Saturday, August 31, 2019
Music Censorship Essay
First , I want to talk about what decides if music should be censored and this includes parents and corporations. The parents started to listen to their childrens music and listened to the lyrics of the songs. Some of the parents liked the lyrics and music that their children listened to, while others did not. The parents that did not like the lyrics of the songs their children listened to decided to create a group the Parents Music Resource Center, or the PMRC for short. The PMRC was established by parents to regulate music censorship in 1984 and stated that their goal was to increase parental control over the access of access of children to music deemed to be violent, have drug use or be sexual via labeling albums with Parental Advisory stickers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parents_Music_Resource_Center). The corporations were effected by the parents influences majorly. The conflicted parents demanded that the record companies put labels on their products, so their children would not be introduced to this vulgarity. The record companies and the parents fought back and forth until the parents involved legislators which stopped the record companies in their place. This was a revolution in music history and changed the music industry forever. Next, I want to talk about who regulates the censorship of music and this includes the PMRC and the Recording Industry Association of America, or the RIAA for short. The Parents Music Resource Center put heavy pressure on the RIAA with senate hearings to get them to put the Parental Advisory label, so that other parents would know what vulgarity was in the products. By doing so, the parents enforced the ââ¬Å"Parental Advisory- Explicit Lyricsâ⬠warning label to be used by the Recording Industry Association of America on their products that was not suitable for children. The RIAA regulated the censorship of music before the PMRC started, but the did not give any kind of standards, criteria or guidelines for determining which albums should be labeled and which albums should not be labeled. Not only did the PMRC get onto the RIAA about their labels, but also many organizations were dissatisfied with the RIAAââ¬â¢s labels and have demanded more limits on the sale of music containing controversial lyrics (http://www.nku.edu/~issues/music_censorship/laws.htm). Through the efforts of many organizations, mainly the PMRC, stricter labels were used for albums with explicit lyrics. Then, I want to talk about what is politically correct in music, and it is either politically correct or it is not politically correct. If a song is politically correct it will be good for profit so most record companies and artiest try to direct the lyrics in the their songs as leaning toward politically correct lyrics. Theyââ¬â¢re can be a problem with politically correct songs though, sometimes when you have politically correct songs then it does not display an artists full emotion, and it can be distracting to make sure that their songs are politically correct. When you have politically incorrect songs then it, very often, offends the listeners or a group of people that the song is directed toward. Not only do you offend the listeners with politically incorrect songs, but also the listeners will stop listening which decreases sales and profit. Being politically correct is more profitable, but doesnââ¬â¢t allow full expression and politically incorrect songs take away from p rofit and decrease listeners.
Friday, August 30, 2019
Annotated Bibliography for Childhood Obesity Essay
Child obesity became a very serious issue that is taking on the health of the nationââ¬â¢s children. It is everyone responsibility to work on preventing and reducing childhood obesity, from the parents who are suppose to care about their childrenââ¬â¢s health, to the public health representatives, who should care about a future healthy nation, and everyone in between. Every part of society should create a set of lifestyle changes in order to save our kids from obesity. There are many aspects, which have to be changed or improved, including parentââ¬â¢s nutrition education, childrenââ¬â¢s physical activity and kidââ¬â¢s nutrition in a school and home, food industry and etc. Wiley, L. F. (2013). ââ¬Å"No Body Left Behindâ⬠: Re-Orienting School-Based Childhood Obesity Interventions. Duke Forum For Law & Social Change (DFLSC), 597-128. The article discuses the school intervention in childhood obesity. It suggests that school would be required to provide a minimum number of minutes of physical education every week. It is very important to make those classes accessible, enjoyable and stimulating for kids. The article also mentions that school lunches with a lot of fruits and vegetables are part of health promotion. It adds that many intervention in this sphere are already exist, but they need improvements, because statistic donââ¬â¢t show any result at this time. My assignment: The article indicates on moderating intervention on obesity in the school system. This idea can be used to support the argument that the school system is a important part of childrenââ¬â¢s environment and should create a set of changes to reduce obesity among this countryââ¬â¢s youngà generation. I believe this as one of the true aspects that society should concentrate and improve on. Murtagh L, Ludwig, DS. State intervention in life-threatening childhood obesity. JAMA 2011; 306(2): 206-207. This article is posing a solution offer from Murtagh and Ludwig on obesity in children. They suggest removing a specific subset of obese children away from their parents and placing them foster care as a remedy for their obesity on a stateââ¬â¢s law base. Dr. Ludwig and Murtagh assume that this action would change the direction of the childââ¬â¢s obesity by providing an opportunity be exposed to healthy nutrition and reasonable activity level for some period of time. At the same time, the information on how to manage childrenââ¬â¢s weight would provided to parents of those children. The article further states that ââ¬Å"under most existing child protective services laws, multiple less intrusive interventions such as in-home social supports, parenting training, counseling, and financial assistance, that may address underlying problems without resorting to removal of a childâ⬠. â⬠¨ My assessment: I think ââ¬Å"less intrusive interventionsâ⬠is better idea then removing a child from a family. The last one is an unnecessary action, and may be even damaging for childrenââ¬â¢s psyche. I donââ¬â¢t defend parents, I also think that parental role is important in childrenââ¬â¢s obesity issues. I agree that parents should get educated on how to provide healthy nutrition and reasonable activity level for their children. This article would support the idea in my paper that parents are also an important part of society that should be involved in a process of preventing and reducing childhood obesity. Koplan, J., Liverman, C. T., Kraak, V. I., & Institute of Medicine, (U.S.). (2005). Preventing Childhood Obesity : Health in the Balance. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.(p. 153-154) One chapter of this book tells us about how the food industryââ¬â¢s advertising and media affect childrenââ¬â¢s obesity and what changes have to be done toà shift its affect to the healthier side. The author of this book says that prevention of obesity in children should be a national health priority. All these recreational industries ( food, beverage, restaurant, entertainment) should share in the responsibilities for childhood obesity prevention and be instrumental in supporting this goal. For example, leaders of food industry could make changes to expand healthier options (reduce portion-size, reduce sugar amount in meals and etc.). Media should advocate healthy lifestyle . According to their studies it already stated changing , it has to continue going this direction. The chapter stays idea that all those industries should prevent obesity in children by developing and promoting products, opportunities and information that would encourage healthful eating behavior and regu lar physical activity. My assessment: This book will be used to underscore the idea in my paper that coordinated efforts among the recreational industries, government, and other groups would make easier to create, support, and sustain customerââ¬â¢s demand for ââ¬Å"healthful food and beverage products, appropriately portioned meals, and accurate and consistent nutritional information through food labels, health claims, and other educational sources.â⬠(Koplan, J., Liverman, C. T., Kraak, V. I., 2005, p.153). The book will be used in the sections where food industry and advertising could change their marketing toward healthy choices to help reducing and preventing obesity. Caroli, M., Argentieri, L., & Masi, A. Role Of Television In Childhood Obesity Prevention. International Journal of Obesity, 28, S104-S108. Retrieved June 1, 2014, from http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v28/n3s/full/0802802a.html ââ¬â aff1 This article is about the role of television in childrenââ¬â¢s obesity. Authors of the article say that children started watching more television then it was twenty-thirty years ago. Obviously it leads to inactivity and as a result to obesity. Furthermore, the article main point is television as a popular tool among children could be used for spreading correct information on good nutrient and obesity prevention. Authors mention that usually depiction of food in television has many negative consequences on foodà habits. In many cases, characters from movies or cartoons eat unhealthy food and provide bad examples to follow. The article supports its idea with studies. My assessment: I will use this article along with other information, when I write about media and advertising effects on childhood obesity. I agree with this idea. I think it is hard to fight food industry or technology market, but society can try to shift it to healthier side at least. Government and policymakers as power layer of society could help to change the situation. Wilson, D. Prevention in Obesity is Part of Childbirth Education. International Journal of Childbirth Education, 29, 4. Retrieved June 1, 2014, from http://www.icea.org/sites/default/files/April%202014%20Final.pdf In this article Debra Wilson tells that prevention of obesity should start from childbirth. She points that women who are overweight during pregnancy have higher risk to give a birth to a baby who would become obese. Many factors could lead to obesity for a baby that depends on motherââ¬â¢s responsibilities, such as maternal smoking, short-term or long-term breastfeeding and etc. In addition, she notes that parents are the ones, who provide food to children and teach them eating habits; they are fully responsible for childrenââ¬â¢s health. The author concludes that it is much easier and cheaper try to prevent obesity from the beginning, thatââ¬â¢s why childbirth educators can help with this. My assignment: This article will be used when I present how childhood obesity can be prevented. Further more, it shows how important the roles of parents are in obesity prevention. I will add this part as support for my point that every layer in society can be apart of changing the nations statistics on child obesity.
