BUSINESS ETHICS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

BUSINESS ETHICS - Essay Example First, it is necessary to define the issues and explain why they are ethically controversial. Second, one is to identify the stakeholders and explain whose interests are at stake and what kind of interests those are. Third, one is to clarify the ethical values and see what relevant values are in the organization’s Code of Ethics and what moral standards and principles are relevant. To resolve the issue we should understand how organizational values and moral standards can be applied and what impact the resolution may have on the stakeholders. However, it is not enough simply to offer resolutions; they must be made a reality. Implementation of resolutions requires a certain plan of actions, monitoring of the outcomes and assessment of success. Tesco is Britain’s largest retailer occupying 30 percent of the market share. It is followed by Sainsbury’s and Asda Wal-Mart. All the three corporations have similar ethical problems associated with their monopolistic position in the market and low-cost marketing strategy. Tesco is also well-known for its diversification strategy. Their corporate strategy is â€Å"an inclusive offer†, which refers to the company’s ambition to appeal to customers with upper, medium and low income in the same stores. As David McCarthy, Citigroup retail analyst put it, â€Å"Theyve pulled off a trick that Im not aware of any other retailer achieving. That is to appeal to all segments of the market† (Liptrot 2005). This diversity is expressed even in Tesco’s own brand products, verifying from the up-market â€Å"Finest† to a low-price â€Å"Value†. The diversification is used in the firm’s six UK store formats, differentiated by size and ra nge products on sale. Initially specializing in food, the company entered such areas of businesses as clothes and consumer electronics, selling and renting DVDs, CDs and music downloads, as well as Internet service Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 17 Business Ethics - Essay Example The fact that the decisions of Nardelli have secured the firm’s success is not enough for justifying potential violations of ethics by Nardelli, if such case is proved to exist. Nardelli was appointed as the leader of Home Depot in 2007 (Kavilanz 2007). Nardelli introduced an important change in Home Depot: he supported discipline in regard to all aspects of the business (Kavilanz 2007). Many employees were opposed to this practice as they preferred the leadership style of the firm’s previous leader: Bernie Marcus (Kavilanz 2007). Marcus was quite friendly with employees, a fact that allowed him to establish strong links with staff in all business department; however, as the company was expanded the above practice of Marcus would have to be changed (Kavilanz 2007). The appointment of Nardelli as the firm’s leader was related to a new era for the firm: discipline was set as a priority in regard to all parts of the business (Kavilanz 2007). Nardelli kept a distance from staff at least when having to deal with employees at group level (Kavilanz 2007). Gradually, employees who preferred the leadership style of Marcus left the company, a fact that had not affected the growth of the business (Kavilanz 2007). Still, the leadership style of Nardelli, being characterized by ‘no flexibility and autonomous management’ (Kavilanz 2007) had to be changed in order for the firm’s performance to be kept at high levels, especially since the housing market had started to show signs of slowdown from 2007 onwards (Kavilanz 2007). Under such terms, the autocratic leadership style of Nardelli, being based mostly on ‘command and control’ (Nussbaum 2007) would have to be replaced by a more flexible, democratic leadership style; such leadership style would allow employees to express their creativity and enthusiasm, a fact that would lead to the improvement of employees-customers relationship (Nussbaum 2007). In order to evaluate the leadership style of Nardelli it

Social Responsibility And Performance Of Unilever Corporation Environmental Sciences Essay

Social Responsibility And Performance Of Unilever Corporation Environmental Sciences Essay Consumers today are progressively watchful and conscious of social performance undertaken by large corporations on how they conduct their business activities. As we all know, social performance of a corporation is heavily stressed upon and people in general have high expectations on of a companys corporate social performance (CSR) (Golob, Lah and Janccaroniccaron 2008). Lets not forget that whenever a business operates, it will somehow bring both positive and negative impact towards society. Unilever is an Anglo-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the worlds consumer products brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products also faces consequences for their business operation while portraying social performance in the society. This assignment will talk about the Corporate Social Responsibilities of Unilever towards the environment. Corporate social Responsibilities are the responsibilities of an organization toward the society to meet the standard of ethics towards investors, customers, employees, business partners, local communities, the environment and society at large. (Berkhout 2005) unilever-logo.jpg Unilever is the first Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Company who adopts paper sourcing policy to meet sustainability goals. This means that the company is trying to source all its products, paper and board packaging from a sustainably managed forests or recycled material within a clearly time frame. (Anne Marie Mohan 2010) Sustainable paper and board packaging sourcing policy are one of the Unilevers dedications to double the size of the business in the mean time trying to reduce the environmental impact. The policy outlines the companys goal to work with its suppliers to source 75% of its paper and board packaging from sustainably managed forests or from recycled material by 2015, increasing to 100% by 2020. (Raz Godelnik 2010) For the companys requirements for paper from virgin sources, preference will be given to supplies delivered through the Forest Stewardship Council certification scheme. Unilever also accept other national schemes under the framework of international Forest Management Certification standards, provided they comply with the Policys Implementation Guidelines. The move means the logos of the acceptable forest management certification schemes will begin to appear on the packaging of Unilevers portfolio of brands as progress is made toward reaching the target, and in order to increase consumer awareness and promote the expansion of certified forests in the world. As such it is important that Unilever promote sustainable forestry practices and help combat deforestation and climate change through the responsible sourcing of these materials. (Anne Marie Mohan 2010) Another important part which Unilever practice to protect the environment is the Unilevers water approach Sustainable Water Integrated Catchment Management (SWIM) principles. The SWIM principles is developed with the help of UK sustainability organization forum for the future. Water is vital to all sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and also human consumption. The SWIM principles include a useful approach to help Unilever and Unilevers partners to make sure that the community water partnerships they engage in are effective and successful. Unilever had adopted four villages along the Brantas River when the Clean Brantas Project was launched in July 2001. Unilever had work corporately with the NGOs and government agencies to improve the sanitation system recycling, tree replanting and environmental awareness. As a result of these initiatives, the river now can generates income for the villages through small-scale fish farming and cultivation of Java Noni fruit crops for export. (Catherine Dowdney n.d) An important part of Unilevers approach to water is our Sustainable Water Integrated Catchment Management (SWIM) principles, which were developed with the assistance of the UK sustainability organisation Forum for the Future. These recognise that competing demands for water for agriculture, manufacturing and human consumption and the need to sustain a healthy environment mean that society needs to adopt a more integrated approach to water management. The SWIM principles incorporate a practical approach to helping Unilever and our partners ensure that the community water partnerships we engage in are effective and successful. As part of the Clean Brantas Project launched in July 2001, Unilever Indonesia has adopted four villages along the Brantas River. The company works in partnership with these communities, a local university, NGOs and government agencies to improve environmental awareness, sanitation systems, waste management and recycling, tree planting and housing development along the riverbank. As a result of these initiatives, the river now generates income for the villages through small-scale fish farming and cultivation of Java Noni fruit crops for export. It is hoped that the Village Adoption Programme will be expanded by other local companies to include more villages along the river. (Catherine Dowdney n.d) A Unilever plant in Ontario, Canada, has an ongoing campaign to improve energy efficiency to help manage rising and unpredictable energy prices. This plant produces margarine and vegetable oils products which require high energy expenditure costs. In order to achieve a 6% reduction of energy consumption per year the plants energy team has implemented and invest in new technology called a reverse osmosis (RO) system that would enable an improvement in the efficiency of the steam plant operations. ((Cost savings and reduced environmental impact through lower energy and water consumption 2009) By converting to the RO system, the plant had consumed 13 million gallons less municipal water and 8% less natural gas. The plant also cut down 240,000 pound volume of chemicals into the sanitary sewer. As a result of consuming fewer chemicals, the environmental impact of producing and transporting them was reduced too. The RO system qualified the plant for a $50,000 incentive grant from the city of Toronto for decreased water consumption and a $14,000 incentive grant from the local gas utility. According to Unilever, the project has lead to the company reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.6 million tonnes as well as cutting other greenhouse gases. (Cost savings and reduced environmental impact through lower energy and water consumption 2009) Unilever factories in South Africa had been starting to divert food waste to make compost used in community and reducing waste sent to landfill. Food-grade waste that was once sent to landfill is now helping fertilize the vegetables and provide an income for poor communities in South Africa. Under project Triple R (reduce, reuse, and recycle) that was launched in 2005, Unilever Foods factories in Pietermaritzburg and Durban (Avenue East and Fountain Park) send all their waste food material to municipal composting facilities. Between 2004 and 2006, Pietermaritzburg and Avenue East halved the amount of food waste sent to landfill, cutting waste disposal costs by a third. (Composting waste material for community gardens 2010.) In a separate initiative, Unilever Brazil has committed to recycle laminated packaging material such as toothpaste tubes. It has been working with five small companies to collect and find a use for the material. When food and drink pouches, sachets and toothpaste tubes are manufactured, small amounts of plastic are cut off and discarded. The waste material is combined with laminated consumer waste. It is mixed and ground down before being heated and compressed in special ovens. The material can be shaped in special molds or, once cooled down, cut into different sizes. It is used to make furniture and building materials that can be sold by the recycling companies involved, generating income and jobs. The first products to be made were roof tiles. Since then, the material has been used to create products such floor tiles, tables and chairs, some of which have been used by Unilever Brazil to equip other community projects. The project depends on a readily available supply of laminate ma terial. Unilever has been encouraging consumers to recycle their laminated waste packaging at the community recycling stations. (Recycling consumer waste 2010) At February 10, 2010 the California Air Resources Board penalize Unilever $1.3 million last month for illegal consumer products sales between 2006 and 2008. Conopco, Unilevers parent company, sold, supplied and offered for sale in California more than 2.8 million units of deodorant body spray that failed to meet clean air standards for aerosol deodorants. The violations resulted in significant excess emissions from volatile organic compounds. These emissions contribute to ground-level ozone, or smog.   Exposure to ozone can cause lung inflammation, impaired breathing, coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and worsening of asthma symptoms.   Over 90 percent of Californians still breathe unhealthy air at some time during the year. Conopco cooperated in the investigation and will make two equal payments of $650,000 into the California Air Pollution Control Fund for projects and research to improve Californias air quality. (Dimitri Stanich 2010) Surprise spot checks by the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) found that multinational Unilever discharged waste containing banned chemical substances. Unilever s plan in Hefei (Anhui), which manufactures well-known household brands such as Dove, Lux, Kelloggs and Lipton, was fined 150,000 yuan and ordered to remedy the situation. The pipe suspected of carrying the substandard water was disabled, a chemical oxygen demand (COD) monitor was installed and water treatment facilities have been upgraded. The mainlands rapid industrialisation has been pressing on at a huge environmental cost, with up to 70 per cent of its waterways polluted and air quality in its biggest cities among the worlds worst. In March 2001, Greenpeace and Palni Hills Conservation Council reported that Hindustan Unilever (HUL), a subsidiary of Unilever, had allowed 7.4 tonnes of mercury contaminated glass waste from their thermometer factory to be dumped on a scrap yard about 3 km away from the factory. The exposure, which spurred 400 area residents as well as members of Greenpeace India to protest at the factory gates, marked the beginning of an ongoing saga of dishonesty and botched cover-up efforts by Unilever. They also warned that contaminated waste had been dumped behind the factory wall onto the slopes leading to Pambar Shola, an important and protected nature sanctuary. The factory was immediately shut down by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB). Data later provided by the company estimated that over 17 years a total of 1.3 tonnes of mercury had leaked into the Shola forest, a type of high-altitude stunted evergreen forest peculiar to the Western Ghats of South India. A further 366 kg wa s estimated to have contaminated the soil on the factory premises. (Indo-Asian News 2003) It is commonly known that as little as 1 gram of mercury deposited annually in a lake can, in the long term, contaminate a lake spread over 25 acres to the extent that fish from the lake are rendered unfit for human consumption. Mercury, which Unilever is accused of handling without taking environmental or worker safety precautions, is a toxic metal that converts to deadlier forms such as methyl mercury when released into the environment. Mercury accumulates in the liver, kidneys, brain and blood and can cause birth defects and serious disorders of the nervous system and kidneys. (Nityanand Jayaraman n.d.)

