occurring one-on-one and some in groups, (d) some sites have standard orders for handling off patients, (e) exchanges are more transactional than interactional, (f) interruptions are frequent during hand offs. There are multiple venues on how to create an effective communication structure which is standardised can be done through the following steps: (a) physician hand offs including resident-to-resident hand off should include information about code status for all patients, ( b) effective implementation of information technology can improve the availability of advance directive information, (c) health care organizations should have a procedure for reporting critical tests and critical results in a timely manner to the responsible licensed caregiver who ordered the test or an authorized agent of the responsible licensed caregiver, (d) physicians are responsible for tracking the results on laboratory tests they order. Checklists and other interventions aimed at decreasing lapses in concentration can prevent forgetting about ordered tests, (e) hospitals should strive for a communication environment where care team members are free to question each others knowledge. Actively engage patients and their families about their care. Use effective and active communication with members of a surgical team when planning procedures based on contingencies. Healthcare worker should engage in formal mechanisms for communicating changes in patient plans such as orders, checklists and briefings including notification of relevant providers. Using checklists, hand off cards and computerized hand offs can increase the quality, reliability and accuracy of information obtained. Verbal techniques such as read-backs where listeners repeats back salient issues, should be instituted as a standard part of the hand off process. Standard information transfer protocols, such as reminder systems to cue providers to check tests, mandates that laboratories or radiology departments contact providers about critical lab values and read -backs of key verbal information, should be adopted by health care organization to prevent transitional errors. ( Word count :1200 ) Case study 2 Redevelopment of the Kings College Hospital Emergency Department Kings College Hospital Foundation Trust was investing significant resources to completely redesign its Emergency Department. The aim was to improve facilities for all its patients, in particular mental health service users, following the closure of the local mental health emergency mental health facility A formal consultation process was necessary to gather the view of local people on its proposals. Despite this being a redevelopment which affected the whole local community, there was a risk that not all voices would be heard and that only those who had been campaigning against the closure of the dedicated mental health facility would engage. There was a need to give all sections of the community the opportunity to contribute Question 2 Read the case study 2, and based on the information given write an essay to include the answers to the following questions Analyze the methods of external communication you would use for the most effective dissemination of the information about the redevelopment at the Kings College Hospital, to all section of the community The improvements needed for the Emergency Department by the Kings College Hospital Foundation Trust relies so much on the contribution and support of the community. Since the entire hospital would require a full gear shift in order to accommodate the influx of mental patients since a mental health facility has been brought to a closure. There is a need to gather the consensus and consult the community since it will affect the entire population with the changes in the hospital itself. There will be changes in the allocation of budget, staffing and availability of healthcare professionals. Thus, there is a need to solicit the opinion and support of the local community. Sources of information outside the organization can provide an understanding of opportunities and challenges that the organization needs to anticipate or that it has encountered in the past. Important types of external information includes publics who come in contact with the organization, information networks linking individuals inside and outside of the healthcare organization, portrayals of the organization by key individuals and the media and information about social, economic and environmental issues related to the redevelopment of the entire Emergency Room of the hospital. It should be the goal of the entire hospital administration to ensure the effective and full redevelopment of the Emergency department to be responsive to the dynamic local needs. There is a need to conduct a thorough consultation process in order to facilitate the proper solicitation of the opinion from the entire community. This will allow consultation initiatives which will allow the local community to air out their sentiments and opinions with regards to site analysis, opportunities and constraints related to the building form, landscape and heritage. The attitude of the community towards the redevelopment of the health facility can be examined through consultation initiatives. The hospital should ensure that the community feedback was solicited at key project milestones and can be done through the utilization of newsletters, websites, site open day, community walks or even open forums. Further consultation will facilitate the understanding of the community regarding the final plans with the redesigning of the Emergency department. There should be a report related to the environmental assessment for public scrutiny and exhibition. This will allow the local community to have informed decisions