Home Sweet Home
Woof. Woof woof. The consistent barking of my neighborââ¬â¢s dog awakens me. I look outside the window only to realize its just 5 oââ¬â¢clock in the morning. Four hours before I need to get ready to head out with my family for a Sunday outing. ââ¬Å"No use hitting the pillow now. I wonââ¬â¢t be able to sleep anyhow. â⬠, I tell myself. Having no clue how to spend these 5 hours, I start walking around my house. My room, with its orange hues, is the brightest one of all the rooms. Be it summer, winter or monsoon, the room is always airy with plenty of light.Passing by my parentsââ¬â¢ room, I feel a sense of warmth. The beige and cascade green always make me feel warm inside. I make myself a cup of hot coffee and head towards our balcony, which faces the beautiful, lush green lawns next to the slope of the nearby hill. I take a deep breath, inhaling the beautiful aroma of the wet soil. The chirps and trills and cuckoos of the birds draw my attention. People say, birds n ever visit places where we stay. That is so not true!A person just has to get up early and have a stroll down the road near his house. Itââ¬â¢s hard to believe that there are so many of them around us. Soon, I see a few people walking down the road. As time passes by, more people appear and so do their vehicles. The sounds of the feathered friends are replaced by the honking and beeping of the cars and scooters. Just then, my mom reminds me that I have to get ready, ending the delightful moments I just experienced. However, there would be more such mornings; and I certainly look forward to them.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Issue 14 no 2510 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Issue 14 no 2510 - Essay Example Every child has the right to quality education. In the rural parts of the Kenya, the preference to educate the boy child over the girl child is the essence of this big may hem. This cripples the girl child mind. Rights to education and training should be available to all and at the right time, (Ghai p 291). The arguments of the girl will get married and get a comfortable life wherever she is married are arguments that should be thrown to the bottom lake of fire. With the right education in place, the women are able to brain box their opposite gender for an equal share. In the lake region for instance the ââ¬Ëluos,ââ¬â¢ geographically located at the Lake region along the river Nile, traditionally practiced wife inheritance. The women lived in great agony after their husbandsââ¬â¢ death. The rights to own property and make decisions were nowhere near the script, (Ghai p 292). This polygamous life was the birth of psychological torture. The exposure the sexually transmitted killer diseases could not be ruled out. Thanks to civilization that this never happens. In central Kenya where ââ¬Ëbantus, kikuyu, the embuââ¬â¢ and the ââ¬Ëmeruââ¬â¢ tribes owned huge chunks of land. On the death of the husband, this property was illegally taken by the brothers to the deceased. This left the family to languish in poverty. The daughters of these rich tycoons were unfortunately not inheriting any form of property or land. The land was meant for the sons, (Ghai p 293). The belief that the women would get portions of wealth wherever they got married is an act that is highly condemned. This paper is in agreement that women have a reason to smile in Kenya today. The new constitution was promulgated towards the end of August 2010 have brought new tidings to the women in Kenya. The right to own property and the enactment of a trusted functioning judicial system is something to be proud of to the Kenyans. The general praise from
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Global Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words
Global Culture - Essay Example 77). This in itself has been the major source of various issues of contention such as the general lack of consensus surrounding certain elements of fashion. Additionally, the aspect of ethnicity also affects how we take up commodities and elements of fashion in as much the same way as that of race. It is worth noting that while race is defined by the physical features that characterize us such as skin color, type of hair, or general physique, ethnicity is more of the traditions, beliefs, and customs that are associated with a given group of people (Karner 2007, p. 192). As such, it is much easier to alter our traditions and adopt a fairly different ethnicity from our own. This is not possible for the element of race, as race is basically attached to the biological and genetic orientations of our existence. In consideration of these, race and ethnicity are generally tied to fashion with an underlying indifference on the aspects of egalitarianism and impartiality as segments of the fas hion world tend to advance. The contemporary society is always expanding with each subsequent year, as defined by population increase in almost all aspects. This results in numerous individuals each with their own traditions and beliefs regarding the various elements of human life. Additionally, the liberalism of the current society makes it much easier for people to move around and intermingle with different individuals from varying ethnic and racial orientations. This has the overall effect that there are virtually unlimited number of idealizations that can define the exact thoughts that people have on issues of core interest to the human race (Prewett 2013, p. 101). One of these aspects is fashion, which is very much alive courtesy of the multi-billion dollar industry depicted by the high fashion world. The high stakes of the fashion industry mean that any form of idealization that may not conform to the
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Company Sustainability CritiquBMO Financial Group Essay
Company Sustainability CritiquBMO Financial Group - Essay Example The third generation corporate social responsibility enveloped everything and every activity an organization is involved in or can be involved. This included the credibility of the processes and practices, reporting and measuring, integration of various disciplines, sustainable financial development, developing sustainable values and systems, strategies and visions of the organization and its overall structure. It included stakeholders and sustainability of environment and business. This critique is primarily based on the ââ¬Å"2010 Corporate Responsibility Report and Public Accountability Statementâ⬠. The organization has been keeping track of each and every aspect of business that can directly or indirectly affect the community, environment and stakeholders. This has been identified as a major strategic vision for the sustainability of the business. The organization claims to evaluate each and every aspect of the business decision and the probable impact on the communities an d the major stakeholder of the same. The company is involved in integrating ESG (environmental, social and governance) factors in all its activities from financial to corporate citizenship3. In this direction, the organization has started publishing detailed corporate responsibility report. It provides information on each decision taken by the company and the probable impact on the environment to its major stakeholders4. Company Sustainability BMO is recognized for the corporate responsibility. There are various indexes and reports of various organizations that have supported the credibility and position of the company on various corporate governance and ethical issues. The company has been recognized for its corporate social responsibility by the esteemed performance indexes like Dow Jones sustainability North America Index, Jantzi Social Index, FTSE4Good Series Index, Jantzi Macleanââ¬â¢s and Corporate Knightsââ¬â¢ Magazine (2003-2007) fifty most responsible corporation in C anada. The company has committed to its corporate responsibility and sustainability objectives. The company has identified various areas with sustainability challenges and collaboration where bank can intervene and work towards maintaining sustainability. Company has incorporated the sustainability objectives to its core values, governance structures and code of the conduct. The business policies are developed and implemented within the sphere of the corporate responsibility and sustainability objectives. Company has been consistently involved in the projects and activities that can add value to the sustainability objectives. Governance and Ethics The organization has evolved FirstPrinciples for all the employees that provides them an opportunity or authorizes them to report any incident or aspect that can be against the code of conduct of the business. There are various employees issues like conflict of interests, mishandling of staff by their seniors and other petty issues. Howeve r there has been handful of incidents reported. There can not be any question on the validity of these rights as company has ensured the confidentiality and anonymity to all the employees reporting any issue. Company is committed for the consistent monitoring of regulatory changes and best practices of corporate governance. The timely audit and the feedbacks allow them evaluating the governance practices along with the best practices of
Monday, August 26, 2019
Directors responsibilities with regard to avoidance of tax Assignment
Directors responsibilities with regard to avoidance of tax - Assignment Example The firm accepts that the government has legal powers and can to take a share of the companyââ¬â¢s profits away. Different countries have different tax rates and they must they paid as they are part of the rules and regulations of the country. If they are avoided they company would not be held socially responsible. It is agreed that the company can take all lawful measures to reduce the tax rates. But any illegal mean to avoid paying tax would result in avoid of taxes which has a negative multiplier effect on the company and its profitability. The duty of the director of a company is to have a good faith; an element that would promote the company following corporate social responsibility as it would be a benefit for the society on a whole. This would result in a positive multiplier effect in the long run and improve its relations with other stakeholders. A good reputation would be built if they pay the exact amount of tax otherwise they would not maintain a high standard of reputa tion in the market, thereby losing its credibility and goodwill. Tax evasion is practiced by directors illegally and it gives a smudge to the reputation of the company as a whole. But they live in a foolââ¬â¢s paradise if thy think it would not be known to general population and from that immature act they lose their credibility forever. This leads to customers driving away from the company as well. Recently, some multi-nationals have been found to be avoiding paying taxes in millions despite their enormous sales. The examples are Starbucks, Google, Amazon, Facebook and eBay but due to media coverage these multi-nationals have come under severe scrutiny. In countries like UK, businesses prosper because they have portrayed a good social and responsible image for its customers and there is a trust factor. They do this by not providing transparency in the accounts shared by the public. Via doing such an act they are on the verge of becoming directors of an insolvent firm. This would be a threat to the companyââ¬â¢s long term profitability. Thus the directors must understand that taxes are a form of cost just like wages, rent, etc. LEGAL OBLIGATIONS ON COMPANY DIRECTORS IMPOSED THROUGH DIRECTORSââ¬â¢ DUTIES It is a natural phenomena in the modern world that governments run on the taxes paid by itââ¬â¢s citizens.1 The expenditures of a state have to be met by the taxes paid. The companies earning more have a bigger share in taxes than the ones earning less. The issue arises when multi-nationals earning in billions use legal strategies to avoid paying taxes. Having made legal grounds to undertake this, their action cannot be termed illegal and they cannot be held accountable in court.2 Such cases have recently come on the scene, thanks to the media reporting, but what can be done about it is still an issue. A director is a high-level employee of the company and is responsible for the companyââ¬â¢s performance and answerable to itââ¬â¢s employer, th at is, the company. A director is not dutiful to the members of that company, and this also leaves out the companyââ¬â¢s creditors and members. So, a director owes its trust element to the company only and this is determined by
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1