The Awakening Essay -- Literary Analysis, Kate Chopin

Kate Chopin wrote for a reason and with a sense of passion and desire. She lived the way she wanted to and wrote what she felt, thought, and wanted to say. Kate wrote for many years and her popularity was extreme until critical disapproval of her novel, The Awakening, a story that portrayed women’s desires of independence and control of their own sexuality. Most men condemned this story, while women applauded her for it. Kate wrote with a sense of realism and naturalism and she created a voice that is unique and unmatched. The voice gave a view of the female role in society and contributed to the beginning of the later feminist movements. In 1915, Fred Lewis Pattee wrote, "some of Chopin's work is equal to the best that has been produced in France or even in America. She displayed what may be described as a native aptitude for narration amounting almost to genius" (qtd. in Amazon.com â€Å"About the Author†). Kate Chopin was a 19th century American author who cared abou t women and their rights. She was a bold writer who had a huge impact on how the world should treat women. On February 8, 1851, Katherine O’Flaherty was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Kate was born to the parents of Thomas O’Flaherty and Eliza Faris. Her father was a wealthy Irish immigrant and a successful businessman. Sadly, Kate’s father died in a railway accident when she was only four years old. Kate’s childhood was influenced mostly by her mother and great-grandmother. Kate spent much time with her family’s Creole and mulatto slaves, becoming familiar with their dialects. She attended Sacred Heart convent where she was a very poor student, but an avid reader. At the age of eleven Kate’s great-grandmother as well as her half-brother died. These two deaths caused Kat... ...wn as one of the most important women in 19th century American fiction. Kate grew up in a world where women were seen as very little importance. She wrote to change that. Kate wrote with passion and a sense of realism. She proved to the world around her that women were just as equal to men. Conclusively, Kate Chopin is known to be the first feminist writer and a woman ahead of her time. Even though during her time she was looked down upon for the things she wrote, she is celebrated and acclaimed by people around the world today. Kate's writings provided her with the means to live how she wanted-both mentally and physically-rather than play the role society expected of her. Kate Chopin proved to women they had a right to express themselves however they wanted to. This is why Kate is known today as one of the most important women in 19th century American fiction.

Patient Profile

Mrs Mary Martins is an eight four year old lady who was admitted to a local community hospital after falling at home while going to the toilet in the early hours of the morning. Mrs Martins had sustained a chipped bone in her left foot, had no plaster cast in situ and was non weight bearing. Mrs Martins lives alone in her own bungalow; her husband had died 4 years earlier. She has a son and daughter who both live in the south of England and a granddaughter who lives close by. The granddaughter pops in every week to help her with the shopping and various other tasks that may need doing. She also has a very good neighbour who she sees every day and who helps out whenever needed with tasks such as shopping. Mrs Martins has been retired for a number of years now and enjoys driving her car very much and socialising with friends. She also used to play golf and travel to the United States of America (USA) every year to visit family. Mrs Martins main concern was her ability to drive her car again. Mrs Martins has never smoked, but does like to have the odd alcoholic drink of a night time. She has no past medical conditions and no medication history, although the doctor has put her on 1g of paracetamol to be taken four times a day or as and when required to help with the pain. Before the fall Mrs Martins was a fit and active lady who lived a very independent life.

Interpersonal conflict in the movie “Hitch Essay

Conflict between people is a part of life and it is not necessarily a bad thing. I believe a relationship with frequent conflict may be healthier than one that seems to completely perfect or does not have any observable conflict. Conflicts can occur at many different levels of interaction, work, among friends, family members, and intimate relationships. When conflict occurs a relationship can be weakened or strengthened depending on the conflict and its resolution. Thus, conflict is a very critical event in the course of any relationship. Conflict can cause resentment, hostility, and perhaps end a relationship if it is handled poorly. However, conflict can be productive, lead to deeper understanding, mutual respect and closeness if it is handled well. I believe that the determination of whether a relationship is healthy or unhealthy does not depend on the number of conflicts between people, but on how the conflicts are handled and resolved. In the movie Hitch (Mordaunt & Tadross, 2005) I noticed the interpersonal conflict of lack of communication between the character Alex (Hitch) and Sara. In the movie they started to date and really got to like each other however, they both failed to disclose some very personal and important facts about one another. The most important thing in a healthy relationship is good communication and self –disclosure which both parties failed to do effectively. Both parties were dodging around the true aspects of their jobs. However, they were both very cautious about what they told each other and this eventually created a big problem in their relationship. The conflict actually started when a friend of Sara’s fills like she was dumped by her boyfriend due to the advice of a date specialist known as the â€Å"Date Doctor†. Sara later finds out that the man that she has a relationship with (Hitch) is the â€Å"date doctor†. Sara confronts Hitch and ask him if he is  indeed the â€Å"date doctor† he confirms that he is and tries to explain to her what he does. She refuses to listen and the fight begins. When she calms down and tries to talk to him he blows her off and refuses to listen. Finally, in the end they work things out. I believe that if Sara had been more open and really disclosed what she was trying to do they could have avoided the conflict that happened between them. Hitch could have been more open about what his job really consisted of and this may have given her more understanding on what he tries to do for people. The conflict may have been avoided if after Sara found out that he was the â€Å"date doctor† she had given time to explain and may have been reassured he was not trying to hurt people but make love connections. Instead they both chose to be stubborn and not communicate with other causing a lot of hurt and misunderstanding in their relationship. It is our interest to maintain relationships that are smooth, flexible, and mutually enhancing. The problem occurs when we fail to use cooperative approaches in our dealings with others. People do not create conflict intentionally. It sometimes happens because we are not aware of how our own behavior contributes to interpersonal problems. Sometimes we feel so exasperated that we focus on our own needs at expense of others. Then we find ourselves in conflict within our relationships. To prevent conflict from happening it is important to identify the ways in which we contribute to the disagreement and work on how you say things. Have a discussion (listen) to understand both sides of the problem and try to resolve it. In a relationship a person should be ready, willing and able to communicate their inner thoughts and feelings to one another. Communication is a key role in any healthy relationship, whether it is platonic, or intimate. RESOURCES www.livestrong.com/article/157478 www.drbalternatives.com/articles/cc2.html Mordaunt, W. Tadross, M. (Executive Producers), & Tennant, A. (Director). (2005). Hitch [Film]. Los Angeles: Sony Pictures

John Boynton Priestley †An Inspector Calls

John Boynton Priestley – An Inspector Calls Free Online Research Papers John Boynton Priestley was born in Yorkshire in 1894. He knew early on that he wanted to become a writer, but decided against going to university as he thought he would get a better feel for the world around him away from academia. Instead, he became a junior clerk with a local wool firm at the age of 16. When the First World War broke out, Priestley joined the infantry and only just escaped death on a number of occasions. After the war, he gained a degree from Cambridge University, then moved to London to work as a freelance writer. He wrote successful articles and essays, then published the first of many novels, The Good Companions, in 1929. He wrote his first play in 1932 and went on to write 50 more. Much of his writing was ground-breaking and controversial. He included new ideas about possible parallel universes and strong political messages. During the Second World War he broadcast a massively popular weekly radio programme which was attacked by the Conservatives as being too left-wing. The programme was eventually cancelled by the BBC for being too critical of the Government. He continued to write into the 1970s, and died in 1984.During the 1930s Priestley became very concerned about the consequences of social inequality in Britain, and in 1942 Priestley and others set up a new political party, the Common Wealth Party, which argued for public ownership of land, greater democracy, and a new morality in politics. The party merged with the Labour Party in 1945, but Priestley was influential in developing the idea of the Welfare State which began to be put into place at the end of the war. He believed that further world wars could only be avoided through cooperation and mutual respect between countries, and so became active in the early movement for a United Nations. And as the nuclear arms race between West and East began in the 1950s, he helped to found CND, hoping that Britain would set an example to the world by a moral act of nuclear disarmament Priestley deliberately set his play in 1912 because the date represented an era when all was very different from the time he was writing. In 1912, rigid class and gender boundaries seemed to ensure that nothing would change. Yet by 1945, most of those class and gender divisions had been breached. Priestley wanted to make the most of these changes. Through this play, he encourages people to seize the opportunity the end of the war had given them to build. Research Papers on John Boynton Priestley - An Inspector CallsAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Quebec and CanadaAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XBringing Democracy to AfricaCapital PunishmentInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraHip-Hop is ArtRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and