about the proposal for the redesigning of the Emergency department. In this way, it will ensure the support from the various sectors of the community. It will facilitate the smooth operations of the hospital in its aim to cater the needs of mentally inflicted patients within the community. Assess the impact of external communication barriers on relationships with various community groups Since there is a need for the redevelopment of the Emergency Department of the Kings College Hospital, a thorough community consultation should be done. Effective engagement and relationship with the local community can lead to better assessment and effective planning. It will ensure better and sensible decisions and more excellent outcomes which can help in the avoidance of delay in the planning and implementation of the redevelopment of the emergency room. Through the consultation with the community, it will lead to an improvement of the confidence in the fairness and credibility of the plan to redesign and develop the Emergency room into a facility which can cater the needs of the clients suffering from mental affliction. The hospital administration expects the consultation and external communication with various community groups to be effective in order to find meaning from the planning process to enable the various groups to be reflected in the development of the proposal to redevelop the facility. There should be a consensus from various community groups to eliminate resistance and foster acceptance of the project. Early engagement with the community groups will ensure that the views and interests of the entire group into the proposed redevelopment. Barriers to effective external communication would be the failure of involvement in the identification and involvement of the people and the organization who are interested to focus on the engagement to further consult each other. Failure of the healthcare facility to fulfil the requirements of the statutory community consultation. The submission of a proposal to various community groups and stakeholders will provide an avenue for the community to contribute regarding the development of the project and its planning phase. The stakeholders are those with some stake or opinion in the decisions to be made in the entire community. These community groups provide the voice in behalf of the people who are affected by the decisions made. Various community groups which can be affected by the change in health care facility are the local government, families and support groups of mentally challenged individuals, healthcare professional alliances, environmental groups and even the neighbourhood where the facility is supposed to be built. The involvement of these stakeholders should include direct access to facilitate consultative process. The involvement of many stakeholders as possible is very important to make sure that there is effective communication to prevent resistance among the locals. Through the face-to-face dialogue there will be an increase in the likelihood that all opinions and views are taken into consideration. This is very important since the silent majority is fully involved in the process of consulting with the entire community. Identify how to create an effective external communication structure in the hospital based on the experience of the above case study The redevelopment of the Emergency room of the Kings College Hospital will definitely involved the entire community. Since this reorganization of the physical arrangement of the hospital is caused by the closure of a mental health institution located within the vicinity of the community. Consulting with the community will truly evoke the sentiments and opinions of the entire population. In order to thoroughly and completely gather the insights of various community groups, information dissemination regarding the proposed organizational redevelopment. This is to make sure that the public has been informed of the plans to reorganize the hospital to further accommodate the mental health needs of the entire community. These can be done through publication of newsletters in local community papers in circulation. Local television programs and radio stations can help in informing the public for such plans related to an existing health facility. This will allow the entire community to get a birds eye view of what to expect and how the redevelopment of the Emergency Room should affect them. A community dialogue can be organized by the external affairs department of the hospital in order to provide a venue for the community and the hospital administration to discuss the significance, the importance and the plans on how to make such changes in the healthcare institution. Walk in and open house events can be done to allow community members to personally witness and assess the necessity of a redevelopment. It should include the necessary information and facts for the need to accommodate mental health patients. In this way, it will magnify the positive responses from the community itself. There is a need for the hospital administration to ensure that they make the most comprehensive information regarding the need for such redevelopment. It will ensure a favourable response and an informed decision from the entire community. After the first touch base with the community, the hospital administration can start planning out a proposal on how to carry out the plans for the redevelopment of the emergency room. The hospital administration should provide a proposal involving the finances to support, the needed manpower, funds and machineries for the plans to be executed. There should be proper coordination with the various departments of the hospitals to thoroughly cover staffing needs of various areas