Project management - Essay Example Acting with integrity as the project manager will not only make the team members to buy into the plan but also become a solid extension of you and remain committed to your methodology and produce a better work. To act with integrity as a project manager requires some kind of tips such as; being impartial ââ¬â this is being fair and objective oriented. Being fair in judgement and making objective decisions that fleshes out the problems and allow the team to get to the bottom of the project without patching them. Being thorough - finishing project tasks completely and in a comprehensive manner. Being thorough project planner means evaluating project requirements and any gaps in details (Heagney, 2012). To be project manager one needed to be focused on the end business result; team members should verify ââ¬â within the scope of their project role ââ¬â initial project requirements and the result that is being expected from no matter when they are introduced. As a project mana ger who acts with integrity you will probably know that you are allowing them to provide their own input based on their subject matter expertise and strengthens the chances of project success. Discussion Experience as an intern in HIV/AIDS research firm I served as a project manager intern in a firm that deal with research on prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS firm. It was an awesome experience worth talking about. The research firm is situated in city of San Diego. As a project manager the biggest virtue I required was integrity. This is because I handled people who are older than me and some were my age mates. To identify self-integration and views of integrity is more of a personal matter; meaning that integrity is a social virtue, one that is defined by a personââ¬â¢s relationship to others, and itââ¬â¢s also a matter of personââ¬â¢s proper regard to their own judgement. As the project manager, it didnââ¬â¢t matter whether I was an intern or not the fact was that I was handling the position I had to make important and Taff decisions regarding the project and the team. As a manger and supervisor at the same time I had to credibly demonstrate commitment and personal accountability for the projects and activities integrity, promote an open and trusting environment and understand how my behaviour as the manager affected the team in the field. I had to gain a lot of skills so as for the team to produce a quality output. As the manager I had to develop leadership skills and behaviours that would be required for integrity management. At times I had to go the field with the team and talk with the clients. This was to make me understand the position of the team in the field and to acknowledge their effort. Challenges and experiences The organization is a big one and the position I was holding is a challenging one. The fact that I had a team to handle was more than a responsibility but also an experience to be gained. Management is a position that esta blishes the scope, priority and pace for system implementation and improvement, considering the complexity and risks involved with the project being handled (Heagney, 2012). It is said that whether you are a new project manager or experienced leader, project management will still reveal
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Seven(david Fincher,1995) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Seven(david Fincher,1995) - Research Paper Example The movie is immersed in Christian culture and imagery, with emphasis on the way that sins or crimes that were once considered to be repulsive, immoral and horrific are now accepted and generally ignored. As a motif the seven deadly sins are widely known, and generally accepted as part of Christian culture. Despite popular belief, the idea of there being seven specific sins does not originate from the bible, but reports of the current list date back to the 6th century . Pope Gregory the First, and Saint Thomas Aquinas also reaffirmed the list, ingraining it into the Catholic church in the process . The list was made famous in Danteââ¬â¢s The Divine Comedy an epic poem that describes the journey that Dante took through Heaven, Purgatory and Hell. In his examination of Purgatory, Dante details seven levels of torture each of which is associated with one of the seven deadly sins: pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony and lust. In Danteââ¬â¢s poem, each sinner is punished base d on which of the seven sins they were the most involved with during their life . The Divine Comedy itself is mentioned numerous times throughout the movie, with Somerset using it as a reference when he begins to suspect that the modusoperandi for the killer is the seven deadly sins, as described by Dante. ... This is considered a sin as it provides for the body while neglecting the soul and the mind. In addition, gluttony on the part of one individual often leads to not enough food for the poor and hungry .This is the only murder for which the name of the sin is not immediately obvious (Somerset finds it written behind the fridge on reexamining the scene), although most viewers already know of the role that the seven sins play through advertising for the movie and even the title itself. Much like the sinners in Danteââ¬â¢s purgatory, the murder victim was punished in such a way as to fit his crime. He was fed spaghetti sauce continuously until a kick to the stomach from the murderer finally killed him. When John Doe, the psychopath that the detectives are chasing, later talks about the victim, he does so with disgust. He considers that someone who eats as much as the victim should be the brut of jokes, that being around them would make most people sick. In society in general, gluttony is an interesting sin, and one that bears a complex and fascinating history. Until the beginning of the Renaissance, the main danger of gluttony as a sin was based on the idea of people becoming obsessed with food to the point of idolatry. It was thought that a person who became focused on food in this manner would be diverted from following God. As society advanced, fear of gluttony as a sin decreased, and signs of overeating became evidence of wealth and means. Over the last 50 or so years, society has shifted again, with concerns about the way that overeating affects health, and a heavy focus on body image. As such, gluttony has once more been brought to the forefront, although now it is considered less as a sin and more as something
Friday, August 23, 2019
Saving the world Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Saving the world - Case Study Example This is not only chaotic but also challenging as it involves managing teams spread all over the globe. The management will need to make the response center teams smaller and more specific to their roles to ensure there is maximum and timely delivery. Tin order to use technical, human and conceptual skills, the company ensures that working never comes to a standstill. This is attained by ensuring that when one team in Dublin works one day, the team in Santa Monica takes over and when they finish their day, the team in Tokyo steps in the next day and they pass it to Dublin to continue with the cycle. This ensures that the workers are not bored with the routine work, which helps them get motivated and work in a professional manner. Since its foundation in 982, the company puts a great emphasis on customer service and innovation by stating their commitment to provide solutions and security in information management and in efficient manner. The management and workers are guided by a set of values that ensure the customers are always the focus of their products through customer driven strategizing. In innovation, the company uses open innovation helps the company to provide the customers with the best products. There are several lessons that other managers can learn from Patrick Fitzgerald and the way Symantec approaches its work. This include, working with diverse people at the global level, maintaining efficiency through the use of smaller teams, managing time efficiently, putting emphasis on worker motivation and trying to break work
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Concert Critique Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Concert Critique - Research Paper Example There was a small bar at the end of towards the wall. Many people were at the bar and it was nearly impossible to push oneââ¬â¢s way through to use the bathroom on the exterior. At the back of the venue there was a variety of different lights that shined on the stage. Below these different lights was a sound system that was managed by an individual sitting behind it. This individual sitting behind the sound system did not move throughout the entire show and he was entirely focused on adjusting the music nobs to ensure that the concert was conducted effectively. In terms of crowd size, there were probably 200-300 people in attendance. The collection of these people increased in attendance from the beginning of the show and by the end of the show the numbers were around the 300 mark. Most of the people in attendance were the same age from their 20s to early 30s; however there were a handful of people in their late 30s that were in attendance. Many different ethnic groups were in att endance, although the main ethnic group in the audience was white Caucasians. The stage for the performance was not decorated for any of the bands that performed. However, there was lighting that occurred for each of the bands. When the final band came on stage, the lighting was coordinated with specific aspects of their performance such that the audience could see these different aspects during specific parts of songs. While the audience did not entirely sell-out, it was close to selling-out towards the end of the concert and there was virtually no room left for people to stand in the auditorium. The acoustics in the concert area depended largely on the band that was performing. In all instances, the sound was loud. However, the opening bands used guitars and the final band was more electronic based. These changes in instrumentation resulted in different levels of sound quality, with the greatest sound
Third King Jigme Dorji Wangchcuk Essay Example for Free
Third King Jigme Dorji Wangchcuk Essay The third druk gyalpo was born on may 2,1928 at thruepang palace near the trongsa dzong. in his early education included study of hindi,English languages and the Buddhist literature. he started the training at his fatherââ¬â¢s royal court early learning through the instruction from his father and court officials, the tradition and driglam namzha. In 1943,at the age of 14, he was awarded the post trongsa droenyer the red scarf. the prince went to kalimpong and then to great britian for further studies. his father his majesty jigme wangchuck deeply thought of giving the future king a broader education. After arriving back to bumthang ,jigme dorji wangchuck was appointed paro poenlop at the age of 17. in 1952 ,he married azhi kezang chedon and princess choeying wangmo dorji Gongzim sonam tobgye dorji Gongzim ugyen dorji Sherpa penchung pala Azhi kezang choedon,gongzim palden dorji Ugyen dorji who served as he gyadrung to trongs poenlop was later promoted to gongzim when ugyen wangchuck assumed the throne. sonam tobgye dorji took the post of gongzim in the rein of 2nd king Jigme wangchuck. sonam tobgye dorjiââ¬â¢s son palden dorji took the post after the death of his father. In 1952 the 2nd king passed away leaving the throne to jigme dorji wangchuck. Jigme dori wangchuck was by then well trained and educated by his father and was ready to take the throne. his majesty had a aim of making a organized government and to preserve Bhutanââ¬â¢s rich culture and tradition. His majesty assumed the position of head o state and government (the commander in chief and the ultimate court of appeal). The king after receiving the scarves of kingship from the sacred shrine of zhabdrung participated in three day ceremony in paro. Massive crowd gathered including the British official and choegyal of Sikkim. the capital was moved to thimphu and had become the permanent national capital and built his palace at kazhinag,dechencholing. Social Reforms removal of slavery and serfdom he had put in lots of effort to abolish the practice of seftdom and slavery which had been in country since he 17th century.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Effects of health and education on income distribution in Malaysia
Effects of health and education on income distribution in Malaysia 1.0 CHAPTER 1 THE EFFECT OF HEALTH AND EDUCATION ON INCOME DISTRIBUTION AND POVERTY IN MALAYSIA. Background Of study Health and education is the two important components of human capital. This becomes the most important needs to Malaysian people because health and education have a strong relationship between the income distribution and the level of poverty in Malaysia. Besides that, the health status and educational level are use in measured the level of income and the level of poverty in a country. Problem Statement The specific problem statement of this study is shown below: There is a strong relationship between health status and education level on the income distribution and poverty in Malaysia. There is a gap of the income distribution between the educated and healthy people with the low-income and unhealthy people in Malaysia. Income inequality and poverty is not satisfactory in Malaysia. Research Objective To identify the relationship of health and education on income level and poverty in Malaysia. To determine whether education level gives impact on income level and poverty in Malaysia. To identify the factors of poverty in Malaysia. Scope and limitation of the study This study was focus on identifying and investigates whether health and education affect the income level and poverty in Malaysia. To examine and determine this relationship, it is important to measure the significant of each of the variables related to this study. Other than that, this study will cover and use the data from 2005 until 2009 in Malaysian country. The data areas are the real per capita gross domestic product (GDP), public spending on expenditure (percent of GDP), total enrolment in primary school and life expectancy of birth. The data are obtained from Department of statistics Malaysia and World Development Indicators (World Bank). significance of the problem This paper is important to the economic development in Malaysia as this study will help the government to identify and determine the important area that need to be improved in order to reduce income inequality and solve poverty. Other than that, this paper also can help the Malaysian communities to improve themselves by showing them the important of higher