Organ donations essays

Organ donations essays Specific Purpose: To persuade my audiences to donate their organs and tissues when they die and act upon their decision to become organ donors. A. How do you feel when there is something that you really want but you cant have? What if you couldnt live without it? Well, I know my aunt who has liver cancer desperately wants a new liver but she cant have one until someone donates a liver to give to her. Her name went on a waiting list and she waited for a miracle. She finally got one when a liver match was donated by a women in a fatal car accident. The women who died gave my aunt the gift of life but not everyone is always so lucky. B. Someone you know could be on an organ transplant list. The number of people on the waiting list of organ donations is growing each day. The time is now for everyone to come together. Dennis OLeary M.D., president of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization, said, The challenge today is to make the gift of life available to all who need it. C. Today, I am going to talk to you about organ donations, how you can become an organ donor and finally how your family and the organ donor recipient benefit from you organ donation. A. First Im going to talk to you about organ donations and how important they really are. 1. Organ donation is also known as Giving the Gift of Life. One single donor can save or help up to 50 lives. Just imagine giving the miracle of life to 50 different people, its amazing. More than 85,000 people in the United States now are waiting life-saving transplants and over 6,000 people die each year while waiting for the organs to become available. a. From an article in the Pharma Business Week said that 6,455 people became deceased organ donors in the United States in 2003. This was an increase by 4.3% in the past years and it was the highest increase in donors since...

Geography of the Worlds Sinkholes

Geography of the World's Sinkholes A sinkhole is a natural hole that forms in the Earths surface as a result of the chemical weathering of carbonate rocks like limestone, as well as salt beds or rocks that can be severely weathered as water runs through them. The type of landscape made up of these rocks is known as karst topography and is dominated by sinkholes, internal drainage, and caves. Sinkholes vary in size but can range anywhere from 3.3 to 980 feet (1 to 300 meters) in diameter and depth. They can also form gradually over time or suddenly without warning. Sinkholes can be found all over the world and recently large ones have opened in Guatemala, Florida, and China. Depending on location, sinkholes are sometimes also called sinks, shake holes, swallow holes, swallets, dolines, or cenotes.   Natural Sinkhole Formation The main causes of sinkholes are weathering and erosion. This happens through the gradual dissolve and removal of water absorbing rock like limestone as percolating water from the Earths surface moves through it. As the rock is removed, caves and open spaces develop underground. Once these open spaces become too large to support the weight of the land above them, the surface soil collapses, creating a sinkhole. Typically, naturally occurring sinkholes are most common in limestone rock and salt beds that are easily dissolved by moving water. Sinkholes are also not normally visible from the surface as the processes that cause them are underground but sometimes, however, extremely large sinkholes have been known to have streams or rivers flowing through them.   Human Induced Sinkholes In addition to natural erosion processes on karst landscapes, sinkholes can also be caused by human activities and land-use practices. Groundwater pumping, for example, can weaken the structure of the Earths surface above the aquifer where the water is being pumped and cause a sinkhole to develop.   Humans can also cause sinkholes to develop by changing water drainage patterns through diversion and industrial water storage ponds. In each of these instances, the weight of the Earths surface is changed with the addition of the water. In some cases, the supporting material under the new storage pond, for example, may collapse and create a sinkhole. Broken underground sewer and water pipes have also been known to cause sinkholes when the introduction of free-flowing  water into otherwise dry ground weakens soil stability.   Guatemala Sinkhole An extreme example of a human-induced sinkhole occurred in Guatemala in late May 2010 when a 60 foot (18 meters) wide and 300 foot (100 meters) deep hole opened in Guatemala City. It is believed that the sinkhole was caused after a sewer pipe burst after tropical storm Agatha caused a surge of water to enter the pipe. Once the sewer pipe burst, the free-flowing water carved out an underground cavity that eventually could not support the weight of the surface soil, causing it to collapse and destroy a three-story building. The Guatemala sinkhole was worsened because Guatemala City was built on land made up of hundreds of meters of a volcanic material called pumice. The pumice in the region was easily eroded because it was recently deposited and loose- otherwise known as unconsolidated rock. When the pipe burst the excess water was easily able to erode away the pumice and weaken the structure of the ground. In this case, the sinkhole should actually be known as a piping feature because it was not caused by entirely natural forces. Geography of Sinkholes As previously mentioned, naturally occurring sinkholes mainly form in karst landscapes but they can happen anywhere with a soluble subsurface rock. In the United States, this is mainly in Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania but about 35-40% of the land in the U.S. has rock beneath the surface that is easily soluble with water. The Department of Environmental Protection in Florida, for example, has a focus on sinkholes and how to educate its residents on what to do should one open up on their property. Southern Italy has also experienced numerous sinkholes, as has China, Guatemala, and Mexico. In Mexico, sinkholes are known as cenotes and they are mainly found on the Yucatan Peninsula. Over time, some of these have filled with water and look like small lakes while others are large open depressions in the land. It should also be noted that sinkholes do not occur exclusively on land. Underwater sinkholes are common around the world and formed when sea levels were lower under the same processes as those on land. When sea levels rose at the end of the last glaciation, the sinkholes became submerged. The Great Blue Hole off the coast of Belize is an example of an underwater sinkhole.   Human Uses of Sinkholes Despite their destructive nature in human-developed areas, people have developed a number of uses for sinkholes. For example, for centuries these depressions have been used as disposal sites for waste. The Maya also used the cenotes on the Yucatan Peninsula as sacrificial sites and storage areas. In addition, tourism and cave diving is popular in many of the worlds largest sinkholes. References Than, Ker. (3 June 2010). Guatemala Sinkhole Created by Humans, Not Nature. National Geographic News. Retrieved from: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/06/100603-science-guatemala-sinkhole-2010-humans-caused/ United States Geological Survey. (29 March 2010). Sinkholes, from USGS Water Science for Schools. Retrieved from: http://water.usgs.gov/edu/sinkholes.html Wikipedia. (26 July 2010). Sinkhole - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinkhole

Health care policy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Health care policy - Coursework Example Consequently, the health care model of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) ensured that mental health parity was both protected and guaranteed (Rich, 2013). In 2009, Rep. Patrick Kennedy led a successful legislative endeavor to assure mental health parity (Rich, 2013). Due to Kennedy’s efforts, the legislation was integrated into the Affordable Care Act, which stipulated a basic benefits policy guaranteeing sufficient health services, including mental health privileges. Effective 2011, the ACA also introduced a new Medicaid state package option to allow subscribers with at least one critical and long-term mental health condition to nominate a mental health services provider as a health home (Rich, 2013). Effective October 2011 to December 2015, the ACA prescribed a novel demonstration initiative to pledge Medicaid remittances to mental health service providers for adult subscribers who need containment of exigent conditions. Based on a provision that became effective in 2010, the ACA facilitates the establishment of inter and multidisciplinary mental and behavioral health orientation initiatives (Walker, 2014). Finally, the ACA p romotes the creation of orientation programs that concentrate on primary care frameworks that incorporate mental and physical health amenities. Funds for this provision started in 2010 and are slated to end in December 2015 (Rich,

Israeli Palestinian Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Israeli Palestinian Conflict - Essay Example Looking up at the conflict amid the Israel and Palestine as a nation, major problem occurred by the involvement of the United States. Before 1948, Jews and Palestine both used to live in the similar land, known to be Palestine. After the war of 1948 and 1949, the land, Palestine, was divided into three main parts, therefore, the West Bank, sate of Israel and the Gaza Strip. The division of land was done due to the decision made by the United Nations. In the beginning, the land was supposed to be divided into two parts, Arabs and the Jewish. After the unfortunate war of 1949, forces of Israel achieved control over the lands and a peace agreement was signed which created borders according to the decision of UN. Although, peace have never settled on the lands and there have been a variety of disputes over who control what parts of the land. Since 1967, Israel took control over Jerusalem and used its control to establish settlements and supported its civilians to move or inhabit the coun try. After the outbreak of the war in 1949, solution was never found and on the other hand, the Israel feels that they are the ones who should rule the lands but their status is yet to be determined. In June 1945 accompanied with an indirect rebelliousness of the British White Paper, restricted the Jewish immigration into the state for over 75,000 people and after that the President Truman send a proposal which stated that 100,000 European Jewish should be admitted at very instance. Truman was warned by the British that it would anger the Arabs but however, they accepted the proposal anyway. After few years, in 1948, Truman was advised to distinguish the State of Israel. After few minutes of the announcement, the United States recognized the newly formed Nation. According to Arabs, at that time, they thought that the United States was on the side of the Israel and this perception due to the actions taken by the United States has made it difficult to find a solution for the Israel and Palestine conflict. At first, the United States was very slow to provide military help to the new nation of Israel. After the Second World War, the attention of the United States directed towards the rising world power known to be Soviet Union. The problems and conflict of the Israel at that time were not of too much concern for the U.S. However, when Israel occupied the Sinai Peninsula in 1958 from Egypt, the United States did not take side of the Israel but pressurized them to call back their troops from there. Apart from U.S. pressurization, there were a lot of many other threats that influenced Israel to move back. All through the 1950s and 1960s, level of assistance from United States was very low but in 1967, financial help for Israel went up to $13 million but however, it was soon altered. In the sixth day of war in 1968, the United States provided $76 million which increased for more than $800 by the end of 1971. In 2001, $2.82 billion plus with the military assistance was offered to the Israel. Additionally, $60 million was given for the resettlement of the refugees and $250 million for stabilizing the budget of Department of Defense as well as $85 million for accused interest. "Unquestionably, Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. aid since World War II. Estimates

Competition among Hospitals for HMO Business Case Study

Competition among Hospitals for HMO Business - Case Study Example The independent variables are: an index of relative hospital prices for HMO business in each market (price); high tech-capability; teaching status (teaching or non-teaching); ownership status (non-profit, for-profit, or public); and location. To provide answer to the second research question, that is, to account for the effect of the structure of the hospital market on market share, three variables were added: no. of hospitals in the market, no. of HMOs in the market, and the HMO penetration rate. For both price and non-price attributes, the regression test pointed to an effect on market share variables. Hospitals with lower prices had a bigger share of HMO business. The more high-tech a hospital was, the greater the share in the HMO business. Teaching hospitals were more preferred by HMOs than non-teaching ones. On the effect of ownership: on average, nonprofit and public hospitals had less market share than for-profit ones.