of the hospital that would be affected by the changes, budget allocations and the resettlement area for the emergency department while the redevelopment is ongoing. ( Word count :1200 ) Case study 3 Reputation audit and communication support for NHS Milton Keynes Issue NHS Milton Keynes wanted to improve its communication with all stake holders (GPs, patients, voluntary groups, partner organisations and politicians), and raise its profile in the local media to enable it to deliver on challenging issues such as the national 18 weeks wait and public health objectives and priorities. A strategic plan need to be implemented to achieve this objective Read the case study 3, and based on the information given write an essay to include the answers to the following questions Question 3 Plan an effective communications strategy to communicate with the stakeholders of the NHS Milton Keynes to raise its profile and communicate its strategic objectives Although the benefits of having a good reputation are many and varied, they come down to one thing: a strong reputation creates a strategic advantage. Since companies are constantly competing for the support of the stakeholders, clients, local communities and employees. A good reputation creates an intangible obstacle that lesser rivals will have a tough time overcoming. A good reputation enhances profitability because it attracts customers to the companys product, clients and employees to its jobs. In turn, esteem inflates the price at which a public companys securities trade. The economic value of corporate reputation can therefore be gauged by the excess market value of its securities. To successfully manage reputation, a company must establish the programs necessary for actively relating and communicating to the stakeholders of a hospital or healthcare institution. The company must regularly audit or check into its reputational profile. There is a need to fully execute reputational auditing which would allow thorough diagnostic review of the hospitals current identity. Images and reputation. A reputation audit can help manage and analyse the gaps between the desired reputation, aims, roles and values of the healthcare institute. A research or survey can be conducted to effectively communicate what the stakeholders, community members regarding their priorities and perceptions in the impact and significance of the institution itself. At the end of the reputation audit, the hospital will know which are working and what organizational changes should be done to further reach out to its target population. There should be a leadership consensus about the significant issues as well as collective dialogue. There should be thorough evaluation of the internal capabilities and available resources to support the necessary changes to improve image and reputation. Media monitoring can be one of the ways to effectively identify the essential understanding of the concurrent reputation of the hospital. It will give a warning on the development of issues and will give you the ability to determine if news coverage is negative or positive. There should be a positive relationship with media through media training for the key players of the organization who have credibility on the issues on hand. Measuring the reputation of a company is a dynamic and complex process. A range of issues can be assessed and evaluated. Good reputation management is about developing high sensitivity to the concerns and expectations of all stakeholders and establishing a mature dialogue with them so that actions taken that principally affect one stakeholder group recognize the concerns and expectations of all the others. Reputation management is synonymous to risk management which involves anticipating the downside risks to the companys reputation from losing support from any stakeholder whose personal interest might diverge from those of the institution. Communications among organizations should be monitored in order to ensure marketing and branding activities will align with other efforts to build a better reputation for the hospital. The key point to maintain the alignment of a reputation audit. In this way, it can help the organization to determine the effectiveness in a driving engagement and achieving favourable results with external stakeholders such as the media, clients, customers and various community groups. Discuss how you would implement your communication strategy. Corporate communication has in recent times evolved into a full field of study, both in practice and in scientific theory. Grant (1996) has in my opinion tackled the most important issues in the area of coordination of all forms of communication. He argues that there are four mechanisms within an organization that integrate specialist knowledge (such as communication knowledge). These are: (a) rules and instructions, procedures, rules, standardized information and communication systems, (b) sequencing the organization of the primary process in a sequential can be improved is the extent to which the story can be characterized as sustainable. Consistency in communication is one of the crucial factors in increasing success with corporate communication. This implies the necessity of ensuring the clarity about who is responsible for what and especially about what. Reputation acts like a resource to the company- one that is difficult to gain and difficult to imitate, and that enables the company to achieve superior levels of performance. Companies with better corporate reputations are better able to improve their operating performance over time. The higher levels of operating performance that result from a good reputation virtually guarantee that a company will receive favourable endorsements from stakeholders and the media. Charles Fombrun and Mark Shanley showed that reputations measured by Fortunes most admired company ratings were heavily influenced by a health institutions performance, media visibility and significance to the community, strategic behaviour heavily intertwined.