education level which is the important factors contribute to higher income level. Chapter outline In chapter 1, we will discuss about the introduction of this study. We will know a little bit about the important of health and education. After conducting this study, we will determine the problem and after that we can develop the objectives of this study. Lastly, we can determine the scope and limitation while conducting this study. Chapter 2 discuss about the relevant literature review. We explained the variable in this chapter which are the health, educational level, income inequalities and poverty. The conceptual framework also included to explain the relationship between the independent variables and dependent variables. Chapter 3 explain about the data and methodology. This refers to the data used, the population and sampling methods that was very important to this study. From the data that we find, we can analyze the data and make a hypothesis. After that we can test the data. 2.0 CHAPTER 2 2.1 Introduction As we looking at the present condition in our country, we can see that there is a strong relationship between the health and education level with Malaysian communities income distribution and poverty. This can be simplified as, there is a gap between the income distribution of the educated and healthy people with the poor and unhealthy people in Malaysia. This problem caused by some factors or variables that contribute to the income inequalities and poverty. Because of that, the government and the communities itself should identify and determine any areas that should be improved and find some suggestion to solve or reduce this problem. So that, we clearly see that the best way to reduce and improve this situation is to improve the health and education status in Malaysia as this is the common factors in determining the income level and poverty level in one place. After do some reading and find some literature review related to this situation, this study presents the investigation of t he effect of the two important components in human needs which are the health and education on the income distribution and poverty in Malaysia. 2.0 Theoretical Framework Health Status Education level DEPENDENT VARIABLE -Income inequality -Poverty Level of Savings 2.3 Literature Review There is an effect of health and education on income distributions and poverty in many areas in this world. This can be explained through some relevant literature review. Other than health and education level, the level of savings also categorized as the main factors affecting the income distribution and poverty. The problem of the income inequality and poverty is affected by health and education has investigated. According to Bakhtiari and Meisami (2009), the level of education, level of income, savings and health status can affect the income inequality and poverty. The higher educated people have more opportunities to earn more money or income. Other than that, the more literate people tend to have high awareness with their health and seeking medical when they ill. The finding of this paper is boosting the health and education status in Islamic countries will reduce the income inequality and poverty in Islamic countries. This paper also stated that Practical implications show that this empirical examination can help the Islamic countries government to identify any areas that should be improved in order to reduce the income inequality and alleviate poverty. Furthermore, this strategies help government to identify areas that should be improved upon in order to reduce income inequality and red uce poverty line. To explain the facts that there are some important determinants of poverty and income distribution in developing countries, Dao M.Q (2007), use a sample of 40 developing countries in the world, it was found that some of the population below the poverty line is linearly depends on the human capital such as health, nutrition, and formal education. All of this is the components of improvements in the development of one country. This means that this human capital reduce income inequalities and poverty. After that, they also use 35 developing countries to measure and it was found that income inequality linearly affected by the same explanatory variables but other than that, the infant mortality rate and the primary school completion rate also affect poverty and income level. Bastos et.al (2010), Research has been done to the children in Portugal to investigate the profile of income-poor children and the results obtained states that 25 percent of them are at risk of poverty. They are from the low income families and this will influence the culture on their eating habits. This contributes to the facts that the people from the lower socio-economic groups do not eat healthily. Mackereth C.J et.al also do some research on the culture of eating for the low income families and it also found the same results as Bastos et.al where they are not eat healthily and eating whatever available in front rather than cooking the healthy food. It is because they dont have enough resources and lack of time. The relationship between socioeconomic deprivation and health status also has been identified by Drakopoulos S.A et.al (2010). The result shows that the socioeconomic deprivation of child has negative effects on our health especially on our working stage. Our psychological health will decrease slowly because of this deprivation. Another results found from Habibov N.N (2010) regarding the low-income transitional countries and this also prove that health status and education level can influence the self-perceived social stratification in the multi-country like Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. It is stated that the most affordable variables in increasing the income level of the low-income transitional countries are health status and education because this is the factors of growing the effectiveness of one country and improve the level of low-income people. In his research, Adjaye, J.A (2004), examine whether the income inequality affect health. The relationship between these two variables has become the major problem in our daily life nowadays. The result shows that the people that have low-income profiles are more likely to fall sick because they dont have enough resources to pay for the treatment and medicine. Other than that, it also found that the people from rich family can live longer than the poor family people. This can be simply stated that the higher income level we have the higher level of health we are. To prove that educational can improve the peoples income inequality, Ning, G (2010) do some investigation in China. It was found that, expand more in educational will help us to reduce the phenomena of income inequality. Other than that, one of the ways to solve the problem of poverty is to do more investment in education because this will gives high return in future. Lanaskoronskis, M. et.al (2009) found in their investigation that Reflection of higher education will contribute to the high competitiveness of a country. Competitiveness refers to the skill people, goods and services we have, or ideas can be accepted locally and international. On the other words, higher education becomes the most important areas that contribute to increase competitiveness. The common factors that contribute to the poverty can be explained through the paper of Wang, X. et al (2009) where they found that the poverty line in China are due to the lack of education that automatically causing the unemployment that will make them cannot gain enough resources to buy food. Thats why China government conduct some surveys to investigate this problem and they also found that the profile of the low-income people is unhealthy because of the lack of consumption of nutritional food in their country. Education is the humans resource to apply job and opportunities in one country. This is because education is the main source of a company, manager and employers to measure their level of income. Education is a human capital investment that gives a long-term sustainable development for them. In Benjamin, S.J et.al (2011), it was found that household income is use to measure the Malaysian people ability to enter at any higher education institution. Lack of the resources will contribute to the lack of knowledgement. Besides that the parents will face the possibility to pay the high fees for their children. This is because before this they dont take more attention on their level of education. They cannot apply a good job and after that their income is not enough to support the needs of education for their children. 3.0 CHAPTER 3 3.1 The data and methodology that we used in this study is unit root test and the Ordinary least squares (OLS) to represent the effects of health and education on income distribution and poverty. Besides that this will shows whether there is a relationship between the dependent variables and independent variables. 3.2 Data, population and sampling methods. In this paper, the data was covering the time series data from year 2005 to 2009 that is 5 years. For the population, this paper focuses on the people of 14 states in Malaysia.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
ELISA Test for Virus Detection
ELISA Test for Virus Detection Zohrah Miakheyl Immunology practical Introduction Viruses are small living organisms that requires living host for its survival and can lead to infection if it fully invades the host cells taking over the cell machinery to produce virus. There are many different viral infections including Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Cytomegalovirus. Measles is an infection of the respiratory system caused by the measles virus. The measles virus is very contagious and can easily spread via sneezing, coughing and personal contact. Measles is known by the red-brownish rash starting on the face and spreading to the rest of the body. Other symptoms of measles virus include fever, diarrhoea, runny nose, conjunctivitis and dry cough (Permar et al, 2006). Mumps is an infection caused by the paramyxovirus. This viral infection is also highly contagious like Measles and spreads also via sneezing, coughing and direct contact. Mumps usually causes swollen salivary glands, fever, dry mouth and difficulties in swallowing. Rubella is an infection caused by Rubell a virus, member of the genus Rubivirus. The spread of the virus is similar to measles and Mumps. Most common symptoms of this infection are a pink, light red rash lasting up to three days, mild fever, cold cough, sore throat, conjunctivitis and joint pain in adults (Stock, 2012). In contrast to Measles, Mumps and Rubella, Cytomegalovirus (CMV) usually donââ¬â¢t have any symptoms and therefore most people being infected may not know that they have CMV. People who are being infected often develop mild symptoms similar to flu or glandular fever. This viral infection can become serious in babies infected before birth, because this virus can be transmitted from mother to foetus. Cytomegalovirus is a virus belonging to herpes family of viruses. This virus is spread via body fluids (saliva and urine) and personal contact (Griffiths, 2002). The above stated viral infections usually occur at childhood, but it can occur at any age. Measles, Mumps and Rubella are often protected by giving t he children MMR vaccination at 13 months and a booster is often given to three to five years old children. To find out from what the four patients are suffering from ELISA technique was applied to detect antiviral antibodies in patientââ¬â¢s serum for the viral infections Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Cytomegalovirus. Methodà à Results Figure 1 microtitre plate showing the results of the four patients tested. The ELISA technique shows that patient 1 is positive for Measles (IgM) and CMV (IgG), patient 2 is positive for Measles and Rubella (IgG), Patient 3 is positive for measles (IgG) and patient 4 is positive for CMV (IgM) and Measles, Mumps and Rubella (IgG). Discussion Four patients were tested for viral infections using ELISA technique and the results showed positive for some patients for some of the viral infections. The ELISA results obtained were good and no errors were made. This might be due to accurate practical skills such as pipetting, appropriate filling of the wells, proper emptying and washing of the plate. Furthermore accurate serum dilution and measurement has also added to the accuracy of the results. Controlling the experimental conditions such as incubation time has also lead to improved results. To obtain better results volume measurement, dilutions, experimental conditions can be improved further. The volume measurement can be improved by accurately use of Gilson pipettes by ensuring there is no air bubbles and the pipettes are fully calibrated. Experimental condition can be improved by carefully monitoring the incubation duration. Patientââ¬â¢s case study Patient 1 A 56 years old patient was admitted with dense reddish brown maculopapular rash, headache, low grade fever, spot rash, mild abdominal discomfort and diarrhoea, high temp, mild conjunctivas symptoms. Throat swab done by the GP didnââ¬â¢t reveal any severe symptoms, but was referred for antiviral antibodies screening examination. After performing antiviral antibody screening the results showed positive for measles (IgM) and CMV (IgG). IgM is made during immune response in the early stage of infection and is mainly found in lymph fluid and blood where it functions as neutralizer against harmful agents. Whereas IgG is made in the late stage of infection and stays in the body for a long period of time. Due to its long survival period in the body IgG is useful for passive