Nuclear Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nuclear Energy - Essay Example This paper shall focus on the advantages of nuclear energy as an alternative to the forms of fuel that are used at present. This paper shall also draw attention to the disadvantages that nuclear energy presents. Risks to human safety and the economic side of nuclear energy shall be discussed as a part of this. This paper shall also seek to look at the possible solutions that may evolve or have already evolved in this area, which may facilitate a safe and clean use of this form of energy for daily needs. Nuclear energy as a form of energy is a relatively new form of energy and the first reactor was created only in the twentieth century. As a result of this, many of the problems that are a part of this technology are yet to be resolved. This however, does not mean that research in this field be completely stopped. Nuclear energy is a form of energy that is produced due to nuclear reactions. The process of fission is used to split the nuclei of uranium atoms that cause an incredible amo unt of energy to be released. The energy that is thus released is then harnessed and used for other purposes. The immense amount of energy that is released needs to be collected in a safe manner. If this is not done, the risk of an explosion looms large and it is such an uncontrolled reaction (during fusion) that is used to create bombs that have the capacity to cause great damage to humankind. The fact that the reaction, once started, can go on through a chain reaction, adds to the charm of nuclear energy as a form of energy. â€Å"Once a uranium nucleus is split, multiple neutrons are released which are used to split other uranium nuclei. This phenomenon is known as a chain reaction.† (Nuclear Energy). Several measures are required to keep such a reaction under control and this contributes to the high initial costs of nuclear energy. The history of nuclear energy, thus, is a short one. The first instance where a controlled nuclear reaction was achieved, was in 1942 – â€Å"the first controlled nuclear chain reaction with the first demonstration reactor—the Chicago Pile 1†. The person associated with this event was Dr. Enrico Fermi. In the same decade, in 1945, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki led to the recognition of the harmful effects of nuclear energy. The first instance of the production of electricity using nuclear energy occurred in 1951. The following decades saw the rise of many nuclear power generators which provided electricity to many people all over the world. An important event in this timeline would be the accident at Three Mile Island in 1979 that showed the world that damage could be done even through civilian nuclear reactors when harm was not intended. No one, however, was injured and it was only till the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine that the extent of the damage that civilian nuclear power could inflict was realized. The Fukushima disaster in 2011 cemented the p lace of nuclear energy as an unsafe form of energy in the minds of many (Nuclear Technology Milestone). As far as the legal aspect of controlling something as explosive as nuclear power goes, there are various laws that seek to curb the manner in which nuclear energy is used around the world. Every country has its own laws to govern its

Writer's selection Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Writer's selection - Personal Statement Example She reminded me that I would become a resourceful person that everyone in the society would be looking for if I By inculcating good virtues into my lifestyle if I would inculcate good virtues into my lifestyle. As far as picking ‘Communications’ as my major is concerned, I have to admit that I had considered reasons in my mind at the time I was joining Seattle community College. In this respect, I have to mention that my very first reason was to be able to interact with all the diversified persons living in Hong Kong. Fundamentally, Hong Kong is a metropolitan with diverse cultures that are autonomous hence ‘communications’ will play a major role when it comes to meeting new people from various backgrounds. The second reason as to why I chose communications as my major is the fact that I like to get out of the comfort zone. This was particularly evident when visited Los Angeles for 3 weeks in July 2010 as an exchange student. I deemed it essential to learn certain skills of communicating with various personalities. Lastly but more importantly, I picked communications as my major is because I like communicating with people and discovering new things. When it comes to my professional experience, I find it worthy to mention that I have participated in quite a number of initiatives that have added significant value to my personal and professional life. For instance, between January 2013 and March 2013, I volunteered as a teaching assistant at ACRS (Asian Counseling and Referral Services). In that capacity and organization, I acquired excellent interpersonal and interpersonal skills. Moreover, I carried on with the volunteering work from April 2013 to June 2013 Arts Corps. I gained invaluable knowledge during the two-month period that I still hold dear to date. My third place where I gained invaluable experience was at CJR where held the position of an Education Consultant. In this position, I played several roles including

Comparison of To Live and farewell to my concubine Essay

Comparison of To Live and farewell to my concubine - Essay Example It highlights the achievements that have been developed in these nations in competing in the industry to contribute towards entertainment industry. Zhang in the book analyzes the contribution of the film industry in promoting cultural values and ideologies (Zhang 103). The depictions of actual values within the plot of the cinemas have issued contribution towards the development within the society and a rich history that has been highlighted in production. In these regions, there is a strong provision to uphold cultural values that define the basis of formation in the nations. The development of the plot and the characters uphold societal values and help in selling the culture as are characteristic of the society. This paper is based on a comparison of two such films, To Live, and Farewell My Concubine, to compare the contents that they present. This was Zhang Yimou’s sixth production whose plot development is centred on the struggles presented in the union of a married couple. The setting is based on a period that was marked with the tyrannical rule of the ruthless Mao Zedong, as had been presented in some movies of the time. Zhang (287) explains, â€Å"To Live highlights the absolute necessity of tolerance as a time honoured survival skill for ordinary people in socialist China†. The other films from Beijing film graduates had stressed on the regime of the turbulent era in China highlighting; the positions held in the government that promoted the unjust presentations. However, the film had been based on the consideration placed on the people under the government. Zhang breaks the tension as he prepares a plot that is based on the family level in the struggling individual. The film delves on the intimate thee as it presents the effects of the struggling family class. Through the family of Fugui and Jiazhen, the effects of the affected economy and societal struggles of the Chinese

Writer's selection Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Writer's selection - Personal Statement Example She reminded me that I would become a resourceful person that everyone in the society would be looking for if I By inculcating good virtues into my lifestyle if I would inculcate good virtues into my lifestyle. As far as picking ‘Communications’ as my major is concerned, I have to admit that I had considered reasons in my mind at the time I was joining Seattle community College. In this respect, I have to mention that my very first reason was to be able to interact with all the diversified persons living in Hong Kong. Fundamentally, Hong Kong is a metropolitan with diverse cultures that are autonomous hence ‘communications’ will play a major role when it comes to meeting new people from various backgrounds. The second reason as to why I chose communications as my major is the fact that I like to get out of the comfort zone. This was particularly evident when visited Los Angeles for 3 weeks in July 2010 as an exchange student. I deemed it essential to learn certain skills of communicating with various personalities. Lastly but more importantly, I picked communications as my major is because I like communicating with people and discovering new things. When it comes to my professional experience, I find it worthy to mention that I have participated in quite a number of initiatives that have added significant value to my personal and professional life. For instance, between January 2013 and March 2013, I volunteered as a teaching assistant at ACRS (Asian Counseling and Referral Services). In that capacity and organization, I acquired excellent interpersonal and interpersonal skills. Moreover, I carried on with the volunteering work from April 2013 to June 2013 Arts Corps. I gained invaluable knowledge during the two-month period that I still hold dear to date. My third place where I gained invaluable experience was at CJR where held the position of an Education Consultant. In this position, I played several roles including

Women's study lesson9 discussion board comment Article

Women's study lesson9 discussion board comment - Article Example Women not only get scared by it (they change their patterns and routines so as to avoid the harasser), but they also get traumatized by the harassment (AAUW 3). As per statistics published by the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault (http://www.slc.edu/offices-services/security/assault/statistics.html), at least 1 in every 4 women will be sexually assaulted during her time at college. I find this number to be too high. What is more, I think that this is another way in which women may end up getting discouraged from moving ahead with their education. As, according to the AAUW report, women who are harassed find their college experience disappointing (3), it is perhaps only logical to assume that they will associate negatively with their educational experience as well. Do you not agree that such misogynistic views about women’s capabilities in science and technology are a reflection on just how little society has changed when it comes to viewing women? Also, do you think that when women have to face sexual harassment on top of such attitudes, it makes it harder still to make headway in education for them? Will it have a negative impact in their outlook on life? And would it discourage them from pursuing further