(C. J. Fombrun V. Rindova 2001). Organizations are increasingly aware of the fact that the joint communication efforts by all specialists in this field in an organization are not always effective. Communication is sometimes fragmented or even contradictory. The magic phrase by which solutions to this problem are often looked for seems to be integration of communication. The hospital should be able to identify which organizational activities related to external stakeholders should be analyzed. The perspectives of higher-level functional categories within the organizations communication strategy. There should be an analysis on the branding, advertising, public relations and even maintaining online presence through a website or webpage, community management or social media strategy through facebook or twitter. Afterwards, you can start rating your current level of effectiveness for the various categories of communicating with external stakeholders. A target audience should be consulted for each of the areas of external communication strategy, determine what you want to accomplish and if you have achieved the goals you have to improve the reputation of the health institution. The ratings will help you identify the areas by which you are supposed to concentrate and improve and develop strategies to realign them with the goals of the healthcare institution. Corporate reputation is the entire expectations and perceptions of the stakeholders about the hospital in reference to the personal ideals of the stakeholders. Reputation of the hospital is not necessarily informed by any form of actual knowledge, form of communication or mere interaction within the company which can be communicated by various stakeholders outside the institution. Management of reputation must include managing and monitoring perceptions in order to achieve favourable response from the community, patients and other members of the community. How would you evaluate the effectiveness of your communications strategy? A communication strategy is a model or guide of which you can follow to help create effective messages for specific purposes. Health care communication strategies offer advice or suggestions about gaining insights into a patients background and health care beliefs. Strategies are also valuable in helping overcome barriers to effective communication between hospital, stakeholders, caregivers and patients. Communicating effectively and often during a reputation improvement process is essential. Crises create unsettling ambiguities. Companies facing crisis are usually under siege from the media, the financial community, disgruntled employee, online and offline critics and in some cases the hospital administrators. Rescuing reputation and taking the first steps on the path to long term recovery require a greater level of communications than is typical in less stressful times. Communications from the top are needed in heave doses to steady the employees who may e reeling from bad news or uncertainty. It is the leaders job to choose the most effective channels and the right words, and then give communications their most meaning during challenging times. In professional organizations, developing external communication strategies that emphasize consistency and stability is very important. Internally, induction and training procedures can be usefully employed to encourage professionals to behave in standardized ways when dealing with clients. However, the need to be carefully monitored to ensure that a balance between individual creativity and firm goals is struck. The study by Covaleski et al. (1998) highlighted the problems with two such induction strategies: MBO (management by objectives) and mentoring. Opinions research rely on polls to gauge public opinion. We may well want to construct reputational profiles and rankings of companies in quite similar ways. To determine the effectiveness of the communication strategy by the healthcare institution, there should be careful identification of each members of the constituent groups. The effectiveness of the communication strategy can be measured with the proper solicitation of feedbacks and ratings from relevant areas of the institution to specific target audience. The better represented are all of the companys constituents in the reputational audit, the more valid is the reputational profiles that it can generate. The main concern is with the constructing samples of constituents that will not have bias results. To achieve a representation of the population at large, political pollsters advocate random sampling- respondents are not selected because of their typicality or of their representatives. Insofar as corporate ratings accurately reflect the multiple images of a company that are being disseminated, they provide a useful tool for assessing the companys overall performance. For some companies, the fragmented images will converge, producing strong reputations. Communication is used to determine who needs to know something, what they need to know and how best to interact with them. A strategic public relations program will address the audience that is relevant to the public relations and reputation improvement campaign. Research initiatives should link this understanding to the reputation improvement endeavours of the hospital. In the process, it must provide a benchmark from which to judge the impact and effectiveness of the public relations strategy utilized by the healthcare institution. Word count :1500 )