immunization. IgG is mainly found in blood, lymph fluid, cerebrospinal fluid and peritoneal fluid and plays a vital role in humoral immune response by activating the complement system (Lima, 2012). The sign and symptom s of the patients is similar to measles therefore indicating that the patients might be suffering from measles and might be in the early stages of the infection due to IgM found in the serum sample and macolopapular rash is also the sign of the infection at early stages. The mild abdominal discomfort, diarrhoea, and cold-like symptoms also indicates that the patient might suffer from CMV infections, but since IgG is found in patientââ¬â¢s serum sample, the infection might also be the result of immunisation and prior infection. All the symptoms of this patient are also the symptoms of measles therefore this patient might suffer from measles in the early stage of it, because of the antibody IgM and the reddish macolopapular rash is also found in the early stage of the infection) . Currently there are no means of preventing the developed measles infection, but the symptoms can be reduced using approved medications such fever-reducers, antibiotics, and vitamin A supplements (Permar e t al, 2006). Patient 2 A healthy 8 years old boy was examined by GP in a routine check and was referred for full blood counts. From the physical examination, the GP found that the boy was having faint cracking-like sound due to sever cold that he has been suffering since 3 weeks. Eczema-like rash was also observed, which was treatable by E45 creams, but the cause of this symptom was not clearly known as he has no family history of eczema. After his full blood count revealed no abnormalities and the cause of eczema was not known, his GP referred him for antiviral antibodies screening. The screening result showed that the boy was positive for Measles and Rubella (IgG) infections. The signs and symptoms of this patient appears to be different from the sign and symptoms and Rubella and Measles apart from the cold that the patient was suffering from. One of the first signs of Measles and Rubella infection is red-pinkish rash, where in Measles it appear to be observable for a week and in Rubella it lost for at l east 3-7 days, but varies from patient to patient. The patient always had eczema-like rash, which means that the patient might not be infected by Measles or Rubella. The positive results obtained from antiviral screen might be due to immunisation and prior infections. Since the patient is not suffering from virus infection, the doctor ca refer him to Dermatologist for eczema examination. Since he is suffering from cold, the patient can take cold reducing medications (Gen,1999). Patient 3 A 26 years old healthy female attend her GP for confirmation of her pregnancy test after she tested at home using home pregnancy test about a week ago and got positive results. She believes she is about 28 days pregnant, but this is her fist confirmation although she has been pregnant in the past and had early miscarriage about 10 months ago. GP preformed second pregnancy test and the positive results confirmed that she is pregnant. Since she was only 4 years old when moved to UK from Tajikistan, her medical record is available from the age of 6. Due to incomplete medical records, the patient is advised to carry out blood test so that her vaccination status can be known, therefore antiviral antibody screen was carried out and the results appear positive for Measles infection. The development of MMR vaccination appear to be very successful against this viral infection and due to improve and advancement of MMR vaccination, Measles infection has become less common now, but it shows to b e dangerous among pregnant women if occur. This is because Measles might lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or early delivery if the pregnant individual is not immune against the infection. Although patient 3 do not display any sign and symptoms, but the antiviral antibody screen shows that she is positive for this infection. This positive result suggests that the miscarriage that she had might be due to Measles infection. However this cannot be said with certainty, because of her incomplete medical history. The antiviral positive result might be due to early infection or immunization. Since her medical history is not fully known, she probably needs MMR vaccination to make sure she is immunized against the viral infection Normally the signs and symptoms of Measles infection tend to appear between 6 and 21 days. . Therefore itââ¬â¢s important that she is aware of any signs symptoms such as fever, cold and any skin rash that might appear at later stages of Measles infection. If she is infected then human normal immunoglobin (HNIG) treatment can be carried out to reduce the symptoms of infection. However this does not mean that miscarriage can be prevented (Permar, 2006). Patient 4 A 43 years old male who had kidney transplantation 9 months ago due to kidney failure, which was caused as a result of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, which was diagnosed at the age of 11. The patient had a good diet and controlled blood glucose, but due change in life style and alcohol consumption and irregular insulin administration his blood glucose level has changed and become unpredictable. This life style has led to impaired kidney functioning, which resulted in estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) of 30ml/min. After monitoring eGFR about 3 months, a steady reduction was observed until the age of 39 with eGFR of 10ml/min. Although the patient was under dialysis, he was introduced to ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) while waiting for suitable kidney donor for transplantation. After a few months CAPD treatment, he was referred to haemodialysis, which was carried out 3 times a week, because he could not get on with CAPD. After successful single kidney transplant, the patient shows to recover well from the surgery and the kidney appeared to function well. Following the checkups, the patient appeared to feel better and showed good recovery. However, the patient complained of generally unwell feelings with severe cold/ flu, where he has suffer for at least couple of weeks. Chest pain, abdominal cramps with diarrhea was also reported on this visit and physical examination shows some abdominal tenderness with no swelling or any other tenderness and normal blood pressure. The Auscultation examination however showed crackling and wheezing sounds. Microbial culturing was performed on stool and mid-stream urine samples a land with full blood count, creatinine measurement and an antiviral antibody screen examination. The microbial culture from urine samples revealed nothing significant and eGFR shows to be similar to last check up (10ml/min). The full blood count however shows that the Haemoglobin concentration was 12g/do, which is lower than the normal range (normal range 13-18g/dL) and this is thought to be as a result of impaired glomerular filtration rate, which is caused due to kidney failure and his haemoglobin concentration might be also low due to his kidney-transplantation and the immunosuppressive medication that he receives which causes mild bone-marrow suppression causing low hemoglobin concentration (Joist et al, 2006) . All other parameter however appear to be within the normal ranges indicating nothing significant. But the white blood count appears to be slightly higher than the normal range. The normal white blood count is 4-11Ãâ"10 to the 9/L, whereas the patients count is 11.110 to the 9/L. This indicates that the patient might be suffering from viral infection. This is eviden t from the antiviral antibody screen examination, where the patient appeared to be positive for CMV (IgM), Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (IgG). Therefore it is the Measles infection that causes the while blood cell counts to alter. In general viral infections disrupts the bone marrow function temporarily and this leads to variation in white blood cell counts. The severe cold/flu, abdominal discomfort and diarrhea that the patient is suffering from is also the signs of CMV infection, this is because individuals who undergo organ transplantation are more susceptible to CMV infection (Rafailidis et al, 2012).The reason that the individuals are susceptible is because the medication they received reduces the immune system response to avoid rejection of kidney transplant (Cordero et al, 2012). However the patient does not display any symptoms for Rubella, Measles and Mumps, but the positive antiviral screening result might be due to previous infection or immunization. His crackling and whee zing sound might be result of cardiovascular disease that he might suffer from because of his lifestyle Kataoka, 2008). In order to stay healthy the patient needs to improve his lifestyle by improving his diet by reducing/stopping alcohol consumption. If the symptoms of CMV becomes worse than antiviral drug can be used. If the immune system is temporary weakened then there is no need for any antiviral drug, because the patient will recover from the infection when the immune system is recovered. List of references Cordero, E. et al. (2012). Cytomegalovirus disease in kidney transplant recipients: incidence, clinical profile, and risk factors. Elsevier. [Online] 44 (3) p. 694-700. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22483471. [Accessed: 15/02/2015] Gen. (1999). Immunoglobulin (IgG) and (IgM) Antibody Responses to Rabies Vaccine .Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine, Elstree, Hertfordshire, U.K. 40 (10), p595-604. Griffiths, P. D . (2002). Cause and Treatment Of Cytomegalovirus Infection.Journal of Antimicrobial Therapy. 49 (2), 243-255 Joist, H. Brennan, D.C. Coyne, D.W. (2006). Anaemia in the kidney-transplant patient. Journal of The American Society of Nephrology. [Online] 13(1) p. 4-10. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16412965. [Accessed: 11/03/2015]. Kataoka, H. Matsuno, O. (2008). Age-Related Pulmonary Crackles (Rales) in Asymptomatic Cardiovascular Patients. Annals of Family Medicine. [Online] 6(3) p.239-245. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2384982/. [Accessed: 15/03/2015] Lima, R. C. et al (2012). Interpretation of the presence of IgM and IgG antibodies in a rapid test for dengue: analysis of dengue antibody prevalence in Fortaleza City in the 20th year of the epidemic. Journal of the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine. [Online]. 45(2) p. 163-167. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22534985. [Accessed: 22/03/2015]. Permar, S. R, Griffin, D. E and Letvin, N. L. (2006). Immune Containment and Consequences of Measles Virus Infection in Healthy and Immunocompromised Individuals.CLINICAL AND VACCINE IMMUNOLOGY,. 13 (4), 437ââ¬â443. Rafailidis et al,. (2012). Sever cytomegalovirus infection in apparently immunocompetent patients: a systematic review. Virology Journal. [Online] 5 (47) p. 1-7. Available from: http://www.virologyj.com/content/5/1/47 [Accessed: 11/02/2015] Tingle, A. J, Allen, M, Petty, R. E, Ketthyles, G. D and Chantler, J. K. (2015). Rubella Associated Arthritis: Comparative Study of Joint Manifestation Associated With Natural Rubella Infection.Annals Review of the Rheumatic Diseases. 45 (1), 110-119.
Monday, August 19, 2019
Wedding Speech by a Childhood Friend of the Groom -- Wedding Toasts Ro
Wedding Speech by a Childhood Friend of the Groom Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of the bridesmaids, I would like to thank Scott for his kind words. For once in my life, I find myself agreeing with him - they look stunning and did an excellent job today. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Jason. Iââ¬â¢ve been Scottââ¬â¢s best friend for nearly 20 years. Iââ¬â¢ve known him for a similar period. And all the time weââ¬â¢ve spent growing up together means that heââ¬â¢s had as much of a part in developing my sense of humor as anyone. So, while I have tried to make this speech funny, itââ¬â¢s his fault if itââ¬â¢s not. I have very fond memories of growing up with Scott. Iââ¬â¢ve been his partner in crime on many a wild occasion and, in quieter times, a close confidant to whom he could tell almost anything. And I do mean anything ââ¬â which has provided me with ample material for my speech this afternoon. Although I did agree not to divulge any details of the stag night, like about the Danish stripper he got chatting to in the hotel bar. So I wonââ¬â¢t. Scott and I have done many things together during our almost life-long friendship ââ¬â although theyââ¬â¢re probably not quite as interesting to relate as the story about that Danish stripper, but I gave him my word on that one. Anyway, over the years we've built go-carts together, rode our bikes together, played football together, bunked school together, tried to... ...r. And I, as much as all of you, want that happiness for myself. Er, sorry, I mean, I want their happiness to last forever. And I do. So although Iââ¬â¢m not actually married myself [turn to bridesmaids again], I thought it might be helpful if I offered them each a little piece of advice. Pamela: no matter how far away you are from your loved one, when youââ¬â¢re married, youââ¬â¢re never alone - because you know where my flat is. And Scott: getting married bestows upon you many, many obligations. But remember, foreplay is only optional. Ladies and gentlemen, on a final and serious note, please be upstanding and raise your glasses to my very best friend and his beautiful new wife. To Scott and Pamela.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
The Power And The Glory By Graham Greene :: essays research papers