Operations Management at Walmart

Operations Management at Walmart The companys originator was Sam Walton. He was born in 1918 at Oklahoma. In 1940, he worked for the prominent retailer, J C Penney. Walton gave up the job and settled on to set up his own retail store. He acquired a store franchise in Arkansas. Offering momentous markdowns on prices, he became triumphant and attained a second store in 3 years. By 1969, Walton had instituted 18 Wal-Mart stores. By late 1970s, the retail chain had ascertained a pharmacy and an auto service center. In 1980s, Wal-Mart sustained to nurture due to colossal customer stipulates in small towns. Wal-Mart was offering low prices, customer contentment assurance, and hours that were pragmatic for the way people wanted to shop. Wal-Mart endured a setback in 1992, when Walton died. But it prolonged its augmentation in the 1990s, focusing on out of the country stores. This unparalleled growth of Wal-Mart is featured to its continued hub on customer necessitates and reducing cost through proficient supply chain manag ement practices. In the early 1970s, Wal-Mart became one of the first retailing companies in the world to integrate its distribution system, ground-breaking the retail hub-and-spoke system. Under the system, goods were centrally arranged, assembled at a gigantic warehouse, known as allocation center (hub), from where they were transmitted to the individual stores (spoke). The hub and spoke system facilitated Wal-Mart to accomplish momentous cost advantages by the centralized purchasing of goods in titanic quantities. Wal-Mart underlined the need to trim down purchasing costs and offer the unsurpassed price to the customer. The company directly acquired from manufacturers, by passing all intermediaries. Supply chain management (SCM) of Wal-Mart is an expanded managing focus that mulls over the amalgamated impression of all the companies engrossed in the fabrication of goods and services, from suppliers to manufacturers to wholesalers to retailers to decisive consumers and afar to dumping and reprocessing. This approach to managing assembly and logistics systems presupposes all companies engaged in the progression of delivering goods to consumers are part of an arrangement, conduit, or supply chain. It includes everything necessitated to gratify customers and includes shaping which products they will purchase, how to create them, and how to transport them. The supply chain philosophy makes certain that customers obtain the precise products at the correct time at a satisfactory price and at the preferred location (Bethany, 2009) Mounting antagonism, intricacy, and geographical extent in the business world have led to this widened reach and continuing up gradations in the capabilities of the personal computer have made the optimization of supply chain performance probable. Electronic mail and the Internet have transfigured interaction and data exchange, facilitating the vital flow of information between the companies in the supply chain. Wal-Mart announced increases in catalog turns, decreases in out-of-stock happenings, and a replacement cycle that has moved from weeks to days to hours. A rudimentary assumption of Wal-Marts supply chain management is to view the system of facilities, progressions, and people that acquire raw materials, renovate them into products, and ultimately assign them to the customer as a chain, rather than a cluster of separates, but somewhat unified tasks. The significance of this incorporation cannot be exaggerated because the links of the chain are the means to achieving the objective. Every company has a supply chain, but not every company administers their supply chain as Wal-Mart for tactical advantage (Charles, 2006) In the midst of Wal-Marts supply chain management, information systems, procedures, attempts, and suggestions are assimilated across all functions of the intact supply chain. Supply chains befall more multifaceted as goods flow from more than one supplier to more than one industrialized and distribution site. The likelihood of outside sources for purposes like gathering and packaging are also alternatives in the chain. The fundamental tasks of Wal-Mart do not modify, regardless of whether or not it observes supply chain management. Suppliers are still entailed to supply material, manufacturing still creates, distribution still delivers, and customers still acquire. All of the customary functions of a company still take place. The definitive difference in a company that administers its supply chain is their focus shifts from what goes on within each of the links, to include the associations between the links. Any disruption to the supply chain connections affects the complete chain. The snowballing supply chain effect of improbability can be seen in this example. Suppose a producer of integrated circuit boards receives a consignment of poor condition silicon. Because the producer is reliant on its supplier for timely consignments, the deprived quality lot results in a shipment impediment to one of its customers. The computer producer is forced to shut down its line because constituent circuit boards are not accessible. As a consequence, computer shipments to Wal-Mart are late. Finally, the customer goes to Wal-Mart to acquire a new computer but is incapable to find the desired brand. Aggravated, the customer settles to buy the product of a opponent. Contemplate too, the timing involved in this procedure. Because of fabrication and hauling lead times, the authentic acknowledgement of the poor quality silicon possibly occurred some months before the customer made a computer possession (Nels on, 2010) An extensive diversity of events occurs in the Wal-Marts supply chain that essentially fickle. Suppliers can make premature or tardy deliveries. Customers can amplify, dwindle, or even call off orders. New-fangled customers can place substantial orders. Apparatus or means of transportation can collapse. Employees can get unwell, go on walkout, and renounce Supplier consignments or manufactured products can have value problems. Earlier, Wal-Mart practiced for insecurity and perked up their levels of customer satisfaction by permitting inventory levels to augment. This is no longer a suitable solution. High inventories interpret to increased carrying costs and jeopardizes of obsolescence that can limit a Wal-Marts suppleness. During the supply chain, array is customarily generated and held at many locations. Any time a segment of that inventory can be trimmed down or eradicated; Wal-Mart lessens costs and enhances productivity. Curbing the length of time it takes to shift a product from one link of the chain to the next also abbreviates the cycle time of the whole chain and thereby increases competitiveness and customer contentment. Low cost stratagem is centered on the capacity of Wal-Mart to manufacture and distribute merchandise of cutthroat quality at inferior costs. Cost leadership strategy is much more than cost reduction initiatives that get lot of eminence in strategic planning and evaluate session of any company as a means to perk up the bottom line of a company by improving its competence. Wal-Mart uses their proficient cost structures to shield their market from the competitors by reacting to competitors move of making in-roads in the market space by plummeting prices. Such imprudent response may make Wal-Mart principally inward spotlighted. Improved way to tactically situation Wal-Mart on the pro of cost is to boost market share by converting from lowest cost producer to lowest cost supplier of products. This way Wal-Mart decodes its cost advantage into price gain for its consumers and thereby advances the market share. The panorama of escalating the market share endows with a huge prospect for the company to influence the economies of scale paired with the hardnosed cost cutting gauges it sketches to accomplish. More the aggressive space it occupies which also connotes that more competitors eradicated more effectual are economies of scale and as a consequence the costs are driven still lesser. When Wal-Mart is able to convert the endeavors of cost reduction into cost advantage for customers the company can be said to be lucratively pursuing low cost leadership strategy. Wal-Mart is one company that incessantly struggles to cut costs and in the market place it has got the representation of supplier of products at the buck prices. This is how Wal-Mart incarcerates the markets and purges the competitors and progresses revenues and market share. Economies of scale and competence form the nucleus around which Wal-Mart implements its strategy. Wal-Mart pursuing cost leadership evaluates each and every commotion along their value chain with competitors and is committed to outshine them. Innovation in Wal-Mart is focused on process augmentations (both incremental and quantum) rather than on artifacts (new product development). In fact companies pursuing cost leadership strategy aim mass markets with established products. The cost leaders today by and large miss out on one imperative aspect. They classically muse on conveying a product of bloodthirsty quality at the lowly cost and pass on part of the cutbacks to customers. They are so fixated with costs and pricing that seldom do they dismember the customer value proposition. This is a forthcoming area that may supply yet another cost reduction prospect and at the same time magnetize prospective customers from an alcove segment. Wal-Mart when it evaluates the value proposition that it proffers adjacent to the characteristics that customers really give significance, novel insights and opportunities may inaugurate. Such a study may disclose some features on which the company may be sustaining ample disbursement and yet the customers do not care about the fastidious facet or facility. Cutting on such frills may be of assistance in improving the bottom line. But cuts on frills accompanied by plunge on factors where companys offering is less than the customers anticipations provides an exceptional prospect for financial prudence and serving augmented value to the customers, which may represent customers from exterior to the current marketplace space, just on the periphery of niche segments. Most admired no frills strategy is followed by Wal-Mart which based its stratagem on clear indulging of the segment of customers it satisfies. All sources consent the underlying focus of supply chain management begins by accepting the customer, their worth, and obligations. This includes internal customers of Wal-Mart and the ultimate customer as well. Wal-Mart must hunt to know accurately what the customer anticipates from the product or service and must then hub their endeavors on summiting these expectations. The procedure of suppliers must be paralleled with the buying progression of the customer. Even functioning measurements must be customer driven, because the conduct of the final customer eventually controls the actions of the intact supply chain (Al Norman, 2004) Another prerequisite is improved information flow. Wal-Mart must spend in the technology that will grant access to better amounts of appropriate information. Information makes it probable to move to more immediate merchandise replacement and permit all parties in the chain to react swiftly to all changes. Information assists the decisions of the supply chain such as assessment and examination of options. Information flow is solution to the visibility of the product as it streams through the supply chain. The elasticity and modification required is often complex for Wal-Mart and their employees. It is however, the capacity to clinch essential changes that will position a company to take benefit of supply chain management. Because the supply chain is a vigorous entity, Wal-Mart is advised to systemize for change. They must foresee confrontation and be prepared to deal with it. Preparing the concepts of supply chain management will assist in this attempt. Furthermore, as with any organization change, the new ideas must be sustained and held by all levels of management of Wal-Mart (John Dicker, 2005) Self checkout machines offer a mechanism for customers to pay for procurements from a retailer without unswerving input to the method by the retailers staff. They are a substitute to the conventional cashier-staffed checkout. . The advantage to the customer is in the lessened checkout time because stores are frequently able to competently run two to six self checkout units where it normally would have had one cashier. Some customers welcome the skill not to have to deal with anyone. Self checkout may create a delusion of confidentiality and anonymity, when in fact the self checkout attendant can follow the progress of customers on all machines via a separate workstation known as a RAP (Remote Attendant Post). The customer pays and dispatches with a receipt at the checkout kiosk. The reliability of the system is preserved through the use of random inspections or RFID. Theft on these services is reduced by a mixture of a high blockade to entry, and infrequent audits of customers shoppi ng, where customers chosen at arbitrary are taken to a specialized till and have their shopping scanned in the customary way

Development of Information Warfare Essay -- Defense Military War

Development of Information Warfare Introduction In his final foreign policy speech, President Bill Clinton listed among the United States’ top five military and security concerns the development of information warfare (Lacey). Given the importance of information technologies to the American economy and the U.S. military’s dependence on this system, any attacks on the information infrastructure could have severe consequences for the economy and for national security. For the U.S.’s best interests, taking the initiative in defining the limits of information warfare would be beneficial. The current U.S. trend toward concerning itself publicly more with computer network defense than computer network attack has prevented an adequate public dialog on the legalities involved with information warfare. The United States must address this issue before development of information warfare technologies goes much further. Resolving this issue at an international level can protect the United States from future informatio n warfare attacks and present opportunities to retaliate against attackers. Definition of Terms Before exploring the implications of information warfare, a working definition of the term must be established. Due either to imprecision regarding information warfare’s specific operations or just that this form of warfare is very young, many definitions are available. The Air Force’s official definition of information warfare, articulated in the â€Å"Cornerstones of Information Warfare† report, is â€Å"any action to deny, exploit, corrupt or destroy the enemy's information and its functions; protecting ourselves against those actions; and exploiting our own military information functions† (Fogleman and Widnall). This def... ...iversity. McCoubrey, Hilaire, and Nigel D. White. International Law and Armed Conflict. Dartmouth: Brookfield, VT, 1992. Molander, Roger C., and Sanyin Siang. â€Å"The Legitimization of Strategic Information Warfare: Ethical Considerations.† Professional Ethics Report, Vol. XI, No.4, Fall 1998. < http://www.aaas.org/spp/dspp/sfrl/per/per15.htm > Roberts, Adam, and Richard Guelff, eds. Documents on the Laws of War. Clarendon Press: Oxford, 1982. Schwartau, Winn. Information Warfare. Thunder’s Mouth Press: New York, 1994. United States Space Command. â€Å"U.S. Space Command Takes Charge of Computer Network Attack.† 29 September 2000. < http://www.spacecom.af.mil/usspace/rel15-00.htm > Waltz, Edward. Information Warfare Principles and Operations. Artech House: Boston, 1998.