The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene It is the story-teller's task to elicit sympathy and a measure of understanding for those who lie outside the boundaries of State Approval. I. One day I gave The Power and the Glory to... a native of Mexico who had lived through the worst persecutions... She confessed that your descriptions were so vivid, your priest so real, that she found herself praying for him at Mass. I understand how she felt. Last year, on a trip through Mexico, I found myself peering into mud huts, through village streets, and across impassible mountain ranges, half-believing that I would glimpse a dim figure stumbling in the rain on his way to the border. There is no greater tribute possible to your creation of this character - he lives. An excerpt from the letter of Californian Catholic teacher to Graham Greene, 1960 In a particular Mexican state the Church had been outlawed and the priests had to go underground by the threat of being shot. After several months from the governor's office appeared a news, that there was still one priest, Father Montez, who was moving from village to village working on the Church by administering the sacraments, listening confessions and saying masses. A young lieutenant of police, and ardent revolutionist and an anti-clerical, asked his chief to let him search for the priest who, as the authorities understood it, was guilty of treason. Two photographs were pasted up together in police station. One was the picture of an American bank robber who killed several police officers in Texas; the other was that of the priest. No one noticed the irony, including the young lieutenant, who was more interested in arresting the priest. When the officer received permission to look for Father Montez, the priest was already in the village, where he came to get aboard the boat that would take him in the city Vera Cruz and safety. In the village he met Mr. Tench, old dentist who wanted somebody to speak English with. But before Father Montez could get aboard the boat news came to him that an Indian woman was dying several miles inland. True to the call, the priest sat on the mule and went to administer the last rites to the dying woman, even though he realized that he might not find another ship to carry him to safety. There was one other priest in the region, Father Jose. But Father Jose was so coward, that he renounced the church up to the point of taking a wife, a shrewish old woman. The authorities paid no attention to him at all, for they The Power And The Glory By Graham Greene :: essays research papers The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene It is the story-teller's task to elicit sympathy and a measure of understanding for those who lie outside the boundaries of State Approval. I. One day I gave The Power and the Glory to... a native of Mexico who had lived through the worst persecutions... She confessed that your descriptions were so vivid, your priest so real, that she found herself praying for him at Mass. I understand how she felt. Last year, on a trip through Mexico, I found myself peering into mud huts, through village streets, and across impassible mountain ranges, half-believing that I would glimpse a dim figure stumbling in the rain on his way to the border. There is no greater tribute possible to your creation of this character - he lives. An excerpt from the letter of Californian Catholic teacher to Graham Greene, 1960 In a particular Mexican state the Church had been outlawed and the priests had to go underground by the threat of being shot. After several months from the governor's office appeared a news, that there was still one priest, Father Montez, who was moving from village to village working on the Church by administering the sacraments, listening confessions and saying masses. A young lieutenant of police, and ardent revolutionist and an anti-clerical, asked his chief to let him search for the priest who, as the authorities understood it, was guilty of treason. Two photographs were pasted up together in police station. One was the picture of an American bank robber who killed several police officers in Texas; the other was that of the priest. No one noticed the irony, including the young lieutenant, who was more interested in arresting the priest. When the officer received permission to look for Father Montez, the priest was already in the village, where he came to get aboard the boat that would take him in the city Vera Cruz and safety. In the village he met Mr. Tench, old dentist who wanted somebody to speak English with. But before Father Montez could get aboard the boat news came to him that an Indian woman was dying several miles inland. True to the call, the priest sat on the mule and went to administer the last rites to the dying woman, even though he realized that he might not find another ship to carry him to safety. There was one other priest in the region, Father Jose. But Father Jose was so coward, that he renounced the church up to the point of taking a wife, a shrewish old woman. The authorities paid no attention to him at all, for they
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Jones Blair Case Study Essay
Jones â⬠¢ Blair is a company that produces and sells architectural paint it also sell paint sundries which include paintbrushes and rollers. It caters to over 50 countries which are divided into two sectors the DFW area and the non-DFW area. Of the two the DFW area has been proven to be the most successful area for the company. In 1999 the company made 80 million in sales and 60% of this was contributed by the DFW area. There are two segments within the companyââ¬â¢s main sales attributes and these are between the do it yourself market and the professional market. With regards to the professional market in the DFW area this accounted for 70% of sales In the non-DFW area 70% of sales were made through the do-it-yourself market. During a meeting the company discussed the problem of where and how to carry out marketing efforts. They were left with four options: 1) Cut the price by 20%. 2) Hire one additional sales rep. 3) Spend additional $350,000 on advertising. 4) Stay the same. A detailed look into each option. 1) Cut the price by 20%. The shopper research programme indicated that dealers will back off the brand when the customer appears price sensitive. By cutting the price by 20% this will allow the company to be on par with national brands. The current contribution margin for the company is 35% if the price was to be cut by 20% then the new contribution margin would be reduced to: 35% ââ¬â 20% = 15% with the current sale volume being $12 million and a price cut of 20% the sales would have to increase significantly for the price cut to be effective. According to Barrett ââ¬Å"we are now the highest price paint in our service areaâ⬠the fact that the company still has increasing sales despite being the highest cost brand of all the competitors this shows that the company is being perceived as giving high quality goods where people donââ¬â¢t mind about paying extra for their brand. If the company was to cut the price by 20% this may leave doubts in peoples minds about whether or not the brand is actually as high quality as they had thought. The fact that they can get away with charging a higher price for their brand they should stick with it. 2) Hire one additional sales rep. Currently the company has 8 sales reps which are responsible for the following tasks: Monitoring inventories. Taking orders. Assisting in store display. Coordinating cooperative advertising programmes. A survey indicated that the sales reps were very well liked, helpful, professional and knowledgeable with regards to paint. These reps are paid a salary and also a 1% commission. The cost of hiring an additional sales rep would be $60,000 a year, this is excluding commission. The vice president feels that the current sales reps arenââ¬â¢t aggressive enough and the fact that only 5 new accounts were made in the last 5 years something needs to be done. Only 16% of the accounts come from the non-DFW area so maybe a focus needs to be placed onto this area. If this was to be done, an additional sales rep be assigned to the non-DFW area this could lead to a significant increase in sales. 3) Spend additional $350,000 on advertising. The vice president of advertising believes that there is a need for an awareness level of 30% among do-it-yourselfers to affect their sales. An emphasis on television coverage will reach non-DFW consumers in 15 countries. Research shows that ads affect the buying process Since most consumers consider the store before the actual brand maybe the advertising should be focused more-so on corporate ads rather than brand ads. The company spends 3% of its net sales on advertising therefore the current cost of advertising is: 3% of 12 million = 360000 with an additional spend of $350000 on advertising the total cost of advertising would be: 360000+ 350000= $710,000. This would almost double the cost of advertising and since thereââ¬â¢s an emphasis on television this could prove to be a risky option, especially since brand awareness isnââ¬â¢t the main attribution to buyer behaviour. Another factor to consider is the fact that 75% of the audience of the advert arenââ¬â¢t buying paint. 4) Stay the same. The final option for the company would be to keep everything the same which is advised by the vice president of finance. Since the company is continuing to make profit he feels that if you were to take the other options that there would have to be a significant increase in the sales volume which may not be a result. Although most of the options offer different benefits and of course different drawbacks we donââ¬â¢t think there is an outright option to choose. With regards to the cut in price of 20% we donââ¬â¢t believe this option should be chosen. The fact that the company is allowed to charge the higher price and is perceived as being a high quality brand why should they risk losing all of this by accepting the price cut. The next option with regards to hiring an additional sales rep we feel that the fact that they have 8 sales reps already would the addition of another really make a significant impact on sales. Rather than focusing on hiring a new one we believe that if they focused more-so and possibly retraining their current sales reps this could prove to be more effective. The fact that the sales reps are already considered highly by the customers is a bonus. If more effort was put into them and how they could improve efficiency then this could be worthwhile to the company. The company could divide up the sales reps into the necessary markets and possibly by offering them incentives this could increase their performance. By hiring an additional sales rep doesnââ¬â¢t necessarily promise a change in sales. With regards to an increase of advertising spending of $350,000 we wouldnââ¬â¢t recommend this option. As the company wants to put an emphasis on television and the fact that 75% of the audience donââ¬â¢t buy paint, the 25% of the audience that do doesnââ¬â¢t seem like a big enough market coverage to invest such a lot of money into. Instead we feel they should look into other marketing options. The fact that with regards to buyer behaviour that customers choose the store first before the brand maybe the company should look into advertising within the actual stores. They could look into what stores are proven to be more popular and focus advertising attention on these. With the last option as staying the same although the company is continuing to make profits we feel like this could be the easy option. Rather than just being content with what is currently happening with the business they should focus on improving the business. The fact is that more and more competitors may enter the market or even people may change their buying behaviour but ultimately the company should try and always be a brand considered.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Parents arenââ¬â¢t always right Essay
Parents arenââ¬â¢t always right, their intention is to elaborate children minds, and let them think they are always right, which they are not. since they are they the parent , they think they are right. No parent cannot be right all of the time (parents are not always right) because they would have to be perfect and there is not one person in this world that can truly claim to be perfect. Parents make mistakes, can have bad judgement at time and donââ¬â¢t always understand how different the world is now from when they grew up but lets face it they also have that much more experience than we do.The world isnââ¬â¢t a perfect place. Now whether they are right most of the time or not is a different story, but, the fact is that parents can be just as stubborn as kids. When they think they are right, they really think that they are right. Parents should give their children the chance to access their experience and knowledge, but also realize that their children arenââ¬â¢t them, they arenââ¬â¢t going to live the same way, nor will they want to be told everything, kids need to learn for themselves, even if it may hurt them, physically or emotionally and that will make them free of indoctrination and they become a free and critical thinker.We are in this world because of our parents and we are well aware of the fact that we should respect them. They always think good of us regardless of our behavior and attitude towards them. They give us instructions and advice pretty often and we have a belief that they are always right. They want to see us succeed. But are they always right?the insecurity of the parents especially in the major chunk of the middle class population of India, that determines the decision making of the parents towards their children.
Skewed Moralities
ââ¬Å"Money for Morality,â⬠she presumes to state her thesis which details that in today's society we have lost the need to be self-motivated and otherwise rely on other people to bargain with us with tokens of success thus sullying our dignified good deeds. This is expressed best in Mary Regardless' first example of a boy whom goes out of his way to return a large sum of cash to its rightful owner whilst not intending upon receiving a reward and yet however is pursued by another group of adults wishing to reimburse him for his troubles and finding that the reward is deserved of a large sum of money.Mary Regardless' goes on to explain that through actions like these, not only are our efforts being diminished but also we are being trained to expect rewards for deeds that supersede the plane of what is Just. To give her argument strength she includes personal ties to her own relationship with her son and his personal account of his friends and their parents. In this story they de scribe the teacher's and parent's effort to set up a bargaining system with their youthful counterparts thus giving the students a bribe of sorts to achieve to a higher standard.To which of course Mary Regardless states, ââ¬Å"Doing well is its own reward. The A Just confirms that. â⬠To conclude Mary Regardless sums up with a knowledgeable remark about being a good example; that parents, or rather Just people in general, should make it their objective to provide good means of raising their kids through the power of suggestion. Rather than making their way to the couch or wasting time and money at some mall, spent that time instead to read a book, do some basic chores. At a developing age it only provides positive reinforcement to a child that will carry them through the rest of life In order to achieve.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Investment and Debt Capacity
Stock Repurchase Repurchase of stock can be viewed in each of the following way: investment, financing, shareholder distribution and control issue. Repurchase of stock can be a way to use firmââ¬â¢s excess debt capacity. By doing so, firm can lower the cost of equity financing. If debt financing is more flexible and cheap, replace equity financing with debt financing is a good way to lower the weighted cost of capital. In this sense, such action is a financing issue because it controls the cost of financing. On the other hand, repurchase of stock can adjust shareholder distribution.If shareholders consist of most individual investors, they may require more dividends or other forms of profit sharing. Firm can repurchase stocks from such investors so that they can adjust their dividend policy. If management holds few shares of the company, they may lose their control over operating and strategy decisions. By repurchasing stocks, management could regain majority control over the comp any on strategic decisions. Finally, repurchase of stock is also an investment issue because it enables the firm to increase its return on equity by eliminating dilution effect.Higher return on equity will attract more favorable investors as well as better vendors. It has the same outcome of investing in businesses, so it can be viewed as an investment. Debt Capacity for Stock Repurchase From Exhibit 5, we get the total debt of Marriott at the end of 1979. We define total debt as sum of short-term loan, current portion of long-term debt, senior debt and capital leases. The average market price of Marriott in 1979 was $14. 9, and interest rate for Baa corporate debt was 12%. We assume that Marriott would repurchase stocks at price of $15 using 12% debt financing.Marriott used Adjusted EBIT over net interest as a measure for debt capacity, so we use such measure as well. The table above shows the main assumptions we make in the analysis. Before the stock repurchase, EBIT adjusted/Net interest rate was 6. 64, above the 5 times threshold Marriott set for itself. Because the net interest before repurchase was $27. 8 million, we conclude that adjusted EBIT was $184. 59 million. In 1979, additional debt from repurchase was $159 million, making the total debt $538. 83 million. Net interest after repurchase is the original net interest plus the 12% interest from new debt.Based on such analysis, the new adjusted EBIT/Net interest ratio is 3. 94, which is lower than 5. So we conclude Marriott may not have enough debt capacity to finance the stock repurchase. We further perform a scenario analysis. Suppose Marriott had just enough debt capacity, which means new adjusted EBIT/Net interest ratio equals 5. We find that repurchase price should be $7. 17 so that Marriott could utilize its debt capacity fully. We conclude that a repurchase price under $7. 17 is in fact transferring value to remaining group because they can share more future profits resulting from the concentrat ed equity.Yet a repurchase of $15 is way above $7. 17, which means selling shareholders have more value because they are compensated with higher return. Owned vs Managed Marriot has two options about the operation of hotel chains. First, it can own the hotel and enjoy the profit margin. Second, it can sell the hotel but retain management contracts so it controls the operation of such units. Following is the detailed decomposition of costs associated with two options. According to Exhibit 9, in 1978 the typical cost for a hotel room consists of improvement cost, furniture, fixtures and equipment cost, land cost, pre-opening cost and operating cost.For an owned hotel, Marriot had to pay the total cost for running the property, but if it is managed, Marriot only had operating cost because the buyer was responsible for the maintenance. In an attempt to emphasize more on return on invested capital rather than margins, Marriot sold some of their existing hotels and retained management con tract to free up capital. Managed hotels had operating margin of 8%-10%, while owned had 15%. We assume 10% margin for managed hotels and 15% for owned hotels.To decide when to sell the property, we analyze the remaining present value of future cash flow of a hotel at different point of time in its life cycle. We further assume that when the hotel is sold, the selling price is set so that present value of future cash flow equals the 10% margin. We assume $50 revenue per room night of a typical 150-room hotel, and one year has 360 days. Sales level for each year in the life cycle connects to the occupancy rate. From the graph of Exhibit 9, we get different occupancy rate for the whole life cycle. It reaches the peak 100% at year 8, and after year 10, it declines almost linearly to 10% in year 30.We can see that if Marriot sells the hotel before opening, the selling price would be $1. 63 million at time 0. After the peak, letââ¬â¢s say, year 9, the selling price would be $ 1. 55 mi llion at time 9. We can also see that in fact the max value of PV is at year 4, which has $2. 85 million in PV at 15% margin. Marriot would free up more capital if it sells the hotel before opening, but instead it would lose more operating profit. If Marriot is in short of capital, it could sell the hotel up-front so that the freed up capital can be invested in other profitable projects.Selling after the peak is a good choice if Marriot wants to enjoy the increasing operating profit before the peak. Shareholder value can be added if the return on freed-up capital exceeds the profit loss from selling the property. Recommendation Based on our analysis, we would recommend the company to investing in their core business to fully use their debt capacity. Since Marriottââ¬â¢s debt capacity is only able to repurchase 10. 6 million shares at a price significantly lower its current trading price (according to Exhibit 12). It is unlikely the repurchase strategy would take place as expected .The negative impact of false interpretation that the Marriott has reached its growth limit may not be offset even if the repurchase take place. To decide whether to invest in core business or diversify by acquisition we take a look of the hotelââ¬â¢s current state. The company now is operating in four main sectors, hotel group, contract food service, restaurant group theme parks and cruise ships& other. Based on exhibit 3, all of MCââ¬â¢s sectors are doing well in the past few periods; Hotel group is still the main profit sector account for 51% of the total operating profit and 16. % of the gross margin. Theme park and restaurant sectors have contributed a lot to total revenue but at the same time involve more risk. The asset associated with that new business couldnââ¬â¢t be mortgaged easily. Marriottââ¬â¢s theme park alone was estimated to cost 80 million but double of the estimation eventually, the investment made MC to lower its debt credit level. If we use the extra debt capacity on acquisition of new business, there could be a higher risk of availability and cost of long-term debt financing, which may cause MC to lower its debt credit even lower and increase its defalt risk.As a company mostly processioned in hotel management, invest in new businesses that required new management style also increases MCââ¬â¢s operating risk. Marriottââ¬â¢s hotel business has positioned itself to operate for customers whose travel plans were less subject to change than those of vacationers. Its historical operation has showed steady healthy growth even in recessions. Most of the sectorââ¬â¢s assets are real estates and tends to appreciate over time rather than depreciate, it is easy to issue debt secured by hotel assets. Prevailing trends also indicate sighs of need of rapid room expansion.As MCââ¬â¢s major competitors Hilton and Holiday Inn are shifting their core business to a more diversified market, keep focus on core hotel business enable MC t o maintain its own competitive advantage in operation. Overall we would suggest MC to use its excess debt capacity to invest in existing hotel with some clientele base but lower entry cost where the Marriottââ¬Ës acquisition can significantly improve the operation. To invest in such assets, there is low research and construction cost but easy to manage with sustainable growth. We believe that the best investment for corporation would be investing in the existing business.The hotel business was the most promising area for Marriottââ¬â¢s Corporation. When MCââ¬â¢s competitors expand their business into gambling and casino ventures, MC was more likely to expand in the traditional market. To invest in the hotel business, a large amount of external financing is needed. A large amount of Marriott hotels were managed rather than owned by the MC. Despite the MC could limited capital investment by holding the equity up to 50% so that they could increase the opportunity to be awarded the management contract, they might still need to cost a lot in investing more hotels. MC could also choose to expand their existing hotels.Those hotels have higher occupancy rate and higher local demand. Doing this expansion will need full capital investment in property. With high growth rate of hotel rooms, this investment seems valuable. However, this way of investment still needs large amount of external financing to support the expanding. Even though MCââ¬â¢s new hotels are profitable in the end, the cost of developing hotels is still required a big financing. In addition, due to the increasing inflation rate, the cost of equity and the cost of debt increased. Therefore, as inflation rate becomes higher, the unused debt capacity becomes less in the future.