Psychological and Sociological Factors in Smoking Addiction Essay

Psychological and Sociological Factors in Smoking Addiction Understanding the habit of smoking tobacco The essay will discuss how smoking tobacco became a habit among people; what are the factors that affect the thinking of individuals in experimenting tobacco smoking; and what makes them think of quitting smoking. It will address both psychological and sociological ideas and will attempt to apply each idea in order to understand people’s lifestyles. Introduction Tobacco is a green and leafy plant and mostly grows in a warm environment. When it is fully grown, it will be harvested, dried, processed and can be used in different ways. It can be smoked in the form of cigarette, cigar, pipe, sniffle through the nose or it can also be chewed. In tobacco, there are thousands of chemicals and one of these chemicals is the nicotine that makes it addictive or can form a habit. Once you smoke tobacco, the nicotine goes to your bloodstream that triggers your body to want more. Nicotine is a drug and a stimulant that changes your body in some way. If you smoke, it speeds up part of your system (nervous) and makes you feel you have the energy to cope with your daily living. Smoking also make your heart beat faster and raise your blood pressure (Jacobs, 1997). However, Jarvis (2004), states that the link with nicotine addiction does not imply that pharmacological properties drives smoking behaviour in a simple way. It does not excludes other influences such as personal, social, economic and political and these influences play an important part in determining patterns of smoking prevalence (Jarvis, 2004). Psychological Aspects of the Habit of Smoking Once smoking became a habit or you became addicted, it is hard to beat. It is ... .../niceMedia/documents/smoking_low_income.pdf [Accessed 24th July 2010] Niven, N. and Robinson J. (1994) Psychology applied to nurses. In: MÃ ¼ller, D. Psychology applied to nurses’ series. Chippenham: Antony Rowe Ltd. Office of National Statistics (2010). General Lifestyle Survey, Smoking and Drinking among Adults 2008 [online]. London: statistics.gov.uk Available from http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_compendia/GLF08/GLFSmoking&DrinkingAmongAdults2008.pdf [Accessed 20th July 2010] Office of National Statistics (2007). Smoking-related Behaviour and Attitudes, 2007 [online] London: statistics.gov.uk Available from http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_health/smoking2007.pdf [Accessed 25th July 2010] Office for National Statistics (2004) Prevalence of cigarette smoking by sex and age: 1974 to 2003: General Household Survey 2003 London: OPSI

A Visit to the Animal Kingdom in Florida Essay

English Reflective Essay Florida is portrayed as a fantasy land where Mickey Mouse greets you around every corner and where Cinderella actually lives, where days go by without a single drop of rain and the sky is consistently perfectly blue. However this was the farthest thing from my mind as I sat in an immense carbon-emmiting monster whose air conditioning has spluttered and died and while the heavens poured the air was so thick and mucky that flies were sticking to the windshield as we drove, only to be washed away by the drowning rain. As this was happening, my dad who was yet to figure out his left from his right had the near-miracle task of finding our hotel. Which was almost impossible because visibility was limited to about a yard and that requires great concentration, which was hard to find after the fiasco at the airport†¦. Day 2 To my great excitement, â€Å"Animal Kingdom† was our first theme park, rather disappointing though what was hyped up to be a splendour of animal based excitement turned out to be a zoo with the odd thrill. However my memory of the first day was largely marred by Dad; with his new and shiny American muscle car; forgot that when all four doors were shut the lock system was activated. All hell broke lose! With my mum muttering and rambling nonchalantly and quietly with the odd distinguishable, â€Å"God.. men† and my dad, the man of the household and the â€Å"decisive† being, who was spouting all sorts of obscenities and was spanking the car,lightly so no damage was done but gave the impression that somehow it was the cars fault, it was up to me (seeming the only level headed member of the family) to aqcuire the basic survival needs such as food and water. With out park tickets being used for the day there was no way of buying fresh water. Giving up on the task of survival and surrending to the fate of the great over-powering Florida sunshine that was gobbling up every ounce of liquid, I went to a little ledge at the very far side of the car park and with ironic timing the edge of my eye caught sight of a little pool. And just like an oasis in the middle of the Sahara desert the temptation to drink from this minor miracle was extreme. As I squatted and stared while heavily drooling with my mouth arid there was a conflict of conscience apparent in my head. The good side was reciting the well known fact that one of the locals had stated, â€Å"In every pool of water in Florida there is an alligator. † The other â€Å"evil† side accompanied by my sailva and most major organs, was willing to tempt fate yet my good conscience claimed noble victory and I was left to dessicate. And looking back on it, it was probably a wise decision, however the journey back to the apartment was like a front row seat between Mohammed Ali and Mike Tyson.

Beyond Rivalry Essay

During childhood, sisters and brothers are a major part of each other’s lives, for better or for worse. As adults they may drift apart as they become involved in their own careers, marriages and families. But in later life, with retirement, an empty nest, and parents and sometimes spouses gone, brothers and sisters often turn back to each other for a special affinity and link to the past. â€Å"In the stressful, fast- paced world we live in, the sibling relationship becomes for many the only intimate connection that seems to last,† says psychologist Michael Kahn of the University of Hartford. Friends and neighbors may move away, former coworkers are forgotten, marriages break up, but no matter what, our sisters and brothers remain our sisters and brothers. This late- life bond may be especially important to the â€Å"Baby Boom† generation now in adulthood, who average about two or three sibling apiece. High divorce rates and the decision by many couples to have only one or no children will force members of this generation to look to their brothers and sisters for support in old age. And, as psychologist Deborah Gold of the Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development points out, â€Å"Since people are living longer and are healthier longer, they will be more capable of giving help. † Critical events can bring siblings together or deepen an existing rift, according to a study by psychologists Helgola Ross and Joel Milgram of the University of Cincinnati. Parental sickness or death is a prime example. Ross and Milgram found that siblings immersed in rivalry and conflict were even more torn apart by the death or sickness of a parent. Those siblings who had been close since childhood became closer. In a study of older people with sisters and brothers, Gold found that about 20 percent said they were either hostile or indifferent toward their siblings. Reasons for the rifts ranged from inheritance disputes to animosity between spouses. But many of those who had poor relationship felt guilt and remorse. A man who hadn’t spoken with his sister in 20 years described their estrangement as a â€Å"festering sore. Although most people in Ross and Milgram’s study admitted to some lingering rivalry, it was rarely strong enough to end the relationship. Only 4 out of the 55 people they interviewed had completely broken with their siblings and only 1 of the 4 felt comfortable with the break, leaving the researchers to ask, â€Å"Is it psychologically impossible to disassociate oneself from one’s siblings in the way one can forget old friends or even former mates? † As brothers and sisters advance into old age, â€Å"closeness increases and rivalry diminishes,† explains Victor Cicirelli, a psychologist at Purdue University. Most of the elderly people he interviewed said they had supportive and friendly dealings and got along well or very well with their brothers and sisters. Only 4 percent got along poorly. Gold found that as people age they often become more involved with and interested in their siblings. Fifty- three percent of those she interviewed said that contact with their sisters and brothers increased in late adulthood. With family and career obligations reduced, many said they had more time for each other. Others said that they felt it was â€Å"time to heal wounds. A man who had recently reconciled with his brother told Gold, â€Å"There’s something that lets older people put aside the bad deeds of the past and focus a little on what we need now†¦especially when it’s brothers and sisters. † Another reason for increased contact was anxiety about a sister’s or brother’s declining health. Many would call more often to â€Å"check in† and see how the other was doing. Men especially reported feeling increased responsibility for a sibling; women were more likely to cite emotional motivation such as feelings of empathy and security. Siblings also assume special importance as other sources of contact and support dwindle. Each of us moves through life with a â€Å"convoy† of people who supply comfort and nurturance, says psychologist Toni C. Antonucci of the University of Michigan. As we age, the size of the convoy gradually declines because of death, sickness or moving. â€Å"Brothers and sisters who may not have been important convoy members earlier in life can become so in old age,† Gold says. And they do more than fill in gaps. Many people told Gold that the loneliness they felt could not be satisfied by just anyone. They wanted a specific type of relationship, one that only someone who had shared their past could provide. This far- reaching link to the past is a powerful bond between siblings in later life. â€Å"There’s a review process we all go through in old age to resolve whether we are pleased with our lives,† Gold explains. â€Å"A sibling can help retrieve a memory and validate our experiences. People have said to me, â€Å"I can remember some with my spouse or with friends. But they only person who goes all the way back is my sister and brother. † Cicirelli agrees that reviewing the past together is a rewarding activity. â€Å"Siblings have a very important role in maintaining a connection to early life,† he says. â€Å"Discussing the past evokes the warmth of early family life. In validates and clarifies events of the early years. † Furthermore, he has found that encouraging depressed older people to reminisce with a sister or brother can improve their morale. Some of the factors that affect how much contact siblings will have, such as how near they live, are obvious. Others are more unexpected-for example. Whether there is a sister in the clan. Cicirelli found that elderly people most often feel closet to a sister and are more likely to keep in touch through her. According to Gold, sisters, by tradition, often assume a caretaking and kin- keeping role, especially after the death of their mother. â€Å"In many situations you see two brothers who don’t talk to each other that much but keep track of each other through their sisters,† she says. Researchers have found that the bond between sisters is strongest, followed by the one between sisters and brothers and, last, between brothers. Sisters and brothers who live near each other will, as a matter of course, see more of each other. But Cicirelli says that proximity is not crucial to a strong relationship later in life. â€Å"Because of multiple chronic illnesses, people in their 80s and 90s can’t get together that easily. Even so, the sibling seems to evoke positive feelings based on the images of feelings inside. † Gold’s finding support this assertion. During a two- year period, contact among her respondents decreaed slightly, but positive feelings increased. Just the idea that the sibling is alive, that ‘there is someone I can call,’ is comforting. † Although older people may find solace in the thought that their siblings are there if they need them, rarely do they call each other for help or offer each other instrumental support, such as loaning money, running errands of performing favors. â€Å"Even though you find siblings saying that they’d be glad to help each other and saying they would ask for help if necessary, rarely do they ask,† Cicirelli points out. Gold believes that there are several reasons siblings don’t turn to each other more for instrumental help. First, since they are usually about the same age, they may be equally needy or frail. Another reason is that many people consider their siblings safety nets who will save them after everything else has failed. A son or daughter will almost always be turned to first. It’s more acceptable in our society to look up or down the family ladder for help than sideways. Finally, siblings may not turn to each other for help because of latent rivalry. They may believe that if they need to call on a brother or sister they are admitting that the other person is a success and â€Å"I am a failure. † Almost all of the people in Gold’s study said they would rather continue on their own than ask their sister or brother for help. But she found that a crisis beyond control would inspire â€Å"a ‘rallying’ of some or all siblings around the brother or sister in need. † Despite the quarreling and competition many people associate with the mere mention of their sisters and brothers, most of us, Gold says, will find â€Å"unexpected strengths in this relationship in later life. †