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Client-server and Human Resource Essay
The proponents have found the following studies and literature as relevant to the system being proposed. The review of related literature and studies will serve as an overview of the presentation in the analysis of the system. INTRODUCTION Human Resource Information System (HRIS) improves information and communication between the company and the employees; it becomes an important strategic tool since it collect, manages and reports information for decision making. Modern HRIS needs to help the organizations by automating most of the Human Resource (HR) functions. The changing world new technology that is available, managers need to be aware of the technology that will increase effectiveness in the company. Early Human Resource, then called personnel, were limited to employee record keeping and were provided as a service to the organization. There was no HRIS as we know it today. Personnel record keeping was done by hand, oftentimes utilizing a system as simple as an index card file. The personnel department was typically small with little power and limited interaction with the organizationââ¬â¢s business mission. After WWII organizations became more aware of human capital issues recognizing the importance of employe e morale in the success of organizations. Formal selection and development processes were developed but there was no real change from the original responsibility of the ââ¬Å"personnelâ⬠department that of record keeping. As record keeping was still done by hand, HR information systems, pre-1960, hardly gave a hint of what they would become with the advent of workplace technology. In the late 1960ââ¬â¢s and 1970ââ¬â¢s the term ââ¬Å"human resource managementâ⬠gained common usage in place of the term ââ¬Å"personnelâ⬠and by 1974 the new term, human resource management, was appearing in media headlines and was eventually shortened to just ââ¬Å"HR.â⬠From the 60ââ¬â¢s to the 80ââ¬â¢s organizations firmly integrated HR into their core business missions. At the same time regulatory reporting requirements for employees increased significantly. Large organizations used mainframe computers to maintain organization data bases and technology based Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) provided an efficient solution for the increased record-keeping and reporting required by government regulation. The human resources department became one of the most important users of the org anizationââ¬â¢s computer systems, though the primary task was still record-keeping. In this modern era of Information Technology (I.T), human resource information system (HRIS) has become an important management discipline at enterprise level. HRIS plays a vital role in implementing the strategic business objectives of the organization, and in running the daily operations/functions efficiently and effectively to improve the productivity and proficiency, human capital becomes the only sustainable resource of the competitive advantage for an organization. Firms that is successful at finding, managing, retaining and developing good employees. Since 1990, the economical rapid change with globalization and technological innovations led for the development of human resource information systems (HRIS) and advanced internet capability facilitates to create a real-time shared data information-based, self-service, and interactive work environment. Information Technology with web-enabled capabilities helps human resource (HR) as it becomes a more horizontal and self-learning o rganization, by enabling human resource to contribute to the strategic focus of the organization. The strategically focus in human resource significance from the resource-based view of the firm that treats human capital as a strategic asset and a competitive advantage in improving organizational performance. Human Resource Information System is a systematic procedure for collecting, storing, maintaining, retrieving, and validating data needed by an organization. HRIS comes to the rescue of human resource professionals, because it has common shared database, tools to analyze to aid in decision making and many other features such as scanning and matching resumes compatible with requirement of the organization. HRIS empowers the employees to access their personnel records, view the payroll, tax payments and compensational benefits like health coverage, retirement benefits and other perks and incentives. In the literature, Database, Employee Tracking, Benefits Administration, Payroll Administration, Employee Interfaces and attendance monitoring are deemed to be major components of hu man resource information systems. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE John Gill et al., (2010) described the HRIS is a computerized system typically comprising a database or inter-related databases that track employees and their employment-specific information. Broderick (1992) states that HRIS can influence effectiveness in four ways: Firstly, with emphasis on increased productivity from the workforce, recruitment, short term working, temporary, and less redundancies. Secondly, it deals with the increasing demands made be legislation, which related to HR practices and the increased need to produce statistics for government. The third factor was the rate of the development of computer technology. The final factor was the increased availability of HRIS at lower costs. The professional body argued that effective HRIS use leads to efficiency. Michael et al., 2008] Florkowski et al., (2006) in his research paper: ââ¬ËThe diffusion of human-resource information technology innovations in US and nonUS firmsââ¬â¢, evaluated the diffusion of information technologies that are transforming HR service-delivery and revealed that the modest correlation between the number of acquired Information Technologies (IT) and HR-transactions automation supports the general call for more formalized HR-technology strategies at the firm level to coordinate purchasing and implementation decisions. Hussain ZI (2002) in his article stated that HRIS can help large or small businesses. By organizing the payroll, benefits and employee information among other things, itââ¬â¢s imperative to stay current on any changes to this software. Keeping the HR information system secure and compliant with other software should be the most important aspect. (International Journal of Research in Economics & Social Sciences 52 http://www.euroasiapub.org ) The emergence of Information Technology, especially internet-enabled technology has affected and enhanced many management areas that include HR management. The decreasing costs of computer technology versus the increasing costs of employee compensation and benefits made acquisition of computer-based HR systems (HRIS) a necessary business decision. Resource Information Systems in Jordanian Universities ABSTRACT The main purposes of this study are to explore the extent to which public Jordanian universities have adopted Human Resource Information System (HRIS) and to examine the current HRIS uses, benefits and barriers in these universities. A structured questionnaire was constructed based on other previous studies; it also pre-tested, modified and translated to capture data from HRIS users in Jordanian universities. The main findings of this study revealed that the quick response and access to information were the main benefits of HRIS implementation. While the insufficient financial support; difficulty in changing the organizationââ¬â¢s culture and lack of commitment from top managers were the main HRIS implementation barriers. The present study provides some insights into the performance and applications of HRIS in Jordanian universities that could help Human Resource Management (HRM) practitioners to get a better understanding of the current HRIS uses, benefits and problems, which in turn, will improve the effectiveness of HRIS in Jordanian universities. (http://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=related+studies+of+hris&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&ved=0CFgQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjournal.ccsenet.org%2Findex.php%2Fijbm%2Farticle%2Fdownload%2F7638%2F5867&ei=JjeGUPzYA-qNmQW3uIHQAQ&usg=AFQjCNHTHGH-AykQNcyM-sDYPla0MI9RHA) Human Resource Information System The system that seeks to combine the task and activities involved with human resource management and information technology (IT) into one universal database through the use of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. The goal and objectives of HRIS is to combine the different parts of human resources including payroll, labor productivity, and benefit management into a less capital-intensive system than the mainframes used to manage activities in the past. Which is also called Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS). The Human Resource Information System is a database software or online solution for the data entry, data tracking, and data information needs of the Human Resources, payroll, management, and accounting functions within a business. Generally packaged as a data base, hundreds of companies sell some form of HRIS and every HRIS has different capabilities. Pick your HRIS carefully based on the capabilities one need in one company. Figure1.HRIS Human Resources Information System is a system that lets you keep track on all of employees and information about them. This is basically done in a database or, more often, in a series of inter-related databases. These systems include the employee name and contact information and all or some of the following: department, job title, grade, salary, salary history, position history, supervisor, training completed, special qualifications, ethnicity, date of birth, disabilities, veteranââ¬â¢s status, visa status, benefits selected, and more. (http://managementdemand.com/2012/07/hris/) How can HRIS contribute value to the organization? An HRIS serves two major purposes in organizations: HR Administrative and Operational Role: The first purpose of an HRIS is to improve the efficiency with which data on employees and HR activities is compiled. Many HR activities can be performed more efficiently and with less paperwork if automated. When on-line data input is used, fewer forms must be stored, and less manual record keeping is necessary. Much of the reengineering of HR activities has focused on identifying the flow of HR data and how the data can be retrieved more efficiently for authorized users. Workflow, automation of some HR activities, and automation of HR record keeping are key to improve HR operations by making workflow more efficient. HR Strategic Role: The second purpose of an HRIS is more strategic and related to HR planning. Having accessible data enables HR planning and managerial decision making to be based to a greater degree on information rather than relying on managerial perception and intuition. For example, instead of manually doing a turnover analysis by department, length of service, and educational background, a specialist can quickly compile such a report by using an HRIS and various sorting and analysis functions. Human resource management (HRM) has grown in strategic value in many organizations; accordingly, there has been an increased emphasis on obtaining and using HRIS data for strategic planning and human resource forecasting, which focus on broader HR effectiveness over time. What are the Uses of an HRIS? An HRIS has many uses in an organization. The most basic is the automation of payroll and benefit activities. With an HRIS, employeesââ¬â¢ time records are entered into the system, and the appropriate deductions and other individual adjustments are reflected in the final paychecks. As a result of HRIS development and implementation in many organizations, several payroll functions are being transferred from accounting departments to HR departments. Beyond these basic activities, many other HR activities can be affected by the use of an HRIS. Figure2. Uses of Human Resource Information System (http://www.nmatec.com/hrwise/what) REVIEW OF RELATED SYSTEMS ASSESSMENT OF SUPPORT AND BENEFITS OF HRIS IN MEDIUM-SCALE TEXTILE INDUSTRIES ABSTRACT In the current fast-paced global competitive business environment, the efficient and effective management of human capital is an immense challenge to the human resource departments Information systems contributes to improve the organizational performance, and enhance the competencies of human resource professionals. This paper aims to assess and establish the support levels and the benefits of the human resource information systems in the medium scale textile industries. As a core part of the study, the primary data was collected from the selected of respondents of textile companies who are using human resource information systems with the help of a survey questionnaire. The data analysis that was performed using cumulative weighted average technique concludes highly moderate support levels of human resource information systems exists in the medium-scale textile industries and they are able to attain only 2/3 of the benefits. Further the research, based on an evolutionary view of computing growth suggests improvements in the human resource information systems in order to gain the competitive advantage and to maximize the benefits. (International Journal of Research in Economics & Social Sciences 52 http://www.euroasiapub.org ) THE ROLE OF HUMAN RESOURCE INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING IN PRIVATE SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS IN SRI LANKA ABSTRACT Human Resource Information System (HRIS) has become one of most vital information systems in the market. This study focuses on the role of HRIS in human resource planning (HR) in private sector organizations in Sri Lanka. The purpose is to explore the functionality and contribution of HRIS in HR planning through HRIS recruiting and training & development subsystems as perceived by senior HR executives in Sri Lankan private sector organizations. A pilot survey was carried out to identify the problem using structured interviews with Heads of HR of three selected private companies. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from senior HR executives of selected private sector companies in Sri Lanka. Answers received from 89 respondents were analyzed. The overall response rate was 48 percent. The deductive mode of reasoning, cross-sectional study and quantitative techniques were selected as research methods. The results of the survey showed that the most frequently accepted HRIS feature is training needs analysis (TNA) and that there is high positive correlation between HRIS job analysis and the effectiveness of HR planning. Most Sri Lankan private sector organizations perceived the contribution to efficiency of HR planning through HRIS skill inventory, HRIS TNA, HRIS training program evaluation, HRIS succession planning, HRIS labor demand and supply analysis and decision-making, as the greatest contribution of HRIS. This study shows that HRIS needs to offer more intelligent capabilities to increase the effectiveness of HR planning. HRIS vendors need to win the trust of HR professionals through enriching features and increasing the awareness and usage of HRIS in HR planning, especially its effectiveness. DEVELOPMENT OF HR INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR AN AEROSPACE INDUSTRY ABSTRACT The usage of a proper HR Information System (HRIS) has always been an important contribution for the HR (HR) operation in any organisation to work effectively. HR is one of the important functions of any industry. Hence it is important to keep this function equally efficient and effective compared to other operations in an organisation. One of the factors which contribute to the proper functioning of HR operation is data. Storing, analysing, processing and retrieving of data for decision making become necessary in this context. In the current study, the existing manual systems and processes in the HR department has been studied and observed. By studying the various processes with the help of tools like flow charts, use cases and data flow diagrams various parameters has been analysed. The HRIS has been designed using object oriented analysis and design methodology along with PHP version 5.0 for the front end and MySQL as backend database. Various forms like employee information, leave approval has been designed. Partial implementation of HRIS with Leave Management System as one of the modules has been carried out. Various reports like new and existing employees, leave pending/approval has been created. The HRIS has been implemented against the existing system on internal server with Windows operating system which reduced 49.24% of time compared to the existing system. The developed HRIS will help the organisation to effectively store employee data more securely and accurately. This study can be further extended in implementation of other modules of HRIS like recruitment, training, and development, compensation, benefits and payroll. (http://www.msrsas.org/docs/sastech_journals/archives/May2011/8.pdf) HUMAN RESOURCES FOR PUBLIC HEALTH IN INDIA ââ¬â ISSUES AND CHALLENGES Deoki Nandan*, K.S. Nair** and U.Datta*** Availability of adequate number of human resources with suitable skill mix and their appropriate deployment at different levels of health care set-up are essential for providing an effective health care service for the population. Since independence, concerted efforts have been made to address the need for human resources for health in India. However, shortage exists in all categories of human resources at different levels. Ensuring the availability of human resources for health in rural areas and building their capacity in public health are daunting tasks. Future challenges include planning for human resource for public health at State/national level, framing of State specific human resource development and training policy, creation of human resource management information system, reorientation of medical and para-medical education and ensuring proper utilization of the trained manpower and standardization of training. It is also important to link human resource development and trai ning policy to the National Rural Health Mission in achieving its goals. (http://medind.nic.in/hab/t07/i4/habt07i4p230.pdf)
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