Explain How Groups Can Influence People in Positive and Negative Ways Essay

Being part of a group can give an individual a sense of security, a boost to their self-esteem and a feeling of belonging. They may see themselves as being part of an ‘in-group’. Being part of a group that is seen as being better than others (an ‘in-group’), can create a bond between the members. People of different races or religions, or rival gangs, would be seen as being the ‘out-group’. The sense of security and bonding with the other members can come from having people around you that are working with you, and knowing that you have somebody looking out for you if and when things go wrong. Having people depending on you in a leadership role can give boost an individual’s self esteem. There are many negatives that can come with being part of a group also. Peer pressure and the feeling of having to conform in ways in which may seem inappropriate, could cause members to go along with decisions and behaviour made, so that they fit in even though they know the outcomes won’t possibly be the best ones. The pressure to conform in front of other members of a group was apparent in an experiment carried out by Solomon Asch in the 1950s. It showed how members of a group will go along with decisions that others make even though they know that it’s not necessarily the correct choice. A small group were shown a picture of a line and then asked out of three other lines, which one was the same length. Several members of the group deliberately gave the wrong answer. They had been influenced by the experimenters. The results showed that the level of conformity grew when the answers were said out loud. The level of conformity decreased when the participants were asked to write down their answers in private. The members (not in on the experiment) clearly felt that they needed to conform with the rest of the group, whether it was because they didn’t want to seem stupid or they just felt pressured into agreeing a nd not being the odd one out. During the 1950s and 1960s an experiment carried out by Muzafer Sherif et al (1961) took a group of boys from a summer camp and divided them into two groups. The boys interacted well at first, working together and behaving in ways that would be expected, until they set up a tournament type competition. The behaviour between the groups very quickly turned negative with name calling, hostility and aggression. Within the groups though, the level of solidarity was extremely high between the boys. Once the experimenters intervened and introduced activities that encouraged the groups to work together again, the boys were able to cooperate well and any bad feelings were forgotten. This experiment shows how peer pressure clearly had quite an influence on the boys’ behaviour as the aggression felt towards the other group clearly wasn’t personal as the negative behaviour was quickly forgotten once the experimenters took control. It seems more so that one member, possibly the boy seen as the ‘leader’, made a move, quickly the rest of the group’s behaviour changed one by one escalating to such hostilities. The members of the individual groups would have felt as though they were the à ¢â‚¬Ëœin-groups’ and probably felt a sense of security in that they had others working with them and the self esteem of the ‘leader’ would have risen significantly. Another example of how being part of a group can have it’s negatives and positives is the story of Dorinne Kondo (1990). She was a Japanese American woman who, having lived all her life in America, goes to Japan to study. There, she stays with a Japanese family, the Sakamotos. Kondo finds it hard to conform from the start of her visit and she feels she is being judged for looking Japanese but not acting in the correct manner or being able to properly communicate as she didn’t speak the language. After spending time and helping out with the family she is staying with, Kondo gradually learns the way to do things to suit the Japanese culture. After she gets praise from Mr Sakamoto himself for greeting him with a bow in the traditional manner and when her teacher praises her flawless performance at the tea ceremony, Kondo will no doubt have had a boost to her self esteem and possibly a bonding with the Japanese women. The negatives seem to out-weigh the positives during Kon do’s time in Japan though as she struggled with the fact that women are seen as being below the males and having to bow down (literally) to them. She felt obliged to take on the ‘daughter’ role during her stay and a feeling of peer pressure to perform as a Japanese woman, even though it wasn’t necessarily the way she would act in her life in America. In conclusion being in a social group (the boys from the Robbers Cave experiment) there seemed to be more positives as the boys felt they had others on their side and lots of back up when things turned bad. Their self esteem would have been pretty high and the bond between them all would of grown as the time went on. Kondos story, which showed more of a cultural group, had more negatives as she really felt the pressure to conform to suit her cultural group and setting.

Employment Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employment Law - Assignment Example There exist instances when such rules may be acceptable without being discriminative. An English-only rule may only apply under justification of business necessity. That means that the employer may only use such a rule in as far as the employee needs to communicate in English to operate efficiently and to ensure safety. According to the Equal employment opportunities Commission, EEOC, English-only rules are justifiable in limited instances. According to EEOC, some of these circumstances that warrant the application of such rules include; a paid speaking position where one is meant to continuously speak to and English speaking audience, when communicating with customers and fellow employees who only speak English, during emergencies where there is need for a common language to ensure safety, where a supervisor needs to monitor employee’s performance, and for cooperative assignments that require workers to speak a common language for efficiency (Rutherglen, 2007). An employer may be allowed to prohibit employees from using any other language apart from English when speaking to customers who speak only English. That would be to enhance communication with clients and ensure flawless business transactions. Also, the employer may require employees to speak English when addressing their colleagues who speak only English or who may not understand the language that such employees may be comfortable using (Rutherglen, 2007). During emergencies, there is need for there to be a common language that can be understood by all. That is to ensure safety for everyone. That also includes those working on or operating machinery, chemicals or items that may cause harm if not handled with care. In such circumstances, the employer may apply English-only rules as they would help safeguard everyone’s safety. For cooperative duty that requires employees to work in teams, English-only rules may come into application especially if some

Tlatelolco Massacre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tlatelolco Massacre - Essay Example The incident clearly violated the human rights of this century as it killed many innocent people of the subcontinent. Massacres have taken place through out the world at different instances. At some instances the governments of states itself has been involved in carrying out the massacres. In other words massacres can also be defined as the mass killing of people without any concrete reason. Furthermore the causes of some of the mass massacres which have taken place in the history of this world are yet to be known. One of the massacres of such intensity is known as Tlatelolco Massacre. This took place in the city of Mexico on the date of October 2, 1968. It is known to be the deadliest of massacres which took place over a century in the city of Mexico. This essay would further analyze the massacre from all view points and would further examine the role of CIA in response to the massacre which happened. The incident of Tlatelolco took place in October 1968 at Plaza de las Tres Culturas. It was an armed incident which took place in the response of student demonstrations in Mexico. The year 1968 marked different demonstrations of students taking place all over the world which inspired the Mexican students also. Furthermore the students started having different rallies all over the city to get some of their demands accepted. The students further started to threaten the authorities of dire consequences if their demands were not met. The students had different demands which in totality wanted abolition of certain authorities and wanted to get some officers dismissed. The students also had other demands which were not being accepted by the government. At that time the President of Mexico was Gustavo Diaz Ordaz. He was determined to end the student demonstrations through out Mexico through different means and he even took aggressive methods to end it up. Till October the demands of the st udents were yet not met and they threatened the event of Olympics which were to take place in Mexico 1968. This took the authorities with surprise and it is reported that the government asked for support from the US to stop any mishap from happening in the Olympics. The rallies of the students extended to such a number that it became alarming for the authorities and on the eve of October 2 at Plaza de las Tres Culturas aggressive means of methods were used against these students to make them finish their demonstrations. However after the massacre it was till 2003 not established as to who was responsible for the massacre. The government at that time claimed that some of the students hiding in other buildings had started firing on the security forces and in response the security forces did the same. Although different stories have been put up by the State department, FBI and CIA the view points of CIA would be emphasized more in this essay. The State department which was being informed by different sources about the incident is still not having clear claims as to how the incident occurred all the authorities have contradictory views as to from the first shot took place. The army is not blamed at by the authorities as the general of army was trying to disperse the crowd when the first shot was fired. The Federal Bureau of Investigation also had no prior knowledge as to how the inc

Critical Thinking Paper (read the instructions carefully) Essay - 1

Critical Thinking Paper (read the instructions carefully) - Essay Example As such, the Christian Americans always perceive the Arab Muslims as terrorists; whereas the Arabs perceive the Americans as villain pagans, whose justice is death. The Arab Americans conflicts extends through each American administration, with every new president of the united states of America coming up with a new international relations policy, as well as, developing new strategies in creating world peace through the merging of both Arabs and Muslims in one belief of faith and progression through democracy (Colbert & John 34). However, these conflicts always lie in the three main issues mentioned above, which is terrorism, oil, and religion, particularly Islam. Terrorism is a worldwide scourge, whereby renowned terrorist groupings attack American installations across the world, and to some extend bring the war to American soil, such as the 9/11, terrorist attack whereby the Al Qaeda group of terrorists based in Afghanistan hijacked four passenger planes and crashed them at tree strategic targets in the United States. These strategic targets were the twin towers in New York City that hosted the World Trade Center, and the pentagon building that hosts the United States Department of Defense. The 9/11 attack led to the death of over 3,000 innocent Americans, which was another scar in the already palatable American Arabs relationship. This terrorist attack led to the onset of the Iraq and Afghan incursion to root out terrorists, with a global man0hunt to the notorious terrorist leader Osama Bin laden believed to be the mastermind behind the 9/11 attack. In addition, this attack worsened every peace efforts made by the various American governments to foster peace and restoration between Americans and the Arabs. For a long time, America suffered terrorist attacks either on its own soil, or in its foreign installations, such as ambassadorial offices, such as the Nairobi august 1998 bombing at the US consulate located in the CBD leading to the death

Poetry explication with outline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Poetry explication with outline - Essay Example The second row utilized the words "we people", implying that the townspeople documented themselves as organism on a dissimilar level than Cory. Describing them as organism "on the asphalt road" gives the chart picture of people session around on the road staring up at the rich aristocrat on foot by. Beyond the shadow, the third row says Cory was "a man from sole to crown." The word circlet has palpable royal implications, which is additional of Cory being elevated over the townspeople. Cory is not a man from "head to toe", but in its place from "only to crown". The fourth row uses the expression "imperially slender" to explain Cory. The word imposing income "belonging to a territory" or "grand." While regal is not more often than not consideration of as a way to explain slim, it is more of Robinson expressing the significance of Cory. According to the expert analysis the second verse shows how the municipality adores Cory. After the opening stanzas description single strength believes Cory eminent himself over the others. Line 6 disproves this by saying "he was forever human when he converses." Furthermore, this tells the person who reads that Cory talked as although he was on the similar stage as the others, not pretending to be a ruler or noble. Position seven and eight demonstrate more of the towns respect of Cory. The townspeople are explains as having "fluttered pulses" simply by life form told "good-morning" by Cory. The chart picture this gives could be contrasts to a flock of pre-teenage girls fainting at the talk about of a teen-idols persons name. The eighth line and says Cory "glittered when he sauntered." Glittered is an attractive word choice, as it appears like Cory is made of diamonds that reproduce in the sun as he leisurely walks during the city. This research focused on this truth that the third stanza meeting more of Cory life form great, and in fact compares him to a king. In line 9 Robinson uses a

Racist Violence In America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Racist Violence In America - Essay Example The fact that the author mentions different problems also makes the essay more informative. Another strong point is the inclusion of the real life personalities, such as the story of Trayvon Martin and Deamonte Driver, who died because of the â€Å"bacteria from the abscessed tooth that spread to the brain† after he was not given a timely medical help. (Giroux) This makes readers feel sympathy and become more prone to supporting the author. In addition, the author makes references to other authors, such as Steve Herbert, Glen Ford, Patricia and Trecento Clough to show that he is not alone in his considerations and make the argument more plausible. In general, I share the author’s point of view when he explains that the present-day society allows too much violence and, yet, it continues spreading the messages of fear among the population. In my opinion, it is clear that the economic gap between people exists and it is always difficult to break the circle of poverty having poor education and, therefore, poor opportunities to prosper. At the same time, in my opinion, the essay could be better grounded. Although the author gives the numbers of poor and imprisoned minorities and explains the conditions in which they live, he did not provide evidence that could show the causal connection between the facts, such as the rates of drop outs of the minorities and racial stereotyping for example. However, the points covered in the article are worth consideration and further research.

Fishbone Diagram Essay Example for Free

Fishbone Diagram Essay Fishbone diagram allows Hotel Escargo to turn the problem upside down working through the roots so that the issue is fixed. It is also easier to fix the smaller problems that lead to the main problem. Looking at the check-in delays, there are a lot of small issues that have led to this occurrence. The first issue is computer malfunctions. Often times, computers tend to freeze due to glitches in the used software causing them to lose customers entering information. This issue causes customers not to get their room which is a check-in delay. Another issue is not having valid and filed credit cards. When checking in, some customers enter the hotel with credit cards that are either expired, maxed out, or not in service. This leads to customers not being able to check-in their room which is another check-in delay. Not having rooms prepared for guests because of a slow cleaning crew leads to check-in delays. Having no available bellmen due to them assisting other customers also leads to check-in time delays. This results from having a shortage of bellmen. Bad front desk service due to them being slow, unorganized, and having a shortage of workers leads to check-in delays. Last but not least, not having a pre-reserved room also leads to check-in delays because individuals have to go through the reservation process the day they try to get a room. If all of these issues are taken care of, check-in delays will be eliminated.

Threats and Opportunities for Insurance Companies

Threats and Opportunities for Insurance Companies Climate change has become one of the most important aspects of our daily lives as it has a deep impact on our systems and the general well being of humanity. Such unprecedented change in the climate has resulted in extreme catastrophes such as hurricanes, floods, wild fires, etc. The loss caused by such accidents is not limited to the general public, but is further passed on to industry, which thrives on the concept of underwriting assets. The industries core belief is to quantify the uncertainty of an unforeseen event. But as these events are growing in frequency and size, it will continue to challenge the sustainability of insurance companies. Inevitably, it will transfer the burden to the insurance purchaser, as insurance companies will seek higher premiums for their products, which will only make it less affordable for the masses to afford essential insurance coverage. In this essay we will discuss the various challenges that the industry faces due to climate change, the possible ways to mitigate the threats, and then the scope of more opportunities arising out of the given change. Climate change can be seen as a threat to many insurance companies in the long term as well as the short term. IPCC (2007) has confirmed an increase in the frequency of the catastrophe in the recent years. Insurance claims running into billions of dollars can cause a huge dent in this industry, which makes up up-to 10% of the US economy. It is only natural for insurance companies to charge higher premium for those asserts. Which are exposed to high risks, making it less affordable to the market. The chairman of Lloyds of London quoted that climate change is the number- one issue for that massive insurance group. And also Europes largest insurer, Allianz, stated climate change stands to increase insured losses from extreme events in an average year by 37% within just a decade (Hawker, 2007,p.28). In the past, insurance companies have relied on previous data to formulate policies. But such a practice has only caused high losses as the climate is changing in a rapid way. Warren buffet pointed out insurance companies cant simply extrapolate past experience. If there is a is truly global warming, for example, the odds would shift, since tiny changes in atmospheric conditions can produce momentous changes in weather patterns'. Therefore new techniques such as risk management system (RMS) are used extensively by insurance industry for assessing and managing risks. Hurricane Andrew caused a loss of $23 billion to insurers as they based their policies after relying on past data. However, the same industry had a much smaller impact when hurricane hit the US coast in 20004 and 2005, as they used future risk models such as RMS to formulate policies (Herweiger et. al., 2009). Climate change leads to increase damage and costs as ever increasing level and long lasting wildfires are causing more claims and property damages. Such frequency and magnitude of potential losses can jeopardize the solvency of insurance and reinsurance companies. Sustainability can be insured if the given threats are dealt with adequately. Insurance industries have a history of fostering practices and technologies to reduce risks. Some of the possible and effective ways to mitigate risks are, firstly, a lesser premium can be charged from customers of motor insurance who drive hybrid cars or use pay as you drive scheme. Special benefits can be given to customers who buy vehicles jointly to use them under car pool system. Secondly, a close association with government agencies to improve land use planning, better management of forestry agriculture and wet lands can help in having a well balanced growth that does not put to much pressure on natural resources. Collaboration with private builders to promote, improved building codes, which insure minimum damage to the environment, lower energy requirements and long-term durability. Thirdly, building awareness amongst clients and formulation of public policy. Companies can provide information and edu cation to customers about the harmful effects of violating laws of nature. Consultation should be given to primary and secondary industry to reduce their impact on their immediate environment. . Many insurers have already made investments in green projects like renewable energy, energy efficiency, forestry projects and green funds to ensure that their customers receive protection and also saving them from large claims (Mills, 2007,p.7). Promotion of voluntary energy saving and energy efficient codes can help reduce our dependence on state electrical supply. Active participation from insurers such as AIG offer its Private Client Group a service in which crews are deployed to apply fire retardant in areas such as Colorado which are threatened by wildfire. Climate change can prove as a very big opportunity for insurers as the unpredictable climate can threaten their customers and lead them to insuring their assets. However they must adapt timely successfully. Responding to change is important as it brings opportunities. Insurance companies should develop new solutions and introduce insurance of new assets and risks for their customers changing needs. It is also seen that the Insurance industry is in constant search of better returns for its vast investments. In this regard it could take advantage of the opportunities available in alternative energy sources as it is a good investment as constant technological developments make this it more affordable and attractive for the public. Introducing new products such as risk based pricing under which insurance premiums are charged as per their risk exposure. For normal policies, premium is charged by keeping various factors in hand, but the premium is standard for all, no consideration is given to a policy holders risk exposure. For example- buying car insurance in UK, Any individual above the age of 21 is charged a basic insurance premium which is more or less standard. However when it comes to providing insurance cover to an individual below the age of 21, the policy premium is charged at a much higher rate, as the possibility of an accident is much higher as these new drivers are mostly inexperienced. Another opportunity comes from state help, in form of promotion, because If the majority of the population do not insure their properties then in case of a catastrophe, the financial burden will fall on the state insurers, so to save from this burden, governments promote and favour private insurance companies. Thus making it profitable for private insurers as well as the government. Some of the possible ways to tap the available opportunity are firstly by energy saving insurance, which is given to promoters of energy efficient projects to protect them from loss due to underachievement of predicted energy efficiency. Secondly by motor insurance where packages such as pay as you drive insurance are given, in which cover is given for the miles driven. This helps to reduce miles driven by 10 % to 15 % and also reduces accidents. Thirdly by green building insurance, insurance schemes for buildings that comply with green, eco friendly codes. Fourthly by micro insurance, where the majority of the population living below poverty line, cannot afford insurance of any sort. Therefore new packages for this section of the society can help to capture a very large customer base. Fifthly by investing in alternate energy sources As they can help to get a much higher returns to the surplus investable capital of insurance companies, as this sector holds great promise for better, cleaner greener energy, through technological innovations. And lastly by improved identification of flood plains will help to promote insurance purchasing in the marked areas. After exploring the implications of climate change on the insurance industry, I have shown above, the threats opportunities that the insurance companies face. By comparing both sides of the argument, I believe that the insurance industry faces more threats than opportunities due to climate change. An ever-increasing catastrophe rate, sparked by excessive climate change has lead to increased financial losses, reduced customer base in some case cases complete wipe out of companies. Therefore it is only right for these companies to mitigate these risks in order to insure sustainability. In the given scenario, there also exist enough opportunities to develop new business models and increase revenue through new policies, revised competitive rates. Many untapped market segments, which remain untouched by industry, can provide high revenues. Adequate investments in research and technology will be beneficial for the industry. Above all, a close association with the general public, government agencies private sector enterprise will help the insurance industry to protect itself from the dangers of climate change and provide sufficient opportunity to grow in size.